I think this is a beautiful and effective ad. I hope it can open eyes.



They are bombarding us with ads today trying to get us to approve Proposition 8, and it is a huge expenditure of money to promote nothing more than hate and fear. What are they so afraid of? It's love. It's imperfectly perfect, and refusing to acknowledge it does not make it go away. I wish I could help with voting this down. I am still registered in Ohio, and have continued voting there for this election, but I am now more involved here in CA, and I am going to register here after this.

Please vote.

Love.

And just in case, as a girl, that you are feeling that all costumes are designed with 'ho' in mind... here are some alternative options for you:



Me, I'm going with sexy skeleton, which as anyone who knows me can attest, has nothing to do with anorexia. Last year I was a sexy & furry bee. And Matt was a sexy Abe Lincoln last year, and this year he's a lumberjack. But he won't borrow my bra.

Happy Halloween!

He's a pretty quiet guy, doesn't talk much.  But when he has something to say, you know it'll be good.  This is one of those times. (Though don't ever bet on actually getting him to say this many words at once when you meet him in person.)  It expresses things I wish I'd thought to say myself, and demonstrates more reasons why I love him.

 

So here you are.  Cross posted from his blog:  http://madmortem.spaces.live.com/

Why I'm voting for Obama

I'm voting for Obama because I want America to change.  I'm voting for Obama because of what he represents, a stronger future, an effective government.  That's what I want.  I want to feel that we are moving forward as a country, and that our government is helping us, not pulling us down. 

These are achievable goals.  And I'm voting for Obama because he has plans and policies that will help us get there.  But this election is not about facts or policies.  Everybody knows this.  A John McCain presidency would be a continuation of the Bush policies that have created all of the problems we are stuck in now.  Everybody knows this.  Its abundantly clear in the news, it's abundantly clear in what Barack Obama and Joe Biden say during every debate, and it's abundantly clear in the way John McCain and Sarah Palin sidestep every question about how they're different from Bush and Cheney.  The facts and policies are clear.  John McCain has no plan to get us out of Iraq, he is promoting the same "trickle down" Bush economics that give tax cuts to the rich, tax cuts and favors to the giant corporations, and privatization and de-regulation of banks and health insurance.  There is no refuting this.  And that is why I'm voting for Obama.  This set of policies and philosophies of government has gotten us into two unending wars, it has given us the current economic chaos, and it has widened the gap between the rich and everybody else.  Everybody knows this.  What would it be like if we had a government that took a different view?  One that tried to build America up from the base.  I want to know the answer to these questions.  That's why I'm voting for Obama.

But this election is not been about facts or policies.  This election is about values.  John McCain knows this.  That's why he won't talk about real plans for moving the country in a new direction.  That's why he picked Sarah Palin as his VP candidate, because of her "conservative" values.  He picked her because he thought she would represent the middle class.  Well, I tell you what, I'm in the middle class and she does not represent me.  Heck, I might not even be in the middle class.  According to my tax form, I made $21,479 last year (I had to fill out financial aid forms last week so my papers are right here).  I'm not complaining, I'm doing all right.  I expect my income to be a bit higher this year, and hopefully even higher after I finish school.  So I'll call myself lower-middle class.  But whatever class I'm in, John McCain and Sarah Palin do not represent me or my values.  Barack Obama does.

Here are my values:

Respect and Opportunity

I want a president who respects every American, black or white, woman or man, poor or rich, and will fight to make sure that everybody has an equal opportunity to prosper.  Everyone should be able to afford college.  Everyone with disabilities should have the opportunity to live full lives.  Everyone should have access to affordable healthcare options.  Barack Obama has plans for all these things.  He has plans to expand government aid for education and college tuition.  He promotes job and educational programs for people with disabilities.  And he has layed out a plan that would allow any American to buy into the government employee health insurance plan.  Going back a little farther, Joe Biden is responsible for the Violence Against Women's Act, which won money for domestic violence prevention and treatment programs in local communities. John McCain, on the other hand, has said in both debates that he would freeze nonmilitary spending.  What does that include?  Education, job programs, healthcare, scientific and medical research, domestic violence programs, and any number of programs for people all over the country that I don't know about.  McCain may want to cut these things, but I don't.

