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Saturday, August 30, 2008
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You know what? I am stopping this RIGHT now!
Current mood:  angry
Category: Blogging
I am beyond appalled at the comments left on my last blog. In fact, I am absolutely horrified. You know what I think helped me build a reputation for myself on Myspace? I think that people appreciated that I was able to present my ideas clearly, that I was able to articulate my own opinions without sacrificing the ideas of others, and that I not only welcomed different opinions, but my readers respected each other and the different expression of ideas.
I am embarrassed for all of us.
I know that I have been off my game recently. I am dealing with a stressful work situation and am looking for a new job while pregnant. I am terrified. I am snapping at my husband, because I hear something in his tone that reminds me of the people at work, and he is the most caring, sensitive person I know. That is on me, and I hate it.
I am terrified that I might not have a job, and because my employer knows I am looking, I have been given a reasonable amount of time to find alternate employment. They will hire a replacement, and I could very well be unemployed.
I have weird hormones that I have never experienced before in my life.
And I have been blogging pretty consistently for more than two years . . . one argument is that I should be used to it, and nothing should bother me anymore, but the other argument is that this place has become like mercury. You know, a tad in grilled trout probably won't effect you, but if you decide to swallow a teaspoon of the stuff, there will undoubtedly be adverse consequences. It's all about the exposure.
Translation: I know what is making me all snappy. What the hell is your excuse?
The blog I wrote yesterday was the most neutral political blog I have ever written during the entire time I have been on here. Let's revisit that, shall we?
Sarah PalinThis is John McCain's Choice for Vice-Presidential Running Mate???More importantly, this is the person McCain would have serve as President in the event something happens to him?Did I miss something?Seriously. I am not being snarky. I did my research, I saw some of her "issues," and I, frankly, don't understand . . . .If someone out there understands and can explain this decision, I am listening.
Apparently, my post was ambiguous, so let me clarify. Sarah Palin is John McCain's choice for a running mate? This is the person he would have serve as President if they win and something happens to him. I understand some of her history, but am not able to make the connection between what I have read about her and the selection by John McCain of her to be his running mate. Can someone explain that to me?
I would have written the same thing if he had announced that his running mate was Tom Leppert.
I didn't mention her gender. In fact, I said: "this is the person McCain would have serve as President."
I didn't mention Obama or attempt to make any comparisons. In fact, I said only that I had read about her and didn't understand.
I didn't mention Hillary.
All I asked was "why?"
And it just went downhilll from there, getting uglier and uglier in the comments as the more and more people weighed in. At this point, I am flashing back to my "good old days" on DocManJay's blogs, where I have seen horribly offensive pictures and been called horribly offensive names. I am not DocManJay, and the fact that people have even drawn correlations to that makes me want to vomit, and that's not morning sickness.
I think the only thing missing from the comments today were my old favorites "howling moonbat," "libtard," "Hitlery," and "Barack HUSSEIN Obama." And even without their presence, I am embarrassed, and to those people who have come to my blog for years in part because of the civility, after today, I can't even begin to articulate my apologies.
I've had it with the crap. It's not that I don't welcome debate or differences of opinions. I do, or I wouldn't blog about news and politics. I have standards though, about the way I treat others and the way I speak to others, and it involves courtesy. If you can't express your opinions without being courteous to others, then that is your shortcoming, not mine, and I am not going to take it anymore. In the past, I have had people tell me that any attempt to inhibit comments is censorship and should be avoided . . . it demonstrates that I don't value those opinions.
Which should prevail . . . your desire to be a fucking asshole to everyone with whom you don't agree, or my desire to host a forum for civil debate? Who out there is going to tell me that their opinions, their inability to express themselves courteously (or lack of desire to do so) is more important to the world at large and other commenters here than my wishes?
I'm not DocManJay, and I am not other people I have seen here who truly do have the ability to let everything run off their backs. I have my bad days when I am ready for a rant, but over time, the hatefulness of debates just makes me tired, and it makes me begin to loathe certain topics that I usually love. Who gives you people the right to do that?
