Beth’s Books

I don’t intend to turn this into a book blog—you all know I’ve got more interests than just that—but I’ve read a couple of good ones recently and wanted to write about them. They both have to do with politics, so that’s in keeping with one of my favorite subjects!

First is The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi. I first became familiar with Taibbi as a columnist for Rolling Stone, when my friend Darren recommended his writing to me; one of Taibbi’s most memorable articles there dealt with the tea partiers. Taibbi’s style is irreverent and, to borrow a word most often used with another RS writer, gonzo. The subject of this book is twofold. He writes about our broken political system, in which our politicians follow the money and influence. Public airing of legislative procedures on C-SPAN is usually limited to important things like renaming post office branches; the big-ticket stuff goes on behind the scenes, in late-night meetings, with little public discussion. Taibbi is obviously left-leaning, but he shares equal contempt for the politicians of both sides.

I try to stay engaged and informed when it comes to politics, but it’s disturbing to think that my participation matters very little in the process. I’m not going to relinquish my right to vote, and I’m not going to become overly cynical about politics in general. It’s easy to do that, and the truth of the matter would probably lead any halfway intelligent person to that conclusion. But simply opting out is not a viable alternative to me. It’s still discouraging to think about just how much corruption is taking place, though.

The other subject matter I found even more fascinating. The heathen Taibbi decided to check out the fundamentalist evangelical faction by going undercover and joining Pastor John Hagee’s church in San Antonio. You might remember Hagee as the guy who said that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment on a New Orleans that embraces and celebrates homosexuality. Yeah, that guy. I found Taibbi’s experience to be fascinating. I wasn’t really surprised at any of the dogma expressed by those in the church; I’ve heard plenty of similar things throughout my life. I suppose I found it fascinating because I’ve heard it all before. It’s the party line.

Taibbi participates in a weekend getaway with the church. He progresses far enough up the ladder to be invited to a workshop about how to witness to people, and joins two other church members in a rather embarrassing visit to a mall to evangelize. One exchange that I found particularly amusing is when Matt role-plays with the group leader in learning about how to talk to people about the good word. When the group leader asks him if he feels that God would judge him according to the ten commandments, Matt says it’s an irrelevant question because he doesn’t believe in God. When the group leader protests that it’s written in the Bible, Matt says he doesn’t care, because he doesn’t believe in the Bible. This throws the group leader for quite a loop. Matt says, “I’m just repeating what non-believers might say. That’s all.”

In a previous life, I recall having discussions with someone who just kept quoting scripture. I said something to the effect of, “Can you please just talk to me and tell me what YOU think, rather than quoting scripture at me?” He couldn’t do it. He was so far up the ass of the church he’d joined that he just couldn’t stop the conditioned response and rote regurgitation of what what being fed to him. I found Taibbi’s conversation so fascinating because it’s interesting to see how people respond to someone telling them that not only do they not believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, they don’t even believe in God. It seems to really perplex them...like it is just so far outside their realm of possibility that they just can’t wrap their minds around it.

The book ended on a rather sad note. After heading back to New York, he eventually came back to San Antonio to have lunch with one of the women that he’d become friends with in the church. She was having a hard time, because she was wasn’t fitting in at the church...she didn’t know how to play the political games there (and just like any place that involves a large number of people, there ARE political games), and she wasn’t feeling accepted. (I’ll have more to write on this topic soon.) Anyway, Taibbi is an excellent writer, and this is an excellent book. Highly recommended!

Next was Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. This was an account of the presidential primaries for the 2008 election, and the election itself. Like many of you, I followed that election very closely, and I remember so much of what is discussed in this book. Sometimes verbatim. The title of the book comes from how seemingly small things loomed large in this particular race, and ended up being game changers. A phrase, a look, an indiscretion, a misspoken word, a wrong note struck. A vice-presidential pick that came as a complete surprise, and after initially firing up the base, went horribly awry.

This book is worth a read just for the chapter that deals with McCain’s choice of Palin as his running mate, and his campaign’s attempts to...dare I say it? Yes, I dare. His campaign’s attempts to put lipstick on a pig. Inadequate vetting and a candidate unwilling and perhaps unable to learn the basics of what she needed to know were a recipe for disaster. I don’t take this book as the full truth, but based on everything I’ve read and what I’ve seen of Palin, I know that this woman doesn’t belong anywhere near the White House. When McCain chose her, I felt that he was pandering to the conservative base and attempting to garner female voters, and I condemned him for making a purely cynical choice; I still feel that way, and I still feel that he traded what little honor he had left in order to make a last-ditch attempt to get votes. If he truly thought that she was capable of being the leader of the free world if something happened to him, it shows what a doddering old fool he is, and that he put his victory in November above his country. I’ll just say it outright: if you think Sarah Palin is capable of running this country, you don’t have its best interests at heart. Neither did McCain.

Halperin and Heilemann aren’t lapdogs for the Democrats. They speak of Obama’s sometimes overwhelming arrogance; they speak of Clinton’s poorly managed campaign and the harm that President Clinton inflicted upon it; John Edwards’ all-too-human failings are examined, and Elizabeth Edwards’ irrational behavior is addressed.

I suppose that much of the book was political gossip, but I read enough during that campaign to know that it wasn’t far off the mark. It was a fun and interesting read, and an enjoyable reminder of what was truly a historic and game-changing election. I think it had a happy ending, too!

A new sheriff in town

I haven't written much about the upcoming inauguration, and to be honest, I haven't really been thinking about it that much. I'm feeling a little reflective today, though.

It's not like before the election, when there were many doubts about whether or not Obama could win. Those doubts have been laid to rest (although it might be more apt to say that they were beaten into submission), and it's just been a matter of waiting until he is sworn in. That day is almost here, and I think it's very appropriate that it takes place after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I came across a rather disturbing column online, in which Obama is referred to as the "offspring of the sexual congress between an African black and an American white of European descent." I was even more disturbed when I saw that the author is black. He goes on to state that "Working whites don’t mind the relatively small portion of their own race on the dole so much, but they see the black race as (innately) parasitical and perhaps intellectually challenged. And this goes for those whites who voted along party lines for the black messiah. Whether they think this calls for coddling, deportation or extermination is an individual matter, but the perception is probably fairly uniform."

Wow. Dude. No, the perception is not uniform, and I find this really offensive. I also find it another example of someone with issues about themselves and an inferiority complex that they project onto others. I can assure you that I have never thought of blacks as either innately parasitical or intellectually challenged, and I've certainly never thought that coddling, deportation, or extermination was some sort of option. It's not even SANE.

By the way, I'm not even going to link to his bullshit or mention the guy's name, because I won't promote him or his nasty rhetoric. Get some therapy, buddy. Seriously.

I've made no bones about my support for Obama, but contrary to what some might believe, I don't think and have never thought that he was some kind of "messiah." He's quite human, and I'm sure he will make mistakes. But it also bothers me to hear the easy dismissal of him as all talk with nothing to back it up. One of my own relatives said that Obama is "stupid." You can call him a lot of things, but to call him stupid is...well, kind of stupid, and a gross underestimate of his intellect and talent. Do I expect miracles? No. I don't believe in miracles when it comes to the course of our nation and an attempt to turn around the sad state of our economy. I believe in hard work and research and good advisers, and I believe that there will be sacrifice involved on all of our parts. It could be a rough year, and Obama has said that over and over again.

But there's no need to rehash all of that, or debate it. On Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, and I'll be watching. Despite the disgust I feel at reading things like the column I referenced above, I remain hopeful that this will mark a change in the way we deal with each other at home, and in how we're perceived around the world. I really don't understand anyone who wants Obama to fail in his endeavors as President. It's our country, and we should all believe and yes, HOPE, that good things can happen, that we can turn things around.

