Oh Happy Day!

I read this little ditty this morning and I must say it was a great way to start off my week :)

Oh, How I Love The Progressive

I make no secret of my left, liberal, progressive leanings. I am proud to be a registered independent voter and I enjoy my subscriptions to The Nation and The Progressive. And it is with great pleasure that I share a couple of highlights from my reading yesterday of the August issue of The Progressive.

First of all, I got a kick out of this small paragraph in the "No Comment" section. It contains news blurbs submitted by readers from all over the country from any number of publications. There are always interesting quotes or stories which cause me to utter, "Does he/she have any idea what he/she just said?!" or "I thought this was 2007!" This particular submission wasn't so much infuriating or ridiculous, but certainly thought provoking.

It comes from William M. Arkin of The Washington Post:

"I went to a Red Sox game on Saturday, and up above home plate I couldn't help but notice the press box: five, six, seven tiers of desks, filled with print, radio, television, and who knows what other media all reporting every move and anomaly. It dawned on me that there are more reporters covering the Sox, just one baseball team, than cover the Pentagon."


To quote the host of my favorite late night show of the 1990's: "Things that make you go hmmmm . . ."

However, that was just the beginning. Just a couple of pages later I read Barbara Ehrenreich's column, "Banish the Bloated Overclass" which takes a look at the real consequences of the rich getting richer. While I'm not starving and my children have plenty of toys and we live in a nice house that doesn't mean that I should be OK with the fact that the rich have more political clout and influence, that higher education is quickly becoming a privilege of the wealthy (unless I want my children to go tens of thousands of dollars in debt), etc. It's a really great column and I highly recommend you give it a read. And I'd love to hear your opinions on it as well.

There's also a great interview with Elizabeth Edwards which just reinforced why I respect her so much as a woman, a wife and a mother. She's a smart, down to earth lady and I respect her efforts in working to get her husband elected to the office of President. I would be honored to have her as my First Lady.

And just one more mention. (I told you this was a great issue!) Editor Matthew Rothschild wrote a powerful column on why Cheney should be impeached. I will let the column speak for itself by giving you the first two sentences:

"You don’t have to dust for long before finding Dick Cheney’s grimy fingerprints all over the Bush crime scene. It’s becoming clearer by the day that behind every one of Bush’s illegal actions lurks the shadow of the Vice President."

Now if that doesn't spark your interest, I have no idea why you read my political rantings at all ;)

Haven't We Heard This Somewhere Before?

Well, he's at it again.

As reported yesterday by the New York Times, Dubyah is once again chanting an oldy, but a goody. Tuesday, Dubyah spoke at an air force base in Charleston, S.C. and was quoted as saying,

"The facts are that Al Qaeda terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, they’re fighting us in Iraq and across the world and they are plotting to kill Americans here at home again. Those who justify withdrawing our troops from Iraq by denying the threat of Al Qaeda in Iraq and its ties to Osama bin Laden ignore the clear consequences of such a retreat."

Do you notice how carefully this statement is worded? The way he mentions the fact that Al Qaeda was responsible for 9/11, then uses the pronoun "they" to group Al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents together and then brings it all back together to say that it isn't just about fighting in Iraq, but about potential for disaster in the U.S. itself. (Also known as one of Dubyah's favorite tactics, politics of fear.)

Them there are some darn good speechwriters, but I ain't buyin' it.

Once again, Dubyah refers to mysterious, classified intelligence information that, of course, he can't share the specifics of with the rest of us, but BELIEVE HIM there's a connection. After all, he's the President of the United States - he wouldn't lie to us, would he?

According to the NYT, "Kevin Sullivan, the White House communications director, said the speech was devised as a “surge of facts” meant to rebut critics who say Mr. Bush is trying to rebuild support for the war by linking the Iraq group and the one led by Mr. bin Laden." Interesting language used here as well - "surge of facts," and "devised," - oh, how I love the English language!!

Basically, it sounds like the same old crap. Dubyah thinks he's right about staying the course in Iraq and no one is going to convince him otherwise. He's just going to keep coming up with reasons (lies) why he's right. Regardless of what the rest of us think, although, before he took office I was under the impression we were living in a democracy.

