With the end of the year coming with the snuffing out of a light in the middle east and the chaos that ensued, let us wish that with the new year comes a new hope-- new opportunities to make the best of what we have. I am lucky enough to be spending this new year's with good friends and good music. I wish everyone were so lucky. 2007 is done! Let's welcome '08 (and hopefully Obama as president!). BE SAFE and have a GREAT and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
12.31.2007
Happy New Year
With the end of the year coming with the snuffing out of a light in the middle east and the chaos that ensued, let us wish that with the new year comes a new hope-- new opportunities to make the best of what we have. I am lucky enough to be spending this new year's with good friends and good music. I wish everyone were so lucky. 2007 is done! Let's welcome '08 (and hopefully Obama as president!). BE SAFE and have a GREAT and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
12.27.2007
Thought on thoughts
I am supposed to be working right now. I am supposed to be pushing papers across my desk from "in" to "out," but today is not quite the day for meaningless tasks. If Sartre was right in his postulate "I think therefore I am," then thoughts we carry are the very essence of who we are, but since thoughts are not tangible, are not something we can clutch and only exist within the human mind, easily transferable from one tongue to the other, are we then immortal? Thoughts are immortal, there is no real life span of a thought. Democracy and dictatorship are both schools of thought and continue to this day, and those who are the forethinkers of these ideas remain in our societies and in some way still exist. When we think of peace, who comes to mind: Socrates, Jesus, Gandhi, Dr. King. When we think of democracy in the United States, another list of people: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, etc. Each intangible ideal and idea has someone attached to it from art to murder to fanaticism.
I says, think wisely because one day you may be remembered for your thoughts.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, so he becomes." - Mohandas Gandhi
I says, think wisely because one day you may be remembered for your thoughts.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, so he becomes." - Mohandas Gandhi
12.24.2007
Merry Christmas!
Christmas has always been my favorite day of the year. As lovely as the gifts we receive may be, this is the best day because we get to spend it with our family. This is the day out of the year we are allowed to be kids again, allowed to forget about decorum and rent. Even if the 26th is going to be the worst day of our lives, we can use Christmas as a day of hope. Even if one is not Christian, one has to appreciate the story: a family cast out of every inn, with no shelter are provided a manger and there is born the King of Kings-- we with humble beginnings can be more than of where we were born; we could inspire generations. Maybe it's naive to believe in a miraculous birth, but it's also naive to believe there is no such thing as a miracle. Merry Christmas, and may you receive all you deserve and more!
12.05.2007
Fall from Grace
Showtime premiered a documentary on the life of Fred Phelps, a man who celebrates the deaths of soldiers as proof God is punishing this country for our tolerance of homosexuality. He and the members of his church (mostly his immediate family) are notorious for such wonderful signs as: "God hates fags," "Fags die, God laughs." and my personal favorite, "Thank God for dead soldiers." Mr. Phelps has made his mark on the world and it is one of hate and misunderstanding disguised as devout faith.
Let's continue under these givens: there is a God, He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, and that He is a benevolent god. If these are true, how can anyone assume he would punish the "wicked" killing other people. To be a Christian, one must accept the teachings of Christ. Jesus would never have walked down any street with a sign saying "Your son died because my Father is mad at you." Mr. Phelps argues that God is a wrathful and vengeful God, and granted it there are plenty of references in the old testament to God's disappointment in man and the "corrective actions" he took, the new testament shows a completely new side of God. I find, in reference to religious zealots, that fear is always the tactic. I don't understand the fearmongering of any person of power. I understand why it works, and throughout history fear has mobilized a lot of people to do a lot of things (usually immoral and unjust). What I don't get is how anyone who reads the bible can pull out the fire and brimstone, the eternal damnation and the wrath of God, but cannot also pull out understanding, love and forgiveness. Another thing, if an all powerful god can see the wrong you do and chooses to punish you, He lives in eternity, not in measurable time, so he he has all time to punish you, so why would he kill other people if you are the evildoer? Why would God concern Himself when He has all of eternity to torture the person who has disappointed Him?
I find Mr. Phelps hypocrisy and lack of understanding deplorable, and if I catch him or his kin on the streets, I will make sure they understand what it means to turn the other cheek. [Yes, my hypocrisy is deplorable but I admit it.]
Let's continue under these givens: there is a God, He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, and that He is a benevolent god. If these are true, how can anyone assume he would punish the "wicked" killing other people. To be a Christian, one must accept the teachings of Christ. Jesus would never have walked down any street with a sign saying "Your son died because my Father is mad at you." Mr. Phelps argues that God is a wrathful and vengeful God, and granted it there are plenty of references in the old testament to God's disappointment in man and the "corrective actions" he took, the new testament shows a completely new side of God. I find, in reference to religious zealots, that fear is always the tactic. I don't understand the fearmongering of any person of power. I understand why it works, and throughout history fear has mobilized a lot of people to do a lot of things (usually immoral and unjust). What I don't get is how anyone who reads the bible can pull out the fire and brimstone, the eternal damnation and the wrath of God, but cannot also pull out understanding, love and forgiveness. Another thing, if an all powerful god can see the wrong you do and chooses to punish you, He lives in eternity, not in measurable time, so he he has all time to punish you, so why would he kill other people if you are the evildoer? Why would God concern Himself when He has all of eternity to torture the person who has disappointed Him?
