Election Night

Yes We Can!!

Screen grab of the map just after the election was called on CNN but before the night turned into a major mandate for President Elect Obama

The magic moment.

Our little watching party was marked with tears of joy, whoops of excitement and an overwhelming sense that we would be moving back to the United States of America that we feel we were born and raised in. There are many in this election who suggested that Barack Obama was unpatriotic and even anti-American because of his calls for Change. The idea being that America is a perfect nation created by God that is always guided by God and therefore beyond reproach. Here is a quote from an article in the New York Times that does a better job of making my thoughts clear than I could.

. . .a sense that the imperial power capable of doing such good and such harm — a country that, they complain, preached justice but tortured its captives, launched a disastrous war in Iraq, turned its back on the environment and greedily dragged the world into economic chaos — saw the errors of its ways over the past eight years and shifted course.

They say the country that weakened democratic forces abroad through a tireless but often ineffective campaign for democracy — dismissing results it found unsavory, cutting deals with dictators it needed as allies in its other battles — was now shining a transformative beacon with its own democratic exercise.

(a note of context: the article was discussing the views of citizens of other countries but it applies to me as well.)

When I say I want Change and I believe when Barack Obama calls for change what we are aiming for is a return to the beauty of the country as an ideal, as an example to the world. As Bill Clinton put it at the DNC, "The world is more impressed with the power of our example than the example of our power". Ronald Reagan's reference to the Shining City on a Hill from the bible and from John Winthrop has been mentioned frequently in this election season. Far from being that shining beacon, I feel that we have turned into a bully with a club, earplugs and blinders. The election results of November 4th 2008 relit that beacon. It is burning again and I hope that the flame only gets brighter as we all work together to put the economy back on track, ensure that all our citizens can afford health care, search for energy solutions, end wars started by lies, support our allies when the cause is just, mend an ailing educational system, and a host of other issues that will require the leadership of President-Elect Obama and the participation and support of the people of America.

Count me in.

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HAPPINESS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

We are so happy!  

For Jenny, Compliments of Drew

Jenny had a crappy and troublesome commenter on her blog so in an effort to send some friendly traffic her way and bring some silly into the equation, here is a video that Drew found and sent to me. It should be pretty obvious right away why he thought of me when he saw it. The election is just days away people. Here's hoping we all make it to the finish line with our hearts, souls and limbs intact. Love ya Jenny.

Dispatch from and Un-Real American Living in a Real American County Located in an Un-Real American State

5 cats on the bed and a garage full of mice. Le Sigh. Number 6, Quinten, is still missing. Sometimes I think he is gone for good and sometimes I still believe that he is reenacting Rambo: First Blood. Last night I dreamed he came home but his legs had turned into rabbit legs and he had the snout of a dachshund.

If you are not sure what the title of the post refers to, click here. You probably only want to click if you are an Un-Real American. I don't think Real Americans will find it funny.

The Final Leg - Mom, Don't Read This One

Here in my neck of the woods voting is not done at polls. It is strictly mail in. That bugs me because I like the ritual of waiting in line with my fellow citizens, entering the booth to mark my choices and, if I am honest, I miss getting my "I Voted" sticker to wear around all day. Yesterday on the mail route I delivered ballots to all the registered voters on my route. I felt a spark of pride as I carried my important deliveries, like I was serving a purpose in democracy. Today Matt and I filled out our ballots and I will mail them back when I go in to do the mail route on Monday. So from here on out, all the jibber jabber from federal, state and local candidates will land too late on our ears. We have voted. And for the first time in many, many years we have voted with hope and excitement for a new future. Long live democracy.

One final political note, I wish we were still in California to help with the No on Prop 8 campaign. We have donated money but that isn't the same as casting a vote (unless you are part of the Mormon force of unity). Good luck with that faux-compassion routine. I would rather have children raised in an all inclusive environment that might include an occasional encounter with a married gay couple than to have children raised in an environment of dual standards. Separate but "equal" did not work during the civil rights movement and it is equally despicable here. I know, I know, you view it as a choice so you don't think it it qualifies for comparison to the civil rights movement. To that I say that your opinion/faith/religious doctrine does not square with the real life experiences of any gay person I have met thus far in my life. An untruth repeated over and over again does not become truth.

AKA IDIOT

OK people, let us get a little perspective on this whole "pig in lipstick" fabricated controversy. I have collected videos of the original statement (IN CONTEXT!!!!), the McCain video (please note there is absolutely no context!), and Barak Obama's rebuttal to the whole ridiculous mess. This is out of control. If you type "Obama/Lipstick" into YouTube you get pages and pages of returns of video snippets of Palin's pitbull/lipstick comment cutting straight to Obama's pig/lipstick comment followed by "carefully considered" commentary by pundits. The whole business stinks of Karl Rove style bait and switch politics.
-First up, video of Obama's speech (the whole paragraph, not just a sentence fragment):

-Next, the McCain camp's online ad slamming Obama for running a misogynistic campaign of smears (!)