The point is, staying the course - no matter how many troops you add to the mix - is NOT working in Iraq. Whatever the reasons for preemptivingly striking Iraq, it was wrong, it's still wrong and while you may have taken out a dictator, Dubyah, you've now created a civil war.

I believe that no matter what we do there will continue to be bloodshed for years to come. However, keeping U.S. soldiers there is only putting off the inevitable. At some point, we will have to admit defeat; we will have to admit that we can do no more good; we will have to admit that our presence in Iraq is an exercise in futility.

At this point I don't really care what the reasons for entering into this catastrophe were or are or will be. I believe that the Bush Administration lies and they will continue to lie as long as they are in office. (January 2009 can't come soon enough!)

What I do care about is that another 50+ people were killed yesterday during what was a celebration of victory for the Iraq National soccer team and that another 130 were injured. I care that these suicide bombings are perceived as everyday occurrences that are basically unpreventable. What I care about is beginning a process that will eventually allow the people of Iraq to begin to heal and rebuild their lives. You can't do that while under military rule.

So I guess what I'm saying is, Dubyah can make all the speeches he wants - I don't think many of us are listening anymore.

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha

I couldn't resist sharing this little news item. I heard it on the radio this afternoon on Weekend America. It's a short clip about how Dubyah's childhood home in Midland, Texas has been turned into a museum. It's been open for about a year now, and well, I won't spoil it for you. Just read it if you want a little laugh ;)

A National Call for Impeachment

Anyone who reads this blog with any frequency knows how I feel about the current administration occupying the White House. It's never been a secret.

So it should be of no surprise to you that I am joining my fellow Americans across this great nation today in calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney.

And it's not just me. Congressman Dennis Kucinich already introduced Articles of Impeachment against Cheney on Tuesday, (Yes, he's from Ohio - Go Bucks!!), while state senators in Vermont passed a resolution for impeachment of both Cheney and Bush on April 20th.

While I realize that impeachment is a LONG process and even if they are impeached, but aren't convicted, it won't necessarily change the situation in Iraq or even curb this administration's blatant illegal activity at least it will leave a black mark on the two offenders in the history books.

We can't just let these two get away with breaking the law in the name of national security. We must take a stand to let future administrations know that we will not tolerate a perpetual state of war against an unidentified enemy. We must take back the civil liberties that are being taken away from us and send the message that even the President of the United States is not above the law.

If You Want to Know, Ask!

MoveOn.org is hosting a Virtual Town Hall meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7:15 EST where presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, and Joe Biden will answer questions regarding the war in Iraq. These aren't the questions the media are currently asking or questions pre-selected by the candidates themselves. These are questions posed by everyday people just like you and me and (hopefully) we'll get the answers we're looking for.

For me, the soundbytes just aren't enough and I don't have the time or money to attend speeches and Q & A sessions around the country. This is a great way to get to know the candidates and find out where they really stand on an issue that is of the utmost importance without leaving the comfort of your home.

This is the first of three town meetings that MoveOn.org will be hosting. (The other two will cover issues surrounding health care and global warming/energy policy.) So if you like what you see be sure to stay tuned for what's to come.

I believe that the 2008 election is quite possibly the most important election of my lifetime and I'm going to make sure that I know who I'm voting for so that I can have confidence in the job I believe he/she will do. You can't just vote for the frontrunner or the person your parents are voting for in this one - there is just too much at stake.

So if you're interested in "attending" simply click here or on the link above. Don't just sit there - do something!!!

Overwhelmed and Yet . . .

I've been (once again) trying to catch up on my magazine reading - mostly political in nature - and I've been trying to keep up with the many email lists I am subscribed to - again mostly political in nature - and I've become, well, disenchanted.

I used to think that by "getting involved" I could make a difference, have an impact, help move along real change. And while I still believe that I'm getting frustrated with the enormity of the situation. That is, I try to stay on top of so many issues, and the mere fact that there are SO many issues to keep up with, that I'm overwhelmed by all that needs to be done.

