The nation's media has ( thankfully) taken their unjustified heat off of Obama and geared it towards scaring the masses about this Swine flu " epidemic".

As I see things, the swine flu has been an epidemic exclusive to the GOP for as long as I can remember. Those ruthless, self-serving, soul-less, greedy pigs have infected our government for far too long. They spread germs that come in the form of hatred and arrogance. They quarantine themselves, and force their followers to do so as well, leaving our country deeply divided between what's right ( or left) and what ails us.

Apparently it's quite a resistant virus because although our country demanded a cure in November, they are clearly fighting logic and morality with every breath that they take. What's worse is that it appears to be mutating. We thought Bush was bad, but look at those who are infected now; Palin, Coulter, Limbaugh and Hannity. I think that this virus needs to be contained, and fast.

We can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. We can try and cure the GOP's swine flu with a little shot of the Obama administration, but unless the nation is on his side, the sickness remains untreated, leaving us susceptible to an outbreak at any moment.

The real swine flu will probably never affect you as you have to work with sick pigs or have been exposed to someone who has. The rate of deaths in Mexico is only on the high side because there is not enough sanitation or medical advancements there. As with any sickness, the elderly, young and those with weak immune systems will find it more difficult to resist the virus.

Therefore, don't worry about getting sick from a pig, focus your energies on getting those lousy, no-good porkers out of our government!

The romanticized image of pirates: eye patches, wooden legs, treasure-looting, walking the plank etc, seems to be dissolving in front of our eyes these days.

The nation seems to be in an uproar over the recent attack of Somali pirates on an American ship that resulted in Capt. Phillips being taken hostage on the Indian Ocean for nearly a week before Naval snipers took out his captors.

" How can this happen?", " What is Obama going to do to stop it?". Dear readers, I hate to scare you but Somali pirates have been a problem for quite some time now. If I'm figuring correctly, a decade at least. And, they are not alone. There are many instances of pirating in the South Pacific Ocean as well. In fact, last week's incident was the 66th since January. The only reason that we've never cared before, is because it wasn't happeing to ships with American crews. This of course is very stereotypical American, and is absolutely arrogant of us.

On top of being arrogant, it's ignorant. Are you aware that the nation is asking our president to handle a problem that stretches over a millions square miles of ocean within international waters that we have no jurisdiction in? If you have a problem with Obama's inability to handle this issue, I suggest that you come up with one yourself because as of now, there's not too much that our country can do.

Somali pirates, historically, have not sought to harm it's captors. Their country is in such shambles and the quality of their lives so poor that hijacking ships for ransom has become their only source of income. However, it is still criminal and dangerous and certainly, not justifiable.

What is very upsetting is that often, the very ships that they are hijacking are carrying supplies and aide to other African nations that desperately need it. Somali's need it as well, however they're not robbing these ships of supplies, they're taking them hostage to the tune of millions of dollars.

My suggestion? Cut off the aide to those other nations. Then, they'll have to deal with the problem. The last thing this country needs, is another war over, or on, the seas.

Think about it.

Mr. President, you've certainly been earning my tax dollars lately.

In a little over a week you've managed to fire the head of a nearly defunct, American auto industry, consult with world leaders on solving our global economic crisis, respond to a nuclear threat by a hostile nation and reinforce your campaign promise to withdraw from Iraq to the very men and women in service there.

Not only that, he managed to do so without a shoe getting launched at his head!

This verbose democraddict is at a loss for words and is instead, overcome with admiration and gratitude.

As the crocuses begin to bud, proving that once again, spring is here and winter is over, Obama, a budding president, is showing the American people that the season of hope and change is finally here and that the Bush administration is, at long last,over.

To quote a sign on the door of a residence in Capital Hill on inauguration day, " O, Happy Day!"

Amid   more »

Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geihtner told lawmakers today that he wants the government to start regulating the practices of non-bank, financial institutions. You know, the ones that made reckless and greedy decisions that led to millions losing everything and the economy tanking?

Yeah, those guys... or gals... or assholes... ( or any other synonyms for those greedy sons of bitches).

If those institutions, like AIG and Lehman Brothers failed at proving their un-regulated practices resulted in anything but debt, then their "free" time is over.

Many capatilists baulk at any government involvement in free market practices. Well folks, when the " free market" results in the American taxpayers holding a trillion dollar debt, then the days of them running free with other's money, is over.

