Bringing the National Debt into Focus

Say your annual salary is $50,000 and you owe six times that amount in debt ($50,000 x 6 = $300,000)

You spend all of your annual salary ($50,000) to pay for interest on your debt, taxes, food, clothing, rent, utilities, car lease, gas, insurance, school loans, and the rest goes towards entertainment and miscellaneous expenses. There is no money remaining at the end of each year to pay down your debt, buy a house, or to put into savings.

You will get a 1.5% cost of living increase next year, but you want to remodel your kitchen and take a trip to Maui, so you decide to borrow $15,000 more, increasing your debt by 5%. Since you only earn enough to make interest payments on your loan and nothing on the principal, next year you will have to pay interest on $315,000 of debt.

The following year you will have the first of four children starting college.

How long do you think you can keep this up?

Higher Taxes Next Year

Higher taxes next year for 163 million American workers no matter who gets elected:

• SS payroll tax holiday due to expire, rates for individual workers will return to 6.2% up from 4.2% the last two years. US borrowed $103 billion in 2011 and $112 billion in 2012 to make up SS Trust Fund shortage, which added to the national debt. Dems think the average American realizes the payroll holiday was just a temporary fix - we shall see.

• Bush income tax cuts are also due to expire at the end of this year. As it is on paper, this will affect the working poor and middle class the most.

• Obama also wants to jack up taxes on investments and capital gains as well. Greatest impact will be on pension funds and those counting on dividends, interest, and capital gains for support or to enhance their SS income. Those earning $250,000 or more will lose most of their personal discretionary funds that support workers dependent upon them.

Sharia Law, Vampires, and Zombies - things I've been reading about this week

I read a report this past week that Gen-Xers and Millennials attend church even less than previous generations. Many consider themselves post-religious to the point of secularizing charitable aspects of religion, but removing personal responsibility or accountability. For example, it's government's role to care for the poor, the environment, healthcare, and similar social issues, not theirs. 

Many resent the imposition of God into popular culture, because they are trying very hard to live as though final judgement will never come. So keep religion, especially Christianity, to yourself, thank you very much. More Eros less Caritas, please.

Another article mentioned that as Gen-X and Yers separate the soul from the body and mind, they have embraced soulless vampires and dead zombies along with their new humanism. Follow the link above, the entire article is an interesting read and I wouldn't do justice to paraphrasing it.

My apprehension is that this is setting the stage for another religion or movement to stir the heart and fill the void. Christianity in Europe had dried up after WWII, replaced by secular Humanism. Churches were attended by mostly old ladies and very few men or young people.

Gradually Great Britain, France, and other European countries with their lower birthrate have begun to realize that immigrants from the Middle East were expanding their populations and questioning Western laws and traditions. Anyone who holds up Islam to the same scrutiny or ridicule as they do other religions faces personal attack if not death. 

For some reason unknown to me, US media, politicians, and intelligentsia seem to be playing into the hands of Islamic extremists. Christianity is ridiculed and Islam is feared. That seems to be where we stand right now. Sharia law is based on the Qur'an and the teaching of Muhammad and is an all encompassing code of behavior by which a true Muslim lives. 

There is much in Sharia law that is in direct conflict with US Constitutional law. It may seem a ridiculous leap from vampires and zombies to Sharia law, but our religious faith is the foundation of our laws. The US Constitution grew out of our religious liberties and Sharia law grew out of Islamic traditions and writings. This will be an ongoing conflict and I fear that entire generations of young Americans do not at this time have the heart or conviction to prevail.

Biden - Fact or Fiction

Tax increases - Biden said increases would only affect those earning one million dollars and more, but Obama's latest promise is no income tax increase in 2013 only for the households earning $250,000 or less

Cause of recession - he blames Republicans for putting wars in Iran and Afghanistan on credit card, but he actually voted for both wars

Auto bailout - Biden panned Romney for recommending private bankruptcy for auto industry - Chrysler and GM did go through a structured bankruptcy as Romney suggested, Ford turned down bail out and recovered on its own

Said Catholic church won't have to pay for abortions and contraception - Catholic institutions and groups serving non-Catholics will have to pay insurance policies covering both or be fined for lack of compliance with Obamacare

Biden came up with a new narrative on the Benghazi attack, saying the State department didn't inform the White House about security risks; but Hillary was supporting Administration's scenario that all was under control in Libya and turned down Benghazi Consulate request for more security

He blamed Benghazi's lack of security on Republican cutbacks in funding - actually funding was increased by $5,000,000 more than requested by the State Department for diplomatic security

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Lately I've been having a difficult time with my aging mother, who has NPD, and located resources online to help me deal with my issues. NPD is not a mental illness, it is a personality disorder, and may range from mild to dominant.

