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Labor Day is upon us and so is the month of September. A gentle reminder that 2008 is creeping to a close. Now the holidays are going to pounce on us. This time of year is always very busy for us. We have a lot of fall birthdays too. And I love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. At the risk of sounding like a couch potato, I’m also looking forward to getting back to my favorite TV shows. Among them: Pushing Daisies, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ugly Betty, Survivor, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, The Simpsons, The Ellen Degeneres Show. I have not yet decided if I’ll take the day off for Labor Day. Since I’m self-employed, I can get away with it. But I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll do at least a little work tomorrow, just to stay ahead. I’m hoping things aren’t tragic for New Orleans. It sounds as if most of the residents have cooperated and left town, so I’m glad for that. When Katrina hit in 2005, the heavy rains made their way all the way here to Tennessee. What are your plans? Anyone going to work when they don’t want to? Anyone taking a vacation? Where are you going, what are you doing?
Last week, I had a debate with a gay man over universal healthcare. He has decided that he is going to vote for John McCain because he is against universal healthcare. Because this is America, we have a system that gives us a choice. Since this person I was talking to feels this way, he has the right to vote for McCain and to oppose universal healthcare. But the sad part is this man is very misinformed about what universal healthcare is. He thinks it’s a big ploy to make Americans with jobs pay for “lazy people” who don’t work so they can leech off him and get coverage too. Ultimately, this man thinks that universal healthcare is going to steal from his paycheck in order to help others. This is simply untrue. Please allow me to tell you why… The Bush administration gives tax cuts to people who make more than $250,000 per year. Sadly, that’s the Republican way. Didn’t Robin Hood steal from the rich to give to the poor? Why are we stealing from the poor to give to the rich? Barack Obama wants to stop giving tax cuts to the wealthy. By ending these tax cuts, we will be able to take that money and invest it towards coverage for people who need it. So I guess this man had the idea partially right. He was afraid universal healthcare would affect him. Well if he makes more than $250,000, then yes it does. But the bigger issue is that he shouldn’t be getting a tax cut to begin with! I am very happy for anyone who is wealthy, and they deserve their money as much as the next guy. But I don’t believe that the wealthier people in this country deserve a break. On the contrary, I think the people who can’t even afford to go to the doctor are the ones who deserve a break. I support universal healthcare. I always have. Now as far as people being “lazy”… It is not up to us to decide the definition of laziness. In other countries, citizens have affordable healthcare regardless of how “lazy” they may be. Laziness is a very loose term and it’s all dependent on a person’s definition. So we can’t exactly work it into a policy, now can we? With that being said, it just makes sense to help people get coverage if they need it. I am a prime example. I am self employed, and I pay $145 per month for health insurance. And that is minimal coverage. If I got severely sick, I would still have some very high hospital bills. Did you know that millions of Americans lose their home each year because of their medical bills? How can anyone believe people should lose their homes because they are sick? That just doesn’t sound like the American dream to me. I called to see about getting a lower rate on my policy. The woman on the phone had to hold back her laughter as she said “I’m sorry, you’re on a budget plan. The rate you pay is actually considered to be low.” What? I am 26-years-old. I have normal cholesterol, normal blood pressure, no history of medical problems, and $145 per month is considered a “budget” health plan? I shudder to think how much it would cost if I were 50 and had health problems. That is why our current system is flawed. We should not discriminate against people and charge them according to their age. We all get older, we all need medical care with age. That’s a fact of life. If you have concerns about universal healthcare, I encourage you to download this PDF from Barack Obama’s website, which covers the frequently asked questions about it. You will find that nobody will be forced to use universal healthcare if they don’t want it. If you are happy with your current coverage, it will stay the same, and might even be lower. Sometimes change makes people nervous, and I respect that. But we just can’t afford 4 more years of the same old stuff from Washington… the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer.
