Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction

Hubby and I had a nice afternoon planned. After a leisurely breakfast (at around 1pm courtesy of Hubby's nighttime schedule) we were going to visit the community college from which I just earned my Associate of Arts degree to inquire about a guitar-making class that Hubby wants to take. Then we were going to pay a visit to a newly-discovered Mexican restaurant. We didn't even get past breakfast. We were talking in the kitchen while I cooked breakfast, Hubby sneezed, and out flew one of his crowns! It hit the sliding glass door with such force that I was surprised neither one chipped or shattered. I grabbed the phone and called our dentist, and when I told them what had happened they thought I was crank-calling them. (Momentarily channeling "The Simpsons": Moe the bartender calling "Anita Mann!". Okay, done now.) Once they realized I was serious they told him to come in right away, and they were able to re-seat the crown with no problems. And they used lots of really strong glue so hopefully that won't happen again.

Go ahead and laugh, it's all right. We laughed over it plenty ourselves, both at home and at the dentist's. And it was pretty damn funny. When the dental assistant (an extremely short woman wearing green scrubs) came out to take Hubby back to the treatment room he dangled the sandwich bag containing his crown as he approached her, and she exclaimed "Present you brought!" I thought I was hallucinating Yoda as a dental assistant.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I am an uncaring female dog and start sending Hubby recommendations for divorce lawyers, let me clarify something: Hubby didn't feel a thing. He was in absolutely no pain because he'd had a root canal on that tooth many years back so the nerve was already gone. I knew this and I still asked him if he felt anything (my second question, between "What happened?" and "Did you sneeze out anything else?") Hubby was also making jokes about it, especially on the way to the dentist. He kept flashing me this Jack-o-lantern grin featuring the gap where his crown normally resides, in an effort to crack me up (while I was driving, no less!) Under the circumstances I didn't feel too badly about laughing.

That was about it for our day, we couldn't top all that so we just came back home. I think the above episode illustrates why we've managed to stay together for 21 years and counting: flexibility, caring and a good sense of humor on both our parts.

“He deserves Paradise who makes his companions laugh.” - Koran

Peace (and laughs!),
AuntieM

Memo to Mr. Nader

Date: 2/25/08
Subject: Your declaration of candidacy

Dear Ralph:
Are you out of your freaking mind? Just what do you think you're doing by declaring your candidacy for the Presidential race? The least you could have done was waited a few weeks and then followed up on your announcement with a cry of "April Fools!" We all know that either of my cats has a better chance being elected President than you do, or they would if either of them was 35 years old. We also all know that each vote you receive will most likely be at the expense of the Democratic candidate, and this is something we really don't need. Unless your ulterior motive is to play spoiler once again, the way you did in 2000, I truly can't fathom any reasonable explanation for your actions today.

I understand you think that there is a silent group of voters who feels disenfranchised and is waiting for you to stand up and be their voice. But haven't you expressed that same sentiment in every Presidential election in which you've presented yourself as a candidate? The sum total of your votes from every single one of those elections still wouldn't combine to make you a viable candidate today. I feel embarassed for you, I truly do. At the same time I think someone needs to tell you the honest truth, the way a true friend will tell you that you have spinach in your teeth before, not after, that important interview.

Don't get me wrong, I have tremendous respect for your consumer-advocacy efforts. I simply think that you should stick with your strengths and leave the Presidential race alone. This is one area in which you may very easily do more harm than good.

Albert Einstein's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Peace,
AuntieM

Quick post

I've been utterly swamped with schoolwork today, but wanted to post this one quick thought: If anyone out there hasn't read Marx's Communist Manifesto for himself or herself, please do so at your earliest opportunity! This is one of the most misunderstood documents ever written. For far too long it has been slandered and a bastardized version has been used for propaganda purposes, by our own government, to show us just how "bad" and "evil" socialism are and why we should continue to support the capitalist status quo that has enriched the powers-that-be. See for yourself what all the uproar is about, don't take anyone's word for it, including mine. Complete copies are available online at no cost, I think it can be found on the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, just google either that name or Communist Manifesto. You're going to be surprised when you read it, this will really open your eyes.

By the way, I've already had someone in one of my classes respond to one of my posts with the phrase "America - love it or leave it". I wrote back that I'll take option #3 - change it.

“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.” - Bertrand Russell

Peace,
AuntieM

Some infuriating statistics

I want to pass on some statistics about the war in Iraq that completely pissed me off.

