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Too Freaking Funny!

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama!!

This really is worth watching, he made some points that I've been thinking all along. I've never been a fan of Colin Powell, but he just won my respect by what he said.

More importantly, I have been really troubled by all the rhetoric going around that "Obama is a Muslim." First and foremost, this is a lie, but even more troubling to me is this, so what if he was a Muslim?

One of the biggest tenants of our country, is freedom of religion. This has bothered me horribly through this whole thing, one does not have to be a Christian to become president.

No matter what your feelings or beliefs are, this is a truth. I'm glad someone finally said it out loud. I never expected this from Colin Powell, but I welcome it with open arms.

Hope and Humanity

Keith Olberman

I just watched this on TV, and so I had to post it. Once again, I'm in complete agreement with Olberman.

Rachel and Jay

I am seriously falling for Rachel Maddow. She is so smart and funny, and I love her take on politics. Here is a clip with her on the Jay Leno Show, enjoy!

Up On My Soapbox Again, But What The Heck, It's My Blog, My Soapbox!!!!

Where to start?

I've been mulling this blog post over in my head all day. I have been trying to avoid politics, but I find it impossible. It's all I think about lately. I cannot keep my mind on anything else, and I'm afraid I've become obsessed to the the point of no return.

I spent a long day on the phone today, making phone calls to clients at work. I actually had a good day at this. I talked to a lot of people who were in desperate places and was able to help some of them. I also spent the day listening to Naomi Wolf's, "The End Of America" which I downloaded off iTunes last night. I've ordered a few of her other books as well.

I never have time to read, so I thought I'd download some of the stuff I really want to read and listen to it at work while I'm muddling along. I'm a reading machine when it comes to Internet news, just not books.

Wow! All I can say, is if you haven't checked her out, you should, you must! Through extensive, exhaustive research, she has managed to name "The Ten Steps to Closing Down an Open Society."

This is frightening stuff folks. This is our history, lets hope it's not our future. Ms. Wolf goes on to name the steps. She states in her book, that the decline of all open societies have gone through these same steps. I don't care where your politics lie, you need to read this. You will be shocked.

I've never felt more compelled to get out there and take a stand for my beliefs. I've never felt it to be as important as it is now. I can't just go on, with my little life pretending that everything is OK. It's finally hit me that it's not alright, is is so very not alright.

I look at people, living their life, telling me they are going to vote for McCain, and I just honestly don't even know what to say anymore. I've done such extensive reading at this point, that I'm starting to feel like people just don't really want to see what is going on in the world. It's easier to ignore it and pretend that it's not happening, but it is.

So here I am, mid -forties and for the first time in my life, I'm angry, and pissed off, and ready to get up and fight for what I believe in. I don't want my kids falling into a hell hole if I can stop it.

This political puzzle is coming together in my head, in a scary way. It makes me scared, terrified, and determined. I don't think it is too late to stop what is happening out there, but we all need to get up and fight for it.

Our founding fathers would not have been proud of us for being "patriotic", as Ms. Wolf states so eloquently in her book, they knew what it was like to live under a dictatorship. They set this system up with checks and balances. The expected people to state their dislike and disagreement with the government.

Folks, we are losing some of these checks and balances. It's so insidious and slow moving, its barely noticeable unless you pick the whole puzzle up and start looking at it as a slow moving cancer that is descending upon us. Look at the history. Read the scary stuff. Listen to Air America.

Don't close your eyes, don't pretend everything is alright, it is not.

There is a crisis in America. If you have the time, go volunteer, go walk the streets, go make phone calls. It's that important this time. Even if you don't agree with me, do some open minded research, and form your own conclusions, that is all I can ask of you.

Peace,

OC

Lipstick On A Pig??

What Is In My Bed

Did I tell you I have a very large king sized lodgepole bed? It has a pillow top mattress, and on top of that, there is a mattress cover with a pillow top. I have very nice high thread count sheets I got on sale at Macy's and a beautiful (or used to be) expensive down comforter. I love my bed. It's soft, it smells good, and there is plenty of room.

Except for one thing, well OK two things.

Small Son and Little Miss.

They like my bed just as much as I do. Right now, Small Son is smack dab in the middle and Little Miss is next to him. There is approximately 1 foot of space left on my side.

I love sleeping with my kids, but lately they have turned into bed hogs and I don't sleep much. I either

A. spend the night getting up and down, putting them back in their own bed, or

B. Squish myself up, and suck it up, because I really do actually love having them in the bed with me.

I'm watching them right now, and they are so cute. One little blond head with very short hair, and one little blond head with long curly hair. They look so much alike, and so different at the same time.

I love that they love sleeping with me, and my rational brain say's.."Hey, OC, you are at work all day, they are at school, this is connect time!"

I know, I know, but sometimes I just don't want to connect quite so much.

Today, I showered them both with me. I was doing my business in the restroom, complete with the musical tapping's of Little Miss on the door.

So there you go, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to carry sleeping kidlets back to their bed tonight, or just squish in beside them and hope for the best. It does amaze me that 70 odd pounds of children can take up so much room.

