Electric Kisses

So, one evening Jeff & I engaged in a full-on-the-lips kiss, there was generated (heh, get it?) a visual and auditory electrical spark. Now although I would like to think that we're so hot for each other that the physical world was giving testimony to our love, I figure it was actually because of the extra-dry air in our apartment.

Depressing...

...is this article in the Post today about the prevalence of HIV among African American women. (Insert sarcasm here) Um, I'm sure it's my fault in some way for being a whitey or semi-whitey, rich (although no car, no kids, no home-ownership), well-educated (Look! I can actually balance my checkbook!) that Af-Am women are ALLOWING themselves to become infected with HIV. You just know that I'll be paying for more social programs so that Af-Am women feel better about themselves can say "no glove, no love." Wait a minute - that phrase would be too white and elitist and not fully respectful of their culture! Mea maxima culpa!(end sarcasm here) Read the damn article yourself! I'm now very depressed!

And the thing, dear readers, is that I can't manage to have any sympathy at all for these folks. I mean you need to be pretty blankety-blank stupid to insist on unprotected sex with a guy who's TOLD you he's HIV+.

And another thing, how can anyone in their right mind find a crackhead jailbird remotely attractive? Enough to have unprotected sex with him for two years. Sounds like a real catch! Where can I find one?

You know, it must be nice to be that cluelessly stupid and reckless, just going with whatever impulse you have in life. And I mean both the "men" and the "women" in question. Well, ok, now, why should I (or any taxpayer) wish to drop more money for these self-perpetuating social programs to treat and sustain these infected and infectious people and their bastard (and equally infected) progeny - when so many of them will NEVER take responsibility for their actions, will NEVER teach their children anything worth knowing and the problem will just go on and on?

My final word for today on this is that HIV is not like Smallpox - you can't get it just by being in the same room with someone - AND the ways to prevent HIV infection are REALLY simple.

I GIVE UP

I just read an article that my honey sent me which analyzed Bush's plan for "privatized" Social Security accounts. Let me make this as clear as I possibly can: Bush's plan has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with:

-privatization
-personal retirement savings accounts
-individualized anything
-actual benefit to the taxpayer who would opt-in

Brass Tacks (or Tax, get it, huhhuh): The plan would allow individuals to invest up to 4% (up to a cap of $1,000/yr) of their SS taxes in a "personal" account which would offer more or less the same type of investment vehicles as the Thrift Savings Plan (stock funds, bond funds, mixed funds, and the like). So far so good, then comes the kicker: upon retirement, the individual would be able to receive any money over 3%. So...the government would get a cut of 3% right off the top. Why? Something to do with leveling the playing field for those who opt out of the plan and collect the guaranteed benefit only. WHAT?! WHY? They've CHOSEN to opt out and that should not effect a penalty on the part of the "opt-inners." Also, as you might expect, the O/Is' guaranteed benefit is reduced by some as-yet unspecified amount.

The way I read it is that if your gains totalled 3%, then you would have gained NOTHING over the traditional Social Security plan - because THE GOV'T has taken a cut because THEY CAN. This is a TERRIBLE plan and WOULD NOT give participants ANY REAL advantage. This CANNOT be construed as a personal savings account in any sense of the word, because savings accounts don't generally take away money you've earned. This is not privatization because again, you don't get to keep all you've earned; you choose the funds, but have NO control over the extortion.

Gaack. More BIG GOVERNMENT - and from a Republican! Shameful!

NB: Let's see if I can come up with a link to the article I read.

Damn you, Winter!

I've got it! I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (heh: SAD)! That, or I'm really a bear and desperately need to hibernate. I just want to sleep. It's cold and yucky here. Wahhh...Zzzzzz. Oh, wait a minute, I have to work to sustain our expensive and very comfortable cave-I mean-apartment. Damn. Damn work, damn Winter, damn cold. I also must have Work Affective Syndrome Terminal Ennui (snort! - WASTE), 'cause this whole work just isn't lighting my fire.

Well, here's a really good blog by a gal who was actually fired because of something she wrote on her blog. Funny & good story-teller.