NinjaTrader - Difficult for the beginner - really poor support

I have had some limited experience trading commodities dating back about 9 years.  Recently, I decided I wanted to get back into commodity trading and began researching platforms and brokers.  I am mostly interested in trading in agricultural commodities.

(Here are their reviews: Trust Pilot; Top Rated Firms) 

I stumbled across NinjaTrader and thought this would be a great platform to use. So, I purchased a quarterly subscription and opened an account with NinjaTrader.   I'm sure this platform is great for many people but it has turned out to be a complete headache for me.  Here is what you need to know about this platform:

1. NinjaTrader provides no phone support.  You do have access to emergency help in the event something goes wrong in a trade.  But all questions are posted in a forum or via e-mail.  And sometimes, the responses don't really make any sense.  And sometimes, you have to resend your email to get a response.
   
   
2. I also signed up with NinjaTrader as my broker.  I did have a conversation with the broker about what I wanted to do.  He never informed me how limited the offerings were in agricultural commodities and I was very specific with him regarding what I was looking to trade.  They are very aggressive about getting you to set up your account to begin trading.  They probably have a quota they have to meet regarding the number of accounts they open each month.  I was told once I funded the account (Minimum $50) I could begin practicing with live data.
   
   
3. Papertrading....oh boy.  So, NinjaTrader says you can paper trade with live data.  But what is not being said here is that it is NOT real time data.  It is a simulation their system creates and it is very frustrating if you are trying to really understand a specific item.  I was practicing Live Hogs.  The simulation behaved like something else with extreme highs and lows that are not allowed in this commodity; and trade volume that was out of this world.  In addition, the Superdom showed that there was high volume trading after hours which does not exist in these commodities.  That did not work for me.
   
   So, I tried the market play back feature which would allow me to practice using the previous day's data.  This worked somewhat for me but I needed more data to work with and it was difficult getting it to go back further.  I tried to add Live Cattle and the charts wouldn't populate; in addition only one hogs contract was available.
   
   I have an email into Support inquiring about playback to see if this problem can be resolved.....no response.  Just crickets
   
   
4. I emailed the NinjaTrader broker who was so good about getting me signed into an account, only to discover that once you're signed up, there's no more response.  I'm waiting for him to confirm that I can actually trade in the commodities I want to trade in...... so far, only crickets.
   
   
5. When I pull up the commodity in NinjaTrader Coninuum, it just freezes.  I tried it in Hogs, Live Cattle and WTI.  It freezes; I have to close the program and reopen in order to get the chart to repopulate.
    
6. NinjaTrader's tutorial video library is lacking.  It's very difficult to figure out how to solve your problems.  They do have a help library with everything sorted so you can find information but I'm unable to solve my playback problem.  I have to reach out to support......and wait. 
   
   
7. Funding your account can be a challenge.  NinjaTrader uses a program called Plaid, something similar to Zelle or Venmo.  If your bank is not set up with them, then you can't fund your account electronically.  You have to send them a check or wire the money; however, if you already have an account with another broker (I had one with TDAmeritrade), you can wire money from an existing broker.  You will pay a wire fee to your existing broker.  (And consequently, pay NinjaTrader a fee when you pull the money out) Moving forward, if you want to add money to your account, you'll have to fund your existing broker, transfer money and pay another wire fee.  I think NinjaTrader charges a withdrawal fee in addition to the wire fee as well.
   

Bottom line:  I am no closer to live trading than I was almost 2 weeks ago when I first signed on to this platform.  I can't get my demo/practice obstacles cleared. My journey has exposed me to many people/organizations who seem more intent on selling me something than actually providing a service.  NinjaTrader may also offer traders a false sense of security; it's great that they have so many bells and whistles but those features may actually end up luring new traders into a downward spiral.

I've cut my ties with NinjaTrader and have decided to sign up with TrackNTrade.  I downloaded the program yesterday and today will get my orientation.  So far it's a really nice program; they offer phone support and their rep has been amazing answering all of my questions.  I'm glad I bit the bullet and made the change.

FedEx and its weird bromance with the NRA

I don't get FedEx and their loyalty to the NRA when the public backlash is obviously so overpowering.  I could understand if they were aligning themselves with an underdog who was trying to champion a cause but this is not what the NRA is doing.  The NRA is oppressive and antagonistic.  They attack those who don't support them and spread fear and misinformation. They have a stranglehold on our politicians so that they cannot serve the people.  This is not an honorable organization.

In my opinion, Sandy Hook should have shaken everyone to the core.  That should have been enough to look at the NRA in the eye and say, "Hey, we are going to start doing some serious research and put some measures in place to prevent this from happening again."   FedEx, were you not aghast by this event?  Did you not think the NRA was overstepping in not allowing our leaders to gather data and find solutions?  Did you not have any employees that were directly impacted by that event?

And then there's this nasty display by Ted Nugent.   Many people may not know this but Ted Nugent is on the Board of the NRA.  FedEx, why would you, or any self-respecting company for that matter, align your brand with this?  How is this befitting your organization?

I have always viewed FedEx as a smart, creative, American brand; associating it with Tom Hanks and a soccer ball named Wilson.  Now, I'm just baffled.  

