Presidential Debate Drinking Game

Hello all, I thought I'd spread a little levity.  With the economy in shambles and the debate tonight, I figured we could all use a chuckle.  Today at lunch we were talking about the upcoming presidential debate. Lynne, one of the most creative people I know, has come up with a drinking game.

There are three simple things to look out for:

1. If Obama says "change".....take a drink

2. If McCain parlays his experience as a POW as foreign policy experience...take a drink.

3. If during the debate one of them swears.....CHUG!

I found this to be quite humorous!

Sara Palin and Planned Parenthood - UPDATED

Hello All:

I didn't write the following...but I wish I had!  I blog jacked this from a friend's blog and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

And yes, I will be making a donation in honor of our favorite moose eating ding-bat neo-con!

JUST AN ADDED NOTE:  IF YOU FEEL THE SAME AND YOU WANT TO PROTECT WOMEN'S HEALTH, THEN PLEASE MAKE A DONATION SO WE CAN SEND A MESSAGE.  IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MUCH AT ALL.  AND THEN REPOST THIS BLOG!  AND ENCOURAGE YOUR READERS TO REPOST THIS BLOG!  LETS SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS!

AND IN THESE PRECARIOUS ECONOMIC TIMES, IF YOU CAN'T DONATE, THAT'S COOL TOO, BUT REMEMBER TO SPREAD THE WORD!  REMEMBER, WE'VE COME THIS FAR AND NO ONE WANTS TO GO BACK TO BACK ALLEYS AND WIRE COAT HANGERS!!


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Dear Friends,

We may have thought we wanted a woman on a national political ticket, but
the joke has really been on us, hasn't it? Are you as sick in your stomach
as I am at the thought of Sarah Palin as Vice President of the United
States?

Since Palin gave her speech accepting the Republican nomination for the Vice
Presidency, Barack Obama's campaign has raised over $10 million dollars.

Some of you may already be supporting the Obama campaign financially -- but
want to do more -- anything. I am horrified by Palin's selection, furious,
and frightened by it for many reasons, one of which is her position on
women's issues. May I pass along the following fiendishly brilliant idea?

Make a donation to Planned Parenthood of any amount, in Sarah Palin's name.
Here's the best part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll
send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor. It
won't change the election but it will support an important organization and
it will make women's voices heard. (And even if this was cooked up by a PP
person -- I don't care!

Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

You'll need to check "make honorary or memorial gift," and fill in the name
of the person you want to "honor," i.e. Palin. Fill in the address to let PP
know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. If you use the address
for the McCain campaign headquarters, they'll get the message.

McCain's headquarters address:

Sarah Palin
McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor Arlington, VA 22202

Please free to send this along to all your women -- and men friends and urge
them to do the same.

> I just did it, easy as pie...

Race, Politics and White Privilege

It's almost time.  November will be here before we know we will be picking our new president.

This has been one of the most important yet devicive elections in recent memory.  The attacks have been vicious and swift.  There have been accusations of the race card being played and rebuttles saying that the opposition is racist.

This is a free country and you can vote for whomever you like.  But if you cast your ballot and think that race has not played a part in this election, you are only fooling yourself.

There's one thing that particularly bothers me, and I have heard it on blogs over and over again, and it goes a little something like this:

"I'm not a racist, I'm just not voting for Obama because he's a Muslim."

Are you serious!?!?!? 

I received a forward today from a friend.  It was regarding White privilege and the upcoming presidential election.  I was written by Tim Wise.  I enjoyed reading it and I am sharing it with you...

WHITE PRIVILEGE by Tim Wise


For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is…

when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and
everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is…

when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is…

when you can attend four different colleges in six  years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is…

when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller  than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."

White privilege…

is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege…

is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

White privilege is…

being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a  9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is…

being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege…

is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence I these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege…

is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege…

is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and  who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege…

is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is…

being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is…

the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

What's Up With Her Hair?!

I know its not the most pressing issue our country is facing.  And I know I could probably spend my time thinking about more important things.  But, I just want to know, what is up with Sara Palin's hair?

I was watching her interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC.  She was being grilled on her foreign policy experience.  I wanted to watch to see what she really knows regarding foreign policy.  Maybe she would surprise me.

As I was watching her interview, my attention slowly drifted towards her hair.  It was sitting poofily atop her head.  And it was a little deshevled looking.  I found it to be unsightly.  I know it sounds shallow but all the men are impecably groomed.  Obama is always perfectly put together.  Let's all remember how much attention John Edwards paid to his hair.  And Mitt Romeny, his hair is shalacked into place.  By the way, is it just me or does Mitt Romeny look like the guy on the front of a package of men's briefs?  But I digress...

I just couldn't take my eyes off the pile of hair on top of her head.  It was hypnotic!!  Have you ever talked to someone who maybe had a mole on their face?  You just can't take your eyes off the mole, and before you know it, you're not talking to the person, you are talking to the mole and the mole is all you see.

It was kind of like that...Sara Palin's hair is like a mole to me!

