The miseducation of youth

I should be studying right now, but there's something on my mind, and it won't go away. I feel like I have a growling, angry dog pulling on the leg of my pants. He won't let go until I address him, but I have no idea what to say. "Go away, you rotten doggie!" just won't do.

Lately, I've been taking care of two girls, ages 9 and 11, once a week. I've known these girls for about four years, and love them dearly. So, when I was asked to care for them on a regular basis, I was happy to do it. Now, I've got a dilemma.

This morning, while sitting in my kitchen, the younger girl suddenly noticed that I had an Obama sign on the wall. It's been there since November, but it finally caught her attention. Perhaps it caught her attention because she's been learning new things from Mom's new boyfriend. She scrunched up her face and said, "Why do you like Obama?!" Unfortunately, I was bleary with sleep and unprepared to deal with this question, so I said, "It's too early in the morning to give you a good answer." She didn't like that, and said, "Well, I hate him." I bet if I had looked under the table, she might have been stamping her feet.

"Why do you hate the President?" I asked. "Oh, I don't. know", she said. "Well, you should know why you hate someone" was my response. She got very serious and announced, "He's giving free health care to little kids who don't deserve it and. . ." I cut her off. I then said that sometimes people decide not to talk about politics and religion because they have very different ideas and that it leads to problems. How about we try that? And so, the discussion was over.

I drove them to school, all the while thinking I had copped out. Her words about little kids echoed in my mind, making me upset and angry. Someone's been feeding this kid Rush Limbaugh-ian ideas, and it pisses me off. But to make matters worse, I know that these children are on all sorts of government aid. WIC, AFDC, Section 8 housing, and who knows what else. And here she is, spouting off nonsense about "little kids who don't deserve it." She should know that her family is exactly the type of family that Limbaugh-loving folks despise. Shouldn't she?

But, if I say something, it's highly likely that I'll never take care of these kids again. So, I said that talking about religion and politics are off limits, and I do not feel good about it.

I need to figure out what to say. I don't want to refute or shame her. The latter, sadly, would be quite easy to do. I need to say positive things that might open up their quickly closing minds. But, the thing of it is, I don't know what to say. I haven't a clue. I know how to speak to adults about these things, but kids? My mind is an unhappy blank.

The youngest girl has already pronounced me a "weirdo." However, I know they both like me, but I'm some sort of alien amongst the adults they know. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. I need help, and so do two little girls.

Image note: I didn't know what image to use. Did you know Dr. Seuss was also a political cartoonist?

My suggestion? Dispense with the invocation.

What with all the flap about Rick Warren being scheduled to give the opening invocation for Obama's inauguration, I keep asking myself "Why is there a invocation in the first place?"

I'm not happy with the pick of Warren, of course, as I disagree with his position on Prop 8 (amongst other things), but I believe having a benediction is the problem. There is no religious leader who would not bother somebody's sensibilities. This is a simple instance that proves that the separation of church and state should be taken seriously. How not to alienate groups of people? Leave religion out of it, as it should be.

Here's your Consitution factoid for the day:

Article I, Section II:
"Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Nowhere does it say that one must say "so help me God". Please note, also, that one can choose to either affirm or swear and that the "swearing" is not upon anything, or even to God. Article I, Section II is a purely secular statement. Read it as many times as you will; you will not find any religious promises in it anywhere.

Here's some quotes that I think are worth reading, though not specifically about the inaugural:

"[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." Article VI, Clause 3 of the Constitution.

(The object of Article VI, Clause 3 was) "to cut off forever every pretense of any alliance between church and state in the national Government." U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (1833).

And now, some words from former Presidents:

"The United States has adventured upon a great and noble experiment . . . of total separation of Church and State. . . . The offices of the Government are open alike to all. No tithes are levied to support an established Hierarchy, nor is the fallible judgment of man set up as the sure and infallible creed of faith. . . . Such is the great experiment which we have tried, and . . . our system of free government would be imperfect without it."-John Tyler

"The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature. . . . [In] the formation of the American governments . . . it will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of heaven. . . . These governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses."-John Adams

More quotes here.
Large repository of first and secondary source materials on the separation of Church and State here.

Painting note: "General George Washington Resigning his Commission" John Trumbull 1824
"The citizens of the United States . . . have the right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience. . . . [T]he Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support."-George Washington

Addendum: This wikipedia entry on the history of Presidential inaugurations is quite interesting. John Quincy Adams was sworn in on a book of U.S. law. That seems most appropriate to me.

Post-election day post

I feel absurd writing about anything other than the fact that Obama was elected president last night. It's so big. Maybe it's too big to write about, at least for me. Besides, I'm exhausted. For your consideration, here's "my life on Election Day 2008":

The day started calmly, though thoughts of past election day shenanigans and disastrous polling danced through my head, causing me momentary bursts of high anxiety. I was happy that I had been asked to poll-watch, even though I figured there wasn't much to see in my little town and even if the turn-out was larger than normal, with only something around 400 registered voters, how busy could it be?

I tried to do some schoolwork before Noon, when I was to be at the Town Hall, but I never got around to it. I read every stinking poll there was until I was dizzy with anxiety and tempered hopefulness. I read every last blog that I normally follow and at 11:50 I walked out of my house.

