Gratitiude

First of all, sorry for the delay. Under the weather and dealing with a short week at work, but not in the workload.

Today, Thanksgiving, has become a big holiday for me. While the food is always great (I don't think we have a single bad cook in the family... well ok, we rock in the kitchen!), I have come to appreciate what Thanksgiving has come to stand for more and more as the years go by. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that has not become infested by the spirit of commercialism. That doesn't start until tomorrow. It is the holiday that is most like the way holidays used to be- a time to gather with the ones you love and celebrate that togetherness over a terrific communal meal. I think people subconsciously respond to that, which is why this weekend has the busiest travel days of the year in it.

The gathering of the family and the reflection on what I am thankful for are the things I love most about today. I am blessed to have a wonderful, loving, and supportive family. While we have all had our rough patches with each other and have had to do some work to understand and appreciate each others as individuals, we have always loved each other. I can honestly say that there is not a single person who will be around that table that I don't genuinely like as well. I know that is rarer than it should be. I need to repeat- I am blessed.

I have so much to be thankful for, some of which I often take for granted: my health, my talents, my relationship with God, the love and support of my family, the friends I have come to realize are all around me, and, most of all, my son. I have been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to learn much and to have the hope of learning more. I have been lucky enough to have met with people along the way who have helped me and inspired me. I have been given the gift of opened eyes, so that I can see and appreciate all this. I have a wonderful life, even if it is not perfect or what I envisioned it to be. Again I say, I am blessed; possibly even more than I deserve to be.

Today is a day to focus on what's good in your life. There will be plenty of time to focus on what's not, but not today. Let the spirit of Thanksgiving fill your heart. Take a moment to reflect on the people you have met and that are in your life, the opportunities you have had, the occasions of love and generosity you have experienced, and give thanks. No matter what your circumstances are, you have something to be thankful for; something that someone else out there wishes they had. Take that moment of positivity and good feeling and celebrate it.

So, I ask you what I will ask those around the dinner table this afternoon: what are you thankful for?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The government ATM?

While I am not opposed to government intervention in the private financial sector, I have to say that I am dismayed by the extent of what is happening. The Big 3 automakers are still trying to get government money for fixing problems caused by their lack of making fundamental long term changes YEARS ago. Now Citicorp wants $20B to fix their problems, caused by giving loans and credit cards to anyone that could fog a mirror. The Big 3 had plenty of opportunity to take tax savings by making vehicles that were more fuel efficient or that used alternative energy, but decided that it was cheaper and better for their bottom line not to do so. Citicorp could have withheld credit from those that were never truly qualified to recieve it, but wanted those fat fees. As long as someone else was willing to buy the loans and accounts, they were good and could play "hot potato".

So now that these companies have taken as much as they can from the public and the well has run dry, they look to the government to give them money. Will they use the money to fix their long term problems, or will they stick a band aid on what is hemorrhaging and go back to business as usual? Given their track record, I'd be willing to bet it is the latter. But that is not the thing that makes me the most angry.

Since when do you or I get to make catastrophically bad business decisions and get a government handout to fix it? We have to declare bankruptcy and take all of the negative consequences that go along with it when we fail. Yet again, big business is getting special consideration that none of us would receive. Since when is a corporation an entity with inalienable rights that is more worthy than you or I? Corporations do not pay their fair share in taxes and support the public sector- they pay a huge staff of people to make sure they don't by writing off as much as possible; a staff of people that we can't afford to duplicate. They reward their leadership with huge bonus plans for making bad decisions and then moving on quietly to the next corporate "chump". Their leadership continues to live their lifestyles as though nothing is wrong, not taking pay cuts or making sacrifices like any struggling small sole proprietorship owner would have to.

We are already in economic crisis; that is not going to change overnight and we are already in pain. Let's use this opportunity to hold corporate America accountable in the way we are held accountable. If they can't handle their business properly, then they go under like the rest of us would. Maybe then, when they are held accountable in the only way they understand- the way of the balance sheet, they may learn that they are not above the law and above the rest of the society that keeps them in business.

Obama swings to mid field, some cry foul

What is wrong with people? Now that Obama has been given the mandate to govern the whole of the United States, not just the liberal wing, extremists on both sides are unhappy. The extreme right wants him to be an uber-liberal so he can fall on his face and give them a chance to say "See, we told you so. Come back to us and we'll do better." The extreme left saw him as the savior for all of their plans that they have had on hold for the last 8 years. He never ran as an extreme liberal- the "socialist" badge was pinned on him by conservative politicians and their media pundits.

Fortunately, Obama has realized that tackling the issues of the day that plague the country as a whole should be, and is, his main focus. He knows that the stakes are higher than just his reelection chances. He understands that this country, and subsequently the world, are poised on the brink of a serious crisis. Missteps could be extremely costly for a long time to come. However, there is also an opportunity to make the fundamental changes necessary to ensure the fiscal, military, and ecologic health of this nation for generations to come. It is an exciting, but scary, time to be president.

