Kitten a Go-Go

Not My President

Gosh, I remember long ago how fussy people would get when the evil liberals referred to Bush as "not my president."  Now, I understand there is quite a frenzy over the evil indoctrination of our country's youth through an address by the president. 

Do you know what I've read?  Not my president.  Oh my.  Isn't that what people got in trouble for saying before with W?  Pot+kettle=black. 

Folks, I am a moderate democrat, even though in the land of conservative country, I am painted to be an uber-liberal.  I am so sick of polarizing politics.  I'm so sick of being called a socialist.  Although, amusingly, one of the Republicans at work pointed out that we have many successful socialized institutions.  Note, not one of my arguments.

Obama isn't a magician and he came into a pile of shit.  I'm sure that the other side argues that Clinton is the one who left the pile of shit. Honestly, no one is ever going to be happy. 

In the legal profession, a successful mediation is one in which no one leaves happy.  Perhaps we need to start remembering that and learning to negotiate.  Politics shouldn't be a whole lot different than the law.

Can you just imagine if you suddenly became a socialist from a presidential address? 

It's funny because I somehow formed my own opinions, some of which differ greatly from my family.  Most notably, I went through four years of Catholic school and I don't believe in God.  I didn't when I started and I was ridiculed by my teachers and told that I didn't know what I was talking about and that I would change my mind.  I should have made some bets.  Just because you have more experience in life than someone doesn't mean that they are unable to understand and form their own opinions.  You can try to create clones of yourself or you can raise children who can speak their mind and articulate their rationale.  (FYI to at least five teachers that I remember - I still don't believe in God.  I am a Buddhist and damn proud of who I have become.  I am a good person even though I don't believe the same things as you.)

Oh, but wait, I don't get a voice in this debate.  I'm not a mother.  Sorry for speaking up.  I certainly have no idea of the importance of shaping cookie cutter versions of myself and my beliefs.

For Jo Ann

Today, I finished my next article for the local bar magazine.  I did a fair and balanced report on the constitutionality of the Nevada Domestic Partnership Act.  It's a little dry.  It's a lot dry.  It's a triscuit.

Here's the issue - I am not remotely fair and balanced about this.  I abhor the fact that I live in a state that has a Defense of Marriage Amendment.  That was enacted before I moved here, so I can't be too bitchy about it. 

During the recent legislative session, Nevada passed Domestic Partnership legislation.  Just barely.  It passed and the governor vetoed it, and it passed by the bare minimum to override the veto.  First of all, bravo to the only openly homosexual state senator, David Parks, who sponsored the bill.  Next, bravo to the brave assemblywoman who told her story of being a HETERO domestic partner and what happened when her partner died.  Bravo to the couples who came forward and told stories of how it would affect their lives.  Boo to the same old arguments on the other side that say, bible bible bible.  I AM AN ATHEIST AND A BUDDHIST, SO THAT WON'T CUT IT.  Your bible can guide your life's decisions.  I have my own beliefs to guide me.  And, I believe that I am a good person and that I try to lead my life according to the eightfold path.  That path doesn't teach hate (unless you have greatly wronged me and that's where I fall off the path but that's a person by person sort of thing). 

Foes of the legislation say, oh, it's too close to marriage and our state constitution says that is between a man and a woman only.  This is such bullshit.  Separate is not equal.  I have been a supporter of gay marriage since I was in high school.  I do not get why anyone thinks they have the right to define love.  Right, because it always leads to pedophiles and polygamy and people screwing horses in South Carolina.  Yeah.  We're talking about two people who love each other, not whatever crazy scenario you can come up with to support your cause.  I read the hearing transcripts and shook my head.  I can just imagine it was like this when, omg, a black person and a white person wanted to get married.  It wasn't okay then and IT ISN'T OKAY NOW.

There are MORE requirements to get a domestic partnership in Nevada than there are to get married.  I got both of my marriage certificates here and it was easy.  I didn't have to sign a written contract saying that I was in a a committed relationship and living in a common residence.  I think I showed my drivers license and answered some very basic questions.  Most of the act aims to mirror the laws that married couples have, but it still may not get you health care on your partner's health insurance. 

I know that I am a bleeding heart liberal.  I know.  I KNOW.  I hear it every day from my husband and coworkers and cats.  But this isn't about being liberal.  It is about equal rights.  I honestly get the anti-choice movement more than I get the anti-gay marriage people. 

Here's how you can make me like legislation:  You don't decide who I can love.  You don't decide what I do with my body.  You don't decide what I can and can't say.  Those are personal decisions that can be left only to me, my conscience and occasionally, my doctor.  You cannot dictate what is moral.  You cannot dictate what I believe is right.  Use your police power to protect, not control and certainly not to preach.