I asked my neighbor for a ride over there, 'cause I didn't have time to walk. She grumbled about calling some friends and family who weren't planning on voting, and how they still weren't planning on voting. I didn't know who she was voting for (and I don't know now how she voted), so I said, "I don't care who you're voting for - I just want people to vote." That's true in theory, but I wanted as many people as possible to vote for Obama.

I will be honest about something I should keep secret: I was undecided until the last moment about one of our Senators. Susan Collins seems like a very good senator, but she's a Republican, and I wanted them to go down in flames yesterday. But I didn't like that I felt that way. I've never been truly partisan. So, I've been flip-flopping for the last week. It made me realize that the thoughts I've had about people who were undecided until the last minute in the Presidential election may have had similar feelings. Here in my little town, 75 people voted outside of their party for Obama. Maybe they felt hesitant to jump ship. I didn't understand and now I think I do.

The poll-watching was silly. More correctly, it was overkill. I sat there with a list of Democrats, checking off names of people who arrived to vote. There was a steady stream of people, but no real lines (unless you count waiting with two people in front of you a line). About one hundred people voted while I was there, and only two or three of them stated their name in a voice that I could hear. Everyone was whispering. Add to this that some people had heavy Maine accents and I kept repeating myself, "Could you please state your name again?" I had one chance to ask them and that was it. It's a law!

What was strange for me is that, despite living in such a small town, I saw almost noone I recognized. Many people I know here did not vote. Others, I found out, had voted early. The women working at the polls for the town knew everyone and I felt rather foolish for they knew me. But I've only lived here for going on four years, which makes me quite the newcomer. Never mind that I've lived in this country almost twenty years.

I'm glad I brought my knitting. It made me seem less like someone who was there in some official capacity keeping an eagle eye on things and being an outsider.

There were two "incidents", actually. One was disturbing to me on a personal level. A dear friend of mine, who passed away over two years now, was checked off as having voted. Huh? I did the eulogy at her funeral and I don't think she came back from the dead to vote (though she would have loved to). And to all of you who think it's awful I'm making a joke about this, she would have liked that, too.

But, yes, she was still on the voting rolls. It was the unofficial Democratic tally that said she voted, and not the town's, so it was corrected without having to find out if someone pretended to be her. Noone did. But still, it's a bit of mystery.

The other little incident was that a woman showed up, wearing a "I Voted" sticker and walked around, shaking each of our hands, while stating her name. Huh? Oh, she was running for office. But doesn't she know she's not allowed to campaign inside the polling place? She expressed complete ignorance of this law, which I learned in elementary school. She tried to stay, and shook a few people's hands before she was asked to leave. The town clerk said she couldn't do it and she appealed to me, saying "What's wrong with introducing myself?" I told her it was glad-handing, which was campaigning, and that's that. Me, the kill-joy.

I proably would have voted for this woman, but I was so unimpressed by her trying to either pretend she was ignorant of the laws of polling places or trying to convince us that we were, that I didn't vote for her.

Dick and I voted at 4:00pm, got our stickers and came home where we both sequestered ourselves with laptops until 7. . .I made a 15 bean cajun soup with too much thyme in it and then realized all those beans on a night that I was anxious wasn't the best of ideas.

At 7:00pm, when the first results starting coming in, I was sure that the polls were going to be proved wrong. The earliest votes were for McCain and as much as I knew that these were all states he was expected to win, I became a nervous wreck.

More results came in. We were watching CBS, MSNBC and CNN at the same time 'cause we've been election junkies. I checked various blogs during lulls, which were few.

When Obama won Ohio, "they" said it was pretty much a done deal. Dick wanted to open the champagne, but I wanted to hear someone say "Obama wins" or that it's impossible for McCain to win until we started celebrating. When did that happen? It had to be before Obama actually did win, for we were drinking champagne for an hour or more. I can't remember. Last night is rather a blur.

Dick said he was calling it a day at 10:45 'cause he had an early meeting in the morning. I said, "It's possible I'll wake you up with my yelling when they call it for Obama."

I lost track of the time. At 11:00 I decided I wanted an apple. I was in the kitchen, cutting an apple into pieces when the electoral vote reached 284.

Here's what I experienced, on account of that apple: I sat down in front of my laptop and saw a picture of a girl curled up in a little ball, down on the ground, surrounded by other girls who were crying. My first reaction was, "Did they shoot Obama?!" Then I looked at the top of the screen: Obama 248 Electoral Votes.

I did start screaming. Dick came downstairs and as I watched people crying in Chicago and Harlem and Spelman college, I started to weep. I couldn't stop. The phone rang and it was my father. He asked, "What's wrong with your voice?" I said, "I'm choked up." "What?!" "I'm choked up!" "I can't understand you!!!" "I'm CRYING!!!" My father: "I never thought I'd live to see this day."

I was glad McCain gave the speech he did. And Obama, well, it was almost too much. That music added to my sense of unreality. I wished I was in New York City or Chicago, for I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he won. Here in my sleepy little town, everyone was, well, asleep. There's no street to be out on, if people were to take to the streets. Well, no sidewalks, that is.

I sniffled and cried a little more, read everything I could get my hands on, e-mailed people and twittered some, and finally, at 2:30 or so, went to bed.

