Sarah Palin Kills Flies!

So that blog title should generate some weird google search results. But let me explain.

So on Wednesday I had all new windows put into my condo. My old windows are crappy, either wouldn't open, or wouldn't stay open. So my association did some research and worked a deal where owners could buy new windows, get a decent discount, and get the tax deduction. Bingo, I'm in. So Wednesday was the day the two guys came to replace the windows. I think they were Russian. Cute I guess, but a little bit smelly. And they were late of course. But they did get the job done. The problem was that Wednesday was one of the hottest, most humid, days we've had so far. So having no windows to keep the heat out was not a good thing. I sat there and tried to do work while they were working and kept looking at the temperature gage go up, and up, and up. I think it got to about 84 degrees in my condo. And I'm a cold person. I like it cold. Without air conditioning it got super hot in the condo, but that's not the worst part. I also got a nice little swarm of flies in my condo now. Lovely. The good news is that I'm getting good at using the Time magazine with Sarah Palin on the cover to kill the flies. I think there's only one of those little buggers left. I know Sarah will get him!

Speaking of Sarah, I went to do a Youtube search for a song I heard on BPM and found this. Just too funny. And not entirely safe for work.

Obama-rama 2009

Notice how I threw 2009 in there? That's to separate it from Obama-rama 2013 when he's sworn in for his second term. Nothing like a bit of . . what's the word I'm looking for . . . . oh that's right . . . hope!

So I was at ground zero for the Obama-rama and while I did not partake in a lot of the festivities, I did go down to the National Mall to see him sworn him. Me and the other 1.8M people. But it was such a great experience.

Superlawyer, his children, and and his BF crashed at my place Monday night since the bridges to the Commonwealth were going to be closed. We all crashed around 11PM and then I heard an alarm go off at 430. And I'm like, if we're leaving at 0530, why are we getting up at 0430. And Superlawyer is like, "You obviously don't have kids, do you." Ah, good point. And even getting up at 0430, we didn't leave until 0545 where we started to trek down to the Mall. Coming up to Scott Circle is where we saw the first of the military guys standing watch. It was harshly cold and they were bundled up pretty well. We hit the Caribou Coffee at 18th and M and then started walking down 18th towards the Mall. When we hit Consititution, we cut down 17th between the Washington Monument and the WW II memorial. Once we were on the south side of the mall, we cut towards the Capital. Needless to say, it was already a mob scene by 0630. And by 0700 we had come to a forced stop right in front of the Smithsonian Castle. Not anywhere close to the Capital, but we just hit a wall of people. So we stopped, pulled out the blanket that SL had brought, and sort of sat down.

Now as the Mall began to fill up, people were packed in all around us, and trying to push their way through the crowd. While we were playing Uno. Um, hello, see this blanket. No you just can't cut through. Where you want to step is the discard pile. Please go around. And most people did, and some people just ignored us. For the most part it was okay and there was very little ugliness by anyone. And I'll have to say that part of that was due to the cold. It was FRAKKIN COLD!! The weatherman had said mid-30s, but they lied as usual. SL, the expert planner, in addition to the blanket and Uno had brought sandwiches, snacks, and water to help tied us through the morning. At some point the jumbotrons started playing the We Are One concert. Which was good. It helped take your mind off of the cold. And then the pre-ceremony stuff started being shown. And the crowd was loving it. The huge cheers for the Obama children, and the big boos for W and Cheney. I said nothing and just observed the crowd around me and their reactions. Black, white, young, old, and everything in between. And the reaction was nearly unanimous. No one was sorry to see W and his cronies leave town.

The oath. Dear God! You're the Supreme Justice, you couldn't read the oath properly! I froze a bit when it happened, but it's all worked out. And then the speech. It wasn't great. But it was good. It was a somber reminder of the situation our country faces. The challenges we need to overcome, both here and abroad. And the thing I like about it most, is that we finally have a President who will speak to us as adults. No platitudes, not obfuscation. We're American's, we can handle the truth. And we finally have a President who will tell us the truth. During his speech, he mad some comment about how we weren't going to trade our freedoms and civil liberties for security, and just when he said that, the jumbotron cut to W and I just had to smile. That's right. We don't. America is strong enough in our ideals and our principles to have the civil liberties and freedoms that all of our ancestors have fought for, while still maintaining our national security!