And now it's the NRA that's dictating to our country's leaders how schools should address these threats.  And the answer isn't that the schools hire personnel who are trained to serve and protect.  No, they want teachers and staff to be burdened with the responsibility of protecting students with guns.  So, FedEx, you and your employees can drop kids off to school knowing that you get to go on with your productive lives and the teachers, who are not related to you, are expected to deal with this problem by putting their lives on the line protecting your kids.  Do you really not have an issue with this?

Do you not have employees who have been impacted by the multiple mass shootings that have happened in this country?  What a slap in the face to them.  Honestly, I don't get it, I really don't.  But to each his own.  

Thankfully we are in a country where we have choices.  So, you'll know why I'm choosing UPS and why I'm contacting companies who ship to me regularly and asking them to use UPS as well.

Good luck, I hope the NRA proves to be worth your loyalty.

Battling the NRA - A comprehinsive list of organizations who want to change gun laws.

One of the things the NRA understands, because it's practiced in every oppressed nation in the world, is that you have to suppress the voice of your opponent if you want to keep them down.  So, what's going on to empower us to rise up?

Here's a comprehensive list of sites who want to make a difference all in one place.

1)  He's a single source of information about gun violence that's being gathered and organized - Gun Violence Archive.  The more you know.

2) Notice how they threaten anyone who wants to break up with them - sounds very much like an abusive spouse.  If you would like to know who's partnered with the NRA, here's the list- Drain the NRA.  If you want to let these companies know how you feel about their partnership with this vitriolic organization, phone numbers and addresses are included.  They need our support and encouragement to leave this abusive organization.

3) Here is where you can go to let your voice be heard -March For Our Lives  .  They have organized events to keep our voices out there.  Make sure you know where to be.

4) There's another organization that is pushing for gun reform as well: Every Town for Gun Safety.

5) Here's another organization that is fighting against gun violence - The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.  

If you know of another organization or source of information you think would be helpful, share it in the comments section. 

Infinity Printing Supplies - Scam - Finally, they left me alone!

Ok, everyone, so it's been a while since they've called me.  I do believe, I'm officially off their radar.

I think that submitting a complaint to the Better Business Bureau helped with this.

If you have fallen victim to these guys and you have stumbled across this blog post, here's something I would like for you to consider.

You are not obligated to purchase ANYTHING from these guys.  Their spiel basically states that you, a small business with probably one or two printers, got a special discount because they OPENED a box so you could sample the goods at a cheap price.   And because they did this HUGE favor to you, you are now somehow obligated to purchase the rest of the box.

Think about this, really think about it.  Do you know how many small/sole proprietor businesses they are calling?  All of whom probably have Canon, Epson, HP ink jet printers like you.  HUNDREDS.  Do you really believe they have hundreds of open boxes laying around a warehouse just waiting for customers to come back and finish out the box?  Seriously?  Do you have any idea how expensive warehousing something like that would be?

NO!!! They did not open a special box for you.  They have a huge inventory of ink that they got their hands on really cheap and they are peddling it to you at much higher prices.  And the scam here is that they are telling you that they will sell it to you at a great price if you will buy more from them.  But I can tell you, it's not that great a price.

They don't put anything to you in writing!  Remember that.  You don't receive a confirmation of order via e-mail that outlines the terms that were offered in the initial phone conversation.  That way they can make up the story at a later time and you can't recall what you agreed to.  But you're a good person, and they know that, and you want to be fair.  So they try to guilt you into buying more.

I DID NOT BUY ANY ADDITIONAL INK BEYOND THE INITIAL PURCHASE. Nothing happened to me.  I'm still here and I feel no guilt.

If their business model really is to open perfectly good boxes of ink and sell a portion of those boxes to customers with the hopes that they will eventually buy the rest of the box, then that stupid business model is on them, not you.  You are not obligated to make their business model work.

Please do not fall for their bullying tactics and don't be afraid to hang up on them.  They will not agree with your position, no matter how angry you get or whatever argument you put forth.  You will have to hang up on them.  And yes, again, it goes back to you wanting to be a good person.  So you feel badly hanging up on them.  I can assure you, these guys set their alarm to wake up everyday to pressure people into buying something they do not want or need.  Do you think they lose sleep at night over this?  They do not and neither should you!!!

Hang up on them if you have to.

Infinity Printing Supplies - Over a year now and they just won't go away

It's been over a year and they are still stalking me.  They continue to tell me that I am obligated to buy more ink from them

I accused them of being a scam - a claim he adamantly denied.  Yet, I have 6 different phone numbers for them.  If they are a legitimate organization, why do they have to call from different numbers?  How is it they continue to get blocked?

Infinity Printing Supplies IS A SCAM.

HERE IS THEIR BBB REPORT

HERE IS ANOTHER SITE THAT COMPLAINS ABOUT THEM

AND ONE MORE VERY USEFUL LINK OF INFORMATION

Do not do any business with these guys....ever!!!

Is Paul Ryan being the Adult in the Room?

In my opinion, there was something patronizing in the meeting Donald Trump had with Paul Ryan.  Ryan sat next to Donald Trump and told America that they were going to Make America Great Again.  Something about the way he said it and the way Donald was sitting next to him, I couldn't help but invasion Ryan patting him on the head.

And then, more recently, he's made it very clear that a round up deportation will not be taking place even though Trump, during his campaign rhetoric, made it very clear that was his plan.