It's like when I was a kid and my mother would tell me to clean up my room. Usually she didn't bother making me clean it up until it was a disaster area, so when I went into my room I would suddenly be struck with a terrible feeling of dread, of hopelessness. How would I ever be able to clean this WHOLE room all by myself? It just wasn't possible! And so, usually, for the first 20 minutes (or maybe it was an hour - Time has no meaning for a child) I would simply fall onto the floor and cry.

Well, that's kind of where I'm at right now. I just want to fall on the floor and cry because I just don't see where I fit in. I don't see where I can help because the need is so great and I don't know where to start. I want to do it all and yet, right now, I'm really doing very little.

It's like my booklist. I have this list of books that no matter how many books I read off of it the list never seems to get shorter. Well, sometimes I get really excited about a book or two that I've found and I add it to the list of "to read" but I feel like I can't wait and I toy with the idea of reading several books at once. But I know that I can't do that because I'd be short-changing myself by trying to keep up with the plots or arguments of several books at once. I'd get confused, then frustrated and wouldn't enjoy any of them. Instead, I finish reading my current selection and then move onto the next title. I don't find myself wishing for fewer great books to read, just more time to devote to reading them.

So I think the answer is to go local and to pick something or someone I want to give some of my time to. And then, I think maybe it's time for me to figure out what one or two "causes" I really and truly care about, the ones I feel most passionate about and think I will have the most impact on - those are the one or two things I should focus on. While I don't want to become ignorant with regard to all things political - there is after all a VERY IMPORTANT election coming up in 2008 - I think I need to take a step back and stop getting so worked up over it.

Yes, I think that's the answer, at least for now. Going local. Going small. More is not always better. While my intentions are honorable, they are ineffectual because I they have no focus and I feel scattered, as if I know a little about a lot of things and not a lot about anything.

So I'm going to go read now. I'm reading an amazing novel, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, about a very scary future that isn't really that far-fetched. Kind of Orwell, 1984-esque but in a different world, a world where women have become nothing but vessels for procreation or beings well-suited for domestic work. It's a frightening and intriguing tale and I'm going to go back to it.

Because while I've been going a bit crazy doing so many other things, I haven't been reading enough - I haven't been doing what I want to do enough.

It's That Time of the Month Again

I'm blogging over at The Soccermom Vote today. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts here or over there. With all this early politicking for the 2008 Presidential election, I want to know what two issues are the most important to you, right now, today. What issues will determine who you vote for in '08 or what issues would you like to see addressed before you cast your vote that you aren't seeing addressed now?

Like I said here or there, I'm really curious about this one.

Have a great Monday!!!

HodgePodge

So I've been in a writing mood lately and because of that my reading has fallen quite behind. In fact, I have a stack of magazines I need to catch up with. And books? Forget it. That's why I'm hoping that reading a few banned books this week will give me a jumpstart.

Anyway, as I'm catching up I've found quite a few excellent articles that I want to share. I won't offer up too much commentary, but do encourage you to check out the links. I'm only putting the good ones out there, so if you find that you have some time be sure and give at least one or two a quick read:

• Here's a great article from the New York Times about one of my favorite organizations, MomsRising.org. It's a good introduction for those of you still not familiar with the organization, founded by some of the same people who started MoveOn.org, who are really working toward making a change in how the U.S. treats families (and mothers in particular) with grassroots movements to change and create legislation. In fact, they have a documentary that illustrates the need for such an organization and I'm contemplating hosting a screening party of my own to get the word out. Details to follow on that since I don't even have the DVD yet. (Don't worry, Cheryl, I'll be inside so there's no worry of my canceling due to rain or cold :)


• Also the Virtual March to Stop Global Warming has some interesting things happening over at their website. They've teamed up with the Natural Resources Defence Council to create a Beat the Heat interactive map, "that highlights the global warming solutions and consequences . . . and concrete actions that will drastically cut global warming pollution." This is one of those things that will take minutes to investigate, but provides valuable information and easy solutions for people like you and me in doing our part to slow global warming.


• I found a similar article in my inbox a few weeks ago (but am just getting around to reading) from the NRDC's "This Green Life" publication. Author Sheryl Eisenberg points out that while we can each do a little something to promote energy efficiency, waste reduction, etc. the most important thing is to get others involved as well. Her metaphor is that we should act not individually but as levers to assist others in making changes to their lives and that by acting as levers we can make that change easier and have a greater effect on the environment. (Reminds me of you, Shannon! Great idea to carpool to Parents Night Out - why take two cars when you only need one?)