And I started to wonder....is she covering something up with her hair?  What's under there?!
The left wing liberal in me is screaming horns!!  She's hiding horns!!  The big geek in me is screaming Valdemort!!  Or maybe a conjoined twin!  Maybe it's a kind of female comb-over to match John McCain!  They could be bonding throught their hair...I mean they gotta bond over something because apparently they can't do it over foreign policy.

It was unsightly! Doesn't she have people?!  I know its a non issue, but its just something that has been on my mind.  Sometimes I have deep thoughts...sometimes I just focus on the hair.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Hello all:

I waited a little past midnight to post this, like I did last year, like I will next year.  I know that one day, my daughter will ask me where I was on 9/11.  I'll give her this to read.  And like last year, and like next year, I will share it with you.

And I encourage you to share with me, where were you on 9/11?

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Today marks the seventh anniversary of the darkest day in our history.

I took a moment today to reflect on where I was on that day.

I remember I was a new mom. I had a great job. I was married. Just starting out. I remember thinking...life is good.

At that time, there was a morning show on the Boston affiliate of the WB. It was called Boston's WB in the morning. I was only a P.A., making peanuts, going to work at 2:00 am. But I loved it. It was the only time in my life when I can remember looking forward to going to work. We did local morning news. Very Today Show, but local. We covered a nice mix of serious news, cooking segments, and the occasional dancing dog!

If you ask me, what we covered that day before the first plane hit the tower, I couldn't tell you. It's like my day started at 8:30 instead of 2:00am. I have no idea what the news of the day was before that event, I can't remember.

I remember sitting in the news room, wondering if anyone would notice if I slipped out the side door and went home. The day for me was over and I was tired.

Then I noticed that the sales people were walking into the newsroom to look at the monitors. This was odd, usually they were busy basking in their own glory in their fancy suits. Why were they staring at the monitors.

Then I saw the strangest thing. Black smoke was rising from a tower in New York. I remember thinking, "Wow....how is the fire department going to put that out?" I had no idea what had just happened...how could I?

One by one...we took our places...some of us hit the AP wires....some of us manned the phones at the assignment desk....I made my way to the studio...we would be going live.

Stephanie Leydon was the anchor. She walked in and said "I don't know what's going on! What's going on?" I told her to take her place and that I would feed her any information I could get my hands on.

Poor Darren...he was our weather man. I just walked up to him...Does your computer have internet access? Yes. Is it hooked up to a printer? Yes. Is that phone connected? Yes. THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Stephanie was live on the air. I was looking for anything on the net. I would print it out... highlight the important stuff and slide it within hands reach. She would read it on the air. And that's how we did it.

I remember how stressful it was. There were scared angry people all over the city tuning in to see what was happening. We knew just as much as they did.

It was so confusing. What was happening?

Then I looked at the newspaper that was lying on the desk. September 11th. Then I looked at the phone..the digital display gave the date...9/11/01...9/11...9-1-1....It hit me like a ton of bricks...I remember I yelled out...Oh my God!! We're under attack! This is no accident! It's 9-1-1!! We're being attacked!!

On this date...all those people desperately dialed 911, hoping someone would come for them.

I just wanted to go home. My daughter was only 6 months old. As a new mother I was convinced that she was in danger and I had to go home and shield her from all of this.

At one point that morning, I looked up. Just as I looked up...the first tower came down. I can't describe the horror I felt. I can only decribe what I felt as a tremor/growl coming from my soul.

All those people were gone.

I finally went home at 4:30 that afternoon.

I remember flipping through the channels. I tuned into Univision. I saw something that has haunted me until this day. They were airing footage of people falling from the towers. There was this one man, falling. His tie flapping in the wind above him like some kind of perverse joke of a parachute. And the camera followed him falling and finally it turned away.

And I prayed. I prayed that when the towers fell, all those people trapped inside felt nothing. I prayed that when those people fell, that angels snatched up their souls and took them to heaven. I prayed that it was a horrible nightmare and I would wake up soon.

It wasn't.

It's been seven years since that very dark day. Sometimes, I still cry.

My Vendetta Against Smurfette....

For years, I have hated Smurfette.  I was never really able to pinpoint why, just the very word "Smurfette" would cause me to fly into a rage.  But it was until recently that I was able to figure out why.

For those of you who don't remember the various details of Smurfdom....lets do a quick recap.  Smurf village was inhabited by Papa Smurf, the leader, and a variety of other Smurfs.  All of whom were male.  There were no female smurfs.  And happily they lived.

Gargamel, the Smurf's nemesis, created Smurfette to infiltrate the Smurf colony.  She was to entice them with her feminine wiles, sabotage various projects and wreak havoc.  This plan backfired because when Smurfette was first taken to Smurf Village, she didn't fit in.  None of the Smurfs found her to be very attractive.  And they kind of thought she was annoying and mean.  She wasn't winning any popularity contests. And she was evil.

Papa Smurf in all his wisdom, did some smurf voodoo and made Smurfette good.