I don't think they anticipated him winning this election, I really don't.  I believe the plan was to get Hillary elected with a cloud over her head, making her less powerful.  So, now they got him.  I think Ryan wants to make sure he has a real tight grip on things.

I'm curious how long Trump is going to respond to Ryan's calling all the shots.  I also am very curious with regard to how Trump is going to handle the limitations that come with his position as he continues to deal with Congress.

I absolutely hate the turnout of this election, I really do.  It makes me ill just thinking about it.  But I have to admit, I'm very curious to see how things turn out.  Unfortunately, I don't see any way to stop the reversal of so many rights that were won during this last administration.  That is the biggest tragedy of all.

I miss blogging

So, I'm sitting here, probably like many Americans post-election wondering how this happened.  What I say "this", I mean how did this country elect a man like Trump to be President.  A man who spent his campaign denigrating Muslims, Mexicans, and women.  A man who clearly did not have the qualifications or temperament to be President.  An unqualified man running against an extremely well qualified woman.  How did this happen?

I strongly believe that a huge part of this was the presence and rapid dissemination of misinformation through social media.  Facebook has become a place for superficiality only because no one wants to post long thought out posts.  Long thought out posts are cumbersome to read or otherwise too revealing of the poster.  Blogging allows us some sense of privacy as we let it out there to be shared with fellow bloggers.  We can be thoughtful and it's not easy to get disinformation through our blog.

I miss the intelligent conversations.

I knew when Comey's letter came out 11 days before the election that it was the end.  She had such a fabulous momentum.  The momentum she needed to win this election, then the letter came out.  I cried.  I panicked.  I knew.

I watched the polls on Real Clear Politics hoping and hoping this would not have an impact, but it did.  Even though Nate Silverman gave her a 70%+ chance, I wasn't sure.  It's heartbreaking.

The thing is, I don't think the Republicans wanted her to lose, I think they wanted to have something over on her so they could cripple/hinder her Presidency.  I don't think they thought Trump would win, they just didn't want her to have a mandate.

For all intents and purposes, Trump pretty much funded his way to the White House.  I'm hopeful that means that he won't be the Republican's puppet, either.  I'm hopeful that he will take into account all the wonderful things that Obama accomplished during his Presidency and preserve many of them.  I have so many gay friends who are married, they are so worried about the state of their personal lives.  I am extremely concerned about Roe V Wade.

There is a part of me that wants to believe that somewhere in there we have a man who can be empathetic and flexible.  I'm starting to like Melania so, maybe, if she married him, there's something in him that is good and decent.

I've decided to take a break from Facebook for a while.

Infinity Printing Supplies - Complaints

So, I wanted to give you an update on my ongoing battle with Infinity Printing Supplies. (Here's the rest of the story- be sure to read it)

They still continue to claim that they broke open a box of ink for me in order to give me the discount on the ink they sent and that I need to buy the rest of the box.  I must be the only Cannon customer they have because if they are sitting there waiting for me to finish the box, they are wasting a lot of money on storage.  Why not just sell the rest of the box to the other company that broke open a box for.

It's a scam, I know.

They try very hard to sell me more stuff.  They call from different phone numbers.  I think I have three of them saved in my phone so I know it's them when they call.  The guy that calls is very pushy, it's gotten to the point he won't let the conversation come to a close unless it's a successful sale, so I have to just hang up on him.

I also noticed that they have a website titled "Infinity Printing Supplies - Complaints", it takes you directly to their home page.  They work very very hard to keep the real complaints about their company on the second or third page.  This means they are aggressive about controlling their page rankings.

I think I probably should post some photos on my posts about them so that I can improve my own rankings.

Oh, and by the way, I did NOT get that great a discount on the ink they sent me AND the ink is generic brand.  They are making a really nice little profit on this ink.

I think I'll stick with Staples; they don't call and bother me.  And, when I place my order, they e-mail me a confirmation of my order along with pricing.  No surprises, no pressure.  Just business.  Nice.

Infinity Printing Supplies - OMG, they just won't go away!!

I received a call a few months ago from a company called Infinity Printing Supply offering me ink at a discounted price.  I can't remember how many cartridges they sent me.  I had a trial period and then if I didn't like them I could send them back.

When I got the invoice, it wasn't as cheap as I initially thought it would be.  When they called for payment, they agreed to reduce the price and I paid them.

Now come the calls.  They are relentless.  They are trying to tell me they opened a box and broke the count, sending me only a portion of what's in the box.  When will I buy the rest of the box, they ask.

I don't know, I may never buy the rest of the box.

They keep telling me, "but we opened a box".  I ask them, am I your only Canon customer?  Are you telling me you can't sell those to someone else?

So, now they are going through a litany of other items they can sell me.

I don't want to buy anything from them.  They call and they call and they call.

So, if you get a call from Infinity Printing, (more than likely if you're reading this it's too late) run like hell.  You are not saving any more money than if you bought your supplies from Staples.

And I'll tell you this, also, they don't send you an e-mail confirmation of your order before sending it.  So you don't have anything in writing from them.

I won't say that they are a scam but I will say they are predatory.

Nuva Lift -BellaLabs, La Creme - Scam Alert - BBB doesn't even recognize them.

