'Tis the Season-- Almost

Well, I put my Christmas tree up this afternoon. I also blasted the carols, courtesy Now That's What I Call Christmas. That sort of got me into the mood. It's still a little too soon after Thanksgiving. I think I might feel a bit more festive in the coming week. I need a little time to digest-- literally and metaphorically-- between the major holidays. (BTW, my fave song in the aforementioned collection is John & Yoko's "Happy X-Mas, War Is Over (If You Want It)." Sadly, it's a very timely tune.

In Memoriam

On Nov. 29, 2001, Gorgeous George Harrison died from complications of cancer in L.A. He left behind a lovely wife, look-alike son, and legacy of beautiful music and humanitarianism.

Friday Night at the Movies

Hey! I just popped in my fave weekend veg-out DVD, Elizabethtown (Paramount, 2005), starring Orlando Bloom (Hottie Alert!) and Kirsten Dunst. It's about a young man named Drew(Bloom) who's just been fired from his high-powered job. In despair, Drew attempts suicide, but is interrupted by a cell phone call from his sister (Judy Greer), who tells him that their father has passed away. Drew travels to his dad's hometown-- Elizabethtown, Ky.-- for the funeral. In the process, he meets a cast of colorful, southern-fried characters, including quirky flight attendant Claire (Dunst). Yes, this becomes a love story. (For some reason, I love movies about offbeat Southern Belles who meet and end up with the man of their dreams, who happens to love them for who they are.) Directed by Cameron Crowe, the film boasts a killer soundtrack and score by Crowe's wife, Nancy Wilson of Heart. There are great supporting performances by Alec Baldwin as Bloom's wonderfully smarmy boss, Jessica Biel as the insensitive ex-girlfriend, Susan Sarandon as the bereaved widow, Paul Schneider as Cousin Jesse, the overgrown-kid-wannabe-rock-star-single-dad, and Food Network star Paula Deen. Overall, a guilty pleasure.

What I'm Thankful For

Judging by previous posts, do you really have to ask? Yes, I'm thankful Barack won.

Now that's what I call good parenting!

According to a Yahoo! News article, Barack and Michelle Obama took their daughters, Malia and Sasha, to a Chicago church to serve Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless and needy. This should serve as an example to all American families of how we should treat one another year-round, not just during the holiday season. The Obama Girls will undoubtedly grow into amazing women.

Read Along with Barack

Want to be kinda, sorta like the prez-elect? Then, read what he's reading: Team of Rivals, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's about the Lincoln adminstration and the relationship between Abe and his veep, Andrew Johnson, who was on the other side of the aisle. You know Barack's been taking notes.

Better Late Than Never!

I read somewhere that the Vatican finally forgave John Lennon for saying that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus back in '66. That was totally taken out of context. Oh, well, I suppose it's the least the Vatican can do, considering Lennon's only (unfortunately) been dead for almost 30 years. Honestly, I sometimes try to imagine a world without religion.

Cabinet Picks

Barack is scheduled to announce his cabinet members after Thanksgiving. Once again, I wish we could just fast-forward to Jan. 20 and start a new chapter of American history.

On this day in history...

On this day in history, 35th President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson was promptly sworn in and was elected in 1964.

Log onto the revolution.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?=2fZHoul8Cdk to see "Yes We Can," the video by will.i.am and featuring cameos by the likes of Scarlett Johansen, John Legend, Kate Walsh, and of course, Barack Obama. You can link up to other Barack videos as well.

New Article Alert

Hey, ya'll! Click on the history category @ http://www.suite101.com. I just published a new article on the site. It's entitled: "The Marriage of John Quincy and Louisa Adams: A Difficult Union." Check it out!

Cute Political TV Quote

There's this "That 70s Show" episode on right now. It's the one in which then-Pres. Gerald Ford visits Point Place, Wis., the characters' hometown. In one scene Red and Kitty Forman are discussing a question Red wants to ask Ford. Red wants to know how Ford will fix the economy. Kitty quips, "Oh, honey, he wouldn't know anything about that-- he's the president!" Fortunately our current commander-in-chief-elect has a plan for alleviating our nation's financial woes.

Election Update

Just saw on either CNN or MSNBC (can't remember which one) that Ted Stevens, Alaska's embattled Republican senator lost his re-election bid. Dang, I'd really hate to be an Alaska Republican right now! This apparently ain't their year.

Saturday Night Live on a Monday

I came home from work this evening and needed a laugh, so I popped in an SNL DVD. It was the "Best of Will Ferrell." My fave skit is the Blue Oyster Cult/Cowbell sketch, w/Christopher Walken, my fave actor. Nothin' like a little SNL and cowbell to cure the Monday Blahs. I've got the Monday Blahs, and the only prescription is more cowbell!

My Attempt at Being Zen

Well, I'm trying to be zen. I did this really intense yoga DVD today. For those interested, try Mark Blanchard's Progressive Power Yoga System. These workouts are available @ http://www.collagevideo.com. They're filmed at Red Rocks in Sedona, Ariz., and are ultra-challenging-- in a good way. It sounds corny, but these two DVDs have changed my life, and they could do the same for you.