I'm sitting here torturing myself watching Fox News tonight. WTF?

I am sickly fascinated by it, and I for some reason, this time, have the need to know both sides. I feel like I NEED to know what the other camp is really saying. I was even tempted to sign up on McCain/Palin's site so that I could get their emails and see what crap they are spitting out.

Really, I watch what they say, Rush Limbaugh was just on Greta Van Susteren's show, and I can't believe all the bull that comes out of their mouth that is just not true. How can they act like it is? It's not true, it's a flat out lie, the lies have been debunked, and still they are spilling out.

I want to turn this election around. I'm terrified of what will happen to all of us, if the 'Pubs win this one. McCain can't keep his story straight. Palin is still spitting out the same lies she's been busted on. I just don't know people. I don't know how they can keep going and not want to bury their heads in utter mortification. Are they not just the slightest bit embarrassed?

Tonight, Small Son started talking about Barack Obama. He is listening. It makes my commitment that much stronger. He's paying attention to what I'm doing. Tonight when I was at the Barack Office, they told me again, "bring the kids with you." "We'll put them to work coloring signs." I think I will next week, at least Small Son. I think he would get a kick out of it, and I'm willing to bet he would learn something. Not to mention, he could play with Fits.

Fits, I'm falling hard for Fits. Tonight he came over, and put his giant golden head on my knee and let me rub his ears while I was making phone calls. He is such an encouraging soul. He is just happy to be. Give him an ear rub, and he is all the more happy to hang out with you. I noticed tonight, that it was like he recognized me, as he gave me some special attention.

I want a dog so bad, but I want a dog like Fits, calm, even, loving. I'm not ready for puppy hell. I've stalked the pound, but the right dog is never there. Someday, I'll find my canine soul mate, until then, I'm just going to soak up the dog love when I can, from Lucy, from Fits, there are a lot of pooches out there that are happy to let me rub their ears.

One more thing about the election. As I sit here, watching Fox News, it is amazing to me just how they can portray McCain as a reasonable person. If I wasn't the type of person to do my own research, I think I could almost be sucked in. It's scary because normal people can be sucked into this by the nuance rich prattle.

I do think it's good to know what we are up against, but I think I may have to turn it in a minute, I can only take so much torture in one evening.

Peace,

OC

I'm calling for YOU!

OK..well after all this time of me moaning and groaning about the election, tonight was the night. I spent the evening at the Little Old Crone Town Barack Obama Headquarters making phone calls. It felt so damned good. I called number after number, most of them no one even answered.

Umm...thanks Caller ID.

Here is the drill.

Walk in, get my list. Sit down at a phone.

Start dialing...

"Hi, you've reached Minnie, please leave a message."

Now, good little phone caller that I am, I hang up and dial the next number.

Ring...Ring....

"Helllooo"...

OC: "Hi is Jack there?"

Jack: "This is."

OC: "Hi Jack, my name is OC and I'm calling from the Barack Obama headquarters here in Little Old Crone Town. How are you tonight?"

Jack: (said in a suspicious voice), "Fine."

OC: "Well Jack, I'm calling you tonight as a volunteer for Senator Obama, we would like to find out if you have made up your mind regarding the upcoming Presidential Election."

Jack: (said in a suspicious voice), "Yes, I have, but I don't tell no one how I vote."

OC: "Well OK then Jack, is there any information that you might want to know about Senator Obama?"

Jack: "No." Click...

OC: Sticks out lip and pouts.

This went on, over and over, but as the night wore on, my skin toughened up as proper Old Crone skin will do, and I stopped stumbling over my words.

I'll tell you, I haven't felt that good about doing something in a long time. I was dreading it a bit, because I was nervous about calling people, but it turns out, I was fine. At least, I am living up to my promise to myself I wasn't going to stand by and watch things happen, that I was going to do my part.

I met some super nice people tonight as well.

There was Patty: She looked a little like a 50 something Kewpie doll, dressed in a pink polo shirt and blue jeans. She had a nice bobbed haircut, and a very sweet voice, and looked neat and tidy, but not over the top, I instantly liked her.

She is passionate about this election, and has a lot of really good things to say. I sat there and watched her talk to people so easily about why SHE had to be out helping, and wouldn't they please consider voting for Senator Obama. She even gave a few of them her own home phone number in case they felt like discussing it at a later date. I was seriously impressed by Patty. She was a natural, and someone who has been spending entirely too much time watching CNN and MSNBC and now has an outlet for her energy.

Then there was "Fits." A huge yellow lab, who lays on the floor and gets up to come greet everyone that walks in the door. He was so friendly, but so calm, and he had his job to do. He did it with the practiced ease of an old hand. You can tell Fits has been on the campaign trail for some time, nothing seemed to phase him. He came over to me a few times, as if to reassure me that I was doing a good job, then he would go back to his place in the middle of the room waiting for the next person to come in the door. He didn't miss greeting even one. An excellent ambassador.

Then there was "Dan." Dan had to have been in his 50's, with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a very plump oversized body to go with his over sized voice. He was very good at explaining to me what I needed to do. He was also very appreciative of me coming in and making calls.