Now let's get this party started. There's a new sheriff in town. (If you want a chuckle, do a YouTube search for "blazing saddles new sheriff in town." It's a little rough, so I didn't put the video up here.)

Inclusion: Not always a good thing

Earlier in the week, when I heard of the brouhaha over President-Elect Obama's choice of pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, I thought, "What's all the hubbub, bub?"

My initial reaction was that while the choice of Warren (who is against gay marriage but has been active in the call to end the world AIDS problem--I applaud his efforts in the latter) might anger some activists, it was indicative of Obama's pledge to be inclusive, to discuss issues with his detractors as well as his supporters, and to begin the Great American Dialogue. The GAD is something I made up, but I think it's about time we started realizing that there are all kinds of different people with all kinds of different views, and you can't begin to achieve that sort of understanding without discussion, thus the GAD. Hey, since I'm writing about this, and you're reading about it, on the Interwebs, does that mean it's the eGAD? I like that! Of course, in the interest of inclusion, it really needs to be the Great International Discussion, or the eGID.

But I digress.

So at first I thought that while I don't agree with some of Warren's convictions about homosexuality, he has the right to feel that way, and I can sort of see why Obama picked him (the trying to be inclusive part). I know of other people who agree with him about homosexuality, and I don't hate them. I don't agree with them at all, but I'm not going to hate them because of their erroneous ideas, ha ha. I do realize that not everyone shares my views about various things, and I'm all for tolerance; however, I also have the choice as to whether or not I listen to or read hate-filled and bigoted rhetoric, and I choose not to. If you hate Obama because he's black, or hate gays because of who they love, that goes deep and nothing I can say is going to convince you otherwise--that kind of understanding can only come from life experience, and hopefully life will provide a big ol' sledgehammer to knock you on the head about it so you can get yourself right.

I believe I digressed again.

I was okay with Obama's choice of Warren at first. Then I saw this interview with Anne Curry and Warren. (Indy, I discuss what was said afterwards, so you'll get the idea of his comments.)



I do believe I've changed my mind. I was appalled to hear Warren say that even if it's proven that homosexuality is a genetic trait (and that is exactly what I believe, and I believe it will eventually be proven), he would still think it is wrong and believe it is a choice that can be overcome.

Are you f***ing kidding me?!

DUDE. You are talking about a genetic trait, like hair and eye color, or a myriad of genetic diseases. Are you telling me that if I'm unhappy about my green eyes, I can simply make a choice and hey presto! I've got blue eyes? Or that someone with Sickle Cell disease can make their red blood cells magically whole merely by strength of will? Or perhaps those men with male pattern baldness--a trait passed down through females--can grow a thick, luscious head of hair because they have made the choice to go against their genetic code and not be bald? By the way, you seem to be getting a little thin on top, Rick. I hope you'll get to brainin' on that.

Oh, for Pete's sake. His remarks in that interview were pretty much the stupidest, most vile sort of lame excuse for hatred and exclusion that I've heard recently. To equate overcoming natural and environmental tendencies towards fear, anger or shyness with homosexuality is ridiculous, and comparing the choice of being promiscuous with the genetic coding of homosexuality is just as bad. And I really didn't need to hear that you want to screw every beautiful woman you meet. And hey, if we're really talking about anthropological tendencies, the true impulse would be to screw pretty much every woman you meet, as long as they are capable of bearing children so that you can produce as many offspring as possible. Whatever concept of "beauty" you have is a product of current standards and secondary to your primordial urges to find women who can be breeders.

I'll be watching the inauguration, but I think I might have to miss Warren's invocation.

By the way, Warren, I happen to like my green eyes. If at some point you decide that you don't like green eyes, and that green eyes are wrong, I won't be flexing my braaaaaain powers in order to change them to whatever color you think is "right."

Time to make this story sleep with the fishes

Obviously, the dominant story at the moment is the corruption case against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. (One thing I've learned from this story is both how to spell and pronounce Blagojevich.) I've been reading about how some people think that President-Elect Obama is lying about any contact with the governor; that Team Obama is dragging their feet after the P-E promised a thorough study of who talked to whom, and not releasing the report; and even a call for Rahm Emanuel's resignation as Chief of Staff...although he's not yet the official Chief of Staff, since Obama hasn't even been inaugurated.

Stop picking on Rahm, you big meanies!

In all seriousness, this is just getting stupid. This is a non-story. Let's review, shall we?

Blagojevich was taped by the Feds wanting money and/or lucrative jobs for both himself and his wife in return for the appointment to Obama's vacant Senate seat. No doubt about it, the guy is a slimeball and a crook.

In his press conference last week, P-E Obama stated that he had no direct contact with the governor concerning the Senate seat, and that his aides had "no inappropriate discussions" with the governor about it.

Emanuel spoke with the governor about a short list of people that Team Obama would like to see in the Senate seat. There is nothing untoward or inappropriate in such discussions, and it seems obvious to me that Obama--he's a Democrat, remember?--would want a Democrat in the seat, and preferably someone who he has worked with in the past and knows would be supportive of his policies. Illinois does not have a special election for vacant Senate seats: they are appointed by the governor.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said that prosecutors are making no allegations that Obama was aware of any nefarious plots, and Emanuel has been told that he is not a target of the investigation.

The governor himself--on tape--said that Obama wouldn't help him and called him a vulgar term (I'll let you know if I find out what it is). The governor went on to say that even if he did appoint someone on Team Obama's list, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation." There is a vast difference between speaking about who you'd like to see in the Senate seat and providing funds or appointments in return.

The report issued by Obama's team was ready today, but federal prosecutors asked them not to release it until at least the week of December 22, due to the ongoing investigation, and possible further interviews that they need to conduct.

There is nothing here that smacks of any wrongdoing by P-E Obama, Rahm Emanuel, or Obama's transition team. The attempt of the media to make a mountain out of this particular molehill is perplexing at best, and inflammatory at worst. I remember getting so frustrated at work, because the focus often ended up on some trivial issue, like where to put a new centrifuge, and I wanted to say, "There are bigger issues here--like how we don't have enough people to do the work!" The same concept applies here, and I'd like to see everyone focus on the dire economic straits our world is in rather than trying to make some nonexistent and nebulous connection between Obama and a corrupt governor.

I don't generally read comments on political blogs (But I cherish each and every one of yours, never fear! Well, except maybe for the lovely and charming Anonymous Troll.), but in reading some lately, it seems that there are quite a few people that will never accept Obama as their President. Hey, time to face reality, folks. He IS your President-to-be, like it or not. When I talked to my Mom last week, she told me that even my Dad is coming around. He's not happy about it, and like I've said, we had a couple of heated discussions about it, but Mom said he told her that Obama is going to be his Commander-in-Chief, he knows that's the way it is, and he will support him. When it comes right down to where the rubber meets the road, don't we all want our country (and our world) to see better days? Why on earth would you want someone to fail if it also means the failure and collapse of your country? That's insanity.

Okay, on to other things, and unless there's something really juicy that pops up, I won't write much more about The Little Story That Wasn't.

I hope you're all staying warm. It is freakin' freezin' out there! The winds were really strong today, and I had to wear my parka out and about. It gets too hot in the store, but it works for me when walking from the store to my car! I think I have everything taken care of for Christmas, and finished up with Ken's stocking stuffers. I got myself a couple of 10-pound hand weights because I'm ready to move on up from my wimpy little 5-pounders. Woohoo!