After the speech, we bailed. Sorry about the poem and the benediction. We'd been there for over 6 hours, we were cold and we were leaving. And we weren't the only ones. We cut through the Smithsonian Castle gardens to Independence Ave. A couple of narrow gates caused some severe bottlenecks and people were just trying to push through. Again, it was a recipe for some ugliness, but I saw none. SL and his crew headed east to walk to Eastern Market to catch the Metro. And I started west. It was hard to fight the crowd down around the Washington Monument. I felt like a salmon going upstream against the masses of people heading L'Enfant Plaza. But that was nothing. As I wormed my way across the Mall through the masses, I finally hit 18th St and looked up the street. It was just a sea of people, from building to building, all the way as far as the eye could see. It was just insane. And I knew most of them were heading for Farragut North Metro, and that would just create more of a cluster. So being smarter than the average bear, I thought, I'll skip over to 19th, walk up that and avoid all of the madness. Good plan in theory, but . . . . 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd were all closed to PEDESTRIAN traffic! WTF?? That I don't just get. But figured it was not a smart move to ignore all of the soldiers who were directing traffic towards 23rd. So needless to say I took a very round about way back to my condo.

That evening Museum Man, SL, and his BF and I hit 1789 for a celebration dinner. Dressed up in our tuxes, we looked great and had a great meal. I had the smoothest cosmo and then a little wine with dinner. We toasted to our new President and it was just a fantastic way to end the day. Well, sort of. SL and his BF headed back to the Commonwealth so since MM and I were all dressed up and no place to go, we would hit the ultra-hip lounge near my place. Had a drink there, which was not so good, and then finally went home since I wasn't feeling so well. Had a really rough night. Sort of like Andrew's: "I swear I didn't drink too much and suspect food poisoning or some bug, but I spent much of the night projectile vomiting into the bathroom porcelain. Maybe it was some kind of psychosomatic response to the end of the Bush administration."

Well that too, but I think it was some severe dehyradation (since I didn't want to battle the masses for the port-o-potties) combined with some strong drinks and rich food.

Anyways, that's the wrap up of Obama-rama 2009. It's a new adminstration, a new point in history, a new day for America.

Change is Coming!

So I went down to Judiciary Square on Thursday AM to vote. I guess I went down in 2006 (?) to do early voting and it was a piece of cake. Thursday AM, not so much. I got there around 820AM. Ten minutes before the polls even opened and the line snaked through the rather big lobby atleast five times. It was just insane. As I waited the line, got longer, eventually snaking out the door, to the street, and then down the block. But it was all good. Half the people were hunched over their crackberries doing work (um . . . . guilty). The other half just stood there quietly or softly talking. It was pretty orderly. I voted! But I didn't fill out the whole ballot. For the races I didn't know, I just left them blank. I did NOT write in Carol Schwartz. There was a news camera there and apparently the lines were on the news Thursday night. And I guess after I left, they added additional electronic voting booths. So that's good.

The CAT scan went fine. I think I almost fell asleep. I'll get the results after I get back from Puerta Vallarta.

Since I failed to get my guilty beach reading earlier in the week, I walked over to Lamdba Rising to grab some books. And while I know it's Halloween, I just haven't been thinking about it much. So I saw lots of costumes. Some good, some bad. Some need to cover more skin. Tight short shorts and a muffin top are not a good look on anyone.

Anyways, Happy Halloween!

Go Vote!

Know Hope!

Adios!

Endless Pool and Phone Banking

So I went to my self esteem crushing gym (SECG) twice today. Yes I'm a glutton for punishment, but we knew that. Anyways, I went there this AM to try the endless pools. You know those little mini pools where there is a current you swim against and you basically stay in the middle. So two things. One, it's not as easy as it looks. You've got to get the speed of the current correct or you'll be too close, or too far back and run into the wall. And I don't know about other people, but the speed I swim freestyle and the speed I swim breast stroke are NOT the same. So that was kind of weird also. Plus, while I don't use my legs much in a regular pool, they sort of trail behind me and aren't an issue. In the endless pools, my legs starts to sink, so I'm not completely parallel in the water which makes swimming kind of awkward. Anyways, my point is: it's not easy.