I was always crappy at math in school, but even I am smart enough to understand this… When it comes to oil, we use 20 million bbl. per day If we increase offshore drilling, we will get 200,000 bbl. per day by the year 2030 In 20 years (2 decades!) we will have increased our oil supply by 1% Wow. 1 freakin’ percent just to put more holes in this earth. —– If we follow Obama’s advice to keep our tires properly inflated, we will improve mileage by 3% INSTANTLY If we have regular tune-ups and maintenance, we improve mileage by another 1% That’s a 4% improvement and it can be done in one day! Republicans can joke and mock Obama all they want. But he uses common sense and mathematically, he is correct. We don’t need more oil, we need solutions that use less oil. [Source: Time]
Restaurants are definitely feeling the pressure as customers realize they should think twice about 600 calorie cookies and 1500 calorie salads. I think it’s a fantastic idea. In recent years, I’ve become a bit obsessive about food labels. I check the fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar, and all other bad things in everything I pick out at the store. This is my health and I consider it my duty to be aware of everything I eat. So yeah… people need to be aware of the food they eat in restaurants. And there’s nothing wrong with a 600 calorie cookie if you limit the rest of your sugar intake for the day. I’m a sweet-a-holic. It just requires planning and a conscious effort to be healthy. The thing that impresses me most is New York City has started the trend. I love New York. It’s such an efficient city. Is it crowded? Yes. Is it busy? Absolutely. But it’s efficient. New Yorkers are smart and they embrace change. I think the new laws will benefit everyone. It’s yet another trend about New York that I wish would catch on down here in the South, where we are notoriously behind the times. [Photo courtesy of MSNBC]
Well today, the gazebo was on clearance at 50% off, and there was only one left. Why is summer stuff already on clearance? I suppose they will be selling Halloween decorations next week, but I digress… Since the item was on clearance, Target wouldn’t hold it for me. So I called Rodney at home and had him hurry over so he could help me with it. While I was waiting, I had to stand guard over the last box. Women were circling around me like hungry buzzards. I was fighting off bitches left and right. It’s my gazebo, damn it. Mine!!! I shot them all frosty stares that said “Walk on, lady, walk on…” Fast forward to this evening, when Rodney and I got started putting it together in the backyard. The box says it takes “less than 1.5 hours to assemble”. Liars! 4 hours later, it still wasn’t finished. We had everything on it, all except for the little pointy roof at the top. The directions were really detailed in the beginning. Step by step, and very illustrated. I guess they got bored or tired, because at the end, they just skim through the final steps and we don’t even understand how to get that damn thing on top of it. So right now, we just have a gaping hole in the roof. Rodney calls it a skylight. Indeed. My best guess is that I’m going to have to borrow a step ladder from a neighbor and toss the small pointy roof over it, hoping it lands in the center. There you have it. I really just went to the store for some milk. I never know what to say in the first post after I’ve had a death in the family. In the past year, we’ve buried a nephew, a grandmother, and now a father/father-in-law. There’s always a strange stillness in my mind when I try to get back into the groove of things. I should start by thanking everyone for their kind words of sympathy. It’s so wonderful that there are people out there in the world who have never met us, and yet care so much about us. Thank you. Rodney reads my blog and has read every comment regarding the passing of his father. We are both very touched by your support. I was also amazed at how many of you have went through the loss of your own parents already. I can’t imagine how any of you got through it, but I guess you all did. Well onto other items… let me tell you a strange story about spontaneous glass breakage. Ever heard of it? I hadn’t. Rodney was in the garage organizing some things today, and he picked up a glass door that used to be attached to a stereo cabinet unit. It wasn’t cracked or in bad condition. Just a piece of glass that was in the garage. When he picked it up, the glass shattered right in his hands. Thousands of tiny shreds of glass came falling like rain down on his legs, feet, and all around him. Amazingly, he didn’t had one scratch on him. Then it got stranger. The chunks of glass started “popping” in the air… It was just like popcorn. A chunk would actually lift up into the air and explode into smaller pieces, then go flying in different directions. This is called spontaneous glass breakage and it happens unexpectedly. The glass doesn’t even have to be touched. Sometimes it just explodes on its own. Pretty freaky, eh? We’re assuming it happened to us due to the heat in the garage. It was hot today, and it must have put the glass in an unstable state, causing it to explode.