• And finally, (for this installment at least) you must read this short blurb on The Progressive's website about Bush's proposed cuts to public television. The Administration has tried this move before, but previous attempts have been thwarted by a viewing public that said, "No Way!" Well, that time has come again as Bush has proposed a 25% reduction of federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If you don't even need to read the article to know that this is a bad idea and want to do something about it, click on over to MoveOn.org and sign their petition now.

I guess that does it for now. I'm sure I'll have all sorts of things to add in the coming weeks as I try to make some headway in my backed-up reading department. Yes, it will probably take weeks :)

My Political Voice is Back

In my desire to celebrate all things Christmas - ie count my blessings, be grateful for the little things, yadda yadda yadda - I feel as though I may have lost my edge; Become a bit saccharine if you will.

Well, have no fear. While I may not have been blogging about it, I haven't been blind, deaf and dumb to the monotonous propaganda coming out of the Bush Administration. No, even when Dubyah's on vacation, which he is an awful lot, the sludge just keeps flowing.

No, I've been watching. I've been swearing at the TV. (Just ask my four year old) I almost threw up when I saw Cheney over and over again at former President Gerald Ford's funeral looking sullen, as if he actually had a heart and cared about another human being. And it didn't help that PBS ran a previously-aired Frontline about how Cheney and Rumsfeld maneuvered and schemed and conspired to send us into Iraq by cooking intelligence or just plain repeating, over and over and over again, intelligence reports they already knew to be false. If my two year old hadn't been sleeping on me at the time I probably would have exploded in a rage and possibly thrown something at the TV!

But there has been some good news, too. Yes, I did a Happy Dance when Bob Woodward came out with some unkind words from former President Ford regarding the mishandling of Iraq by none other than two of his former colleagues - Don (Rumsfeld) & Dick (Cheney). Yes, I enjoyed reading that Ford believed that the Bush Administration made a "big mistake" in invading Iraq.

About Cheney, who was Ford's White House chief-of-staff, Ford said, "I think Cheney has become much more pugnacious," as VP and told Woodward that he agreed with Colin Powell when he previously stated that Cheney had developed a "fever" about Iraq and the War on Terror.

So I guess it's not just me. I mean, a former Republican President, a majority of the American people, not to mention the international community at large, and me - We can't all be wrong!!! Which brings me to the other good news of the day . . .

Today, U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took hold of the gavel as the first woman to be elected as Speaker of the House. Yes, that's right. I know it sounds crazy, but it's 2007 and finally we have a female Speaker of the House. What's most notable here though is that there is now a female standing third in line to the Presidency of the United States of America. Of course, it is a rare circumstance that the line of succession is necessary, but, hey, it was good enough for Gerald Ford, right?

So like the Ying and the Yang, we must take the good with the bad. Since 2001 there's been a lot of bad (at least coming out of Washington, D.C.), but it looks like a new day is dawning. Let's just hope that Pelosi and her comrades can follow through on their promises of raising the federal minimum wage, fixing the Medicare prescription drug plan by negotiating directly with drug companies for lower prices for Medicare patients, loosening the grip of lobbyists and their influence on legislation, cut student loan interest rates in half, put all recommendations by the 911 Commission into practice, broaden stem cell research allowed using federal funds - and that's just the agenda for Pelosi's first 100 hours.

Now, if only she would put impeachment back on the table . . .



P.S. We have a daily calendar of "Bushisms" which is pretty hilarious (even though it's only been four days!) And I must share this doozy from yesterday uttered by Dubyah in September of 2002: "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."
It's OK to laugh . . . I encourage it. It helps release the rage.

One More Reason Why I Hate Walmart & Other Random Topics

It's Thursday . . . so here we go!

