Amidst the throngs of screaming Obama fans at the inauguration this past Tuesday, I freely admit to taking part in the collective " booing" that the crowd screamed at the sight, and mention, of George W. Bush.

I did receive a death stare from an onlooker, but that didn't stop me from also encouraging those who were singing " Nah nah nah, nah, nah nah nah, nah, hey hey hey, goodbye!"

A friend who was also attending the inauguration, told me afterwards, that a woman turned to the crowd and said, " Have some respect!"

Respect huh? I could ask Ole' Georgey Boy the same question.

My mother chided myself, and the crowd,for employing bad manners. " It looks bad on the country," she said. You know what else looks bad for the country? The village idiot who could have cared less about his constituents or his fellow men worldwide. " His family was with him," she said. Well, he didn't care about being a moral role model for his family over the past eight years, therefore I could care less.

Respect is a two-way street. I could say that he lost mine over these eight years, however, as someone who as been well aware of his antics when he was governor of Texas, he never had it to begin with.

Refraining from booing that man in the name of good manners is merely passive aggression, not politeness.

Luckily, my rage towards George was merely an afterthough as soon as the man stepped on stage! " Boos" quickly fell into cheers, tears, pride and joy!

I heart Obama. And, he could not have stepped in a moment too soon!

Change has come to America... ( insert the collective, proverbial sigh of relief here)

Would you like to know what this democraddict did for the inauguration? She drove eight hours straight, from Boston to D.C. ( and eventually back again), waited for hours in the freezing cold throngs of people and took her part in history.

I wasn't alone. Three million others were in the same boat as well. We sacrificed much to be there, money, time and body warmth. Yet, all of these sacrifices were made to participate in a small window of history that will hopefully eventually open the door for Obama to lead this nation back to greatness.

We have unwillingly sacrificed much as a nation over these past eight years. The love I have for this country resulted in heartbreak, time and time again. The hopes and dreams that I had for my future and that of our great nation became passive indifference.

Barack Obama is not only an incredibly, intelligent, caring and capable leader, he is, it seems, a bit of a miracle worker as well. He inspired us to revitalize those small pieces of hope that had been squashed by the Bush administration. He awoken pride in my nation. He reminded us of the sacrifice our forefathers made just to give their future generations the right to live and participate in a democracy.

Engaging yourselves in politics does not mean that you have to participate in a war between the left and the right. It merely allows you to have your voice in your government heard. Obama reminded us that every voice can be heard. That together, as a nation, we can restore our country through hard work and determination.

Obama will be a tremendous president. However, he would not be here if it were not for the millions of Americans who listened to his message for hope and change. If we did not believe within ourselves that we are indeed capable of hoping and believing that we can and will change, I'm not sure if I'd want to know what state our country would be in.

We believe in Obama, but more importantly,we believe in ourselves and our collective ability to bring about the change that our beloved nation so desperately needs.

" Yes we did" is merely the beginning. " Yes we will" should be our mantra now.

** WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE, ILL WISHES AND OVERALL BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT. THIS IS ARTICLE IS NOT MEANT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS THE SLIGHEST TWINGE OF SYMPATHY FOR GEORGE W. BUSH**

I read an article about Bush's "legacy" on Monday. The Boston Globe, usually a lefty newspaper, portrayed him in a fairly laudatory light. After I dry heaved, grittted my teeth and mentally kicked his, and the rest of the administration's asses, the cloud of fury passed just long enough for me to be able to write about Bush's legacy, from my point of view ( of course).

Where do I begin? Hmmm... I suppose at the beginning. You know, when he stole the election? Ahh yes, remember those grueling days in which I prayed and promised my first born and left kidney to anyone who would tell me that the world's largest idiot would not in fact become president? As a junior in college, I was beginning to develop my own role in our government, supporting and voting for the candidate that I felt represented my interests. As a child born of parents who raised us with good morales and even better politics, my perspective of democracy was crushed. I walked into my early adulthood feeling jipped.

As junior year turned into senior year in college, my world, once again, came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks on the morning of September 11, 2001. Fury over anyone who would want to hurt my country or it's citizens plagued me from that day forward. I believe in bringing terrorists to justice. Yet, Bush used these events to both bring our civil liberties to a near standstill and launch his platform of lies to engage in the war in Iraq.

As a graduate student in Sydney, Australia, I was met, day-to-day, with constant criticisms of America. These critiques were not just from Australians, but all of the other ( lovely) Europeans, whom I know and love, that I met there. It might surprise you to know that I'd never back down from a fight, yet, what they had to say hit the nail right on the head. President Bush, you ruined our world image. As much as I love my country, I have to admit, that when overseas, I sometimes find/found myself embarrassed about that joker in the oval office.

As the reality of adulthood set in and I was back in the states, and entering my teaching career, I had to and continue to endure the oppressive law ( and "brain" child of Bush) " No Child Left Behind". Good idea, bad law. Ask any teacher, it's ruining, not helping education. You know I don't balk at taxes, therefore supporters of the law should know that although I don't support " No Child Left Behind", I do support holding schools acountable ( and parents too) just not in the way that they are currently being assessed. I'll get off the soap box on this one, but if you're ever interested in hearing more, shoot me an email.