Some famous people, who have done great things, may have had this disorder. Steve Jobs, along with his "reality distortion field" may be one of the more successful public examples. People with NPD rarely seek psychological counseling - why mess with perfection? Right?

Earliest part of my childhood was spent with sitters, which probably was a good thing. I developed a healthy sense of self before my mother got a hold of me. My years with "Mommie Dearest" was pretty much a nightmare, interspersed with memory loss.

I copied just a few snippets in case the website goes away, as sometimes happens on the Internet. This site is a very information rich website, if interested in more details follow the link below:

See - http://bandbacktogether.com/adult-children-of-Narcissistic-parents-resources/

The symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder include the following:

• A grandiose sense of self-importance (may be shown as an exaggeration of abilities and talents, expectation that he or she will be seen as superior to all others).

• Is obsessed with him - or herself.

• Goals are almost always selfish and self-motivated.

• Has troubles with healthy, normal relationships.

• Becomes furious if criticized.

• Has fantasies of unbound success, power, intelligence, love, and beauty.

• Believes that he or she is unique and special, and therefore should only hang out with other special, high-status people.

• Requires extreme admiration for everything.

• Feels entitled - has unreasonable expectations of special treatment.

• Takes advantage of others to further his or her own needs.

• Has zero empathy - cannot (or will not) recognize the feelings of others.

• May be envious of others or believe that others are envious of him or her.

• Behaves arrogantly, haughtily.

How Do Narcissistic Parents Abuse Their Children?

Narcissistic Parents have many subtle - and some not-so-subtle- ways in which they abuse their children. These types of abuse include the following:

• Compulsively lying to children
• Ignores and/or overwhelms the children
• Neglects needs of the child
• Makes child feel as though he/she does not matter
• Puts parental needs far above those of the children
• Mold children to an "ideal" image
• Promotes and fosters a dependent relationship between parent and child
• Distorts the concept of "love"
• Manipulation for pleasure
• Says one thing one day, something else the next
• Untrustworthy
• Uses the child's vulnerabilities to exploit the child
• Subtly and not-subtly insults children
• Ignores personal boundaries 
• Treats others as objects, not people
• Makes child feel as though he or she is insane

Do I Stay In Contact With My Narcissistic Parent?

Separating yourself from the sort of codependency that's common from Narcissistic Parents may seem daunting. Sure, they were emotionally (or physically)(or both) abusive, but your Narcissistic Parent is STILL your parent.

As an Adult Child of a Narcissistic Parent, you have two options:

1) Total Estrangement - no contact, nothing, with your Narcissistic Parent.

2) Measured Contact - contact, but limited interaction with Narcissistic Parent.

If you choose to keep measured contact with your Narcissistic Parent, be very sure to follow some strict, clear guidelines:

• Create very clear boundaries. Don't reward your parent for crossing them. Be clear, but firm. If they show up unannounced, explain nicely that you are too busy to visit with them.
• Shield your own children from their Narcissistic Grandparent. They do not need to be exposed to their toxic behaviors.
• Rather than explain that you do not want to hear their advice, echo and mirror whatever the Narcissistic Parent says. Do whatever you'd planned to do anyway.
• Go through a third party as your Narcissistic Parent ages - do not allow them to rely upon you and you alone as they need care.
• Provide information on a "need to know" basis only. Just because your Narcissistic Parent tells you everything doesn't mean you must reciprocate.

Our New Utopia

Are we prepared for four more years of incompetence and dishonesty from our federal government? The media seems to be buying into this environment, but for what reason? 

Perhaps I'm cynical, but restructuring of society and redistribution of wealth is not going to save the middle classes or help the poor. The rich will survive. They may have to change their allegiances to the new power structure or take their money and run. Liberal entertainment, media, union leaders, and sports stars are safe. 

The poorest of the poor will be euthanized or allowed to die off. Health care will be doled out once the new structure is in place. Working classes and lower middle class will be the new poor and will be sustained as long as they perform menial tasks. The rest of the middle classes will experience a significant drop in their standard of living, functioning as lower bureaucrats, but rarely rising out of the masses.

We've had almost fifty years of dumbing down our educational system, reducing the influences of our most sacred institutions, and redefining our liberties. The Soviets said they would conquer from within, perhaps it just took them a bit longer. Heaven help us.