Paging Dr. Obama

Let's Review.....

In August, the government rolled out a little plan called "Cash for Clunkers." Do you remember what happened there?

• The web page was so slow that it was almost impossible for dealers to finish the paperwork.
• Dealers dished out millions in rebates and weren't even sure they would get paid back.
• The program ended early because it ran out of money.
  

This flu season, we've all been scared into wanting the swine flu vaccine. Now the government is in charge of distribution. Are you aware of what's happening now?

• There are 159 million people in the top 5 priority groups... any many in that group cannot find the type of vaccine they need.
• Health Departments are telling individuals to contact their private doctors... and private doctors are telling individuals to contact the Health Department.
• HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated that ample vaccines will be available for all on October 26..... today is November 5 and it doesn't look like they're even close to being available for all.

Something needs to be done about the insane state of our health care system.... but I'm not convinced that the government can do any better than the insurance companies.

Given the two giant failures of government-run programs this year, do you trust the government to handle your family's health care? I don't.

Calling All Democrats!

Ok, so at my little job we're having an up-sell competition. We're selling items for donation to a local charity. No surprise, I'm doing quite well. Anyway, in order to keep my top 3 position, I ask every person who smiles to me if they would like to donate (I don't bother with the meanies). Tonight I asked a lady who politely said no... and then gave me a whole resume of her public service efforts... like I cared. I told her, "oh, ok. Really, I just wanted to know if you would donate now..." to which she responded, "No, I wanted to let you know that I give back. I'm not one of those people who just thinks that life is good and sits back and does nothing. Those people are called Republicans."

WHOA NOW.

Of course, I politely stood up for myself, and of course she tried to minimize my points by saying, "well, that's an exception." (PS- When you're calling everything an "exception," you're missing the meaning of the word, but whatev.)

So that lead to an interesting discussion (calm) at work about political beliefs. Now, I am sincerely calling to all Democrats reading this today: please leave a short comment detailing why you are a Democrat. Of course, this comes with some rules....

1. Be positive--tell me why you're a Democrat and not why you're not a Republican.
2. No use of the words: Bush, Homophobic, Hope, Change, etc.
3. Don't unfairly generalize.
4. No talk of Obama being your favorite president unless you have two facts to support that. ("he just is" is not a reason, despite what I've heard from many people).

All in all, I just want to hear from an intelligent Democrat why he/she chose the party.

So I'm giving you a few days to convince me that somebody has a reason.

...because no offense, Democrats, most of your "peers" are doing you a disservice... and the people I've come into contact with lately have me almost certain that nobody has a clue why they've chosen their political affiliation.

In Case You Missed It.....

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Caught!

Note to Steve: Just because Obama did it does not make it ok.
This sort of behavior is not cool.
XOXO

So Trendy!

This cartoon is borrowed from Politico.

A Long Over-Due Promise.

This week has been especially frigid. It's only expected to get worse. Don't get me wrong--I love lounging in my bed and taking long naps, but I have other things that I need to get done. Winter is not very conducive to my schedule. So, instead of complaining about it, I've decided to do something about it. According to ecobridge.org (I've never heard of it, but it ends in ".org" which means it must be true, right?) there are a few things that I can do personally to accelerate global warming. I am tired of politicians promising global warming and never following through. My promise to you tonight ladies and gents is to do everything in my power to make sure our children and our children's children never have to put up with this kind of weather (they can thank me later).

From now on...

I PROMISE TO...
Purchase large amounts of stock in coal companies.
Buy a huge honkin' SUV with bad gas mileage.
Move to a large city where I have the opportunity to sit in lots of traffic.
Drive said SUV everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
(Across the street, to my neighbor's, the mailbox, the dumpster--you name it!)
Crank up the heat in any building where the thermostat is accessible.
Fly in airplanes. Perhaps even private jets.
(The fewer people on the plane, the better it is for everyone!)
Eat more rice.
Use laughing gas at every dental appointment.
(You know, I think my next cleaning might "hurt a little...")
Cut down trees.
(Every one I see. No exceptions.)

I may not be able to do it all on my own, but I believe that one person can make a difference. Will you join me in making the weather better for our posterity?