Obama is on the right track to do what he needs to do. We, and the pundits, should let him do it. Save the criticisms for when he actually does something wrong. He is a pragmatist- the ultimate criticism of his actions are the results. So far, he is giving all indications that he intends to go a good job FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. And that is by playing to center field.

Charitable Giving?

I did some volunteer work last night at a local food bank and heard some touching stories from the people who work there about both givers and receivers of their work. Their zeal and commitment is touching and inspiring. I also got to see first hand how generous some people in our community are, giving of both their time and money.

Once again something struck me that I have noticed before. There is a belief by some who give to organizations like this and others like Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. that the less fortunate are fit for nothing but our trash. I have gone in thrift stories and been amazed that people have had the guts to donate clothes and items that are torn, stained, damaged, and broken. It's obvious why they didn't want them- did it occur to them that no one else would either? Last night I saw open and partially used packages, items that were just thrown in a box so they ended up damaged and unusable (who can eat anything that has been covered with fabric softener or potato chips mashed to where they were microscopic? ), and boxes stuffed with junk food that could not sustain a family. I saw people's trash, not usable donations. We were told to toss that anything we would not feed to our families, and toss we did.

While there is a huge need for charitable giving, we need to be conscious of not just that we give, but what we give. Especially given the current economic climate, anyone of us could be in a position to have to ask for and receive assistance. It is not "bad" or "lazy" people who need our help, it is the people who got caught in a situation that was more than they could deal with. These are the people who came to this food bank- people like the late middle aged woman who already had one disabled adult child living with her and then had to take in her 4 young grandchildren because their mother abandoned them. She did not choose for any of that to happen and she did not "earn" it; she was struggling to take care of everyone. She needed help to be able to help the ones in her family who could not help themselves

There are stories like that in this country every day. The single mother whose job doesn't pay enough and is trying to make ends meet while she is looking for another one. The senior citizen whose children have moved on and whose SSI check just doesn't quite cover everything. The family for whom money was always tight, but a job loss or medical bills have taken them to the breaking point. This could easily be you, or someone close to you. Wouldn't you or those you are close to deserve to get quality food and clothing, not leftover trash and junk?

So in this holiday season, please remember to give. Remember when you give to ask yourself, "Is something I would be able to or want to use or would I just throw it away?" Keep the trash for the trashcan, not for the perceived "trash of humankind" because there is none. Generosity starts in the heart- with love, kindness, understanding, and compassion.

Give with true generosity.

Injustice

I read this today in this week's issue of The Week.

Kismayu, Somalia

Rape victim stoned to death: Islamic fundamentalists brutally executed a 13-year-old girl who was convicted of adultery for being raped by three men, the United Nations confirmed last week. Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was visiting her grandmother when she sought out the rebel militia that controls the city of Kismayu to report that she’d been raped; that amounted to a confession in the eyes of the sharia court. “The evidence came from her side and she officially confirmed her guilt,” said the presiding cleric, Sheikh Hayakalah. Duhulow was reportedly dragged screaming into a soccer stadium in front of crowd of 1,000 people, buried up to her neck, and stoned for more than 10 minutes by 50 executioners. Militia members fired on a few people who tried to intervene, killing an 8-year-old boy. The rapists were not arrested.

What is there to possibly say? I took a moment this morning after reading this to say all that I could say in a prayer, a prayer for Aisha.

May she rest in peace.

And yer OUT...

Ted Stevens, the Alaska senator who had been convicted on federal corruption charges, was narrowly denied re-election after a recount. This is as it should be- the state that promotes a woman governor who platformed as a maverick who wanted to change the way politics got done booted a man who pulled the typical political insider schtick. He put his votes up for sale to the highest bidder with the deepest pockets. And he went back for more.

The shocking thing to me is that he got any votes at all! In Florida, where a representative was outed for having not one, but two affairs, the incumbent's hopes for reelection went down in flames at the hands of an embarrassing defeat. He lost because he was exposed as a liar who lacked sound moral judgement. But weigh an affair or two against not only the allegations of bribe taking, but the CONVICTION IN COURT for it. I think lying to your wife with an affair isn't up to the same standard betraying the public trust and not doing the job you promised to do by putting the interests of your pocket ahead of their welfare. However, a large number of the people of Alaska do not agree with me and the majority of Floridians, voting differently when faced with a morally flawed incumbent.

This election displays just how out of touch Alaska is with the ideals of the rest of the US and how unsuitable a woman who chooses to immerse herself in that culture to the exclusion of all others is for the Presidency of the United States. How can she lead a people she has no way of understanding. Nowhere else in this country would Ted Stevens be almost re-elected, let alone be allowed to run in the race at all. He botched his job, pure and simple, yet was almost allowed to keep it. That makes no sense to me, as it would to most Americans. Yet in Alaska, for many in the land of Sarah Palin, it does.

