A Word About “Entitlements”

In the aftermath of last night’s election, I’ve been reading a lot of comments from people who didn’t vote the same way I did.  Not in a gloating sense or in taking joy in their misery (and believe you me, some of them put the misery I felt in Bush’s re-election to absolute shame!), but just to see what they are afraid will happen in Obama’s second term.  Here is just a sample of one of the comments I read today: “the entitled are still sitting at home while I work to support their laziness.”  I chose this one because it’s pretty anonymous, but there were some that made my hair curl.

Because, I’ve got to be honest, I’m sitting at home, taking a handout right now.  For anyone who may be reading this who doesn’t know, the condensed version of my tragedy is that my 38 year old husband collapsed and died at dinner just about 4 months ago.  I was a stay-at-home mom to our daughter and a graduate student.  I had and have no intention of returning to my previous career, so I had allowed my certifications to lapse and I cannot return to my former employer without passing tests, and a whole lot of rigmarole.  I’ve been out of the workforce for nearly 4 years now.  So the types of jobs I could currently probably get fairly easily would not pay my bills.  I am already facing foreclosure on our house and am attempting to force the banks into helping me with loan modifications so that I can maintain our home.  It’s the only place my daughter has ever known, and to rob her of that security after her father died literally before her very eyes is heartless and cruel. 

To date, I have not received my husband’s official death certificates.  This means I cannot receive any settlement from his former employer (the federal government), although there is limited money to be obtained from them when the death certificates are issued. 

This means that I was forced to apply for my husband’s Social Security.  It was the most humiliating day of my life the day I went through my Social Security interview.  My husband was a very proud man, and one of the things he was proudest of was that despite being disabled, he went to work every single day and earned his pay.  He did not collect Social Security, although he was certainly entitled to it.  When I had my interview with SSI, I felt like a total and complete failure.  But I literally had nowhere else to turn to attempt to support myself and my daughter.

Social Security is not adequate to meet our mortgage payments and utilities and other expenses.  I attempt each month to put Leah’s share of the money into a separate spot for her.  Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not.  This month she needs a winter coat, among other things, and it’s not easy to save up and continue to fully commit that money to savings.  But I do look forward to someday handing her as much of that money as I possibly can and telling her that her father wanted her to have it.

I am not out buying Cheetos and cocaine and sitting on my couch watching soap operas.  We have stopped eating out even half as much as we did.  I spend 6 hours every 2 weeks combing circulars and comparing prices so that I can get good food cheap.

I am not sleeping around and trying to get pregnant so I can have lots of welfare babies. 

Every month when that money is deposited into my bank account, I weep.  Because all it is is a symbol of what I’ve lost and my inability at present to care for myself.  And if I become employed, they will take the money back.  So whatever I make has to be able to compete with what Social Security is giving me, and frankly, I very much doubt that being a checker at WalMart is going to come close.

But the fact is, yes, I am entitled to that money.  For years, literally years, Mike and I have both paid into that system, and if you’re employed, then check our W2 or your pay stub and you will see where Social Security is deducted from your pay.  Every year, you get a statement from Social Security that indicates what your award will be if are disabled or if you retire, and what your survivors will receive if you should suddenly die.  You are entitled to that money.  Let me repeat that:  You. Are. Entitled. To. That. Money.

And make no mistake, every time you make a blanket statement that says “those people just sit around and collect their check while I’m out working”, you lump everyone like me and my daughter into that category of good-for-nothing, lazy bastards that allow you to make yourself feel good when you have no idea what “those people” are going through.  And unless you have personally interviewed every single recipient of Social Security, which in 2009 was somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 million people, I’ll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.  Are there people who take advantage of the system?  Probably.  But the vast, vast majority of us are honest people who need some help.

I wish to God I didn’t have to rely on Social Security right now.  I look forward to completing my education and returning to the workforce.  But I am thankful that I have it to rely on and that while everything else is on hold, we are able to have food, electricity, gas, and warm clothes.  And I’m sure that my fellow recipients feel the same.

Letter to the People Who are Supposed to Be Representing Us

Dear President Obama, Senators Warner and Webb, and Representative Wittman:

This has been a lousy week in our household.  I’m putting the blame squarely on your shoulders.  This week, it was announced that federal employees will not receive a pay raise for the next two years.  And it was announced that federal employee transit benefits will be slashed in half.  Now apparently this is due to the fact that they were raised and were due to come back down.  Unfortunately for us, it comes at a time when our sole breadwinner is now commuting 4 hours a day to get to his job, which he loves might I add, in our nation’s traffic clogged capital, and because he has been unable to find someone to carpool with, he must now take the train and Metro to get to work.  A train which is frequently late.  A Metro that frequently has “issues”.  In October, he was leaving home at 7:15 and getting home between 4 and 5.  Now he leaves our home at 5:15 and gets home at 6:30.  Doesn’t say much for our quality of life when we can’t spend time with our husband/father, who is exhausted when he gets back from those kind of hours, does it!

The pay freeze and benefit reduction news also came at a time this week when I drove by the local gas stations around here and nearly choked on my own teeth to see a sharp spike in gas prices.  In case you didn’t notice, gas here is back to nearly $3 per gallon.  I suppose I should feel fortunate—in many cases it’s back over $3 per gallon.  And you know that manufacturers and retailers are not going to swallow the increase in gas prices on their end.  They tack it onto the price of the goods that we have to buy.  So really, we get to pay for our gas and everyone else’s.

Our health insurance co-pays have increased.  I can only assume this is on account of the fact that those health insurance bastards had to lobby you guys so heavily not to support free health care for everyone.  They must be laughing now that the bill you passed will only make them richer.  I full support free health care for all.  I just wish you had done it right.  You had an amazing opportunity to do so, something that could have been your enduring legacy, but you blew it.  Good work.

We are far from being in financial dire straits.  This year we have taken in an exchange student.  I still do not work so that I can be a stay at home mom to our 20 month old.  If I was working, the majority of my income would be going to pay for day care and commuting costs.  But don’t think I haven’t thought about going back to work.  I even contacted my former boss who said I am a phone call away from being employed.  Do you know how lucky I am?  Because there are literally millions of people out there right now who are either scraping by at jobs they are overqualified for, who are unemployed, or who are in fear that their jobs are going to vanish.

Because of the pinch we’re starting to feel, even just a little bit, our lifestyle will change in the new year.  This year, we’ve already started buying generics on things that don’t especially matter—things like “raw materials” for cooking (flour, sugar, oil, etc)—and medicine.  We will continue to do so.