Or is it that you value me so little that you don't care that it bothers me?
Some might say that if I can't take it, I shouldn't blog on the hot topics? That might be true. I would counter that if your mind is incapable of discussing the hot topics without resorting to below-the-belt insults and name-calling, perhaps you shouldn't comment here anymore, because here, in this corner of Myspace, I do have a voice in what I can and can not take, and what I will and will not take, and I won't take another day like today.
I would rather never write another word on Myspace in my life.
No, that is not the dramatic "I'm leaving" pronouncement. That is me saying that, before I allow my blog to become known as a complete warzone, with little civil discussion to be found, I would stop writing completely.
We all know our strengths and weaknesses. Some flinch at the sight of a needle, afraid of the pain, while others secretly love to get the mess beat out of them in the name of sexual foreplay. To each his own.
I truly hope this does not negatively impact my friendships with anyone, because that is not the intent. The intent of this blog is that the blog yesterday was a disaster. It's embarrassing to me, and it makes me truly grateful that my mother doesn't know about this profile. She would be ashamed of me, because she taught me that there are simply some ways to talk to others. If she saw that blog, she would say my blog was a silent endorsement of conduct she taught me was not appropriate.
So, yeah, I am stopping this right now. . . no more names, no more hateful attacks, no more vicious attacks in lieu of rational discussion. If you can't handle that, then please leave. In the long run, the people who have been here for a while will still be here, and others who won't comment here anymore because of the recent goings on might actually speak freely once more knowing that I won't sacrifice their opinions to the few dicks who think that their voices are the only ones worth hearing. That happens, and I know it.
As my friends, I am asking you to be more civil and adult in your conversations.
As a pregnant woman, I am reminding you that I don't need the stress of your shit.
As the blogger here, I am telling you that I have had enough of the crap, and I won't put up with it anymore.
And damn it that people who are supposed to know something about me and what I prefer even put me in this position in the first place.
I'm an alcoholic and have an addictive personality. I have trouble eliminating things in my life that are not good for me. I find it nearly impossible to delete people. If you can't respect my wishes, and our friendship means that little, please do me a favor and delete me. And for those who are relatively new and don't know what the hell kind of place I was trying to create here, here is a reminder:
1:01 AM
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Friday, August 29, 2008
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You Tell Me, Because, Frankly, I am Dazed and Confused
Current mood: Perplexed
Category: Perplexed News and Politics
Sarah Palin
This is John McCain's Choice for Vice-Presidential Running Mate???
More importantly, this is the person McCain would have serve as President in the event something happens to him?
Did I miss something?
Seriously. I am not being snarky. I did my research, I saw some of her "issues," and I, frankly, don't understand . . . .
If someone out there understands and can explain this decision, I am listening. Beyond that, everyone have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!
10:30 AM
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120 Comments - 78 Kudos
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Happy Birthday to All My Friends Celebrating Birthdays This Week!
Current mood:  happy
Category: Friends
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
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I Have a Dream (45 years later)
Current mood:  inspired
Category: Blogging
Today marks the 45th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech. I have written of my love for this speech before, so today, I give you just the text of this powerful and historic speech.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
6:03 AM
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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Black People Can’t Swim: Random Thoughts From Boot Camp (Guest Blogger)
Current mood:  content
Category: Blogging
I received another letter from Fidel today, and this time, he sent a blog. Like the military could ever quash the blogger in our beloved Fidel!!! This one is all his, and I will return later with my own blog.
Please repost the bulletin that is on the boards for this blog. I will be printing and sending this one to him in a few days, and I would really like to have as many of his friends (and anyone else who feels like it) drop by to leave him some words of encouragement. If you would rather send a private message for him to me, I promise I will get those to him, as well.
With that, friends and guests . . .