I've also started looking into which buffet to go to when we're in Vegas. Hard to believe that's coming up in just about 3 weeks! I'm reading that pretty much the best buffet on the Strip is at the Mirage, which is where we'll be going for the Cirque du Soleil "Love" show. However, it would be great to find a buffet that offers plenty of seafood, because we loves us our oysters on the half shell! Any ideas from you all? Miss Ginger? Katie? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

When we were there last, we went to the Sunday Champagne brunch at the Golden Nugget. We won't be getting into Vegas until Sunday night, so we'll miss the champagne brunches. Drat! I'm sure we'll muddle through somehow, though. I'm not usually a buffet kind of gal, because I feel like I can't really eat enough to pay for it. But high-end stuff like oysters and crab legs and lobster? Just stand back and watch me work. I'll get my money's worth, believe me!

Self diagnosis

It's been Christmas card time this afternoon. I'm spent...and I'm not even done yet! I put a good dent in them, though. I'll be sending out about 100 of them, and I've got 75 or so ready for return labels and stamps (the easy part). I needed a break, so I'll finish them tomorrow. Besides, I think I was starting to get a little buzz from ingesting all that envelope glue. If you get a card from me, you will have a sample of my DNA. Don't say I never sent you anything!

Cousin Shane and I exchanged some emails last week about how we felt weird. Not exactly weird--we're always that--not really depressed, but...out of sorts? That's the best way I can think of to describe it. We wondered if part of it is winter setting in, and I figured part of mine was being out of town for a few days, sleeping in a different bed, etc. I don't know if Shane has thought about his doldrums further, but I was pondering mine, and I think I've finally diagnosed myself.

I believe I'm suffering from Post-Election Withdrawal Syndrome (PEWS). For a solid two months, I was consumed by all things political; during that heady time, I felt fully engaged with the process in our country. I read everything I could online, from local news stories to blogs. I had CNN on as soon as I got up and I watched it after Ken went to bed. I read the articles in Time thoroughly, checked the polls online daily, and exchanged emails, fast and furious, with friends concerning the election. I debated with my Dad, and like many other families in the country, we were divided on issues. Every untrue rumor about President-Elect Obama fueled my fire and raised my ire, and factchecking became a verb for me.

Now it's over. My guy won, and I'm happy about that, but I'm feeling a little bereft and adrift. Instead of spending time learning more about the issues, I have to resort to stories about Palin pardoning turkeys and then being interviewed while one is slaughtered behind her; an evil, manipulative, money-grubbing governor and his equally money-grubbing wife; and today, Joe the Plumber saying that he was appalled and angry at John McCain and almost jumped off the bus before it went over the cliff. Et tu, Joe? And just how schizo IS this guy? Get some therapy, dude. I think you might have dissociative disorder. Are you Sam or are you Joe? (Sing it to the tune of the Clash song!)

[sigh] Oh sure, there are bright spots like debating the bailouts, and of course, Rahm Emanuel. But I have to ask...why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? And what IS it all about, Alfie?

Well, now that I know what is happening, I can forge ahead and go on with my life. PEWS is not life-threatening, but it can be temporarily debilitating. I'll be okay, I'll overcome it, and I can turn my energy into finding a place here for my in-laws to live, preparing for a kickass garden this summer, and tackling a project or two around here. I just need to make sure that in the next month and a half, my PEWS doesn't morph into Pre-Inaugural Stress Syndrome (PISS). That would be really bad.

No more politics as usual!

I've got this thing and it's f***ing golden and I'm just not giving it up for f***ing nothing. I'm not gonna do it.

~~Rod Blagojevich

Even aside from the ferret atop his head, Illinois's governor is one ugly bastard.

The guy was arrested by the FBI today because he has apparently been planning on putting his job of appointing someone to replace President-Elect Obama's seat in the Senate to good use by trying to leverage a chunk of money, a lucrative job for both himself and his wife, and maybe even--get this--a job in President Obama's Cabinet.

Well, I guess it's good to have goals, isn't it?

Blagojevich has been charged with two counts: conspiracy to commit fraud (a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison), and solicitation to commit bribery (up to 10 years).

I know that the reputation of Chicago politics rivals that of Tammany Hall, but as our pal Jody wrote, this is just embarrassing, both to the fine state of Illinois (and here in South Bend, we have a close connection to Chicago) as well as to the President-Elect. I don't believe that P-E Obama had anything to do with Blagojevich's machinations, and I don't believe my buddy Rahm Emanuel (I bet he's going ballistic right about now) did, either, but this has to be as irritating to both of them and all of Obama's advisors as fire ants down your pants. (I'll tell you my story about ants in the pants sometime.)

As always, it amazes me that these assholes think that they are untouchable--apparently Blagojevich has known for a while that he was under investigation for fraud, and knew that the Feds might be listening in...which of course, they were. Gee, didn't you think they might be listening to your conversations, you numbnuts? The conversations where you talked about how this thing was "f***ing golden?!"

I sincerely hope they throw his ass in jail for the maximum time allowed--I'm pulling for 30 years! I am utterly and completely disgusted at seeing this kind of Machiavellian maneuvering, and I hope the Feds send a clear message that it is no longer acceptable to behave in this manner. To Blagojevich and others of your ilk: if you didn't get the memo, it is no longer politics as usual, and the American people are engaged and ready to hold you to standards to which you seem to have a hard time holding yourselves. Consider this notice given!

Family dynamics, brotherhood, and a new cologne

Did you all happen to hear about Republican Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who received a phone call from Barack Obama congratulating her on her re-election? Pretty cool...except she thought she was being punked by some local radio personalities, so she hung up on him. But wait! There's more! After she hung up on him, Rahm Emanuel called her up to tell her the President-Elect wanted to speak with her...and she hung up on him, too! Ha ha ha! It finally took the chairman of the House committee she's on to get her on the phone and tell her that Obama really was trying to get in touch with her! This just tickled me to no end, because I can imagine Barack and Rahm (and yes, we're on a first name basis) sitting in his Chicago office (or wherever they were) and trying to deal with this.

Barack: Representative Ros-Lehtinen? This is Barack Obama. How are you today? Good, good...yes, I'm fine, too. Busy, as you can imagine! Listen, I just wanted to congratulate you on your re-election, and tell you that I'm looking forward to working with you and the other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee...what? No, this isn't a hoax. It's really me. What? No, wait--- [to Rahm] She hung up on me!

Rahm: [laughing] Are you f***ing kidding me? No f***ing way! [If you haven't heard, he's notorious for his profanity. At a fundraiser, a roast of Emanuel, Obama commented on the loss of most of one of Emanuel's middle fingers in an accident with a meat slicer...he said that it rendered Emanuel half-mute.]

Barack: Way!

Rahm: Give me the phone. I'll call her back. Hello? Representative Ros-Lehtinen? Rahm Emanuel here. Listen, the President-Elect is trying to contact you and no, it's not a joke, that really was him! What? No, it's me, Rahm. I see you all the time in the House. Look, Ileana, you need to get over your paranoia and talk to--hello? Hello? [throws the phone across the room] Holy f***, she just hung up on me, too! I don't f***ing believe this! What the f***?!

Then I picture the two of them cracking up in stunned amazement! You can bet she isn't going to live that one down anytime soon! I think this was a case where she punked herself, but it sounds like she was pretty good-natured about the whole thing.