As of today, we've spent over $495 billion in Iraq. The war is costing Americans more than $338 million a day. Americans are having trouble paying their mortgages, food and gas are much more expensive (in Colorado the average cost of a gallon of gas is $3.00, last year this time it was $2.24 - AAA statistics courtesy of 9News), health insurance is out of reach for far too many Americans, but we're paying $338 million each day for Bush's pet war to benefit the military-industrial complex and his oil-buddy cronies? Nearly half a trillion dollars, and counting...

Economic forecasts are going to continue to be grim as long as we continue to dump billions into a reckless war that has no end in sight. The ongoing occupation in Iraq is sucking up the resources we need to make our economy work again. There is no exit strategy from the quagmire in Iraq. Maybe that means we shouldn't have gone in there in the first place if we had no idea how we were going to get out.

The U. S. has to borrow almost all of the money it spends on the Iraq war, which means our national debt is skyrocketing. Our grandchildren will be stuck with paying the tab on Bush's imperialistic war, and for what? To line the pockets of arms-makers and oil company executives? Because Halliburton and Blackwater desperately needed another hundred billion in their corporate coffers? We're mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's tomorrows to pay for the damage done by Bush's ego today.

And all the while we're being exhorted through government propaganda to be patriotic and support our troops, thereby tacitly supporting the war. Let's get this straight right now: the best way to support our troops is to BRING THEM HOME! Are we supposed to keep on sending soldiers to die for the glory of oil company profits? And by the way, it's not the sons and daughters of corporate executives and politicians who are dying in Iraq; it's the children of the middle and lower-classes - our kids. The rich are getting richer off the blood sacrifice of our children. This must end. Now.

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” - Gandhi

Peace,
AuntieM

The Sound of Change

I can't explain why I chose to do this, but today's blog is actually a song. The tune is familiar to many - it's a song from "The Sound of Music" called My Favorite Things. If you don't know the song, just google it. The lyrics, for good or ill, are all mine. Yes this piece is absolute doggrel but, hey, it amused me. It may not be a work of art, but the sentiment is right. Let's call this one:

The Sound of Change.

Bush and his cronies gone from Washington
A new president (who won the election)
We survived W, now it’s a new day!
These are a few things that would make my day.

U.S. occupation of Iraq ends
Muslims and Christians can now become friends
Peace is restored and it’s here to stay
These are a few things that would make my day.

Protests and marches and peace demonstrations
Voices united demand change from nations
Changes are coming and peace is the way
These are a few things that would make my day.

Funding for schools
No more homeless
Strong economy
I think about problems that we can all solve
To help all humanity

Our First Amendment rights must be restored
Repeal the Patriot Act, we implore!
Our civil liberties it took away
These are a few things that would make my day.

A national health plan to treat all our ills
Seniors don’t choose between food and pills
Medical care for which we all can pay
These are a few things that would make my day.

For greener energy we should all toil
Cleaner air means we must use much less oil
Fight global warming now, we can’t delay
These are a few things that would make my day.

A new day dawns
Hope is rising
We just need a plan
I think about problems that we can all solve
And I say that “Yes we can!”

Peace,

AuntieM

Conversation: the key to change

I read part of the most amazing book yesterday at lunch. It was called "Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future" by Margaret J. Wheatley. This book was mind-blowing because it says a lot of things that I've written here or thought about writing, but Wheatley writes so eloquently her book made me think "yeah, THAT'S what I was trying to say, but the way she put it sounds so much better!" I wanted to e-mail myself some selected quotes from her book for use in this blog, but it quickly became apparent that I might as well just scan in the whole book instead, there was so much there worth remembering. I think a copy of this is going to go on my wishlist for Hubby next Christmas, unless I get impulsive before then.

Here are a few points from the book that stood out to me:

According to Wheatley, every great idea that wound up earning its creator a Nobel Peace Prize most likely started with a few friends sitting around talking and one of them says "How about this?". They bat around the idea and then it grows and takes on a life of its own, and this idea that got tossed out during a conversation becomes a world-changing concept. All because of a few friends talking.

Change doesn't happen on its own; we must work to create it.

It takes courage to start a conversation; it's hard to approach a stranger and talk. At the same time, we are all starved for conversation; our world has become so technologically sophisticated that we have the means to stay connected to the outside world 24/7. Yet we are more isolated than ever. My own thought about this is that we turn to electronic devices and methods as a substitute for human companionship and conversation because there is no fear of rejection by a computer or Blackberry, plus the anonymity provided by electronic media helps us to create a facade we think others will find acceptable, instead of just getting out there face to face and saying "this is me". I'm quite guilty of this. I thoroughly enjoy my online classes for practical reasons, but I also like the anonymity of being a name on a screen. I guess I'm still a little age-conscious about being in school with a bunch of kids, and just being a name on a screen doesn't give the kids in my classes the opportunity to prejudge me ("why is that old lady here?") - they have to get to know me through my work first. This blog is even a good example: I write under a pseudonym and my real name isn't listed in my profile. In my defense I was still job-hunting when I started this blog and I didn't want potential employers to find my blog using a simple Google search and decide not to hire me because they didn't like my politics.