To friends of a different mindset, I apologize if I have offended you, but this is what I really think.  This is what the article doesn't say.  This is my editorial.  This is my soapbox. 

I like saying Vice President Biden

Today is a new beginning.  The Boy recently commented that he is sick of the doom and gloom reports that the media is shoving down our throat about 2009.  I hear that people are cautiously optimistic.  Here's my thought - why not just be optimistic?  I am full of hope.  I believe that the new administration will be great.  I believe that the new administration will, unlike the past 8 years, worry about things at home, and not just what's going on abroad.  I feel the the previous president ignored domestic policy and the policies he had were awful. 

I am proud to support Obama and Biden.  I am excited to see what happens next.  I am full of hope.  I am full of optimism.  2009 is going to be a great year.  I don't doubt that the world is changing, but that does not mean that it has to end badly.  Let's use this as an opportunity to make things better than they were before. 

Yes We Can!

I am extremely proud that Obama and Biden won.  I can't wait to see how they shape this country.

I Voted Yesterday. My Choice Will Shock No One.

I proudly cast my vote for Obama yesterday.  At one point, after it was clear that Hillary wasn't getting the nomination, I said I wouldn't vote for Obama and would vote for McCain.  Let's just say it took a couple of months for that wound to heal.  Then, when I finally accepted that I would vote for him, he picked my political boyfriend, Joe Biden, to be his running mate.  That's when I actually started caring again.  I donated a very small amount, which I could barely afford and read everything on Obama's website.  Dude, he makes sense.

Then the debates started.  And then that Sarah Palin was brought onto the scene.  Everything just increased my Obama support.

Then, we had the last debate.  McCain, I hadn't planned on voting on the abortion issue this election.  I considered voting for you even in light of his anti-choice record.  However, I take extreme offense to being termed pro-abortion.  So, here's a little note to Senator McCain.

I am not pro-abortion.  I'm pro truth in health education (not abstinence only which has been proved in study after study to be a failure).  I'm pro access to birth control.  I'm pro removing the stigma from condom use that exists in certain sub-cultures.  I'm pro leaving medical decisions to a woman and her medical provider.  I'm pro choice and I'm damn proud of it. 

How dare Senator McCain imply that I am pro unintended pregnancies.  Senator McCain, it's quite the opposite.  I'm pro reducing unintended pregnancy through education and access to birth control.  However, I understand that things are somethings unplanned and need to be dealt with accordingly.  But it is most certainly not Senator McCain's decision on how to deal with those unintended happenings.  These are decisions for a patient and her medical provider. 

I found his comments gravely offensive and I hope other pro-choice Americans felt the same way. 

Politics just got more interesting

Well, Obama, you've pleased me as much as you can without losing to Hillary.  I like Senator Biden.  I'll actually support you now instead of just voting for you for the sake that you aren't McCain.  Good for you.

Another note on my presidential 2008 journey

I have given this careful thought.  There's just no way in hell I can bring myself to vote for McCain.  While I agree with him on some fiscal issues and I think he has a more realistic vision of how to deal with Iraq, I can't get past his archaic stance on some of my pet social issues.  He's anti-choice and anti-gay marriage and I find that to be nonsense.  Sorry, but it's just not happening.

Please note that this is not an endorsement of Obama.  Still don't like him either. 

I am so sick of voting against people.  Seriously.  I wish there was a candidate about whom I care...

I AM A COUNTY DELEGATE NOW. FOR HILLARY. WOOHOO.

Here's a picture of Elmo staring at what I've done with the fridge.  I've offered equal time to The Boy, but he is a little disenchanted right now because Rudy G. has lost his spark (finishing almost last in Nevada).

I, on the other hand, caucused and am THRILLED to serve as a delegate for Clark County.  In fact, it was a job that I entered the caucus desiring.

I truly haven't been this excited by politics in a long time.

My caucus is on Saturday.

Guess who I'll be voting for.

Typical Catholic School Guilt

I feel like a bad person because I am not remotely sad that Falwell died.  Nor do I feel bad about the many not terribly courteous remarks that I have made regarding his political views in the past. 

Yet, guilty.  Weird.

Oh, Bring It, Bitch

Me:  I really want to talk about the exciting political news that I read today, but I don't want to talk about it with you.

Boy:  What are you talking about?

Me:  I don't want to talk about it with you.

Boy:  What?

Me:  Hillary declared her candidacy or whatever.

Boy:  Oh, I saw that already.  You're all a bunch of easily led automatons. 

[Little did I know his Republican ass was quoting Clerks at me.  2008 is going to be fun.]

THIS CONTAINS A HAPPY FEET SPOILER. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW IT, DON'T G.D. READ THIS.