I guess my other thing is that the beauty of swimming is the weightlessness you feel when you are swimming. Say you've a little bit on the large size, in the pool you feel weightless and you don't really think about how fat you are. So there's this illusions of not being fat. Well the endless pool has a little mirror on the bottom of the pool. Ostensibly that's supposed to help you maintain the correct position in the pool. But really what it does is destroy that illusion of weightlessness when you are forced to look at the large amount of flubber you are pulling through the water. So not right.

After the gym and doing some chores, I limped down to the metro and went out to Ballston to phone bank for Obama. Another great experience. The vibe in the room was great and it was just packed with people. On a rainy Saturday afternoon. And such a great mix of people. Old, young (there were some teenages with their parents even!), black, white and everything in between, gay, straight, etc. It was just great. And the Obama campaign has got a great system going.

Know Hope!

Sprained Ankle, Cockrings, and 150K Makeovers

Oy vey.

So I went to a church thing Thursday night. Had a good time. It ended just before 9PM so I thought I would join MuseumMan for a drink at the Duplex Diner. Well, as I'm walking down U St I step on some cracked pavement and sprained my ankle. Big time. And partially fall into the bushes which I'm sure kind of freaked out the very nice couple in front of me who realized that I wasn't going to mug them when I started to say "F#@k!" Repeatedly. Anyways, I managed to make it to Duplex which is quite the happening spot for the A listers on a Thursday night. We saw Andrew and his husband.

I stayed home from work today since I could barely walk, but I was fairly productive. And at 5PM I decided to risk going to the gym. I love my self esteem crushing gym and I've gotten into a good routine. And I've lost some weight. So I'm not going to let something minor like a sprained ankle stop me. So I lifted (yes I hobbled across the weight room floor) and then did the bike. It sucked, but I dealt with it. My ankle is still throbbing a bit. I plan to hit the endless pool tomorrow. We'll see how at goes.

Oh, cockrings. So I'm now used to the whole cockring poolside. Wearing a cockring under your swim suit lifts the goods and make them a bit more prominent. And so when I'm on a cruise or at Ptown, I don't even think about it. Well much. But I think the new thing is to wear your cockring to the gym. All I'm saying is that there are some pronounced packages being displayed in gym shorts and sweats being worn by the guys at my self esteem crushing gym. Oh, and I think I'm beginning to see a trend in the guys at my gym. I think the muscle bears are taking over. And not so much bears in weight, but with the facial hair. I suspect that Resluts will end up being the twink gym and my SECG will be the muscle gym. And let me tell you how upset I am about that. ;-)

Wow, $150K on clothes? That's just insane. Though the Valentino jacket is amazing. I kid! Seriously, if I had $150K to blow, I'd hop on a plane to Brazil and hire the best plastic surgeon in the country. I'd have everything done including that procedure in Gattica where they made Ethan Hawke taller. I've be 6 foot tall, with a 50 inch chest, and a 30 in waist. Hey, you have to have a dream. The only procedure I'd recommend for Sarah Palin would be a lobotomy, but I suspect she's already had one. And I can't let it go, $150K for clothes? Really? WTF were they thinking? Can she just go back to her tanning bed in Alaska and leave us alone?

Know Hope

Via Andrew:



And this is just inspiring:

"Here's an early voting story from a medical student in Evansville, Ind.:

I squeaked in just before the 7pm deadline to find two very frustrated poll workers and a line of a couple dozen people, due to problems with the computerized voting system not accepting people's driver's licenses. It was taking about 7-10 minutes per person just to get the computer to accept them as valid and to print out their ballot, causing very long delays.

For me the most moving moment came when the family in front of me, comprising probably 4 generations of voters (including an 18 year old girl voting for her first time and a 90-something hunched-over grandmother), got their turn to vote. When the old woman left the voting booth she made it about halfway to the door before collapsing in a nearby chair, where she began weeping uncontrollably. When we rushed over to help we realized that she wasn't in trouble at all but she had not truly believed, until she left the booth, that she would ever live long enough to cast a vote for an African-American for president. Anyone who doesn't think that African-American turnout will absolutely SHATTER every existing record is in for a very rude surprise.

