Capstone of a Bad Day

"The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

This was someone's facebook status tonight and I'm gonna lay it out here: it made me cry.

To be fair I've had a terrible day. I'd was at my wit's end over another situation and I checked Facebook, which I should not have. But there it was.

Why do we have to resort to name calling? I made a very educated decision to vote for Barack Obama, just as I'm sure many who voted for Senator McCain did. You decide which issues are important to you and align them with your candidate of choice. I love that about America. And I've told people before, and I'll say it again, I don't like the Republican platform, but I don't want the Republican Party to go away.

What I do wish existed was a little more civility. What happened to being nice? What happened to respect.

I voted for Barack Obama because for 2 years my mother worked a job bring home $2 paychecks to pay for our health insurance when my dad first got hurt. Because I know what it's like to grow up in a home where you have to decide between prescriptions and food for the week. Because I have a pre-existing condition. Because my dad has numerous pre-existing conditions and a Medicare doughnut hole. Because my mom has a pre-existing condition and a $300 medication that she has to take monthly to live a productive life. Because god forbid she ever lost her job with those things and needed private insurance.

I voted for Barack Obama because I wanted a politician to start helping the Moms and Dads out there who are struggling with sick kids, among a million other things that I won't begin to list.

I don't need to be called a fool for doing so.

We must be sober when we are angry, never letting unjust and hurtful criticism or slander against others slip from our lips (Matthew 12:36).

Bonus Wednesday: Facebook Edition

Is Chirstmas anything like Christmas?

You might make your point a little better if you respected said holiday enough to at least spell it correctly.

And a little hint: Holiday Tree Hooey - Factcheck.org

The White House is not going to have a Holiday Tree and religious ornaments have not been banned. No matter what that email from your grandma said.

But then I'm just one of those elitist liberals with my facts and reading and stuff...so whatever.

Quote of the Day

What we are talking about here is access to healthcare. We are talking about mothers and fathers losing their homes and their life savings trying to save their children. We are talking about families helping a loved one to fight cancer. We are talking about people suffering with diabetes, asthma and AIDS. We are not talking about death panels and for God’s sakes we are not talking about Nazi Germany. We are talking about tending to the sick and the poor… does that sound familiar to anyone? You Value Voters out there claim to read the Bible. Maybe you should crack the cover on that one again. You are so damn worried about who is marrying who and what immigrant is getting the best shift at the Taco Bell, but God forbid someone’s suffering doesn’t come with a price tag. Honestly, if I could , I would put the entire Republic party over my knee and give them a good spanking. What does it say about our country if the biggest debate of the decade is no longer about the two wars we are fighting but rather about preventing children and families from having access to affordable healthcare? I’ll tell you what it says to me. It says the Christian Right never really was and Value Voters aren’t very valuable.

--Margaret and Helen

Web Log

Sigh.

Long time no blog.

Much has changed.

Literally.

New President.

Like Jay Z raps, 'My President is Black'.

I like it.

Michelle Obama is lovely.

I adored the daytime outfit.

Watched in the student center.

Applause erupted after he was sworn in.

Tears.

Nice.

365 Project still.

Sucky pictures until spring.

Tired of the cold.

I need to repaint my toenails.

Pink is much better than red.

Otherwise?

I'm out of words.

P.S. Our Secretary of State is pretty awesome.

Rahmbo

Andy Samberg as Rahm Emanuel



If you don't know Rahm by now you are living under a rock. Let me enlighten you.

He's Obama's Chief of Staff. He worked under the Clinton administration. He's Jewish, devoutly so. His brother is Ari Emanuel, the inspiration for Jeremy Piven's character on Entourage. He is a trained Ballet dancer. He's missing part of his middle finger from a butcher accident. He's a badass. Like, for serious.

"The best Rahm Emanuel story is not the one about the decomposing two-and-a-half-foot fish he sent to a pollster who displeased him. It is not about the time - the many times - that he hung up on political contributors in a Chicago mayor's race, saying he was embarrassed to accept their $5,000 checks because they were $25,000 kind of guys. No, the definitive Rahm Emanuel story takes place in Little Rock, Ark., in the heady days after Bill Clinton was first elected President.

It was there that Emanuel, then Clinton's chief fund-raiser, repaired with George Stephanopoulos, Mandy Grunwald and other aides to Doe's, the campaign hangout. Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies - Democrats, Republicans, members of the press - who wronged them during the 1992 campaign.

Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remember it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table."

(source)

Rahm Facts, trust me...you're gonna want to click that link.

Obama Roasts Rahm in 2005:


And finally, he's the real life inspiration for Josh Lyman's character on The West Wing. Further proving that Aaron Sorkin predicted EVERYTHING about this election.

Prop H8T

Watch it.

President-Elect Obama

And so it came to pass that on Nov. 4, 2008, shortly after 11 p.m. Eastern time, the American Civil War ended, as a black man — Barack Hussein Obama — won enough electoral votes to become president of the United States.
— Thomas Friedman, New York Times


I voted for John McCain because I admire him immensely as a person, and agree with him on many more issues than I do with Senator Obama. And I ask a rhetorical question: Can we McCain voters, without embarrassment, shed a tear of patriotic joy about the historic significance of what just happened? And I offer a short, rhetorical answer.

Yes, we can.
— Mike Potemra, conservative blogger at National Review Online.

Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.
— Barack Obama, in his acceptance speech


Let every child and every citizen and every new immigrant know that from this day forward: Everything really is possible in America.
—Thomas Friedman

--------------------------------------------
I didn't go to sleep until around 2. I was up at 6:30.

We did it. We really freaking did it.

In Closing

Dear Senator Obama,

Over the course of the last several days I've attempted to write a rousing endorsement of your candidacy. A last statement on why I think my blog readers and friends should vote for you. But my efforts never really panned out. You've made the argument for yourself better than I ever could. I've called complete strangers for you, something I don't enjoy at all, because you inspired me in ways I can't quite articulate.

Eight years ago I had a neighbor who voted for George W. Bush. He couldn't understand why in the world my father would support Al Gore. 'Gore will take your guns away,' he would tell my Dad over and over. And again and again my Dad would remind him that no President, Republican or Democrat, would ever touch the constitution. And that the constitution protects his right to bear arms. But the Republican party got good at marginalizing the issues, everyone bought into the party line of 'God, Guns and Abortion'.

I have a point here. Because one day, during these mildly heated front porch exchanges my Dad turned the argument around on our neighbor. My Dad is a Union guy. He was the first person to lead the march off of the job site to picket in support of unionizing the county road department. He's always understood the plight of the American worker. Our neighbor worked at the local Ford plant, so my Dad turned to him and asked him how he could possibly vote against the union and against his job.

That was it. The end of the exchange. The two simply agreed to disagree.

I don't need to say how this story has ended eight years later, but I will anyway. Eight years of failed economic policies have left this guy with no job, no health insurance and barely hanging on to his house. His wife now works at McDonalds. They had to let their brand new Ford vehicles go and take their children out of private school.

But by God, they still have their guns!

(Yet women can still legally get an abortion in this country. Oops, I guess Bush forgot all of those pro-life promises.)

Anyways.

By the time this election season rolled around I was tired. And fed up. Tired and fed up with people letting the Conservatives in this country act like they owned patriotism and religion. Tired and fed up with these issues dividing us. Tired and fed up with this insistence that you are either 'with us or against us'. Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. I was at the highest level of dissent.

Mr. Obama, your campaign has been a breath of fresh air. And you said it best in your Closing Argument the other day:

"Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort -- black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; Democrat, Republican; young, old; rich, poor, gay, straight; disabled or not. All of us have to come together.

Ohio, in this election, we cannot afford the same political games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one another, to make us afraid of one another. The stakes are too high to divide us by class and region and background; by who we are or what we believe. Because, despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There is no city or town that is more pro-America than anywhere else."

I am 15 minutes away from the end of this day. And I'm not planning on telling anyone on this blog to vote for you. I'm sure most of them have made up their minds, either way. I'm simply going to say this: if they still don't understand why I support Barack Obama then I'm not sure they'll ever get it. But I pray that someday they will. I'm proud of my candidate. I'm inspired. I'm hopeful about my future. And this ride, this election, has been an amazing one. I feel like I've been a part of history. And instead of feeling angry or hurt, I only feel sorry for anyone who hasn't felt it. Hope isn't just some buzzword, or something that can be made fun of. You reminded me of that,

"...Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting around the bend that insists there are better days ahead if we're willing to work for it; if we're willing to shed our fears and our doubts; if we're willing to reach deep down inside ourselves when we're tired, when we're worn out and we come back fighting harder."