Furthermore, if you feel that government regulation of financial institutions is a punishment, you're right. And guess what? The punishment fits the crime.

The fact that there are millions of Americans who lost everything due to the poor choices of a select few does not sit well with me . This same few who are currently receiving milllions of dollars in bonuses ( of our tax money) that they don't deserve, is nauseating. I'm a democrat, I'm a capatlist too. (Yes, they do exist!) However, current practices can no longer go unsupervised. The big wigs in these institutions have their hands so deep in their greedy pockets of self interest that they failed to recognize, or even care that ours are empty. Nor will they, if we don't do something about it.

Therefore, here's my message to AIG and the like: You are currently grounded. The government is going to be on your ass until you shape up. Timmy, knob-face, Geihtner is gonna be on you like lipstick on a pitbull until you get your acts together.

Dear readers, I leave you with the hope that after the appropriate government regulations of these industries, we can someday say that the best things in life, are no longer free. At least, in terms of the market economy anyway, because thanks to those jerks, I pretty much can't afford anything else!

Last week, during an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Obama made an off-handed joke about this bowling score being equivalent to those in the Special Olypmics.

As a special education teacher, and a former volunteer for the Special Olympics, I found the comment off-putting but lacking malice. It's not justifiable, but being human is.

What I do find outrageous however, is the fact that we had a president with special needs in office for eight years, and no one got in an uproar over that. Instead, they, increasingly day by day, direct their anger and hatred toward the Obama administration for the failed policies of the Bush administration.

When will America wake up and realize that we have only begun to see the devastation that the Bush administration has caused or nation. Isn't it so convenient that their shameless decisions are just beginning to unravel, now that they're gone.

They had their proverbial cake and now, they're definitely eating it too. Meanwhile, American taxpayes are eating more and more taxes due to bailouts and stimulus packages. Personally, I'm stuffed with all of this, yet I know that I don't have a choice but to make room for more.

It is imperative to understand that the job of both president Obama and his entire administration is an extremely daunting one. Executive and Legislative tasks are never " easy" but the present circumstances, which are direct result of the Bush adminstration, make them virtually impossible.

Give them a break, will ya?

Funny, the president with special needs is the one who ended up handicapping our entire nation!

Go figure.

Facing scrutiny over the AIG bonuses that have gone out to top executives, AIG's CEO told Congress that these bonuses were, " distasteful".

Distasteful huh? Distasteful is the understatement of this recession.

These bonuses are downright criminial. Furthermore, those who are receiving them should both return them to a conglomerate that is currently owned by the taxpayers and quit or be fired.

I am absolutely disgusted. Contracts or not, were the government to not bail them out this past fall, they would have never been able to pay out those bonuses to begin with. AIG was in such dire straits that it required billions of hard-earned tax payer's money, yet, it can afford to pay out bonuses that amount to over a hundred million dollars?

What about those poor Americans who lost their job due to companies, like AIG, who recklessly squandered innocent people's money, only to land us in a recession? I should also add that those who lost their job due to AIG, also worked for companies that did not have the government to bail them out.

We, as Americans, should be infuriated. Despite your party affiliation, something needs to be done.

What are we waiting for?

Today, it has been rumored that Obama my puruse an initiative to tax Americans on their healthcare benefits. This of course would be a move that he explicitly spoke out against during his campaign. Furthermore, this initiative, one that was championed by his former rival, John Mcain, was one the Obama criticized highly during his campaign.

I've lectured you about taxes before. Simply put, it sucks watching your hard-earned money go into the government's pocket with little of your say as to how it is spent. No matter which side of the party lines you may fall, everyone can collectively agree that they would like to see their taxes decrease.

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anytime soon. You see, as frustrated as I am about my taxes increasing with every new stimulus bill and bailout plan, I'm even more frustrated by the ( Bush) administration that has put us in this position to begin with.

We are literally paying for the deregulation, greed and the self-interests of the both the former administration and the very people who today, are receiving million dollar bonuses.

We are rewarding bad behavior. Yet, what is the alternative? Without a stimulus or certain bailouts, we would be in a depression. However, I find it hard to believe that there could have been more rigid and explicit expectations for the banks and agencies who received bailout money.