• I've never hidden my distaste for all things Walmart. And while surfing the blogosphere yesterday with Blogmad I stumbled upon this interesting fact. (I was so intrigued by the fact that I went straight to Wikipedia and forgot to take note of the blogger who tipped me off and I apologize. Thank you whoever you are!)
  Today's reason for hating Walmart is:
  "In the 2004 US Presidential election 76% of voters who shopped at Wal-Mart once a week voted for George W. Bush while only 23% voted for John Kerry. By contrast 80% of voters who never shopped there voted for Kerry with 18% voting for Bush." -- Wikipedia


• Ms. Kookaburra, aka Cheryl/Cherlito, posted this link on her blog and it's sweet. Check it out. It's a great victory song for the recent political happenings in the U.S.


• Which brings me to this little diddy - I watched Dubyah's press conference yesterday and I must say I was surprised by many aspects of it. First of all, I thought that King George looked a little tired, a little worn out, a bit pale even? What I mean to say is he wasn't standing up there behind his podium with his chest all puffed out and his arrogance was almost non-existence for a change. And I found it refreshing. (No worries. I'm not going soft on the guy. I still think he's a criminal. It was just a nice change and I found myself yelling less than usual at the tv and I wasn't even nauseous while listening to his voice.)
  
  Second, I was ecstatic to hear of Don Rumsfeld's resignation. Rummy, as I so fondly refer to him, is a disgrace and at times I've wondered if he is even human. Having sanctioned the torture of thousands of military detainees, then thrown his soldiers and their superiors to the wolves in order to cover his own ass; having started this illegal, heinous war in Iraq probably because he didn't get the job done the first time with King George's father - The only tears I shed upon hearing about his leaving the Pentagon were tears of joy. (Of course, his replacement, former CIA Director Robert Gates, isn't going to be much better considering he is a close personal friend of Dubyah's daddy and let's not forget about his involvement with the Iran Contra scandal.) But a change is a change and maybe with some new leadership both at the Pentagon and in Congress things will begin to change in Iraq - by that I mean maybe the military can begin to devise a plan for drawing down the troops and bringing them home.



Third, and probably my most favorite, just when I thought my day couldn't get any better. Around 9:30 p.m. a crawler came across the bottom of my tv screen to announce that this particular station was ready to declare Democrat Jim Webb the winner of Virginia's Senate race, giving the Dems a clean sweep in their fight to control both the House and the Senate. I checked several other stations upon reading this wonderful news and yes, it was true! I think I'm still beaming!!!

Have a great Thursday everybody!

V for Victory!!!

I woke up this morning and it's a new day in America . . .

Yes, it wasn't just a dream - the Democrats have taken control of the House and control of the Senate is still up in the air. And while I would have loved to wake up to a complete changeover in the balance of power, even if the Repugs (yes, that's Repugs because they are repugnant) maintain dominance in the Senate it will only be a slight advantage which could make things very interesting. As we all know, politics is about staying in power and if a Senator thinks that siding with the Dems on an issue or two will help him get re-elected - he'll side with the Dems.

So what does this mean? It means there's no more blank check writing by Dubyah and his boys. It means that with control of the House, the Democrats can block the hell out legislation that hurts the middle class and start working towards putting money back into the social and health services programs that have been gutted by the Bush Administration - it means that there is once again a balance of power in D.C.

The citizens of this nation made a statement yesterday and it was a resounding "No more business as usual!" Can you say impeachment? Dare I dream? Yes, I am ecstatic this morning. Yes I would have considered packing up the Jeep and driving north to Canada had the Repugs continued their bullying of the people who pay their salaries. Instead my confidence has been restored - we were not scared into voting for the Republicans; we stood up and told the powers that be that the Iraq War needs to end and end now; we showed Dubyah that we don't like the way he's running things and we're taking the first step to end his royal reign as king.

(**An interesting note: According to an exit poll conducted by MSN - yes I'm watching it right now for any more exciting developments - 40% of voters said that they voted Democrat as a statement in defiance of the Bush Administration. Hooray!)

I know I am giddy. I know I sound a little crazy right now. And I'm not naive enough to think that things will change tomorrow and the corruption and illegal activity in D.C. will immediately end. But I mean how can I not be happy when White House representatives, speaking about Dubyah's reaction to the election results, are forced to utter the words, "They have not gone the way he would have liked."

I have hope now and I haven't had that for the past six years. So yes - I'm excited!!!