I find Mr. Phelps hypocrisy and lack of understanding deplorable, and if I catch him or his kin on the streets, I will make sure they understand what it means to turn the other cheek. [Yes, my hypocrisy is deplorable but I admit it.]
11.28.2007
Audacity of Hope?
I phone banked last night for Mr. Barack Obama. I love that man! I love what he stands for. I love what he brings to the table. I make no excuses for who I want to win the election and I broadcast to everyone who asks: O to the B to the A to the M to the A! I'm an Obama mama and will remain so until he does something catastrophic to his campaign (i.e. Perot '92). I will admit that during the last presidential election (my first) I was apathetic towards the candidates. I voted, but it was not the enthusiastic I really believe in this man kind of vote. My vote was cast in opposition to our fearless leader. As a matter of fact, the first ballot I ever cast was against the recall here in California. My track record of voting breaks down to choosing between a lesser of two evils. This is the first time since the fourth grade that I can say that I am excited about a candidate, that I am excited about an election, that I believe. It's a little odd to have such high hopes for any one these days-- to believe so wholly in a cause.
In a country where cynicism is an appetizer, how does one go about being an idealist? I like to say that I am a realist, but I know that there is this wide-eyed little girl who still wants to believe in a nation that will judge its citizens by the content of one's character. She still wants to believe that good can win over evil and that this nation can become all of the propaganda she was spoon fed from pre-K to the present. Consuming cigarettes and coffee while milling through articles and blogs about the candidates in search malevolent secrets does not suit her. She wants a knight in shining armor, a champion of the people. She wants a leader and she thinks she's found him. She spends her days sifting through the drudge of the American political machine hoping to find someone like Barack Obama: dangerously charming, uniquely global, all-American. I try not to be the idealist she wants me to be, but maybe it is a time for faith.
There are issues on which Mr. Obama and I do not agree. There are always going to be issues on which I and my representatives in government do not agree. I am thinking about the big picture. Issues aside, what do we want in a president? What are the characteristics of the person we want to represent this nation? Does the little idealist inside of you jump up and down waving banners with his/her name or do they sort of give the universal if that's what you want shrug? I say, that in the season of believing in the impossible, vote with your heart. Care who leads us. Pass on the cynicism before breakfast. Believe.
Don't know who to vote for in 2008? Let the Interwebs decide!
This is a quick quiz that tells you what percentage of your views on various topics (abortion,Iraq ,No Child Left Behind) match the presidential hopefuls' platforms. Also, it will help you determine if you really like Ron Paul or if you really LIKE Ron Paul.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
11.21.2007
Sorry Mr. Obama, I failed you! Let’s Kiss & Make Up!
Confession time: last night, I did not go to Marie Et Cie to phone bank for the political love of my life (for future reference, a lot of people may be referred to as a “love of my life” but they are all categorized as to not get them confused—I will explain in another blog). Instead of donating my two hours to conversations with total strangers who will more than likely hang up on me, I got caught up in the episodes I didn’t see of Brotherhood and Dexter. I am a bad bad person. Eric seems to think that I have now cost Mr. Obama the election. I think I just did him a huge favor. Why? Because by my not showing up and reading from the phone banking paper that says something along the lines of “we wanted to make sure we have your support on election day and to let you know that Barack Obama is the man who will support [your cause here] in every way he can,” where some crazy old man will keep me on the phone for twenty minutes about how the person I called is in the hospital with shingles (really happened to me while phone banking for someone else, luckily I didn’t know what shingles were at the time)… I lost my train of thought, let’s try again: It is probably better that I didn’t go so I could give the world:
10 Things You May Never Have Wanted to Know About Barack Obama But May Sway You to Vote for Him
10. He did cocaine and admits it. Unlike President Clinton who didn’t inhale the herbal (for the record, he claims he tried) and our current fearless leader who we all know did it and won’t own up to it. Obama, in his first memoir Dreams of My Father, makes a great deal of confessions. He is quite possibly the most honest candidate this country has ever seen.
9. He turned the Democratic Party on its ear at the 2004 DNC with his keynote address: “My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or ‘blessed,’ believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.” [If you missed the address, you can watch and read it here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm
8. Mr. Obama believes in affordable health care for all. Yes, every candidate claims that they have a comprehensive healthcare plan, and then become vague on the details. Well, Obama has no real secrets, he outlines his plan with some common political humanize the issue anecdotes here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/ “It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair.”