There were about 20 people in front of me but remarkably not a single person left the room without voting over the 2 hours it took to get through the line."

Know hope! And VOTE!

Here, There, and Everwhere

I'm back. The sailing trip was great. Very relaxing, very fun, and just a good time overall. I'll write up a trip report on that soon.

Off to No-fuck tomorrow for work. Down there till Thursday. I should definitely have time to blog down there as there won't be much to do at night.

I don't know where to begin on McCain-Palin. All I can say is: Really?

I'll write more on that later also.

In the meantime, here's a pic from the trip.

What He Said!

From CNN's Jack Cafferty:

It occurs to me that John McCain is as intellectually shallow as our current president. When asked what his Christian faith means to him, his answer was a one-liner. "It means I'm saved and forgiven." Great scholars have wrestled with the meaning of faith for centuries.....

One after another, McCain's answers were shallow, simplistic, and trite. He showed the same intellectual curiosity that George Bush has -- virtually none.

Where are John McCain's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time? Where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy, the welfare state, education, America's moral responsibility in the world, etc., etc., etc.?

John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.

He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly.

I am sick and tired of the president of the United States embarrassing me. The world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into Vladimir Putin's eyes and see into his soul.

George Bush's record as a student, military man, businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure. And the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself.

He will leave office with the country $10 trillion in debt, fighting two wars, our international reputation in shambles, our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises, our citizens' faith in our own country ripped to shreds. Yet Bush goes bumbling along, grinning and spewing moronic one-liners, as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been.

I fear to the depth of my being that John McCain is just like him.

Diet Status x 2

So how's the car diet going? Not too bad. Yes I drove to WV for work on Monday, and then to the office on Thursday since I had a BD meeting in Fair Lakes, but I did walk/metro on Tuesday, Wednesday, and today. So not too bad. A couple of lessons learned.

One: I really need to pay attention to the weather. I worked late on Tuesday and then had dinner with my customer. During dinner, it started to rain. So we sort of lingered over dinner until it slowed to a sprinkle. So we headed out and I walked up to the Metro only getting a little bit wet. When I got off the metro in DC and rode the escalators up, it was like I was entering monsoon season. Just torrential downpours. I huddled under the station entranceway protected from the rain with a couple of scared tourists, a businessman, and then three or four homeless people. When it looked like it was slowing down, I made a break for it. Now, it's like 7 blocks, so it's not really a "break". It's more like I started to hike. And not even a half a block later, down comes the rain again. So I quickly sprint down the block and scuttle into a CVS. I breakdown and buy an umbrella (ella, ella, ella) and the woman looks at me. "Is it really that bad out there?" Translation: wow, you're drenched. Thanks.

Two: Your iPod is your safety device. It allows your escape into your own make believe world where you don't have to talk to the large drunk man at the corner of 15th and K who is there every morning begging. It means you can ignore some of the more bizarre conversation on the metro. When you have your iPod in, you walk smartly, focused on some random distance ahead while the headphones block out any attempt to intrude on your life. It really is essential.

Three: Just like Paris, except it's not. Yes, now that I'm enjoying a much more personal urban lifestyle, I'm opening myself up to the wonders of the city. To include some of the not so wonderful smells of the city. Seriously, coming out of the McPherson Square metro on a hot, sunny day is a rank, rank, experience. The smell of rancid urine is almost nauseating. And when you are in Paris you'll get a whiff of something like this, but Washington DC just isn't Paris. And now that I'm thinking about it, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I guess it could be worse, we could have dog poop all over the place.

On Thursday when I did drive, I had to fill up my tank. $51. Ouch. It will be interesting to see if I can keep the number of days that I drive down to less than 5. That's my goal.

Oh, and I've started the Atkins Diet. Again. But I have lost over 5 pounds. So there's some progress.

Hillary gives her concession speech. I hope she does it right and really works to help unite the Democratic Party!

Know Hope!

A Letter from Hilary Clinton

My Fellow Hard Working White Americans,

This has been a historic campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and I want to thank you again for supporting me against Senator Barack Hussien Obama. Your support and fear of African Americans, Muslims, and people who look different has been a key component of our successful[1] campaign. Despite the fact that it is almost numerically impossible for me to capture enough delegates to win the nomination, I need the support of hard working white Americans like you to continue my campaign. Please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and donate generously.