My aunt called this morning and she was choked up. Something happened that is far bigger than Obama winning the presidency. It has a lot, for me, to do with not being a white anglo-saxon protestant or any other type of Christian. It has a lot to do with having my ancestors being killed en masse. It has a lot to do with my mother, who made sure I went to schools that were integrated when I was very young and took me to rallies and marches. It has a lot to with not being from here, where I live, and as I poll-watched yesterday, I felt that keenly.

This was personal.

So, I could write a bit about this, after all. But now I'm done.

Photo note: Obama in Berlin. Strange and awesome (in the true sense of the word). The sea of white arms. The legacy of crowds past in Germany. And much more.

Anxious

Preface: If you landed here by accident, saw the Obama graphic and had a bad reaction, please click here to read a conservative's take on why he's voting for Obama. Now, I'll proceed:

I've been upbeat all day. I even listened to Rush Limbaugh and was able to laugh him off, just like I used to.

I should have closed my laptop an hour ago. I could have spent some time studying how to use shortcuts and macros in MS Word for medical transcription. I could have worked on the faux-novel. I could have been meditating. I could be sleeping.

But no. I stayed on the web far too long, long enough to start reading every worst case scenario that could happen tomorrow.

Then I thought, oh, Twitter will make me feel better, but no, it did not, for there are plenty of twitterers (or tweeters or whatever they're called) who write hateful things. I forgot about that.

I read a plausible article about how people who are more conservative are less apt to participate in polls. That freaked me out. Is it possible that all the polls have been wrong? The likelihood of this being true is statistically and logically unlikely, but still, I am anxious.

I worried that the polls in Maine have been wrong, because I've seen so many McCain signs, but I found out the other night that my local campaign office had its signs stolen.

Oddly, that made me feel better the other night, but on this night, it makes me wonder if my vote will be stolen. But I'll be watching, 'cause I'm a poll watcher for the afternoon here in my small town.

I don't think anything will happen here. We do it the old fashioned way - paper ballots. When I moved here, I didn't even know that paper ballots were used any more, except in third world countries. I like paper ballots. I feel like I really voted. There's a pencil and there's a piece of paper that I can hold in my hand. I put a mark in a box and I can even erase it if I've made a mistake.

One year I helped count ballots. We stayed up until after midnight and we only had something like three hundred of those things to count. I don't know how they do it in the larger towns and cities. It must be insane.

But I'm getting off track, as usual. I'm nervous as hell.

I bought a bottle of champagne today. Dick bought a bottle when it was predicted that Kerry might win, and I told him he shouldn't have done it, 'cause I was sure Bush was going to win and I did not want to see that unopened sad bottle of champagne in my refrigerator the day after. I think it was a year until we finally drank it.

I was feeling buoyant, hopeful and full of energy when I was in the market today. I drove home on some roads I'd never been on before and actually got lost. I saw many Obama signs in the town of Hermon, which surprised me. Then I noticed that the houses on this road were pretty fancy and that made me sad.

Why are there so many McCain supporters in the poorer areas of Maine (or any other poor rural area of America)? I don't understand it at all. I give pretty much everything a lot of thought. It may not be the best or most informed thought, but I try. I listen to people and I haven't lived in a bubble, knowing only those who are "like me". Yet, I still don't understand. Or maybe I do, and I don't want to think (or write)about it.

And maybe that's why I'm anxious. Or not.

Image note: I think this is a beautiful piece of graphic design. Yet, I just wanted to post the word hope without a picture of Obama. I had trouble finding the word in the right font. . .

But, here's a few thoughts: Let's remember this election isn't about Barack Obama. He's not an idol (even I think he's cute), he's not perfect and things aren't going to get instantly better when and if he becomes president. The world is far too complicated for that to be true. He can't do it all for us.

After the election, get (or stay) involved. If you care about health care reform, tax reform, tort reform, protecting our constitution, the homeless, the working poor, the lousy wages teachers get, the war in Iraq, terrorism, civil liberties. . .You get the picture. Whatever it is, Obama is not going to snap his fingers and solve all the world's woes.

Don't get me wrong. I think an Obama win will change quite a bit, but I'm not going to get into that now. It is time for me to go to sleep. See you on Election Day!

Addendum (and yes, I'm still awake, as far as I can tell): I just found a good remedy for pre-election day jitters, 27 pundits predicting an Obama win including Karl Rove , with only one dissenting voice. Who is this guy? You tell me!

The NaNoWriMo Meter

I'm still not giving out a link to National Novel Writing Month's website, 'cause it's still having problems. Even my word count meter is loading slowly, if it's loading at all. So, in the spirit of my being a crowing bit of a jerk, here's today's word count: 2316 for the day (so far) and 8879 total. I didn't realize I was so competitive. This is great motivation for me, and honestly, I did not expect that.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be an official poll watcher for part of the day. I also have other things to do than sit in my bathrobe pretending I'm someone else.

I'm sure I will write about politics tomorrow. I can't believe the election is finally here. Yeah, I know other people voted early, and I could have, too, but to me, voting is on the first Tuesday in November. Actually, for some reason I've always had it in my mind that voting is on November 4th. Is the presidential election always on November 4th? I feel quite stupid, and I am not googling this and pretending I did know the answer.

Ah, well, Rush Limbaugh said I dumb on the radio today. He said even worse, actually.

