What is it to you?

Please, watch this, then tell me, what is it to you?

You can read the full text of this clip here.

Liberals in NZ are not dancing in the streets tonight...

NZ election results tonight have shown a "changing of the guard" so to speak, not one that the left wing wanted to see though! National has won a substantial portion of the votes and it looks as if the next Prime Minister will be from their party, Prime Minister-Elect John Key.

That doesn't mean much to many people outside the country, but lets just say in a way NZ went in the opposite direction of what the US did earlier this week. Well, with the exception of the fact that like Obama, John Key is a relatively young guy (47) who has been in the national political scene a relatively short time (just 6 years), he's seen as a bit of a centrist, and has energised the National Party this election year. I mean, come on, he used a similar "Vote for Change" mantra.

It's no big surprise really, change was in the air here too, and the Labour Party has been in charge for the last 9 years, so that's the way it goes I guess. *sighs*

Should be quite interesting to see what happens with the National Party in the coming months!

Now it's the Kiwis Turn!

Tomorrow is Election Day here in New Zealand! Chris has been walking around talking about all things Green (being a Green Party supporter), and while I was sitting here Wednesday waiting for polls on the East Coast of the US to close, Chris was off attending a lunch for Green supporters to talk about what the party was aiming to do after this election.

All the election fever has caused a good many interesting discussions between Chris and I about the differences in the election process of each country. I find New Zealand's method of doing things fascinating. Here's a rundown of how this country decides its leaders:

New Zealand uses something called MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) voting. Each person has 2 votes. One vote is the electorate vote--the person who will represent your region (similar to districts in the US). The second vote is the party vote. That's the one that all the political parties court you for, they want that party vote, since the number of party votes they get across the country is directly proportional to the percentage of seats they will control in the House of Representatives (informally also called Parliament). In other words, each electorate votes to decide who will represent them in the House, and the rest of the seats are determined by the party vote.

Those that run for the electorate seat can be of any party (or even no party at all!). So how do the parties decide who will fill the allotted seats that are won in the party vote? They have a party list, which lists the order in which the party will fill the rest of the seats in. The highest slots on the list are as you can imagine, pretty sought after within each party. Each party has their own way of determining the listing order, but it is usually voted on by all its members.

A party has to receive either 5% of the party vote, or at least have one member win his/her electorate seat in order to receive any seats in Parliament at all. The New Zealand House of Reps has 120 seats total (much smaller than the House in the US). Every New Zealander who is eligible to vote MUST register, it's the law! However, the law doesn't require you vote, unlike say....Australia! Still, it is highly encouraged that you vote, and in general voter turnout is really good, the 2005 election had about 81% of eligible voters cast their vote!

Once the election happens and the votes are tallied, the fun begins! Since typically no one party gets 50% of the party vote, the race is on to negotiate an alliance with the smaller parties to make up the majority. This usually involves the two biggest parties in NZ politics (Labour and National) trying to one up each other in order to convince smaller parties (like Green, Maori, Act, NZ First, etc...) that they will provide a better fit for the policies of the party in question. Kind of like, if you join up with us, we'll make it worth your while...;-P This allows the smaller parties to have their voice heard and their main party issues given more consideration by the larger ones, which leads to a more diverse government that is a bit more representative of the vast array of political opinions of New Zealand citizens.

Once a coalition that totals more than 50% of the vote is formed, that's it! The government is then established by the ruling group and they dictate who the cabinet will be, and most importantly, who will be the Prime Minister. Usually the Prime Minister comes from the largest party within the coalition (in other words, from either Labour or National).

Labour is more left wing and National tends to be more right wing, although there have been historical occasions when each of those parties has stepped outside of such labels. Regardless of that, National is still not as conservative as say the Republican party in the US! The more extreme ends of the spectrum are occupied by some of the much smaller parties.

So there you have it! It's a bit more detailed than that, but at least you have the general idea. And if you're an American and reading this post, now you can give yourself props for knowing the election process of another country!! Because lets face it, while the world seems to watch ours, most of us don't pay much attention to the elections of other countries...but we should.

It couldn't be all good I guess...

I woke up this morning, checked my email, read a few of the headlines rejoicing over the results of last night's election, and felt that joy and happiness well up inside me again, despite the horrible night of tolling and turning I had thanks to the whole tooth thing.