In the course of reading about the incident, I came across an interview from earlier this year, with Charlie Rose interviewing the Emanuel brothers. If you haven't read much about them, Ezekiel is the oldest, an oncologist and bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health; Rahm is the middle son and worked with the Clinton administration, then made several million as an investment banker, then successfully ran for Congress; and Ari is the youngest, and is considered a Hollywood "super-agent," representing many A-listers. Here's a clip from the interview:



The dynamic between these three over-achieving brothers is just fascinating to me. First of all, can you imagine these three growing up together? In watching other parts of the interview, it's obvious that while they all showed extreme intelligence and drive as boys, they were also typical boys and typical brothers, a strange mixture of love and competitiveness. It made me wonder about the whole nature vs. nurture argument again. What is it about these three, or about their family, that made them all incredibly successful in their individual areas of endeavor? Why are their fields so wildly different--medicine, politics, and entertainment? Was their parents' obviously ample intelligence passed to them genetically, or was the atmosphere in the home conducive to learning through discussion, argument, and persuasion? How much did birth order have to do with it? How much did competition with the other brothers come into play? Rahm speaks of he and Ari having a hard act to follow in Ezekiel when it came to grades--did that drive them to work harder in order to not be overshadowed by their genius older brother?

Is there anyone else who is fascinated by this? [sound of crickets] Maybe not. But I can't help but wonder about the psychology between siblings such as these, and the reason for their wild success in their individual fields. Their drive to be the best must be incredible. I suppose that if I could isolate and bottle their essence, I'd be a millionaire. "Coming soon, exclusively to Macy's [that one is for you, Miss G!], surround yourself with the scent and success of Emanuel...emanuel [whispered]. Power has never smelled so intoxicating, so heady...or so enticing. Emanuel...emanuel [whispered]."

Whaddya think?! I think it's a winner, and honestly, not a bad name for a cologne. A sort of woodsy scent, with a subtle hint of musk, and perhaps a light citrus overtone. Think I could get Rahm to do a commercial?

"A mutt like me"

Some of you may have heard that snippet from Pres.-Elect Obama's first press conference. He was talking about what kind of dog they're going to get the girls, and said that although their preference is a shelter dog, Malia is allergic so needs a dog that won't aggravate her allergies, and most shelter dogs, he said, "are mutts like me." It was a light-hearted moment, but it did serve to gel a few thoughts that I've been struggling with over the past couple of days.

I first started writing about Barack Obama months ago, after Ken and I read his book The Audacity of Hope. Even back then, some were ridiculing him for his message of hope. No, hope is not a policy, but neither is it a dirty word. Hope is a state of mind, and hope is what drives each of us to better ourselves, to believe that there is a better way, and sometimes, it's simply what gets us out of bed in the morning.

Indigo wrote on her blog about an experience that Paul had with one of his students. The kid (a black student) was motivated to work harder because of the election of our first black president. This has already made a difference in that student's life, and I believe...I hope...that it's only the beginning.

Did I vote for Obama because he's black? No. I've been writing for months about why I like the guy and why I decided to vote for him, so I won't rehash all that. It's not important now, anyway. But in case you missed it, he is black, or as he put it, a "mutt."

I can't completely understand what it's like to be looked down upon because of my color. I can try to put myself in those shoes, but I've never experienced that sort of prejudice. No matter how you feel about Obama's politics, I think it's vital to try to understand how important this is for our country. And it starts with that little boy in Paul's class. I saw it on election night when Roland Martin was so moved that he couldn't speak; the following day when Colin Powell became choked up about how he and his family felt as they watched the results come in; and the day after that when the normally unflappable Donna Brazile talked about how the civil rights movement led to this moment, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

To downplay the impact of this is to ignore the feelings of millions. It very simply IS a big deal.

Calling it like I see it

I had an email from my friend Jillian, and she informed me that Aubrey and Erin (former coworkers) have yet to decide about the election, so maybe I should harass them a little bit! I don't know how often Aubrey checks her email, and I don't have Erin's email, so I sent Jillian a letter to print out for both of them. After I read it to Ken, he said that I should consider making the letter an entry.

After a little deliberation, I think he's right. We're getting down to the wire, and just like various newspapers are doing, I'll give my official endorsement to Barack Obama. Yes, I know I'm not a newspaper. Just a little silliness, but I'm very serious about my feelings on this election. I know not everyone agrees, but for what it's worth, here is my letter to my friends.

*****

Dear Aubrey (and/or Erin),

Jillian tells me that you have not yet decided who to vote for on November 4th.

I would like to make my plea to get you to cast your vote for Barack Obama. Although I hate to admit it, I voted for Bush in the last election. I thought the fiscal policies of the Republican party were sound, and to some extent, I still feel that way. However, the Bush presidency has proven to be a fiasco for our country, and the recent economic meltdown is the final verdict: the deregulation and complete free market policy that the GOP lives by and that John McCain supported has resulted in the worst economic disaster since the Depression.

Yes, Barack Obama wants to raise taxes. But only on those families who make more than $250,000 per year, and on individuals who make more than $200,000 per year. I used to work in the same profession, so I know damn well that you aren't close to that! Under Obama's tax plan, you will pay less in taxes. Under McCain's, you will pay minimally less than under Obama's plan. McCain's pledge that he will cut taxes is ludicrous. Our national debt is huge, and we cannot continue this way without raising taxes. That's reality. Under McCain's plan, those making millions of dollars a year will pay LESS in taxes than they do now. When I see people losing their jobs all across the country, and people who are unable to pay their mortgages, utilities, or medical bills, I seriously question anyone who says that it is in any way feasible or reasonable to cut taxes on the top 5% of earners in the country.

I have read both of Obama's books, and have studied his policies. Despite what some might say, he does not believe in "handouts," and feels strongly that personal responsibility and hard work is key to getting ahead and making a better life for ourselves. His own life reflects that philosophy, and he worked hard to get scholarships and gain his degrees, as did his wife.

Throughout this campaign, Obama has shown steadiness, extreme intelligence, and the ability to consider all sides of whatever problem with which he is confronted. McCain has proven that he makes ill-considered decisions, has an ill-tempered personality, and is ill-prepared to guide our country with the calm hand needed at this time.

Speaking of ill-considered decisions on McCain's part, the Big One has got to be his choice of running mate. As a reasonable, intelligent, thinking woman, I cannot begin to tell you how appalled I am at his choice of Sarah Palin. She has shown that she is ethically challenged, using her power as governor to put pressure on others to bow to her will; she has a complete disrespect for the environment and nature, and condones the brutal killing of wolves and bears from helicopters; and most recently, has shown that she is so incompetent that she accepts that someone calling her and claiming to be the President of France really IS the President of France, and when the "President" claims that he loved the documentary about her, the Hustler one called "Nailin' Palin," she laughed and said, "Ohhh, gooood. Thank you!"

There is NO WAY I could ever cast my vote for a ticket that includes someone who is so obviously incompetent and in no way prepared to lead our nation. McCain's decision to choose her showed me that he was pandering to the extreme right wing of the party, and that he was putting his own interests first, rather than the good of the country that he claims to love. Bottom line: he wants to get elected, and to hell with what is best for America. The man who for many years seemed to put honor above all else has sold his soul and given up that honor in order to get elected, at whatever cost to our country.

If you're getting the impression that I feel strongly about this, you're right. Both Ken (a lifelong Republican, by the way) and I were proud to cast our votes for Obama this past Monday, and we both believe that he is the best hope for our country to begin to pull out of our current morass. While those overseas have no voice in our elections, the choice for Obama will do much to repair our damaged reputation around the world. As the recent economic problems have shown, our economy affects the global economy; we have a responsibility to reassure our allies and speak with potential allies and try to heal the wounds that have resulted from our recent disastrous foreign policy. The person to do that is Obama, not McCain.

I couldn't feel stronger about this, and I hope you'll take that into account as you make your decision.