Peace will not happen without change. Conversation is the key to change. Courage is necessary to start conversation. To me all of these things mean that if we want to create change, bring about peace and make this world a better place, we must summon our courage and start talking. Talk to each other, talk to friends, acquaintainces, strangers, anyone. Okay, I guess we shouldn't turn into raving lunatics standing on street corners yelling at passers-by, but anything short of that is good if it gets people talking. I had the greatest conversation a couple of weeks ago when I learned that an acquaintance is actually more like a neighbor and we share the same political views. As we talked about the problems of the world and what needs to be done it was like we validated each other, we confirmed that we're not crazy or alone or perhaps even in the minority. He said something that still resonates with me: he said he thinks a lot of people are ready for change, desperately want change, but just don't know where to start in order to work toward or create change. I think he's right, and perhaps Wheatley's book appeared at precisely the right time to provide an answer: start talking. (But don't forget to listen!)

As I read more of Wheatley's book I'm sure that more of her wisdom will find its way onto this blog. The book I'm reading belongs to a friend at work and I didn't dare bring it home because I know I'd neglect my schoolwork in favor of this book - it's that good!

"I want freedom for the full expression of my personality." - Gandhi

Peace,
AuntieM

What am I going to be when I grow up?

That is a question I have struggled with for most of my adult life. I've tried different paths and discovered they just didn't fit me. I tried going the business route when I worked for a health insurance company for nine years. I was pretty successful there but it wasn't a passion, it was drudgery. I enjoyed what I did for a long time, but after I had worked my way up into management I discovered there were some serious ethical problems in the company I had worked to grow for all those years. At the same time the opportunity arose to move to Colorado, and Hubby and I jumped on it.

Then I tried adopting an approach that worked very well for a friend, which was to go for the most dollars in the least hours, which led me into the gaming industry for eleven years. I will admit that the leisure time this approach afforded was nice, that's why I stayed in it for so long. I did a lot of things during that time - I wrote a novel, studied many subjects on my own, became an accomplished seamstress, worked with Hubby to remodel our house, read a lot of books and did a lot of cooking, And where's the downside, you may ask? Well, I wasn't just any casino employee, I was one of the elite - I was a poker dealer. (There is a definite hierarchy in the gaming world, and poker dealers are at the top.) It's an incredibly high-stress job because poker players are overwhelmingly predatory and negative, and the dealer was always a prime target for hostility and abuse. Poker players could smell weakness in anyone, so in order to maintain control of a game the dealer had to be the toughest one at the table. That's not my nature, I had to psych myself up to play that role each day. Remember in the movie "All That Jazz" when Roy Scheider's character would face each day (after shower, cigarettes and amphetamines) by looking at himself in the mirror and saying "It's showtime"? That's what I had to do, except substitute coffee for amphetamines. I had to put on a show each day. After a while I started to feel like I was losing myself, that I no longer knew who I was. No amount of money was sufficient compensation for that.

Now I'm getting back to my roots. I did a lot of soul-searching and introspection, which was motivated by my mother's death almost two years ago - it's been a rapid change process for me, this whole evolution has happened quickly. There is nothing like the death of your second parent to let you know that your time in this life is limited and finite, to make you think about what you've accomplished thus far and what you still want to do in the time you have left, and make you get off your ass and get started! As part of this process I set aside practical considerations (like how fast could I get a new job and what would it pay?) and asked myself what I wanted from life, what sort of legacy I wanted to leave behind, what I wanted my time on this earth to stand for. I have always been politically aware and wished I could work to support liberal causes of many different types. I want to leave this world a better place than I found it. I also believe I have a perspective that needs to be shared with others, by both the pen and the lectern.

So what am I going to be when I grow up? A lot of different things, if I'm lucky. I want to keep working in the nonprofit field, hopefully in positions of increasing responsibility as my education advances. My job now is so incredibly rewarding because I am able to use my skills to further a cause I believe in, working with a group of committed individuals to make positive change in our community. It's humbling to be a part of that, and each day is filled with positive energy as a result.