And then I read the news coming out about the ballot propositions and such proposed in Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Florida....and I've been crying ever since. Not just a little weepy but all out sobbing that unfortunately woke Chris up (I was trying to be quiet so Chris could sleep longer). I just couldn't hold it all in, my heart hurts too much.

Many of the same voters that helped carry Obama to win his bid for the White House last night turned around and voted for their states to legally discriminate against gay couples and in some, cohabiting couples and their ability to adopt/foster children. We certainly can't blame just the "conservatives" for that one, they were helped along by some who voted Democrat last night. And that is breaking my heart. This was not just a matter of semantics about the word "marriage", the propositions and act are broad discrimination on couples that for whatever reason are not within the "traditional bond of marriage", voted for by over half of the population in those states! Clear evidence that we have a long way to go in dispeling the lies that have been poured out by those who hate people different from them.

Now I will acknowledge that there is some good news in various other proposition races across the nation highlighted in that article, and I may talk about them at some point in the future, but today? Today I'm going to mourn the passing of the 4 mentioned above, because I think the movement deserves that. Last night showed us change can happen, and I DO believe that one day we WILL overcome this. But today I still find myself asking, when will our country be more than 'equality for some'?

Yes we can...and we DID!!!

I can't find the words to express how incredible this day has been, but I'm gonna try since I have 30 minutes to get this post in before midnight..;-P

No, you know what? I still can't find the words. I've erased everything I've typed for the past 15 minutes. It's still sinking in...and it will continue to in the days ahead.

We listened to coverage of the election on NPR.org and the BBC, while a friend of mine kept feeding me live updates from Katie Couric and I frantically watched maps and liveblogging on several sites. It was a busy day here for a few hours. The votes came in much faster than I thought they would...and then the polls officially closed on the West Coast and the networks officially called the election as a win for Obama and the airwaves erupted with cheering from all across the nation, and the world!

McCain gave a very gracious concession speech. It reminded me of the McCain I came to love in 2000, the man who I thought I'd vote for if given the chance...a stark contrast to the man we saw during the course of this campaign. I remember how much it hurt to listen to Kerry's concession speech in 2004, so I can imagine what McCain's supporters are feeling tonight. I applaud him for stopping the booing from the crowd when he mentioned Obama's name. I know his supporters are feeling defeated tonight, and I'm sorry they are feeling that way...I'm not insensitive to their pain, but quite frankly I think we've earned the right to rejoice today!!

Watching Obama's speech I was struck by the difference in the crowd's response when Obama mentioned McCain..instead of booing we heard cheering. I'm glad Obama said what he did about McCain. His speech was beautiful, I sat here crying, deeply touched and unbelievably proud of our nation. I'm so glad that he will be representing our nation to the nations of the world! Can you imagine what it must have been like to be there in Grant Park tonight? I have to admit I'm rather jealous...but it's okay, because no matter where we are, Obama supporters the world over are celebrating with as much enthusiasm as those attending his speech did!

Today is Guy Fawke's Day in New Zealand (and many other countries in the Commonwealth). As is tradition, once the sun went down the fireworks started to fill the sky! We were driving to pick up a friend for dinner who had a rough job interview today, and I couldn't help remarking that even though I knew the real reason for the fireworks, it felt like all of New Zealand was celebrating with us. And let me tell you people--they are. People all over the world are celebrating with us this day! We sat and ate dinner at Denny's of all places, and I couldn't help but wonder what Denny's all across the US were looking like right about now. Packed full of exhausted supporters, faces awash in the euphoric high of realising their actions really do matter.

I imagine this will sink in more as the days go by, but right now I still feel like I'm in a bit of a daze. Part of me can't believe it actually has happened, and yet part of me knew it would happen all along. Why? Because of those of us who had the audacity to hope, dream, work, donate, vote, and believe that in the end enough people would be inspired to do those same things...and change the world.

That's right people....today, each voice, one by one brought change to our nation. Bask in it today...soak it all in...because tomorrow comes quickly and this journey is far from over!!

YES WE CAN.....YES WE DID.....YES WE WILL!!

Election Day!!

It's finally here, Election Day. 2 years in the making, eh? Seems like this race has gone on forever, and yet suddenly we find ourselves at the end of it.

It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I love this 'standing on the edge of something, about ready to jump and yet reluctant to take that one last step that will plunge you into midair' kind of feeling. I've had it before in key moments of my life and I truly feel that this is a key moment for our nation. Tomorrow we will make history. We will either have the first African American President, or the first woman Vice-President. Readers of this blog know all too well which one I'd prefer to see happen when the votes are counted, but even though I have my preferences, I fervently wish that everyone gets out and takes advantage of their right to vote.