The last several years, we have re-invested our tax return into the economy.  We adopted our beautiful little girl.  We made major improvements to our home.  We went on vacation.  We discussed what we’re doing this year and my advice to my husband was, “I think we’d better save whatever pittance we get.”  And that’s what we’ve agreed to do.

We will seriously slash the amount of travel that we do, both locally and nationally.  We do hope to travel next summer to see a former exchange student, but other than that, our plans are to stay home or to visit family.  Traveling by air has become such a pain in the butt that we don’t have any plans to do it unless it is absolutely necessary.  Between extra fees for just putting a bag on the plane, the new security measures that we may or may not be subject to, and the prices of actually flying, we’re better off staying home.  Thankfully the Smithsonian is still free and nearly in our backyard.  This past year, we traveled to New York, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia.  Next year, once our exchange daughter has gone back home to Thailand, we won’t probably go anywhere.  We are fortunate to have been able to show her some of our beautiful country, but we won’t be able to show her a whole lot more of it other than visiting our parents. 

I have been running all over town with my younger daughter this year  as well, taking her to story time and a local toddler gym and the mall and playground.  I participate in a local choir and run a book club.  We have a very active group of friends who like to go sightseeing and bowling and out to meals.  Where our schedule or that of a babysitter has permitted, we’ve enjoyed joining them.  No more.  My activities will be restricted to my book club and choir, my daughter’s to the park, toddler gym, and story time at our public library, which has slashed its hours and needs funding.  I loved going to visit former co-workers and going to friends’ parties and meeting for lunch.  But I think the days of wine and roses are coming to a close.

We have agreed that in 2011, we will no longer go out to eat at restaurants.  We went out last night with 4 friends, and on top of quite a pricey bill, we had to tack on a babysitter.  It was a sobering wake up call as to exactly how much we spend on something that ultimately really doesn’t matter that much.  We can stay home and not pay gas to get somewhere, pay higher prices for a meal, and pay extra money for a tip for the waitress and a babysitter.  Oh sure, I know, we should be supporting the American economy.  I’ve heard all those precious little soundbites from all of you.  But let’s face it.  As a card carrying member of the middle class, I can only do so much.  My dollar only goes so far, and it’s not really going anywhere at the moment.

But of course, you don’t seem to much care about that.  You just passed a big tax cut again for the wealthiest Americans.  I know three of the four of you are going to tell me that it was necessary to help out the little guy, but let me ask you this:  since when did doing the right thing have to be tied to doing the wrong thing?  Republicans like you, Rep. Whitman, are screaming that it was necessary in order to help job growth in this country.  Much like Reaganomics, they swear the effect will trickle down into the rest of the population.  These tax cuts have been in effect nearly a decade, and forget a trickle, there hasn’t even been dripping.  When are we supposed to see some positive effect?

Senator Webb, your email this week was the proverbial salt in the wound.  President Obama, when I shook hands with you in 2008, I felt sure I was shaking hands with one of the greatest men of my lifetime.  Representative Wittman, I have even been to your office, only to be told the reasons I’m wrong.  Senator Warner, I hear nothing from you, literally nothing.  I had to go to your website this morning to read up on anything you’ve been doing, only to find out that while you’re “disappointed” in the tax cut deal, you’re going to vote for it anyway.  What!?  When either of my daughters does something that “disappoints” me, I don’t say, “Oh well, let’s just say it’s ok anyway.”  All four of you are about debt reduction, as long as it doesn’t come at a price.

Well, as detailed above, my family’s debt reduction will seriously reduce the amount of money we’re pumping into the American economy, and we are not unique among American families.  And watch our choices and the choices of other families trickle down.

Gentlemen, let me assure you that unless something drastic changes, I will not vote for a single one of you when you are up for re-election.  I’m not switching sides and voting for the other guy.  I’m going to hope someone new comes along with some new ideas, someone whose vote that is supposed to represent me, protect me, and make my family’s life better hasn’t already been bought and paid for by huge corporate donations I cannot hope to match.  Let me remind you that the votes of the people got you into office and that’s who you should answer to.  Every single one of you seems to have forgotten it.  Quit “playing the game” and start making life better for all of us.

Thank You God For January 20th

In just about 4 hours our long national nightmare will come to an end. Fortunately, the American people didn't decide to prolong the torture with 4 more years of Republican rule. I honestly can't say if I think Obama will be the answer to our prayers, but I hope, hope, hope that he will do things that need doing, tough as they may be. He has a lot of damage to undo.

1. He has pledged to close Guantanimo Bay, which is a huge blight on our nation's iamge. It needed to be closed yesterday. What the solution is, I do not know, but torture is not American.

2. He needs to fix the economy. Again, yesterday would be good. Michael and I would gladly accept 1/2 of 1% of the funds that are left from the bailout. Many other families would too. How about it?

3. The wars need to be over and done with. We need out of Iraq militarily and to get in there on a humanitarian only mission, to rebuild the country we destroyed. Maybe if we were nice to people, they'd quit blowing us up. Then we can focus on what the real mission should have been in Afghanistan, get that done with, and get on home.

4. He needs to make healthcare for everyone a priority. I play pleeeeeeenty in taxes, and I know lots of other people who do too. Instead of using it to blow things up, let's use it to make people well, keep people well, and see what a healthy population could do for this country.

If he can accomplish these things, it would be a miracle, yes, but he has pledged to do them. Is he just another politician blowing smoke up our asses? I'm going to choose to believe in him. I don't think he's the great savior so many people believe he will be, but I believe he can and will do a great job. I never believed a word that came out of the mouth of our soon-to-be-former Commander in Chief, and I never believed in his ability to govern, not even once. I proudly voted against him twice and protested against him many, many times here in Washington. It feels good to have a little bit of hope in our leadership again.

C'mon 11:30!

VICTORY!

Last night was a night I won't soon forget. When the California polls closed and they could officially project Obama's win, I burst into tears. For the first time in 8 years, I felt hopeful again and it felt so good. I had forgotten how good hope could feel.

I stayed up till 1:00 am, celebrating with friends near and far via Twitter and AIM. I danced in my backyard in the rain and cried on the phone with family. It was a moment where I literally did not know what to do with myself. Well, ok, that's not entirely true, I gloated. I wrote pithy stuff on my Twitter. I drank a swig of Cherry Coke Zero.

This was a scathing damnation of George W. Bush and what he stood for. America united against him and a continuation of his policies. The message was sent, "Not no, but hell no." And it feels so good, it just feels so good.

****

Of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't have a little something to complain about. I really could have done without Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton being put on screen by both MSNBC and CNN. Race baiters. Can't stand either one of them, and I personally think they are a symbol of division much more than a symbol of the unity that the country displayed in voting booths yesterday. It wasn't their moment and I hardly think we needed to see either one of them. So, BOOOO!!! to MSNBC and CNN for immediately cutting to them so we could see them trumping themselves up, crying, etc. etc. And I hope they won't be around Washington any more than is strictly necessary--which in my view, neither one of them has anything to offer, so they're not necessary at all.