While my husband (who may have been the first black President, but who is really white) and I are multi-millionaires many times over, we need your financial help to help pay off the massive debt my campaign has incurred. With the economy in the tank, Bill and I feel your pain and are doing our part to help cut some corners. So please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and donate whatever you can. Each and every day I’m on the campaign trail wracking up huge costs to prove that I’m a better general election candidate than Senator Barack Hussein Obama, I’m inspired by the stories of white children selling their bikes and video games so they can give that money to my campaign. Its stories like these that touch my heart and remind me why I’m running for President. I want to support the hard working white Americans who support me.[2]

As the campaign enters the summer months and hard working white Americans like you are hurt by sky high gas prices, I want to ensure you that I will use every cheap, pandering, counterproductive solution to solve the problem. I want to make sure you have enough money in your wallet to not only gas up that SUV, but that there’s a little left over for you to give to my campaign. So please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and give generously. Your donation will allow me to continue to drag out this important, historic, nomination process, creating further hate and discontent in the party while giving John McCain a free ride until the Democratic Convention in case something really really bad happens to Senator Barack Hussein Obama.

So I humbly ask that you go to www.HilaryClinton.com and give generously to my campaign[3].

Your fellow, hard working white American,

Hilary

---

[1] Please see current campaign talking points for the latest definition of success.

[2] And also the lobbyists, special interests, and PACSs who’ve given me tons of cash also.

[3] Any left over funding will be applied to my 2012 run for President.

Hillary as a Zombie

Seriously, she makes a great molding, decaying, undead doesn't she? She's not very fast, or very smart, but she can smell blood and can hurt you (Obama) or kill you (the democratic party). You keep thinking that if you fun fast enough, that you'll be able to get away from her. But she's everywhere, or atleast her surrogates are. They are the evil clamoring ones who have sold their souls and just await the coming of the kingdom of the undead so they can reap their rewards.

It does sound like a cheap horror movie, doesn't it?

So she wins PA. Well, wasn't she supposed to? Like by a lot. Hmmph! I'm over Hillary. She's like a house guest who doesn't know when to leave. GURL! Pack your bags and go home!

Love this site: "Nice Try, Give Up": Some choice letters:

- "you've changed and I don't like the new you."
- "Lets face it,we're not right for each other. I thought I knew you, but you're really a D.I.N.O. (Democrat In Name Only), your also mad dog crazy, and way too clingy. Its over baby."
- "Hillary, how can I say this? We can still be friends. I mean, we'll still hang out and stuff, ya'know? I just don't think you're good for me right now. My life is heading in a different direction, and right now, you're just a money-sink for me, and I'm kind of a money-sink for you, too. Friends?"

And my favorite:

"Hil, there's no easy way to say this. But, I'm gay. I've fallen for another man. Barack and I have something I just can't explain -- we just so much more in common than you and I did. And he's so positive and inspiring. I believe anything is possible. I know it's tough, but there's nothing you can say that will make me change. I know how stubborn you can be, but you just have to let it go. It's best for both of us that you moveon with your life."

Key West Lemonades, Hotties, and Hillary

So I threw a little soirée for Museum Man on Saturday night. A good mix of people, and very fun. But a bit of a larger crowd that I'm used to. MM is definitely an extrovert and he's been making friends here quite quickly, so he invited quite a few people plus I had my usual gang of suspects. So Saturday afternoon I'm running around trying to get everything ready and I know I need to make a liquor run. Well I do a quick inventory and I figure I need some vodka. Absolut Ruby Red to be precise so I can make some Key West Lemonades for the party. So I buy a couple of bottles. I also buy some beer. Like 2 twelve packs. Well my friends arrive and I get two additional bottles.
And people are drinking and it's all good. Except that only one person had a SINGLE beer. In the meantime, we are chugging down the vodka. We went through 6 bottles. The gays do love their vodka. I think I need to invite some of the straight guys from my company for a party so they can drink the beer. Otherwise it will just sit there in my fridge.