As I picked up the laptop to hurry up and type this post before midnight, Chris joked "Oh I know what you're going to write, some patriotic, "get out and vote" post, aren't you?!" . Well yes Chris, that's exactly what I'm writing. I've said this all before, but I can't resist saying it one more time because I sense this is going to be the "big" vote of our generation. In 20 years will I be telling the story about this election and my vote in it as a way to encourage a future niece or nephew (or my own child) to be politically active and vote? Part of me thinks it's possible.

This election year has brought the American people a different experience from what we've had in the past. Unfortunately, we've seen a Senator who I used to have great respect for, throw all he said he stood for out the window and take a gamble on a VP choice just to try and sway the female, conservative vote, which to me is one of the most disgusting displays of sexism I've seen in a long time. But on the other end of the spectrum, we've seen a candidate who everyone thought was the underdog in this race create a grassroots campaign style that inspired many to give of their time and wallet in order to propel him closer and closer to the White House.

I don't know what Obama will be able to accomplish as POTUS, I don't expect everything he promised in his campaign to come true. His ideals have given so many of us what we needed most--hope. Hope that things can be better than they've been for the last 8 years. Hope that we really can do something to bring our country out of its downward spiral. Hope that running a semi-clean campaign could actually be a success. Hope that we as individuals really DO have the power to change the world.

Tonight I sit here with that hope. In the back of my mind I remember 4 years ago, how crushed I was when the results came in, how despondent I was, how much I feared for our country and what the next 4 years would be like. Looking at it honestly I can say some of my fears really did come true, and I grieve the things that our country has lost. But I choose to silence my inner doubter tonight and instead take a moment to let that hope and excitement flow through me.

We are here, we have worked hard, and I believe that if everyone gets out and votes, no matter how long the lines are or how frustrating the crowds are, we will see the fruits of our labor as the vote counts come in. We can win this race and set a new course for the next 4 years, YES WE CAN!

McCain on SNL?

Yeah, he did it. He went on SNL, and not just McCain either, his wife appeared too! Am I the only one who finds it a bit odd how all of them have showed up on SNL the last few weeks? Funny how the "biased liberal media" is evil, in the tank for Obama, and taking away Palin's freedom of speech (sorry, not over that one yet), but the campaign sure does make use of them as much as possible! Fucking ridiculous, I swear.

I love the dig at the Obama campaign for his informercial on Wednesday night, acting like the McCain camp is at a disadvantage because they are short on funding, as if we all are ignorant about the amount of money the RNC has. *snort*

He is a good sport about his appearances on the show, better than I think Palin was, but I still don't think he's the right person to have in the White House. The way his entire campaign has been run speaks much louder than any words he or Palin get out at their rallies.

I've heard some people are boycotting SNL for having him on the show, but considering how many times he's appeared before, and that SNL is supposed to be unbiased, I really don't think boycotting is going to do a damned thing.

So to all you who are boycotting SNL tonight, I have an even better way to make your voice heard: VOTE! And after Nov. 4th, remain politically active! The most effective thing you can do is to get active in a local organisation, help out your community, and engage in effective dialogue with both those who agree with you and those who don't! The POTUS affects our country, no doubt, but national change starts on an individual level. Want things to be different? Roll up your sleeves, give up a few hours a week, and work for it!

And for those of you who aren't boycotting, here are the clips. The first one is the opening, the second one is of "Weekend Update". When he said he was going to try playing the "Sad Grandpa, where I get on TV and say Obama is going to have plenty of chances to be president, it's my turn! Vote for me!" I really did burst out laughing...because seriously I think that's gone through his head for real, at least once.

Palin's First Amendment Rights?

In an interview on conservative talk radio, Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights are being threatened by the media when they say her commentary on Ayers and Wright is negative campaigning. Here's a quote from said interview:

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

What I want to know is has Palin even read the First Amendment? Obviously not. The media calling her on negative attacks is a perfect example of them exercising their First Amendment rights!!! For her to suggest they shouldn't say what they are would be her trying to infringe on their right to freedom of the press!! Argh!!!