George W. Bush, you're a liar, and that's not just my opinion, it's a matter of public record. Your passive and arrogant attitude towards your country and the world is disgusting. I don't want to have a beer with you, I want to smash the bottle over your head! Also, why the hell would anyone want to have a beer with a recovering alcoholic? You let your disgusting administration pull at your puppet strings and in turn, enabled them to bring our country to near ruin. You are the WORST president this country has ever ,and hopefully will ever, see! I feel nothing but disgust and fury whenever I hear your name. Some may view you with a sympathetic eye. I dare to remind them of the 4,000 plus American men and women in the military who have died in Iraq ( not to mention the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians). May I also remind them of the recessiont that we're currently knee-deep in!

Therefore President Bush, the best thing about your presidency is the fact that it's almost over. Don't let the door to the oval office hit you in the ass on the way out!

P.S. Kevin, aka " Ken", if you happen to read this, I stand by my statement that I made six years ago at my dining room table in Sydney. You know, when I said that George Bush was an "idiot" and you vehemently argued with me that he was not....
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES!

Oh man, I just saw an excerpt of an upcoming documentary about Sarah Palin.

Wait... let me dry my eyes because I have been laughing that hard.

As of 11:05 PM on November 4th, I breathed the proverbial sigh of relief at the thought that " that woman" would (finally) drop off the planet, or at least the media.

Alas, my hopes for her media disappearance did not come true. Over time, my annoyance has eased, and, has evolved into pure delight. You see, her continued presence guarantes two things: enjoyment and hope. Enjoyment because the woman suffers from a rare strain of verbal diahrrea, the ingnorant kind. Every time she opens her mouth, the most ridiculous and stupid things come out. Yet, her ability to prove to the world time, and time again that she's a total moron only means certain disaster for the GOP.

Although I don't think too fondly about our dear friends to the right, they are not all as ludicrously idiotic as Palin is. In fact there are extremely brilliant members of the GOP, Condoleezza Rice being one who uses her intellect to solve major world issues and Karl Rove who uses his mind for the dark side ( don't even get my started on Cheney, he IS Dr. Evil!).

Palin claims outrage at how she was portrayed in the media. Oh come on Sarah, are you really that stupid that you didn't even consider that the GOP threw you to the lions in a desparate attempt to distract the nation from the fact that we needed Obama to fix that awful mess that they had made?

Apparently not.

The media does cater to the deepest and darkest aspects of our human nature. Gossip I'm afraid is what people crave. As a society we look to snatch up any shred of information that would allow us to tear another person down. We have not evolved much farther than the ancient Romans who thirsted for blood during the shows at the Colosseum. We've somewhat gotten beyond the desire for blood, but we will settle for anything to tear apart a person's credibility and character.

These are things that I know about the world because I live in it. Apparently this notion hasn't made it through the pipline to Alaska yet.

Palin you were a pawn, a willing one at that. It's not a nice business Sarah, but it is definitely a certain one for anyone willing to put themselves in the national spotlight. They weren't very nice to you Sarah, they said horrible things about you and your family. Then again, you said some pretty vicious, inflamatory and downright false things about my Obama.

You know what they say Sarah? People in glass houses, or igloos, shouldn't throw stones, or shoot from airplanes...

With the declining state of the economy, those who are forced to nickle and dime at the grocery store may tend to purchase, cheap, processed foods that are high in fat, sodium and calories but low in price.

According to a recent article, http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090109/us_nm/us_financial_obesity, experts are fearing a new, larger wave of poor health and obesity due to lower cost trends in lower quality food. Fruits, vegetable, fish, lean proteins and whole grains are both high in nutrition and cost. Processed foods that are high in empty calories, saturated fat and sodium, tend to be less in more affordable. In these days of a full-blown recession, cost is everything and health is just too darn expensive.

The article only highlights an American myth that those who fall in the lower socioeconomic classes are fat and therefore, lazy. It cost me over twenty dollars to prepare one meal ( for two) filled with vegetables and chicken. We could have gone to McDonald's for more than half that price.

I always am baffled by the irony that our fitness and well-being can cost so much. Our forefathers spent their days in the fields, performing hard labor, only to come home for dinner, go to bed and start all over again. I think they're turning over in their graves at the amount that we spend on gym memberships, " healthy" foods, yoga, accupuncture etc.

Health it seems, has become something that only those with means can achieve.

The good news is that there are some cheaper yet healthy options at the supermarket these days, low-sodium soups, ground beef, brown rice and canned vegetables. Be scrupulous at the supermarket so that you can ingest those empty calories in another recession-trend form, booze.

Cheers.

Now that the holidays are over, I can once again devote some leisure time to the pressing political issues that impact our nation.

Through the haze of shopping, gift wrapping, family time and unimaginable amounts of food and liquor, I did hear of Obama's descision to have Rick Warren deliver his invocation at the inauguration.

Rick Warren? The conservative pastor who has come out against both gay marriage and abortion rights?

Quick! Someone stem my bleeding, liberal heart!

I definitely went through the stages on this one; anger, denial and finally, acceptance. You see, as much as lefties like myself would like everyone to subscribe to our doctrine, it is a highly unrealistic view of our nation. One of the amazing things about living in a democracy is that our values and views may not be those of our neighbors, but, nonetheless are protected by our government.

With the current state of our nation, Obama cannot kick the door to the oval office down and instill his liberal agenda in our government. I have preached often that a vote for Obama would be a vote towards a unified country. Politics and religion are the strongest foces of polarization in this country. Therefore, giving the evangelical right a voice, albeit and hopefully a small one, is a step in the right direction.