7. He’s totally hip to Generation IM [trademark in progress]. Honestly, I was a little perturbed when I first signed on to his website and saw that I could get text messages sent that would let me know what’s happening on the campaign trail. He’s kind of like the cool dad your friend has, where you think to yourself “why does he know what we’re talking about?” He has a profile on Digg. Also, he blogs, vlogs & emails. He’s pretty tech savvy for a baby boomer (but then again, so is my mom) which brings me to…
6. Silicon Valley loves him! (Google really loves him: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402700_pf.html) He has a plan to make broadband more accessible to the entire nation; stream congressional meetings live; delay passage of bills a week to allow America to contribute their opinions via email to engage the public in government activities.
5. He is young. A lot of people think that his youth and inexperience are a hindrance. I think that his being 47 at the inaugural may be a benefit more than anything. John Kennedy was 43 when he became president of the United States, and is arguably one of this nation’s best presidents. His younger brother, Bobby, was 42 when he was assassinated while running for the same office. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize, the year before he delivered the “I have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington. Where does it say that being older makes you more qualified? If one is called into a duty, no matter what age that may be, and one is capable, why should we discriminate based on age?
4. He doesn’t have a lot of “experience.” Let’s revisit the Kennedy’s—Robert Kennedy: 3 years as Attorney General, 3 years U.S. Senator for New York. John Kennedy: 6 years U.S. Representative of 11th district in Massachusetts, 7 years U.S. Senator for Massachusetts. Barack Obama has been a U.S. representative of 13th district in Illinois for 7 years and is currently a U.S. for Illinois. We argue that inexperience breeds ground for mistakes and ineptitude, but who is to say that this “inexperience” will not work in his favor? He has not had as much time to make enemies in the legislative branch. He has yet to become hardened by party politics. He makes a stand based on his belief that the nation is governed under the principles of its founders rather than his party’s agenda. He’s still an idealist. Do we want a party puppet, or a person who can stand on his/her own and say “this is what is best for the country?”
3. His campaign is green. Okay, let’s be honest, it’s not entirely green, and I did see him and his posse drive up to my office building in SUVs, but as far as the campaign trail with the big parties, he is a front runner for the most green campaign. And since Green is the color for 2008 elections, let’s see who will match him in more than words. [At this time I cannot find the article I read that gave the breakdown of how green each candidate is, but as soon as I find it, I will post: my apologies.]
2. He did not vote in favor of the war in Iraq. He wasn’t a senator at the time, but was a candidate for Senate and spoke out against rushing into war. Yes, if he was a senator at the time, who is to say that he would not have voted for bombs, but the point is, he’s the only one running for office who didn’t. In addition, he voted against the recent bill that would increase the number of troops in Iraq and prolong our stay. He has a plan to pull out our troops from combat as early as 2010. He is adamant about a timeline for the safe return of our troops.
1. He believes in this country and people can believe in him. It is, for this generation, the baby boomer’s Bobby Kennedy. There is an amazing feeling that this man can give us hope, and allow us to once again believe in our nation. When the average citizen is filled with so much disillusionment and cynicism of the government, when our hearts are not engaged in public service, when we have reach a point in our history where most are not proud to be Americans, here is a candidate who can make us proud if only for the reason that he embodies the American Dream. This is not to say that he will be a miracle worker, no messiah for the Israelites, but he could change our outlook on our government. He has the ability to raise interest in what our officials do and he wants us to have a say.
10 Things You May Never Have Wanted to Know About Barack Obama But May Sway You to Vote for Him
10. He did cocaine and admits it. Unlike President Clinton who didn’t inhale the herbal (for the record, he claims he tried) and our current fearless leader who we all know did it and won’t own up to it. Obama, in his first memoir Dreams of My Father, makes a great deal of confessions. He is quite possibly the most honest candidate this country has ever seen.
9. He turned the Democratic Party on its ear at the 2004 DNC with his keynote address: “My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or ‘blessed,’ believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.” [If you missed the address, you can watch and read it here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm
8. Mr. Obama believes in affordable health care for all. Yes, every candidate claims that they have a comprehensive healthcare plan, and then become vague on the details. Well, Obama has no real secrets, he outlines his plan with some common political humanize the issue anecdotes here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/ “It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair.”
7. He’s totally hip to Generation IM [trademark in progress]. Honestly, I was a little perturbed when I first signed on to his website and saw that I could get text messages sent that would let me know what’s happening on the campaign trail. He’s kind of like the cool dad your friend has, where you think to yourself “why does he know what we’re talking about?” He has a profile on Digg. Also, he blogs, vlogs & emails. He’s pretty tech savvy for a baby boomer (but then again, so is my mom) which brings me to…
6. Silicon Valley loves him! (Google really loves him: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402700_pf.html) He has a plan to make broadband more accessible to the entire nation; stream congressional meetings live; delay passage of bills a week to allow America to contribute their opinions via email to engage the public in government activities.