If Jesus Christ himself were to be president right now, we'd have a hard time praising him as our current political and economic status is dire. Obama is not Jesus, nor is he divine. He's a human like the rest of us, he's not perfect, nor are all of his ideas. But god damnit, I can say that he's capable and does have the best interests of Americans at heart.

Be patient dear readers, it took eight years to get us into this slump, let's revive the hope that we had in electing Obama to the hope of his capability of getting us out of this mess.

Times are certainly tough. I may not have any money, but I'd stock up on a boatload of patience and hope over resentment and anger anyday.

You may not want to invest in the stock market, but investing in some positive thinking yields the highest dividends.

Always. Keep hope alive, afterall, it's free.

President Obama delivered a speech yesterday to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that was soley based on education. The speech marks his first on education since becoming president.

Obama challenges teacher unions, demanding merit pay for excellent teachers and not making excuses for " bad" ones. Sounds reasonable and fair right? Eh, not so much. One thing that most Americans don't realize about public education is that these laws put 100% of the burden of increasing test scores, solely, on teachers. Students, who only spend 8% of their year in school. Yet, the 92% of other elements that affect or prohibit a student's progress in not taken into account. Furthermore, if students aren't performing, the teacher and the school gets blamed. What's worse is that it goes beyond blame, schools that have been tagged for not meeting their state expectations ( and I use that word loosely and it changes every minute) lose funding.

The system is punitive and not proactive. Schools that need the most funding, lose it because of certain elements that they can't control. I am specifically speaking to a student's home situation. I currently teach middle school students in a special education program specifically for students with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Besides my students, do you know how many students never do an ounce of homework, don't study for tests, are disengaged in the curriculum and whose parents are in no way involved in their education? Far too many.

I am aware that I cannot control those outside elements, and, in turn, work to the best of my ability to foster educational growth in all of my students no matter what their circumstances are. The problem is, no matter how hard I'm working to bring the best out in my students, their test score is the only measurement of my worth as a teacher.

And, speaking of tests, they're ridiculous. Obama praised my own state of Massachusetts for our high-performing science scores. Too bad he doesn't realize that school systems are spending most of their money, time and energy to teach the students to suceed on the test, and the test alone. In addition, special education students are forced to take their grade level tests even if their documents instructional level is years, and years under their current grade level. Is it surprising then that these students don't perform well? No, but we lose funding because of it anyway.

I think all politicians are lacking the insight that a fruitful education can be acquired in your public school but without the home life to support it, it will never grow and develop. No one wants to admit that one of our biggest problems in education is the lack proper modeling in the home. This is an issue across all socioeconmic classes as well. I continue to find it ironic that in an age were schools are being deprived of their funding because they did not meet the expectations that the state holds them accountable for, more and more parents are taking away any sense of accountability in their own children. Who's holding them accountable?

Now, I do believe that tax payers have the right to demand high quality teachers. I also agree that there needs to be a way to measure their effectiveness. Yet, the current measures aren't really working out too well. Also, teachers are required to continuously increase their professional development, on their own time and dime. What other industry requires that of its workers for the duration of their employment? If you want better teacher training, make it free, offered during school hours, and mandatory.

Obama, I had high hopes for your ideas about education. Too bad they're pretty much just more of the same.

Needless to say, I'm very disappointed.

During the Bush years, my fellow liberals often commented on how " the village lost its idiot" when he was elected to office. These days, I've come to the conclusion that the village didn't lose any idiot at all. This is because the village is chock full of idiots. One idiot's departure, it seems, makes room for ten more in their place.

This is why I've decided to dedicate, in my mind, a certain plot of land where all the idiots of the GOP can whine, complain, scheme and sulk together, so they're out of eyesight, and hopefully earshot of the non-idiots.

I'd like to call it, Idiot Village. Picture a gated community. You know, the kind where there's a literal gate, and a lock to keep the idiots away from the rest of society.

Let me be clear, not everyone in the GOP is an idiot. I'd be an idiot to say that. There are many members of the GOP that are intelligent. They don't like the idiots either. Yet, if the idiots get them attention, they'll tolerate them. And, by tolerate, I mean promote them shamelessly for their own self-interests. Why, there are GOP members that are so intelligent that they reach evil-mastermind status, ( Cheney anyone?).

Let's take a look at some of the residents of Idiot Village. I'll start with Bush; complete and total idiot. Also, selfish, weak and indiferrent. Bush also falls under the category of " puppet" but Puppet Village is a whole other subject all together.