Obama's pick for Rick Warren to deliver his invocation is an attempt at engaging the right in what will be an amazing and historic day. I may not like Rick Warren, and I may not be too pleased about Obama's choice in him. However, it is Obama's keen insight that I both love and believe in.

Barack, you're officially off the hook.

As I put some finishing touches on our New Year's Eve party, I try to anticipate the needs of my guests. What kind of finger food would they like? What kind of booze should I purchase? What sorts of games should we play? Etc., etc. At the same time, I'm also trying to anticipate some of my guest's reactions to my New Year's toast to Obama and the new administration. For you see dear readers, not all of my loved ones are " democraddicts". However, despite my loud, opinionated and internet-aggressive rants, they manage to love me anyway.

( And although your voting practices infuriate me, I do manage to love you too.)

Over the years, I have heard many critics of political party die-hards. " Why do you only vote on party lines? Why can't you just vote on the issues and not the candidate?" ( Blah, blah, blah). As many times as I've been asked those ( annoying) questions, those rare, brave nay-sayers have been forced into listening to my response. And you, dear readers, are about to hear it as well.

I am confident in being a democraddict, I subscribe to my political party full-heartedly. The reason? I am not conservative socially, religiously or economically. There have been moments in which I claim to be conservative about immigration, but my liberal friends and family talk me down from that tree on a regular basis. In fact, the only reason I have inklings to keep our borders tight, is that I want our country to be able to provide for it's citizens even more so than we already do.

I could never vote on a single issue as our government is not a single issue institution. It needs to be said that there at times, albeit rare, where I do feel like I vote for the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Some dear friends, who support the European democracy model, in which there are many political parties to ensure a cohesiveness between a voter and whom they chose to represent them in government. I hear ya, it does seem to make more sense. Unfortunately, our government is do deeply entrenched in it's party system that a drastic change such as that would probably only result in splintering among the parties, weakening our main parties yet still not resulting in enough support for newer, smaller parties. Therefore, it would cause some significant damage and dissension within an already-damaged government.

No, I'm happy with our party system. I'm proud to be a Democrat. I do stand by my party's fundamentals as I do believe that they echo my own. I am not a socialist, I am a capitalist yet I do think the government could do a much better job at providing for it's citizens. I think we've come a long way in terms of protected rights of our people, yet we could do so much more about tolerating and protecting the rights of every citizen, no matter their race, religion or sexuality. Yes, taxes stink, but they are necessary in providing the funding this nation needs to operate.

We are an incredible nation, yet we cannot sit back and let our government work for us. It is our job to participate in your government, everyday, not just every four years. Democracy is a gift, not just a birthright. Our participation and engagement in it, is our gift back.

Therefore, as the New Year approaches, my wish for the coming is year is for our new, blue administration to works towards repairing a hopelessly injured government and move towards a more unified nation. We may not agree on our political parties, but that doesn't mean that we cannot agree to rescue our dear nation out of the near-ruin that the Bush administration has gotten us into.

Here's to the new blue working for you!

Happy New Year!

I'd like to take a break from politics, and my critiques of it, to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday and New Year.

I would have titled this entry " Merry Christmas Democraddicts" but that wouldn't be very all-inlcusive and open-minded of me would it? Therefore, if I won't limit my holiday wishes to religion, I cannot possibly discriminate against party lines. Especially since our own Blagojevich will be finding coal in his stocking right alongside that Palin woman come Christmas Day.

( There is not enough coal in the world for that Dick Cheney. And, for that matter, most of the Bush administration.)

Happy Holidays to all you non-democraddicts, no matter what political party you subscribe to, I wish the happiest and healthiest holiday and New Year to you all. I hope that the New Year and a new president brings about unity and understanding both at home and abroad .

While on the topic of the New Year, I would like to research and write about things that matter to you. Feel free to email me any suggestions/comments at :
thedemocraddict@democraddicts.com

All the best,
Bevan

According to a recent, AP article : http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/12/22/whered_the_bailout_money_go_shhhh_its_a_secret/), the congressional committee to oversee the bailout has a lot of questions about how and where the billions of our money has been spent, yet they haven't been able to gain any answers.

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, the bailout plan did not include mandatory disclosure of how the governments funds are being allocated.

For those non-New Englanders, we here in the Northeast got slammed with a snowstorm thoughout the entire weekend. I was furious at the thought of where my city taxes were going as the streets were a mess! Now, realizing that near trillion dollars, that we as taxpayers, will be responsible for, is it so much to ask for these giant banks to be held accountable for our money?

Don't take this one lying down. We have every right to know where that money is going and the fact that these banks are not forthcoming with that information makes me both suspicious and furious. You should feel the same. Talk about gratitude, they begged on their hands and knees for this money and now they brush off the government.

The days of Laissez-faire are over. The government needs to do a better job of reminding these corporations of that. We also need to remind our government of that as well.

could create so much content! Yes, there are some topics that I harp on ad-nasueam, yet this one has been inspiring some of the most reflective thinking that I've done in quite some time.

I suppose what I'm feeling right now, is that, as a country, we were able to collectively stand together and oust ole' Georgey Boy. We had enough of his and his cronies bullying us around and treating our government and its affairs as one giant board game, without care for Americans or anyone else for that matter.

I loathe him, I wanted him out. I worked ferverishly, along with millions of you, to make sure he, or any other of the GOP jerks, would not be stepping into the White House to merely pick up where the idiot left off.