P.S. Leave it to Britney to divert the spotlight from the post-election day celebration. ABCNews.com had five lead stories featured on its homepage this morning - four of them regarding the election results and the fifth? Britney and K-Fed's divorce. God Bless America!

P.P.S. I was just reading that six races for governor went from Republican to Democrat with two still to close to call. That means that for the first time in 12 years the Democrats outnumber the Repugs 28-20 in state corner offices. How many more hints do Dubyah and his boys need? We'll see what he has to say at 1 p.m. today.

Today's the BIG Day!!!

At approximately 7:13 a.m. this morning I voted. And it was empowering. It felt good. It made me feel like I was fulfilling a responsibility - a BIG responsibility. And when I walked out of the polling station, on the way to my car I could be heard saying, "Take that bitches!" (Yes, you can infer I was speaking of Republicans. I voted Democrat all the way and I'm proud to say it.)

This is a chance for change my fellow registered voters. There are no good excuses for not voting today. This is too important. And I call upon Democrats, Independents and those who are undecided especially. Republicans are notorious for their ability to motivate their constituents to hit the polls, so if you don't want to see this election decided by Republicans simply because they managed to get more bodies to vote - GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GO VOTE!!!

And if you're still not convinced that it matters who is sitting in those seats in Congress. If you don't think it's a big deal that a Republican controlled Congress and a Republican President are a formula for disaster, check out this interesting list put together by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) - and you know I wouldn't praise anyone from Michigan (being a Ohio State fan and all) if it wasn't good - I got this in my email box yesterday:

"A President Hand-picked by Katherine Harris and the Supreme Court

Misleading a Nation into War. Outing an undercover CIA operative.

Smearing a Vietnam Veteran Senator who lost his limbs in combat.

No bid contracts.

Swiftboating.

Another Presidential Election Decided by Unanswered irregularities.

Terri Schiavo.

New Orleans.

Jack Abramoff.

Cronyism.

Releasing nuclear secrets on the web.
Abuse of Power.

Nancy, what is the Bush Administration going to do next? The only way to restore checks and balances is by electing a Democratic Congress. Here is what you can do to help:

First, Vote.

Second, make sure everyone in your family and your friends vote. Call them now."


I can't stress it enough. This is important. In fact, the stakes went up today when I was alerted to this little proposal put forth by the Dept. of Homeland Security. (Thank you to MySpace's Impeach Dubya for posting it.)

Here is an excerpt:

"We're All Prisoners, Now: US Citizens to be Required ''Clearance'' to Leave USA

October 26, 2006 Forget no-fly lists. If Uncle Sam gets its way, beginning on Jan. 14,2007, we'll all be on no-fly lists, unless the government gives us permission to leave-or re-enter-the United States.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSA) has proposed that all airlines, cruise lines-even fishing boats-be required to obtain clearance for each passenger they propose taking into or out of the United States.

It doesn't matter if you have a U.S. Passport - a "travel document"that now, absent a court order to the contrary, gives you a virtually unqualified right to enter or leave the United States, any time you want. When the DHS system comes into effect next January, if the agency says "no" to a clearance request, or doesn't answer the request at all, you won't be permitted to enter-or leave-the United States.

Consider what might happen if you're a U.S. passport holder on assignment in a country like Saudi Arabia. Your visa is about to expire, so you board your flight back to the United States. But wait!You can't get on, because you don't have permission from the HSA. Saudi immigration officials are on hand to escort you to a squalid detention center, where you and others who are now effectively"stateless persons" are detained, potentially indefinitely, until their immigration status is sorted out."

The Full Story Here

So I'll say it one more time and then I'll shut up. Today is the day - GO VOTE!!!

Ladies, It's Time to Stand Up & Be Counted

Yes, today is November 1st. And yes, I should be adding to my word count (which currently sits at 0 as you can see by the meter to the right) for NaNo. And yes, my blog will probably suffer this month because I won't be able to keep up with both (plus the website I'm working on, the novel writing class I'm taking, oh and my kids and husband, housework, etc.), but this issue is just to important to ignore.

I subscribe to the Moms Rising email list and I was sent an email yesterday regarding the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday. Are you ready for this?