I also want a president who respects the land that we live on.  We need to move toward alternative energy.  Our economy is tanking and we are stuck in a dead end war in Iraq.  Both of these issues are largely about oil.  We have the opportunity to take the lead in development of alternative energy sources like wind, solar, and nuclear power.  Personally, I wonder why we call them "alternative".  They should be the prime focus of our energy efforts starting right now.  This is why I like Obama.  He talks about incentives and programs for new energy development. This is the perfect opportunity for America to lead.  We have led in scientific development since WWII, and much of it has been funded by the National Government.  Much of the early development of the computer industry, including the internet, were government led initiatives.  We have the opportunity to lead again, and in the process we can help keep the environment clean and potentially slow the climate change caused by burning oil and coal.  Obama would take us in that direction.  But I can't trust that McCain do any of this.  He talks about it, but has consistantly voted against alternative fuels while in the Senate.  His record is clear on that.  Same with Sarah Palin.  She has mentioned numerous times how should wants to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling.  That's not someone who has the same values as me. 

I want a president who understands that we must be respectful of other nations if we are to thrive in a global world.  For the last 8 years we've done nothing but treat the rest of the world like garbage.  We've alienated much of the world with the Iraq war, we've backed out of numerous carbon emission treaties, and have refused to engage in diplomacy with trouble countries.  Respect is a mutual thing.  No one will respect us if we don't respect them first.

Responsibility and Honesty

I, as an adult, am responsible for my own actions.  The same thing should go for our government.  I want the people who have been in charge for the last 8 years to be held accountable.  The Bush administration won't take responsibility for anything.  Not the debacle of the Iraq war, not the torture of prisoners in the middle east and in Guantanamo Bay, not for the deregulation of the financial industry that has led to the bank failures.  I want a president who stands up and leads.  Someone who will take responsibility for what they are doing in OUR NAME. 

And I want a president who I can trust.  I want to know that our president is going to be open and transparent in how they govern.  The Bush administration has been the most closed and dishonest presidency in history.  They have lied to us about so many things that I'm not even going to try to list them.  And they've fought to keep most of their doings secret.  I don't see anything that makes me think John McCain and Sarah Palin would be any different.  McCain has lied about numerous things during this campaign, including making false claims about Barack Obama's record and policy plans.  Sarah Palin is under ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature, and her husband and aids have refused to testify in the case, ignoring subpeonas.  She also has been using a Yahoo.com email account for official state business, which prevents them from being subpeona-ed.  These do not sound like champions of honest and open government. 

Values

These are my values: respect, opportunity, responsibility, and honesty.  And that is why I'm voting for Barack Obama.

Whee, 5.4 ish earthquake in Southern California!  But, as far as I know, everyone I know is fine, and all is well.  No injuries reported around L.A. at least.  Chino Hills may have more trouble, being basically the epicenter, and I heard a rumor of fires, but hopefully that will be quickly taken care of.  It was fairly big, rated as 'moderate' but nothing compared to what I have heard of the Northridge quake.  I will say, I don't want to be in one rated any stronger than that.  This was plenty. 

This is the second earthquake I have been through, scarier than the first.  The first was in the middle of the night, and woke me up.  I asked Matt, 'what was that?' and he said 'it was an earthquake',  I responded ' ooh, shakey' and promptly fell back asleep.  I don't really remember much of it.  This one happened while I was at work, and the whole building shook for about thirty seconds, just kept swaying back and forth.  I was afraid stuff might fall off the walls, but it wasn't strong enough.  I feared most for the the vase of flowers, and it went nowhere either.  So all was well.  It crossed my mind to get beneath the desk, but that seemed unnecessary and overkill.  I was a bit freaked out, but it was kind of interesting.  So yeah, that was interesting.  I think I'll chalk it up as one more SoCal experience off my list.  Hollywood sign - check!  Famous people in the mall - check!  Extra in a movie - check!  Earthquake - check!

Love to you all!

ETA:  Here is a link from Matt - he works in the building at UCLA with all the seismic equiptment - so he gets all the details!  Click on the big square for info about this one.  http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Maps/Los_Angeles.html

Thank goodness for the 'friends page' since otherwise no one would ever read my blog, cause I never post. 

Well, is all that is about to change?  No, not really, but hey I've got a few things to share!

