Happy Halloween

Hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween! Also, friends in Texas, remember that today is the last day to vote early, after this, it's the 4th of November or not at all!

A Softer World

The friends that I'm staying with don't understand these comics (so I'm sharing with you instead), but I think they're really funny (and a bit sad). I especially like this one:




PS: If you click it, it will get big so you can read the words.

UPDATE: Matthew and Shannon do indeed think SOME of them are funny. Especially the ones with cats. :)

And One More Thing...

McCain and Palin have been doing their damndest to drag Obama through the mud, in a last ditch effort to win an election in which it has become clear they will lose. They keep repeating what Obama said to Joe the Plumber, (who is now conisidering his own congressional run) "I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody," as if he had said "lets set some kittens on fire."

Perhaps John McCain should take a look back at something he said back in the days when his behavior was closer to that of the "maverick" that he claims to be. In 2000, he was speaking with a young woman on MSNBC's Hardball. She asked him if it was fair that her father, a very successful doctor, was in a higher tax bracket. McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:

YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism (OH NO! Not socialism!) and stuff?

MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.

Sound familiar?

Go vote.

Zero.

For the first time in at least 3 years, the middle digit in my weight is 0. In less than 10 pounds, I'll be below the weight that I was at when I met Justin. Also, in a side trip to Arizona last weekend, I wore a swimsuit, in public, without being embarrassed at all. For maybe the first time in my entire life. This my friends, is progress.

California

I am currently in Fairfield, California, staying with my friends Matthew and Shannon. It is fantastic. I don't know how frequently I'll be posting from here, but I'll try to give the occasional update. Yesterday, we went to the pumpkin patch and to see Vicky, Christina, Barcelona, which has been out for awhile, but for some reason never came to Lubbock. Anyway, it was great. When I'm motivated enough to go back upstairs I'll come back and post some pictures from the pumpkin patch.



Okay, I'm back, and here's a picture from the pumpkin patch!

Yeah!

Except for the fact that 16 year old boys shouldn't have mustaches, (Just because you can grow one, doesn't mean you should people!) this is an excellent question, one that I've been wondering about myself.

Justin

I was tagged by Amanda so here goes: Justin loves....

Maybe

Domo Kun

Hanging out with his wife (me!)

His mom.

and video games (Pictured: Guitar Hero).

He also loves lots of other stuff, like Thanksgiving and candles that smell like laundry, but we didn't have pictures to illustrate those things.

I tag: Justin, Tiffany and Whitney.

Carol McCain

Why aren't more people talking about the fact that John McCain left his first wife, Carol, because she was in a disfiguring car accident and her disability made him feel old at a time when he wanted to be young and famous after his return from Vietnam? He couldn't stand the fact that his swimsuit model no longer looked like she did when he left, and so he started looking around for a replacement. John started courting the ice queen, Cindy, nearly a year before asking his wife for a divorce, and married her (Cindy) ONE MONTH after his divorce was final.


The Obamas were raked over the coals for admitting to marital counseling. John Edwards will never have a career in politics again after admitting his affair earlier this year. People are still making jokes about Monica Lewinski, but has the name Carol McCain showed up in the US media even once? I think not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking John McCain for having an affair. Carol says she's not really bothered, so why should I be? I just think that there shouldn't be a double standard about this sort of thing.

Because Newkuler Sounds So Much Better...

The right wing is all puffed up because Barack Obama pronounces Pakistan correctly (Pock-i-stahn, not Pack-is-tan). Apparently, it's elitist to get it right. I'm sure they would really love it if the entire world would embrace Sarah Palin's "folksy-ness."

Here's the article. Personally, I'm really looking forward to a president that doesn't sound like a hayseed. I don't want the leader of the free world to be folksy! If that's what I was looking for, I'd have joined 4-H! Furthermore, I know plenty of "Joe 6-packs," and I wouldn't leave them in charge of my dog, certainly not the economy. The president isn't supposed to be just like everybody else, he's supposed to know MORE than us, or at least be smart enough to hire people who do!

Anyway, I think this comment is really funny:

"Since the Packistanees have newkuler weapons of mass destruction, I think it's a good foreign policy initiative to pronounce the name correctly."




PS: Did anyone in the world miss John McCain calling us "my fellow prisoners" yesterday? Clarity and candor, indeed.

Political Survey

Someone sent me this on Myspace, and I'm sharing my answers here. It was originally titled "The Controversial Survey" but I don't think it's all that controversial. To me, the answers are obvious.

01] Do you have the guts to answer these questions and re-post as The Controversial Survey?
Definitely.


[02] Would you do meth if it was legalized?
No, it makes your face ugly and your teeth fall out. I'm a pretty big fan of teeth.


