Michael Jackson is at peace now..

Michael Jackson battled demons, real and perceived, his entire life.

I hope he’s finally able to have some peace.

Costs of prosecuting those who ordered torture will be high BUT..

Today Glen Greenwald of Salon wrote a passionate post in support of leading a criminal investigation against those at the highest level of the American government who knew about the torture being conducted, in our name, across the world.

He stated quite eloquently that, ” The need for criminal investigations is motivated by one simple, consummately apolitical fact:  serious and brutal crimes were committed at the highest levels of the government, ones that left a trail of many victims.  A country that purports to live under the rule of law has no choice but to treat its most powerful members who commit serious crimes exactly the same as ordinary citizens who do so.”

Unlike many of my liberal friends I haven’t been as steadfast on the issue as I have been on many other political issues. I’ve waivered. Going back on forth on what constitutes torture and if prosecuting high level officials is actually possible. 

Of course I don’t condone torture but like many people my idea of  torture revolves around devices, use of electricity and nails etc etc. For the average citizen, myself included,  differentiating between roughing up a bad guy and outright torture is extremely, extremely difficult.   

 And even if we can accept that waterboarding is torture how do you prosecute those at the top who I’m sure have protected themselves against prosecution?  Don’t you think Cheney and Rice knew the laws?

Come on now.

And you don’t even have to look too far to see who pays the price for breaking laws and treaties.

Remember Abu Grahib who took the fall there? The foot soldiers. The women and men at the bottom of the ladder were the ones ridiculed and prosecuted when in most cases I believe they were only following orders.

I can honestly tell you that I was not entirely supportive of the idea of prosecuting those soldiers and I believed if anyone should have been prosecuted it shouldn’t have been their commanders but I wasn’t naive enough to believe that was going to happen.

And until yesterday I was in total support of Obama’s policy not to seek criminal charges against those in the Bush administration because selfishly it’s not in the best interests of the Democrats to do so and more importantly the cost the Obama administration would pay, I believed, would be waaaaaaay too high.

How could prosecuting ex Bush officials help us turn around the economy or fix what is going wrong in Afghanistan or bring our troops home from Iraq?

But the more I thought about it the stronger my conclusion became that to not investigate those at the top of the torture pyramid would be tantamount to saying that the law does not apply to them or to those who govern. And it’s my belief that if they are two groups of people within a society who shouldn’t break the law its those who lead and create the laws and those who enforce those laws. 

We depend on these men are women to be our leaders and if they don’t follow the law at the times when it is most difficult to do so what does that say to the everyday man or woman who is forced to abide the law even if those laws are against their best interests or the interests of a loved one?  

An average citixen is not allowed to break the law and claim moral grounds neither should a leader regardless of  their good intentions.

Justifiable illegal acts DO NOT AND CANNOT make those acts legal.

After 911 we were scared. We were suddenly confronted by an enemy that was a lot stronger and more dangerous than we initially thought and many of us including our leaders responded in ways that we now question and many may even have concluded, incorrectly, that some of our laws needed to be broken/bent in order to keep us sage.

However in an effort to protect our nation from the bad guys we shouldn”t have abandoned our morality or disregarded the laws that have made us the nation that we are today.

So we must prosecute those who ordered or sought to legalize torture.

In the beginning these proceeding will be extremely uncomfortable but ultimately we’ll reclaim the moral authority and increase the goodwill we once had in the world and arguably that will reap far more rewards than any information gleaned from a tortured prisoner. 

Retail survival of the fittest..

Macy’s just announced they will be eliminating 7,000 jobs and centralizing part of their operations. With so many retailers on the brink of collapse and so many bankruptcy filings I wonder which ones will be left at the end of 2009?

We’re definitely seeing a retail replay of survival of the fittest.

Retailers are being forced to adapt to these harsh market conditions but im the end all the job cuts and restructuring will be meaningless if they do  not offer merchandise that attracts consumers. Macy’s has been struggling to maintain their significant market presence while attracting a more trendy and youthful customer but the merchandise and in-store brands consistently seem to be of the lowest quality but the highest price.

Macy’s use to set trends now they just seem to follow them

I sincerely hope they are able to reinvigorate and reinvent themselves quickly before they become obsolete and more people lose their jobs.

Five valentine’s day ideas..

Valentine’s Day  is almost here.  Have you thought about it yet? I know we have a lot on our minds these days but here’s a nice, brief way to escape and to show and tell that special person in your life you’re still my honey bunny.

Here’s a really cool neckalce and the crucial part- it’s affordable. Anyway, that necklace is definitely for the ladies but my other ideas are not gender specific…

1. A love letter written on really cool stationary

2. A picnic, with all your honey’s favorite foods (outside would be ideal but inside works too).

3. A custom designed outfit, utilizing local fashion students and your community seamstress or tailor. 

4.  A sexy love treasure hunt with ‘you-must-do this-now prizes’ all around the house/apartment…

5. Snuggle together on the couch, bed or wherever with no t.v, no distractions just you and your special one…

And just in case you’re wondering who designed that necklace it was Lauren Haupt. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the coolest piece in her collection my personal favorite is the ascending wing but since it’s Valentine’s Day..you get the idea..hearts, hearts and more hearts..lol.

What are YOUR plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you have any?

Updating your wardrobe for less

I’m not rich. I don’t even consider myself middle class. I’m poor but I always want to look good even if I don’t have the money to spend on the really nice stuff.

Now, I’m a regular thrift/resale store shopper and I will remain one for the rest of my life and I make no apologies for shopping at these stores. Don’t get me wrong I like the Mall but as this  article suggests  the Mall is so yesterday..lol!!

But recently I haven’t been finding  as many ‘treasures’  (that’s what I call my finds at thrift stores, garage sales, Goodwill, the Salvation Army etc) as I’m used too. I think all the newbies have been stealing my stuff..lol so, I’ve had to come up with some creative ways of keeping my outfits looking hot for cheap. Normally, I’m not a scarf wearer but I’ve fallen in love with them and since adding a few key scarves to my wardrobe  I’ve been able to keep a few of my signature pieces looking chic and fresh. 

Check out a few great ways to wear your scarf  if you have one and if you don’t go get one now! And if you are a super diva and into the latest trends super long scarves are in…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This WSJ article  got me wondering what YOU ladies have been doing/do to keep your outfits looking fresh and hot?

It just didn’t feel like Christmas..

 

I went to the malls they were no lines for all the wrong reasons..

I went to the grocery store still no lines. Not  good.

I didn’t spend a fortune on gifts and I got everyone on my list the best gifts for the first time EVER!!

Two of my favorite Christmas characters Heat Miser and Snow Miser got a makeover (digitized) and I hated it!!

It just didn’t feel like Christmas..go ahead call me..Mrs.Grinch..lol.