Welcome to Fidel's First Blog In Absentia:
Black People Can't Swim:
Random Thoughts From Boot Camp
Here I am sitting in the head. I always write good blogs whilst on the shitter. It's our Sunday holiday routine. The time we get to write letters, take long showers, attend chapel, and clean. I have a huge week ahead. We have a lot of tests and inspections. Everyone is excited about Friday because we get to shoot the 9mm and take our graduation pictures. I've never shot a gun before, but I'm still going to try for a marksmanship ribbon. My Chief and Petty Officers (Recruit Division Commanders) nominated myself along with 3 others in my division for the Outstanding Recruit Award. I have to go in front of a review board Tuesday and Thursday. There are 12 graduating divisions and each has in between 50-80 recruits. I'm very honored to be chosen.
Thoughts and observations about RTC:
-- The stereotype is true, black people cannot swim. I can swim but there are a whole lotta black people here who can't. We took our swim qual the 2nd week as full divisions. If a person fails, they have to keep taking the test. Well the pool is far from the ships (barracks), and every day you can see individual groups of black recruits walking with their swim kits. I feel for them though. Imagine not being able to swim and learning, then being pushed off a 10 foot diving platform into 12 feet of water, and then being told to swim 50 yards. Oh, and after that, you have to float for 5 minutes with your head in the water for a good part of the time.
-- You can [go] 8 weeks without masturbating. Who knew! Ha, ha! Seriously, being in a barracks with 80 plus men will destroy any libido. I haven't gone this long without masturbating since I discovered it.
-- It is possible to take a quality shit in less than 5 minutes. This is coming from me, who likes to take a book, magazine, newspaper, or crossword with me when I go. After chow, we do what's referred to as "pump-n-dump." We get a few minutes to drop, flush, and wipe. Fun times! I didn't have a decent shit for the first few weeks.
-- Take away the cell phones, Sidekicks, and computers from your kids. Young people cannot communicate. Do you want to know how many shipmates I've had to teach basics like, "how to address an envelope?" It's incredible. They can beat any video game made and tell you about it very eloquently, but ask them a simple question and you'll walk away hoping that none of them have the keys to the button.
There is so much other stuff, but I'll save it. This experience is great. I'm learning so much about who I am and what I value. I see the American flag a lot different too. When I march, I think about those who marched those same halls and sidewalks for us and went to wars. I also march and think about those Americans who weren't allowed in the Navy because of their skin color and/or gender[]. Even wh[en] I render a salute, a sense of pride and history comes over me. Be proud of me, but more importantly, be proud of these young men and women who volunteered to serve you.
If anyone would like to write me, you may bet my address from [Anonymous]. I realize that I wasn't able to get a lot of your addresses before, but I'd love to hear from you friends. The best part of the day is receiving mail before taps.
And there you have it. If you do want Fidel's address, message me, and I will be happy to provide it, and I will send this blog and the blogments to him early next week. Thanks for reading, and commenting. I know it will mean a lot to him.
As for me, in case you didn't know, Fidel,
I really, really miss you.
3:00 PM
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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What I Think Of The United States (RANT)
Current mood: angry
Category: Blogging
I was born in the State of Texas. I grew up knowing that I would attend law school. Okay, so for a while, I only dreamed of attending law school, but still . . . it was a goal. I was able to realize that dream, and I think that the love I have for this country has only grown as I have studied, in depth, the laws and principles upon which this country was founded. I love the Constitution of the United States of America . . . all of it. It is the document that sets forth those rights protected under the laws of this country. It established the framework of our government, and it stands today as a reminder of the value placed on the individual and individual rights and freedoms. Because of the Constitution, I freaking love this country that is not only the land of my birth, but the only country to which I will ever swear my allegiance. Having said that, I have to be honest with you. I am freaking sick to the point of wanting to throw my computer out in the backyard of people who think that it is somehow unpatriotic or treasonous to express disappointment or shame in this country. DAMN IT, PEOPLE!!!