I'm ready.



Thank you for this election. Thank you for changing the way the political game is played in this country. Thank you for reminding us that there are no pro-America or anti-America parts of this country, and that education and intelligence are not things to be afraid of.

But most of all, thank you for giving me hope again. I was worried I'd lost it.

Sincerely,

April

Tomorrow We Change The World

Don't forget to vote!

I Could Study...

But I'd rather fill this out.

FAVORITES

1. Clothes Shop- Lots of stuff from Target. I shop the sales racks at Macys quite often. I love TJ Maxx and Marshalls. And believe it or not, I get several basics each year at JC Penney...by no means uber classy, but it works for me.

2. Furniture Shop- I wouldn't say this really applies to me currently. I love shopping resale shops and antique stores, my home style would probably lean towards a preppy-Martha Stewart-eastern seaboard meets KY-country style. Which sounds weird. But trust....it will be beautiful.

3. City- I've not been to many cities. I love Louisville. Nashville has an awesome vibe. The Atlanta skyline is gorgeous. I'm dying to visit Chicago and NYC.

4. Sweet- Cheesecake, chocolate cake, various pies, sour-gummy-sweet things.

5. Drink- Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper and lately: Sprite.

6. Music- Dixie Chicks are my favorite everything. Lately I've been playing my Election 08-Road to Victory mix (yes, I made a playlist and named it this) so lots of Stevie Wonder (signed sealed delivered), Bruce Springsteen (the rising), and The Beatles (here comes the sun)

7. TV- One Tree Hill and Grey's Anatomy. Everything on TLC, I'm most recently (and sadly) obsessed with The Duggars. As well as The Rachel Maddow Show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Election Center with Campbell Brown and Anderson Cooper's AC360.

8. Film- I can appreciate art. I can watch a lot of stuff. But if I'm picking just for fun I'll always pick a cheesy chick flick or some documentary.

9. Workout- I go for a lot of walks. That's the only workout I can be diligent about. I need to walk the labrador more often, he could use the energy expenditure.

10. Pastries- I enjoy donuts. Chocolate Covered, Cream Filled Long Johns to be precise.

11. Coffee- toffee nut frappucinos, white chocolate mochas, caramel machiato.

___________________________________

Let's see, what else?

Oh yeah.

I made a chocolate chip cookie cake this weekend. And this pumpkin pie dessert-y thing. I only have a photo of the cookie cake:



I'm not defending my decorating skills. I shall only point out I wanted lots of icing on it. Because seriously, that's the best part.

(I may have been hormonal and craving sweets all weekend long. So sue me.)

____________________________________________

I know some of you may be avoiding my blog like the plague lately. I'm sorry if you are. But there is only a week until this election. Until then, I'll leave you with this disclaimer.

Evangelicals for Obama

"Whether she’s making up the story that the Alaska legislature fully exonerated her of abuse-of-power charges, proclaiming that Obama is an anti-American terrorist sympathizer, calling Obama a socialist (and now, a communist) who will raise all our taxes and “redistribute wealth”, or reveling in the hatred and rage she incites at her rallies, Palin has proven herself to be a lying, vengeful, slanderous hypocrite who uses Christianity as a resume booster."

Evangelicals for Obama, really worth a read. I encourage you all to click the link.

It may look dark tonight, but if I hold on to hope, tomorrow will be brighter

Barack Obama makes his final case on why you should vote for him.



I am telling you, everyone my age, we are watching our generation's JFK. Which side of history do you plan to be on? You don't have to answer. Just think about this in the coming days.

Change is a coming.

Married with Children

Al Bundy, yes that Al Bundy, calculates his Obama tax cut.

Four Days in Denver

Four Days in Denver: Behind the Scenes at the DNC

Fast forward to around 9:00 to listen to Barack and Michelle discuss Malia and the Jonas Brothers. Adorable.

Worth Watching

I want to marry Keith Olbermann. And have little journalistic, glasses wearing, intelligent babies who speak in really long political diatribes from birth. Yes, I realize I'm setting myself up for lofty disappointment with this dream.

Don't Vote

Last day to register to vote in Kentucky is OCTOBER 6. That's MONDAY!