Much love,

Beth

Ghouls, and ghosties, and long legged beasties

I hope everyone had a good day, and has all kinds of ghoulish fun planned for tonight! I anticipate that we'll be watching a scary movie tonight, and next up on our playlist is "Thirteen Ghosts." I hope it's good and creepy. We don't get trick or treaters out here, so we won't need to worry about that. If a stray one shows up, we'll just give them a bottle of wine. We have a little stash.

As Mark would say, I keed, I keed.

Wow, what a gorgeous day! I didn't even have to wear a jacket when I went to the store. I got my errands run, arranged for a delivery, then spent a little time getting some bulbs planted. Some hyacinths and some little ones called...snowdrops? Not sure, but they come up pretty early. I remembered! Glory of the Snow! I don't know if any of them will make it--I should have planted them last year, but for whatever reason didn't get to it. I only planted a couple of dozen, so it wasn't too bad. One year, I got a whole bunch of bulbs free from some bulb catalog and ended up planting 150. That about did me in, so I'll stick with the lower number!

Back to the horror thing. I got an email from my uncle today. (sigh) I love him to pieces, but I'm at a loss. This is the uncle who sent me some stuff a while back about Obama, and I wrote back and responded to some of the erroneous information in the forwarded email, and asked him to not send me that stuff anymore. He seemed okay with that, but I got another one today about...get this...the false story about Michelle Obama chowing down on expensive room service items at the Waldorf-Astoria. I found the Snopes article that debunked that lie (she was in Fort Wayne, Indiana on the day she was supposedly stuffing her face at the Waldorf), and the article included the statement released by the New York Post (always a bastion of truth) that their report was a complete falsehood. I sent the article to him and asked him to read it.

His reply was that he doesn't know what to believe anymore, that he is trying to figure things out, that this election is part of Biblical prophecy, and that Obama is a Muslim. (heavy sigh) I wrote back and said that no, he's not a Muslim, he's an evangelical Christian...just like you. I went on to say that I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, but in the meantime, please don't send me more forwards about this, because I have already cast my vote.

I made the choice to not pursue the subject and not argue with him. I provided the information that it was a false report, I stated how I felt, and if I did pursue it, neither of us would manage to convince the other in the end! Sometimes you just have to let things go, right? It makes me feel sad, though, that there are some who are so ready to believe such lies about a person.

We're getting close to the Big Day. It looks like McCain-Palin are concentrating on Ohio at the moment, and the Governator is with McCain in Columbus right now. He's actually talking about how Obama needs to beef up his scrawny legs and build up his skinny arms. Hahaha! That's pretty stupid. I prefer mental muscle! Okay, I can't listen any longer. Sorry, Governator.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Ohio. Based on what my friend LJ says, and from what I'm reading, things are tough all over, but they're getting really tough in Ohio. She knows people in her city who are getting laid off, and unable to pay for heat, food, and medical bills. It's a fairly industrial state, and industries are suffering right now (but she also says that she knows a lot of people who won't vote for Obama because he's black). Here in Indiana, we're seeing layoffs at places like Whirlpool. Our next-door county, Elkhart, has an economy based mostly on manufacturing, including RV's. As you can imagine, they've taken some huge hits. I heard recently that their unemployment rate is up to 11%. THAT is scary. It's not as bad where we're at, because our county is more service-oriented than manufacturing-oriented, but we're taking hits, too. Ken and I both feel fortunate that his job is secure, and if I ever had to, I know my job would also be a hot commodity. But I think about how it must feel to have that uncertainty hanging over your head...wondering if your hours will be cut, or if you'll come to work one day and find out that your plant is closing down or your job is being eliminated, and to know that hardly anyone is hiring, so your chances of finding another job are not good.

When I was driving home from the store today, I saw that gas was down to under $2.50. I had a moment where I thought, "Cool!" and then I thought about why it's down so much: the economy sucks right now. I know it will recover eventually, but in the meantime, we've got some people who are in dire straits right now. It bothers me greatly, and I hope that we choose the right person to lead us out of this mess, and that those who are struggling can get some help.

But for now, just have fun with faux scary stuff, not genuine scary stuff, and enjoy hearing things that go bump in the night. Watch out for a cold hand reaching up from beneath your bed, caressing your ankle with a bony finger....

The Flower of American Youth

I'm sure you've all heard about the plot that the feds busted...the plot that a couple of fine young skinheads devised, in which their goal was to kill a bunch of black high school students and then kill Barack Obama.

Daniel Cowart (pictured here) and Paul Schlesselman were arrested a week ago on numerous charges, including possession of an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president. This is a picture of Coward Cowart. Notice how he is so proud of his large gun, and cradles it in his arms. I guess the bigger the gun, the smaller the...

But I digress. Be sure to check out his handsome swastika tattoo!

I'm waffling between horror and laughter on this, and if you think I'm crazy for finding any of it in any way humorous, I present to you their plan.

They had a few firearms with which they planned to rob more gun shops to get more weapons, and they were going to do a few home invasions to get some easy cash. They bought nylon rope and ski masks to aid them in what was planned to be a state-to-state spree. And here's where their plan really comes together, and we see the sheer genius of these two. As the culmination of their plan, the two white supremacists were going to drive really fast towards Obama while shooting at him from the windows. Oh...and when they did this, they were going to be clad in white tuxedos and white tops hats. I guess they had to add "Rob Louie's Tux Shoppe" to their to-do list.

Hey...I suppose you have to give them credit for having a little bit of a sartorial flair, or at least the aspiration to it. I'm sure they would have been playing David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo" on the cassette player in their monster truck as they put the pedal to the medal.

It might surprise you to know that the 20-year-old Cowart did not graduate from high school, and was living with his grandparents. Astonishing!

I suppose I'm focusing on the absurdity of it all, because the reality is almost too painful to confront. But I'll get there in a moment. Hannah Arendt spoke of the "banality of evil" when writing about the trial of Adolf Eichmann. I think we need to add to that the "complete and utter idiocy of evil." I wonder if the combined IQ's of these two bozos breaks 100? When part of your plan consists of "driving really fast," you'd think you'd realize that you've got a little more planning to do. Not only were these guys filled with hate, they were also dumber than a box of rocks.

And you know what? I'd be willing to bet that Barack Obama would be the first person to say, "We, as a nation, have failed these young men." What sort of atmosphere did they live in that fostered so much hatred towards another race that they planned on killing dozens of innocent high school students, some of them by decapitation? What kind of extremism led them to believe that killing a man with a wife and two young children was a solution? Knowledge and education can help nurture a tolerance and acceptance of other cultures, races, and religions; why were these kids not given that opportunity for the education and encouragement that might have resulted in a tolerant, productive member of society rather than another life wasted?

I'm big on personal responsibility, too, don't get me wrong. These kids made a decision to go to the dark side rather than break out of whatever noxious atmosphere they were living in. But ignorance and hatred had to have been part of their surroundings, and I am disgusted and appalled that there are people out there that would happily kill multiple people because of whatever twisted dogma with which they've been indoctrinated.

Ken wrote a great entry the other day about change. He wasn't talking Obama change, and neither am I. We need a fundamental change within each of us, a core values system that tells us that every person is valuable, that we are part of the world at large, the "family of man." Part of the solution is for each of us to stand up to such hatred and condemn it. Condemn it for the narrow-minded ignorance that it is.

Every person deserves a chance at a life of happiness, rather than one of murder, disease, and starvation. These two would-be assassins were unable to see beyond their own narrow scope of vision, to understand that the lives of those who they were planning to murder were precious, that they were people with parents, siblings, and friends who loved them. It's incomprehensible to me.

As Marge Gunderson said in "Fargo," as she was driving one of the kidnappers off to jail, "And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it."

I was a good citizen today!

Whew, it feels good to sit down after an afternoon of running around!