ADDENDUM: I was curious about what some other NaNoWriMo's participants in my state were up to and the first post on the message board showed that someone had written 12,000 or so words already. I was awe struck. Then I got to post number four or so and see someone claims 43,000 words (plus some). Now, I may be competitive, but really, isn't that a bit insane? Maybe these people are on Adderall. I hear it's good for writing term papers. . .

What is the opposite of fear?

I had to google this question. There really is no word that is the opposite of fear, if fear is used in a general sense. Courage may or may not be the opposite of fear. It's a dictionary antonym, but one can be fearful and courageous at the same time, so I don't buy it.

Come to think of it, all emotions are like this. Our language is so inherently dualistic that we don't believe this is true. One either loves or hates, likes or dislikes, approves or disapproves (etc. ad nauseum). But, it's not either/or. There is always both and sometimes they occur simultaneously.

I decided to post, not to discuss language, but to rant a bit about my evening. I was somewhat disturbed to see that there was not one Obama lawn sign between the 18 miles from my house to the town where I was going. There may have been twice as many McCains signs as last week. I'd guess that at least half the houses on this road now have these signs up, and that's a lowball estimate.*

I heard a well-spoken woman state unequivocably that she suspects Obama is secretly in league with the Taliban.

I was told by someone who knows everyone that Obama signs are disappearing in the night on every rural road around my area, and that most people are sick of replacing them. Shock was expressed when I stated my sign is still intact, after three nights.

Then I idiotically listened to Sean Hannity on the radio, where I heard Rudy Guiliani state that the Obama campaign was waging dangerous class warfare. If anyone is doing that, it's McPalin.

And to top it all off, as I was trying reassure myself that things are going to turn out alright, I get online, only to read that McCain said today, about Joe the Plumber, that he is “an American hero, a great citizen of Ohio and my role model.”

Are the good folks of Canton, Ohio really lapping this stuff up?

So, I'm nervous.

Listening to Hannity, Limbaugh,Glenn Beck and the rest of the hate mongers on talk radio or TV, I am increasingly appalled. I used to listen to this stuff for entertainment. Well, that was then.

Now? I can't understand why people choose fear and hatred over whatever the opposite of fear and hatred is. The opposite of hatred is love, and perhaps that's what the opposite of fear is, too. Hey, all you radical Christianists (who are not reading this, I would imagine), what do you think Jesus would say? What happened to "love thy enemy"? And I know that there's something in the bible about not speaking ill of others, but I can't place it right now.

I know I'm a bit over my limit of ethical boundaries, given posts like this one. But what's it driven by? Fear.

Case closed.

*Yes, I've been told that lawn signs don't win elections.

Image note: Hmm. Picasso again! Read this short bio to learn more about this simple drawing. It's got an intriging history.

I wanted to use an image of the "dove of peace" but by page four of google results, I got sick of looking at ugly new-agey art. Hence, Picasso. Maybe I should rethink my attitude towards him.

I guess I just like signs

Okay, I know lawn signs don't win elections. I just like seeing them, is all.

I think it's also because, in spite of my poll watching addiction (and the even worse addiction to reading every word Andrew Sullivan has to say, who's responsible for posting this photo), I still don't quite believe the polls and the pundits. So, seeing a good amount of McCain/Palin signs makes me worry at bit.

But, I just like signs. You should see my kitchen. It's full of them. I want to put up more, but Dick said "there's enough!"

Somewhere in Downeast Maine (that's the northernmost coast, for those from away*, is a guy who's had a 12 foot long "IMPEACH HIM" sign for the last eight years. The lettering was all awry and he was constantly patching it up, 'cause a good many folks ran into it (both intentionally and not).

*"From away" is what people who are not from Maine are called. That includes me, who's lived here for almost 20 years. Even if you were born here, you are considered by hard liners as from away if your parents were born elsewhere. This is an old Maine explanation for that:"If a cat had her kittens in the oven, you still couldn't call them biscuits."

Addendum: For one the arguably greatest signs in the state of Maine, click here.

My poll watch addiction

I will certainly have time to write 1667 words per day after November 4th. I spend at least two hours a day looking at poll numbers and analysis. This has been going on for months, escalating a little bit every day (so the time spent in this activity sort of snuck up on me), and lately I've been spending even more time on FiveThirtyEight, Pollster, and RealClearPolitics, checking for updates, hoping there's a bit of new analysis, just staring at charts. . .yes, I am powerless over my addiction to polls and my life has become sort of unmanageable. Well, not really. I only hope I don't wind up hooked on polling numbers about how people feel after the election. It certainly is possible. I mean, addictions are hard to break, right? Lose one and another comes along to replace it.

Here's the picture of the state of the race here in my state, Maine:

Unfortunately, this graph doesn't fit the window properly, but you get the idea.
I have to ask myself, once again, why all the McCain/Palin lawn signs? What's up with the Obama supporters?

The Obama TV special (or whatever it was)

I was outrageously sleepy last night, after two hours of sleep on Tuesday, and my attempt to write about the Obama TV special, infomercial, or whatever you want to call it was curtailed. I actually fell asleep in the middle of typing.

Now I have a terrible headache. Oh well. I'll write anyway.

I had to work rather hard to find any commentary on the TV show. Every political blog I typically read was oddly silent on it, as if it just didn't happen.

I tried to find information on how many people watched it. Couldn't find it.