That Ted Stevens, bless his heart, is really nice guy once you get to know him, dontcha know?

Jonestown- 30 years later

Even as a child, I remember Jonestown and the shock, frustration, and anger many had over the news of the massacre there. A group of people left this country to follow a man and a way of living only to die in a combination mass suicide/murder. Everyone was asking things like what caused them to leave, why did this man have so much power over them, and what could be so awful that they would choose to die? People stopped and took a look at cults and realized that there was a great deal to confront about themselves and the society we live in since we helped to create the massacre that occurred.

The sad thing is that 30 years later, things have not changed for the better. There are still large groups of people who are searching for someone or something to give them hope and a reason for being. Who look at the images in the media of what life is supposed to be and find theirs lacking. Who, even though they have much, see that all of the stuff they thought would bring them happiness and fulfillment were nothing more than vessels of empty promise. Jim Jones came into their lives and promised them he could bring them what they sought and they followed him like lambs to the slaughter. One can only hope that they found in death what they could not find in life.

Everyone has their own quiet moments of doubt and pain; that is a necessary part of growth and change, a part of life. The problem comes when they begin to look for solutions outside of themselves. A friend of mine will not enter into the serious relationship he truly needs because he "can't bring security" due to the fact that he is in the military. I told him that security is not an outward condition you can bring to someone, it is one they create, from inside themselves. It is a peace you foster when you open their eyes to the world as it is, accept it, make what changes you can, and learn from the rest. Only you have the power to create security for yourself.

Other than friends and those you love, the rest of what you need is very basic and most of it you already have inside of you. Food, clothing, and shelter are needs, the rest is the fulfillment of wants and desires. It is okay to want, but when your wants become a substitute or salve for the lack of a positive relationship with yourself, that's when things start to get tricky. We all have the power to love and be loved, to give of ourselves, to understand and show compassion to all (including ourselves), and to affect positive change in the present. It is all right here inside each of us- the source of joy and contentment that exists in human beings alone.

Living a life of love, generosity, kindness and compassion can be a challenge at first, because it flies in the face of much of what we are taught and the images the media bombards us with. But like any life change, once it becomes a habit, making good choices based on these motivations for living is no longer hard. It just is the way you live. It is a way of hope- in yourself, in others, in the world; hope that is in short supply these days.

Look inside yourself, for all that you believe is right and good with the world and within mankind. Then, let it out. Share it with others. Powerful things will happen; and while it may not make you a millionaire or give you status, the joy that it brings will make the fact that you do not have those things irrelevant. You will have what every millionaire and VIP wants- true contentment.

Your journey begins today. Good luck and best wishes!

The Sins of the Husband

On MSNBC and other media outlets, a topic of discussion has been going around that, frankly, disturbs me. It shows that while with the election of Barack Obama to the presidency we have come to a place of equality that we have not reached before, we still have a long way to go. The question being asked is if the "sins" of Bill Clinton will prevent Hillary Clinton from achieving the post of Secretary of State. It wasn't, "Is she qualified?" It wasn't, "Will she do a good job?" It was if her husband's past will torpedo her. Bush's daughters were underage party girls, but no one questioned his skills as a father when considering his fitness to be president. Gerald Ford had an alcoholic wife, but that didn't matter. Senator John Warner was married to a multiple divorcee who was a known adulteress, but he was elected by Virginians while he was married to Elizabeth Taylor. There are plenty of other examples of men who were elected into office with wives or family members who carried considerable baggage, but who were never questioned on their ability to do their job because of it. If it were a man who was up for the position and his wife was the public figure, would this even be a topic of discussion?

I was wondering- when was Bill up for the job? I might be mistaken, but I thought Hillary was. Shouldn't it be Hillary's record, contributions, experience, and judgement that should be the issue? Last time I checked Hillary had no problem showing the State of New York as their elected Senator that she could think and act for herself. She has shown us all in the last eight years that she is very much her own person and that, while her and Bill may agree on a lot of things, she is not his puppet.

In his own autobiography, Bill made it quite clear that Hillary, not him, had the better political mind. Before her husband was elected President, Hillary was routinely listed as one of the 100 most influential attorneys in the US and she is an Ivy League school grad. Bill didn't go to Wellesley with her and help her take her exams. Bill did not attend law school with her and sit in the classroom with her. Bill did not go into the courtroom with her and argue her cases for her. Bill did not sit in her Senate seat and vote for her. Bill did not tour the US, stump, and give her speeches for her during the Democratic primary. She did that all by and for herself.

That said, somehow now the bad acts of her husband is more important than what she has achieved? What an insult! Hillary had the strength to be one of the standard bearers for women's rights at a time when women still weren't recognized for having any. Sarah Palin would never have even been on her party's ticket if it weren't for Hillary and the other women out there like her.