Guess what we did on our first stop? We voted, baby!

And we had to wait in line for a while! I was so excited to see that many people there, and we didn't mind waiting at all. Things moved really quickly. I asked the lady that I checked in with about the turnout, and she said it's been that way every day. Ken said that his lady told him it's been that way since October 6. I told my lady that if this is any indication, there is going to be a huge turnout for this election. She agreed, but said that she read in the paper that they are anticipating that one-third of voters will vote early.

So is that cool, or what? I know this might sound weird, but I actually got verklempt when we were there. We are so privileged to be able to vote this way, and I love exercising my right and duty, and being a good citizen! After I filled in my ovals, I looked at my ballot for a moment, and got verklempt again. What an amazing and historical election this has been, and it's not over yet. We're going to see history made.

I suspect that our county (St. Joseph) will break for Obama. We have a fairly large black population, and there were plenty there today--I'd say about half of the folks voting were black. Maybe not quite that many, but close. The county also leans Democrat, and the city of South Bend is definitely Democrat. Around us, I've noticed a lot of McCain yard signs, but in town, there were plenty of Obama ones. In the primaries, St. Joe county went for Obama over Clinton by a narrow margin.

Anyhoo, it felt great to vote today, although I'll kind of miss our usual polling place--a former elementary school that is now a church. We vote in the tiny gymnasium, with its brick walls, and the booths (all three of them) are out on the basketball floor. It seems kind of appropriate for Indiana!

Then it was on to our other errands. Our main goal was to find exercise equipment for our new workout area, and after looking at a few places, we went back to the first place we stopped, Dunham's. We got a weight machine and an elliptical machine. Ken also got an incline bench, but we got that at Dick's. All I can say is that I hope I get as much exercise using the equipment as I got when we unloaded the elliptical from the truck! Yikes! That was not fun, but we got it done. (It reminds me of when I had a townhouse in Indianapolis...I had an exercise bike, and I always said the most exercise I got with the damn thing was when I carried it from downstairs to the spare bedroom upstairs! I'll do better with this, because I don't want to "puff up" now that I'm not working. So far, so good, but I know I need to be more active.)

I'm not going to get all muscular, because that's not my goal, and it can be hard for women to do that. Although when I was in college, I built up enough muscle that my friends would say, "Do the shoulder thing!" and I'd flex like bodybuilders do...arms curled in front so that the muscles in your neck pop up. It cracked 'em up every time!

We did have a bit of difficulty finding a weight machine that would work for both of us. On many of them, the bars for chest work were just too high up for me! I told Ken it makes it kind of hard when there's a foot difference in height between us! But we found one. It's not the exact one pictured, but close enough for rock and roll.

So it's nice to be home. I have no idea what I'm going to do for dinner, but it will be something involving ground beef. Ha ha! Hope you all had a happy Monday.

Oh, and we watched it snow a little bit a few minutes ago. Yuck. But it's not cold enough to stick yet. It feels good to be cozy inside!

I had a dream

It occurs to me that I may be dwelling on politics too much, because last night I had a lengthy dream...or maybe it was several short dreams...about politics.

I was attending a function and seated at the head table with Michelle Obama. She gave me a cookie, which was very kind of her, and it was also delicious. Barack Obama arrived, and as he shook my hand, he said, "I remember you! Last time I saw you, you were wearing those really cute sandals. I like the ones you're wearing tonight!"

Brian Williams seemed to be the emcee, and while Brian was speaking, I watched Sarah Palin at the next table as she shoved her purse under her chair. I whispered to the person sitting next to me, "I need to ask Brian what he thinks of that woman." This must have been some kind of fashion show as well, because then I was in front of the crowd and Brian was saying, "Beth is modeling a lovely blue gown...come on out, Beth." The gown WAS lovely, too, a strapless number with a full skirt, an intense shade of sapphire blue, something I would definitely wear. As I walked out and modeled my dress, I gave the crowd a big Sarah Palin wink.

So maybe I'm a little too involved in all this.

That being said, let's get to the latest! You didn't think you were getting off that easy, did you? Nine days to go...then I'll give it a rest. As I mentioned recently, feel free to take a break from me for a while if you don't enjoy reading my opinions. I won't be offended, I promise, and I hope you'll come back and visit after it's over. I've given you fair warning...the gloves are off. And I feel free! So free!

The reports started on CNN yesterday about Sarah Palin "going rogue." Milwaukee Dan #2 (of three...I asked Milwaukee Dan #1 [Guido] what was up with the name Daniel and Milwaukee) sent me an article about Palin the rogue, that also included commentary from certain McCain aides (anonymous, of course) who said that she is a "diva." Uh oh...dissension in the ranks. Not a good sign. There is speculation that Palin is protecting her own interests for her future political career. I don't know about that (I doubt if she has much of a national career ahead of her), but this is some odd behavior. I did appreciate the "going rogue" phrase, because it makes me think of what happens in science fiction stories with friendly robots. A corroded relay switch, a faulty circuit, or a little too much dampness in the air, and next thing you know, you've got yourself a rogue robot. Or think of computers like HAL in "2001: A Space Odyssey." You have to be really careful with that artificial intelligence stuff, a basic concept in science fiction, and something that Palin's handlers seemed to ignore. Zing!

Our friend Dirk (He and I definitely do not have the same views on many things, but he is always such a good sport about it!) left a comment on my entry about the fruit fly research, stating that it was about earmarks, and that it was not targeted towards autism research. That may very well be, but there's a broader picture to me, that I went into on a subsequent post. It's the fact that she ridiculed this research automatically because it involved "fruit flies in Paris, France." I'll say it again: that is a dangerous lack of understanding of how something that superficially seems irrelevant can sometimes end up being vitally important, and have an impact beyond the original research project. As Ken wrote about a while back, a means of communication developed by nuclear engineers in order to share information more easily became the World Wide Web. There is always a bigger picture...ALWAYS. Let me use a phrase that everyone loves to hate: we have to think outside the box. [drawing imaginary box in the air] Palin has shown that she is incapable of seeing the bigger picture, or of understanding how something outside her immediate frame of reference can possibly be important to anyone. I stand by my opinions on this.

And finally, she has already begun winning friends and influencing people around the globe. In today's news:

Venezuela's Chavez: Palin a pitiful 'beauty queen'

By RACHEL JONES

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a "poor thing" who didn't know what she was saying when she called him a dictator.

Friday's verbal attack was the latest in long history of creative insults by Chavez — but was not unprovoked.

In an interview with the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision aired Tuesday, Palin remarked that "through negotiations or sanctions, if necessary, we can pressure dictators like Hugo Chavez to make it clear that they cannot mess with the United States whenever they feel like it."

Speaking at an event to inaugurate a thermoelectric plant, Chavez said he had heard of Palin's remarks.

"The poor thing, you have to feel sorry for her," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Palin, he said, is "a beauty queen that they've put in the role of a figurine." Chavez said one must do as Christ did: "Forgive her, for she knows not what she says."

OUCH MAN! Wow, Hugo 1, Palin 0.

Believe me, I don't like Hugo Chavez anymore than the next person. But if this is the attitude that he and others around the world have about Palin, we'd end up a global laughing stock if she gets into office. I've also been hearing things from family and friends...my niece Jen in San Diego recently worked with a group from various countries, and she wrote to me the other day that they all said, "You're kidding, right? No way!" about Palin as potential VP. They see her as a joke. We've got some major work to do in repairing America's reputation around the world, and having Palin in an executive capacity will not help matters one iota. Except maybe for that Pakistan guy who seemed to want to jump her bones. He'd probably be pretty happy.

Is that really the message we want to send to the rest of the world? Really?