Does the stupidity ever end? How many days do we have left, 5? Please people PLEASE can we not vote in a VP candidate who doesn't know what a VP does, thinks that she will be in charge of everything in the Senate and be free to get in there and makes some changes, and who cries suppression of her First Amendment rights when journalists question things she says?!?!

And that's a wrap folks!

I can't believe I actually pulled off making one political post a day for the last 31 days!! This has been really fun! So thanks to those who have read my rantings every day, I feel like I've learned a lot in this past month and hope you have too. I'll probably keep up my political ramblings into November since the election is on the 4th, and after that will get back to what I usually do, which is ramble on about anything that comes to mind. Be afraid, be very afraid... ;-P

My last post of the month will end the way my first one started--encouraging you to vote. VOTE people, please, vote. I may have my opinions about who needs to be the next POTUS and you don't have to agree with me, all I ask is that you make yourself informed of the issues, take a good hard look at the candidates before you and what an administration with them at the top of it will look like, and at what direction it will take this country in. Then vote your conscience. But when you do that, please think not only of the things that matter in your own life, but in the lives of those around you, both in the US and abroad. The choice you make in that voting booth DOES affect the entire world.

And that's a wrap folks! I leave you with this quote, have a think on it, eh?

"One voice can change a room.
And if one voice can change a room
then it can change a city.
And if it can change a city,
it can change a state.
And if it can change a state,
it can change a nation.
And if it can change a nation,
it can change the world.
Your voice can change the world."

-Barack Obama

The Final Countdown

Less than a week to go! A little scary, isn't it?

As this final week passes by, Obama is making his closing plea to the American people. As this election season has played out he has kept his campaign moving forward slow and steady, building a massive network of supporters that have worked hard to bring us to this moment. And now? Time is getting short! Our job as supporters is to keep pushing this campaign forward, keep talking, keep encouraging people to make their voices heard and vote, keep discussing the issues! Obama's job is to make the most convincing closing arguments possible as the clock ticks down.

I don't know the man personally, but my observation of him these past months is that he's probably one formidable opponent in the courtroom. Why? He has one hell of a poker face, can deliver a convincing argument, and I swear he's a skilled closer.

Check out his closing speech in Canton, Ohio. Sharply on point, all business, ready to bring this campaign to an end and effect positive change in America. Although I must say I think he's already brought change to America, just look at the number of people active in this election, because they have HOPE that better days are ahead. YES WE CAN!

Strange times we're living in...

A friend posted this on Facebook and I watched it and was actually speechless for a moment!

Good 'ole "Joe the Plumber" had a gem of an interview with Shepard Smith of Fox News. Apparently Joe thinks that a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel! When asked by Smith to back up exactly why he agreed with that statement, his response was something to he effect of '...I think everyone should go figure out what would make me say something like that!'

I need to remember that line the next time someone expects me to back up some claim I've made! *snort*

Have a look at the video, even better than Joe sticking his foot in his mouth as usual, is watching someone at Fox News actually defend Obama against those comments and seem rather unsettled with what he had just heard.



"Some things....well, it's just gets frightening sometimes."

Exactly Shepard, exactly.

California isn't the only one...

While reading yet another blog entry about Prop 8 I followed a link that led to an article in USA Today that reminded me of something I'd totally forgot-- Florida and Arizona also have proposed state Constitutional Amendments on the ballot to permit statewide discrimination on those not engaged in a "traditional marriage" (whatever that is *eyes rolling*), and Arkansas has a proposed Adoption Ban!

Floridians will be voting on Proposition 2, an amendment that states "Inasmuch as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." Many are concerned that the wording of this amendment if passed would impact all cohabiting couples regardless of sexual orientation, including many seniors.

Arizonans will be voting on Proposition 102, an amendment that states "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state."

Californians will be voting on Proposition 8, an amendment that states "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California"

Last but certainly not least, Arkansas has a state statue (Act 1) proposed that will ban individuals cohabiting outside of a valid marriage from adopting a child or providing foster care! This is not targeted only at homosexual couples, but at anyone not married and living with someone! Way to go Arkansas, you already have a horrifying record as far as your state's Child Welfare Agency is concerned, but now you want to ban people who may have stable homes, finances, and relationships but aren't married? Fuck you.

So please, if you live in Florida, Arizona, California, or Arkansas, vote NO to state legislated discrimination!

And if you're not in one of those states, that's okay, we can all still do something. Blog, donate money, talk to anyone you know in those states who does have the power to vote against them. There is (thankfully) a lot out there about Prop 8 in California, but I've read almost nothing about the other states and today was the first I read about Act 1 in Arkansas!