Why I'll Be Voting Obama

With things getting so busy starting this weekend, I wanted to take some time to state why I'm voting for the people I'm voting for. I had dinner with friends on Monday, and it darn near turned into a screaming match in the restaurant. I found the whole thing very stressful--I'm not quick on my feet when it comes to saying what I think. I need time to form sentences and think intelligent thoughts, and after I got home, I was so pissed off with myself for the things I could have said or should have said, things I meant but didn't clearly say. I will be so glad when the elections are over--I'm tired of life revolving around politics. I don't know if it's because I live in the DC area or if it's just because our nation has become so polarized, but all of it adds up to the votes I'll be casting.

First, the issues that are important to me:

1. The economy. I am still seething over the bail out that was passed, something that both major presidential candidates voted to support. I was thinking about it the other day, and as late as this spring, my husband and I were out purchasing new furniture, a nice lawn furniture set, etc. I would no sooner think of doing that now than I would of buying a new car. After a long summer of soaring gas prices and the price of food being stratospheric, we are at a point with our budget that I'm clipping coupons and not leaving the house unless absolutely necessary. And yet, these tycoons who cried for a bailout are taking vacations and holidays and huge bonuses. And no one is doing anything about any of it. The Democrats really let us down when, after taking control of Congress 2 years ago, they failed to act to do anything, and I mean anything, to get to the bottom of the oil prices. And Exxon is reporting record profits yet again.

I want a tax cut. After visiting the TaxCutFacts.org site, I discovered that Obama's tax plan will save my husband and I approximately $1800 as things stand right now with no dependents and a higher income than probably is average. McCain's tax plan will save me $60 after I quit my job and have a baby at home. In order to save a meager $60, I have to drop my income by over $40,000 and add another mouth to feed. For Obama's plan, I can keep on working, not worry about whether or not we get a baby this year or next year or the year after, and still save almost $2K. It's a no brainer. Each year, we pour our tax return back into the economy by doing fix-it-up projects on our house. Next year will be a debate--new doors, new floors, new exterior paint and shutters? Or will we just save it, just in case?

But even if I don't get a tax cut personally, I do think the Bush tax cuts should be repealed and businesses should start paying their fair share. I think there should be a penalty on businesses who ship jobs overseas and tax credits to those who create jobs here at home. We need to stimulate the heck out of our economy, and giving money back to the middle class while making it attractive for businesses to remain in the US seems a sensible way to do it.

2. Health Care. The mass hysteria on the right about so-called socialized medicine in this country infuriates the living crap out of me. I have spoken with a huge number of people outside of the US who live in countries where there is centralized health care FREE OF CHARGE to all citizens and they would not give it up for the world. They absolutely love free access to doctors and treatment when they need it. They love not having to worry about a bill and how they're going to afford to pay off their bills when they are done getting the treatment they need.

For some people in this country, yes, there are ways to play the system and figure it out and manage to get a drastic reduction in health care costs. But why should we have to? Why should we have to play a system for access to what should be a basic human right, a right that is guaranteed to all of us in the immortal writings of our founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's kind of hard to have much life when you have a potentially fatal disease and no health care coverage.

I have top-of-the-line health insurance with a top company, paid for through my husband's employer. However, I have spent out of pocket this year well over $2000 between dental care, physical therapy, my sinus infection in January, prescriptions, co-pays, and other expenses. And the bills keep coming in. I have 6 outstanding bills at the moment: 2 for the dentist, 3 for Quest Diagnostics from my annual physical, and 1 from the orthopedist. And you know what? They all have to wait until the latter half of November before they can find any money from me. I can't spend what I don't have. Other considerations have come first. But I will pay them all off and be done with it shortly. Unfortunately, because of our income, unless we spend something like $3000+ on health care out of pocket, we can't deduct these expenses from our taxes.

This is crazy. We need a health care policy that will pay for people to have top notch care, regardless of their ability to pay. People deserve the right to see a doctor. Long waits? How about 2 years ago, when I sat in a hospital waiting room for 5 SOLID HOURS with my leg broken because the emergency room was overcrowded with people who had nowhere else to go for a basic exam or help with a cough or a cold? Not good for doctors? I'm personally in favor of a system that pays doctors a fair wage regardless of where they live. The people in my hometown have perhaps one doctor. My dad travels 30 miles each way to get to his doctor. Imagine if it didn't matter if you were in a big city or a tiny town. The system could be radically different and radically improved with the right plan.

I fully support nationalized health care, just like I fully support our socialized police and fire departments and public schools.

3. An End to the War in Iraq. There's not much I can really say about this. I firmly believe that the troops need to come home as quickly as possible. I would say they need to come home NOW, but unfortunately, it's not like they can pull up stakes and leave. A phased withdrawal, beginning immediately, however, is something I fully support. Let's face it: Iraq is a mess. We went in and made a bad situation worse. The Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds all hate each other. There is nothing, no-thing, we can do to force them to get along. There is nothing we can do to force them to have American style democracy. They don't want it.

This war was begun under false pretenses, built on a pack of lies. It distracted us from what our one real and main objective should always have been: nabbing the crap out of Osama Bin Laden--who did attack us. Let's get our guys out of Iraq, let the Iraqis beat the crap out of each other, and then we can go back when the dust settles on the humanitarian mission of rebuilding a country we had no business destroying. In the meantime, we can get our butts back to Afghanistan, find that S.O.B., and take care of business.

And I personally support prosecuting those responsible for starting this illegal war and those who used it to line their own pockets. It is too late for impeachment, but it's not too late for a major investigation into the entire thing and to start holding the administration's feet to the fire and forcing them to answer the tough questions--and if they don't want to talk, they can be prosecuted for contempt of Congress, and any other violation we can get 'em on. Ok, it's all a pipe dream, but it'd be nice if these bastards actually had to own up to ANYTHING. (Nancy Pelosi has been the biggest disappointment to me of any politician in Washington--we all knew what we were getting when we got Bush and Cheney and Company. But I believed in her, and she let us down.)

4. Energy independence. I am well sick of paying for Saudi Arabia's oil. If there is a country on earth I believe should be wiped off the map, it's Saudi Arabia. Their treatment of women is despicable, deplorable, disgusting. And they run around as billionaires with oil and sock it to us, while treating their own citizens deplorably. I wouldn't give money to an organization whose aims I don't agree with, so why should I pay money to a foreign country whose treatment of its women in particular I do not agree with?