5. He is young. A lot of people think that his youth and inexperience are a hindrance. I think that his being 47 at the inaugural may be a benefit more than anything. John Kennedy was 43 when he became president of the United States, and is arguably one of this nation’s best presidents. His younger brother, Bobby, was 42 when he was assassinated while running for the same office. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize, the year before he delivered the “I have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington. Where does it say that being older makes you more qualified? If one is called into a duty, no matter what age that may be, and one is capable, why should we discriminate based on age?
4. He doesn’t have a lot of “experience.” Let’s revisit the Kennedy’s—Robert Kennedy: 3 years as Attorney General, 3 years U.S. Senator for New York. John Kennedy: 6 years U.S. Representative of 11th district in Massachusetts, 7 years U.S. Senator for Massachusetts. Barack Obama has been a U.S. representative of 13th district in Illinois for 7 years and is currently a U.S. for Illinois. We argue that inexperience breeds ground for mistakes and ineptitude, but who is to say that this “inexperience” will not work in his favor? He has not had as much time to make enemies in the legislative branch. He has yet to become hardened by party politics. He makes a stand based on his belief that the nation is governed under the principles of its founders rather than his party’s agenda. He’s still an idealist. Do we want a party puppet, or a person who can stand on his/her own and say “this is what is best for the country?”
3. His campaign is green. Okay, let’s be honest, it’s not entirely green, and I did see him and his posse drive up to my office building in SUVs, but as far as the campaign trail with the big parties, he is a front runner for the most green campaign. And since Green is the color for 2008 elections, let’s see who will match him in more than words. [At this time I cannot find the article I read that gave the breakdown of how green each candidate is, but as soon as I find it, I will post: my apologies.]
2. He did not vote in favor of the war in Iraq. He wasn’t a senator at the time, but was a candidate for Senate and spoke out against rushing into war. Yes, if he was a senator at the time, who is to say that he would not have voted for bombs, but the point is, he’s the only one running for office who didn’t. In addition, he voted against the recent bill that would increase the number of troops in Iraq and prolong our stay. He has a plan to pull out our troops from combat as early as 2010. He is adamant about a timeline for the safe return of our troops.
1. He believes in this country and people can believe in him. It is, for this generation, the baby boomer’s Bobby Kennedy. There is an amazing feeling that this man can give us hope, and allow us to once again believe in our nation. When the average citizen is filled with so much disillusionment and cynicism of the government, when our hearts are not engaged in public service, when we have reach a point in our history where most are not proud to be Americans, here is a candidate who can make us proud if only for the reason that he embodies the American Dream. This is not to say that he will be a miracle worker, no messiah for the Israelites, but he could change our outlook on our government. He has the ability to raise interest in what our officials do and he wants us to have a say.
*** More importantly, whether or not you vote for the political love of my life, make sure you vote. I am tired of hearing about people not voting for the candidate they want because they don't think he/she will win; or that they don't vote because it won't be counted. If you don't vote, you don't count and that is only because you choose not to be heard. Get informed. Get involved. Vote.***
11.20.2007
A New Beginning + Obama
I started this blog a few years ago when I graduated from college. Blogging was still a relatively new concept at the time. The initial hope was to keep in contact with my friends, but with the advent of MySpace and my activity on Friendster, I abandoned this site for other forms of communication (keeping in touch is not my forte). Well, here I am, back at blogspot with a new realization of its potential. This will more than likely become a place of wild rantings, descriptions of "cultural" events in Los Angeles that I attend, political views. If I am lucky, this will be better than any journal I've started (and never finished filling), better than M&Ms and popcorn, better than Elvis! Well, maybe that's a bit extreme-- I don't know of anything better than M&M's and popcorn; it's just so delicious!
OBAMA FOR YOUR MAMA!!!
EVENT: Phone banking for Mr. Barack Obama
WHEN: 6pm to 8pm Tuesday 20 November, 2007
WHERE: Marie Et Cie 11704 Riverside Drive, Valley Village 91607 (North Hollywood Area)
WHY: If you're like me and want to be politically active for a candidate you care about, there's nothing that says "This is the person I believe in" better than interrupting people at dinner time to say "This is the person I believe in."
OBAMA FOR YOUR MAMA!!!
EVENT: Phone banking for Mr. Barack Obama
WHEN: 6pm to 8pm Tuesday 20 November, 2007
WHERE: Marie Et Cie 11704 Riverside Drive, Valley Village 91607 (North Hollywood Area)
WHY: If you're like me and want to be politically active for a candidate you care about, there's nothing that says "This is the person I believe in" better than interrupting people at dinner time to say "This is the person I believe in."
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