For my Democrat friends who think it doesn't matter because Kentucky will go McCain. Well yes, it's true Kentucky will go McCain, but Bruce Lunsford is running the closest campaign ever to Mitch McConnell, and for the first time the Republican senator is in danger of losing his seat. The last CJ poll has Lunsford just 1% behind, but within the margin of error to call it a dead heat. One more Democrat in the senate makes us one step closer to avoiding Republican filibusters on all bills.

It matters.

So register.

Octoberfest

Did you watch!?

I planned my entire day around the debate. We had the best time watching last night, my Mom was shouting out the funniest things. This morning I awoke to my Dad's best Sarah Palin impression. Ask him to do it the next time you see him, it's a hoot. I think in his previous life he was a hockey mom from Alaska...just saying.

Here is an interesting article on the prosperity gospel I blogged about a few days ago and its connection to the subprime lending crisis: Time Magazine: Did God Want You To Get That Mortgage?

Taylorsville is having an Octoberfest this weekend that I'm oddly excited about. I'm hoping there is warm cider. Or something equally as 'fall-ish'. I'm tempted to break out pumpkin roll for the first time tonight. I'll blog about it if I do because I have a fantastic recipe to share for one.

And I've decided I have to make this Crock Pot Apple Butter before my weekend is over. It sounds too easy and delicious to pass up.

But I'll admit, while the excitement of fall is all new and wonderful right now, the summer lover in me is not enjoying the cooler temperatures. I just don't think I have it in me to adjust to the colder weather. I'm sure it'll be another long winter of my whining! (I apologize in advance.)

Democrats are Donkeys, Donkeys are Asses, There is a Connection in This Story

I could wax poetic for a few paragraphs, tell some big elaborate story, only to eventually get to what I really want to tell you . But I won't. I'll just come out and say it: Hillary Clinton has a great ass.

It's true. At one point my mother looked and me and said, 'I'm 14 years younger than she is but I wish my ass looked that good.'

I think it can be said that the camera does add 15 pounds to a person. And the pantsuits might be a little deceiving. Because Hillary Clinton is the tiniest, most petite thing in real life. And a lot of things are said about her that I don't think are true. Like in the immortal words of Amy Poehler, 'shrew, harpie, flurge and cankles.' But I'm here to tell you, my mother and I walked away knowing why Bill Clinton begged for forgiveness, she's way hotter that that Monica lady ever thought about being.

And I don't think it's sexist to say these things. I spent days drooling over how sexy Bill Clinton was back in April. Okay, it's just the truth. And one of those indelible things you think of when meeting famous people. They aren't as tall or short as you thought they were, they have bad hair. You know?

Hillary is adorable. She is also just as bit as intelligent as you'd think. She's a fantastic speaker. Maybe not Bill or Barack caliber, but the crowd LOVED her. Hillary Clinton is totally personable and charismatic.

Trust me, I would know:



The details:

• I almost didn't go. But at the last minute was pushed out the door by my family, with the assistance of my travel partner...my Mom.
• We arrived at 12:45, we left at 3:45, we stood on our feet in an overcrowded room with no water for all that time in between. That alone certifies my Clinton Groupie Official Membership.
• She still wasn't as late as Bill was back in April.
• I forgive her for the lateness though. There are lots of hands to shake.
• As I said, she's tiny. Little waist, little hands. Little. Despite the scaling in that photo above. Just trust me on this.
• Bruce Lunsford is also WAY short.
• We stood to the left of the stage, one row of people back, but as Hillary began working the crowd the lady in front of me MOVED, in a strategic TWIST OF FATE, and that's how I ended up with a prime picture taking spot.
• She signed my book with 'Hillary Rodham Clinton', the stuff she signed before my book were only signed with 'Hillary'. I feel special.
• She also shook our hands and thanked us for our support when we told her what a fan we were.
• Secret Service never fails to entertain me. She was surrounded by like 6 of them. But they scanned each person with their supersonic eyeballs before she could reach us.
• The Democratic Party is alive and well in Kentucky. Excitement levels were good.
• All the Hillary supporters I met HATE Sarah Palin. At one point a guy started a chant, 'Sarah's a failin' and McCain can't'.
• She repeated 'No Way, No How, No McCain, No Palin'.
  
• Mentioned Barack and Joe SEVERAL times, and how we needed Barack in the White House.
• Governor Beshear spoke, as well as Kathy Stein, and former governor John Y. Brown Jr. was there with former wife, they are back together I think (still not sure of that situation) Phyllis George.