I have the luxury of living in a democracy. I value that privilege. Six weeks ago, I got to see how democracy worked for me.I sleep better knowing that the moron in chief will be heading back to Texas soon ( poor Texans).

Yet, what do Iraqi's have? How will they find a resolution from the damage that horrible man has caused them and their country? They didn't get to vote him out. They don't get to sleep easier knowing, that in a few months, their government is going to be turned around. They continue to live in an American occupied state. They live under the laws of their " new" government, while still under the watchful eye of an administration, and its military presence, that is responsible for massive death and destruction in their country.

Quite a pragmatic victory for the U.S. huh? We " defeated" the enemy and desolated a country. Last I checked, we did the same with Afghanistan; trained, armed and supported their military, and then took off, without a care for the people, or government, left behind. Look how that turned out? It inspired resentment and hatred in its people and became a breeding ground for Al Quaeda. To make things worse, we're back there!

What's important for Americans to understand, is that, shoes aside, the US is not held in high regard internationally. We need to realize, above and beyond what we already know, how much Bush and his administration tainted the image of the United States. What that journalist did merely represents how tens of millions of people feel, worldwide.

Was it right? No. Yet, besides condemning that man, or Bush for that matter, there is something that we can do to help our international image.

We did a great thing in electing Obama. Hopefully, he will be able to restore the international regard of the United States. For now though, what I'm asking of you is to do your own part to restore our image. I encourage you to encourage peace and understanding. And, yes, its easier than you may think. Comitting a small act of kindness if one of the most amazing things that you can do these days. Just one person can do so much. Just think, our individual votes for Obama resulted in a collective landslide.

Spread the love, with your shoes on.

I've been reflecting on Sunday's incident with George Bush and the shoes that were launched at his head. Yes, I did laugh at first. However, this is a grave matter that speaks to deep-rooted issues.

I don't condone that man's actions. I don't. No matter how much I despise George Bush, and believe me, I really, really do.

Yet, I find myself frustrated because I do want George Bush confronted, but, in a non-aggressive way. It really gets my goat to know that on January 20, he'll walk out of office without a care in, or for, the world.

Therefore, if we could do Sunday over, this is what I would have liked to have happened. As George Bush walked the desolated and destroyed streets of Iraq, I would have liked a young, Iraqi child to approach him and ask, " President Bush, I want you to know how it feels to walk in my shoes."

Would George Bush be brandishing that smarmy grin if he had to live in the nightmare that has become Iraq? Would he be as good at ducking mortar bombs as he is shoes? Would he shed a tear for the close to one million Iraqi civilians that have been killed over the course of the war the way that he did when speaking about his father at a Yale graduation last week? Would he admit that it was all a mistake? That in fact, Iraq is mission failed, not accomplished?

No, he wouldn't feel any of these things because Georgey Boy prefers the out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. That's why I loathe him.

I have no respect for George Bush. However,I deeply respect the office of the president. Therefore, it was terrible for anyone to threaten and or disrespect that office, even when it is an idiot is at the helm.

Let's all flashback to that amazing moment 43 days agao when Barack Obama was elected our next president.

Yay for Barack! Yay for the country! Yay for Democrats!

After what seems like pure laziness on behalf of the Democratic Party in both the 2000 and 2004 election, I was delighted with the party's iniative and both rapid and desperately-needed turnaround. The future of our party was looking bright.

Until....

My readers who are not Massachusetts residents may not be aware, both those that are know perfectly well that corruption within the Democratic party has been alleged on both the city and state levels. The Illinois governor, Rob Blagojevich ( I had to copy and past that one!), is on the cusp of being impeached for allegedly seeking favors in return for appointing a new Senator to fill Obama's vacant seat.

Come on! Get your acts together! The party has worked too hard to reshape it's image. They're not only making the party look bad, they're casting a shadow on Obama's historic transition into the White House.

Is the party fastly becoming greedy and corrupt? Or, are they just becoming lazy? Maybe all of the spotlight on corrupt Democrats is a way of clearing out the ones that are making everyone else look bad.

Obama winning this election was monumental and amazing. Yet, this is only the beginning. We can't rest on our laurels simply because he won. The whole reason he was elected was because he inspired the force of change that the majority of the country so desperately wants.

That change cannot soley rest on Obama's shoulders. It is up to us as well. Keep talking, stay informed and most importantly, continue to do your part. Your voice in our government is not confined to every four years.

Living in a Democracy is a gift. Treat it as such.

Shoo!

That's what an Iraqi journalist was saying to Bush as he hurled his, apparently size 10 shoes, at George Bush. The journalist launched his shoes shouting, " This is a farewell gift you dog!"

I don't condone violence, but I don't blame his frustration. Although I wouldn't actually throw shoes or engage in any other violent behavior towards our president or anyone, I've certainly launched millions in my mind, both at George Bush and his entire administration. I've also thought about tossing shoes at some McCain supporters as well. And, if you count Sarah Palin, in my mind, I've lost an Imelda Marcos's worth of shoes in the direction of that woman.

This brings me back to one of my favorite movie quotes from Austin Powers, " Who throws a shoe? Honestlly?"

I'll tell ya who. Someone who's family has been killed in the "war", someone who has been kidnapped by the government. Someone, who has watched almost a million of his fellow Iraqi's die.

Violence is certainly not the answer but I can appreciate the bitter resentment and frustration. YET, violence only begets violence. In a world in such bitter turmoil, we all have to find a way to be proactive, productive, and, most of all, safe.

" Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me". Obviously the shoe thrower doesn't employ this principle. But, that doesn't mean that we can't.

My shoes are on, but my heart's with you. My heart is with those innocent US military and Iraqis who have lost their lives or who have watched those that they love, lose theirs.

This war was a mistake. It has cost us close to to a trillion dollars. That's just the monetary value. What's the price that we can put on human lives?

Think about it.

Apparently my previous post upset a few people. Let me be clear, it is not astounding for a liberal Democrat to believe that a woman of color can be a conservative Republican. What is astounding however, is that any individual, despite race, gender of political party, with so much intellect would pair themselves up with such an idiot.

She may be called " Condi" by her friends and family. However, both the U.S. and the world are not her friends or her family. In fact, they can be enemies at times. We have to move away from the casualness and simpleton semantics that Bush tried to impart on this country.

A good majority of the world looks up to us. Those that don't still watch because every decision that the U.S. makes has deep impacts throughout the globe. Therefore, it is our duty, and that of our government to chose representatives that embody a shred of intelligence. Clearly Ms. Rice does, however, Georgey Boy praises her work while referring to her like an old buddy. We're not talking about a recap of what happened at recess, we're talking about relating to the world serious, international conflicts and resolutions.

To me, that's dumbing her down, and she doesn't deserve that.

Rice is not the only intelligent member of Bush's administration. Take Dick Cheney for instance. He's extremely intelligent. Unfortunately, he's the evil mastermind sort of smart. He saw an opportunity to play puppet master to George, Pinocchio, Bush. Cheney, one of the most evil men on the planet, used his cunning to make millions off of the devastation of others. He brought intelligence to the White House, but he also brought an evil agenda.

I do not compare Ms. Rice to Cheney at all. Condoleezza Rice is an accomplished, educated and refined woman. I have always found her capable of her position and any future positions that she may hold both within and out of the government. Her political party doesn't bother me. Her choice to step into the national spotlight on a sinking ship does confuse me however.

She seems smarter than that to me. Now, unfortunately, such a brilliant woman may forever be linked to the disaster that is the Bush administration.

As I watched Condoleezza Rice play a private piano concert for the queen of England, I thought, " damn, I wish we had her on our side!" She's extremely intelligent, sophisticated, cultured and graceful. In the midst of international turmoil and growing resentment towards the U.S., she plays the diplomatic game with an admirable poker face.

For someone who is as bright as she obviously is, why the hell would she ever have taken a position in Bush's administration? I often wonder why she would allow herself to be guided by the biggest idiot on the planet. There is no way on God's green earth she sees him in a laudatory light. For heaven's sake, she let him call her " Condi".

A woman as accomplished as Rice deserves to be treated with respect. If that's too much to ask, at least don't refer to her as casually as you would one of the cattle on your beloved ranch. She is the top diplomat from the world's super power. The Secretary of State needs to exude level-headedness, exquisite manners, international hindsight and open-mindedness. This is why it infuriates me every time that man calls her " Condi". It's demeaning and infantilizing.

Thank God this will be over soon.

I sometimes fantasize about her exit from the White House. I imagine her tossing aside her poised demeanour long enough to give ole' Georgey boy a swift kick in the rear as she screams, " It's Condaleezza, damnit!"

As much as I respect her, she made a bad judgement call jumping on the ole' Bush train.

Learn from your mistakes Ms. Rice. I wish you the best, I mean it.

As the CEO's of the big three, American auto-manufacturing companies nervously await a possible Congressional bailout, I put forth my bid for car czar candidacy.

As part of a $15 billion bailout, Cogress has asked that a " car czar" be appointed to oversee the Congressional loans and the industry's restructuring. I feel that I am just the one to fill this position.

I cannot self myself on any sort of experience within the financial or manufacturing industries. I can only impart to you my platform.

Simply put, as car czar I will demand that American automakers :

1) stop making crappy cars
2) start making fuel efficient cars
3) pay the US taxpayers back every cent that they borrowed

Think it's safe to quit my day job?

Literally.

Today, five   more »

It's going to get worse before it gets better. This is the sentiment that Obama relayed this morning on Meet the Press. All in all, the economy is crap, and, unfortunately, it's going to stink a lot more before we get some relief.

As I volunteered to decorate homeless shelters with the staff of Harpoon Beer yesterday, I had a candid conversation with my team leader, who happened to be the chief financial officer. When asked how sales were doing, he said. " flat." However, he reminded us all that when unemployment is up, so is drinking.

In preparing for the worst, yet we can only hold on to the hope that things WILL get better.

I am realistic of our immediate future, yet, I have insurmountable hope in both Obama and the future of our economy.

Here's to hope....

Cheers.

This evening, as I made my, self-proclaimed, world famous, tomato sauce, I was half-listening to the evening news. There was a segment that followed up on Iraq veterans ,with severe brain injuries, that the network had interviewed years before. One of them was " better", another permanently disfigured, and one, sadly, passed away during one of his countless operations.

It was a sobering moment for me. I have always been against the war in Iraq. However, I have been guilty of only focusing on those who have lost ther lives, both the American military and Iraqi civilians, and not those who have returned, injured.

Since I was a child, I have been very naive about those who have been "injured". Whenever I hear about an accident, I only worry about the deceased and pay no mind to those who were injured. Its almost as if as long as you remain alive, then you're automatically OK.