Well, as I mentioned, MM has been meeting some new people in town. Well he actually ran into an old friend, a USNA alumni who lives in the g-hood. So he invited him to the party. Now, I like to think of my friends as relatively good looking. We're in pretty decent shape, smartly dressed if not necessarily label queens. We've got normal jobs and live normal lives and I like to think we are on the right side of the bell curve when it comes to looks in DC. Anyways, MM's friend shows up, with another friend, and we are talking serious hotties. Like porn star hot. MM's friend (H1) had biceps the size of a cantaloupe! And you know I'm a sucker for biceps. Trim, with some good salt and pepper hair, just overally yummy. And his friend (H2) was even more hot. Brazilian. Chest like you wouldn't believe, even bigger biceps. And of course both are dressed in the gay uniform: ultra tight black t-shirt that accentuates the chest and biceps, and really tight jeans. To be honest, it was a little depressing to see all of that hotness up close and in my apartment. I'll start my diet tomorrow. Despite their exceptional good looks, they were actually pretty nice. Who knows, maybe I'll run into them again some day.

Hillary. What do you do with a problem like Hillary? Well I actually went to her website and asked her to post her tax returns!! But I digress. So I'm blog surfing during lunch and I find this little bit of trivia:

"Among the debts reported this month by Hillary Rodham Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, the $292,000 in unpaid health insurance premiums for her campaign staff stands out."

Um. . . . . . Ouch!

And speaking of ouch: Slate (which I need to read more often) has started it's Hillary Deathwatch meter. It's actually the deathwatch of her campaign. But still it's funny. Or would be if it weren't so true.

Dealing with Terrorists

The problem with trying to deal with terrorists is that for the most part they are irrational. You are operating under the (incorrect) belief that there is a common belief system upon which both parties can talk and discuss the problem. But it just never seems to work, because trying to have a rational discussion with someone who is clearly irrational is doomed to failure.

I'm not dealing with terrorists, but I am part of a discussion (on line) that is clearly irrational. And while I want to jump in and try to provide some reason, some sanity. I realize that it is useless.

My USNA class has a mail list and an "open" mail list for fun discussions such as politics. And until recently there has been little discussion at all. Kind of odd considering the current political issues we are facing and the elections. But the beast finally did begin to stir and in response to one of the emails, one of my classmates made that statements that anyone who is a Democrat is either 1) delusional, or 2) wants to turn America into a socialist state. Sigh. How to respond to that. There are soooooo many ways. Sarcastic, argumentative, passioned, coldly logical, etc. Take your pick. But I refrained from the fray because I realized that it would do no good. We would just be talking past each other and I'm depressed enough about politics and life as it is right now without throwing myself into a useless fight. They are obviously blind to the many faults of the republicans that have lead this country away from its ideals and prosperity, and therefore their position is that anything the democrats want to do as treasonous. If we have universal health care, the terrorists will win. Or some such crap.

One of my favorite bloggers is the Anonymous Liberal. His tag line is a quote that I love: ""The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment." And that's what I believe.

On a different note, the lack of information about my personal life is not intentional, just more a by product of not having a life. I've been on the road quite a bit, but I'm going on my next cruise this Sunday. Needless to say my diet plan fell apart after a week on the road, so I'm not particularly happy about that. Pretty much like I'm not particularly happy about anything these days. It's a funk. I'll get over it eventually.

Why Hope?

So why Obama? And I don't want to make this why not Clinton. That's a longer post. But there is a lot of stuff being thrown up in the blogosphere saying how Obama is all talk, no substance. And for some reason, since he is inspiring and can give great speeches, it prevents people from actually going online to find out what Obama has done and implies that he hasn't done anything. And that would be wrong. A little easy research finds:

He introduced: 233 bills regarding healthcare reform, 125 bills on poverty and public assistance,
112 crime fighting bills, 97 economic bills, 60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills, 21 ethics reform bills, 15 gun control, 6 veteran's affairs and many others.

His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These inculded: the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law), the Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, ( became law), the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (passed the Senate), the 2007 Government Ethics Bill (became law), and the Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill (in committee).

And here's a great clip explaining why Obama:

Vote for HOPE!

So I managed to make it down to the Board of Elections this AM in the FRAKKEN cold to vote early. Yes I'm on the road again. But I wanted, no I needed, to have my vote, my voice, be part of this election.