Yet Another Break-Up Notice

Dear Perez,

It's not you--well, wait. Actually, it is. You've gotten a little too political for me in the last few weeks over this whole Prop 8 deal. The insane Mormon-bashing is what really pushed us over the edge. 2%: That's the population of LDS people in California. It is ridiculous to say so many hateful things about one religion when so many (both religious and not) contributed to this cause. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims all supported Yes on 8. Do you dare to pick fights with a huge percentage of the American population? Your biggest issue with Proposition 8 is that you find it hateful. Really, it's no more (and maybe even less) hateful than the words I am reading on your page lately. We live in a democracy. The issue was put to a vote of the people and passed 52%-47%. By the way, did I mention that Mormons only make up 2% of California's population?

I guess I've seen this coming for a while but refused to admit it. I'm sorry it has to end this way... I really am. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.

With Love,
Kathleen

Oh, Boy!

Last night I wondered if it was too early to start printing the "It's not my fault; I voted for McCain!" bumper stickers... and then by the time I woke up, I had a few invitations to join that Facebook group in my inbox. So, I guess that answers that question.

This is what I wanted the headlines to read this morning:

Obama Wins!
Romney Organizes Exploratory Committee for 2012

Politically, things just aren't going my way. I firmly believe that someday the Obama supporters will regret their decision in a way that I almost regret my support of David Cook for American Idol '08. They'll look back and realize that McCain was the right choice much like I am thinking I should have voted for Archie. Have you heard David Cook's new song? I put it in my playlist in the bottom right-hand corner. You know what, I'll also put Archie's single over there for those of you who have been living under a rock and haven't heard it yet. If you end up not being able to stomach "Light On," but putting "Crush" on repeat--you are not alone.

Archie- 1, Cook- 0.

I Voted Today.

Another friendly reminder: today is election day!

I know we're all terribly tired of this election season, but please make sure you go out and VOTE!

If for no other reason, do it because you can!

XOXO

Trick-or-Treat!

When I was little, I loved trick-or-treating! My mom would always come up with these creative costume ideas. One time, my sister was a cloud. It was adorable... until we started walking around the neighborhood and she started losing her fluff! I kindergarten, I was a witch... and my mom let me wear make up! My dad had a fit, but I thought I was soooo cool! Years later, I was Pebbles Flintstone. My mom made my costume and my crazy red hair was in this awesome high ponytail. Whatever I decided to be, my halloween costumes always had one thing in common: they were all appropriate. (not only for my age, but also in general.)

The following is a real conversation (I wish I could make this stuff up!):

Teenagers ring doorbell
STEVE: What do you say??
TEENS: Trick-or-Treat!
Steve passes out candy
MISS AMERICA: Thank you!
STEVE: You're welcome! (to other girl, who is dressed all in black) What are you dressed up as?
OTHER GIRL: A Black Panther!
STEVE: Oh, that's... niice...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Friendly Reminder

I Don't See Color.

Is anyone else fed up with the fact that this election is a race issue?

I probably shouldn't say that because that's "racist."

Honestly, I don't care what color you are, Obama. You could be orange. You are not qualified. Period.

Investment Opportunity

Dear Madam Speaker,

Invest in a dictionary.

Love,
Kathleen

So I finally got around to listening to the speech Pelosi gave right before the big House vote on Monday. When talking about the Great Depression she said (somewhere around the 2 min mark):

...the Great Depression. I don't know what was so great about it. It was pretty lousy. I don't know why they called it great!

Umm...... I don't think they were using "Great" as a synonym for "Fabulous" or "Awesome" here. In fact, there are several definitions of the word "Great," and any number of the following could be the actual meaning in the context of the Great Depression:

1. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions
2. unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc.
3. being such in an extreme or notable degree
4. important; highly significant or consequential
5. distinguished; famous
6. of considerable duration or length

(definitions from dictionary.com)

Hollywood: Not America

See more Sarah Silverman videos at Funny or Die

I love celebrities. I love politics. I do not love when these two worlds interact unnecessarily. Celebrities think that we want to know how they feel about the "issues." We don't.

Sarah Silverman does point out some interesting similarities between her grandparents and Barack Obama, though!

Funny, but inappropriate. I neither approve of nor endorse this type of language. You've been warned.