Hillary is taking a big chance politically by seriously considering the position of Secretary of State under President Obama. If the Obama administration is not successful, she is torpedoing her chances at a 2012 or 2016 nomination. Her close ties to Obama would be as much of a liability for her as Condoleeza Rice's ties to Bush are for her chances at higher office. Hillary must see that public service and getting things done are the more important consideration and that she could be a valuable part of the Obama team. She must feel a level of confidence in Barack Obama that is allowing her to be a part of the team.

Women have come a long way; we have had 2 female Secretaries of State. But women have not come far enough to be considered the master of their own thoughts and destinies except as an appendage of their spouses. For shame, America!

Revisionist history

I was given a revisionist history of Egypt from the perspective of Blacks recently by a friend. It was very enlightening and I was shocked by some of the injustice done in the name of "unbiased" historians and scientists. While I respect the African contribution to the achievements of Kemet (Egypt) and feel that their identity of these achievements as the source for a great deal of the "discoveries" of Europeans, I noticed that there was no mention of the greatness of the earliest contributions of the Asian (particularly Chinese) cultures. These were developed independently of Kemet, as there was no contact, yet were just as advanced and far reaching.

I think the lack of credit given to the advanced culture that existed in early China, as well as the scoffing of Greek contributions to the advancement of knowledge showed a bias that is just as unconscionable as the White bias the author was railing against. So, okay- the Greeks were not the originators of a good deal of what has been attributed to them in philosophy, science, mathematics, or theology. However, just because they were not the originators does not mean that they did not advance upon the ideas they imported from Kemet. By the time the Golden Age of Greece was occurring, the nation of Kemet was in decline; a decline that began before any of the invasions by outsiders. It was time for the next great civilization. The people of Kemet started the ball rolling, the Greeks took the ball and advanced it, the Romans took the ball from the Greeks and took it further, the Persians advanced it a bit more, and the European Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, and Nuclear Age took it and ran with it to places undreamed of by any of our ancestors. Who knows what nation will come in and run with it next?

Yes, Kemet, its forefathers the Nubians and native Africans, and its people deserve a great deal of credit for the achievements of our race, the human race. Yet, when giving proper credit, we should be mindful to avoid arrogance by any one culture and recognize the achievements of all; it was the sum of the contributions of all which in the end have gotten us to where we are now. All were needed, all played a part, all deserve proper credit; white and black, Asian or Anglo, urban or agrarian.

The irony, the irony of it all...

A new study found that the majority of US citizens cannot even name the 5 rights they are guaranteed in the first amendment. 56% correctly stated the right of free speech but less than 1/3 correctly stated freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government for redress wrongs.

We stand before the rest of the world and wave our freedoms in their faces as a model, yet we don't even know what rights we have. If we are willfully blind to what they are, how will we be able to identify when they are being infringed upon? We allow our Congress to pass legislation every day that infringes upon our basic rights as contained in the Bill of Rights (Patriot Act, anyone?), yet ask them to create new ones everyday. We insist that we have the right to privacy, and say that the judicial system is wrong to grant rights that do not exist in the Constitution or amendments (gay marriage). Read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; privacy is neither a right that exists nor is identified in either document. It has been interpreted by our legal system to be an extension of the rights contained in those documents and is therefore a de facto right. Try to tell an American that they are not constitutionally guaranteed the right to privacy and they will argue until they are blue in the face. Letting the court interpret and extend rights and freedoms is necessary, lest we not have some of the legal freedoms we hold dear.

Before we go around to other nations talking about rights that they should or shouldn't have, as a nation we should be aware of, and actively protect, our own rights. Why should anyone else respect our rights and their inalienability if we do not respect them ourselves? As citizens, it is our responsibility to know our rights and to protect them. They are the safeguards against tyranny and our reward for the responsibilities inherent to each citizen of a republic. Until we take our rights and our citizenly responsibilities seriously, maybe we are not entitled to our rights. What do you think?

The Power of Perception

There’s always someone you know- a spouse, friend, coworker, or neighbor- who just seems to always have it together and be in control. Especially, it seems when you are the most frazzled. They are organized, calm, and focused. You have to wonder how they do it. They have achieved the Holy Grail of the Millennium- inner harmony. The good news is that it is easier to achieve than you think and that you are closer to it than you may believe.

If you sat down and had a heart to heart with that same person who seems to have it all together, they would probably reveal the same anxiety and pressure to “do it all” as you. They may even look at you and ask themselves why they can’t be more like you! But what’s more likely is that they simply believe that they can. I know that seems hard to swallow, but let me tell you why it may be the truth.

So much of our life and how we view it is perception- how we perceive our life to be, not how it really is and especially how it might be seen by others. In that way, we create our reality. If we see ourselves as overwhelmed or stressed, then we have made ourselves overwhelmed and stressed because that’s how we will color every experience we have.

Change the color of your perception and you will change the way you experience your life. It’s a simplistic concept, but a very real one. Let’s see how it works...

