In which we like the message here.

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm (in general) a social liberal and economic near-conservative. I think people should have the right to do what they want, as long as they're willing to be responsible for the results of their actions. Unfortunately, the richer/more powerful you are, the less likely that "responsible for your actions" seems to hold true.

Stocks fall but Exec Pay Doesn't (From April of this year)
Ailing WAMu pays millions to ousted/new CEOS (From September of this year)
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=5876413 (notice some familiar names here?)
This coupled with the fact that CEO payouts are apparently perfectly acceptable as part of the proposed 700 BILLION dollar bailout*? Yeah, I'm thinking a bit of responsibility for actions and choices is long overdue.

* Does that seem like a really big number to you? Apparently it does to the Treasury as well, as Forbes.com quoted one Treasury spokeswoman as saying: ""It's not based on any particular data point," a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com Tuesday. "We just wanted to choose a really large number."

Time for someone who's REASONABLE about what's good for those of us who are worried about keeping our house, not just those who can't remember how many houses we have?  Yes.

Time to quit relying on off-shore/over-seas/other-folks to bail us out, provide our fuel, make our stuff, buy up our debt? Yes.

Time for a change? Yes.

In which we make a statement...

In general, I go out of my way to be a good person. A nice person, even (and the two are different, in my book.)


If I see someone with their turn signal on, I will go out of my way to slow down to let them in. If I see someone broken down along side the road, I will do my best to either stop to help them, or if that's not possible, call 911 and let the Highway Patrol know they're there so they won't be stuck forever. If someone needs something, I do my best to help them with it. I almost never turn down direct requests for aid, and frequently go out of my way to think of "how could I make X person's day a little better", with X person being anyone from my family to friends to acquaintances to strangers.

There is a certain stubborn streak in me, however.

(Yes, those who know me well are certainly aghast in mock-surprise now, I know. Hush you, not everyone in the audience knows the actor on stage as well as you do.)

It manifests in situations which I perceive as rude: people presuming rather than asking, people attempting to manipulate my actions (or just throwing a tiss) rather than trying to solve problems, and most definitely in passive aggressive behavior.

For example, on the freeway, if someone's trying to merge without their signal on? No way I'm letting them in. Someone turns down the bag of food I bought them while they're panhandling with a "hungry, please help" sign? I want to (but have never yet) stand next to them with a sign that says "not really hungry, just give me cash" and an arrow pointing their way. If someone acts as if others /owe/ them something (especially if they've had misfortune befall them because of their own greed, irresponsibility or poor choices)? I will help - where I can, but certainly will not go as far as I would if they'd honestly been doing their best and just got hit with bad luck.

And, perhaps most of all - If I've made a choice or am taking an action that irritates, hurts or bothers someone, and they DO NOT TELL ME, but expect through recalictrant, pouty, snivelly or otherwise bratty behavior, that I will change my choice to make them happy? There are few things in the world to make me more certain not only /not/ to change my behavior, but to enjoy it all the more, just to spite them.

Yes, I know it's snotty of me. But dammit.

I lived for years with an alcoholic spouse who had me jumping at my shadow out of fear I'd do something against one of his unspoken codes and give him a "reason" to drink. (NOTE: NOT THE VIKING! NOT THE GOOD EX! I sometimes forget not everyone knows my whole life history. The Viking and the Good Ex are good boys and would never do this. Back to your regularly scheduled rant...)

I went through high school feeling like if I didn't please my peers, I would be shunned (I still remember the time when my "best friends" pretended I didn't exist for a time period (was probably a day, felt like forever)... My crime? Being too "perky".) 

I am 40 years old. If I want something from someone, I will ask them. If I want someone to stop doing something, I will tell them. I'm a grown up and I expect those I deal with (especially those of my age group) to be grown ups too.

So, here's the deal. You don't like what I'm doing? Tell me. I can't promise I'll change my behavior, but I will do my best to treat your request with all the respect and attention it deserves.

If you don't like what I'm doing, and you don't ask me to change, don't tell me you aren't happy with my choice, don't request something different? Don't be surprised if you don't get it.

So there - Neener.