So, I fell for what I thought was a legitimate offer from Amazon.com.  I don't know if it was Phishing or Spoofing but it worked.

(Please be sure to research Nuva Lift, BellaLabs and La Creme on the BBB, they are a scam)

I had just placed an order with Amazon and the following day I received an e-mail that they were giving me $100 gift card for being such a long-time customer.  They gave me a coupon code.  Then I was asked to do a quick survey; which I did.  After the survey I was given several offers, one was an offer to try a product called Nuva Lift, "Risk Free".

I ordered it.

After I ordered it, I noticed the words "trial".  And I thought, wait, if this is a trial, that means that I probably have to cancel this or my card will be charged.  You know those free trials that you do where the first time is free and then after that, you're charged every month until you cancel?

So, I hit the back button and found the Nuva Lift Terms and Conditions.  What I had agreed to was to try an $85 beauty product for 14 days.  All I had to do was pay shipping.  If I returned the product within the 14 day trial, I would not be charged $85.  And the Nuva Lift Terms and Condition are very clear when they say that there has to be a "Substantial" amount of product left in the bottle when you send it back. When I realized what I had done, I immediately called Nuva-Lift to cancel the order.

Those clever bastards, this all occured while their offices were not yet opened.  So that meant I would have to wait for a Customer Service rep to get in to help me cancel my order.  Immediately, I called my credit card company.  The $4.57 for shipping had been charged.  The only way I could prevent the rest was to block my credit card.  I will be without my credit card for 7 days and once I get it, I will have to update all my services that bill against that card automatically.  This was the most inconvenient part.

So I waited for the office in California to open and got hold of a Customer Service Representative.  She could not find my order anywhere in the system.  Couldn't find it.  I told her I wanted to cancel the order but she said there was no order to cancel, which really confused me because my credit card company confirmed the initial charged.  I brought up the terms and conditions and made sure I had the right company.  But what I found the MOST interesting about our conversation is when she said that they couldn't accept the product if it was return used because it's a beauty product.  This made no sense to me since within Nuva Lift's terms and conditions, they clearly expect you to use/try the product for 14 days and if not satisfied, expect it returned if you want he $85 refunded.

So, this is how this is supposed to go.  You think you're getting to try a product for 30 days and that you have 14 days to let them know you don't want anymore product.  But really, you get to have the product in your POSSESSION for 14 days.  If you don't use the product, you'll be able to get your money back if you return it.  If you DO use the product, they won't accept it.  So, you'll spend $4.57 having it shipped to you and then you'll spend $11 sending it back. 

I then followed up with an e-mail and indicated that I blocked my card and did not want the product and to cancel my order.  I told them, they could keep the $4.57.  I got an automated response and then about an hour later they asked me the same information the CS asked me when trying to find the order.  I gave it to them, and then silence.

(Please be sure to research Nuva Lift, BellaLabs and La Creme on the BBB, they are a scam)

Two days later,  at 1:22 the product arrives in the mail.  Interestingly, the box was Nuva-lift but the product inside the box was just a plain jar with white cream in it.  I didn't open it as I had decided to return the product.  Even though they are scammers and are more than likely peddling some cheap product, doesn't mean I don't have to do the right thing.

My research on Nuva Lift on the BBB indicated to me that more than likely, even if I return the product, they would probably claim they didn't get it.  I thought about claiming that I did not receive it since no one signed for it but I didn't want to play that game.  I went straight way to UPS and sent the product back to them at 4:09 p.m.  The product was in my possession not even 3 hours. 

Here's the timeline:

I received the e-mail at 8:50 (6:50 PST) and probably placed my order 20 minutes later. Curiously, they indicate on the product tracker that the shipping label was created at 6:33 a.m.  That right there was not possible.   I called the 877 number within about 5 minutes of placing the order but their offices didn't open until 8:00 PST (10:00 CST).  At exactly 10:01 I spent 8 minutes with a CS rep who claimed she could not find the order.  The tracker indicates that the package was picked up from Nuva Lift at 12:18 PST - that would have been 2:18 CST. 

I hope that if you purchased Nuva Lift product thinking you were getting a 14-day free trial that you are able to  read this in time to learn something.  Unfortunately, even though what they do is pretty nasty, it's legal.  The only way you can come out slightly ahead is to block your credit card before the 14-day trial ends.  I don't know what recourse they have if you do take this path but you should return the product, even if you've used it.

I'm angry because they duped me but doing the right thing by sending it back makes me the better person, for sure.

One more thing, the address you are given is not their location but a UPS store.    

9187 CLAIREMONT MESA BLVD # 6  SAN DIEGO, CA 92123

Rick Perry thinks like a Rapist

Wow, this is really on the mark.

What did Women do before Roe v Wade?

I posted this in March of 2006 - in light of recent events, I thought I would re-post it.

(The original post has been viewed at least 6 times a day - it is my sincere hope that viewers are researching for information purposes only and not that they are in a desperate situation to abort a pregnancy.  It isn't that I'm against abortion as much as I am empathetic to the party who finds themself this difficult and painful situation.)