Average American neighborhoods are dwindling due to the rapid succession of home foreclosures. " Bank owned" and " foreclosure" signs dots the formerly manicured lawns of both blue and white collar suburbia. Yet, although many are forced to leave their homes, it seems that the residents of Idiot Village are busting at the seams. In an attempt to boulster the economy,I would love for some of the idiots to buy more land to increase the size of Idiot Village so that they could build a home there. Yet, Idiot Village should be considered a place of quarantine and isolation, not an ideal community.

Another ( literally) huge idiot; Rush Limbaugh. He's such an idiot that he's actually allowing the Dems to herald him as the new face of the GOP because it both gets him ratings, and gives him ( false) hope. You're an idiot, and a fat idiot. You were also a drug addict, but Drug Addict Village is currently being occupied by the members of Celebrity Rehab.

Sarah Palin, idiot. One of the biggest idiots I've ever been aware of. If she and Bush were to mate and produce an offspring, I fear the world would never know such an uber idiot. The thought gives me shivers. She's such an idiot that she doesn't even realize that every time she opens her mouth, she reinforces the fact that she's an idiot.

Can there be any more idiots? Of course! I couldn't forget Ann Coulter. Apparently advanced degrees from esteemed universities don't grant you a free pass out of Idiot Village. She's a total idiot. A hateful one at that. As a matter of fact, Rush, Sarah and Ann are all extremely hateful idiots. They can knock themselves out with a idiot menage a trois. I don't think that Bush is a hateful idiot. He actually could have achieved loveable idiot status but then someone stupidly gave him authority. Whoever that was, was an idiot.

Now, please understand, the Dems are not devoid of idiots. Blagojevich... IDIOT! He can't live in Idiot Village but he should certainly think about residing in Bad Hair Bad Decisions Village.

So, dear readers, idiots are everywhere, they reside on both party lines. We can't escape them, but please, let's not elect them?

If you do, why don't you mapquest the directions to Idiot Village, maybe Rush will be able to " squeeze you in".

Did you catch Obama's speech to Congress last night? The enthusiasm was palpable. The sense of hope and eager anticipation that reverberated off of the walls of Congress was also at a high, in my living room.

Now, I can't tell you how Congressional addresses made by Bush were received. You see, whenever I saw that smarmy grin and heard his incoherent, arrogant babble, I would change the channel with the swiftness of a cheetah. I may be unathletic, and completely uncoordinated for that matter, yet if there were to be an Olympic event in channel changing, I would win top honors. Specifically, if the event was centered on changing the channel to avoid Bush's stupid face and verbal diarrhea.

I spent the majority of the Bush administration with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears. I would often try to take off to a “happy place" in my mind. Ironically, that happy place was typically one where we had a capable and effective leader.

Unfortunately, although we now have that leader, this nation is far from a happy place. We are in it ladies and gentleman. And, by in "it" I mean deep shit of course. Obama was right in saying that we've “inherited" the mess that the Bush administration got us in.

We have a long, long road ahead to recovery. There have been instances over the last few weeks where I have experienced some doubt and concern over how things could possibly get any better, anytime soon. However, although I've come to terms with the fact that it may just take us eight years to get us out of this mess, I have tremendous faith in Obama's abilities. Obama has been able to enable me to hold on to the smallest, yet growing sense of hope.

I can only wish that he has done the same for you.

As I stare at the beautiful painting that my boyfriend and I purchased on inauguration day in D.C., I cannot help but resent it. The painting is an Andy Warhol-like depiction of Obama. The memorable quote, " There are no red states or blue states, only the United States of America," is etched on it has, over the past few weeks, become a source of resentment. That quote, which inspired me last August, now leaves me with a feeling of dread.

We are a nation more divided than it was during the days of the Civil War. Red is the color of anger and fire. Isn't it a coincidence that the GOP is more angry and fired up than ever? Despite Obama's attempts at a bipartisan approach to solving our nation's problems, which by they way, are a direct result of the very partisan government of Bush's era, those stupid, stubborn, selfish asses are doing everything in their power to destroy any possibility of relief.

Please understand, all of this is extremely deliberate on the GOP's part. You see, if Obama's plans are marred and unsucessful, then they believe that they have a shot next term. They are scheming to bring down his policies by fighting the elements of his plans that will provide us all with the help that we really need.

