More Bad News for Home Owners

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Foreclosures-for-sale-Big-cnnm-2801454840.html

Where do you all stand on your homes? Are you terrified at what the future holds for your own homes? I am!!!!!!!! My home value has been cut in half. On a good note, we do owe less than what it is worth but it wouldn't be enough that if we sold right now that we would have a decent amount down on another home. It is heartbreaking!!!!!!!!

Bin Laden

Some of the sites I follow are suggesting that this may be the break-through we need for the Taliban in Afghanistan to break with Al Quaeda and get serious about negotiating a political settlement in Afghanistan so we can truly get out.  From what they say there was more a personal relationship between Bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the head of the Taliban, and the Arab world has moved on in ten years.  Their revolutions over there are not the making of Al Quaeda but brought about by the young people over there.  It is a time of great turmoil in the Middle East and ten years down the road I think it will look considerably different than it does today, with or without our help.

In any event, I think we'd be better served if we got out of Afghanistan and Iraq and let them solve their problems.  I also think Israel had better get serious about negotiating a peace settlement with the Palestinians because time marches on and the security concerns of Israel are going to get more serious.  The United Nations is poised to recognize a Palestine state based on the 1967 borders that were originally set up after World War II by the United Nations and from what I'm reading it's going through the U.N. General Assembly and not the Security Council so the U.S. can't veto it and 99 percent of the world does not agree with us on Israel.

Now I have thrown out a bunch of stuff out there for you guys to chew on and read up on.

Earlier Discuss About What is Next for Al-Qaeda

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110518/wl_time/httpglobalspinblogstimecom20110517alqaedasnewleaderwhoissaifaladelixzz1mhqmqt00xidrssfullworldyahoo

Here is an updated article about the new twists and turns. This topic was discussed earlier this month if you would like to update yourself.

Earlier College Topic

This is an updated article about a topic previously discussed. College? It was a hot topic of our during the March 2011 month if you would like to revisit the topic again.

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/112754/recession-lost-generation-cnnmoney

Donations for a Fence to Cut Immigration

I think that this donation system is a great idea compared to raising taxes to help pay for it. One, the people who this is really important to can donate and they will feel as if they are having a part in the whole system. Also, you would not be taking more money from people who just don't have it right now. I am sure they are going to be able to raise quite a bit of money through the donation system, especially if the advertise it well and get the word out.

Changes

Yes, I will be super excited to hear about their travels and hopefully see some pictures on here. Also, if possibly all of all can post a picture here and there, just to keep us all updated. That would be fun. Also, thank you all for the support and love for the new baby!!!

Changes - Tarav

First and foremost I would like to say congratulations to Gabi (Middlechild) who, as mentioned, is expecting. Children are such a blessing and our family growing is always incredibly exciting!

Secondly, good luck on your travels Katie. Peru. How fun! I hope your time there is fabulous and educating! I hope that you will take some time to write about your travels here on this blog as I would love to read it!

And thirdly, I am home! Being back in my house has been amazing. I miss family more than I could ever express, but being home has been nice. Relaxing. Quiet, haha. You never stop missing family, and at times I wish I lived closer, but once you are moved out on your own and taking care of your own family, you begin to do things your own way and often times have difficulty adjusting back to your "home life." I am and will forever be grateful for the 6 months I got to spend back home but I am incredibly anxious to have my husband home and get our lives back to normal. We have our own little family now and ways of doing things and that is exciting for me!

I hope that anyone who reads this blog feels as if they are connected to us on a personal level. I love to share my thoughts with you and look forward to hearing all of your feedback!

Donations for fence - Tarav

I am not too sure how I feel about this matter. I guess if the money used for construction is gained by donations I would have no reason to be against it. I would need to read up more on how well the current fencing works. If it works well, then great! If not, then why pay more money for something that is not successful? However, I imagine it cost more to pay people to guard the borders.

As long as this money is not needed for a higher priority elsewhere, then I am all for it!

Donations for a Fence to Cut Immigration

What are your thoughts on the idea?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_border_fence_donations

Changes this Week

Tara heads home to California this week so she can be home to welcome home her husband when he comes home from serving overseas. Also, a new addition will come to the family soon as well, as Gabi has found out she is pregnant. Katie is also heading to Peru for a two week vacation. So many things change everyday!

A Car for ME !!!!!

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/02/autos/volt_1000_miles/index.htm


Wow, this is neat. Now if the can just start installing plugins all over town!!!!!!!!

Bin Laden's Death

I agree! I would be lying if I said I was not happy to hear the news. Not only have these families had to live through this and live through losing their loved ones but they have a constant thought in their minds all the time of "what is going to happen next". At least with knowing of the death, the now can relax some without the thought of him sitting around some table with his next big plan. These families needed a bit of closure and I believe they deserve it.