Next, was Kristin, who couldn't have been more than 21 or 22. Very peppy, and she looked lovely in her Obama T Shirt. She was really good at making calls, and was very free with the beer, coffee, water and soda.

There were a few other people in and out, and they all had the same vibe about them. Determined, Calm, and sure. It was a great atmosphere. I felt like I was soaking it up like a sponge. To finally be around a group of people (and dogs) that where in the same place emotionally as I, was such an amazing lift for me. I felt finally like I was at home. I could open my mouth and talk the talk and people were willing to listen.

I went from being depressed about it all tonight, to feeling like I' I could do something to turn it just the tiniest bit. In the process, I've finally met up with a group of people I think are accepting, and care about the same issues as I do. What an incredible relief.

On too other news, I spent the night last night cheering myself up watching old clips of Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseanna Danna.. and Emily Latella. I miss that woman so much. She is hands down my favorite Saturday Night Player, and I love Gene Wilder for how he took care of her, how he loved her, and how wonderfully he played Willy Wonka. I still haven't been able to watch the remake, it's just not Willy Wonka.

I'm digressing. Anyway, I got my fill of "Jane, you ignorant slut." and "It just goes to show you, its always something." I've watched SNL over the years, but have never really gotten into the newer versions like I did the old one. They are funny, but it's always a let down for me that it's not Gilda, Jane, Lorraine Neuman, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase or Dan Akroid. Nothing was better than that..I'm a creature of habit. I spent way too many nights in my 20's staying up to watch reruns of SNL. I would watch until "weekend update" came on, if Gilda was on, I'd watch the whole show, if she wasn't, off went the TV and off to bed.

There is no point to this post, except that tonight, for the first time since this whole thing started, I really felt fulfilled and not angry and helpless.

Get out there everyone, get out there and work for this election!!!

Peace,

OC

The Real McCain

War Games

Warning, this is tough to watch.



I wish I could stop thinking politics, but I'm afraid that I'm afraid of what is to come. Get out there and vote!

Sister Soccer Mom

I've been waiting for days to write this. I felt I needed to listen to Palin's speech before I voiced any opinion one way or the other.

So I watched it last night. It was everything I expected. Glitzy, with vapid blank-faced women waving signs that said things such as "Soccer Moms for Palin." I watched every bit of rhetoric that came out of her mouth, and have re-read the speech in its entirety. I think we can officially call her McCain's "Pit-Bull."

She is very good at public speaking and getting the crowd worked up. She is very good at giving the details of her life. I know that she is a "soccer mom" (so am I), that she grew up in AK, that she ran for PTA president in her 20's and that she was mayor of "Wasilla AK." She put the AK plane on EBay, and her husband is a proud member of the Teamsters Union.

I wonder if that is why she is so in favor of oil drilling in the AANWR?? Out of the 19 million acres in that refuge, only 2000 acres are to be used for drilling. Sounds good right? Only 2000 acres out of over 19 million. What she and her co-horts are neglecting to say, is that the only land counted in that 2000 acres is the land directly UNDER the oil platform. It's not a 2000 acre plot folks. It also does not include the roads too and from these platforms. Each platform can take as little as 10 acres of land.

Ouch, that is not exactly what we were thinking in regards to the 2000 acre promise is it?

Additionally, the pipelines will be above ground, and the only surface area being counted is the area directly under the supports. Hmm…smells fishy to me. The oil industry and the TEAMSTERS union are the biggest backers of this. Now, don't forget who's "first-dude" is a proud member of the Teamsters Union.

She also made quite a few digs about a mayor being the same as a community organizer, but with responsibilities…Um….correct me if I'm wrong, being mayor of a town with 6500 citizens and organizing in Chicago's south side are not quite the same thing Sarah.

Maybe you did have responsibilities; in fact I'm sure you did. I'm also equally certain Barack Obama had "responsibilities" through out his life.

Sarah, was schooled at a college in Northern Idaho, that's sort of close to where the skin heads live, just saying…

Senator Obama's stint at Harvard surely can't compare to that, now can it?

She made quite a production about spouting rhetoric about Democrats raising taxes. The whole Republican Party seems to forget that they want to give millions in tax breaks to big oil companies who are already raking in profits in excess of 13 billion dollars.

How about health care? Her insurance is most likely paid for by the state, same as mine. McCain's, most likely by the Federal Government. What is her plan to cover the millions of people in this country with out access to even basic health care? We never heard her mention the middle class last night. We never heard any plans for her party to stop the outsourcing of American jobs.

What it boils down to, is that we don't really care how Sarah Palin lives, or how she and her husband take care of their family. I want to know what they can do for me and MY family, for my children, for my job. I still don't know what that plan is, and I suspect, neither does she.

So there you go, my two-cents on Sarah Palin.

Let's see what tonight holds for us with John McCain himself, I can hardly wait.

Peace,

OC

Is he Going in Circles?

Dear Mr. President

In light of the Republican National Convention, I thought this song was appropriate.

Hillary, You Knocked it Out of the Park Last Night

This is rather long, but if you missed it last night, it's worth a watch, or two.