How many times have you taken something minor or simple and overanalyzed it to the point that it became, in your mind, a huge ordeal? Later you found out that it really was minor or simple and if you hadn’t built it up, it would have remained what it was and would have been dealt with and easily disposed of. Like when you overhear two people talking and they shut up when you enter the room. You could take that as evidence they were talking about you and let your imagination and insecurities fill in the rest. Or, you could just see that as they were discussing something that needed to be private between the two of them and nothing more. They could be discussing anything, but you are the one who makes it about you in your mind.

Once you assume it’s about you, and it “has to be bad” because they shut up when you came in (and didn’t one of them look at you funny, from what you remember?). So, you start acting defensive and snippy because you are upset that people are saying bad things about you. This attitude raises a few eyebrows and causes you to tick some people off. Then, guess what, you have just guaranteed that people are talking badly about you. They are all wondering what made you be such a disagreeable grump and don’t feel like dealing with you. And this is all because you made it so by taking an innocent situation and putting a negative connotation to it.

Next time, instead of “making a mountain a mountain out of a molehill”, see the molehill as not a mountain or, better yet, see the molehill as just a molehill. Don’t make more out of a situation than there really is. You control how you perceive things and it is in your control how you choose to let that perception color your experiences and how you react. If you choose to see yourself as anxious and out of control, guess what? That’s exactly what you’ll be and you will respond in a way that will only magnify those feelings. It’s time to ask yourself what kind of world you want to live in and to create it, starting in your mind.

Out of the mouth of idiots...

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado in which he called for expanding the nation's foreign service.

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
The Obama transition team declined to comment on Broun's remarks. But spokesman Tommy Vietor said Obama was referring in the speech to a proposal for a civilian reserve corps that could handle postwar reconstruction efforts such as rebuilding infrastructure — an idea endorsed by the Bush administration.

This came from an article discussing comments that Paul Broun, a Representative from Georgia's 10th district (which covers the Northeast portion of the state including Athens) made to AP in an interview on Monday. To say that I am appalled, as well as embarrassed, to live in the same state as that man. He knew what he was saying was unhinged; any comment that starts with "it may sound crazy and off base" will most likely sound crazy and off base. If you feel that way about a comment and especially if you are a politician, it would probably be best to err on the side of caution and keep your comment to yourself. While I would not insult the Republican party by saying that he represents their overall views, I do find that these comments, combined with the criticisms the Republicans as a whole have levied against the administration of a man who isn't even in office yet, show just how immature and ill equipped they are to lead this country in this time of much needed change and transition. Instead of following the lead of their own standard bearer John McCain, they have already degenerated into petty bickering and infighting. They have the chance to prove themselves to be relevant and capable of true serving leadership and instead they are flushing it down the toilet. They are proving the criticisms of their detractors from the last 8 years; 8 years during which they had the opportunity and the ability to make real and fundamental changes. They aren't even asking the question "Are you better off then you were 8 years ago?", because they don't want to hear the answer. Now they have the chance to work together and make things right, but they are already setting up what they view as the inevitable opportunity to chant "I told you so" at the end of Obama's term, while ensuring that as little as possible will get done by not cooperating and taking action.

I am very disappointed- as an educated, white, middle class, female in her late 30's, I'm the vote they tried to get by bringing Sarah Palin into the race. However, all they are doing with this fear mongering, petty, BS, sniping is further pushing me away from listening to and embracing what they stand for and what they have to say. I hope that McCain truly is the maverick he says he is; maverick enough to say "Ya'll are crazy! Let's buckle down and getter done; don't make me have to come over there and smack ya upside the head with a 2x4!" I think that if he could get his party in line, get them focused on the real issues and on coming up with real solutions, and encourage EVERYONE to out their egos and self-serving interests aside, he could have my vote for president next time around. I hope that he doesn't fade into obscurity (Bob Dole, anyone) to lick his wounds, but that he takes his commitment to his country seriously and amps up his effort in the service of what is right.

The simple fact is Obama can't do what needs to be done, in the scale that it needs to be done, alone. Let's hope that he acts with humility and a focus on serving the country as a whole over ideology and acts as inspiration for others in Washington to rise above. Let's hope that Washington as a whole sees that humility and focus and reacts with humility and focus of its own. We have the chance to be the America we all want to be; the America that we can all be proud of. We will always have our differences, and that's okay- good even, but we have the ability to unite behind common principles and prudent courses of action that work for the benefit of us ALL.

Stay tuned...

It's the Sarah show part 2, by golly. From her actions- scheduling interviews, blaming the Republican party for her defeat, positioning herself as a "change" candidate as opposed to the "business as usual" positioning of her party, being coy about her future plans- it is obvious that she thinks that she has a future in national politics. It should be no surprise that it shocks and dismays me. If she's serious, shouldn't she be spending the time to address the most widespread criticism of her- her lack of knowledge and experience? Shouldn't she be buckling down with books and reports, meeting with experts in the fields where she is lacking, and getting out there to show us that she is willing to do the homework that comes from the job by learning about other parts of the US and the world other than Alaska? Apparently that is not as important as milking her 15 minutes for all it is worth and acting like the talking empty head she has shown herself to be.