Who will be Barack's Secretary of State?

I heard on the news that Barack is strongly considering Hillary for Secretary of State. Hillary has reportedly expressed interest in the position. I think she would be a good choice for the job. Supposedly, Barack was going to keep current Secy. of State Robert Gates. I think he needs to get rid of everyone from the Bush administration. It's time to move forward.

What a decade, what a decade!

I just watched Recount, the HBO movie about the 2000 election. Speaking of election-related flicks, I also highly recommend Blue State, which is about the disaster that was the 2004 election. Fortunately for our side, we've ended this decade on a positive note.

Recommended Viewing

I've just been vegging out and watching my "Concert for Bangladesh" DVD, starring Gorgeous George Harrison. Staged in 1971 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, it was the very first benefit concert. My fave part is Bob Dylan's four-song set: "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry," "Blowin' in the Wind," & "Just Like a Woman." Check it out!

The Revolution is Online.

Hey! I just read an article about how Barack supposedly wants to start a web outreach program as soon as he takes office. All I can say is: "Awesome!"

All Americans should take these steps

"Democracy in Action Series"

Pt. III:

We are living in an era in which the political is personal (and vice-versa). There is perhaps no issue that illustrates this more than the war. Everybody knows somebody who is somehow involved in it, either directly and indirectly. For the third installment of this series, I will address those most affected by the war-- veterans and their families. There is much talk about finding a way to end the war, and many politicians are arguing that in order to really support the troops, we should begin bringing them home. (Log onto http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/.) There also appears to be a consensus that a timeline resolution is a viable option for achieving this goal.

So, what would such a resolution entail? Ideally, the resolution should call for either phased or immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq within the next year. Secondly, it should consist of provisions for proper and adequate medical care for the huge numbers of wounded and disabled (in all senses of these terms) veterans. (See the "Wounded Warriors Project" site: www.woundedwarriorsproject.org.) Thirdly, funds should be allocated for education, VA hospital improvements, job-training programs, and counseling services for returning veterans and their dependents. Next, their should be a limit on the number of tours a service member is required to serve. Finally, all U.S. forces should be withdrawn by 2010. This would fulfill the political component of the peace equation.

As for the personal component, the American people must become change agents and actively seek peace. In order to be truly patriotic, we need to make a collective effort to conserve resources and petition our legislators to become Peace Candidates. (The website, http://www.peaceispatriotic.org/, contains a list of Peace Candidates and petitions.)

We must be vigilant and make sure that these candidates win 2010 mid-term elections and that pro-war incumbents are ousted. In addition, we must hold the Bush administration accountable via war-crimes trial at the Hague for orchestrating the war on the basis of a lie (i.e., a supposed link between Iraq and 9/11) and selling it to the public through scare tactics. Also, we should see to it that corporate financiers of the war, especially Halliburton and Blackwater, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Most importantly, we must wholly support President-elect Barack Obama. These are the primary "personal" solutions to the Iraq problem.

Thus, a combination of progressive legislation and vigilance on the part of conscientious beings within our society will bring a timely and honorable end to the Iraq War. On this annual obsevance of Veterans' Day, let us honor our men and women in uniform by advocating peace. Many veterans are already outspokenly opposing the war, and the movemant, which includes mostly Iraq, Persian Gulf, and Vietnam veterans, is growing. (For more information, log onto the Veterans Against the Iraq War site, www.vaiw.org/vet/index.php.) It is our utmost moral responsibility to listen to these brave individuals when they speak.

"When we've got young veterans of a misguided war in Iraq sleeping on the streets of our cities and towns, we need a change in Washington."-- Barack Obama

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."-- John Lennon

(Look for Pt. IV of this series sometime in December.)

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. We should honor our men and women in uniform. I'll have a special post with instructions on how to do so to commemorate the annual observance.

Change is on its way.

Barack met with Dubya at the White House today to discuss the transition of power. Can anyone say, "Awkward!"? I wish I could fast forward to Jan. 20.

Sarah the Sore Loser

Well, Miss Alaska is angry with the news media for the way she's been portrayed. She claims that this portrayal cost McSame the election. Sorry, Sarah, your party lost. Get over it!

Why Barack Won

The following is an editorial I wrote for my local newspaper in which I explain my theory as to why Barack won the election.

2008 Election Series-- November Edition

Much to everyone's delight, the 2008 presidential election is finally over. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, an impassioned citizenry cast its ballots in what many historians have dubbed "the most important election ever." Many of us then spent several anxious hours vigilantly listening and watching as the winner of each state election was announced and/or flashed on TVs across America. Then the breaking news was broadcast: Barack Obama is our 44th president! Some of us-- myself included-- smiled for the first time in eight years. Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008, would not be a repeat of Black Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004. With the electoral vote tally coming to 349 for Obama and 162 for McCain, a new era dawned.