There is a windfarm about an hour from my hometown, and I honestly think every time I see it that it's one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. I wish there were more windfarms around. I hope that our next leader will lead the way on new energies, especially wind and solar. Obama promises a tax credit to those who drive hybrids. I don't currently, but I might. And I think it's great to have that added incentive to do so.

5. Women's right to choose. I have always been firmly pro-choice and pro-life at the same time. For me, were I ever to be put in that situation, I cannot imagine making the choice to have an abortion. However, far be it from me to tell someone else what she should or should not do. I don't have to live Jane Smith's life. I don't have to live with the decision to have an abortion and the feelings that one has afterwards. I've never known anyone to get an abortion and feel, "All right! Time to party!" There are attendant feelings of guilt, disappointment, anger, sorrow, and more. But none of us has to live raising a child we never wanted because other options weren't available. For obvious reasons, it would be my wish that more women today would choose adoption over abortion. For some, this is just not an option and I accept that as well. I would fight to my dying breath that women have the right to safe abortions versus back alley hack jobs as we saw in the past. And any candidate I vote for must, first and foremost, be pro-choice.

6. Guns and gun control. This year, I will not be voting for our incumbent representative, Rob Wittman, despite the fact that he voted to oppose the bailout twice. Why? Because in the course of storming his office with the John Birch Society, we were able to speak with one of Wittman's people on the phone. His top aide let it slip that Wittman owns no fewer than 22 guns. I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who owns twenty two guns. I mean, seriously, WTH do you need 22 of them for? Who do you think you are? Rambo? Apart from the sheer number, I think there are way too many guns in this country in general, particularly high powered weapons and automatic weapons. I am all for responsible gun owners hunting and for a WELL REGULATED militia, per our Constitution, but no, I don't particularly believe convicted felons, particularly those with a past history of gun violence, deserve to own guns, nor do I think people need to have vast quantities of them, nor do I think they need hollow point bullets to shoot a damned deer or duck. Firearms were meant to be regulated, not used and abused, and it's damned time we got back to a reasonable system for doing so.

7. Illegal immigration. I break from my usual side on this one. I am fully in support of laws which make it very difficult, if not impossible, to remain in this country illegally. I don't believe that anyone has any right to go into any country without following said country's laws and procedures for entering and remaining legally. If I should up and move to Canada or France tomorrow, I think I should have to obey the laws of immigrating there. And I feel the same about immigrants coming here. My own family came through all the legal channels, which were not easy in the early part of the last century. They too took menial jobs, learned the language, and became citizens. While I appreciate that many illegals perform jobs that US citizens would not want to perform, in my view there should be some system of keeping track of these people, giving them adequate time to learn English and learn enough civics to pass the test, and in the meantime allow them to pay taxes on their earnings. And if they cannot do so, then they need to get the heck out and find some other way of supporting themselves and their families. And while we're at it, let's tighten our border security. Those militia men in Arizona may be bastards, but at least they're trying to do SOMETHING to help patrol the borders. This is more than I can say for the federal government.

8. Vice Presidential Picks. Like many women, I suppose, I was temporarily excited by the prospect that a woman had been chosen as McCain's running mate. And then I started to learn about this woman. And she still has me shaking my head. My father probably put it well when he said the other night, "She's a cute little girl who's in way over her head." I do not appreciate the race-baiting she's engaged in. Anyone who thinks the Earth is a mere 6,000 years old is a crackpot. I do not like the fact that she zips around chasing wolves from helicopters till they collapse of fright and exhaustion and then she kills them. (Give the wolf a fighting chance!) I do not like that she preaches her little abstinence-only policy and then her 17 year old gets knocked up. I do not like the fact that her 7 year old was flipping someone the bird (I didn't know what flipping the bird was at age 7.) I do not like that it took her 5 years and 6 colleges to finally earn a college degree. (There's flighty and then there's not even bothering to try.) I do not like that she appeals to the lowest common denominator, so-called "Joe Six Pack". I don't want someone I can have a beer with running this country. I want someone a hell of a lot smarter than me in charge. I do not like that she chides Obama for his "lack of experience" when she has none to speak of herself, but that this fact somehow qualifies her.

I admit, I know very little about Biden other than that he takes the train home from Washington to Delaware every night to be with his family while Congress is in session. I know that he has a ton of experience. I know that during the rally, he was gracious enough to stop and take pictures with people who asked as he walked the handshaking line. And frankly, that's probably all I really need to know about the vice president. The President is the one who should be the story, who should be on the hook for answers. And I like that Biden is allowing Obama to be President.

9. Experience and Demeanor: I got grilled on Monday for stating that I thought Obama had more experience. Let me explain. Of course he does not have more senatorial experience. But he has boots-on-the-ground experience, and I think that counts as much, if not more. Look, anyone can sit in their ivory tower day after day, passing bills, but if you're not in the trenches with the people, how can you possibly understand what people are going through on a day-to-day basis? When one of the candidates isn't sure how many houses he owns and spends more than my husband's and my combined annual salary on househould help, I can't see how he's in touch with what the average American goes through on a day-to-day basis.

Additionally, McCain's temper is notorious. He is hot-headed, curses people out, screams at his wife and calls her nasty names in public, and has alienated many of his colleagues. This is not the type of man I want attempting to build coalitions with our allies when we need them most. As evidenced by Obama's trip around Europe and to Iraq this summer, it's obvious that the rest of the world is enthusiastic about his candidacy and would be willing to work with him. And now, more than ever, I feel like we need the rest of the world to start pulling for us just a little bit.

So, that's where I stand on everything. I will be voting straight Democratic party this year. Had McCain actually won in 2000's primaries and gone on to run against Al Gore, I think I would have had a very difficult time knowing who to vote for--and I'm not entirely sure that I know now who I would have voted for at that time. But this is the wrong time to have McCain in office. We need someone even tempered, passionate, ready to act, ready to reach across the aisle, ready to lead, and ready to serve.

I would like to say that I never was a big Obama supporter until the last couple of months. I did not vote in the primaries, but had I voted, I don't think I would have voted for him. I never heard his 2004 DNC speech until approximately a month ago when my husband sent it to me from YouTube.

And I still wouldn't consider myself a major Obama supporter. I don't have any stickers on my car, nor do I have a sign on my front lawn. But when looking at the alternative, Obama is the clear choice for a change in this bad direction we're heading. He may not have all the answers, but of the candidates, I do think he has the best ideas and hope he'll be able to implement them.