DON'T FALL FOR IT!

Your voice in this government was not quieted on November 5th. You can make the decision to stand up to their vile attempts to keep our nation in the crapper. Call, write, email your local representatives. Tell them that this is not OK! If you can't manage to do that, then talk about it! Tell your friends and your families that you are frustrated and things need to change, now! We can no longer be passive. Our nation is at a critical juncture, we need to be a part of deciding the direction in which it will move forward.

I am honestly mystified and heartbroken over this. The GOP is trampling on our hopes and passion for change. It keeps me up at night.

I'm not a religious person, yet I do understand that there are some notions that have existed since any culture began. The theory of opposing forces in the universe is a valid one. Ying and Yang, sun and moon, good and evil.

Democrats and Republicans.

This has to stop.

L   more »

There, I said it. Typically I wouldn't be so crude, yet, desperate times call for potty mouths!

It is BEYOND me that the GOP would not cast a single vote for Obama's economic stimulus bill. Now, I'm all for compromise and collaboration, but, come on! This is getting ri-god-damned-diculous!

You would think, that in the light of the Bush administration and the fact that the GOP is sinking faster than a lead sail boat, they would be putting forth their best efforts to reworking their image and addressing fundamental, party problems that are largely to blame for their absence in the White House.

You would think, right?

WRONG! Just when I thought that their desparate cling to Sarah Palin was nauseating, their recent antics have me doubled over in heaves! They're acting like a bunch of babies that have had their toys taken away from them. Reality check: our livelihoods are not toys, you can no longer "play" with them depending on your private interests and greed.

My father, one of the smartest, if not the smartest, men that I know has eased my fears. " Let them keep it up," he said. He's right. The more they spew this whiny, babyish bullshit , the better it is for our party!

( Insert evil laugh and mustache twisting here).

I would tell them to keep it up, but our economy is at stake. Therefore, knock it off! Cry about your losses but let our government do it's job.

However, feel free to continue to shamelessly embarass yourselves by complaining and being the sorest of losers! ( Don't think I didn't catch your asinine-remarks today McCain!)

The man, Obama, has been hard at work this past week trying to get GOP backing for his new stimilus package. To see the plan at a glance go to : http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/01/26/stimulus_plan_at_a_glance/

Basically, the plan will call for $825 billion to create jobs in the renewable energy and homeland security and offer tax breaks for those who pay the high cost of childcare. OBRA, the temporary health insurance for those who had lost it when they lost their jobs, would also be expanded.The plan also calls for the renovation of over 10,000 schools and an increase in Pell grants that could enable college accessibilty to over 7 million students.

Now, the GOP's won't stop their complaining and criticism of the bill. I think general discussion and discourse is entirely appropriate. Afterall, look what happened when we pushed through Bush's all-encompassing $700 billion bailout? Zero accountability and more mismanaging of our money. Therefore, why would the GOP allow the government to make the same mistake? I do think that all bills should be carefully picked apart as neither party has the " perfect" solution. Yet, I secretly harbor a feeling that they just don't want to admit that their antics brought us to the point where this country HAS to have a measure like this.

I don't want my taxes to increase any more than you do. Yet, I don't think that creating jobs in renewable energy, that may actually decrease our reliance on foreign oil, or even jobs in homeland security is all that bad. The more people work, the more money they have to put back into the economy. Wouldn't Americans rather be working towards initiatives that will both protect us and help fight global warming?

God forbid we put any money into education. As a teacher its extremely difficult for me to understand why anyone wouldn't want to fortify our nations' education from prekindergarten to college. Our educational system is as close to being in the toilet alogn with the economy, it could use a little boost.

Extending OBRA for people who don't have health insurance? How dare they! Providing tax breaks for those parents who shell out tens of thousands a year just so they can participate in our workforce, and thus, our economy? Shameless.

What strikes me as highly ironic, is that Obama doesn't need the GOP to support the bill. He will have enough votes in the house to pass it regardless. Yet, Obama is following through with his campaign promise to work across party lines to formulate solutions to the problems that those to the right of the party lines, created for us.

Stop digging in your heels GOP. The bill will pass. Your insight and suggestions are important and justified. Be part of the solution, not a continued part of the problem.

In other words, stop acting like whining babies. Do the right thing. Our economy depends upon it.

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?