Let's hope that the record turn out of voters this year will support equal rights for everyone. We all deserve equality and the freedom to marry whom we chose and create a family.

Best "Vote" Promotion Ever!

Look at what showed up in my Inbox today! This is put out by MoveOn.org which I'm a member of.

I swear people, this is so fucking funny I had to watch it twice...and resist the urge to spam everyone I know with it!

Is it all over yet?

I am a "Doubting Thomas" type. No matter how much evidence you present me with, I still have an inner cynic in the back of my mind going "Yeah, but....". To be honest, it drives me batty, however I can see how in some circumstances it's a good trait to have, so I strive to make peace with that part of myself.

But OMG people, it is overactive in this whole election thing. I can read all sorts of articles about how Obama has a significant lead and McCain's ratings are dropping and part of me hangs onto that as proof that my hope of this election ending with Obama in the White House is not in vain. And then the voice starts rambling on about how it could all just be a ploy to make us overconfident and that we know the vote has been stolen before, so who's to say it won't happen again this year. So I pace, and fret, and my nails are long gone. We're in the homestretch people, in little more than a week we will (hopefully) know the outcome of this election! And damn it, this HAS to turn out better than 4 years ago because I don't know if I can psychologically recover if it doesn't.

But oh the things a week could bring... *shudders* See! There I go again! Meh! Okay, time to beat that part of my brain into submission with some humor.

SNL was in a bit of a scramble this weekend because Amy Poehler went into labor and gave birth to a healthy baby boy hours before the broadcast! This week the joke is on Biden. LOL



This one is not really political, but for some reason I just can't stop laughing at it!

Eric Hirshberg blogged recently on Huffington Post about the Conservatives For Change video he created after observing the conservatives in his life deciding to vote for Obama. Their reasons are all a bit different, but they reflect one thing IMO, a willingness to have an open mind and to judge the candidates based on who they are and what they say, not just what party they are with.



It's unfortunate that almost every conservative I know refuses to put aside party allegiance or one issue voting to have a calm discussion about the important things in this race. *sighs*

I VOTED TODAY!!

Today I exercised my right to vote, half a world away from my country. Granted, the process I went through to cast that vote was not a quick one. But in the end, that's okay, because there is only one thing that truly matters in any of that. This:

For the first time in my life I've been not just "okay" with a candidate, but inspired. No, I don't think the man is the Messiah or anything, but the two of them and the administration they bring with them will hopefully bring some much needed change to the current status quo in the White House.

So today I voted for CHANGE. I voted for all the women who deserve to have rights to their own bodies. I voted for the children our education system is failing. I voted for the struggling parents that can't even afford to have health insurance for their children. I voted for the men and women in our armed forces that deserve to have someone in office that won't be sending them into a war for less than honest reasons. I voted for healing those international relationships that have been so damaged in these last 8 years. I voted for diplomacy before use of force. I voted for those less fortunate than me because I believe that when even one of us is oppressed, we all are. I voted for equality regardless of gender. I voted in hopes that equality in other areas will one day lead to the equality all of us in the gay community wait for. I voted because our country can be so much better than it is right now. I voted for more reasons than I can list in this space.

I voted for OBAMA and BIDEN.

Oh, forgot one....it's a big one too.

I forgot the BAD drama after the doctor's office and before the veggie shop!

Absentee ballot drama. I have to have 2 witnesses sign, right? We tried to catch up with a friend for dinner, but she wasn't feeling well, so we were about to call and see if Chris' sister would be game to sign, when I logged on to the Fed Ex site to see where to drop my parcel. Scanning the list of "participating states" as the page processed my request, I noticed Alabama missing from the top of the list... After a few more clicks I found out why. Some states have requirements for the mailing of ballots that FedEx doesn't meet. Now what requirement Alabama has I don't know, I can't seem to find it, but I recall reading that a few states require your ballot package be postmarked by the US mail service, you can't send it special courier! So, I'm assuming that's the problem, although I'll keep trying to find an official explanation tomorrow.

Yeah, so, if that's true, I'm going to have to pay like $30 to have it sent and hope it gets there in time, where it belongs!