I know a lot of "the gays" will vote Hillary. Do you remember how Bill threw us under the bus with Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Do we really need Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton? Can't America do better? Doesn't America deserve better?

Don't you want a president who can inspire us? A president who can help repair our shattered image around the world? A president who can challenge us to be better than we are today? A president who can unite the country? A president who doesn't have the baggage of a vast right wing conspiracy on her shoulders? I'm all for a woman president, just not this woman.

I went into my office (a conservative government contracting company) wearing my "I Voted!" sticker. My CEO told me he was voting for Hillary. And I ignored him. I know better that to get into a political conversation with him. My HR Director said the same thing and I asked why. "We know McCain is going to win the nomination, so we're going to vote for Hilary in the democratic primary because Obama's an unknown." I translated that into, "If Hillary wins the nomination, the great partisan dispute will continue and the Republican will be able to use the spectre of Hillary as president to rally their base. Obama is unknown. And the unknown is scarey. So we want Hillary." I hope Huckabee wins VA just to make the Republican race even more of a fiasco!

Oh, and a couple of great McCain paraody videos:





No matter who you want to be President, GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

"Premium Rail???"

Isn't that an oxymoron? But I had to ask. I wasn't going to pay $26 for two drink at the Uber-hip Lounge (aka Halo). So I asked about the new 2 for 1 drink special. And the 2 for 1 drink special is for beer, wine, and "premium rail". So I asked for a couple of drinks with Grey Goose, but was told that Grey Goose wasn't part of the "premium rail." So we settled for some lesser vodka. Oh the horror! But with a little bit of alcoholic lubrication, I had a good time chatting with Superlawyer who left after ONE drink. Hello what am I going to do with my 2 for 1 special? Why I ordered a drink for myself after he left. And then sat there and read email at the bar while sipping my cosmo. Does that make me sophisticated, or a loser? Yes, I know. A bit L.

So needless to say I wasn't thrilled by New Hampshire. I was hoping the Obama would win and shut down the competition. Give him time to build a great coalition of democrats, republicans, and independants while the republicans slug it out pushing themselves farther and farther to the right. But no HRC won. And I really don't know what to make of the the crying scene. Part of me thinks it was a cold, calculated move by HRC to show some vulnerability and provide some empathy to her hard exterior. But here's the deal. I just don't think it was real. I think she's become too good of an actor and has just played us all. Which is kind of sad really.

The funny thing? Apparently the day after New Hampshire, the Obama campaign was FLOODED with people donating money. So that's a good sign. I think he can win NV and SC. But Super Tuesday is going to be a blood match. And we all know HRC won't go down without a fight. A no-holds bar fight that will definitely hit below the belt. And do you really want someone who will do what ever it takes to win the election? Don't you want someone with ethics, and morals, and beliefs that they won't sell out?

Oh, on the Anglican front, I wish I lived in Canada! Go Canucks!!

Walk Away

So I had a bad day at work today. Really bad. Went to a meeting and afterwards I got into a "discussion" with these guys from another company that I'm supposed to work with. And they were completely unreasonable and then, then accused me of not wanting to work together. Umm, I want to work with them as a team, but that doesn't mean they get to make unilateral decisions. That's not what a team is. And suddenly I realized that they were never going to listen to me or admit that I have a valid point of view. And I started to get mad. And that's when I just turned and walked away. In almost mid sentence. There was no point in continuing the discussion, and I didn't want to lose my temper. So I just left.

And while I detest acting that way and hate burning bridges, I just think that's the way it's got to be. It's going to make working with them difficult and I plan to continue to call them on their sh&t!

And it looks like Obama's going to win Iowa!!! YEAH! And he's kicking HRC's ass!

Know Hope!

Last week I went out to Halo for drinks with a friend. He was meeting some of his friends and I figured meeting new people would be fun. After forking over $26 for two drinks (!!!!!!), I slowly nursed my litchi-tini and chit chatted with his friends. The conversation eventually steered itself towards the two mainstays of DC conversation: real estate, and politics. Since I wasn't in the mood to talk real estate, I figured I'd make a go of politics. I like Barack Obama.

Well, one of the guys works for a firm that has software that manages political fundraising to make sure it's FEC compliant. How's that for a great DC niche market. Anyways, he was all plugged in and he was telling me that Hillary is going to win Iowa and then the election. And I was like, hmmm, not so fast.

