Yes We Can???

What happened to "Yes We Can"? What happened to optimism and the internal knowledge that we as a people could accomplish anything if we banded together? I think it got lost in a lack of respect and a belief that politics is a way of life for personal riches and gain and not for public service. I saw that exemplified a lot during President Obama's speech last night.

It is a total disservice to our populace that so many people are either uninsured or underinsured for health in this nation. It is totally wrong that the savings that people have carefully amassed over the years can be wiped out by a single catestrophic illness. Health insurance in this country is a joke and offers plans that are overpriced for services that are undercovered. The system is not non-functional, but it is broken and the broken parts need to be fixed. President Obama brought his case for health care reform to the people and the joint houses of Congress last night.

I was raised to have respect for the President of the United States, whether or not I agreed with his political views. I can, and often do, criticize the President, but I respect him. Shouting him down when he is addressing the nation and the joint Houses was wrong and shame on the Representative from South Carolina for showing such disrespect! Even though he apologized immediately after the speech was over, the damage was done. It's just as well that I don't live in his state because he would have just lost my vote for his poor judgment.

And on that note, exercise good artistic and creative judgment in your actions today. Choose harmonious colors, look for interesting textures, and celebrate this day of life shared with others. It is a precious gift.

INAGURATION DAY!

Well, the big day is finally here. And I must admit to a feeling of hope that I haven't had since I was a child and JFK was elected (I was quite young, but I actually do remember him). The expectations for this President are huge. The challenges are monumental. And the job will, without a doubt, be the hardest job he will have ever performed. My hope is that he will take the eloquence that he undoubtedly has to spank the Congress into constructive action. Congress is a problem - these men and women that have been elected are divisive, self-serving, and too happy with the spoken word (as opposed to action) to pass legislation that will help this nation. I hope that Barak will be able to focus Congress to be an effective and functional arm of the government.

One way or the other, however, we are getting a new President today and I'm happy about that. So, congratulations go out to Mr Obama. May your dreams be realized today and may the dreams of this nation be realized through these next few years under your leadership.

Sunday and Parties

I actually had a really nice Sunday - playing Lord of the Rings Online for a few hours, then reading some Lord of the Rings Fan Fiction. I even assembled another bracelet for my future Etsy store and shoveled the driveway. I went to Target and made them richer and me poorer, but I now have some essentials that were desperately needed (like toilet paper - a true essential in my viewpoint).

Today is Martin Luther King Day and I can't help but feel that he would be so proud right now. Tomorrow we swear in our first black President, and I am thrilled with how far we, as a nation, have come in 150 years. That it took 150 years to get from slavery to the Oval Office is both a triumph and a tradgedy. It is a triumph because that road, from Lincoln to Obama, has been a long one. And a tradgedy because the basic recognition of the value of humanity, despite their exterior appearance, seems to be a hard lesson for mankind to learn. I'm not so sure we've learned that yet, but I am proud that we will have this President. He is educated, extremely articulate, and I think he will do us proud on the national and the international scene. I can hardly wait until the actual inaguration tomorrow.

Yes, We Did It!!

So, we have a new President-Elect - Barak Obama. I'm very pleased, my DH is a little hesitant. But I guess we'll find out what the future holds. We needed a serious change of policy and direction and I have been an admirer of Obama for many years. I am delighted.

The state amendment - the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Act passed. I worked to get this one passed because it will increase, by up to 1/3, the amount of dollars available for the arts in Minnesota. I think that the arts is important to everyone - art can be a channel for expressing feelings and emotions that can push anger into beauty. Art is always a positive and it can be as simple as selected art for a cityscape, or as complex as a staged exhibit in a gallery. I'm very happy with this election result.

Our Senate battle is still too close to call, as of 4:45 am. I voted for Coleman (photo on the left). My friend "The Chickie" voted for Franken (photo on the right). I've watched the voting record of all of my Representatives and Congresspeople very carefully over the past few years, and Coleman has become a very middle-of-the-road voter - voting much more for the people than for the platform. He earned my vote. But it's pretty evident that it's too close to call with 99% of the votes in and counted. Chickie and I have had some interesting political discussions lately :-)))

Total Reporting:99%

NameVotesPct.
Norm Coleman (R) 1,209,391 42%
Al Franken (DFL) 1,207,086 42%
Dean Barkley (IP) 436,491 15%
Charles Aldrich (L) 13,879 0%
James Niemackl (C) 8,876 0%
LAST UPDATE: Nov-05-2008, 05:10 AM Central Standard Time

Today is a studio day, although I have to do some work for Beading For A Cure also. I am no longer in the position of Treasurer, and need to send the documentation, old paperwork, etc to to new Treasurer. I only have a limited amount of time to get boxes packed and things sent out, so I need to get going on that. One good thing - it will clear up some needed space in my computer room. Then I need to get going on ordering the beads for the coming 2009 BFAC kit. Those will be put on sale for previous participants in early February, and for new participants in mid-February. If you are interested in receiving a kit (and there will only be 80 kits available), write to the Secretary and ask to be notified when they are put on sale to new participants. If you participated in the 2008 fund raising effort and sent in a completed project, you will be notified when the kits are available for you. The colors for 2009 will be "nummy" and I think it may be one of my most popular colorways ever :-))

Only a Few More Days

I hereby declare myself officially SICK AND TIRED of ALL political campaign ads!!!! I want to return to stupid product ads. Even the Sham-wow and Oxi-clean commercials are better than this never ending mud slinging hate-fest. At this point I don't even care who wins - just give me back my airwaves!!!

People are very involved in this election. We have a split ticket at work - my Manager is very conservative (although he may actually vote for Obama instead of McCain). My Assistant Manager is a liberal and will vote Democratic across the board. I vote for the person, not the party, so am voting a split ticket.

I wish I could vote in the California election, though. I think it is vitally important that same-sex union carry the same legal weight as male/female unions. Too often the chosen partner in a same-sex relationship end up with nothing - no rights, no say, no anything - in cases where one partner is hospitalized or dies. The tradgedy is that other family members will often shut that same-sex companion out because of their relationship and not acknowledge the years that it existed. This is simply wrong. I hope that relationships such as this can be acknowledged and strengthened through the law. But it will be a hard battle. Love and howdy's go out to my cuz, Miki and her companion Regina:-)))