Upon doing more reading I noticed that some states that require witness signatures or notarization, say the witnesses have to be US citizens, which for me will be impossible, and while the paperwork I have doesn't have that stipulation, I don't feel like risking it. So I've decided to try and see if the Justice of the Peace is in at the Citizen's Advice Bureau tomorrow, if she is, I can go and have her notarize my envelope.

This whole process is making me loopy.... HAH! Guess what song is playing through the headphones at the moment??

"You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals so lets do it like they do on the Discovery Channel!"

And on that note, I'm off to bed, to sleep, but hopefully not have any odd dreams... Well, I could make an exception if it involves this song and say.... Vin Diesel? *blinks innocently*

Oh the joys of voting absentee!

Guess what I did today? Tried to sort out the whole absentee voting thing! I got my ballot in the mail like 2-3 weeks ago, and it's been sitting, staring at me ever since. Being the queen of procrastination, I kept putting off figuring it out. But it's crunch time now, and although Fed-Ex will so thoughtfully ship it back to the US overnight for FREE (yes, for free, how kick ass is that?) I still need to get it sent off so I don't stress over it anymore.

I think I should preface this rant with a little warning: Government forms piss me off! I have seen so bloody many of them in my life that I've reached my saturation limit. The immigration process of both the US and NZ have just pushed me way over the edge and I have no tolerance for these things anymore! I even start to squirm and scrunch up my face when I have to fill out one of those stupid "entry cards" they give you on the airplane when you're flying internationally! It's a serious problem.

So today I sat down with all the stuff and the ballot. For some reason I thought it would be as easy as connecting the lines, stuffing it all in an envelope, and taking it to the Fed-Ex place, thereby not triggering my government forms rage, right? WRONG!

First off, I don't do "straight party vote" because I don't trust the machine/a person to automatically count the votes properly. A few places have had problems with it in past elections and I'm far too paranoid to go with it, so I'll sit and connect every line.

Second, I forgot I've got to send them a copy of my state issued driver's license or Social Security card for identification purposes, or at least I THINK it can be a copy. It better be, they aren't getting the real thing, they'll lose it!

Third, I did not realise that I apparently have to get 2 witnesses to sign or a notary to affirm that I am who I am and it's my form! *snort*

Fourth, what is up with all the Constitutional Amendments in Alabama? Huh? Freakin' 6 of them this time! So thank you very much, now I have to go hunt down information on them to inform my vote. *grumbling* And besides that, what's with the offices up for election that only have one person running for them, or in one case, NO PERSON listed on them? How does that happen? Now I have to go find people worthy of being written in? *scratches head*

All in all it'll be worth it once I have everything sorted out, because I truly believe in exercising my right to vote (it's a privilege many in this world don't have!). But that doesn't stop the process from being annoying at times. ;-p

Never enough time in the day...

Yes, blog, sorry, don't have much time to now condense the political happenings of today into some snarky post that takes me forever to write! Between reading and cooking and obsessing over the dentist appointment tomorrow that has me freaking the hell out, I totally forgot to come here and have a good laugh over things!

So instead, here are some excerpts from my responses to the debate as I was watching/listening to it! I mostly do this so that a close friend of mine who finds my commentary amusing, can read it later as she watches the debates she recorded, and feel like I'm sitting right there running my mouth. Keep in mind this is on NZ time, so 2 pm is when it started. It may not be the most grammatically correct thing, but remember, I'm typing while watching, listening, yelling at the screen, and chatting on IM, so I don't think I did too bad...

2:04 He's just said angry 5 times. I predict this will be his word for the night!

2:20 Ohhhhh McCain, nice one! That's your "whoop his ass" approach, right? You're not Bush, but you've supported him 90% of the time!! Oh there we go, we're angry again. That's his catch line this time! "Americans are angry".

2:27 OH MY GOD he's playing the sympathy card! The "I'm not a racist, you hurt my feelings, I'm gonna cry now, you wouldn't do town hall meetings with me so all the mean ads are your fault, I had to air them 'cause you wouldn't come play by my made up rules!"

2:36 OH HE DID IT!! Slandered ACORN AND AYERS all in the same breath!!! SCORE! AND McCain said he doesn't care about any terrorists? *snort*

2:40 THANK YOU! God moderator, you rock! Thank you so fucking much, I could kiss you right now! --why is your VP pick better than the other party's.

2:42 She's a role model to women?? She's a reformer? "she makes me feel all tingly in my pants"

2:43 OH EVEN HE PLAYED THE BABY!! OMG, it's better than I even hoped!