Here's the deal. HRC is about as plastic, and polished, and soulless of a politician you will ever find. I'm sure she's smart, and competent, and I'm all for a woman president. Just not her. I never hear her speak where I don't wonder if she really believes what she's saying, or if she's just calculated what she needs to say to win. My new friend was also telling me that since HRC's already been through the ringer, that the republican's can't hurt her. And I can't tell you how much I disagree with that. HRC is a very polarizing figure. And I'm tired of that. I'm tired of the fighting, the name calling, the mud slinging, the posturing of extremist positions (left and right) when the middle isn't that bad. And I guess when it all boils down, I don't trust her. I don't trust her with the executive powers that Bush has taken by fiat. Andrew has a great clip of Hillary as Gladriel when Frodo offered her the ring. Hilary would use those powers, not renounce them. And that scares me.

So why Obama? Because he's smart. I can't wait for the day when the US President isn't on the wrong side of the bell curve when it comes to IQ. He's articulate. No more witty Bushism that are funny, but that make you cringe on the inside. He comes to the table with no baggage. No failed HealthCare plan, no philandering husband, no trophy wife. He's not part of the political culture of violence that seems to have taken over our political process. He wants to end the war, but I think he understands the value of the military and knows we're going to have to rebuilt the Army that Bush has ground down. And most importantly, I think he has the ability to move us beyond the red state-blue state mentality, beyond liberals vs conservatives, beyond us vs them. I think he can really reach out to independents and even some conservatives and win a real majority from which to govern. Now he's not perfect. He's kind of weak when it comes to GLBT stuff, but I can deal with that. He may not advance GLBT rights, but he certainly isn't going to attack them. And no, HRC wouldn't be any better.

I hope Obama wins in Iowa, and then in New Hampshire. And then the nomination. I really think he's part of the solution to what ails America, not part of the problem.

Bush, Carter, Gore, Hillary, and Obama

Does anyone really believe W when he says that we don't torture?

It's nice to see Jimmy Carter (still much reviled despite all of the good work he's done since he left office) come out and say what so many people are thinking. That yes, the US is torturing people and all the new definitions and parsing of statements doesn't hide that fact.

Congrats to Al Gore on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope all of the climate change deniers choke on their pretzels!

Hillary. What do you do with a problem like Hillary? Look, she's a cold, passionless, calculated, politician, and I mean in that in the not good way. Sure she's capable and would probably make a good President and I'll probably end up voting for her if she gets the nomination, but I don't like her, I don't trust her, and I think her presidency will continue to divide and polarize the country.

And that's why I like Obama. Yes he's a bit inexeperienced, but I think he's a real person, with real faults, and he's more of a public servant, than a politician. I like to think that he can draw the best out of people, to take them above their partisan positions, and try to move America forward. Be the Uniter that W never was. I can dream can't I?

Spinning the Subject Wheel!

We've got a lot to talk about tonight so let's get started!

Speaking of Kathy Griffin (who's line I stole above), she ROCKED! Way too funny. She BROUGHT IT! Britany, OJ, the Emmy's, you name it. It was just too funny. Of course having a nice little buzz from the Key West Lemonades helped. And I'm sorry, but the whole bit about Barbara Walters and Astroglide almost made me want to throw up.

{Spinning the subject wheel}

I can't believe everyone is getting so worked up over Hilary's comment about Cheney. "Darth Vader"? That's probably the nicest thing you can say about him. Come on! This is the man who called some journalist a "major league asshole" and told a Senator to "Fuck Off" on the FLOOR OF THE US SENATE! Puh-lease!

{Spinning the subject wheel}

Oh, have you seen this? This is just too funny.



{Spinning the subject wheel}

If you haven't heard about the Mayor of San Diego, check this out. His speech really touched me. He's a republican I'd vote for.

{And one last spin of the subject wheel}

So I'm thinking about going out Friday night. To a straight club. Well, it's the Black Cat, so it's pretty indie/progressive. But they are doing a Depeche Mode dance party. Hello! Strangelove? Just Can't Get Enough? Enjoy the Silence? People are People? I am *SO* there. If I can stay awake long enough. This getting old thing kind of sucks.