It's about love

There are many who may disagree with the assertion that "it's about love," but I don't. Personally, when I see two people in a loving, committed relationship, I do not feel my own marriage threatened in any way. 

Keith Olbermann's statement that there's little enough love in this world already, so why would we take the time and effort to quash out love that doesn't meet our own narrow guidelines really has resonated with me.

I am very aware that it was not so long ago that my marriage to my husband would have been illegal in some states.

It's a new day

Whatever your political affiliation (and it would not be difficult to divine mine), what happened on election day on Tuesday was nothing but absolutely historic.

To see, in the crowd, people who actually marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights era, who have experienced segregation and who have had grandparents who had been born into slavery, to see tears streaming down Jesse Jackson's face as he watched an african-american ascend to the highest office in the nation was indeed an absolutely monumental sight.

We have come so far.

I am so proud to be an american this week.

Obama's victory speech said it all for me, and still brings me to tears: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Economic Woes

This photo amused me (though, of course, I don't necessarily endose the sentiment)

The recent 700 billion dollar bailout has been so much on people's minds lately.


There are some who don't believe that we should have anted up the money, viewing the act as a handout to fat cat financial types who made poor decisions and got themselves into the mess to begin with.


My brother, who lives in conservative, rural Medford, has coworkers who've protested that action.


I don't pretend to know all there is about the economy, but I do know that everything in it is interlinked and troubles in one quarter can quickly ripple to other areas.

• The company that I work for has recently announced upcoming layoffs, will be closing two plants and is dropping and entire product line.
• My old workplace, The Columbian Newspaper, is facing possible bankruptcy.
• I ran into a coworker who I happen to know is very interested in his finances. In the course of conversation, it came out that his financial portfolio took a 40% dip in the recent financial downturn. As he is nearing the age of retirement he doesn't have as much time as the rest of us to allow his portfolio to again grow to where it was and beyond.
  

While I don't feel in imminent danger of losing my job, the truth is that no one is invulnerable to this possibility. If that were to happen, with the current state of the market, it might be tough to find something else.

No matter what your political views, our country is at such a critical juncture. If you haven't already, read up all you can and vote with an informed mind.

VOTE!!!!

This isn't a political blog....

... but....

This blog was originally created to support my card-making venture on etsy. Then I got carried away adding in tidbits about the family and our goings on. I never really wanted to make any kind of political statements.

Until now.

I really hate being lied to, especially when it is so simple to check up on the facts.

When it was announced that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter was pregnant, I inwardly groaned. Another distraction from the things that really mattered! 

Then I was pleased when Barack Obama spoke against making this an issue. "Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president." 

He further said that "if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they’d be fired."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/01/palin.daughter/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02PALINDAY.html?em

Finally, someone in politics takes the high road!

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Sarah Palin said this in an email solicitation after her nomination: "I  cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate," Palin said in the email solicitation, adding: "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."

Frankly, I was appalled. A search of reliable news stories online revealed her lie (and there's really no other way to characterize that statement) many times over:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/04/1347741.aspx

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/04/Palin_ObamaBiden_Democrats__vicious/UPI-68551220578244/

http://mediamatters.org/items/200809050018

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/palin-accuses-o.html

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212169879.shtml

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin

This is so disappointing to me. It is exciting to see a woman (and a mother) get ahead in the world, even if I may not agree with her views and policies, but when I see someone who should be an inspiration and a role model engaging in such outright falsehood, it makes me doubly discouraged.

It also disgusts me that a political figure has so little respect for the intelligence of the American public that they would tell a lie that is so easily checked upon.

I hope that these types of tactics do not prove effective!