DISCLAIMER: I can not be held responsible for termination or social shunning that may occur as a result of your watching this video in inappropriate locations. Don't be a douche.

Thanks, Obama!

An interesting headline on iGoogle caught my attention.
"Report: Satan Worshipers Killed, Ate 4 Teens in Russia."
It just sounded bizarre, so of course I read it. Ironically, off to the side of the page, I noticed an ad paid for by Obama for America. It says, "Don't Miss the Deadline to Register to Vote for Barak Obama!! Click Here to Register!" I've been meaning to register here for the last few months. Now that I have an actual address, I figured "why not?" So, thanks to Obama for America, I have officially filled out my paperwork to register to vote. I'm dropping it in the mail tomorrow morning.

And I'm still voting for John McCain.

Break-Up Notice.

I hope nobody out there is about to break up with my blog because of the insane amount of political posts lately, but I have a bone to pick with MTV.

First, I was promised a performance by Miss Britney and all I got was a video clip and then her saying "Welcome to the VMAs." Lame.

Second, I don't even know the name of the host (that's how unimportant he is in my book), but I was very offended by his opening monologue. Everyone is entitled to their own political opinions, but he's not even American. I am offended that he would not only talk badly about our president (for whom I proudly voted and would again), but also that in doing so he basically insulted the American people. THEN he started making fun of Palin's pregnant daughter and her boyfriend. I believe he said something about that being the biggest PSA for safe sex--make sure it's safe because if she ends up pregnant, you have to become a Republican? THEN he was making fun of the Jonas Brothers for their commitment to remain virgins until they're married. He was just insanely rude. It was uncalled for. I had enough and turned off the TV after 10 minutes.

So, MTV. We're breaking up. It's been a long road. We've had some good times. We first met while you were playing "No Rain" by Blind Melon. I remember sneaking to see you with my finger on the "last channel" button at age 7... terrified that my mom was going to walk into the room at any moment. I remember voting for *NSYNC on TRL (back when it was good). We've made a lot of memories over the years, but I'm afraid it's over. For real. No exceptions. (PS-Someone's going to have to fill me in on The Hills tomorrow).

XOXO

McCain/Palin '08!

Dear Sarah Palin,

Despite the fact that your children have ridiculous names, I think you are fabulous! Not only are you a little spitfire, but you are also cute! Thank you for not having a "mom" haircut. Thank you for showing America that a woman can be intelligent, involved, and attractive. Thank you for reminding us that a woman can balance a political career with a large family. Up until this point, the only examples we had of women in politics were ones that were ugly and were single or had very small families. I hope to someday be as fabulous as I think you are right now. Keep up the good work!

XOXO,
Kathleen

It's Here! It's Here!

MOM: Oh, by the way--your Obama sticker came today!
ME: Oh good! Please cut it into tiny pieces and throw it away?
MOM: Ok....
ME: Thanks!

Those of you who are loyal readers will remember this. Well, check out what I saw today....

Dear Prius Owner,
We are already aware of your douchebaggery based on your choice of automobile. The Obama sticker is redundant.
XOXO,
Kathleen

Discuss.

The first thing that comes to mind when I see the above t-shirt is _______.

Photo borrowed from PerezHilton.com

Why Wait?

In excitement for the John Mayer concert this week, I purchased his newest live album. LOVE it! I love his acoustic set. Anyway, I was listening to disc 1 last night and it ended and my CD player automatically rolled over to disc 2. The first song on disc 2 is "Waiting on the World to Change." I've had a love/hate relationship with this song from the beginning. First, it is indisputably the worst song on "Continuum." Second, I don't like my music and my politics to mix. Mostly because I disagree politically with many of my favorite musicians, but also because they often have no idea what they're even talking about.

So anyway, I understand the concept of this song. John doesn't feel as if people take "our generation" (haha, Holly!) seriously enough for us to make a real difference... so he's waiting on the world to change. I find that to be a rather negative and somewhat defeatist approach. "Someday our generation is gonna rule the population, so we keep on waiting on the world to change." To that I say, why sit around and wait? Situations don't change without action.

So John, you can wait on the world to change and in the meantime, I'm going to go out and change the world.