Here's the thing we should keep in mind, when Gargamel created Smurfette.....SHE HAD BLACK HAIR!

After Papa Smurfs makeover....SHE WAS A BLOND!!  And not just a regular blond...SHE WAS A BLOND WITH HAIR EXTENSIONS AND HIGH HEELS.

In short, she was the Jessica Simpson of Smurf Village.

As a child watching the Smurfs, I did not like this a bit but I just couldn't put my finger on it.  The Smurfs and Smurfette bothered me, but I wasn't quite sure why.

And it only got worse when I went to summer camp.  A boy named Jamal declared his undying love for me by stating that he was my Papa Smurf and I would forever be his Smurfette.  I think its safe to assume that the relationship was doomed to fail...especially since I punched him square in the face for calling me Smurfette.

I'm a little older and a little wiser now.  And I don't hit people in the face quite as often as I used to.  But I do know I have some very valid facts for hating Smurfette.

As a brunette no one liked Smurfette.  As a high heel wearing blond, everyone loved her and tripped all overthemselves just to be near her. 

To little girls who have dark hair...like myself...Smurfette was basically telling me that I was ugly and no one would ever love me.  And the Smurfette character even went so far to say, you have to be dumb and sexual for people to like you.  I'm sure some people will roll their eyes and say "No...you're reaching."  But kids pick up on these things.  As did I.

Earlier this summer I bought a summer dress, very simple, a little retro and pretty color.
I was wearing it at lunch and a coworker commented on the dress saying how pretty it was and how much she loved the color.  Another co-worker chimed in that every time I wear that dress he thinks of Smurfette....the dress is Smurf blue.

I haven't worn the dress since.

Guess who's pregnant.....

Speaking of unplanned pregnancies, the GOP has announced that the 17 year old daughter of Sarah Palin is pregnant.  For those of you who may have been alseep for the last week or so, Sarah Palin is the woman John McCain has selected as his Vice President if he wins the election for President of the United States of America.

Sarah Palin says that although her teen daughter now has to go through experiences that will cause to to grow up rapidly, she is thrilled that her daughter will become a mom and she is thrilled that she will be a grandmother...uh-huh.

So.... how's that deeply held republican/conservative mantra that sex education which consists solely of teaching your kids abstinence until marriage workin' for ya?  It appears to NOT BE WORKING!!

Sarah Palin is staunchly Pro-Life so it goes without saying that her daughter will have the baby.  And honestly, if that's her choice... good for her.  However, let's get one thing straight, a pregnant unwed teenager is not a good thing...i.e. Jamie Lynne Spears and the Gloucester 17.

Now, I think we all agree that we want to reduce teen pregnancy.  And if we reduce teen pregnancy then we reduce the number of abortions.  And apparently abstinence masquarading as sex education is not working as we can see from the daughter of the GOP pick for Vice President.

Can we try something new?  How about....and I know it sounds radical...real sex education.  Let's give teens the information they need.  When teens make up their minds to have sex, they are going to do it...they should at least know how to keep themselves safe.  Abstinence is nice, and some kids choose abstinence, but that's not going to be the choice for a lot of other kids.  And anyone who thinks that solely teaches kids abstinence will keep them from having sex is only fooling themselves.  Instead of wishful thinking, they should get the facts!

I'm going to share a story with you.  Back in the late 60's my mom was working as a housekeeper in the home of a very wealthy family.  The oldest daughter, who is now a doctor, was packing up to go away to college.  Her mother took her aside and gave her all the birth control she could ever need.  She was a very forward thinking woman...she was an artist after all. 

My mother was appauled.  How could this woman go and give her child permission to have sex and be promiscuous?!

Let's jump in the time machine and fast forward to August of 1990.  Another young girl was going away to college...it was me.

My mom had my bags all packed and ready to go.  I saw a white CVS bag tucked inside my duffle bag.  I saw an orange box.  Awwww....my mom bought me hanes knee highs...she wanted me to look nice on campus.  I tore the box open and pulled out some knee highs...I needed to make sure they were nude and not taupe. I hate taupe.  What I pulled out was a strip of Trojan Condoms!!!  And there was a year's supply of birth control pills in the bag too!  I was FLOORED!! Little did I know my mom was standing behind me...

"When you go to college, I don't want you to come back with any more people!"

Over the years my mom came to understand a few things.  If I was going to make the most of my future, I needed to protect myself from things like drugs, pregnacy and AIDS.  Two of those things would seriously derail my future, the last one would end it all together. 

My mom could gave me the tools to protect myself from pregnancy and AIDS.  And she was honest with me about how drugs could ruin your life.  She was honest with me, she was honest with herself.  She gave me ALL the information. 

Maybe parents, including Sarah Palin, should give their kids ALL the information, not just some of it.  One day my daughter will be making that trip to college.  And before she leaves, she will have ALL the information.  And when she gets to her dorm room and unpacks, she will find a CVS bag and you better believe it will be filled to the top with condoms and birth control pills.  She will know that her mother cares about her future enough to protect her.  And she will know not to come home from college with any more people!