#77: See Hillary Clinton in Person


Edited to add: Kathy Stein and Governor Beshear fist bumped in an homage to Barack Obama as Gov. Beshear was leaving the stage. Which was, admittedly, adorkably cute.

Clinton-ite Part Three of Three Parts

So this one time I met Bill Clinton. You all remember that? Here's a link in case you forgot: http://apsies.blogspot.com/2008/03/off-deep-end.html and here: http://apsies.blogspot.com/2008/03/accomplished.html

And then, not long after I met Chelsea Clinton. As evidenced here: http://apsies.blogspot.com/2008/04/photo-of-day-full-circle-moment-edition.html

But in my quest to become a full on Clinton groupie I fell just short. I didn't get to meet/see/take-a-far-away photo of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Until.

SATURDAY.

Last night I was in the middle of making my 50 phone calls to Indiana on behalf of the Obama Campaign when I noticed I had a call coming through from the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Now, I should preface this by saying I accidentally ended up with a list of people to call in Indiana by accidentally clicking something on the Obama website I didn't intend to. And I really did not want to be calling these people. Because I'm a bit awkward sometimes, you know?

But there would be nobody else to call them. And suddenly the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I sucked it up, and I began to call. Call, after call, I began to enjoy myself (in my own awkward kind of way). It's sort of (kinda if you squint real hard) fun to talk to voters.

And that's when I got the call from the Democratic Party, the Bruce Lunsford for Senate campaign to be precise. They asked and I agreed to take on 40 calls for them.

And that is when it happened.

The heavens opened up and shined down upon me. The person on the other line said, 'oh by the way, Hillary Clinton will be in Kentucky Saturday for a couple of rallies, would you be interested in attending?'

Umm. Hmm. Let me check my schedule.

YEAH. Duh.

So that's how it happened. That's how tentatively I will be at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday fulfilling my Clinton-ite Part Three of Three Parts Dream.

I'm so freaking excited.

Cat Scratch Fever

It is so hard to find the motivation to blog lately. Between the dropping my basket over school stuff, and then the whole political scene right now I spend most of my time watching CNN, perusing the internet for political stories, or reading something for some boring class.

But I was doing so good with the blogging and writing down the stuff going on in my life that I almost feel bad for not updating! Something about that is probably not healthy. ;)

So what have I been up? Good question.

As I said, watching lots of CNN. Last night Jon piled on my bed with 2 of the 3 dogs, my Mom kicked her feet up nearby and we watched John McCain's nomination speech. But before that we warmed up with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. That was lots of fun.

I finished my quilt squares! Now I just have to quilt the whole thing. Which umm...I'm thinking is going to be the hard part since I have no idea how to do it. I'll let you know how that goes.

Last night I dreamed about my dead grandmother. As in, every so often we had to un-thaw her and she'd come back to life for a little while. What?! Yeah, I don't know what is up with that. I blame it on late night Republican politics coupled with French Onion Sunchips...that'll do weird stuff to your head. ;)

Did you know I still don't have a car? Nope, keep putting off going to find one. I hate car shopping. And the price of little cars has rose dramatically since the last time we bought one! Omg. When we bought my Aveo, it was a year old with really low miles on it and we got it for $8,900. If I tried to buy a year old Aveo now with low miles it would cost me $10,988 or $11,950.

So I'm indecisive about what I want and unsure of which direction to go in. I'm sure I'll decide something soon though.

Things I'm currently obsessed with include:

The LL Bean catalog. I'm not kidding when I say I want everything in it.

Fall Weather. I wouldn't mind a bit of a chilly spell.

Bollywood movies. Which oddly enough my library has a plethora of. Weird.

And kittens. I know there are enough animals around here. But every time I go to Feeder's Supply there is a cage full of kittens. And every time their adoption fee is marked down to $55 and the frugal part of me goes, '$55 for a cat thats already fixed and has all of its shots is a DEAL'. And every time at the very moment, when I'm this close to asking someone for paperwork to fill out...my Dad calls and says 'don't even think about it'. And he doesn't even know I'm thinking about it, he just knows where I am and that it's GOING TO HAPPEN.

So yeah, somebody adopt a kitten and then let me come cuddle it. Okay? Thanks.