Senator Clinton was my personal choice for the next President. I have passionately supported her throughout her campaign and defended her during some of her darkest days. I didn’t agree with everything in her campaign, but that’s what support is… It’s believing in a person even when you disagree with them. Support is not to be confused with agreement. It’s the same with a loved one, a friend, a colleague. You might not always agree with them, but if they’re important to you, then you should support them. Senator Clinton was important to me. I wanted her to be President. Having said all that, Senator Obama won, and he deserves my respect and support. He has always been my next choice. I don’t dislike him, or having any major problems with him. I simply liked Clinton better. But he has many qualities I admire, and the bottom line is that he is our official Democratic nominee. So I want to say congratulations because he’s made it. I want him to win in November. I want him to take us all the way to Washington. I believe he is a stronger choice than McCain, and I believe he will help get our men and women home safely. I also believe he will help build a better America for all of us. It’s very important that he and Clinton work out their differences and move forward in a way that is productive for America. Will she be the Vice President? That remains to be seen. I really would enjoy that. But it can only work if they can truly work past their differences. Whatever the case, it’s important to realize Clinton has millions upon millions of supporters. She only lost by a very small margin, and this needs to work out in a way that brings Clinton’s supporters over to Obama. Those numbers are crucial for November. We need those votes to nail down a solid win against McCain. I hope we can all work together to get Obama in the White House. Our country cannot afford to go backwards anymore.
2 kittens came back to Tennessee with us. I have a client who adopted them. 1 kitten went with her mother to live on a farm. That completed the pack. 20 days later, the mother cat showed up back at my parents’ house, 5 miles into town. Her baby was not with her, and is believed to have died along the travel. I just feel awful, so sad about the whole thing. They must have been traveling back to find the other 2 kittens. How in the world did that mother find her way all the way back to my parents? And I feel even worse that the 1 kitten died. I just wish there was a way to explain to this mother that her other 2 kittens are fine here in Tennessee. But the poor mother cat has no way of understanding this. She thinks her babies need her. How could she ever have found her way 5 miles back to my parents? I can’t even imagine the instincts she must have. Anyone who believes cats don’t have emotions is sadly misinformed. They are very intelligent, very sensitive creatures. This story proves that a Mother’s love is strong, even with animals.
This is a poll taken on my site in August 2007. According to the votes, if the readers had to pick a President that day, an overwhelming number would have chosen Hillary Clinton. Around this same time, a lot of other blogs were conducting similar polls. Clinton came out the winner in all of them. Fast forward to January, 2008. Although Barack was picking up support, Hillary was still expected to be the next Democratic nominee. People loved her, especially the gay community. I read blog after blog showing support for her. During a debate on January 31, 2008, I started to see signs of something bad. A live debate between Hillary and Barack was televised. I remember that Rodney and I were trying to pack for our trip to New York, but couldn’t keep our eyes off the TV. Something wasn’t quite right… Every time Hillary was asked a question, she was cut off. She also got all the questions first, which seemed to provide an open opportunity for Barack to spin off whatever she said. Meanwhile, when it was his turn to speak, the mood was much different. People listened quietly, patiently. Hillary never seemed to get the same respect. A few days later, Hillary took over Super Tuesday. The excitement in New York could be measured by the energy of people in the streets. There were so many supporters, people handing out stickers, holding signs. I remember walking proudly through the streets of New York with my Hillary sticker on and other people cheered when they saw it. That night, she delivered an inspiring speech that made me a bit misty eyed. I felt so inspired for the future of America. It was a good time for Hillary Clinton supporters. But the crack continued. Every time there was a debate, she got the short end of the stick. She finally spoke up and asked to receive questions second. I felt as though she was scoffed at. The media had a field day, trying to build her up to be some mean old bitch. I was watching with my own eyes, it really did seem that she was being unfairly treated during the debates. I saw nothing wrong with her asking to be questioned second. From there, the rollercoaster started. Hillary started receiving blow after blow in the media, she started to fight back, projecting the negativity onto Barack. In retrospect, I think this was a mistake. She came off as too harsh, too negative. She even made me second guess my support. But what can you say? When you’re truly passionate about something, it shows. Just as she says, “America is worth fighting for.” All it took were a few months, and nothing is the same for Hillary. News report after news report portrays her negatively. Blog post after blog post attacks her. I tried to do a search tonight for recent blog posts that said something nice about her, and couldn’t find any. But when you block out all the noise from the media, Hillary is still loved by millions. She won some of the most populated states, including New York and California, and she even won swing states, which have historically helped predict who will win in November. The only thing I know to say is expect the unexpected. Just a few months ago, most people thought Hillary was the top choice. The tides can change quickly, and clearly there are still millions of voting Americans who do want her as President. It isn’t entirely impossible that the super delegates could turn the tables again. I can’t help but wonder where the 53% of people who voted in this poll last August disappeared to. Anybody out there? (Edit: I have no doubt I’ll upset some Obama supporter with this post. I want to point out that I am not Anti-Barack, and I never have been. Feel free to scour my archives. I’ve never said a negative thing about the man. I’m simply Pro-Hillary.)