I did watch it, though originally I hadn't intended to. I was afraid it'd be so hokey that I'd want to throw up. It was hokey, no doubt about it; the music was so sappy at the beginning that I was nearly offended, but as a whole, the thing was good. Obama narrated a good deal of it, showing "typical" American families (all in battleground states, of course). He didn't come out and say it but he was saying "I can feel your pain." And y'know, I do believe the guy. I have always been suspicious and cynical about any politician, but I think he's different. I think he's a true rarity. He may sometimes play a little loose with the facts to present them in a palatable sound bite, but that's (unfortunately) neccessary in order to keep people listening.

But why is the blogosphere and all the pundits, who have analyzed every word and deed in this election season, so silent on last night's event? It was an event.

Here's what I think: Most of them didn't watch. Most of them didn't approve and preferred to keep silent. The television, once known as the "idiot box" or the "boob tube", is something beneath contempt for many people, especially writers (or at least the ones who don't write TV shows). And the infomercial, well, it's the lowest form of television (and I will agree with that).

But, here's the thing: It's hard for people like me and the blogging heads to believe, but a heck of a lot of people are just getting interested in the election. With less than a week to go, it's finally time. And there are those who were never going to be interested at all. Don't forget this: a large population of these United States doesn't even bother to vote.

But if they watched this TV show last night, they might. They might not vote for Obama, but they might have had their interest piqued. Of course, I'm just guessing.

The "show" was good. I didn't see myself in any of the people in it and at one point I said to Dick, half-jokingly, "Obama's whiter than me" (and if that's a racist statement, call me out on it). I also quipped, "You'd think there were no single, gay or child-free people in America." So, if I was being cynical, I'd say the whole thing was pandering. But it sure didn't feel that way.

At the end of the broadcast, when it cut to a live rally in Florida, I turned to Dick once again and said, "Who could be against that?" And I wasn't referring to Obama as "that" (or that one). What's that? Politics based on positivity, in spite of hard times, people coming together from all walks of life, optimism, a healthy type of patriotism and trust in one another. An end to cynicism.

It must be a heavy burden to carry around a lot of hate and anger. Don't folks want to put that burden down?

Painting note: Painting of Wailuku and the Iao Valley, Maui, by the 19th century American artist Edward Bailey

I wanted to post a really hokey American landscape painting or photograph, so I googled "amber waves of grain". Somehow, I stumbled onto this, a painter of the 19th century Hawaiian landscape. I am intrigued. And so, since Obama grew up in Hawaii, and this image is copyright-free, here it is. Link is to info about Baily from the Maui Historical Society. He's got no Wikipedia entry.

I put up a lawn sign

It was starting to bother me that pretty much all I see are McCain/Palin signs around these parts. It was also starting to bother me that I had some fear around putting up an Obama lawn sign.

Yesterday, I threw caution to the wind and put up a sign. Afterwards, Dick told me that someone nearby had someone smash up their Obama signs and make quite a mess of their yard. I thought I was just being paranoid. Oh well.

Image note: Robert Rauschenberg
I do not know the name of this print nor when it was done. I found it through Google images and there was no information. It has little to do with the post, though there's JFK, so it's got a political feeling to it, of course. My major desire for the image that accompanies this post is the desire to make up for yesterday's "Pinhead" photograph.

The beauty of the positive message

Watch and listen here.

In eleven days, I'll stop posting about politics. But for now, I can't help myself. Tonight, at my knitting group, those of us who support Obama were talking about the very real possibility that he will win. If we weren't so distrustful of polls, predictions or the vagaries of public opinion, we'd say it was a done deal. But this non-superstitious person is superstitious, just like everyone else. Don't want to jinx it! If there were sidewalks where I lived, I would avoid the cracks like a lunatic.

I've been hesitant, though not too hesitant, to express my partisan views on this blog. I had never intended to write about politics.

But this time, I must. This is the first time I've really cared deeply, and I see that in others, too. When I saw Obama in February, here in Maine, I got a bit choked up during his speech. His are not the politics of division. They are the politics of inclusion. Whether you're for the war or against it, for progressive or flat taxes, or whatever issues that do indeed divide us (and should), it doesn't matter. Really.

What does matter, at this moment in time, as we face such difficult times, is that we have an opportunity to embrace a vision of this country as one that is fair, where we see those who differ from us as friends and neighbors, all sharing one another's struggles.

I don't agree with Obama on all the issues. And y'know? I don't care. When I see the faces of the people at his events, I see the possibility of joy. This is not "political". Some disparage this. They say it's only celebrity. But I say no. It is not. It is the hope that we can be the country we've said we are but have not fulfilled.

I see the promise, in electing Obama, of finally putting identity politics and identity hatred away for good. As a person of Jewish heritage who's stood face-to-face with neo-Nazis, I have been waiting for this day. Obama as president is this: You, those who hate, your time is up.

Photo note: I finally did it. I posted a photo of Obama. I said to myself that I would not. I'm not sure why. I ask you this: Do you believe that a man with a smile as open as his could be a terrorist? I've been getting mailers this week stating that he just might be. Call me a fool, but I trust someone who can smile like that. Sadly, not many people can.

Addendum: Over at FiveThirtyEight, they say there's 94.03% likelihood of Obama winning the election.

