Its been a while since I demanded piggies and in conjucntion with this article called: "More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks" I think I should. I don't know if anything will happen if I demand on my site instead of Kevin's. But hey, its still really close to my bday so we'll give it a try....

I have evaluated the risks and...

I just don't understand... are they actually threatening retaliation and revenge if we don't reelect Bush/Cheney? Sounds like an hissy fit and a tantrum to me!!

A few RNC observations I find interesting:

Former right-wing Republican Congressman from Florida Joe Scarborough on the convention. (Thanks Kicking Ass)

"I find it remarkable. We are three days into this convention, and we have been talking all year about how this election is going to be about George W. Bush. The Republicans, with their ad campaigns, the third-party attacks, this convention, three nights into this convention, this convention remains about John Kerry. I can't remember a major presidential election where you have an incumbent that makes the central focus of their convention about the other guy, about the challenger. It is a radical departure from politics as usual. And what does it say about what they think George Bush has done over the past four years, and, more importantly, what the American people think of George Bush?"

Further Observations from Kicking Ass and the New York Times:

"The front page of the New York Times today features a graphic that counts the number of times certain words were used during the first three days of both the Republican and Democratic Conventions. We mentioned Bush 18 times. The Republicans have mentioned Kerry 86."

In Jon Stewart's Coverage of the RNC he pointed out with a lovely video montage, the lovely first day theme: September 11. Can we say EXPLOITATION!!??!!

Kicking Ass says: "When your strongest supporters call you a liar, where do you have left to turn?"

I love this!!

However on the other hand I signed up online to volunteer for John Kerry - and they still haven't contacted me for anything but a donation. I expected at least a list of who to contact for certain ways to volunteer. Oh well, time to try harder.

This is last week, but I still feel the need to post it. I found this quote on In Passing:

"His phrasing is weird, it's offbeat. He's not pausing at the commas. Hear that? Wait a minute... Dude, he's pausing at the big words." --A girl watching Bush's press conference on the TV in the lobby of my hotel.

*rolls eyes and shares*

Bush reelection Chairman fondly recalls 2000 recount

Bush/Cheney '04 Chairman Marc Racicot was in Florida yesterday fondly recalling the 2000 Florida recount, saying, "to us what happened in Florida was a triumph in democracy. It wasn't a blemish." Chairman Racicot went on to say that the recount "showed the enduring resilience of this democracy and the discipline of the American people to be dedicated to the rule of law."

I was a staffer in Florida in 2000 and I thought I should remind Mr. Racicot how things really were. As I recall, thousands of minority voters were taken off the voter rolls by Katherine Harris as suspected felons. (I especially loved that on many occasions when Harris was needed during the recount, she was found at Governor Bush's mansion.)...

The 2000 recount, a 'triumph in democracy'? I don't think so Mr. Chairman, but nice try!

I might also point out we don't really live in a democracy, but rather a democratic republic... but I think thats the least of Chairmen Racicot's problems right now.

[Thanks to Kicking Ass for this post content]

My grandma emailed recently after reading some of my blog. I wanted to share what she has to say to get an outlook on demographics other than myself. I can only see the world and the government through my eyes and experiences which only amount to just over 25 years. So without further ado here is my cool Grandma K.

Grandma K: "Of course being an old person brain washed from way back, all I really pay attention to with great interest is Democrat and Republican. I do give notice to Liberal, Green party and whatever other party is out there, but they usually don't have the $$$ backing them so they don't have the chance of a snowball in you know where. TOO bad because this country could use a
dramatic change, but unlikely to happen because of the money and good-old
boys clubs. Well needless to say, I don't feel like voting anymore
because the Middle Class people are always left holding the bag. Pretty
soon there will be no middle class , just Very rich and very poor. Just
my opinion."

I knew just how tired I was of always feeling pushed around by the government, but if I'm tired of it all, I can't imagine how tired she must be. *sighs*

Props to Planned Parenthood for this one!! I have to say this is awesome! I really wish it was true. *sighs*

The White House's Irresponsible Choices

But I do have to comment on two things.

1. April Fools is prolly the best marketing technique there is. This type of thing totally grabs my attention. Without this one I may not have ever known about this issue.

2. What is with this administration just doing whatever it wants? And I think there are too many issues that aren't getting notice. Everyone is so hyped up over the 9/11 trials that we have heard almost nothing about the gay marriage amendment. And I for one had no idea about the "abstinence-only" initiative.

Maybe I haven't been trying hard enough to get informed, but then there are a lot of americans a lot less informed than I am.

I have already signed up online to help with the Kerry campaign, I don't know what I will do yet (not door to door or calls since I just can't mentally justify those things), but I'm going to do my part.

