politics as usual

I tend to write more about fluffy things like music and my favorite fashion, as opposed to politics, mostly because of my love-hate relationship with politics. I love politics. I find it fascinating. I could discuss politics for hours. I get very caught up in the debates when I actually sit down to watch them. I volunteered on campaigns and discovered the adrenaline rush of being in a campaign office in the last few nights before election. I fed on that collective energy, and felt the exaltation when we were successful. Then I won my own campaign, and I discovered the side of politics that I hate. I will not get into that. I am trying not to be too negative! (Besides, I think I really love to hate it, and that is just bad.)

Today, however, I read the New York Times endorsements and I am going to make some of my own comments. I need something to keep my brain from turning as mushy as the stuffing I use to make Thanksgiving sandwiches at my incredibly intellectually demanding job.

I will offer a disclaimer that I have not read a great deal about the candidates yet. I watched the New Hampshire Democratic Debates. (By the way, I can't stomach even the idea of watching a group of Republicans debate. Watching a group of people discuss the "appropriate" ways to reduce the freedom of Americans, one example being the ability of gays to marry--I'm sorry, what happened to separation of church and state?!? Who has the right to say who can get married and who can't!?!) The reason I have not followed this closely is that I can't vote in the primaries, as I am not a registered Democrat.

Yes, Virginia, there is a third party, and it's called the Green Party. I believe very strongly that this country needs a third party. Think about it: the candidates have to be centrist in order to achieve any success. Then we liberals all complain about the left moving too much to the right. But how can you win a primary and a national campaign without being centrist? Say you are a Democrat hoping to win the nomination. You have to say things that appeal to the Dems, i.e., liberal things; but, you cannot be too liberal, because once you get the nomination and then have to win Republican votes, you can't change your mind. Then you would be accused of Bush's favorite campaign term, "flip-flopping." (Thanks, George, for lifting the intellectual capacity of our nation.)

So we are left with two candidates sitting in the middle of a seesaw. The seesaw goes nowhere.

Anyway, as my dream of a viable third candidate for president is far from being fulfilled, I offer my thoughts on the candidates. First, I respect the New York Times' explanation of their endorsement of Hilary Clinton. I agree that she would do a fine job. Those people that like to call her a bitch need to learn that women can be just as strong as men. Do people refer to male candidates (other than Bush, Guliani, or Romney) as assholes because they speak strongly to each other? No, they roll their eyes and say, "politics as usual." So, Clinton is not going to roll over and let a man walk all over her: I think that's a prerequisite quality of a politician and commander in chief.

However, what worries me about Clinton is that she is more of the same. I just worry that her hands are too tied to corporations. Her husband got this country in a good place economically, I'll give him that, but he supported NAFTA and the FTAA, and I cannot deal with that. I know she is not her husband, but we can't separate any politician too much from their politician family members. If we are not going to do it for George and Jeb, we shouldn't do it for Hilary, feminist or not.

Maybe Barack Obama is more of the same as well. Let's face it, all the candidates have accepted campaign contributions from the same group of investment firms, most with some interesting ties to Enron and interest in privatizing social security, but I would like to believe Obama is more honest than the others. I agree with the New York Times that Clinton has more experience and that Obama might just be a hopeful voice without much to back it up, but right now, I'd like to go with hope. Call me youthful, call me idealistic, but I think this country needs some hope. When was the last time we had a presidential candidate that the country felt energized by and hopeful about? When was the last time this energy was created by someone not youthful and idealistic?

Don't you think it's time this country returned to idealism? Isn't that what our country was founded on?

two things

1. There is still music I listen to after all these years. Pre-1992 REM, for example, is my all-time favorite music, and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd is my favorite album of all time. But that's not all i ever want to listen to!

2. Speaking of going to the Caribbean, what in the heck do I wear when I am gonna board the plane in Boston (i.e. COLDCOLDCOLD) and get off in the tropics? Suggestions are welcome, I have never flown cross-climate zones in such a drastic way.

brief rant re: music

Why, oh why, are we forced to listen to "adult contemporary"?

I am an adult, yes.

One might even call me contemporary.