2:55 YAY, PRECONDITIONS!!! Good thing I don't drink during these things, I'd be shitfaced long before now... Comes on McCain, say it, M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K! Please?? What, are we not your "friends" anymore?

3:02 John, I really hope your "whoop his you-know-what" strategy backfires on you, because your lame accusations are such BS. That's right, $5,000 won't pay for a $12,000 a year policy! Some of us have preconditions that make it so insurance companies charge us shit loads, and we're not asking for "luxuries".

3:05 SENATOR GOVERNMENT!! Woo HOO!!! That's a sound bite from this debate baby! Sounds like some sort of super hero.

3:11 Haha, equal pay for equal work! Obama supports, McCain opposes, because he doesn't agree with it and neither does his super woman, role model for all, PALIN.

3:12 Pro-abortion movement? Oh, see, you KNOW the truth on the matter, and you worked your weasel words to scare the pro-lifers and cause them to ignore his explanation! Fuck you McCain, really, fuck you. Yeah, the doctors were against it as well, because it was already on the books!!!! The exception of "in the case of a woman's life in danger" IS AN IMPORTANT CLAUSE!

3:14 Yes, PREVENTION through education, improve options for adoptions, and YES YES YES, NOBODY IS PRO-ABORTION!

3:19 McCain says 'this is the civil rights issue of the 21st century'. We've achieved equal access in schools? Competition between schools? How are people supposed to take their kids to better schools when they cannot afford it? No certifications for teaching for military members? Did I just hear that right? *scratches head*

3:21 Hahahaha... Bush's no child left behind left behind the money for it... Good one Obama!

3:27 McCain's closing word. "I have a record of reform, I take on my party all the time, I'll buck those Republicans at every turn if I have to, I'm good with your money, I spend it on what I want to, I can't say Senator Obama clearly most of the time because behind his back I call him Senator Osama, I'm a POW, my family has a history of serving this country, let me continue to serve, in fact you have to vote for me 'cause I was in the Navy and a POW, so I deserve it god damn it!" What a wanker.

3:29 Obama's closing. "No more of the same, we need change, I believe in the decency and generosity of the American people, I will invest in you, our best days are ahead, health care, tax cuts, better education, growing the middle class, this is what I've been doing in my career, this is what I'm going to do, this takes all of us, no matter what party, vote for me, I promise if I get to be president I will work every single day tirelessly on your behalf and on behalf of your children." Why do people find this scary?

3:31 Last word from Moderator. As my momma always said "Go vote now, it'll make you feel big and strong."

So there you have it! Register to vote people and then actually GO VOTE!!

Connecticut

The last few days have found me thinking of Connecticut. Not because I used to live there, I've never set foot in the state. Not because I know someone who lives there, because, well, I don't. And not because I have some particular need to visit there either, to be honest it's never been on my list of places to visit.

Connecticut is on my mind because last week they overturned a ban on same-sex marriages. In doing so they've become the third state to allow same sex couples to marry, the others being Massachusetts and California. Reading about the ruling was a bright spot in my week, but was quickly tempered with the concern I've had while reading news like this coming out of California. On Nov. 4th they will vote on Proposition 8, an amendment to the state Constitution that would outlaw gay marriage.

As a woman whose sexuality and choice of life partner have been repeatedly discriminated against by 'family', 'friends', and the world I grew up in, this issue hits really close to home. Once again I find myself asking the same question I always do. Why? Why is love between consenting adults so threatening to people? I cannot understand it. Even when I was younger and trying to play the role of the good little conservative Christian girl, I never understood why gay people were seen as so bad. But boy did living in that environment do a number on me as I got older and realised not only was I seen as inferior because I was a woman, but that I had....preferences that others around me didn't, and I had no clue how to deal with them.

And that's another thing....how is it that the same people that vote Republican because they think the government is too involved in things and scream if their guns or businesses are affected in any way, are the same ones that want the government to ban things like abortion, homosexuality, and books/media galore? Seems like the two contradict themselves.

I don't get it people, I just don't get it. With all the hate, anger, war, and human atrocities in this world, don't we all need to encourage as much love as possible?? Why legislate deliberate discrimination borne out of hate?

I had a point to this blog post when I started, but my brain has become so fried with the 'why' question that I can't make sense of anything I've written in the last 30 minutes. So instead I'll leave my ramblings as is and end with this:



Visit noonprop8.com for more information on how you can help with either your time or donations.