AIG and late night runs

On every news channel there are stories about the AIG bonus scandal. Here are my thoughts.

I get that they were contractual obligations. However, did noone in the federal government review the books of AIG before they sent them BILLIONS of our dollars? That was my stupid question of the day. Of course they didn't. Same as they didn't read the most recent stimulus package. We rushed each of these "economy boosting/saving" packages through congress. I think Dodd should definitely not be reelected. He admitted to lying about a very important matter of the public trust. Impeachment may seem a bit severe though and could be a waste of more of our money as it probably would fail as we have a democratic favored congress right now. They like having a scapegoat. Right now, he's it. Geithner should be FIRED...RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! He has been involved in the AIG mess the entire time the government has been involved. He brokered the damn deal for hell's sake.

Liddy, do not make him the scapegoat at AIG for this mess. He has only done what he thought he was legally bound to do and I don't think $1 a year is enough for any of this bullshit and if I were him I would have made that abundantly clear to congress earlier this week. The common folk know he is in the clear. Barney Frank get off your high horse. You know he's not responsible. Start blaming others in AIG, but, leave Liddy alone. Asking for names sounds a bit like the McCarthy era. We should never, ever ask for names of individuals in this manner.

A 90% tax on the funds seems illegal to me. To all my friends at Fox News also. What kind of country are we becoming, when we can tax a person just because they received a bonus? A damn foolish country heading down the wrong road at breakneck speed. Could we possibly have a Constitutional Law class become mandatory for all sitting and newly elected political officials, at all levels? Obviously, not one member of our congress has taken the class or if they did, they don't remember anything about the class.

Back to my point, I get the retention bonuses, but, how can giving a bonus to someone who left the company months ago be a retention bonus? If they needed bonuses, the bonus amounts should have been greatly reduced and any good American would have walked in an requested a contract renegotiation to save the company. They could have been out of a job. I'm poor, but if the company I worked for had been having those problems, I would have stepped up to help. I heard our business manager complaining about making payroll last week. I stepped up and asked them to hold off on paying me until the end of them month so they could get paid for a big job first. I know my paycheck probably didn't make a big difference, but if each of the 173 persons holding those contracts had done that or if the executives or Liddy had held a meeting with them and asked each to take a reduced bonus and then be able to show the American people that, yes, we had to pay out a chunk on these bonuses, but, the recipients took a reduced bonus, then maybe the outrage would have been quelled. It would have shown that AIG was taking responsibility and they understood the position they put our country in. I could live for 2 years off of a $100,000 bonus. That is I could live nicer than I do now for 2 years. Not fancily, but I could pay my bills and still pump some into the economy or take a vacation.

LATE NIGHT RUNS

Several weeks ago, Riley called Cameron and asked him to come spend a few days and ride the go-kart with him. It took a few weeks, but, finally I was able to drop Cameron off at June's yesterday. I guess all was well until Cameron realized I did not pack the ti-ti. Anyone who personally knows Cameron knows that this blanket was a prized piece of material throughout his toddler years. It's actually not the same ti-ti he had back then. The original was a tan and blue quilt type blanket with bows and frogs that my bosses wife gave me at my baby shower. It was handmade and came with a frog that had a tie matching the material of the blanket. I have banged on daycare doors many evenings and even fed-exed the blanket from Florida to Pennsylvania once. It has been used to wipe his tears and keep him warm. I have a picture of him when he was 3 or 4, professionally taken, to remember the "original" ti-ti. Eventually, it was lost. He lost it and I have no idea where. Fortunately, during one of our many late night mending sessions, Glenn clipped a piece of it and keeps it in his top drawer for memory sake. The new ti-ti is a blanket that Nan created. After Cameron grew out of his crib, Nan came to visit us in Florida. She took his bumper pads back home and after taking them apart and removing the stuffing, she used the material to make him a blanket. The blanket is about 3 feet long. She embroidered little "surprises" into the seams and corners. There are crocodiles, penguins, moons, suns, and even his initials. This blanket means more to our family than the original ti-ti. When I packed his backpack yesterday, I saw the blanket on the floor of the living room and assumed he did not need it. I did ask him if he needed a webkinz or other comfort item and he said no. In my defense, he walked past the blanket several times before we left. About 11:30 p.m. we got a call from Cameron asking us to drive 1 hour to bring him the blanket. Of course, we said no, we'd meet them on Friday with it. A little after 12 we got a call to come to Cranberry to pick him up he was out of control. When we got there he was crying and standing outside of the van in 30 degree weather. June was also outside the van. All of his items were on top of the van. June said this was to keep him from throwing things, which I agree placing the items out of reach was a good idea. After Cam calmed a little he told us that Keara and Riley were picking on him and making fun of him while he was crying and told him his tears were fake. If anyone remembers Cameron and his ti-ti, you know those big drops of water pouring down his face are not fake. Their taunts are what sent him into a rage. I don't believe for one moment that June took the time to hold Cameron and try to comfort him when they realized he did not have his comfort item. I'm betting Keara and Riley never had a comfort item that meant as much to them as the ti-ti does to Cameron. I know all kids don't need one. Kelly never had anything that she "had" to have with her. She does have a pink baby blanket that she has had since birth. She brought the blanket and her baby Kelly with her when she moved up here in September. She even swaddled Kelly in it when she first moved here. However, by the time she left, baby Kelly was relegated to a box on top of her desk. Baby Kelly does have a place in my wedding pictures though. But, Kelly has never "had to have" this doll with her to sleep in a strange place.

As were were dressing to leave, I reminded Glenn of a similar trip when Kelly was younger. We had to drive about 45 minutes one way to pick her up at midnite from a slumber party. At no time did the other persons make her feel bad for needing to go home to her momma.