[03] Abortion: for or against it?
Let's get this straight right now. No one is FOR abortion. It's an awful thing for any woman to be faced with. Now, do I believe that it's the right choice sometimes, and do I believe in the right of a woman to choose what's right for her body and her life? Wholeheartedly YES.


[04] Do you think the world would fail with a female president?
There are plenty of female presidents in the world, Chile, Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand, Germany, India and plenty more have female leaders. As for the United States, I think the best leader for the country right now is Barack Obama.



[05] Do you believe in the death penalty?
No. I understand that taking the life of a killer will not bring his victims back and rarely gives the family closure. I also am aware that 94 people have been executed in the US who have later been cleared of any wrongdoing. Even one is too many.


[06] Do you think marijuana should be legalized?
Actually, yes. I believe that it would be a stable tax base in an economy that's failing rapidly. I also think that it would free up jails for people who commit actual crimes, and save counties money in the long run since they would no longer have to prosecute people for marijuana use/sales.



[07] Are you for or against premarital sex?
Definitely
for. I certainly wouldn't buy a pair of jeans without trying them on first, why on earth would I commit the rest of my life to a person without knowing if we were sexually compatible or not?



[08] Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?
Absolutely. I don't understand the argument that same sex marriage defiles the sanctity of marriage. You know what defiles the sanctity of marriage? DIVORCE. If people are willing to work so hard to be granted the same rights as everyone else, chances are they'll take marriage more seriously than people who have always been able to get married.


[09] Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are illegally moving to the USA?
I think it's unfortunate that our immigration policies make it so difficult for people who want to be here to come here legally.



[10] A twelve year old girl gets pregnant, should she keep it?
She certainly should not. At this point I would give my child two options: adoption or abortion. There are plenty of families out there who would be happy to have, and better able to raise that child.



[11] Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?
No, and here's why: the laws about alcohol are in place for a reason, it's not
because we don't want 18 year-olds to have fun, it's because the body is not able to properly process alcohol at 18. Furthermore, the brain is still developing until 23. If anything, the drinking age should be raised to 23. Also, as for the argument that if an 18 year old can fight a war he can have a beer, that's ridiculous. The age that it's possible to enlist in the military should also be raised to 23. Teenagers should not be fighting in wars. And until the brain is fully developed, they should not be allowed to make that sort of life altering decision.



[12] Should the war in Iraq be called off?
Yes. It's ridiculous that we're still there just because our current leader finds it impossible to say the words "I was wrong." The war has destroyed our economy, taken the lives of thousands of soldiers (and civilians) on both sides and brought us to this current dead end. We should not be involved in another country's civil war. We wanted Saddam Hussein out of power, and he is. Now we should get out of there.



[13] Assisted suicide is illegal do you agree?
I agree that it's illegal, (except in Oregon). I do not agree that it should be. People shouldn't be made to suffer when they are no longer able to live their lives.



[14] Do you believe in spanking your children?
I believe that it's okay to swat a child, once, on their bottom, preferably with a flyswatter, to get their attention, I don't believe in spanking as a punishment. It's been proven not to work, and I don't think it's okay to tell a child not to hit, and then hit them. Teach by example.


[15] Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?
Sure. It's just cloth, and most likely made in China. Flag burning isn't always political.



[16] Who do you think would make a better president? McCain or Obama?
Obama, obviously.

[17] Do you think Obama will be killed?
I suspect that there will probably be an assassination attempt by some racist, but I'm also pretty sure that he'll have more security detail than any other president we've ever had.



[18] Should child predators be forced to wear signs identifying themselves?
We have to be very careful about how we punish people convicted of sex crimes. Very frequently someone has "sex with a minor" on their record because they slept with their 15 year old girlfriend when they were 18 and her parents didn't like it. That said, if they are an actual pedophile, I'm pro chemical castration.



[19] Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
I can't imagine that anyone who knows me would be surprised by any of my answers. Judge all you want.

What The...

Why are the all doing this? And why is Joe Biden doing it so badly?

Dear Susan:

When you go shopping for clothes you must purchase at least one pair of new jeans and one pair of chinos. Everything else can wait, but if your pants threaten to fall off at the grocery store again, you will die of embarrassment.
xoxo

Anne:

I received a comment on my blog tonight from someone calling themselves "Anne," here is what it says:

what ever are you talking about? You stocked up on birth control just in case McCain wins??? why? If you think that he would elimate control you are paranoid and out of touch with reality....really.

I've chosen to leave her misspelling of eliminate, as well as the rest of her punctuation errors, even though it irritates me. "Anne" does not have any contact information on her blogger account, or even an active blog (Isn't that convenient?), so I could not address her directly, therefore, I have chosen to do so here.