It's a right that we have as American citizens, and it is one that is protected by the United States Constitution. If I want to say that I think President Bush is a shitty, shitty President and should never have been elected, that is my right. If I want to say that the last eight years have been the most pathetic political years of my relatively young life, I have that right. If I want to protest the war, I have that right. If I want to bitch and moan about racism and the snail's pace at which we have struggled to reach the equality that was supposedly recognized centuries ago, that is my right. If I want to burn a flag, I can. If I want to demand the impeachment of the President, I can. If I want to go on an "America Sucks Butt" world tour, I can freaking do that, too. Where are you people freaking living? When did the United States become some utopia where everyone is supposed to be smiley, happy people completely in love with everything about this country simply by virtue of the fact that it is the United States? What kind of loyalty is that when we are encouraged to shut our yaps and pretend that everything is gloriously beautiful on the outside, saying nothing of the disappointments we have about events that happen around us. Is our unhappiness with the government like some kind of disease, like alcoholism? We know it exists . . . we just don't talk about it? And those who do . . . those stupid souls clueless enough to forget that we don't mention the pink elephant are castigated for speaking out against the negatives in our society? Oh, no you di'int! Michelle Obama once said that, for the first time in her life, she was proud of her country. Arrest that woman for treason right now, try her, and what, execute her? Or just strip her of her citizenry right now for exercising the freedoms protected by the United States Constitution? What? What do we do with such an abomination in the eyes of God?
Clearly such people are un-American. I am furious. I am furious because so much has been made of a statement that it makes me want to scream and slam my head into a wall, but I already feel like I am doing that as I type this, so let me tell you something . . . all of you who consider the Dixie Chicks to be traitors, or the dissatisfaction expressed by Michelle Obama to be unpatriotic, or those who believe that we must treat our government like our drunk Uncle Sal, never discussing him outside the circle of the family: I have been ashamed of this country. I am ashamed that my country thinks it is doing such a bang up job taking care of itself that we are qualified to tell everyone else how to be just like us. I am ashamed that we have chosen to step in uninvited at times to compel people to adopt a system more acceptably similar to our own. I am ashamed that those people who were killed on 9/11 have not been avenged, as our government has chosen instead to focus on a country with no known connections to that day, at all. I am ashamed that we are supposed to be such a great superpower, yet we can't find Osama bin Laden, and many don't even seem to care. I am ashamed that there are people who do believe, and who have said, that a black man is a serious contender for the Presidency for no other reason than the fact that he is black. Some of those same people will argue in the next breath that affirmative action and the anti-discrimination laws are unnecessary. But those who support Obama are clearly suffering from . . . what? Feelings of guilt? If we were really so prone to righting the wrongs of the past, maybe we wouldn't have affirmative action and the anti-discrimination laws in the first place. Oh, but suddenly we have the guilties and are choosing our leader based on dark skin pigmentation. Please be serious. And if you are being serious, I am ashamed that there are American citizens who feel that way. I am ashamed that there are people who believe that little Johnny's inability to pray in a classroom before school apparently compromises the entire fabric of his religious beliefs. God forbid parents should pray with him before dropping him off, privately, instead of respecting children of other religious beliefs, or lack of same, who might feel coerced to participate to avoid exclusion. God knows we, as a country, hate excluding those of other beliefs. I am ashamed that the biological workings of a woman's body, and the events taking place in a couple's bedroom are seemingly considered more important, politically, than our environment, our health care, our economy, our education system, our place in the arena of international affairs, and things that truly impact all of us, rather than only a few, comparatively speaking. When I think of this country, there are things about which I am ashamed. One thing about which I am not ashamed, is that I do believe that this country truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave. I just wish those "brave" enough to exert those freedoms weren't treated like traitorous villains for actually believing the Constitution means what it says. No, I don't give two figs about what Michelle Obama said, or what she meant. She is the only one who knows what she really meant that day, just as I can't possibility articulate the love for this country and the frustration with its government and people that have collided to form the basis of this rant. Because we are both Americans, though, we don't have to beg or plead or explain our words until we are blue in the face. If you can't accept the expression of one's dissatisfaction with this country or its government, perhaps it is you who needs to go back and re-read the Constitution, because I am positive that those who signed the United States Constitution would not only approve, they would remember George of England and know that they established the right kind of government for a fledgling country breaking off from a tyrant. Too bad the tyranny still exists.WHY IS THIS EVEN A DEBATABLE FREAKING ISSUE?