However, "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" was not that good of a song when it came out, so why is it still on the radio? And, can Natalie Merchant get over the weather already? And, come on, "Fast Car" was a great song when it came out in 1988, but in the past 20 years, some other really great music has come out as well. Not that I mind listening to it every once in a while--but that stuff is all they ever play on the non-country, non-oldies, non-top 40 radio stations! How about some Arcade Fire? Iron and Wine? Cat Power for cryin' out loud?

Now, if I still read the same books I read in 1988, people would assume I were really unintelligent, unintellectual, and unchallenged. If I still read YM Magazine everyone would laugh. But I am still supposed to listen to the same music that has been on the radio for the past 20 years?

I am happy to make a list of suggestions that I would think appropriate for the radio. But I have to go watch Saved By the Bell. I mean, that show rocked the 80s, right?

A little fairy tale

I have always been rich, but have never been wealthy. If I were wealthy, of course i'd donate lots of money and travel the world and yada yada yada.

But, having been not wealthy most of my life, i would think it would be OK to treat myself to a couple of things. Like season tickets to UL men's basketball. Dinner at Fore Street. Anarchy wine on a regular basis. And the following things from J Crew. (Who knew?)



I can't decide whether i like the red or the teal better. Not that it matters. The teal matches this cute necklace that I can't afford either:


And not that I need a new bathing suit, but of course I want a new one since I am heading to the bright blue waters of the Virgin Islands soon:



I think that this is cute as it has little sea critters on it. I could point to my parts and say, "This is an echinoderm. It is called that because it has spiny skin. All echinoderms have pentaradial symmetry, meaning 5 equal parts coming from the middle, like a star. This is a crustacean. Animals in the crustacean family have jointed appendages, like shrimp and crabs and lobsters, which I eat for dinner regularly as I am so wealthy" And then people would realize that even though I have lots of money, I am still a big, big dorkus melorkus.

update

on the coat vote. I pulled out my old coat to wear to Mandy Sabine's New Year's Eve party. I decided it was not so bad after all, in fact, it's kind of fun. Plus, just bought a ticket to the Caribbean. So, I think i will save my money for things like fruity rum drinks and cab fares. Besides, who needs a coat in the Caribbean?

best names ever

I really love cemeteries. In addition to the quirky or charming epitaphs, lovely statues, peacfulness, trees, and birds, you can see some really cool names. Like Mehetable Coolbroth, (West End Cemetary in Portland,) Fitzhugh McGrew (Evergreen Cemetary, Portland), and Hester Sylvester (Upper Mast Landing Rd, Freeport.) I also just learned that Lassie's trainer's name was Rudd Weatherwax.

Love/Hate

I love basketball. And Love and Basketball.

I hate Franklin Arterial, especially in snow.

I love Hershey the Dog.

I hate shopping in the Mall area (because you have to listen the Sarah McLaughlin or the band that won the key to the City of Portland about 8 years ago.)

I love Matt's Bird Dog Coffee, which is available at Rosemont.

I hate wearing pants.

I love the foccacia at Micucci's.

I hate raw tomatoes.

I love Champagne.

2008

I think New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday. Here's why:
1. A great excuse to dress up and wear sparkles.
2. A great excuse to kiss people.
3. A great excuse to drink champagne.
But what is silly, is that we shouldn't need an excuse to do any of those things. I discovered a great Prosecco last night, Sacchetto. It was $12.99 at Fat Baxter's, and is nice and sweet and very drinkable. Meaning I could very easily drink a lot of it. So, it went quickly.

Other reasons to love New Year's:
it's a great time to reflect on accomplishments (NOT failures!) and look forward to a fresh new start.

So, my New Year's Resolutions:
-give blood 3 times. I know it could be more, but that is a very accomplishable number. I always forget to donate blood and haven't done it in ages, and my blood type is the one that is universal.
-visit people far away more often.
-draw something once a week. I used to be very into art and when you get out of practice, i becomes very daunting. I am also very hard on myself if things are not perfect and it becomes crippling. So, I would like to become more fluid and use drawing as a way of recording.
-play music with Jon more instead of watching dumb movies. We sound so good together! It just takes a little more work.

What are your resolutions?