As women, we need to stand up and say NO. Sarah Palin does not represent the best of us or the best in us. She is a caricature full of naive beliefs, insolence, self-righteousness, and catchphrases fronted by a pretty face topped by a beehive. The ability of women to handle the presidency will be judged by this talking head should she ever be elected and her election could very well prevent another woman from leading this country for a long time to come. But I don't think that legacy and responsibility for consequences are something Mrs. Palin concerns herself with, bless her heart. Her stance toward raping the pristine Alaskan wilderness she claims to love, the consequence of the lack of sex education for teens that is living in her own home, and the long term polarizing effects of blaming her party for her own failures bear this out.

Mrs. Palin, to me, is far from a role model- she is a walking cautionary tale of what can happen when you give ambition on hairspray fumes a stage. Dontcha know, hairspray fumes are flammable; let's hope that ambition and the bright lights of fame do not set them off. The resulting fire could burn us all, you betcha.

Ya can't please everyone...

The Republicans went on and on about Obama's lack of experience when it came to his qualifications for the presidency during the campaign. He used this to his advantage, promoting a mantra of change that even the Republicans adopted. I, too, was concerned about his lack of national experience; did he have the connections necessary to get things done, especially given the racial challenges he would have to deal with as well? Well, so far Obama is doing things right. He knows that he doesn't have the connections and that when it comes to reaching across the aisles and moving ideas forward in Washington, connections are everything. So, he is placing focused and well known "inside the Beltway" experts into the important positions within his cabinet. These are people that others in Washington know and respect, even if they don't agree with them. These are the people who would be able to vouch for Obama and his ideas and get key players to listen and cooperate. These are the "power behind the throne" people who can push agendas forward with introductions and phone calls to the right people, all of whom are in their Blackberry. The kind of people who the Republicans are, and should be, afraid of, because Obama might not fall on his face or be a lame duck as they hope he will.

The conservative press (Fox News and company) are in full cry. They are harping that Obama promised change, so why is he bringing insiders in? According to them, he should have a cabinet full of outsiders who aren't part of the system, as if outsiders are the only ones who are capable of creating change. They seem to propose that anything less than a full overturn of everything related to "business as usual" in Washington is a betrayal of Obama's mandate for change. The want him to be like Voltaire- all witty and powerful commentary, but no solutions or implementable ideas.

In picking these people, Obama is earning the trust I gave him with my vote. He is going to use the system he can't turn upside down to turn the system upside down. While he may not be experienced, he is showing a great understanding of strategy. If he came in and tried to turn everything on its ear in only 4 years, he would be destined to fail. You cannot come in and change entrenched ways of doing things and not meet with resistance and a stalemate. Too much change all at once is threatening, even if change is welcome. But, if you make the right strategic changes at the right time involving the right people and enroll others in the ideals and process behind it, you can move mountains. That appears to be Obama's game plan and he is putting the coalition behind and beside him to do it. I am very optimistically curious to see what happens next.

If I were a Republican, I'd be upset too- not because Obama "lied", but because he just might succeed where they have failed. With Obama, the Democrats have the potential to create the presidential legacy for this century. Only time will tell, but we have the next 4 years to watch and see how things unfold.

I read the news today, oh boy...

One 8 year old boy is sitting in jail pending arraignment for the premeditated murder of his father and his father's friend with a shotgun. An 18 year old just got life without parole for the stabbing death of his best friend 4 years ago. Seems he lured his friend into the bathroom at their middle school and stabbed him 42 times so that his friend couldn't tell anyone of the fact that he was planning to become a serial killer. He also had plans to murder another friend and his sister as part of the cover up.

Is it just me, or do these kinds of happenings just point out that there is something seriously wrong? If only this sort of violence was isolated, but it is not. Columbine, Heritage High, Virginia Tech, and scores of other murders committed by teens and children have been most noteworthy for the level of violence and degree of planning and foresight. While murders by children have always existed, it is this escalation of method that is truly disturbing. The other thing that stands out is the lack of awareness that the parents of the children seem to share. Everyone else around these children sensed there was something "not quite right" to outright wrong, but no one did anything about it or seemed to be able to communicate to the parents the seriousness of the situation.

There are so many reasons why this sort of thing occurs, but we need to take a look at, and take responsibility for, society's role in what happened. We card children when they try to buy alcohol or cigarettes, but do we card them when they try to get into or rent violent films? Do we card them when they try to purchase violent video games? Do we do enough to make parents aware of the damage these things do? When I can go and see a horror film on a Friday night and see parents there with their small children, there's something wrong.