America's Victory [Osama Bin Laden.]

Katie posted that quote, as have many of my other friends, and it is a good one. However, I will not sit here and pretend like I am not happy about the death of America's number one enemy. I am not happy about the death of another person, no. I feel sad that he never found God in his heart and was lead down a path of destruction and evil by a darker power. I do hope that even though he was doing terrible things, he had enough guilt in his heart to ask God for forgiveness and was trying to find a way out.

That being sad, I find comfort in knowing that many people can now have even the tiniest bit of peace in their hearts knowing that the person responsible for their loved ones' deaths is no longer around to wreak havoc. Not only did Bin Laden affect Americans, he affected his own people. Because of him, thousands have been violently murdered. I have never been more proud to call my husband a Marine than I am right now. People have so many opinions on the wars and why we are involved, on top of that, so much hatred towards the troops for no reason other than their disagreement. My husband is one of many who, despite their hatred, continues to fight for them and their beliefs. As for the conspiracy theories (in case you are unaware, people are saying things such as "Bin Laden has been dead and it is only just now coming out because of Obama's drop in ratings.") I think people can take the theories and shove them somewhere unpleasant. Let the loved ones of those lost have the tiniest bit of peace they have received from this news without having to hear about conspiracies!

And on an even more depressing note; So many American's have attacked our president since the speech. They have made claims that Obama's speech was all about himself and he took credit for the capture of Bin Laden. Not once did his speech mention anything of the sort! He simply stated that he called the mission into action. What of it? That is his job. He is the COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF of our country! Was he supposed to sit back and let the military make their own decisions? What kind of president would he be then? Just goes to show, once again, the pettiness that our country pays attention to when much bigger issues are presents. This was not about democratic or republican beliefs, it was about a huge victory for our country! We should be proud that so many of our governmental organizations were able to come to gather for a common cause and succeed!

My Take of "America at Number 2???" - Tarav

Am I surprised? Absolutely not. I will say this, and this only on the matter. American's act so surprised that we lose jobs and money to China. We should not be. We, as a country, are so completely uneducated and ignorant to important issues going on right here in our own country, often times because we are so worried about others. Sometimes I feel as if countries on the outside are looking at us, laughing, waiting for our collapse. We are years upon years away from being capable of repair.

For a problem like this, where should we start? Simple. Buy your products from America! Why do we spend so much of our hard earned money towards the success of other countries when we have so many problems at home? Want fruit and vegetables? Go to your local farmers market or vegetable booth (or at the very least buy veggies they are "grown and packaged in America!) Desire higher quality products? Buy something, made in America, that might cost you more in the beginning but will last longer and support our economy! Want a nice toy for your child? Many American toy makers make it their goal to make toys from wood rather than plastic!

The more you spend in America, the more you are helping our country. Easy as that. It is one simple, but ginormous step that we just cannot seem to comprehend and act on!

American's owning less Televisions

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112659/tv-ownership-nytimes?mod=bb-budgeting&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode

I thought this was super interesting. I will honestly say for my family alone we have drastically cut our satellite bill and have thought about doing more. There are so many ways you can watch television on your computers now and you can even hook up these computers to televisions to watch on a bigger screen. My family is so busy that at the end of a week, you really have to think about how many hours of television did you really watch that week. Then the bigger question is if it is worth that $50 to $200 bill you pay monthly to keep watching television or is there something better you can do with that money, like pay off some debt.

Celebrating Death

This has nothing to do with how I feel about our military or our president; it is in no way a jab at our soldiers. But this quote summarizes my thoughts today and how I feel about others' reactions to Bin Laden's death.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King, Jr

What is Next?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/after-bin-ladens-death-whats-next-for-the-u-s-and-al-qaida

What is Next?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/after-bin-ladens-death-whats-next-for-the-u-s-and-al-qaida

Victory Dance

I agree. Even if you do not like him for a president this is a huge step for America and you should be proud! It is about time for some resolution and closure that many Americans are still in need of after the attacks of 9-11. Remember bad things happen to good people, as much as good things happen to bad people. It is just a way of life. Today, you should enjoy the victory and do a little dance!!!

Bin Laden

Congratulations to our Special Forces for a job well done.  It is truly depressing to see so many people trying so hard to find something bad to say about a president they don't like, not because they don't like what he did but just the fact it was him that did it.  It says a lot about the political discourse in this country and how we are destroying ourselves.  Whatever happened to fact-based journalism and civil conversation?

Osama bin Laden is DEAD !!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/the-secret-team-that-killed-bin-laden

I am one of the ones who did a bit of a "hapy dance" this morning as I heard the news............ however, does anyone else think something else is up with this, like it just doesn't fel right???