If you are undecided or considering voting for a 3rd party candidate, please consider voting for Obama. I can understand a lot of reasons why people wouldn't want to vote for either candidate, and the other night I said, "Hell, I think we should outright abolish the 2 party system", but this year, I do think it's important to take a stand. If you live in a battleground state, in a state where your one vote could really make the difference in how your state shifts, please considering voting for Obama-Biden. If you and your spouse can't decide, vote one each. Do something, anything, that will truly help shape the future of this once-great nation.

The big questions the candidates are asking are 1) are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? and 2) do you think you will be better off in 4 years if you vote for me?

I happen to think this country is worse off. I happen to believe that we are a much more fractious people than we were--and that this is ultimately Bush's legacy: division. Everyone seems to be arguing over something--Prop 8 in California, evolution, the war, the left, the right, passing blame on who's responsible for the decline of the economy, the foul up with Katrina, the debacle in Iraq, the bailout, everything I've mentioned above... I was speaking with my brother-in-law by phone this evening and asked him whether this was a DC thing or a nation-wide thing in his opinion, and he has been reading up on this very topic. The general consensus seems to be that the US is basically fractured, battle lines have been drawn, and everyone is stressed out and strung up tight.

I really hate to think where this country could be in 2012 if McCain is elected and we have to endure another 4 or 8 years of this type of headbutting. I can't see a good outcome for myself, my family, my friends, or my nation. I'm removing myself from the equation. I can't stand another dinner ruined by arguing politics. I don't want to talk about it any more. I'm tired of arguing with people who disagree with me, and I'm even tired of commiserating with people who agree with me. I'm ready to let the healing begin--at the risk of sounding a little hippy dippy.

If Obama's elected, I do feel like there's a glimmer of hope that things can improve. So if you can, vote Democratic on Tuesday. And if you can't, thanks anyway. I'll still like you when we win. ;-)


Author's note:

Thanks for reading. This took me literally hours to write, and I'm sure I forgot some salient points I intended to make. Tomorrow is my last free day to do anything before the craziness of November settles in, and tomorrow I am working, taking my husband to the doctor, it's Halloween, and I'm partying with friends in the evening. Please feel free to comment, but please understand that for the timing issue and also for the fact that I am flat out sick and tired of this election, I will probably not respond. Thanks for your understanding.

You Are My 5 Friends

Powerful Message to Sarah Palin

I don't know how to steal this and make it appear in my blog, so follow this link instead:

http://perezhilton.com/tv/index.php?ptvid=2b951320ddf71

The News Keeps Getting Worse

So, they passed this freakin' bailout plan that many if not most of us were opposed to. And this weekend, the news only got worse.

President Bush in his weekly radio address stated "it may take a while for us to notice any effects from the bailout." Economists around the country have said it may not work at all. And at least one commentator stated that the bailout was akin to "pissing on a forest fire."

There are also many places where there is a shortage of gasoline. I was chatting with a friend the other night and she was saying she has had a difficult time getting gas on occasions. Now fortunately, I live near the Nation's Capitol, so I'm hoping that protects us from shortages for a while, but I'm not holding my breath either.

So I was sitting here thinking about how best to prepare us for a coming economic collapse, should the worst case scenario happen. (Hey, what else is there to think about when you can't sleep?) So I did a Google search for "How can I prepare myself for the coming economic collapse?" I must say, the results are riveting. For instance, the very first site, which I clicked on, led to a white supremecist website. This, frankly, led to very little useable information, as you might imagine, although they do recommend having a crapload of ammo on hand.

The next site was a site which compared the US to the USSR and how the citizens of the USSR were better equipped to deal with the collapse of their economy because "they know how to share better". An interesting hypothesis, but again, not entirely useful, considering I can't feed my family on a hypothesis.

The third site is Ron Paul's site's bulletin board, in which a guy suggests stockpiling 4 years' worth of canned and dehydrated goods. Ok, now we're getting somewhere, but considering that I don't have the cabinet/shelf space to put this week's groceries away, I'm not sure where the hell I'm going to put 4 years' worth of food.

Next site is a video gaming site, in which the dudes are suggesting generators, condoms, the Bible, and beer are key components to survival. Also, one gentleman wrote, "I spent $1000 on cheap gold rings, necklaces and crap like that. Nobody will know they are cheap when the time comes." Caveat Emptor. These guys also seem to be big fans of guns and Kevlar.

I then watched a riveting preview on YouTube for a film called "I.O.U.S.A." Looks like a winner.

Then I was led to EHow.com, which again suggests guns and ammo, water purification tablets, and learning to raise rabbits and chickens for food. If I'm going to have to kill an animal, and then skin or feather it, I think we're doomed. Seriously. Now, maybe that's just the attitude of someone who can afford to not kill their own food, but I don't think I have the killer instinct in me. On the other hand, Ehow also suggests stocking up on "luxury" items which will be valuable for bartering. Such items include tobacco, chocolate, and alcohol. So maybe I can make a deal with someone else to kill my chickens and rabbits for me in exchange for inebriation.

Anyway, the general consensus seems to be this:

1. Convert all liquid assets to gold, or at the very least, into silver dollars.

2. Buy some non-perishables, preferably enough to last a nuclear winter, get lots of water and water systems, generators, gas (and gas stabilizing agents), and seeds to grow a victory garden.

3. Stock up on items that can be traded, luxury items and essentials that people around me may not have been bright enough to buy for themselves.

4. Make plans to get out of major cities, as the residents of said areas will be the first to be herded to concentration camps and systematically exterminated.

There are approximately 13 shades of hell that are going to come down on us, is what it basically comes to. I briefly exchanged several notes with Lesley about the possibility of seeking asylum with her family in New Foundland, and barring that, I'll probably try to make my way to my dad's house. The question is how I'm going to do it with 4 years worth of Spam in the back seat.