"Women are the largest group of non-voters in America. Nearly 20 million women didn't vote in 2004, and they are therefore "The Deciders" in election outcomes. They could not only alter the political playing field, but could make an entire new field all together."

Go ahead. Read it again. That's right. Twenty million women DIDN'T vote in 2004.

Of course there are a thousand reasons why they didn't ranging from "I didn't have time that day," to "I forgot," to "One vote doesn't matter anyway." But as you can see, one vote times millions of other women who thought the same thing ABSOLUTELY made a difference in 2004.

So I am asking all you female registered voters out there - and I mean ALL OF YOU - to make a point of going out and voting on November 7th. And while you're at it, encourage the women in your life to vote as well. We can complain all we want about lack of availability of quality child care, we can complain about the gender wage gap, we can complain until we're blue in the face that the wealthy (mostly male) representatives in Congress don't give a damn about you and me - but the only way any of that will change is with your vote. It's one of only two languages (the other being $$$$$) politicians understand.

So get out and vote, ladies!! This is important. This is worth putting on the calendar. This is worth making time for. If we don't help ourselves, certainly no one else will volunteer.

MoveOn.Org: Call for Change

I got an email today from one of my favorite organizations, MoveOn.Org. They asked for my help in getting Democrats out to vote. Historically, getting people out to vote has been a Republican strength, but if Americans really do want a change, then voting is the only thing we've got.

From the MoveOn site:
"This year, victory will come down to voter turnout. We've found the Democratic-leaning people who often don't vote in mid-term elections like this one. If we can just get these “unlikely voters” to vote, they'll provide a winning margin in a whole bunch of races.

"Over 30 races are in a dead heat – margins of a few thousand or few hundred votes. We’ve tested these calls, and we know they work – the people we talk to are much more likely to turn out. Your calls could tip the balance – but we're in a daily struggle to make sure we're reaching more voters than the Republicans’ infamous turnout program. Can you help?"

MoveOn is asking people to sign up to call people in their area, either individually or by holding or attending a phone party, and remind them to vote on November 7th. MoveOn will give you a phone list to call people at your leisure or will provide the list for a group to call all in one night. If you're interested, click on the link above for more information.

Now I'm not usually one for cold calling - personally, I don't like receiving them and therefore wouldn't like making them either. So if you're not one for calling strangers either, then I ask you to at least call family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances to remind them to vote one week from Tuesday. These kinds of reminders do make a difference - just ask the Republicans.

Every little bit counts, my fellow citizens looking for a change. Remember this election is a big one. The least you can do is go out and cast your vote on November 7th. If you feel like doing a little more, with the potential of having a big effect, then please remind the other registered voters in your life to cast their ballot, too.

While you're at it, remember to get their addresses too - Christmas is only eight weeks away and those holiday cards will be going out before you know it!!!

P.S. The Philosophy Blog War is still going strong and I am currently sitting in and around fifth place. Check out my entry and if you like it - VOTE FOR ME!!!

More Randomness

Since I have nothing in particular to go on and on about today, I thought I would post a couple of GREAT links for you to check out.

This one is a trailer from a documentary entitled "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers." The film is a commentary on the private contractors and corporations (like Haliburton KBR and Blackwater) who were hired by the U.S. military to "aid" them in their reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The film, according to its website, "uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so."

This is a topic that needs exploring. While many of us are focused, and rightly so, on ending the occupation in Iraq that has now spurned a civil war and bringing U.S. soldiers back home - this topic demands our attention as well. When the military does come home, when the suicide bombs and roadside attacks have stopped the people of the United States need to start asking questions regarding where their tax money went and why. Haliburton, a company of which V.P. Cheney is a former CEO, has already been under investigation for fraud in the overcharging and double-billing of the U.S. government for its services. And yet, still Haliburton gets the government contracts and still collects checks from our federal government.

Essentially, the U.S. military has "outsourced" much of what it does in times of war, ie assist in the building of roads, reorganizing and providing new routes for electricity and water for the citizens of Iraq, security for convoys moving about the country, so now they are paying a private contractor to do that work and in so doing profit from this war. Not only do I find it repulsive that war is being seen as a moneymaker, but the fact is that many of these private citizens have not been properly trained or given military quality equipment to defend themselves while working on the front lines of this armed conflict is sickening.