These crimes are shocking, and they should be. They are a warning sign, a wake up bell. We all need to listen, pay attention, and come up with viable preventative methods to keep this from happening in the future.

The power of change

Change is a scary thing for many people; it creates unknowns in a known universe. However, even in a known universe, there are things that are not what they could be. How can anything get better if nothing changes? And why, just because something changes, does that have to mean that it will always be for the worst?

While I wasn't afraid of change, I was always wary of any change that I did not create or could not manage. Change was only acceptable if it was according to my rules or my time table. I thought that it was somehow reasonable to expect change to occur that way. Guess what... it doesn't? Change comes as it comes, for better and for worse. But sometimes change that does not seem positive or beneficial at the time turns out to be one of the best things that ever happened to you. Change is a constant and you can't stop it, but you can use it to be a springboard for growth and improvement no matter what it brings.

We cannot control what happens in most cases; outside forces and the whims of others are not subject to what we want. We can, however, control how we let them affect us and how we respond to them. By taking responsibility for how we react to change, we can shape change and its effect on our lives. Just because something happens that doesn't go along with what you think or feel things should be doesn't mean it is the end of the world. Don't make a situation that is merely uncertain into a negative one by acting out of fear; learn from it and use it to become better. Take time to think, then act in a way that maximizes your growth potential. Why should you hand your power over to someone or something else?

There is truth to the adage of mind over matter. Let your mind make change and the negative things that happen into positive learning experiences and opportunities to exert control over their outcomes. Walk away stronger and taller, with the confidence that the next time you are faced with adversity or the unknown, you will be just fine. Maybe even better than fine.

Let the fighting commence...

The scraping and clawing in the now defunct McCain-Palin campaign has already begun. McCain has not come out and said anything, but his aides and advisers have started to deflect the blame to the Palin side of the ticket. And it's not too hard to believe.

Palin did not do the homework and preparation to fully step into the role she accepted. We can only speculate why. But it is obvious that she believes that she has, and is worthy of, a national political future beyond this election. I don't think she is worthy, because she took the best opportunity she had to really make a splash and she squandered it. I know she squandered it with me. I was seriously considering a vote for McCain because of his experience, but his choice of her and how she handles herself after accepting the position of his running mate made me run too- AWAY.

If she is serious in her political aspirations, then she needs to use the next 3 years to seriously bone up, venture outside of Alaska and the US, do a stellar and unimpeachable job as the Governor of Alaska, and develop some expertise on areas that do not directly affect her daily life in Alaska. She also needs to do some soul searching and learn some tolerance and appreciation for viewpoints other than her own and the differences in the people of this nation.

The US is not Alaska, and Alaska is not representative of the US. To lead the American people as a nation, Sarah Palin needs to stop thinking like an iconoclast whose opinions are the only ones who are right and start thinking as an individual with a unique viewpoint to contribute for the benefit of the whole. When you become a national leader, your viewpoints are no longer your own to act upon, your actions affect the welfare of the whole. You must be open to what is in the benefit of the whole and act accordingly, even if it is not what you personally believe in.

Until Mrs. Palin can do that, she has no business being a leader on the national stage. She needs to stay up in Alaska with people who are just like her and who think just like her. Those are the people she would best represent and lead. Maybe one day she will be ready, but with her flippancy and smug self-satisfaction, I'm not sure she'll ever really get it. The mountain of the American people will never come to the Mohammed that is Sarah Palin.

A day worth celebrating

Today is a day worth celebrating, for many reasons. Of course the election of Obama and what it means as a mandate for change and a blow (but not the destruction of) overt racism is a reason to celebrate. The thing that I find worth celebrating the most is that I think we finally got two candidates, based on what was said last night, who realize what we are up against, what we have to do as a nation to move forward, and that both have a true commitment and love for this country. While their means to achieving what needs to be done would vary, I firmly believe that they both have their hearts in the right place. For that reason, I do not think there would have been a truly "wrong" choice, even though I am more in alignment with Obama's view on how to move forward. That we are able to, at such a critical time, come up with two candidates who I feel put a united and whole America first in their hearts is in itself a beacon of hope.

That said, it is up to us and the rest of Washington do do our part. One man alone can inspire change, but cannot MAKE it happen by himself. We must take up the banner, and the shovel, and get to work, clearing up the mess in Washington, in society, in our communities, and in our homes. The time to act is today, because that's all we have the power to truly change. The future starts now and today is the day we begin to make it. If we make the right decisions for the right reasons, we won't have to worry about the future- it will take care of itself. We all know what is right in our heart of hearts, now we all need to JUST DO IT. I believe what has been true all along- YES, WE CAN.