Well, At Least I heard Back From Him

Dear Ms. Kosior:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the so-called "bailout" for the financial industry. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this issue. I value your views on the important issues facing our Commonwealth and the Nation.
The past several days have been historic ones for Congress and for the families and people of this great nation. We face significant challenges in our financial markets and I do not underestimate the serious nature of the decisions we face in dealing with the credit crisis. I realize that the current credit crisis could create problems for every American should the financial markets freeze and remain frozen. Throughout this debate it has been clear that action is necessary but the recovery bill considered in the House of Representatives today should not have been the only option.
In reviewing the plan and doing some deep soul searching I believe that it had significant problems. First is the government purchase and ownership of troubled private assets on a massive scale. The impact of this action would be a fundamental change in the role of government in the American free enterprise system. The obligations to offset Wall Street losses would have been placed on future generations. To authorize the Paulson plan would be to lessen the consequences of risky behavior and could lead to riskier behavior in the future. Furthermore it did not go far enough in holding accountable those at fault for the current crisis by failing to establish penalties for their past bad business practices.
There are free market mechanisms that should have been and still can be implemented to help ease the current crisis. While the recovery bill would have allowed community banks to write off losses on their holdings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stock, it did not provide backing to assist banks in raising private capital. By providing incentives for private capital, the government could help troubled banks offset losses that keep them from lending while limiting government intervention and taxpayer risk.
I also have serious concerns with government overseeing the purchase and sale of these troubled private assets. I feared that the purchase and sale of the assets would not have been executed in the most efficient way possible under this proposal and taxpayers could lose. The potential existed for the government to pay too much and sell for too little.
In addition I had considerable reservations about increasing the national debt by 6.6% to $11.3 trillion dollars to finance the bailout. This equates to an additional $3,000 of debt for every man, woman and child in the U.S. on top of the $34,000 already owed by each American toward the national debt. We cannot continue to borrow and spend at this rate and expect a healthy future for our country.
In my deliberations, I sought to make a decision in the best interest of the taxpayers. Over the past week I've had calls, emails, letters and visits from over 2000 constituents of the First District with an overwhelming majority voicing opposition to this recovery plan. Many of you expressed a need for Congress to act, but felt that this plan was not the right course of action. With that in mind I have offered that Congress should not adjourn and should stay in Washington to get the right plan for economic recovery.
My two main priorities for any plan are to most wisely protect you as a taxpayer and to protect the value of your retirement, your home and your savings. There is no doubt that this crisis and resulting legislation would have had significant impact on our future. However, I believe that the proposed plan for recovery had substantial and avoidable flaws. The plan that was before us put $700 billion in taxpayer funding on the line to bail out Wall Street financial firms, would fundamentally alter free market decision making, let bad actors off the hook and create a massive new bureaucracy with no guarantee of success. For these reasons I could not vote in favor of this plan. The House of Representatives failed to pass H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, today by a vote of 205-228.
Again, thank you for sharing your views and opinions with me. I am committed to serving you to the best of my abilities. If I can ever be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to call me at (202) 225-4261 or contact me online at: www.wittman.house.gov.

A Hell of a Time

Well, as you can see, I ultimately decided to go the Obama rally at UMW. How often will I have the chance to see the future President? I was really excited about the decision. I decided to go early, so I left the house around 11:45. By the time I got there, it was already insanity, and the festivities weren't due to kick off till 5:15 at the earliest.

Well, I was somewhat immoral and started wandering around to find out what was going on, when I happened to come to the beginning of the line. I sort of sauntered into it, and no one really said anything, so I just stayed there.

By 2:30, however, it was getting really old. It was HOT, it was HUMID, we were standing on bricks, it was awful. They finally let us in at 2:45 and we all made our way in to the area where they were doing the speech. I wound up 10 feet from the podium, by some miracle.

It didn't seem so rosy after the next 2 hours. In fact, I literally fell to the ground. It had rained for about 3 minutes earlier, which was just enough to make the humidity INSANE and the crush of bodies was crazy and I just got way too hot. We weren't allowed to have water in there or food, so we were just standing in the blazing sun with no relief. So finally I realized it was sit on the ground (which we were also not allowed to do) or throw up and faint. I chose to sit. There were 2 volunteers nearby who started asking me if I was OK, but I wasn't terribly responsive, so they got on their phones and started calling for help. Eventually someone sent over 2 bottles of water, and they poured one straight down my back and made me drink the other one. They also gave me a peppermint candy to suck on. After about 30 minutes on the ground, in the mud, I was feeling better and they helped me up. By then it was nearly 5 and the thing was supposed to start, and all of a sudden, the heavens opened and we got one hell of a thunderstorm. So the Obama event staff was scurrying around, trying to cover the podium, get all the electronics undercover, etc. The people around me started freaking out, so they grabbed the blue coverings off the railings and made makeshift tents. Unfortunately, the cloth was not waterproof, so water started pouring in, and we were getting soaked anyway. I stepped out of the tent and discovered my book, phone, and camera were drenched so my guardian angel who helped me earlier let me stash them under her trash bag tarp.

Well, by now, things were really dragging on and everyone was getting kind of pissed. I was thinking, "Bad enough we've all got aching backs and hurting feet, welcome to the next level of hell." But it was kind of like Woodstock, 30,000 people in a field full of mud.

When the rain let up, they started attempting to re-assemble the teleprompter, which was non-cooperative and people were booing and screaming, etc.

Finally at 7:15, a full hour late, after a bunch of local pols took the stage, Obama and Biden arrived. It was pandemonium. Total and complete chaos. Screaming, yelling, fists in the air, "HELL YEAH!" ballyhooing. Amazing.



I took TONS of a pictures, a few of which you see here. Biden spoke for about 15 minutes and then Obama took center stage for the better part of an hour. The speech was great, humorous, poignant, and inspiring. Midway through, the rain started again, and we were all soaked and he took off his jacket and got soaked right along with us.





Afterwards, he came off the stage and I was privileged to be able to shake his hand. It was an awesome moment. (His hand, if you must know, was FREEZING COLD, no doubt from being in the rain). And as you can see from the picture of me below--I was totally soaked by the time I got back in my car. I called the General and said, "Order me some dinner!" So he did and dinner was delivered as I got home, which was awesome, since I hadn't eaten all day since breakfast.





Despite whatever hell I might have endured physically (and I can barely put my feet on the floor they hurt so much, to say nothing of my back), it was totally and completely worth it. You can see more pictures at http://www.mkosior.com/gallery/obama. I just kept on shooting pictures. Some better than others, but they all came out really well. It was an awesome experience and worth all the craziness and missing the book festival. But next year, I'll be on the Mall for sure. And looking forward to Manda and Melissa and whoever else wants to come being there too!

On the Horns of a Dilemma

So far this week, I've been to Fairfax twice, once on Monday for work and once today for a doctor's appointment. I'm due to go back up north on Friday evening because Joe's mom is coming to town and we are all going to dinner together Friday night up in Alexandria. And then on Saturday, we have the National Book Festival. However, I'm supposed to come home Friday night to a) bring the General home and b) go to my WW meeting on Saturday morning. All told, this will put approximately 360+ miles on my car, not to mention gas. But I *love* going to the book festival.

Tonight I get home from work and there is an email in my mailbox. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be in Fredericksburg on Saturday. I desperately want to go.

And frankly, there's no one at this year's book festival that really makes my heart go pitter pat. Last year's line up, to me, was MUCH better. The only person I'd like to meet this year is Geraldine Brooks, and she's in the "like to meet" category, not the "dying to meet" category like Jodi Picoult last year.

So I have two options.