Kevin has great ideas for ways to inform the nation, I think I'm going to have to come up with my ideas as well. I really can't take this.

I want to live in the country in that spoof article, not the one I'm currently in.

This seems to be the topic of day in blogs I read. And its important so I feel the need to comment.

I am Pro-Choice because no one should be able to tell me what I can and can't do with my body. But besides that different situations call for different actions.

For example my friend DM recently made a post in her live journal about 3 women she knows (I know two of them); this is the short version of her post, but her long version is so so worth reading.

Woman 1: Recently had a baby at age 20. Is a very strict believer of all catholic practices and so never gave a thought to abortion. She dropped out of college, her parents took out a second mortgage. Her husband to be owns his own mortgage company and barely makes any money, so she and the baby are on welfare. She had planned to go back to school in a year, but it doesn’t' look like it will be possible till the baby is in school, if then. They are planning to be married in May, but he makes excuses to say at work and she plays the house wife but sneaks in a drink here and there. And this poor baby though she has parents who love her also has parents who resent the life they are now forced to live.

Woman 2: Had a child who is the joy of her life. Her second child is being induced tomorrow and everyone is excited and happy. Her first child is healthy and happy. They may not be a perfect family, but it’s a good life.

Woman 3: Recently had an abortion. It was a hard decision and against her catholic upbringing; however she and her boyfriend discussed it rationally and decided it was the best thing. They didn’t believe it was something they were mentally or emotionally prepared to deal with. However she can never tell her mother because she would never have approved. She knows it was the right decision for her to make, but it was a very very hard one. She went through the procedure quite well and is going to be quite healthy.

Three women, three circumstances. Whether they made the right decisions can't really be judged. I don't think woman 1 did, but that is my point of view and may not be right. The point is that these three women are examples of the right to choose that they have as US citizens.

Blacksheep also posted today about abortion; this time about laws. The senate has now ruled to recognize "a fetus as a separate victim in cases involving pregnant women". This may not be a ruling to outlaw abortion but this will be used in cases to support the outlawing of abortion.

Abortion isn't right for everyone, but we live in a country that was created so its people could choose what they want to believe and practice. This should count for our bodies as well as our minds.

On Democrats Questioning What Bush Knew Before 9/11:
"…what I want to say to my Democratic friends in the Congress is that they need to be very cautious not to seek political advantage by making incendiary suggestions, as were made by some today, that the White House had advance information that would have prevented the tragic attacks of 9/11. Such commentary is thoroughly irresponsible and totally unworthy of national leaders in a time of war." [Cheney Remarks, 5/16/02—aired on NBC Meet the Press, 5/19/02] [http://www.democrats.org/blog/display/00010527.html]

*ponders* I think this translates as: "No comment! And anyone who tries to make me comment will wish they were never born"

But you know, I could be wrong.

Thanks to Ryan for this post!!!

Here is a really quick quiz you can take to find out how your beliefs fit in with the political parties. Don't take this as law or how you should vote. Get to know the ideas of all of them. But this at least is informative.

I came up Left Liberal Though my dot on the graph was very close to the Libertarian line and not too far from Centerist.

My score was 90% Personal Self-Government and 40% Economic Self- Government. I'm not quite sure how I got 40% Economic... I said Maybe on a bunch of things. In a lot of economic areas I'm undecided.

Anyway, What was your score?

Kevin recently blogged about the possible flag burning amendment. I think the conversation about this has been good. However commenting there myself has gotten me thinking again.

I have always been somewhat out of politics. I was a little involved while in High School, however as time went on I got jadded and frustrated. I don't watch the news anymore because its so depressing. I figure if anything important happens, someone will tell me about it. I also have some moral issues with activism. I don't understand it or agree with most of the activist practices. I took a class in grad school called "Art in Activisim" mostly so that maybe I could understand this mindset. I still don't.

I realize that my lack of involvment in government is part of what has contributed to what I see as the current problems. If I'm not informed enough, I won't vote, if I don't vote, I'm not heard and I can't complain.

For the Last month or so, as I have gotten more and more frustrated with this country, and Kevin and I have talked about what it is I can do about it. I'm actually a little proud of myself already. I have already begun taking active steps to be a bit more informed, to understand something about what is going on and to ask more questions about what I don't know.

I just don't think that being informed is enough. I have the time to volunteer, and it would be a good way to meet people in this new place too. I have looked into some of it. Its that moral aversion to activism that seems to always get in my way.

So now I'm brainstorming. What I want to know is: What do you do to be involved in making a difference in this country? Or what is it that you would like to do if you had the time/resources you would need?