YES WE CAN

Tonight I am incredibly proud of my country. I am so proud to be an American (I don't think I have ever been more proud of this in my life). I look forward to a future filled with hope, change, and the belief that together we will make this country, this world a better place. I am uplifted, inspired, emotional (I just cried through the entire acceptance speech) and again, so very proud.

Above all, I am honored to have as our 44th President, Barack Obama.

YES WE CAN, YES WE WILL.

Political Ranting

Ok, so I told you it might take me an extra day to do this and I apologize. First of all, I just found my missing checkbook that I have been insanely looking for all this week. YAY!! I actually just finished doing the happy dance.

And on to bigger and better things. I have been trying to figure out how to best describe my political leanings. I don't want to offend, I am just letting you know what I believe. All are entitled to an opinion and I am just letting you know mine. I do believe this photo says a lot (ok, the shirt says a lot).


Yup. I hated Bush before it was cool. I guess hate is a strong word, but I really dislike the things he says, does, etc. The only thing I have ever liked about him (and it actually isn't really him) is his daughter Jenna's wedding dress. That's it.

I am angry about so much going on in this country. The leaders (ok, primarily Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, etc), the policies (no-child left behind is a ridiculous policy. I do not support abstinence only sex-ed. I want Guantanamo to be closed and the prisoners tried as human beings. I could go on and on all day), the economy is a mess, I want our troops home, for them to be taken care of when they get home, and for their families to be supported. I want this war over. We need to realize that we have a lot going on here (people are still trying to figure out how to clean up after Katrina - 3 YEARS AGO!!!) and we need to pay attention to issues we can fix. I am ready for friends fighting in Iraq to come home. They don't want to go back and they emotionally suffer daily.

I want there to be acceptance for all people, for them to enjoy the rights that are deserved.

So who am I politically and what do I stand for?
-I am a progressive and unabashedly liberal
-I believe in rights for all people - if it doesn't hurt anyone then I am ok with it
-I believe in pursing diplomacy and that force should be used only as a last resort once all others measures to peace have been exhausted
-I believe that I have the right not to be lied to by my politicians (this really is a dream)
-Torture is never ok. Never never never. Not by our CIA, not by anyone. How would we like our soldiers to be treated?
-Religion and politics must be kept separate.
-I hope this country can move toward reaching out to the poor and disadvantaged, thus I believe that health care, welfare, and social justice programs should be well funded and extended to help more people
-Tax the rich...a lot
-We should help the disadvantaged people in other countries when they struggle (example: Darfur in the Sudan)
-We should pressure countries to improve human rights within their societies (China, this is you)
-We should have leaders who are upstanding (not, as Natalie mentioned, a reformed coke addict alcoholic. Seriously, c'mon are you kidding me????) I could do a whole post on W, but maybe another day.

I am ready for change. I want politicians who are willing to help this country progress towards a promising future. And most of all I want PEACE!!

Well, blog friends, there ya go! love to all and have a happy weekend!

Get ready for tomorrow's post...

This is to kinda prep you for what I think I will blog about tomorrow (or Friday, depending on when I actually get to blog). 2 of my 3 blog buddies requested I post about my political beliefs, but before I do so, I wanted to start by being grateful. and to warn you that tomorrow will be intense!!

This is a slightly cheesy sounding post, especially when you contrast it with tomorrow. I am so fortunate to live in the US of A. I can have this blog, I can write what I want about where I live and the beliefs that are important to me. I can pray to whomever whenever. I can be friends with anyone. I can read any book I want, listen to music I want, and wear the designers (or lack there of) that I want. To quote a great movie "America $@&^ Yeah!!!

I have the freedom to walk outside and not be afraid of rebels with AK 47s walking around. I know that I can say what I want about the problems here and not get arrested or thrown in jail and I am very grateful for this. I am so lucky that I have the freedom to be me and the freedom to dissent. I love where I live. This is a beautiful country and I can't imagine living anywhere else. I am proud of where I live (ok, for the most part).

That all being said, I have the freedom to be angry about the government, the media, the people in power,etc. And I am so grateful for that (I am trying to be less angry and instead see that I can make changes, but this is a hard concept to grasp). I don't like being angry, there's no other way I can be.

This is my favorite quote about how I feel. I don't know who said it, but it is my sentiment exactly and sums up what I will write about tomorrow.

"A Patriot supports his/her country all the time....

and, his/her government when it deserves it.

and I ran

I finally ran. Three years after buying the $83.00 sneakers, I used them. This is me, post-running, feeling completely exhausted.


It was a painful experience, but something my body really needs. I am trying to get enjoyment out of free, meaningful moments.

And, look what arrived in the mail today!!!!


I promise, I won't get all political on here (too exhausting. I would rather run). Plus, anyone who knows me probably isn't surprised by this. Don't I look like a crazy kid who just got the coolest Christmas present? I have no idea why this turned out so dorky, but it makes it even more hilarious.

Have a happy day!!!