[While viewing Happy Feet in Imax]

Tiny Boy:  Daddy, why are they taking the penguins' fish?
Boy:  Because the people need to eat fish too.
Me:  [in a stage whisper]  Because they are Republicans.
Boy:  Is Al Gore playing the penguin?

[I want to clarify for you, dear readers, I did not hear the second line as someone claims it was spoken.  I remember something along the lines of Ssssshhhh, watch the movie and then my bristling political commentary.  I have been told my recollection is incorrect.  We'll just agree to disagree on this one.]

Like you were going to get a "no comment" on the elections. Inner Net, you underestimate me.

1.  My #2 most hated politician ever (Santorum, I'm talking about you, Asshat) was defeated.  This pleases me in ways that I cannot even describe.  I will be honest, I cared more about that race than any other. 

2.  The Democrats control Congress.  I am shocked.  Pleased as hell, but shocked.  I really didn't think it would happen. 

3.  Rumsy is gone.  Um, yay.

4.  I changed my mind on the whole ballot initiative thing.  Not because of here.  Specifically because of South Dakota.  I'm proud of you, um, South Dakotans.  I am super happy that I can now go see Mt. Rushmore and I don't have to boycott you anymore.

I got a sticker, that's why.

Nevada offers something called early voting.  Like, voting before election day.  Interesting concept.  I was in the mall to replenish my sweet, sweet Proactiv and there was the option to vote.  There was a sticker.  I wanted the sticker.  Bad. 

So I voted.  In a mall.  Before election day.  Then I ate a chocolate covered marshmallow jack-0-lantern, so that seemed to even out the weirdness. 

They have something called ballot initiatives here.  I do not really recall having those in any other election in which I've participated.  And, not having read the questions before, I have no clue what they are truly after, so I skipped a bunch of them.  I would rather not participate than make an uninformed decision.

Did you know the new Beck CD comes with stickers so you can make your own cover art? 

It's been a good day for me, a thirty year old woman of reasonable intelligence, to acquire stickers, which i will cherish like the average 4 year old girl of average sensibility.

Quote of the Day

Okay, this conversation took place at work, but it's not about work, so I'm going to share it with you, dear readers.  Somehow coworker who I will refrain from naming because I'm not talking about work asked what religion I am.  Before thinking through my response, I told the truth.  After a few more conversational twists and turns, it went something like this (I assure you I'm paraphrasing because I am distracted with figuring out how to open my kitty wine and the fact that the Wheel starts soon):

cwiwrfnbintaw:  When did you become a Buddhist?
me:  (changing to When did you realize you were a Buddhist) 2000, I think.
cwiwrfnbintaw:  What, did you think to yourself, oh, I voted for Kerry, I guess I'll be a Buddhist.

Yeah, that's how it went down.  But that was only after I personally caused gangs, homelessness and started the media campaign about "global warming" though.

YAY!

Finally, some news that I'm proud to read.  It's about damn time.

Dirrrty Dirrrty Politics

Once upon a time, in a state far, far away, I liked to get involved in political sorts of things.  I haven't done much here because I don't know the candidates well enough. 

Today was primary day.  Which, of course, means that every day before has been campaign day.  For the first 22 years of my life, I lived in NJ and even when I moved to DE, I got to watch the dirty campaigning from afar since we had all Philly stations. 

Let me tell you, NV puts NJ to shame when it comes to dirty politics.  I have never seen such nasty and vicious commercials in my life. 

I refuse to simply vote solely on the basis of party affiliation, so someone needs to start talking about issues before November.  I have no clue what anyone stands for, except that they all hate each other.  Especially the guys running for sheriff. 

You Never Listen to Me, Do You??

Here's the website that has stuff about the movie.  So that you can see where it is playing.

Movie Review: An Inconvenient Truth

GO SEE THIS MOVIE.  I'm not screwing around with you.  GO SEE IT.  It is IMPORTANT. 

We went to see this for the simple fact that it was playing and we haven't seen it and I wanted to get out of the house.  I'd heard it was good.  But, it was a documentary involving Al Gore.  I voted for him (don't get me started on that shit), but I never found him to be entertaining enough to want to see a film about him or involving him.  I wish he's shown this side of him a little more during the 2000 election because then...  Well, yeah.... 

IMPORTANT.  I mean, get up, get out of your house and go.  Think about what is being said and how much we are effing up the earth and how we can act to fix it.  Take your parents, your loved ones and your kids.  GO.  RUN ALONG NOW. 

Why are you still reading this when I have issued commands in all caps????

Awesome Cookie

would you fancy an anti-santorum cookie?
Originally uploaded by ShimmeeGrrl.

One of my least favorite politicians ever. I LOVE the fact that this cookie exists.