Just another example of American politics and government being driven by the almighty dollar instead of the health and welfare of the citizens of this country.
This film isn't backed by any corporate funding or advertising, so the only way people find out about it is through word of mouth. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think:





The other thing I want everyone to check out is over at Wallpaper of My Mind. Misha put together a very comprehensive (and humorous) list of the top 10 reasons why she thinks Bush should be re-elected if he were running again in 2008. Don't be nervous. I have not by any means changed sides - this list speaks volumes for me. It's not to be missed :)

Wal-Mart, Ritalin & Republicans on the Run

OK, so my random thoughts post for Thursday is a little late this week. Usually I like to have it up all day, but last night I went out and took a wreath making class. Not something I would normally do, but thanks to a couple of close friends I had a great time :) And my fall apple wreath didn't come out too bad either.

Anyway, here's this week's hodgepodge of random thoughts:

• First, some good news: Reading columnist Barbara Ehrenreich in this month's Progressive Magazine I learned that union busting, low wage paying, minimum benefit giving super corporate beast Wal-Mart reported that profits were down 26% for the second quarter of 2006 - and I couldn't be happier! It was apparently the first time Wal-Mart saw a dip in profits in ten years. Oh well!! It's about time people started waking up! Wal-Mart sells you cheap crap by paying its employees low wages, offering benefits that require the employee to carry the bulk of the cost and by threatening employees who try to unionize workers for better pay and better benefits. I for one refuse to participate in such tactics just to save a few bucks and have (happily) not shopped at Wal-Mart for several years now. I encourage anyone reading this to do the same because until we, the consumers, start showing corporations like Wal-Mart that we don't condone the way they do business, they'll keep raking in the profits by the billions while their employees can't even afford to shop where they work.



• I just read an amazing article in The Ecologist Online regarding the increasing number of children, especially boys, being prescribed drugs like Ritalin to control their "hyper" and "overly active" behavior. The article points out that "In schools today, the boy who can't sit still and careers around the classroom is defined as 'hyperactive' while the reserved one who prefers drawing churches to playing at superheroes is labelled 'possibly autistic'." While 20 years ago the same boys would have been considered boisterous and well, boys being boys. The article also points out that long term studies have not been done on these drugs that are so quickly handed out to "stressed out" parents who report being unable to control their children and have doctors willing to blame a "disease" without even considering that it could be the parents' inability to discipline their own children that's the problem. Nope, give 'em some drugs and all is better. This article also blames the education system itself for putting so much emphasis on results, standardized testing, etc. because there is no time to spend with a student who may require a little extra attention if you want to reach the statewide goals set by bureaucrats in big offices. According to reporter Rachel Ragg, in the UK, "The National Curriculum suppresses anything that doesn't fit. Never mind creativity or invention: homogeneity is what matters." I'd have to say the same is true here in the states as well. So parents beware! Teachers and doctors may not always have your child's best interests in mind, no matter how much we'd like to believe they do.



• And last, but certainly not least, I heard on the radio yesterday that Republicans are doing something previously unheard of. Campaign contributors are being encouraged to contribute their funds to races that are highly contested, while being discouraged to continue pouring money into candidates that appear to be too far behind in the polls to win. In other words, for the first time in a LONG time Republicans are worried. As they should be!! This election in two and a half weeks is CRUCIAL to the direction this country will take in the next few years and will certainly provide a big push for the Democrats for the 2008 Presidential race if they can take back Congress. THIS ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 7TH IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE!! It doesn't matter if the race in your district is a runaway or whether you believe that one vote can make a difference - we have to show these sly politicians that we care about what's happening in our country right now and voting (aside from enormous campaign contributions which I am not in a position to make)is the only way to make these people listen. And they will listen if they think there's a chance they'll get voted out of office if they don't. Come on, people, change is possible! I know things seem daunting, but nothing will happen if we all just sit back and sulk. Take action! Stand up and be heard! VOTE on November 7th!
  

That's it for this week's randomness. Have a great Friday everybody!!