SERIOUSLY?
11:01 PM
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Monday, August 25, 2008
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My Thoughts on Michelle Obama’s Speech
Category: News and Politics
I remember not long ago a friend and I got into a disagreement in the comments on this blog about Michelle Obama. Because this woman and I are friends, we were able to resolve our difference of opinion amicably, with both of us agreeing that Michelle Obama might not need to be given free reign to microphones, if her goal is to help him win the White House this November.
If she speaks as she did tonight, I have no problem with her having the microphone. From her tribute to the anniversary of the amendment to the United States Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote (August 26, 1920), to her reference to the forty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech (August 28, 1963), I was riveted. She represented both moments in this country's history, and I think she did it beautifully. I loved how she talked about dreams throughout her speech. In that respect, passages of Dr. King's speech flashed through my mind. Will the election of a black man establish that "all men are created equal?"
No.
Will it negate the need for civil rights laws in this country?
No.
That's not the dreams that were evoked by her speech, which hearkened back to the civil rights movement in a way that I think was actually appropriate, given the anniversary of that speech. I am sure some will call that yet another example of the "race card" being played for sympathy.
That could be one interpretation, but to me, that would almost be akin to saying that we have not yet reached that time when one is judged not by the "color of their skin but by the content of their character," another dream articulated by Dr. King. And if that is the case? For those who are willing to admit that we truly haven't reached that point yet, I say: until we do, I have no complaint with the race card. At all. But the real "dream" of Dr. King's that was called to mind by Michelle Obama's speech was that faith and hope, carried in the hands of those who truly just dream of something better, can change the world from what it is into what it should be. At one time, black people were slaves. Women were considered glorified chattel whose earthly possessions passed to her husband at her marriage. Neither had rights, neither had a voice. That was the way the world was, until someone, somewhere stood and stated the obvious: that it sucked, and that it didn't have to be that way anymore. And the foundation of that conviction, in my opinion, and as beautifully expressed by Dr. King and echoed by Michelle Obama, is hope. One of my favorite quotes by Dr. King has long been this one, and it is one that I think is more within our grasp today than it ever has been before: This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Dr. King had the dream and the hope at a time when, I think, many had no hopes or dreams. Is the same true today, or are people finally realizing that hopes and dreams, while amorphous and difficult to strategize, might be enough to change the world? Is that the "change" that so many find attractive at this point and that is so harshly criticized by so many because there is no twelve-step program a country can enter to start on a path to recovery after a long period of self-destruction? It's not as certain, but that doesn't change the dream that it is possible.
I think my favorite quote by Michelle Obama this evening was the one where she announced opined that we have the ability to stand up and show future generations that this year, this election, marks a point at which we started listening to our hopes, instead of our fears, and that just struck me as being so very poignant, because that is, I think, the country we live in right now. Every one is out to get us. Every one is out to knock us off our pedestal. We must stand ready to defend against the evil that is bent on the destruction of this country and each resident therein. It's all based on fears. Am I saying that we should not be diligent? No. But should we let others perpetually cast a pall over tour dreams, at the same time? I don't think so.
Dr. King spoke of dreams and hope, and so did Michelle Obama tonight, and I finally "got" it. Dr. King didn't speak in terms of fears. He had hope that such fears would be overcome one day. I have fears for my child, but the hopes I have far outweigh those fears. I don't know how my hopes and dreams for my family will be realized in the future, but does that mean that I dismiss them as nothing more than flights of fancy, choosing instead to govern my child through my own fears?
No.
Why should my country be different?
That is the message I received tonight from Michelle Obama, and it was a great message. She represented herself, her husband, and her daughters well and, frankly, I think she represented me and what I hope for as a citizen of this country. And that's something I haven't been able to say in years.
Well done, Mrs. Obama.
11:01 PM
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Sunday, August 24, 2008
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My Obituary . . . .