-Finally, Obama's testy response to the McCain group's swiftboating of pigs in lipstick:

As of this posting, the last word I have seen is a comment from the McCain camp telling Obama to stop passing the buck and to take responsibility for his comments. I believe in the last video you will see him doing just that. What he refuses to take responsibility for is the faux controversy spun up by McCain.

Oh, and one more thing, watch the second half of this short clip for a video illustration of just what a royal idiot John McCain is blasting Obama on the "lipstick on a pig" comment. I mean, according to his own logic, McCain needs to apologize to Hillary Clinton for calling her a pig, right?

Hat tip to Slate.com. I spent gobs of time searching for video of McCain's own "pig in lipstick" comment and finally found it there.

Who Needs a Bit of Funny? I Need a Bit of Funny

(Mom don't watch the second video. I don't think you will like it!)





A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

Confession

I am a hypocrite. I just COULDN'T bring myself to watch Sarah Palin last night. I will catch it online soon but right now just reading the transcript is killing me. I know I said everyone should watch speeches, even from those whose views differ, and I WILL watch the speech. I just can't right now. I really, really can't.

This is an excerpt from an AP article comparing and contrasting just one point by Palin with actuality:

PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."

THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income [emphasis mine] for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

Again, I know there is spin on both sides, duh! But I would not drink the kool-aid being offered at the RNC for all the tax breaks in the world.

Oh, and one more thing, the meme being pushed by the GOP that Palin is well versed in international relations because Alaska is so close to Russia? Puh-lease. But maybe I am being too cynical. Perhaps she has looked into Dmitry Medvede's eyes just like G.W. looked into Putin's eyes, saw his soul and declared it good. We all know how well that turned out.

Oh, and another thing, boo hoo McCain. Is the media being to "mean" by asking questions trying to figure out just who Palin is? Sucks to be you. Just like it has sucked to be Barak Obama and Hilary Clinton during the exhausting Democratic primary race. If you want to run an unknown candidate then don't be surprised when the talking heads ask you probing questions and challenge your talking points. Obama already walked that gauntlet. Biden didn't really need to as he has been on the scene so long. Take your medicine big boy.

Barak Obama Comes Out Swinging

In case you missed it, MSNBC has the entire speech here. It was a thrilling speech that spoke to the heart of the frustrations that so many Americans are feeling right now.

Go Dennis Go!!!

How did my brain become so lucid and begin speaking out of Dennis Kucinich's body?

Congressman Kucinich (D)Ohio addressing the audience at the DNC

Politics. Yeah. I am Really Going There.

I have been watching what I can of the Democratic National Convention considering I don't have a television. Most of what I get comes from online videos found at various sites: YouTube, MSNBC, BarakObama.com, etc. Last night we went to Drew's house to watch Bill Clinton and Joe Biden speak. I thought Former President Clinton knocked it out of the park and Joe Biden was appropriately aggressive. Tonight is Barak Obama's turn. According to the DNC schedule he will speak at 8pm mountain time. I recommend everyone, whether Democrat, Republican, Green, Libertarian, Label-Adverse, whatever, tune in.

And here is why:

Love or hate the message, you will hear straight from the man himself without the filter of talking heads.

I spend time scrolling through blogs written by people I agree with and last night I watched the speeches on a news network that leans left. I know this. But when it comes to something as important as the presidential race I want to hear the real words without spin. That is why I enjoy debates.

The Republican National Convention begins on September 1st. I will also catch as much of that as I can and will make sure not to miss John McCain's speech. Not because my mind is not made up but because I want to hear him speak straight too.

I am frustrated by the 24 hour news networks endless spin and opining. Can it really be called news at this point? Because of my personal political beliefs I place Fox News squarely at the head of a poisonous pack but I hold all of them in contempt.

To fill their 24 hours of info these stations are latching on to any and every tidbit - true, false or unconfirmed, and lending them credibility. Stephanie pointed out that she has seen headlines on the online outlets of news stations highlighting info gleaned from blogs. Now I love a good political blog as much as the next person but bloggers are not (for the most part) journalists. A news story from a blogger should be on an opinion page and not a lead story. I am beginning to ramble here but I hope I am making my point.

Barak Obama has launched a website to combat the smear tactics that are first put out by fringe lunatics and then given weight when the news networks give it air time. I don't know if John McCain has, or has need of, a similar website. People of the internet, pardon my language, but that is uber-bullshit.

There is an abundance of misinformation on both sides. It is our responsibility as Americans and voters to vet out the truth. Somewhere between Fox News and MSNBC lies a kernal of reality and truth. Vote Democrat, Vote Republican, Vote Ross Perot. Do whatever is true to your conscience but do it with a wealth of reality and truth behind it.