Of course anyone who has suffered bodily injury is never OK. I gave my mind a proverbial beating for forgetting those who are still among us. The number of those who have returned injured from Iraq is staggering. We're talking in the tens of thousands. That also means tens of thousands of individuals and families who will never be the same.

As a teacher to children afflicted with severe emotional difficulties, I know that trauma never leaves someone. Therefore, we must also add every person who has served in the military as "injured" as their emotional health will never be the same.

Tonight, I though about how easy it would be for me to change the channel. I thought how, in a matter of seconds, I could make that painful reminder disappear. With the push of a button, I could be finding out who Britney Spears is dating, or what the Jona brothers are up to. I could have pusehd the button and thus erase the thought of all those men and women, whose lives are forever changed.

I didn't change the channel. I continued to watch. I also became enraged, again, at the Bush administration for getting us into this mess. However, I cannot let my anger be the way in which I honor the men and women in our military. I cannot continue to spread anger and bitterness into the universe. Hate begets hate.

I read about the massive funeral in Israel this week, to honor those who had died in the attacks in Mumbai. A rabbi there spoke of forgiveness. He spoke of reacting to those terrorists; hate by doing good deeds for the rest of the world.

I don't fight in Iraq. I admit that I don't want to. I'm not a member of Congress who voted for this war under false pretenses. I'm not one of the private security firms that's making millions off of the lives, limbs and minds both our men and women in service and the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

I am merely a civilian, who wants the war to end. Honor the memory of those whos lives were lost, but also, respect the day to day struggle of those who are still among us.

They are here, but no longer forgotten in my eyes.

Open your eyes, this war needs to end.

On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research stated that the U.S. is indeed in a recession and has been for over a year.

Well, duh.

( Are our tax dollars paying their salaries?)

Oh yes, its that time again. As Bush's presidency falls into it's final days ( praise God), every Tom, Dick and Joe the Plumber come out of the woodwork seeking a presidential pardon. This is a practice that unfortunately, all presidents employ in their final days. This democraddict has to admit that even Billy Clinton was "generous" with his pardons. He was too generous and shamefully so.

Let's face it, these people seeking pardons are criminals. They have already been charged and are already serving their sentences. In addition, a presidential pardon can protect an individual for future accusations. This is a scary thought given the fact that Bush's administration is guilty of so much corruption. Men like Donald Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, Gonzales, Cheney etc., could get away with murder, literally.

So Georgey boy, you may vindicate those who pulled at your puppet strings to bring this nation to near devastation through their self interest and greed. However, do your waning executive powers entitle you to pardon yourself?

Thankfully, no.

Although I am not much of a religious woman, may God have mercy on your soul Mr. Bush. That is, if you haven't already sold it to Cheney.

I was angry this morning because I woke up after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade had started. My boyfriend laughed at me as I watched, entranced by the Rockettes, Little Mermaid the Musical and David Archuletta. I can't explain why I love the parade so much. I can only recognize that it has been part of my Thanksgiving day as long as I can possibly remember. Simply put, it's a tradition, and I love traditions.

I often wonder about our Thanksgiving tradition. Our nation puts aside this day, every year to honor the Pilgrims who broke bread with the Native Americans. Why exactly do we celebrate a people that would conquer the Native Americans and steal their land? Why do we toast our glasses to oppression ?

Yet, I never hear cries of " Yay colonization!" while the men are watching the football games. I don't hear whispers of " I wonder what those poor Native Americans are doing on the reservation today" from the women in the kitchen. I hear laughter, smell amazing food and witness hugs, handshakes and family bonding. Thanksgiving no longer honors the Pilgrims, it honors the family. For that, I am extremely thankful.

My grandfather, who passed almost nine years ago, used to go around the table and ask each of the grandchildren what they were thankful for. I always found it an uncomfortable experience. I was always searching for something profound to say and always felt as if I never responded the "right" way. These days, I miss my grandfather, and that tradition of his. My heart swells with things to be thankful for. I'm not sure there would be enough time between dinner and dessert to rattle of my laundry list of gratitude.

I miss both of my grandparents. I feel as if I took them for granted in my youth. I remember how much I wanted to talk to my grandfather after September 11th because I feel that he could somehow make some sense of it. However, it isn't just the hard times that I miss them, its the wonderful times as well. The weddings, graduations, christenings etc. In addition, I know how happy they both would have been to see Barack Obama elected as I learned as much about politics and open-mindedness from them, as I did my parents.

Therefore papa, for you I'm going to tell the world ( aka my readers) what I'm thankful for this year. As always, my wonderful family both immediate and extended, my amazing boyfriend and his lovely family, my friends, my job, my creature comforts. And, this year, I'm going to throw in that I'm thankful that a nation, born of oppression, has elected one of it's oppressed to lead it.

We are building new traditions, both individually and as a nation. We are on a path to unity and greatness. I can't think of a better reason to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope that you all have a wonderful day!
( P.S. I am thankful, everyday, that you chose to read my little rants, it keeps my fire going!)

Apparently not.

I can't turn on the news without being bombarded with messages of " shouldn't there be only one president at a time?" Of course this criticism is hitting on the dilligent work that Obama and his team have been doing to ensure their ability to get down to work the minute he is sworn into office.

(God forbid!)

Let's see, in light of the fact that there has been a monkey, and a heard of greedy idiots behind him in his administration for the past eight years who have brought our nation to near ruin, don't we need all the help that we can get?