Life in general: Mostly involving lots of school and work, and unfortunately that does not change with the summer. I am now on the final countdown for school - about a year from now I should be officially, formally done!  I am very excited about this, to say the least.  While I still have 4 quarters worth of school left, I actually only have 4 classes left as well.  Two of these are quarter and a half long classes, and so there will be some overlap, and I can look forward to tougher classes, but I can focus on them mostly one at a time! 

I still don't know about my doing the job itself, I generally seem to manage okay at work, which is a good sign.  But recent classes have scared the spit from me, thinking about the complexities of working for myself: Contracts and Taxes and Liability, Oh My!!

I have made a few dents on my (long ago) posted list of Southern California amusements, though I keep adding things as well.  I finally made a trip to San Francisco with eirle and her husband, where we were generously hosted by his parents.  We were there for the Maker Faire.  And we even got to make things!  The best item was a needle felted mustache which I gifted to my Matt.  When I learned to crochet, I made him an Abe Lincoln beard; when I learned to needle felt = a lovely handlebar mustache to match! 

That was a really fun weekend, and I have to admit that I have now conceived a liking of the Steampunk movement.  There was a whole area devoted to it, and I love the gear-clockworks stuff - so interesting to see the innards of things.  But, homemade, lasting, and unique is all part of it too.   And costumes and corsets are fun, and men's hats are fun.  It sort of celebrates inventors and the sense that the world has many unexplored nooks and crannies.  Technology = a form of magic.  Machines, but personal & playful, not dehumanizing.  All the good parts of the industrial revolution.  Of which there were many, and yet, so many bad things too. (And its not like the SCA bothers with the nasty parts either.  Having liked the SCA, it shouldn't be much of a surprise I like this; and there is no authenticity to be concerned about.)   Not going to go crazy, but it is fun! Here is a link to an article about it:  Steampunkery!

Shortly after that we (gold_flamingo, my Matt, and eithne_erin) all went to the exciting Virgin Islands! It was our best opportunity to travel there and visit g_f's mom's rental property.  It was beautiful!  It was only 5 days, a pretty fast trip, and the first and last we were traveling most of the day anyway.  But since we did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING the whole time we were there, it was pretty darn relaxing.  Just some snorkeling and laying around.  It was beautiful there, and quite warm.  We saw sea turtles, and a lobster and even shark while snorkeling and drank lots of rum punch!  But that was almost 2 months ago.  Since then time has Flown!!   I finished a quarter, and started the next one immediately. 

Meanwhile, Matt went off to Peru for 3 weeks, working for the group that provides his funding at UCLA.  (Before he left I had to make him buy SHOES, and bandaids!)  He had a good time aside from the whole 'don't drink the water' thing.  Lucky me I was busy with my finals, and then g_f and I played roommates again for a bit!  I held her computer hostage at my house, and she had to stay with me.  So that was lots of fun, like the old days, and I was very glad to have the company.  There was finger nail painting, fuzzy umbrella drinks, disney movies and Shag.   Sorry boys, no pj pillow fights!   We also were extras in a Independent Movie (titled 'Black and Blue') that promises to be truly cheesy and bad.  If/when it comes out, I'll let you know, and you can watch for us during the audience scene.  We were right in the front, so we'll be visible.  Dorky, but visible.  So we kept busy, but I was very glad when Matt got back.

And now it is back to business as usual.  School and work, and home, and repeat....  I'll keep trying to work on my Southern CA activities list, and my other goal is to get Matt as obsessed with travel as I am!  I got him a passport for his birthday, but now we need to use it.   We are going up to Montana to see his family in August, but have nothing else planned yet.  So thanks for slogging through all of that, trying to catch up on 3+ months at a time means LONG Blog!  Hugs to you all!

I hope you all survived Valentines Day, with a minimum of communicable venereal diseases!  Mine was tolerable, if uneventful.  The two days before it however, those were surprisingly awesome.  