I was born in 1963, so for me, though it hasn't been a piece of cake working my way in this world as a single woman, there are many things I had that weren't available to women until I was born. For example, when I was 17, I was able to obtain birth control pills without my parent's consent. I could get the medical help I needed. Since abortion has been legal for all but 10 years of my life, the only time abortion comes up is when the Religious Right is screaming about it. So, I did some research. I wanted to know what women did before it was legal. Below is what I found.

My source is a very very interesting and informative report that was written in 1998. It was a case study and the author followed the lives/stories of several women. The study discusses how they got pregnant, what they knew and understood about sexuality and then how each one attempted to terminate her pregnancy. If you would like to read the article/study in it's entirety here is a link. The article is titled: No Choice

Statistics say that 40% of all women will end a pregnancy by abortion(link).

So, here is what it was like:

The Techniques of Illegal Abortion

"Many women in these stories first tried one or more traditional folk recipes, such as taking laxatives or castor oil or douching with potassium permanganate, to bring on a miscarriage. Nancy’s experience was typical: “I tried all the things I knew — hot baths and gin, jumping down stairs, scrubbing floors, carrying heavy things up stairs, taking quinine, punching my stomach — nothing worked.” Such attempts were miserably unsuccessful. Ursula describes how she tried to induce a miscarriage: “I drank a bottle of quinine and I didn’t know if I was standing on my head or my feet. Quinine and gin and I got into a hot mustard bath and nothing — you suffer, mentally and physically.”

There were a couple of successful exceptions, however. It is perhaps such exceptions that account for the fact that folk remedies continued to be passed on. Nicola aborted after taking a patent medicine called “Silver Pills” — a purgative. And Gillian attributed her mother’s abortion to quinine.

The abortion method most commonly described by the women involved the insertion of a foreign object into the cervix: slippery elm bark, a knitting needle, a ballpoint pen, a hard rubber catheter, a douche nozzle or some kind of “sharp instrument.” In one method, the inserted object was left there, held in place by gauze packing which plugged the vagina. In a variation on this method, a solution was introduced into the uterus through the catheter or nozzle. These same basic methods were used both by abortionists and by women on themselves. Here is Andrea’s description of the method she used to self-induce an abortion:

One should do it ten days before the next period. One needs an enema with the thin nozzle, warm soapy water (carbolic soap), Dettol, patience and courage. It is such a lonely thing this abortion business. It’s like being born and dying. It always took at least two weeks. If the womb was placed high then you were just out of luck. You had to find the entrance to the womb, hold the nozzle in place, and gently but firmly, pour in the water. When the fetus finally appeared it wasn’t much bigger than a bean.

Carbolic soap and water was the most common douche, but the recipe could be anything from glycerine to an “acid-like liquid.” Joan’s waitress-abortionist made up a solution of “lye, soap, quinine, and oil which she had boiled on the stove.” The solution would be inserted once or twice by an abortionist. If the woman was self-inducing, she inserted it much more frequently.

Both these methods involved a delay of hours, days or weeks before the interference produced contractions of the uterus which expelled the fetus. “It was not a quick process,” comments Betty. The woman usually suffered hours of painful contractions “as bad as any labour pains,” and a great deal of bleeding. She was often alone when she aborted the fetus and would have to dispose of it herself.

By the time most women reached this point, they were often three months pregnant or more, according to their own reckoning. There were a disproportionately high number of late abortions in these women’s stories, due at least in part to obstacles involved in finding and carrying out the procedure illegally.

Some of the medical doctors who performed illegal abortions used these same slow-working, rather primitive methods. However, the professional physicians we encounter in Pat, Natalie, Karen, Julia and Kirby’s cases used the D&C (dilatation and curettage) method, a relatively fast and simple operation in which the cervix is opened (dilated) and the uterus is scraped out using a curette.

In decade after decade after decade, the same basic abortion methods are used under the same tawdry and dangerous circumstances: an illegal abortion story from the 1960s describes the same primitive procedure as a story from the 1920s. It is interesting that by the 1960s heart transplants were being performed in Canada, while abortions, being clandestine, remained such remarkably crude and dangerous operations.

Ellen’s story was unique, in that she described the experience of an illegal abortion using the modern vacuum aspiration method. It was done at Dr. Henry Morgentaler’s clinic in 1968, the year before the abortion law was liberalized, and is basically the same abortion technique being used in Canada today: “Dilators were ... used and a vacuum aspiration tube applied and turned on. There was very little feeling, just noise and some vibrating. All the while those two lovely humans talked to me ... It was all over within ten minutes.”

It is not surprising to find that most women having illegal abortions received poor medical care from their abortionists. Often nothing was done by way of proper preparation, as Gail’s story makes clear: “I was taken to the bedroom, asked for the money, told to keep my coat on and my shoulder bag in my hand — in case I left evidence behind, I assume — and to pull my underpants down to one ankle.” There was often little or no attempt at sterility: Muriel remembers that her abortionist “hadn’t washed his hands first.”

Most women were given no anaesthetic and described their illegal abortion as a torturously painful procedure. While undergoing the operation without anaesthetic, the patient “was not to make a sound ... not one!” Women like Mary and Louise remember “biting a pillow to keep from screaming.” Most women were given no rest or recovery period, nor any aftercare whatsoever. They were told to leave right after getting off the table. The instructions were usually the same as those given to Mary: “Don’t you dare tell anyone. If anything goes wrong don’t call a doctor or the police because you’ve just broken the law and you can go to jail.” Although infection was highly possible, antibiotics were almost never provided.