Category: Life
I read the obituaries in my local newspaper. It's not that I have this strange fascination with death, or anything. I blame it on the fact that I work at a firm that does estate planning. In any event, I read the obituaries. I don't like the obituaries for infants. First, I am saddened by the fact that these children are the ones who either were born and lived for a little while, or who were anticipated by someone, developed, and then might have been stillborn. Their lives were so short, and so often, the picture used is one taken by the funeral home, and it's obvious that that baby is dead.
That's hard to see, honestly, even before I even wanted my own child.
But today, I found myself with a little time on my hand so I picked up the paper from August 21, 2008, and read this obituary:
JANE DOE (not using her real name), 48, Somewhere, departed this life August 16, 2008. Survived by: son, X, 23 brothers and sisters, a host of other family and friends. Funeral 11 a.m. Saturday at . . . Services entrusted to X Mortuary . . . "Services You Can Trust".
So much about this saddened me. First, the obituary was written, clearly, by the funeral home, because its phone number and slogan were in the obituary. What about her son? What about her 23 brothers and sisters who survived her? None of them could write an obituary for their sister? For his mother? What really broke my heart, though, was the fact that the picture used in the obituary was this woman's driver's license picture, with the holograph of the state seal visible.
She was 48 years old, and the only available picture was issued by the State?
I am so writing my own obituary now . . . just in case.
Not really . . . I think.
I remember reading about, and blogging about, a woman in Europe whose body was found in her apartment 30 years after she died. This obituary reminded me of that. My life has been so blessed. I have a wonderful family and great friends who love me very much. I can't imagine the above obituary as my own. I can't imagine no one missing me for 30 years. I can't imagine the only available photo of me to publish announcing the end of my life would be my driver's license (in fact, thanks to my digital cameral and cell phone, I have thousands.
But who does look at their life and see that? Do these people know that they won't be found? That there is no one to write an obituary? Maybe I am just too emotional, and maybe this woman was Satan incarnate who drove absolutely everyone from her life with hatred and bile. I don't know her story. . . and her son and siblings weren't telling.
And that, to me, is just tragic.
10:01 PM
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
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Obama Has Announced His Running Mate (Corrected)
Current mood:  awake
Category: News and Politics
Yes, I did sign up to receive the text message announcing when Obama announced his running mate. Some have criticized him for his decision to announce his choice in that way, calling it childish and stupid. I was unaware that text messaging was such an unacceptably immature way to announce events. Upon further reflection, though, I have decided to cancel my subscription to the Amber Alert text messages that I receive on my phone when a child goes missing. Who knew I was simply contributing to the dumbing down and regression of this country's mental age by partaking of such benefits offered by my cellular provider. In any event, this morning when I woke up I saw that I had received a text message from Obama's campaign: Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee.
Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word! There was also an email. Now, I just need McCain to announce his running mate, so I can start seriously considering for whom I will vote. CORRECTION IN RED
(Thanks, Rick!)
Questions: What are your thoughts on an Obama-Biden ticket? Who would you like to see McCain select? Is text messaging really considered that unacceptable as a way to disseminate information? Is it childish? Juvenile? I was going to leave it at that, but I'm not. My opinion? If you don't want to sign up to receive text messages announcing an event, don't sign up. It's that simple. No one will force you to send that subscription text message. Your cell phone won't be confiscated to prove that you are or are not signed up. Most people won't even care one way or the other whether you get that text message or not. Criticizing those who offer the option of receiving the information in that manner in the first place? Unnecessary.
Petty.
Evidence of Boredom and a
Sincere Desire to Criticize Others No Matter What
I think pretty much every single State of the Union address for the past 8 years has not been worth my time. You know what I typically do when it's on? I don't turn on the television. I don't pull out a soapbox to tell everyone how stupid I think it is to interrupt my television programming for something so trivial as a commentary on the state of this country I love so much. I don't call people who do watch childish, or stupid, or immature, or criticize them for their fortitude. I just don't watch. That's my option. I can accept the media's information, or not. No one is going to force me to watch. This is America.We have choices about the information we receive and the sources from whom we receive it. It is one of the things that makes this a great country. For someone to needlessly dump on that access to information? It's not only surprising . . . it's disheartening.