My "stock up on birth control" comment was actually a joke, I got my standard 3 month supply, however, I was basing the statement, and previous statements about the potential McCain administrations determination to steal my birth control on this editorial from the Houston Chronicle (August 10) :

Health and Human Services officials are considering a draft regulation that would classify most birth control pills, the Plan B emergency contraceptive and intrauterine devices as forms of abortion because they prevent the development of fertilized eggs into fetuses.

The rule, which does not require congressional approval, would allow health care workers who object to abortion on moral or religious grounds to refuse to counsel women on their birth control options or supply contraceptives. It would forbid more than half a million health agencies nationwide that receive federal funds from requiring employees to provide such services. Pharmacists could use the rule as a justification for refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, and insurance companies could cite it as a basis for declining to cover the costs...

[The] draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it. The rule also could counter laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.

The Bush administration has stated that they support this, and it should come as no surprise that Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain agree.

Simpson

My dear, late grandmother was the only person in the United States, probably even the world, who truly deeply believed in her heart that OJ Simpson did not kill Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. I was 13 during the trial, and while I don't remember an awful lot about it, aside from the basics and the circus that surrounded it, I do remember her being absolutely sure that he was being framed. She died 10 years before his "hypothetical" confession, and I'm glad that she was never forced to see the truth.

Yesterday (Exactly 13 years since his acquittal, perhaps Irony is the ruling force of the universe.), OJ was found guilty on 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, and he will be sentenced to jail, possibly for the rest of his life, on December 5. I have no doubt that jail is exactly where he belongs. I've never suffered under the delusion that Mr. Simpson was innocent of murder. I never for a moment thought that he was anything but guilty of robbery. However, I wonder how much of his conviction, and in turn how much of his sentence will be the result of the jury feeling that he got away with murder 13 years ago. I'm slightly ashamed to say that I'm a little uneasy with the probability of that.

Mean Girls

I've been telling Justin for years that the reason it's hard for me to gather up a gaggle of girlfriends is that girls don't generally like other girls. It's just a fact of life. Justin never believes me. On a good day he says it's because I'm too shy, on a bad day, he says it's because I'm too cold, and send out a "get the hell away from me" vibe. I maintain that it's just because girls (me especially) are threatened or intimidated by other girls and no one needs to add that sort of stress into their lives. (Friendship is possible if they actually take the time to get to know one another, which hardly ever happens, because no one has time to get to know someone that they don't like. They have of course decided within about 2 minutes whether they like each other or not. It's a vicious cycle.) I suspect that when John McCain told Cindy that he was choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate in order to get the women's vote she said "Sweetheart, that will never work. Women don't like other women," to which I'm sure he responded "that's just your experience, because you're too cold honey."

Even without all of the mistakes that she's made since being picked, (and there have been plenty) women sort of had it out for Palin from the moment their husband/boyfriend/boss first said "wow, she's hot." Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Palin, just pointing out what a bad choice she was to begin with. Oh, and that John McCain should listen to his wife more often.

Anyway, as if she was reading my mind, Belinda Luscombe wrote this in Time Magazine today:

What the Democrats learned during the primaries and the Republicans might now be finding out the hard way, I learned at my very academic, well-regarded all-girls high school: that is never to discount the ability of women to open a robust, committed, well-thought-out vat of hatred for another girl.

Women are weapons-grade haters. Hillary Clinton knows it. Palin knows it too. When women get their hate on, they don't just dislike, or find disfavor with, or sort of not really appreciate. They loathe — deeply, richly, sustainingly. I do not say this to disparage my gender; women also love in more or less the same way.

When men disagree, the steps to resolution are reasonably clear and unsophisticated. Acts of physical violence are visited upon one another's person or property, and the whole thing blows over. Women? Nu-unh. We savor the discord. We draw it out. We share our contempt with our friends, like a useful stock tip, or really good salsa. And then we all go hate together: a mutually encouraging group activity for when the book group gets quiet.

The hatred women have for Sarah Palin, and others had for Hillary before her, is not necessarily about politics. It's a simple three-point pass-fail exam: Will the other girls like her?

READ MORE

PS: One exception to the "girls have an unlimited supply of hate rule" is Amanda. She doesn't have mean in her anywhere.

Also, please note what a nice picture of Governor Palin that I used up there. That should unruffle some feathers.

Unretouched.

This is Diahann Carroll. She has been in movies, television and stage productions since 1954. (Including an amazing performance in Agnes of God, 1982) The photo is not photo-shopped. How is it possible that this woman is 74 years old?? Yeah, she's probably had some, even a lot of plastic surgery, but she doesn't have that pulled face Joan Rivers look. I'd say that this is how I want to age, but I don't even look that good now!

Buy her book.