Update: Friday October 24th: 96.03%

In which I agree with a Fox News anchor

I don't know her name and, once again, I'm in a hurry. . .but I agree with something a Fox News anchor (female) said, in regards to the 150K that was spent on Palin's clothes. This is not something to make a big deal out of. She said (paraphrasing) that the day we stop paying such close attention to what women wear and how they look, that's the day we should judge the amount of money spent. Those fashionable suits that fit perfectly? They are expensive.

I was at a doctor's office yesterday, leafing through Oprah magazine. This magazine is presumably for "regular women". In it, I saw the "must haves" of this season - jeans and light tops for 300-500 bucks, suits for 3000 (I kid you not). This is the "affordable" clothing, for us, gosh darn it, regular gals. Sarah Palin isn't a regular gal, even if she did graduate from the University of Idaho and peppers her speech with lots of folksy words. She needs to look presidential. That costs some. Let's not get so petty.

But here's my caveat: If she gets 150K for her wardrobe, can the average American woman get say, $1500, in a tax refund for ours? I can't even afford new underwear. Bras are expensive, folks!

Photo note: From a random page on the Oprah Magazine Website entitled "Can I wear brooches without looking like a news anchor?" Such an important question for our times!
Brooches, Fabrice: flower, $485; peacock, $995. Dress, Marni (I can only imagine what this costs considering the price of the brooches).

Thank you, Colin Powell

I've seen too many videos recently showing folks who say they vote on the basis of a candidate's religious beliefs. One woman, speaking of Obama, said she wouldn't vote for him because his last name is Obama. Asked if she thought he was a Muslim, she said "No, but his father was."

I've heard too many people say this is a Christian nation, and reluctantly I write that I've heard too many people say this is white Christian nation (and it should stay that way).

This is a predominately Christian nation. Here's some rough statistics: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)from the interesting repository of statistics on everything, Nationmaster.com.

What about "race"? white 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% (2003 est.) Note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.)

I was impressed with what I heard Colin Powell say on Sunday. Beyond his endorsement of Obama, he (finally) had the guts to speak what seems to be the unspeakable at this moment in time, namely, this:

Obama, a lifelong Christian, is not a Muslim, Powell said. But, he added, "The really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being Muslim in this country? No, that's not America".

As to the ugly videos that are all over the internet and television, referred to at the beginning of my post, he said, "Those kinds of images going out on Al-Jazeera are killing us around the world. And we have got to say to the world, it doesn't make any difference who you are or what you are. If you're an American, you're an American."

Good for you, Colin Powell. I thank you for speaking truth to power.

Photo note: I originally had a pic of a distasteful poster here. It was of a collection of guns with the title "Celebrate Diversity". I asked if any of you could tell me why I should remove this image, I would. Well, I couldn't wait. I may post the image at a later date and write about it and why I find it disturbing, but not today. Instead, here's a photograph of a diverse crowd at a Martin Luther King rally in San Francisco in 1968, found here.

Addendum: For a glimpse into the intersection between some of the oldest nonsense (accusations of withcraft!) and technology (your interface) check this out.

Politics, ad nauseum (sort of)

In spite of being on retreat, followed by an increase in time spent in meditation, I am still obsessed with this political season. It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions; excitement, fear, hope, anger and teeth-gnashing (yeah, that's not an emotion, but I like the expression). You'd think that with the extended and crazy primary season that I'd be sick of it all by now, but I'm not. In fact, I'm a bit worried about it ending. Will I have to start following team sports to fill the void?

Anyway, there's quite a bit of interesting poll analysis at FiveThirtyEight. If you like statistics or are making bets on the race for Prez, hurry over there and check it out!

A part of me doesn't believe what I've been reading this morning. It's looking pretty bad for McCain. Here's a few juicy scenario odds:

There is a 0.32% chance of McCain winning all the states Bush won in 2004. The odds of McCain winning the electoral college vote but losing the popular vote are 0.54%.
The odds of Obama winning both the popular and electoral vote right now are 88.4%.

I find this stuff fascinating. Why? I have no idea.

Putting aside my near-obsessive fascination with the minutiae of the campaigns, my thoughts today are with Obama and his grandmother. She is, reportedly, on her deathbed. She may have been the most important figure in his upbringing, and losing her within two weeks of the election is rough. He will stop campaigning for a few days to be with her. I am constantly amazed at Obama's equanimity. I really hope that the McCain campaign doesn't step up it's attacks during this difficult time.

Photo note: A completely absurd and inappropriate choice after the last paragraph. Obama's grandmother is from Wichita, Kansas, where Pizza Hut first opened. Believe it or not, this is the first Pizza Hut building. Times sure have changed.

The real McCain?

Watch McCain give a very funny speech (over at Andrew Sullivan, yet again). Really, it's a hoot.

Now, the question is this: Why is he so lively and engaging at the Al Smith Memorial dinner in (gasp!)New York City? Well, for one thing, it's a crowd of elites. And no, I'm not being facetious. It is. This is where McCain is comfortable, not pandering to his new base.

For the sake of fairness, you can watch Obama at the same event here. I haven't watched it yet. I'm in a hurry to get out of the house.

I'll be back on Sunday. Have fun.

Morning lecture

I just watched an ad for Udall on Sullivan's blog (which I don't have a link to in the sidebar, merely because he's so popular, 'cause I'm a jerk.)