Lay off the criticism, Obama deserves to be applauded not criticized. In an abysmal economy, we need a man who will work for every penny he gets.

Just a little food for thought to wet those Thanksgiving appetites of yours!

if you believe that you can vote on other's civil rights.

We, as a nation, do not have the right to vote on other's civil rights.

I am beyond bothered by the fact that people let their inherent, religious beliefs guide their voting practices. Separation of church and state was enacted for a reason. Religion has no place in politics. Yet, it creeps it's way in time and time again.

What bothers you so much about a gay couple wanting to get married? How is "your" way of life threatened by two people who love each other enough to take the plunge into the ever-risky, constant maintenance that is a marriage? Two out of three marriages end in divorce, how "sacred" do those heterosexuals that bail out of their life long commitment treat it? Not very well apparently.

We do not have the right to vote on other's civil rights. Just forty years ago, people of color were not considered citizens. I am currently in a relationship with man of color, in many states, our relationship would have been illegal. Is this the trend that we want to uphold?

If people love each other enough to dive into marriage, which today is a risky business, then all the more power to them! What the world needs now is love, more than anything. Why then are you trying to stop two people who want to venture into a union, based out of love, to perpetuate your hate?

Think about it. Beyond thinking about it, do something about it. It is very hairy business to set these kinds of precedents. It is the Supreme Court's job to decide if a law is or isn't constitutional.

Last I checked, the average voter was not trained and or confirmed as an individual who is capable of weighing civil issues against the constitution.

It does not sit well with me that people like Joe the Plumber may hold my civil rights in their hands.

Today, the senate handed down their punishment for Joe Lieberman's stint on the McCain campaign. Due to his pro-McCain and anti-Obama sentiments, the Democratic caucus took away Lieberman's panel post on the Environment and Public Works. He does however get to retain his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee .

The seething Democrats were ready to rip this Republican- in -Democrat's clothing a new one before Obama encouraged them to be lenient.

If it were up to me, Lieberman would be publicly flogged. Seriously, this jerk could have cost us the campaign! I would have had a right mind to drop a dime to Plymouth Plantation and see if any of their old stocks were in working order. Liberman and his saggy jowels could droop together and ponder what an idiot-move he made.

I don't agree with Obama's recommendation. However, his leniency and determination to not habor negative feelings, unify the country and bring this nation out of the crapper is the exact reason why I love him so much.

Kudos to me, and everyone else who voted for him. Looks like we made the right decision.

Major pharmaceutical companies as well as health care providers are mobilizing this week in what will be an aggressive ad campaign aimed at attacking Barack Obama's health care initiatives.

You see, if Obama is able to regulate the cost of presccriptions through medicaide, those lovely CEO's of those major drug and health care companies will have to lose some of their precious millions, making them a little less rich than they were before.

This should disgust you Americans. The cost of prescription drugs is staggering, with and without insurance. I can recall an experience in graduate school in Australia when I had to buy a prescription for conjunctivitis ( thanks yucky kids!). I cried all the way to the drugstore because my insurance there didn't cover prescriptions. You can imagine my relief when the total bill amounted to... be prepared.... $11! You see their country has national healthcare, and in turn, can regulate prescription drug prices. I paid $11 dollars without insurance, think about it.

Many are uncomfortable with the thought of Universal Healthcare. I should bust a myth here. His healthcare plan would be elective. Don't worry, he's not the socialist that the GOP tried to convince you he was.

I think it's wonderful to try and make prescriptions more affordable. I have a hard time swallowing the fact that those on medicaide, and those who are privately insured, have great difficulty paying for medicine that they need.

Therefore, once these ads begin, here's some food for thought to munch on. If these companies can afford to pay millions of dollars to try and convince people of a falsehood that would only benefit them financially, shouldn't they be using that money to lower prescription drug costs?

Think about it.

Man... can I turn on the news and not discover that there's yet one more corporation that needs to be bailed out with our tax dollars?

When does it end?

I hate to be the wet blanket here, but it's not   more »

Nope.

To many Americans, the thought of electing a black man to the office of president was frightening and absurd. Then again, there were those, like myself, who believed that no matter how qualified and talented Barack Obama was, the ever-lingering racism and prejudice in this country would prevent his abilty to become the president elect.

Last Tuesday, I was overjoyed and proud to be a part of a country whose majority believes in, and voted for, real change. Our country made a decision that most viewed as the impossible dream. However, Barack Obama's defeat over John McCain is only the beginning.

I would like to take this opportunity to express to my readers that our dream of a total turn-around in government under Barack Obama's leadership in his first term is the impossible dream. Just as the current state of our country under George Bush's administration has become our worst nightmare.

Please understand, no leader can "fix" the mess that the Bush administration has gotten us into. I believe that we elected the best man to lead us out of these dark days. However, I would be lying to you if I said that I believed that he would be able to accomplish all that needs to be done in only four years. This is not a criticism, but rather a wake-up call.

Therefore dear readers, I'm asking you to keep hope alive. I do fear that things may get worse before they get better. We need to stand behind our president and realize that the light at the end of the tunnel is there, however, we may not be able to see it in four years time.

Obama has a daunting task ahead, just as FDR did after the Great Depression. Yet, FDR was able to resolve our country's maladies, in an unprecedented three plus terms, and would ultimately become one of our nation's greatest leaders in history.

Be patient. Obama will fall into the ranks alongside Lincoln, FDR and Kennedy. However, he won't be able to do it alone. We need to work for him and our government as much as he will work for us. Don't let your vote be the end of your civic engagement.