2:00 PM
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Friday, August 22, 2008
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Happy Birthday -- August 22 - 28, 2008
Current mood: happy
Category: Friends
..tr> | ..tr> To My Friends CelebratingBirthdays This Week: | |
..tr>| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ..table>..table>
..table>
6:00 AM
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Sunday, August 17, 2008
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A New Word, Time Away, and Some Prayers
Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Blogging
I know I promised a blog on my experience with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If it's okay, I think that I am going to wait until after Mr. J does his stints as a volunteer to provide the full story from both of us. I promise I'll post it soon. In the meantime, I have a new word that I thought of today after my fourth encounter with what has sadly become a pattern. Today was my first sober brush with this particular curse of mine. We'll just call this one " negligent cellucide." One phone drowned in a coat pocket. Two more were lost after jumping in water while drunk. And today, I dropped my phone in the toilet while cleaning and trying to listen to blogtalkradio. Perfect. It will power up and I can access my contacts, but I have no sound. If you need to reach me, call the land line, and if you need the number and don't have it, send me a message. I think I am going to take this week off, guys. I have some things I am working on here, including looking for a new job and trying to stop being such an emotional bitch, which is complicated by a heightened sense of smell, occasional nausea, and an admittedly early and despised reliance on the "p" card, and that's "pregnancy" for those who are wondering, and trust me, the race card can't begin to compete, so quit complaining about Obama. I am also going to take some time to read the blogs. I think that is probably the biggest piece of advice I would give anyone who blogs frequently: "Take some time to step off your own soapbox and the events that make you feel like you are the center of the universe, the most intelligent person in the world, or the expert on all things _____________, and go read some other people's writings. You might learn something about life, your expertise, the burdens of others, and the wisdom others have to share." I did go to the compline service tonight at church. Mr. J sings in the choir, and in a day when I might have killed another phone and just can't seem to find the light for whatever reason, it really finally just let me have that comfort and peace that I have lacked today. I heard this prayer for the first time, and I had never heard it. I thought it was so beautiful . . . the perfect end to the service. I hope you find some comfort from it, as well, even if you don't have any religious beliefs or faith, or whatever. It's not meant just for those who believe.
Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend the sick, rest the weary, bless the dying,
soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous.
In your love, give us all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Also, one of my favorite prayers has always been this one: The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
It's beautiful, and also comforts me. Y'all have a good night, and I'll see you on the blogs. Promise I'll be back later. Just need a few days off.
11:01 PM
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Friday, August 15, 2008
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My Weekend -- Future Blog
Current mood:  excited
Category: Life
Hey, all! As some of you know, I am going to be volunteering tomorrow for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The camera battery is charging. The autograph pens are set out. I'm donning a fanny back (which shows the lengths to which I am prepared to go in order to go fully equipped in order to memorialize the occasions). I found this article about the family and thought you guys might be interested. No "Stream of Consciousness" this week. I am on a mission. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Bigelow family getting Extreme Makeover by ABCBy ArkansasOnlineABC-TV announced today that the McCully Family of Bigelow will receive a new home as part of the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" television show, according to a press release.Local builder Woodhaven Homes, Inc. has been selected as the primary contractor for the home building project, which typically takes a week to finish, the release said.Job McCully, 10, is the primary reason for the McCully's selection. He has survived leukemia, a bone marrow transplant and a double-lung transplant, according to the release. He was able to leave the hospital in 2008, but mold and mildew in the family's home have made it unsafe for him.The family will spend the week in Santa Barbara, Calif., while the construction is underway, the release said.Anyone interested in helping in the project should visit the website www.thehousejackbuilt.com/extreme.See, this is why I love this show. I know I will cry when I watch the show this fall, because that's just how the show rolls. Damn you, Ty Pennington! On another note, I got my first official "morning sickness" today . . . after I ate each meal. I ended up going to bed at 7:30ish p.m., and am going back there now for my 4:00 a.m. wake-up call . . . bailed on Mr. J on another date night.
I suck.
11:01 PM
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Aug 31 