The start to my week (in no particular order...):

So my boy and I began dating on a Friday the 13th, and some might consider that a bit unlucky.  I have always felt  a)A sneaking sympathy for the poor maligned 13th, why should it be unlucky, it doesn't seem fair and b)That whole lucky/unlucky thing is a pile of bunk.  And now I will add c)I first spent quality time with my love that day, and thus it is more lucky than most.  So now, anytime a Friday 13th rolls around, we look on it as a good excuse to go out to dinner!  That being said, it was actually a Tuesday the 13th, but as we both had work and class all day on the 14th, we thought we would boycott Valentine's day and celebrate our 13th month-iversary (yes eventually we will stop counting, I know, but it is still fun for now.)  

My love gave me a cute set of plates I had seen and liked long ago and homemade hot chocolate mix using his mom's recipe - so thoughtful and sweet, and he wins tons of points!   I gave him an awesome shirt demonstrating many of the different options for facial hair in the world, and a pair of shorts.  Okay, not super romantic, but he needed shorts and the t-shirt was funny.  Anyway.  It was all really wonderful.  Then we went out to dinner.  

I paid for the dinner with $100 dollar bill.   Which is the other part of the story that made this week pretty darn good.... 

I was walking along on my way to finish up some homework and go to class, and I looked down and saw on the ground a $100 bill.  Just sitting there.  On the ground.  Folded in half.  No one around.  Next to a tree and not too far from a valet-type parking lot.  I picked it up and looked around and even walked over to ask the parking attendant if anyone had mentioned missing some money, but he didn't even speak enough english to understand me.   So piles of money!  It was pretty exciting, I don't know that I've handled a 100 that many times.  I feel bad for whoever lost it.  I am just hoping that it was someone obscenely rich who'll be a bit pissed but not overly put out.  It is the right part of town for that.  So yeah.  Dinner was on me.   And I am buying a lottery ticket with a bit of it. 

And then this weekend we've made a trip to Ikea - Matt had never been there.  I introduced him to the joy that is the Ikea meatballs, and we got some frozen to take home.  We also invested in two Fniss, and managed to pass on a Fixa - but only with great difficulty.  I love the fake Swedish names for stuff!  (the Fniss = the nice plastic $1.99 trash cans, and Fixa = the hammer and screwdriver set.)  Love to all!

So.... the joys of a laptop.  I am at this very second typing AND watching the Super Bowl.  My Love cheers for the Bears, so I am going along with that.  We were impressed by the first touchdown of the game.  I feel a bit clueless about the rules of the game, but I have permission to ask as many stupid questions as I want.  And now we have Prince singing Purple Rain and playing a rather phallic looking guitar.  

Wow, haven't written since Christmas, actually.  So that was a good holiday, if a bit crazy.  Everything was finished and turned in the night before we had to leave.  The plan was LA to Montana, Montana to Cleveland, Cleveland to LA.  We were flying to see Matt's family for Christmas (my first time meeting them, eek!) then to my family for the New Year. But we couldn't fly cause our flight was canceled due to snow in Denver.  We couldn't get a new flight until the day after Christmas.  No deal.   So we rented a car and drove.  18 hrs.  Strangely fun.  I liked his family,  they seemed to like me.  All went well.  Then we are supposed to fly our next section to Ohio.  Denver was closed again.  This time we got routed through Minneapolis instead.  Had New Year's with my family, all went well.  Last flight, back to LA.  It is delayed, and this time, we end up having to take a flight through Denver.  Arrrgh.  I never want to fly again.  And almost no snow the entire time we were in those colder regions!

But we are back, classes have started back up.  Matt and I've passed the one year mark since we began dating (whee!)   gold_flamingohas taken off for South America for 5 weeks, and  eirleis getting married in about 8 weeks.   That is about all the news.  Life is good, but not highly eventful.  And I am fine with that. 

I have seen a number of cool movies in the last little while.  Sweet love story: Sweet Land (set in MN and just lovely), Dark fairy tale: Pan's Labyrinth (quite bloody, showing NO influences of Disney, it is probably much closer to the original Grimm's tales) and Apocalyptic futurism:  Children of Men (not as grim as it could have been, and well done, but at this point doesn't anyone expect the future to be nice, peaceful and include personal flight devices?)

I also have a new addiction, a very cool black and white online comic about a wombat named Digger.  http://www.graphicsmash.com//comics/digger.php  It has won awards, and the artistry is amazing.  It is also well written and humorous, so I wasted a number of hours on that!  

I am also having occasional bouts of nostalgia.  I miss you all!  Visit me sometime!