1. Go to the book festival in the morning, get there by 10, leave by noon, get back to the 'burg by 2 and get to the gates when they open at 3.

2. Skip the whole rigamarole running around up north and just go to the rally.

Added to this is that I've invited my officemate Kris to come with me, and I really, truly, and desperately need to bitch about work with someone. Seriously. It's coming down to "here's my 3 months notice" time. I wish I had the balls to do it.

Well, I think the choice is clear. I think I'm going to do the unthinkable and bag the book festival. But there's a little piece of me that just isn't sure yet... HELP! Decisions, decisions...

Confusion

Received this in an email a couple times from friends over the past week. It's good. Very good.

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.' But if you grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re a quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. But if you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable. But attend 5 different small colleges in six years before graduating, you're well-grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If, on the other hand your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian. But if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month (before your divorce was even final), you're a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society. But if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's. But if your husband is nicknamed 'First Dude,' with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

Bwahahaha

So funny! Thanks, Bri.

A Look At Politics

To me, this video pretty much says it all about political punditry in the now. Enjoy.

What a Worm...

In plain English, there is no other word for him.

I've Just Done Something I Never Do

I saw a video clip that so moved me, I immediately found the organization's website and made a donation. Won't you consider doing the same?



I wept as I watched this. I literally wept. It sucks that this is what we have been reduced to.

WeirdOWriMo

So, last night a group of us from NaNoWriMo met up at a Camille's in Central Park here in Fredericksburg. I picked it since last year we went to Panera, and Panera was packed, and I've never seen that many people in Camille's. I knew it would be quiet.

So we are sitting around and a woman from the paper is there snapping pictures of men in suits. A man comes around and hands us pamphlets detailing the Principles of Freedom.

Go figure, didn't we stumble into the Republican post-election returns watching party?!

Me, of all people.

And we were just sitting there, discussing writing, but since Camille's was "CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT", they all assumed we belonged there.

Our congresswoman recently passed away from cancer, so the Republican candidates were swarming around us, asking us to become delegates to the convention to decide which Republican will run for her seat. Now, I almost considered it, seriously it would be interesting to get in on somethng like that, but a) I am not a Republican [nor am I a Democrat either, for those of you wondering, I'm a registered independent] and b) I would feel as if I sold my soul to Satan.

So, apparently last night was a very bad night for Republicans in the state of Virginia. I don't know much about state politics--shame on me, I work for the government!--but they were all hugging and "this is just a temporary setback" and "sorry man, we did the best we could" and "we lost the Senate", which one guy optimistically took to mean that they had only lost the seat locally, but in fact apparently meant that the majority on the State Senate is now democratic.

Then I had to sit there and deal with these slick types coming up to the table, asking for our vote and one guy actually wanted us to know that he'd been working with both Presidents Bush. I was thinking, "Boy, Johnny, you are really barking up the wrong tree with that one" until I leaned over to my fellow NaNo and made a comment about Bush being the AntiChrist and she informed me that Bush was OK, it was Cheney who was so bad. Ummmm, OK. I don't disagree about Cheney being the grand puppetmaster, but Bush is probably the worst pres...well, let's not get started down that road.

What was particularly rich was when one candidate came to inform us that his party was the party that liked Americans to keep their own money in their own pockets. I didn't have a chance to get a word in edgewise, but had I been, I would have said, "Mister, I don't know a politician yet who's going to give me anything without raising my taxes or increasing the deficit. How do you propose to give me something for nothing? Because I want to get on board that gravy train."

Anyway, courtesy of the Republican Party we were offered free food and I stuck it out as long as I could--10pm, which I thought was damned good. Hopefully next week when we meet up, we won't have the Right to Life Party knocking down the doors over there. On the plus side, Camille's stayed open nice and late, so we got to stay later to discuss writing.

W Does San Diego

"Welcome to Hell, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, I've reserved one of my loveliest suites for you right over here."

And then that jack-assed cackling rings in my ears.

Something about seeing W strolling in the charred ruins amongst people who most probably hate him harkens images of Satan. Go figure.

Health Care & The Stars of "Sicko"

I was tremendously moved earlier this summer when Michael and I first went to see the new Michael Moore documentary "Sicko". I typed up my review of "Sicko" in July, but if you want to read it again, click here.

When protesting the war a couple of weekends ago, I was given a flier that talked about a rally and vigil for health care which was being organized by some of the people who were in the movie. I wanted to go, speak with them, talk to them, get updates. And I decided to take my mom with me, so she could see me get politically active and share that part of my life with me.

We knew the vigil would be at the Lincoln Memorial, and so we got there early, not knowing exactly when the vigil would start (the website only said "sunset"). After a while, I caught sight of 3 bright pink shirts, and I figured it must be the people starting to organize for the vigil, so I went over to find out.

What a nice surprise to find Donna and Larry Smith and Adrian Campbell wearing those shirts! I introduced myself, Joe, and my mom, and asked Donna and Larry how they were doing. They reported that they were doing fine, back out on their own, and things were looking up. Adrian looked just the same as in the film and was also doing great. We posed for some pictures before the vigil, and they were just the nicest, most enthusiastic people--it was amazing to meet them!

(L -> R: Me, Adrian Campbell, Joe)

(Me and Donna Smith)

(Me and Larry Smith)

Then the vigil began.

I got way more than I bargained for. The vigil was in honor of Tracy Pierce, a young man, husband, and father whose life was cut tragically short when his hospital-backed health insurance plan refused to pay for a life-saving bone marrow transplant, calling the procedure "experimental."

It was so moving. Tracy's wife and son got up in front of everyone and spoke, as did the Smiths and Adrian Campbell. Another man got up and spoke about his wife, whose lump was misdiagnosed and not biopsied. After switching health insurance providers, the lump was diagnosed as breast cancer and her new insurance company dropped her. Sickening. Absolutely sickening. Her two young sons were left motherless and her husband is on a crusade now to ensure she did not die in vain.

Additionally, Dawnelle Keys spoke of her daughter, Mychelle, who died from an ear infection which caused a major fever, yet she was denied treatment because Kaiser Permanente wouldn't agree to pay the charges at the hospital the ambulance took her to.

The real dynamo for me was hearing from John Graham, one of the 9/11 rescue workers who went to Cuba to see doctors with Michael Moore. He attended with his two daughters, and in person is such an amazing figure of strength. I had to meet him. Fortunately, he was tremendously gracious in chatting about how his health is today, and he agreed to take a picture with me. I said some inane things about how his story made me cry for the last hour of the film and what an honor it was to meet him. Like most of the rescue workers, he was tremendously modest and humble. I'm in tears just writing this.