These stories contain several incidents of women being sexually abused by the abortionist or by his “middle man.” Joanne, Patti, Nicola, Louise, Mary and Muriel all encountered this problem; most suffered in silence. As Joanne says, “Since you are terrified that you aren’t going to get the abortion, and that’s all you are thinking of, you submit to a lot of indignities that I probably would never have submitted to otherwise. Fondling and things like that.”"

Rick Perry - the new Taliban

I was just talking the other day to someone about this thing that happened in our Texas Senate.  It's as if the Republican Party has decided to take it's direction straight from the Taliban's play book.  

I really thought this whole issue of abortion was behind us.  That the people in this country were sensible enough to understand that it is better that abortions take place where it's safe and clean than in back alley underground places.  

I thought they understood that Planned Parenthood was a sole source of health care for many people who could not afford it otherwise.

  

But the good people of this state have lost their minds and their vision.  Women have had the right to vote for just under 100 years.  I'm no longer convinced that that right is secure.  

This photo really does say it all, doesn't it?  He's an idiot cowboy who likes to play with guns and believes women should be at home barefoot and pregnant.

Liberty Without Virtue

I have been unable to get this concept that Laura Ingraham brought up during the debate out of my head:

"The GOP must seize the center or die." 

I believe that her argument is the basis of the Republican position as to why they believe certain things cannot be allowed i.e. abortion and gay marriage.

Neither party will argue that it is ok to murder someone.  That is not a liberty with virtue, neither is theft nor fraud.  You will not find it part of any political platform. Why?

Because, I believe, intuitively both parties DO agree that liberty without virtue is meaningless.  I think most Americans believe this but they may not be able to articulate it. The GOP has hi-jacked this argument.

So, the question is, does the Republican Party believe that the Democratic party lacks virtue in their perception of Liberty.  I get the impression that the Republican Party is saying "hey, here is this round hole and if you shape yourself into a round peg, you'll fit it and your life will be ok. And we really only want policies in place that make it possible for the round pegs to do well and thrive. If you are not a round peg and you cannot conform yourself to be a round peg, then your liberties are without virtue and therefore they are meaningless. We don't want to protect them.  It's your choice not to be a round peg.

I want to address the issue of gay marriage, again.  What in life can be more virtuous than a lifelong commitment to another person?  If two people consent to love and commit to one another and to take care of one another for the rest of their lives, how is this lacking in virtue?  How is it lacking in Morality?  Why is it that the Republican Party feels that protecting this liberty between two people of the same sex would be a breakdown in the direction of our country?  There is no Moral breach in this act.  Simply because a heterosexual cannot comprehend that the love and connection between two homosexual individuals is as real as it is between two heterosexuals does not make it less real...i.e. less valid.  Why does the Republican Party believe that only they know which liberties are virtuous and which ones are not.  
Do the parents of these homosexual individuals see their children lacking in virtue or morals simply because they want to marry the person they love?

What I find interesting as it relates to abortion is how they are able to dismiss the woman altogether in an effort to save an entity that is not yet here.  They want to dismiss her even when the life is simply a zygot.  Where is the virtue in this? Where is the virtue in forcing a woman to give birth to a child she does not want?  Where is the virtue in removing the government assistance programs she would need if she gave birth to this child?  I don't understand where they are coming from.

Are they assuming this woman is single and that her problems will go away if she gets married?

Why do they dismiss her from the equation?  Why do they believe that her life can no longer be her own once she becomes pregnant. Will we get to the point that if someone suspects that a woman will abort her pregnancy that it would be justifiable cause to incarcerate her until such time that she gives birth.  Is that where we are going with this?

How is it that the fight to protect this woman's liberty is lacking in virtue?  

The Democratic Party needs to do a better job at demonstrating that we do believe in liberty with virtue.  We need to help people understand that the Republican Party is NOT the authority on right and wrong, on Morals and on Virtue.  Indeed, the Democratic Party is a much stronger champion of personal liberty and I think it's a stretch to accuse the Party of lacking virtue.  It's time to help people understand that we believe there is virtue in individual liberties.

Debate over the center and the GOP

I listened to a fabulous debate on NPR titled Will the GOP Die If It Doesn't Seize the Center.  There was an exchange, found on the Charlie Rose Show that really stuck with me.  It goes as follows:

Ralph Reed:

"Well, I think conservatism in a nutshell is a philosophy that argues that as government gets bigger, that freedom necessarily constricts.  And we believe people are best able to rise as high and as far as their God-given talents, abilities,ambitions, and desires will carry them when government gets out of the way and allows free men and women to do those things that are best left to them.  Government should be small. It should be limited, and it should be confined to specific enumerated purposes"

John Donvan:"Where do the social issues fit in?"