For the record:

• Barak Obama is NOT a muslim
• Barak Obama did NOT attend a madrassa
• Barak Obama is NOT the devil
• Barak Obama is NOT Osama Bin Laden
• Barak Obama is NOT an elitist
  

I wish I were being funny by overstating things but I HEAR people who really, really believe the above statements. Why is it even necessary to refute malarkey like this? How can we begin to have a political debate about the economy and foreign policy when the starting point is crap like this?

Oh, one more thing: when did being a smart and educated person who thinks things through become a liability? Why is that so often portrayed as a flaw for Obama? It makes him an elitist who had no grasp of the lives of "ordinary" Americans. Really? Isn't he an example of the American Dream gone right? And if we are talking about "ordinary" Americans, may I just say that I don't want an "ordinary' American to be President. I want an extraordinary American to be President.

Does This Mean It is Time to Move Back to Utah?

Obama out-raising McCain in Utah

In Case You Had Not Noticed

I have been quietly adding to my Family & Friends blog list and the Blogs I Like To Visit list. I would like to point out the following new adds:

• My beautiful Sister-In-Law Kate
• My friends from high school: Nathan, Melissa, Shantel and Bret
• Laugh til you cry blogs: Cake Wreck and Fail Blog
• Blog of my kindred spirit (even though she doesn't know it so it probably puts me square in the creepy stalker category): Dooce

And finally, a shoutout to Tengrain at Mock, Paper, Scissors who listed Egg Town on his blogroll. Funny thing is he has Egg Town in the food category because the day he visited I had a drooly, slobbery post all about the wonders of Wildwood restaurant but the day he posted the Egg Town link was just about the same time I was posting about all my cat pee woes. Yum.

My Morning Walk - Beach Version

Tom, Kathy, Andy and Andy's friend Megan spent the 4th of July holiday at the beach. I had a strange work schedule on the route over July 4th so we went down on the evening of the 5th and came back home on the 6th. Here are some pics of our brief sojourn.

A citizen concerned about the welfare of sea birds covered an entire section of the boardwalk railing with pieces of bagels, various flavors. The birds didn't seem to care. Perhaps they were full up on people food, this being the end of a busy holiday weekend. Notice the whale skeleton in the distance.

Seriously, this burn patch has to be the best cautionary illustration ever. I honestly wonder if the local fire department didn't burn it on purpose right by the fire danger sign as a dire warning.

Kathy thinks I hate the flag because I am so glum about the current state of the union. I don't hate it. I am just crushingly disappointed in things right now. Doesn't mean I am without hope or that I am the walking embodiment of anti-patriotism. I just want better from my elected officials on the federal level. And also the flag got abused after 9/11, don't you think? Everyone had flags poking up from their car windows. I saw so many sun bleached and tattered flags for months after that that I wondered why, if people felt so strongly, did they let the symbol of our freedom fly so shabbily. I would truly prefer an angry patriot burning a flag in protest over a lax, lipservicey sheep with a shredded flag flying from his/her car window with a new Jack-in-the-Box head on the antenna. And the car flags came from China. And flag stickers on cars request God to Bless America and tell me that "These Colors Don't Run". It all seems so diluted and commercial now. A real flag, in good repair, taken in or lit at night, folded properly when not in use. Doesn't seem to be asking too much. Am I wrong?

Unrelated to Eggtown in Every Way

According to Yahoo News:

New law prevents Ohio woman from bringing bear cub to work

This caused Matt to wonder how long it will be before he is banned from bringing his King Cobra to work.

Some laws just don't make any sense. Damn big government and its incessant meddling.

The United States of America

Hope Not Fear

Today I was driving up to Chehalis on I-5 when a car came up beside me all a honking on the horn. Now the first thing that comes to mind when someone comes up beside me honking is that flames must be shooting out the back of my car. The second thing that comes to mind is that perhaps I have inadvertently run over something (or someone) and am dragging a carcass along behind me. Neither was the case today. The people in the other car were just Obama supporters (based on their bumper stickers) responding to my own Obama bumper sticker. We live deep in the heart of Ron Paul country so I can understand their enthusiasm at seeing a politically kindred spirit out on the road.

Yay California!!!!!

California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban

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Andy's Star is Rising

Hi All,

My brother Andy, the filmmaker, entered an Obama '08 commercial contest through MoveOn.org. Based on votes from the public his ad as been selected as one of 15 finalists from an original pool of 1,100!

You can view the 15 finalists and vote for which ad should receive the people's choice award. In addition to the people's choice award, another winner will be chosen by a panel, aired nationally and receive a prize of $20,000.

Andy's ad is "Little Girl and One Nation United". Show him some love. They only had 5 days to conceive, write, cast, film and compose music for the ad and I think it turned out great! By the way, Andy composes all his own music for films he makes. What you hear was made by him!

Help my little bro make some dough.

Thanks,
Michelle