Hey! I made you guys a present!

Don't say I never did anything for you! (wink)

It's not perfect, but I had some fun making it today. Hope it gave you all a chuckle. And if you'd really like to snag it, feel free. I'm thinking of resizing it and putting it by my Trekkies for Obama button. Ha ha!

I'm not going to beat the fruit fly thing to death, but it did get me thinking a lot today. (Uh oh....) As I told Indigo, last night I had steam coming out of my ears, but I'm a little more reflective today. Before I got up this morning, I was thinking about what it is that bothers me so much about not just Palin, but the general tone of the GOP's campaign lately. The word that sprang to mind was "incurious," and when I read my comments, my friend Dan-Guido had remarked that Palin isn't "intellectually curious." We both had the same thought, but I definitely like his phrase better!

That's something that is really bothering me lately. It's not just the recent GOP tactics of portraying anyone with a college degree, or anyone who dares to show a broader knowledge of issues and a broader world view, as someone who is "not one of us," it's the general pervasiveness of anti-intellectualism. The campaign keeps throwing out that word "elite." The liberal elite...the Washington elite...it seems that anyone who doesn't believe the way they do, or shows a desire to look beyond the superficial meaning of things, is somehow "elite."

I'm not sure when a thirst for knowledge became something to be ashamed of. This was something that was fostered in me and my sisters by my parents, and encouraged in Ken by his father, and by his mother in her love of reading. Palin's ridicule of fruit fly research in Paris, France (and I do wonder if she was referencing the Pasteur Institute) was cringe-worthy. Did she or her handlers not bother to do at least minimal investigation as to how something like that might be important? Google "fruit fly research," for Pete's sake, and you'll turn up all kind of references as to how these tiny insects have aided scientists in numerous research efforts and countless studies. It is not something to take lightly, and it disturbs me that she seems patently unable to understand that.

Palin strikes me as someone whose world view is so narrow that she simply cannot comprehend why something that makes no sense to her whatsoever might be important to someone else. If it doesn't exist in her world, it's not worth learning about and it's not important. This is not just about the campaigns and those involved with them; I've seen it in people I encounter in daily life. A feeling that someone who is curious about the world around them is somehow pretentious, or a know-it-all, or "putting on airs." There is nothing wrong with a healthy curiosity about a variety of subjects, and it's an admirable goal to want to further your education. Not everyone is able to do this, but that doesn't mean that learning has to stop. It didn't stop for my parents, although they didn't go to college.

I'm also disturbed by the fact that Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin's baby, has dropped out of high school in order to get a job in the oil fields. I'm not mad about it, I'm not self-righteous about it, I'm not condemning anyone for their decision...I just find it really sad that the kid (and yes, he IS a kid) is not finishing high school. I wonder what kind of life they will have, and I hope that he is able to at least eventually get his GED.

The narrow-mindedness I've been encountering lately boggles my mind. The inability to see a broader world view is not only sad, it's dangerous. I know it's not easy to step outside our comfort zone, but it's imperative that we begin to do so, and try to understand that we are not the center of the world, anymore than the Earth is the center of the solar system, as so many once thought. (Copernicus got a raw deal, didn't he?) I had an email this morning from one of my uncles about a forward he'd gotten concerning alleged quotes from Obama's books. My uncle said that he knew I'd read the books, and he wanted to know if these quotes (mostly concerning race) were real...and if so, didn't I find them scary? I wrote back that one suspicious thing was that no page numbers were provided, that I thought that they were taken out of context, and that some of these quotes rang a bell, so I did a Snopes search. Sure enough, the exact email he sent me has been widely circulated, and the quotes were either out of context, rearranged, or were not Obama's words at all. My 80-some year old uncle cared enough to ask me if it was true. Why are others not investigating what is truth and what is lies?

But again, this transcends politics, although Palin's lack of intellectual curiosity (thanks, Dan!) is what got me to think along these lines. This is about an inability to take "one step beyond," and to realize that there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. The attitude of ridiculing someone for furthering their education, or for pursuing research that you have deemed laughable, is not being "salt of the earth." It is foolish and dangerous.

A quick video

Just a warning that this is video is an endorsement for Sen. Obama. However, it's lighthearted and even a little bit sweet. I think that even if you don't support him, you might find this amusing.

Whoops, the video isn't loading. Try the link.

What do you say now, Joe?

I don't know all the details, such as who exactly has done this, but I just heard on CNN that a group of concerned citizens has started a fundraising drive to raise money for everyone's favorite non-celebrity du jour, Joe the Plumber.

Apparently they have raised enough money to pay Joe's back taxes, as well as the fees required to obtain a plumber's license. (As far as completing the apprenticeship and training necessary to qualify, it seems that is squarely upon Joe's shoulders.)

I have to wonder...how does Joe feel about "spreading the wealth around" now? Is he going to refuse the money? After all, he didn't EARN it, did he? Seems to me that Joe just might be taking WELFARE here!

ARRGGGHHHH! At first, I was mildly irritated by the guy and the unwarranted coverage he received from the candidates and the press. As more came out about him, the more irritated I got, but I figured he'd go away eventually. Now I think my head is going to explode.

It was obvious from the beginning that the guy just doesn't get it when it comes to what taxes are for. As Colin Powell pointed out, taxes are, for all intents and purposes, a redistribution of wealth. They pay for our schools, our highways, our military--from which we all benefit--and yes, to fund government programs for those who need help. Is there abuse of some of that? Absolutely. Should we stop offering to help those in need? No way. Doofus Joe says that Obama's plan to raise taxes on those in the top 5% of earners in this country, despite the fact that Joe is NOWHERE NEAR that level, smacks of "socialism." How do you feel about the bailout, Joe? How do you feel about the government investing in our BANKS, which is edging very close to nationalization of our financial system? Huh, Joe? TELL US!

[panting]

If you want to salvage a tiny little shred of whatever credibility you think you have, JOE, you'll say "Thanks but no thanks" to those people who felt something called [air quotes] compassion [end air quotes] for you and your plight, and out of the goodness of their hearts--something you seem to have lost along the way, JOE--contributed money to help YOU. Tell them, JOE, that you believe in working for your money, and you realize that it's up to you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and work your way out of the hole you've gotten yourself into. Tell them that you, in all good conscience, cannot accept that sort of handout. Tell them that while, like Blanche DuBois, you appreciate the kindness of strangers, you just can't accept their money because it would be like accepting WELFARE.

Go on. Tell 'em, JOE. [poking my cyber finger into his cyber chest]

Yeah. That's what I thought.

Get your red hots, right here!

Today in our local paper, there was an article about voter registration problems. Apparently there is a situation in Lake County (home of Gary) in Indiana, and the article went on to talk about problems with college students voting. Some kids are considered out-of-state students, but registered successfully to vote in Indiana, only to find that their student ID wasn't enough to qualify as the necessary ID for voting. (Indiana has recently passed a law that requires photo ID--driver's licence or other government-issued ID--for voting. I don't have a problem with that, and you can obtain free photo ID from the BMV [on the QT and ASAP!...sorry, I couldn't resist adding a few more acronyms], but I think a legitimate college ID card should also count.)

The article said that there have been attempts to allow college students to vote early, including on the campus of my alma mater (and Dan's), Ball State:

In Delaware County, Ball State University officials asked election officials to set up an early voting center on campus for the general election, but GOP officials objected and the site was not approved. Delaware County Republican Party Chair Kaye Whitehead told The Star Press of Muncie that a campus site could encourage voting by uninformed students easily swayed by freebies like hot dogs.