When all was said and done, both my mom and Joe were moved to talk about the health care system and how sad it was that our lives have come to this. I think it was a great experience for all of us. To meet and talk with people whose lives have been disrupted by the denial of the most basic need--good health care--something that should be a basic human right, it's horrifying. I reflect on the past year and a half in our own lives and the bills we've paid out of pocket and how grateful I am that our situations weren't worse, and I think of the people I've met, talked to, read about, people struggling to get by on minimum wage, on pensions, and I feel so irate on their behalf.

So, if you want to know what you can do, please call or write your senators or representatives today and tell them you support HRH 676, which provides health insurance coverage to all American citizens--old, young, rich, poor, black, white. It's not perfect, but it's a start. See "Sicko". Get informed. Call the White House talk back number at 202-456-1111 and tell them you don't support a veto on the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Maybe if we all do one little something, it'll turn into a great big something down the line.

So, obviously it was an amazing and moving experience, one I hope I'll never forget. It was a night of hope and inspiration and peace. One person's life (and death) can make a difference.

Protestin'

So, yesterday was yet another protest for which the Pwesident decided to leave town (COWARD!), but we decided to go anyway, and do our part in adding numbers to the crowds who are protesting the war. This one seemed like it would be fun and really symbolic, as we were marching from the White House to Congress. Then, last week I heard on the news that the counter protesters had finally gotten themselves organized and were planning a rally of 30-40K on the National Mall at the same time, so I thought, "Well, finally we're going to get some action!" instead of the same crowd of 20-30 "Hippies Smell" types.

This was our fourth protest this year, the first being in January from the National Mall to the Capitol, the second being in March from the Mall to the Pentagon, the third in May from Arlington Cemetery to the Capitol, and then this one from the White House to the Capitol. We decided to start out with Code Pink, which was having a rally on Freedom Plaza and would then meet up with the main group of protestors in Lafayette Park.

So, we decided after the morning's events not to bother making signs, plus I was too busy arguing politics with Lucas who is convinced that trickle-down economics is the way to save our country. We got off the Metro at Navy Memorial and started walking down about 5 blocks to where we had to meet up with the group, and this guy stops us to shake hands with us. It turned out to be Carlos Arredondo, who we have seen at every single protest this year. His son Alex was killed in Iraq in '04. He shook hands with us, introduced himself, thanked us for marching, and was on his way. We were blown away.

So, we got down to Code Pink and they were just getting organized. We stopped by the area where they had all kinds of pink things and picked up some pinks that said "Pro-Soldier, Pro-Peace", a pink tambourine, pink bubbles that read "Bush Blows", and pink crowns. Then we met one of the women who'd been kicked out of the Patraeus hearings and she showed us the bruises on her arms from the Capitol police. She wore those bruises like a new Cadillac, so proud of them and herself. She was 70 years old. I wanted to hug her.

We were sitting around waiting, and people started taking note of Judy's T-shirt, which read "I love my country. It's the government I'm afraid of" and she was asked to pose for a number of pictures. She was quite the little celebrity!

Finally, they got going on stage, and talked about the hunger strikes they had in California, actions with Nancy Pelosi and Joe Lieberman, and then they had a woman come on stage and start singing. They passed out song sheets, and they wanted Code Pink to be singing the whole length of the march (which didn't happen), so we sang songs for about an hour. It was kind of like being back at Girl Scout camp, a very warm and friendly atmosphere and all kinds of singing and dancing around. All that was missing as a campfire. It was truly the most fun I've had at a rally since we started this stuff. I felt like jumping up and yelling "Women Rule!"

Finally, they announced that it was time to head over the Lafayette Park, so we all got in a line and they started handing out banners. Judy and I were given one, unfurled it, and eventually we started moving. The minute we got the park, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. Everyone moved aside and we were given free reign to walk straight down the line and everyone was cheering like mad. I felt like a celebrity. "Go Code Pink!" "Here come the pink ladies!" It was awesome.

We made our way to the stage, stood around for about an hour, and then decided we should make our way over to where the line up was, since we were supposed to be 3rd in line, behind the Iraq War Veterans for Peace and the student group. We found them and headed over, and we were standing smack dab in front of the White House. WOO HOO!

We stood there another hour and everyone was getting aggravated. Seriously, they need to plan these freakin' rallies better--with the exception of the one in May, we have spent hours and hours just standing around, at which point everyone's feet are hurting, we're all hot, and everyone gets cranky.

Fortunately, the guitar lady kicked off and started everyone singing, which helped.

We got underway shortly thereafter, and two very enterprising guys set up a beverage cart smack in the protest route, so we were able to get some water and a Mountain Dew (the blueberry muffin didn't last that long!). Then we hauled it to the Capitol.

We discovered the bad things about holding a banner: 1) you have to walk pretty far apart to have it properly displayed and 2) it puts you in a position of some responsibility with your group.

So at first, we were supposed to be at the end of the line, and we were asked to bring up the rear with a couple who had a banner. Ok, fine. Then we were told to catch up to everyone and walk in the middle. Ok, fine again. Then we were told to go up towards the front. Okie dokie. Fine again. Then they decided to pull us all over to the side. We had people cutting in and out of the group, and some of the older folks were a full block behind, so we pulled over by the Code Pink bus and stood there for a while until everyone caught up.

Along the way, we encountered a couple of hundred counter-protesters, and this time they were really quite vocal. There was a lot of screaming and yelling going on with both sides, and the requisite "Hippies Smell" sign proudly displayed. We just flashed them the peace sign and kept on moving.

Eventually we got to the grounds of the Capitol, and that was where the "Die In" was supposed to take place--anyone who was willing to get arrested was supposed to lie down on the ground and wait for the police to haul them off. Judy wasn't too keen on that, and I was really wanting to do it, but figured that Michael might get in trouble, so we decided to leave. As it turned out, they only arrested the people who jumped the barricade, so we could have participated safely. Bummer. At that point, I could have used a nice nap in the sunshine.

We headed out, and talked with the Capitol Police on our way, and they turned out to be very nice and helpful in getting us out of there safely. Judy and I speculated there were 50,000 or so people there, but the organizers were guessing at 100,000. It was definitely a huge rally. And lots of fun!

I won't be protesting at the next one, not only because of the book festival, but also because the focus of the protest is so diffused and I don't happen to believe in everything they're marching about next time. However, there is a rally for health care at the Lincoln Memorial on 9/28 with all the stars of Sicko the Movie, and I'll be attending that (and dragging my mom!).

I think if this stuff is going to work, they need to have a concentrated effort--we want an end to the war and we want the President impeached. Then we can worry about the other issues they're bringing up... One thing at a time... But I guess that's why I'm not organizing these things :-)