I want you to try something for me. Roll your eyes upward, toward the back of your head. Try to see how much you can show of the white part of your eyes (without straining, of course). Is it easy for you? Is it difficult? If you have an easy time doing it, you’re a good candidate for regression therapy, where you are hypnotized and can re-live events in your life that might be causing you deep emotional turmoil. The easier it is to do this, the easier it is for you to dive right into the depths of your emotions. For me, it’s difficult to do. I have a hard time rolling them, so it’s not easy for me to reach the depths of my feelings, and requires extra effort and work. I can be hypnotized, but it might take longer to reveal anything. I guess I really do keep my emotions under lock and key. But I’ve just had the strangest experience. I was watching an episode of Oprah with Dr. Oz (I love it when he’s on, they make such a great team.) The guest was Dr. Brian Weiss, and the show took an in depth look at people finding peace with events that had upset them earlier in their life. It then went a step further as guests tapped into former lives. Very deep stuff, dealing with reincarnation and very intense events that seemed to scar people in their current life. I’ve always believed in reincarnation, but never really taken the time to study it. There are many things in this world that we don’t have the answers to, and I find that exciting. Knowledge is power, and there is an unlimited amount of discoveries to be made in our lifetimes. I love it. Hypnosis is not at all like in fictional movies. You don’t lose control of yourself and start clucking like a chicken. You’re completely aware of what’s happening and you know what you’re doing. I’ve listened to some hypnosis tapes, but very light stuff. I admit, I am scared to go too deep. But they always work for me. During this episode, I watched Dr. Weiss hypnotize a patient, and I’m afraid I watched a bit too closely, because I started to feel different. Can a person be hypnotized through TV? I’m not sure. After I watched it, my eyes felt very heavy, yet I wasn’t tired. I went upstairs and crawled into bed, turning off all noises, blocking out all lights. I found myself surging into something… but I don’t know what. There was a message, there was an answer revealing itself. But I couldn’t get to it. (Remember, I’m considered a bad candidate for going deeper.) An hour later, my Mom called. She said I sounded like someone else, and got freaked out and wanted to get off the phone. It was strange. I feel like I’ve tapped into a deeper part of myself and I hope to learn a lot more. Very interesting stuff. I’m wondering, have you ever had any experience with hypnosis or past life studies?
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A new law went into effect this past spring requiring food chains in New York City to post the number of calories in everything on their menu. They also must do it in a legible font size so the information isn’t hidden. Starting Friday, businesses that don’t conform to the law can be fined up to $2,000.
What started as a quick trip to Target to pick up a few things turned into an all-day adventure. Rodney’s had his eye on this gazebo in the Lawn & Garden section all summer. It’s a very nice item, a full 10 ft. wide and 10 ft. high structure that also comes with mosquito netting to keep out bugs.
First I want to start with Senator Clinton, and then I want to finish with Senator Obama…