Living in a democracy is a gift. Your participation in it is a symbol of appreciation of that gift.

Hooray for America!

As I made the final preparations for our election night party on Tuesday ( hanging the " pin-the-lipstick-on-the-pig game and various pictures of Barack, John McCain, Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Joe Biden, Joe the plumber etc), I couldn't fight the small tinge of nervousness that the election just might not turn out the way that I had anticipated and hoped for.

A devoted Barack supporter since 2004, I have put as much time, money and effort into his campaign that I possibly could. I scowered the national polls daily and wanted to believe that the election's result would be what the polls had predicted.

However, having lived through the eight years of lying, distortion, corruption and greed of the Bush administration, I was not convinced that they wouldn't pull some sneaky trick(s) out of their pocket to steal this election as well.

Sure, there may have been some dirty tricks they we're not aware of. However, no tactics could counter the voices of the people, who turned out in record numbers to take our country back. My heart swelled with pride at the sight of people waiting in line for hours to let their voice be heard.

I had a thought yesterday, would Obama have been elected if George Bush wasn't as God-awful as he and his administration is? Hypothetically, if it were McCain who was elected eight years ago, the McCain of eight years ago who was actually moderate and had some of my respect, was elected, would the country be as angry and action-driven as we are?

Probably not.

I wonder what life would have been like with the old John McCain. Yes, I would prefer any scenario in which a democrat was in office, but even then, as I cringed in frustration over the debauchery that led to Georgey Boy's presidency, I figured we would have been better off with any Republican other than him.

As I watched John McCain give his succession speach, I honestly felt awful for him. Yes, there's no way in hell I wanted him elected. However, on Tuesday night, I felt as if I was looking at a heart-broken man who had finally realized what the GOP made him into; a desparate, flip-flopping, lying, greedy old man.

Therefore, thank you George W. Bush for being the worst president in the history of the United States. You changed history for the worst but also the better. The horror of your reign finally forced those who clung desparately to stereotypes, close-mindedness and hatred to realize that the only enemy is our own prejudices. Thank you for bringing our nation to the point at which we had to examine and put aside our prejudices for the greater good of our nation.

Senator McCain, I'm sorry for what you allowed the GOP to turn you into. However, the nation demanded change and we are now stepping in the right direction.

It has been amazing to watch some of the key players in the Civil Rights movement to bear witness to these historic events. They waited over forty, long years to see this day. Forty years is a long time. Your hopes and prayers, my hopes and prayers, and the sentiment of the nation have finally brought us here. We are ready to do what's right. We're ready to bring about the change that we need.

It's never too late. For you, McCain, Bush, anyone, it's never too late to stand up for what's right.

Afterall, some things are better late than never.

Dear readers, I am overwhelmed with joy and pride.

You have chosen. We have chosen. His name and political party aside, our nation decided that eight is enough. We will not live in a country whose government supports corporate greed and only looks out for their self interest.

I will not mince words, there is a long journey ahead.

However, we decided today to embark on that journey together. The journey towards the glory days.

We will see it in our lifetime.

I thank you. I thank my country.

Here's to the next eight years!

Vote God damnit!

Don't let our forefather's work go in vain. They died for us to have this privilege.

And, if you haven't been enlightened enough to want to vote for Barack Obama, then I will no longer waste my breath. You're a lost cause, and so is this country if McCain gets elected.

I will however encourage you to take part in your government no matter which way you vote.

Its that important.

Then, you're an idiot.

With twenty four hours left, I will no longer mince words. Unless you are deaf, or dumb, there is no conceivable way that you could actually still be undecided. Seriously, this makes me in favor of voter eligibility having to include an IQ test.

Yes, that may sound elitist (and, unconstitutional) but I'm not talking about only the super smart being able to vote. I'm speaking about anyone with more than half a brain at this point.

Therefore, seen as how you have so much difficulty making a decision about the next president. Let me test your ability to make decisions at all.

Do you want to continue to live in the hell that the Bush administration has brought us to?

Do you want a leader that is old, possibly ailing, angry, dishonest, selfish and greedy?

Do you want a tax cut?

Do you want to support clean energy so that we no longer will have to rely on both foreign and domestic oil?

Do you want a leader that would pick that God-awful woman, Sarah Palin, as a potential leader of our country?

Do you want your Vice President, and possible president, to be stupid, uninformed, inexperienced, uber conservative, and unqualified?

If you answered no, congratulations, you've made your choice, Barack Obama! If you answered yes then please don't vote. However if you do, and McCain does win, remind me of where you live again so I can find you when I'm out of a job due to budget cuts and need a place to crash. For that matter, hope you have enough room for the millions of other Americans that will be out of a job as well.

Finally, if you're still not sure, a decision unmade is a decision made. You must really like the fact that the country is in the toilet. Or, perhaps, you are too afraid to admit to your family and friends that you couldn't possibly vote for a man of color.

Now you're an idiot and a racist.

Democracy is a gift and our role in it is a privilege. We are blessed to have the ability to elect candidates who represent our views and ideals. We as citizens can shift government so that it is working for us. However, it's a two-way street; we need to work for our government just as it works for us.

Do the work for your government. Show the nation that you are proud to live in a democracy. Take part in how the future of our nation will unfold. Vote.

The past is the past, the future is unknown, today is the present, that's why we call it a gift.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, vote!

Think about it.