For those of you who didn't click on the link, the ad shows an Iraqi war vet, quite young, who is using one of those devices that Stephen Hawkings uses to communicate. He thanks Udall for the funds to help those with traumatic brain injuries. Udall ends the ad with, "I'm Tom Udall and I'm honored to approve this message."

Now, some might say that this young man is being used for political purposes. I don't. Politicians regularly use "regular people" as illustrations for their positions (as in "Joe the Plumber", which was both absurd and not very effective).

The Udall ad made me sit up a bit. I had already started to think after Wednesday's debate that my attitude towards the elections was getting to be too sports-fan like. This is not a game, as much fun as it may be for those of us who like this sort of thing.

I feel passionately about universal health care, for instance. Driving home from my knitting group last night, I heard Hannity talk about how Obama wants politicians to decide who's going to be in charge of peoples' health care. First of all, most of us don't have all that much choice to begin with, especially in rural areas such as where I live. We have a shortage of physicians and they all have long waiting lists. The rural health clinics all are short-staffed. The "city" of Belfast, Maine, doesn't even have a health clinic.

Last week I went to the emergency room because I had an excruciating tooth ache. I had no choice. I don't have a dentist and no one would see me on such short notice. My doctor is no longer practicing and I'm looking for a new one. So, it was to the emergency room I went, where I spent over four hours waiting. I knew the emergency room was a stupid place to go for a toothache, but I was hurting. That visit is going to be very expensive, but I'm low income and I won't have to pay for it.

On the other hand, last month I went to eye doctor because I had a pain in my eye, which I need to be mindful of, for I've had two conditions that could blind me if I get them again and they go untended. This visit was not covered by insurance. If I had gone to the emergency room instead, it would have been covered. What kind of sense does that make? The eye doctor's visit was $70. The emergency room visit would have been at least two hundred.

This is a snapshot of free market medical care, the kind that the Republicans think will work better if there's even more competition. Is competition driving the price of pharmaceuticals down? Not in the least. We pay more for medication here in the United States than any other industrialized nation. The Canadian government negotiates with drug companies for better prices. Here in the U.S., we're pushed pills via television ads that say "ask your doctor", as if they are the same thing as a new snack food that my neighbor might tell me is ultra-delicious.

The fear of "big government" espoused by the talk radio folks and the people who listen to them is just ridiculous (in my eyes, obviously). Government is already a behemoth. Then there's the idea that it's "not fair" for people who make more money to pay more taxes. I understand the idea that's behind this - that one should not penalize someone for being "successful". But really, think about a flat tax for a moment. Compare 10% of $20,000 to 10% of 200,000. Though the ratio is the same, 2000 dollars to someone who makes 20K is a lot of money. Of course, 20K is a lot of money, too, but it won't "hurt" as much. Yes, a progressive tax is "spreading the wealth around", as McCain calls it, but the consequences of not doing this are enormous.

Which would anyone rather have? It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent. If people on the low end of the economic spectrum don't have enough money to pay for health care, home heating and other neccessities, they will be paid for by others, regardless of how the tax system is set up. And the kicker is, just like all the filled up emergency rooms, when they are paid for in a pay-as-needed way (just so we don't look like socialists), they will cost more. Want higher taxes? Just keep voting to end the so-called "entitlement" programs.

If one is truly against help for those who need it, paid for by others, then we should allow people to go hungry, homeless, uncared for and uneducated. Period. That's a true free-market system. Is that what people really want? I've heard some people espouse these ideas and I wonder if they can truly hear themselves. I've heard people with solid educations, people who climbed up the "ladder of success", say things like "let them die", when speaking of those who are on Medicaid. If you didn't earn it by hard work and sacrifice (as if that minimum wage job or two that you may have isn't hard work and sacrifice), you don't deserve to live.

Honestly, I don't think that most people who need governmental help want it to be that way. But not everyone "succeeds". Contrary to the American myth, we are not born equal. Some of us are born with disabilities. Some of us are born with extraordinary gifts. Some of us are born into poverty and some of us are born into great wealth. We didn't do anything to deserve what we were born with or into. And not everyone can climb that imaginary ladder of success that leads to the American Dream of a home with a two car garage and 2.5 children who are all healthy and college bound.

Palin was here in Maine yesterday, to a crowd of 5000 cheering fans. I realized I was afraid of the people who attended her rally. I suppose those people may have been afraid of the 9000 people who came out this past snow winter to see Obama. It's more than time for all of us to come together, with honesty, and look at what we want from this country and from each other. I'm sick of slick ads for politicians, on both sides of the aisle. We do need "straight talk". We need it badly.

So, to end this lecture, I invite all of you to try talking to those who you know don't agree with you. Don't talk about "your candidate", but try talking about an issue, and make it personal. See what happens.

Now, I'm going to eat Breakfast.

My last two cents

No more debates. Good. I've had enough. Well, maybe not. It's been like watching sports and soon the season will be over.

So who won? I don't mean the election, even though just this morning the entire blogosphere was saying it was over for McCain. I don't think that's so (unfortunately).

Yes, as you all know, I am biased. I have never been undecided. The only thing I was that I am not now is respectful of McCain, but I won't get into that yet again.

I am shocked, frankly, that anyone thinks this debate was a tie. Yes, McCain was on the attack and Obama was on the defence some of the time, but so what?