Okay, that's wonderful, but why did Obama win? A brief summary of a Sept. 2008 Yahoo! News article, which appeared in the online version of The Christian Science Monitor and was written by Mike Rose, could perhaps begin to answer that question. In this article, entitled "Blue-collar America is smarter than you may think," Rose argues that working-class Americans are not the ignorant, uneducated yahoos the mainstream media often portrays them as. He explains that these individuals feel that politicians such as Obama actually care about them. According to Rose, the wars and the weak economy have most deeply affected the working class; therefore, Obama and running mate Joe Biden are much more in touch with the people than John McCain and Sarah Palin. In other words, many voters decided that a presidential candidate who owns seven homes isn't really that conscientious of voters' major concerns. Most importantly, after being cajoled into voting for an inept elitist during the last two elections and seeing their friends and loved ones sent off to senseless wars, as well as enduring the devastation of countless natural disasters, voters realized that they weren't better off than they were four years ago. Accordingly, they voted for the guy with the alternate plan: change via health care reform, environmental improvement, economic strengthening through tax cuts for 95 as opposed to five percent of Americans, new job creation, education funding, decreased foreign oil dependence, diplomacy with U.S. allies and adversaries, and a clear Middle East exit strategy.

I've witnessd this phenomenon first-hand while teaching my communications class at Olney Central College. Most of my students represent the working class. They're all female, most are cosmetology majors, and each has endured some form of adversity in her life. They come into my classroom twice a week in order to learn how to essentially become better at serving others by creating beauty out of everyday life's ugliness. In order to help them do so, I gently guide them through lessons about business writing, procedures, and communication. I also subtly incorporate my world view into my teaching. My students have said that I've inspired them (whatever that means!). Apparently, Barack has also inspired them. For example, one student told me that he's the only reason she registered to vote this year. Thus, working-class Americans identify with Obama because he, like they, has lived in the real world. And therein lay the main reason Obama won: His story is America's story.

In 1819, author Washington Irving wrote and published "Rip Van Winkle," a story about a man from New York's Catskill Mountains who falls asleep and misses the American Revolution. He awakens many years later and finds himself in a very changed country. This year there was another revolution, but it is apparent that no one slept through it. Of course, Irving's tale is purely metaphorical. Obama, on the other hand, was the very real wake-up call this nation desperately needed. Lady Liberty's torch has been re-lit and passed to the next generation. She may be tired, she may be poor, but she is forever grateful to her new leadership for bringing her out of her slumber.

Victory Poem

The following is an American free-verse poem that I penned to commemorate Obama's inauguration, which will take place on Jan. 20, 2009:

"Responsibilities of Conscientious Beings"

And so it has come to pass--

The Empire has been defeated

A new Moral Regime has taken its place behind those Corinthian Columns

While this is good, the Great Aggregate must work to ensure that positive changes really take place

Accordingly, we must stand on the banks of the Rivers, heeding the words of Isaiah and John, and plead for those Twelve Blessed Minutes, for Peace in the Valley

We were commanded to be peacemakers, so let us be peacemakers

Let us not learn war anymore

Time to end the Futile Occupation and pave a peaceful way for the Next Generation

Time to restore our image on the World Stage

We, the people, are extending the Olive Branch

The flight of the Eagles and Hawks is beginning to intersect harmoniously with that of the Doves and Mockingbirds

Two Nations, uniting into One

We must declare from Palestine to Cairo to Thebes to Sparta to Crete that a New Day has dawned

From this, a new Fertile Crescent of Hope and Prosperity, the Cradle of a Just Civilization shall spring forth

Thus, these are the responsibilities of Conscientious Beings within a Great Society

(Note: For those who might be wondering what the Heck I'm talking about, go to the Opinion/Letters-to-the-Editor page on http://www.olneydailymail.com/ sometime in December in order to find out.)

We Did It!

Well, folks, we won! Barack's our 44th president. We did it-- big time-- and here's how:
EVs:
Barack-- 349; McSame-- 162
% of Vote:
Barack-- 52%; McSame-- 46%
Popular Vote:
Barack-- 63, 850, 195; McSame-- 56, 370, 719

Today's the Day

Well, it's finally Election Day. I voted at 9:30 this morning. I'm simultaneously anxious and excited. All the pollsters and analysts are predicting a Barack blow-out tonight. What's more, he's leading in six of eight key states: Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, Nevada, & Pennsylvania. Overall, I'm confident Barack will win.

Election Eve Numbers

Poll Results:
Barack-- 51.6%; McSame-- 44.3%
EVs:
Barack-- 318; McSame-- 196

Math Is on Our Side

Polls:
Barack-- 50.7%; McSame-- 44.3%
EV Tally:
Barack-- 333; McSame-- 181
Don't know about y'all, but I'm predicting a landslide.

Newsflash!

Newsflash! Barack's really winning. In fact, he's leading McCain by 10 points, according to the newest Gallup daily poll.
#s: Barack-- 52%; McSame-- 42%
Also, one Yahoo! editorial states that "Obama supporters are gleeful, while McCain supporters are glum." Wonder why!