Laura Ingraham:

"It's the idea of ordered liberty. Jefferson wrote about it.  Madison, Mickey's favorite framer, wrote about it, that liberty without virtue is really meaningless because my idea of liberty could conflict with your personal space or everyone does what everyone wants to do in his or her own time, and obviously you'll have natural conflicts.  So ordered liberty is obviously the best. And a moral core, encouraging moral behavior,society changes, maybe society will change what the meaning of the world "moral" is, and I understand that.  But the morality has a place. We see it playing out today with the reaction to what happened in the horrible attack in Boston.  Morality is around us.  We can try to ignore it, we can try to say that -"

End of exchange.   And then:

Ralph Reed:

"But the fact of the matter is that what the Republican Party stands for, what it fights for and what it seeks to advance, is policies that will strengthen marriage, family, childbearing and rearing, so that young people are not left behind in circumstances where this young girl could end up finding herself. We seek policies that strengthen the family, because we know that if somebody gets married and stays married, bears children within the institution of marriage, and gets a job, any job, and graduates from high school --that person that I just described, in the United States of America, you know what that-- what chance that person has of living in poverty? 

Two percent. You do the opposite of those four behaviors, you don't graduate from high school, you don't get your first job, you bear children outside the institution of marriage, you have an 85 percent chance of living in poverty. And I read “Losing Ground.” And Charles Murray's exactly right. But the sociology and pathology of poverty in America today is largely as a result of government policies that don't strengthen those institutions "

Wow.  Where does one begin?

I find it interesting that she bring up the reaction to the bombing in Boston as an example of morality "playing itself out".  Not sure what she means here but it's an easy example because NO ONE is going to debate the lack of virtue or morality in the act. And the left certainly is not interested in pressing such liberties.  But I wonder if Laura would point that event out if instead it was an abortion clinic that had been bombed.  Would that continue to be an example that she would bring up as an immoral act?  

But let's address what was really implied in the question with regard to social issues: First, gay marriage.  How is it that gay marriage is a moral issue and how is it that the Republican Party is the authority on what's moral?

Her argument implies that progressive or liberal movements are not moral if they don't follow the moral code or principles prescribed by the Right.  Because, after all, the Right strongly believes  "people are best able to rise as high and as far as their God-given talents, abilities,ambitions, and desires will carry them when government gets out of the way and allows free men and women to do those things that are best left to them."  But according to Laura, only if those people are following the correct MORAL freedoms.  As opposed to freedoms the Right deems as "IMMORAL."  

Their Achilles heel is their belief that only THEY know what the correct moral freedoms are. 

There are a ton of Christian believers on the Left who have morals and who do not believe that gay marriage is a moral issue.  But the Right believes that it is a moral issue and that their perception of morality is superior to that of the Left.  So to abandon or compromise on their point of view on this issue is to turn their back on morality.  I keep hearing Rick Santorum saying "What a snob" when I think of this.

This even goes with the issue of Pro-Choice.  It is moral to remove the reproductive rights of a woman in order to force her to bring an unwanted pregnancy to term and to force her to have a baby she does not want.  That in the Republican point of view is moral and the right thing to do.  And the Left's moral point of view that a woman has total control over her body and can make decisions with regard to aborting a pregnancy is considered IMMORAL and therefore it would be considered a liberty without virtue; and therefore not a liberty worth protecting.

I have to say, I'm very glad she cleared that up for me.


My question is to what extent does the Party believe they should go to protect their virtuous freedoms from "corruption".

Now this leads us to the issue regarding this issue of marriage.  Something else the Republicans do not understand.  We have a pretty high divorce rate in this country.  We also have a pretty high number of single women who do not want to be married.  Why?  Because marriage is no longer a path to survival for WOMEN.   In order for the GOP's ideal society to exist, they would have to promote and push policies that prevent women from being healthy, happy and productive outside of marriage.   Divorce would have to be more difficult.

Dear John Schnatter

Dear John Schnatter,

I read your petulant comment that since it will require a 14 cent increase per pizza to provide healthcare to your employees, you've decided to just reduce full-time employees to 30 hours.  Sort of like you're sticking it to everyone that the election didn't go your way.

I am a very very loyal Papa John's customer but I have some news for you. 

You're a "ME TOO" product.  Pizza, even good pizza, can be found just about anywhere. 

I read the article today of your position on the issue.  Hey, you have the right to do whatever you like; it's your company.  But did you know that Starbucks offers healthcare to all of their employees, even their part-timers? It doesn't seem to hurt their bottom line.

After having read this article today, I found myself craving pizza like nobody's business.  So, I decided to log into Domino's and give them a try since it's been so long.  I discovered something while there.  They have a new crust called called Brooklyn Style.  OMG, that is my favorite.  They get what makes it so great.

You lost me the first time because of your petulance; but now you've lost me because I just discovered, Dominos has a better pizza.

There's a really really important saying in business, "People like doing business with people they like."  I think that's true for companies, too.  I don't like you anymore Papa John, you seem petulant and shortsighted;  I don't won't to contribute to your profits.

You just lost your first loyal patron.

GFT

Oh no he didn't!

Romney said "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/18/romney-sticks-by-victims-comments-but-calls-them-off-cuff/#ixzz26pqc1ahs

I cannot believe how stupid this man is.  I really cannot but what's worse is how disappointed I am that so many people continue to believe that he can lead our country through anything.  

Does anyone have a clue how hard Obama is working to win this election?  While serving the role of President, he is also campaigning his heart out.  He has pulled in the assistance of the Clintons and others to help him.  Does Romney really believe that Obama is working this hard for a bunch of free-loaders?  

Though not in this quote, he also said these people don't pay taxes.  Really?  Is that why Romney has been so forthcoming with his own returns?  Because the way I see it, he's hiding the truth about his personal responsibility.