McCain scared me. Seriously. He seemed unbalanced, ready to explode. He was practically incoherent on a number of issues.

Sorry, I want a president who is calm and collected. I was afraid that McCain was going to have a stroke during this debate.

I do think, however, that his saying "I am not Bush" (or however he said it) is going to be the soundbite of the evening. He isn't George Bush. This is true, and I haven't found Obama's repeating we don't need four more years of Bush to be a good strategy. Yet, this one line will not make the man president.

As McCain himself said in the last debate, we need a "steady hand at the tiller". McCain is just not that hand.

Image note: I just hope it doesn't come to this.

Okay, that was my last two cents. And by the way, I do believe I'm going to try to write a novel in a month. I've got a couple of ideas, and hey, even Dick likes the the concept. There may even be a plot in the works. Stay tuned.

Big Update: The bloggers weigh in and McCain lost it. Some words: petulant, incoherent, childish. . .another viewer expressed the same fear that he was going to have a stroke. . .who do want answering the call at 3:00am? Well, that's enough. Now, I still think we're going to see a tightening of the race, but I was born a pessimist (even though I espouse optimism at every opportunity). Good night to you. Now, I'm going to read everything I can until I crawl to bed. I'm a glutton for punishment.

Y'know, I loved to watch boxing when I was a kid.

Apres debate top ten (I had to write something, didn't I?)

1. I have a sinus headache from the Serge Lutens Arabie. My hands are dried out from trying to scrub it off. I like it, but my sinuses do not.

(You may be thinking, um, I thought she was going to write about the debate.)

2. At the one hour mark, they should have wrapped it up. I was bored, and I actually like debates, as painful as they may be. (Maybe that's why I started the post with a comment about Arabie)

3. What are the undecided voters looking for? One of these guys to come up with the most awesome noone's ever thought of it before perfect ultimate solution for everything?

4. If a candidate does go into serious detail about anything, whether it be the economy or the war, they'll sound so wonky that this debate will seem like a blockbuster action movie. The other problem is that there's no instant fact checker or on-screen calculator to tell us, the unwashed masses, whether either one is saying something that's true or even accurate. So, we guess at who's more sincere or more likely to be lying and that, my fellow Americans, is based on image, more than substance. Of course, we need to be more informed, but there's a limit. That's why there are experts.

5. I would have liked to have seen McCain tell Obama, to his face, what his ads are saying (and he approves those messages). It was too civil, considering what's really going on. The only time the mask fell away was when McCain called Obama "that one". I was taken aback, and I'm not all that sensitive.

6. Boy, it was really boring.

7. Okay, anyone who's read this blog knows I'm biased towards Obama, but really, John McCain, you can't have it both ways, talking about experience and your voting record. You stated, unequivocably that "We don't have time for on-the-job training, my friends". How can a person who picked Palin as a running mate say any of this with a straight face?

8. McCain said we need a "steady hand at the tiller" twice. His judgment in this campaign has not been that of a man with a steady hand. See #6, above. When asked about prioritizing, he said he could do three things at once, but he couldn't run his campaign while dealing the the bail-out (rescue), and so he "suspended his campaign". McCain, get your story straight.

9. I feel badly about this. I once liked John McCain. I even voted for him (well, it was only a primary, but still).

10. I'm not so sure those undecided voters are undecided. Maybe they just want to be polled or get on TV.

Bonus #11. I think we all need to read more history. One reason that debate was boring is because the questions were so generic.

Painting note: John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence 1795
I was looking for a good old painting of politicians debating, but got tired. But hey, the point is the same: every person in this painting is Christian, white and male.

History that isn't ancient

For all of you who aren't political junkies like myself, I wanted to provide this link: In Virginia, the bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley does a radio ad for Obama.

Hearing this ad is refreshing. The McCain campaign is ramping up its attack ads, and I hear that the Obama camp will probably do the same, though perhaps without so much venom. I hope they don't counter-attack, but hey, that's politics. I think most folks are truly sick of these kinds of politics, but I would venture to guess that I'm not the best judge of this. I don't think it's weak to not respond to verbal attacks. It's aikido of the mind.

The Ralph Stanley ad also touches me. I almost felt choked up. I'm going to say something about the "not to be mentioned topic": race. Hearing a white country music hero (and he is great) endorsing a black man for President is something that feels momentous. Is this hyperbole? I think not.

Slavery ended 145 years ago. That's not a lot of time, historically speaking.

Another number to think about: Women did not have the right to vote until 1920. That was only 88 years ago!

Painting note: Benjamin Robert Hayden William Smeal addressing the Anti-Slavery Society 1841

I betcha, gosh darn it, that some women are secretly angry

This, from Rich Lowry at the National Review:

"I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it."

This breaks my heart. Seriously. To all you hard working Republican women politicians who have toiled away in what must be hell and who have hammered away at that glass ceiling (a term I have never used until just now), I bet you are very angry in secret.

Palin proves that sex appeal trumps knowledge any day of the week. Just what many of us women have known all along, but it sucks seeing it right up in our faces.

Image note: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Ces Dames au réfectotie 1893
I only picked this because I said to myself, "What would these women think?" I had to have a good laugh when I discovered what the English translation of the title is: The ladies in the brothel dining room!

And I'm still putting these links on here, no matter how unused they are. So there!