Exsqueeze me? I guess Ms. Whitehead (hmmmm) thinks that not only are college students a bunch of uninformed cretins, she also believes that students at Ball State are so hard up for food and so malnourished that they can be enticed by the prospect--and perhaps the aroma--of free hot dogs. Sort of like the Pied Piper, but with wienies.

Ms. Whitehead's comment has to be about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I find it indicative of the attitudes of the party officials and administrators (not members...hell, I'M a registered Republican) that they would block the chance to let college students vote early, because they believe they're "uninformed" and "easily swayed" by something like free food. Are you kidding me? Free beer, maybe, but free hot dogs? Get real.

Here's some information for you, Ms. Whitehead. Anyone that is 18 years of age can vote, and it is not your job to decide if they are "uninformed" (or hard up for food). They have every right to vote that you do, and they have every right to vote early, just like you, and just like me. The fact that they reside on campus has nothing to do with their ability, right, or intelligence when it comes to voting.

This morning, Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for President. Part of his thought process, as he explained it, was the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate; part of it was the negative tack that McCain's campaign has taken in the past few weeks; part was the reaction and bearing of the candidates in response to the economic meltdown; and part of it was that he sees his party trending towards exclusion rather than inclusion. To reiterate, I believe Powell's statements are his own condemnation of the GOP platform, not the majority of Republicans, and let me say it again: Beth <--registered Republican. Hearing a Republican county official say that college students are uninformed and swayed by free hot dogs actually makes me laugh. As Ricky Ricardo would say, "It's just so reeediculous!" Wake up!

This one goes to 11--turn it down!

I'm seeing reports tonight that John McCain finally spoke up at a rally and tried to quiet the angry rhetoric.

When a woman said to him that she doesn't trust Obama, McCain nodded, but when the woman went on to say, "He's an Arab," McCain said, "No, ma'am, he's a decent, family man and citizen." After hearing other angry shouts about Obama, McCain said that there is no reason to fear Obama if he is President. (!!!) The initial reaction from the crowd was boos, which shows that even McCain is having a hard time reining in the crowd.

I give Sen. McCain credit for attempting to "dial it down," but I also haven't forgotten that it is his campaign that has allowed it to be "dialed up" to such a point that the hatred became truly frightening for most of us to watch. I suspect that the campaign has taken a look at the reaction to such invective and realized that this is not what America wants to hear. We want to hear about the economy, for Pete's sake!

From Jonathan Martin at Politico.com:

John Weaver, McCain’s former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior.

"People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain," Weaver said. "And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."

"Senator Obama is a classic liberal with an outdated economic agenda. We should take that agenda on in a robust manner. As a party we should not and must not stand by as the small amount of haters in our society question whether he is as American as the rest of us. Shame on them and shame on us if we allow this to take hold."

I think that was very well said. By all means, address the issues, confront Sen. Obama on them. Let's see if McCain will continue to put the brakes on, not just at his rallies...but will he also put the brakes on his running mate? They need to put a stop to this unbridled hatred. Immediately.

Just a quick note about my Finetune music player over in the sidebar. I updated it to include more the of music I listen to these days, so it's got a little bit of a harder edge. Also, it's free to set up your own player, and it's fun to pick out different songs--they have a great selection! What I love about it is that it doesn't play automatically--you can check it out and play it if you want, even pop it out and play it on your desktop.

HOLY CRAP!

Breaking news! The investigative committee in Alaska has found that Sarah Palin abused her power as Governor in the Troopergate deal. Oh wow, I'm posting this and off to read other news!

"That one."

First of all, would everyone please say a little prayer for Cousin Shane's cat Boris? He thinks she might have had a stroke this morning, and I'm waiting to hear back from him. I'm in distress over this, and I know it's ten times worse for Shane.

Update: Boris is okay! She somehow got her head stuck between the dresser and a chair, and she must have really freaked herself out trying to extricate herself. When Shane found her, she was panicky and her back legs weren't functioning well. She also appeared to be blind. The vet said there are still some problems with her legs, but he gave her a cortisone shot, and Shane said that her vision is improving. Whew! I said now Shane has to figure out how to keep her from sticking her head in places like that! Shane says he has widened that space. Ha ha. I'm glad we can chuckle about it now. I felt so bad for both of them!

I heard late yesterday that the Secret Service is investigating the incident in which someone yelled "Kill him!" at a Palin rally, because they take "every threat seriously." Yay for the Secret Service! I hope they find out who the guy is so his inexcusable behavior can be exposed. I suppose some people think it's easy to hide in a crowd and get away with something like that. Not so much these days!

Well, I can't disappoint the one reader who wanted to hear my take on the debate. Ha ha! Thanks, Betty! Nah, I was going to write about it anyway. This is merely my opinion of it, although I'll include some poll numbers.

I thought Obama was the clear winner. He seemed incredibly "together" and unrattled, answering the questions with details and empathy for the "common man." As McCain was speaking, Obama sat in the tall chair, seemingly very at ease. It was a little harder for McCain to sit in that chair easily, and he seemed uncomfortable much of the time. McCain seemed a little rattled in the beginning, and several of his references to Obama were quite snide, including the "that one" comment. Incredibly disrespectful. He tried some lame jokes that must work well at his rallies, but fell really flat in this forum. He came on a little stronger at the end, but he didn't get the win, let alone the "knockout punch" that many were saying he needed last night, and the town hall is supposed to be his strong suit.

We watched CNN's coverage of it, and they had a small group of undecided Ohio voters that were giving their responses during the debate with a little meter. I know these things are extremely unscientific, but I think they can be a decent indicator of initial responses. Obama seemed to do really well with women--a couple of times plateauing out at the highest level! (When he was talking about when his mother was dying and having to deal with insurance companies, for example.) What was really astounding to us was how the negativity caused the levels to plummet--and that usually happened with McCain. On the rare occasion that Obama said anything remotely negative, his level dropped slightly, but Ken and I got to laughing about how as soon as McCain started being nasty, we'd make a diving motion with our hands. It was a huge difference.

I'm sure it played well to the GOP base, but it seems that the McCain campaign's negative tactics of late are not getting a good response from independents and undecideds. Another group of undecided voters in Colorado had similar responses to the Ohio group, with a very interesting statistic on favorability ratings. Pre-debate, McCain's rating was 48% favorable, 46% unfavorable. Post-debate numbers were 56/36%. Obama's numbers? Pre-debate: 54/36%. Post-debate: 80/14%. Those are even better numbers than Bill Clinton received in town hall meeting formats, and Clinton did great in that kind of forum. The McCains also took off right after the debate, but the Obamas stuck around and talked to the crowd, connecting better with people.

Initial polls: CNN had Obama winning the debate by a margin of 54% to 30%. In the CBS poll, it was Obama 40%, Tie 34%, and McCain 26%. As one of my email friends put it, McCain came in third in a two-person debate.

Early on, when McCain was looking REALLY bad, Ken said to me, "This is it. He lost the election tonight." I don't know if we can pin it down to one debate, but I think the past couple of weeks, yeah, probably (although there's still a month to go). He needed to play to undecideds and independents, not his base, and he didn't succeed, any more than Palin's rallies are garnering their campaign any of that support. She got the base, she's playing to the base, and the base is the only one that really likes her. Her numbers are dropping like a stone among the voters that they most need to reach. In early October, an ABC poll showed that 35% think that she has the experience necessary to be president (down 12 points from early September) and 60% don't believe she has the needed experience (up 15 points from September).

Just this gal's opinion, although the poll numbers are real. No, I didn't make them up. That would be dishonest.

I'll give McCain an extra point, though, for using the word "apparatchik." That's just such a cool word, all Spy vs. Spy, James Bond-y, and junk. (Don't forget--"Quantum of Solace" November 14 in the US!)