You know, he may have a great plan to get us out of debt but his stupidity will create such chaos and disorder that he'll end up driving us deeper into this hole.  He opens his mouth without thinking; and when he's caught in the error, he doubles-down.  Rather than correct his path, his pride drives him further into it.  I see him getting us into a useless war simply because he refused to rethink a position.

But here's the real question.  If Obama's supporters are all free-loaders looking for government handouts, who's funding his campaign?  Obama has raised a lot of money!  I suspect that Romney's constituents have allowed the wealthier among them to fund his campaign while Obama's constituents have taken matters into their own hands.

The Nasties are back.

During the conventions, especially the Republican convention, I noticed how nasty my Republican Facebook friends were being.  Interestingly, they were cyber-nasty.  I see a lot of these people in public and they are very nice and cordial; and more than likely would not say what they say on Facebook directly to my face.  This is an interesting phenomenon to me.

I think the nasty was an attempt to lower support for Obama in order to help bump Romney.  Romney didn't get a bump.  I don't even think he got a nudge.

Then came the Democratic convention.  And though Fox News disagrees, they hit it out of the park.  Michele Obama, Julian Castro and Bill Clinton really drove it home and after the convention, Barack Obama got quite a nice bump ahead of Romney.

Well, my Republican friends, though they don't want to admit it, are discovering that Romney just cannot do what needs to happen to come up in the polls. So, they are back to nasty cyber attacking in order to tear down the lead the Obama has.

I really hate it; and people I liked and had respect for are falling so far from grace.  It makes me wonder about their character.    I get the same icky feeling I would get when I was young and being picked on in school.  These cyber bullies are adults yet they behave like they are 12 and 13. 

I've heard people say this is the most important election in their lifetime; but it was being said by the Republicans.  And they said as though there was nothing but doom on the horizon.  I thought they were exaggerating.  But I don't feel that way anymore.  It is the most important election in my lifetime; I fear that we will lose our freedom to speak out if Obama loses.  The cyber bullies will win.

I think I need to sign off now so I can donate to Obama's campaign.

Mounting anger with the Republican Party

Here are two very interesting events. Event probably isn't the right word but I'm at a loss for something more appropriate.

Here is the first.

And the second:

I'm seeing a pattern of frustration in dealing with the Republican Party. They have become so dishonest and extreme and when you talk to them, they don't want to address any specific points. If you'll notice in the second video, the chairman continues to answer questions with questions. He won't address the issue. THERE IS NO DIALOG.

I'm seeing this with my extreme right peers.

This election is really important. The Republicans are out of control and I fear the consequences if they get re-elected in office. I've never been so concerned as this.

In both instances, the men are venting their frustration with the party. They are not allowing themselves to be interrupted because their point needs to be made.

Chris Matthews has a really strong B.S. meter.

Wilkes, Akin and the Republican Party

I think that a lot of people don't understand the significance of the Akin slip. When Akin discussed the issue of legitimate rape, he was serious. He really did, and possibly still does, believe that to be true. Afterall, a real doctor said so.

But what does this doctor have to do with the rest of the Republican Party?

The Pro-Life movement wants all abortions banned; even in cases where the pregnancy is a result of rape and incest. The only political party that is going to make that happen is the Republican Party. The problem is that a lot of the men in that party are having problems with the idea of a woman being forced to carry her rapists baby.

So, forward steps Dr. Wilkes, whose role it is to help get these folks over the idea that a woman would have to be forced to carry her rapist's baby.

Recently, I used the word uterus on my facebook page during an argument with a right wing male friend during an argument about Akin. At the very mention of this organ, my friend decided to exit the argument - said the word uterus made him queasy. I believe this is very typical. The men in Washington who are being encouraged to legislate this law have no interest in understanding the biology and anatomy of the female body. If a doctor comes along and tells these men what they need to know, without using words like vagina and uterus, then that would be more comfortable.

Akin believed Dr. Wilkes when he said that a woman's body shuts down during a rape and prevents pregnancy. And I'm certain when he got that particular lesson on female biology, that he was among many of his Right Wing colleagues. His colleagues accepted this argument because it helped them to find it conscionable to ban abortion, even in the case of rape. If indeed a rape victim got pregnant, then the rape was not legitimate and the lawmaker doesn't have to feel guilty for his position on the subject.

Romney is not that far removed from Wilkes. As discussed in this article. He's trying to distance himself from Akin's remarks. And truth-be-told, Romney probably doesn't believe Wilkes' rhetoric. The problem, however, is that Romney probably wasn't vocal enough against it because he wants the Party's support.

The disturbing issue here is that Akin inadvertently pulled back the curtain and let us look inside. And what we saw was that men wanted to make decisions about the rights of women based on bogus information. It left us with the question regarding other bogus information they received on other issues. It revealed a complete lack of interest in gathering accurate information. The Republican Party has become a group of really ignorant people who have made it a point to remove themselves as far as they possibly can from the people they govern. They set rules without regard to impact.

Obama really needs to win this election. If he loses, I believe women are at risk of becoming less than 2nd class citizens. The Pro Life Movement wants to reduce the significance of a woman to less than that of a zygot and the Republican Party is about to deliver it to them.