One more comment about yesterday's election- racism is far from dead. It has just gone underground. When asked "publicly" in polls, more than 50% of people in the former slave states were for Obama, yet in the privacy and anonymity of the voting booth, an average of 55-60% of voters voted for McCain. A coincidence? I think not. It is just another of the affects of political correctness; racists will not fess up to being racist in public for fear of ridicule, but in private (voting booth, chat rooms, blogs, radio talk shows) where they will not face any direct consequences for airing their views, all kinds of ugliness comes out. They know they are wrong and that saying it out loud is wrong, but they believe it anyway. I live in the South, I have both seen and heard it. Anyone who thinks that yesterday was some sort of death knoll to racism is sorely mistaken. If America was not more frustrated with Bush and the Republican party than they are resistant to voting for a black man, the race would have ended entirely differently. The Republicans should be the one sitting up and taking notice- white America would rather elect a black man than put up with 4 more years of the same. Yes, this election WAS a mandate for change, but not in the way that it should have been.

In saying this, I am not trying to take anything away from Obama. I voted for him. His message of hope and optimism inspires me and I think he will do his best to do a good job. If I was guilty of -ism in voting for him instead of McCain, it was ageism. I don't think a man whose views on life were formed over 50 years ago truly has the ability to understand the world as it exists today the way it needs to be understood. The world he grew up in simply does not exist. White, black, yellow... makes no difference to me. Who can do the job in a manner that I think befits the integrity this nation should have? Who has the best solutions that will best impact this nation's future? Who has the best ability to be the leader this NATION needs? Those are the questions whose answers matter to me. I would like to see a woman in the job- and not Sarah Palin- a real woman who is not afraid to be a woman in every sense of the world instead of having to prove how tough she is. But that's just me...

I will hold out hope for that day, but in the meantime, I am happy with the choice America has made and am rolling up my sleeves as we speak...

A historic day

While I recognized the importance and relevance of what may possibly happen today with the election of Barack Obama to the presidency, the impact of what it symbolised did not hit me until I heard the comments of a newscaster from one of the cable news channels. He was going on about being a proud "son of the South" and said that it hit him when his 6 year old daughter, upon hearing that Obama was taking Alabama in the polls, said, "Daddy, isn't that the place where they used to use water hoses on black people?" I saw then just how far we had come. While it saddens me that we have not come far enough to elect a woman, and that civil rights came for blacks before the feminist revolution gave equivalent rights to women, I am hopeful that one day a woman will be sitting in the Oval Office. Maybe in time for the 100th anniversary of the woman's right to vote, which did not happen until 1920. As long as it is not Sarah Palin... 'nough said, bless her gosh darn heart by golly!

I am also saddened for Mr. Obama at the death of his grandmother. That she was not able to see her grandson most likely get elected President tonight is a shame. I feel for him that he did not get the opportunity to share that milestone with her and that he has had to put his grief on hold.

I, like the rest of the country, especially those who cast their ballots early, will be sitting and waiting to see happens today.

Masks...

We all wear masks, masks defined by the roles we play and how we wish to be seen by others. But when do they stop being masks? Masks are something we can take on and off that cover what exists underneath; what truly is. Do we know what is truly underneath the masks we wear? Or do we see our masks as ourselves?

When we meet someone and say that we want them to see and know us for who we really are, do we want them to see underneath or do we want them to see us as we WISH to see ourselves (for better or worse)? This can work both ways- we could want them to see us as the wonderful person we believe ourselves to be or as the ugly person we are afraid that we are. But is that wonderful person or ugly person the true us?

I think at times others have the ability to see and know us better than we are able to know ourselves. They see through the lies and false image we present for our own benefit every day. But can anyone ever help us to see the real us? If we cannot know the real us and others can never fully know the real us, is there a real us to know? And if there is not, do we have the ability to create ourselves and form it into the ideal vision of who we want to be?

They talk about space and the ocean being the final frontiers. I don't believe that is so. I believe that our psyche and the depths of our identities are the final frontier. Even if we spend our whole lives trying to figure out who we are, both as individuals and as a species, I don't think we'll ever have a definitive answer. And even if we do, it will be gone the next moment as a new experience changes it a bit.

Does that mean that we should never try to understand who we are? I don't believe so. I think that we have to understand enough about ourselves to find the consistencies within ourselves and use those to base our identities on. We create our own stability and use it to create stability in this world for those we touch. We are the eye in the storm we call our lives. I guess in the end the best you can do is to be true to what you believe is the most accurate version of yourself you have experienced.

I LOVE Halloween...

What can be wrong about a holiday that lets you be whatever you want, or have ever wanted to be? I love to see people's costumes and try to guess how they wish to see themselves in their heart of hearts. Like the regular guy who dresses as a superhero. Or the mild mannered woman who chooses to be a witch, a longtime symbol of female empowerment. I was a ghost pirate this year- wonder what that says about me? That I like stealing and am tired of life? Or let's get really metaphysical and say that I wish to bring about the death of materialism and excess? I know, I know, that's stretching it, but I'm sure a psychiatrist out there who is an adherent of Freud's that would have something profound to say.

What was your costume, or the one you would have chosen had you dressed up? Think for a minute- what might it have to say about you?