I want to teach in the social science disciplines at the community college level, because I enjoy teaching (there's nothing like seeing the light of comprehension dawn in a student's eyes as he or she masters a new concept). For me teaching is a way to pay forward the gifts I have received from various teachers throughout my life. The reason I want to teach specifically at the CC level is because I believe that community colleges accomplish tremendous things for students who need a second chance or may otherwise be unable to get an education. I like the inclusive philosophy of CC's, they'll admit anyone who wants to learn and work to bring them up to college-level. Community colleges deliver life-changing educations to people who are committed to making positive changes in their lives.

I also want to write both fiction and nonfiction (probably philosophy and social commentary) because I think I have some valuable ideas that deserve to be spread beyond the classroom. I also want to devote time to political causes that are near and dear to my heart, because rabblerousing is just so darn much fun and is so necessary if we want to make the powers-that-be hear our voices.

It's taken me 42 years to figure out all of this, and I have a feeling I'm not done yet. At least I hope I'm not! My best friend commented recently about the way I reinvent myself every few years, and she's right, I do. I try on different roles, play them for as long as they work for me, and discard them without looking back when they no provide what I need. Each time I do this I learn much about myself, and I think each evolution brings me closer to the real me. I think I'm pretty close now, and I like what I see! Incidentally my spirit animal is the phoenix, which is reborn from the ashes of its own destruction. Apropos.

Huh?

I am at a loss for something to write tonight. It's not that there aren't problems out there that are in dire need of attention. It's not that I don't have that fire, that passion for social change. It's because I'm kind of fried right now. I took two exams tonight for my online courses, and am now working on the assignments for my other two classes. The cherry on top of this textbook-laden sundae is that my sinuses are acting up and I'm doing all this while on decongestants that leave me pretty stoned. Like right now I wouldn't dare to drive. But I'm taking exams, go figure. At least the drugs somehow don't seem to hinder my academic performance - I got 100 on one exam and 96 on the other. The bright side is I'm actually in better shape as far as my schoolwork goes than I was last week, and may be able to take off at least a few hours on Sunday.

I've got a movie I'm just dying to watch but am waiting till Hubby's weekend comes around so we can watch it together. It's a mockumentary that I was surprised that I could get through Netflix called "Death of a President", it's a fictional account in documentary style of the assasination of George Bush. When I first heard about this film months ago I figured that it wouldn't be available in this country, that somehow it would be suppressed in the name of Homeland Security or something. Will post a report on this film when we're able to watch it.

The move from my previous job to the non-profit industry involved a radical change in my working hours and days. For 11 years I worked in the gaming industry with Hubby, but now I'm a 9-5er again while he still works nights and weekends. Fortunately this isn't the first time our schedules have been massively out-of-sync, so we know how to handle this - it's actually kind of second-nature to us now. We make a point to spend time together whenever possible, and we each have our individual pursuits and interests to follow in our alone time. I try to get most of my schoolwork done while Hubby is at work or in the mornings while he's asleep, plus whatever housework I can fit in so we don't have to spend our time off together doing too many chores. Hubby does the same thing - he's learning to play the guitar but uses time I'm working or am asleep (and I sleep very soundly, no worries of waking me up!) to practice and do light housework. When the weather gets warm again he'll resume working on his project car too. Sometimes I think that different schedules strengthen a relationship because they encourage each person to be independent while at the same time they emphasize the need to treasure time spent together. We had drastically different work schedules for the first two years of our marriage and sometimes it seemed we would go for days without more than seeing each other in passing. We used to keep a big thick notebook and write messages to each other. Sometimes the notes were practical - "I dropped off the rent check" or "next time you go to the store, pick up _____" - and sometimes they were more sentimental, but all the same they are a record of our early married life that became a treasured keepsake. We still have it tucked away somewhere, waiting to be found again.

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - Douglas Adams

Later,
AuntieM

Procrastination, it's an art form

Last night I started thinking about the subject of procrastination. This occurred during an particular sequence of events: I started to study for a class, but then I realized I should put a load of laundry in the washer first. I went into the bathroom to change out the towels so I could wash them and noticed the trash needed to be emptied. In the process of emptying the trash I wound up going through the medicine cabinet to get rid of all the expired stuff. Once I retraced this sequence of events I was severely impressed with myself for setting up this pyramid of procrastination, because each task was productive and needed to be done. I wasn't really wasting time, but at the same time I wasn't studying, which was what I needed to be doing at that moment. It made me think I needed to write an article on this blog about procrastination (blogging, another great way to procrastinate), but then I said "I'll do it tomorrow."

Breaking news: Obama has taken the delegate count lead! According to the news source I just checked, after yesterday's round of primaries Obama had 1078 delegates to Clinton's 969. Yay! Of course this is only the warm-up, the real battle for change will begin once both parties have selected their candidates and the presidential campaigning begins in earnest. It looks like McCain is building a substantial lead over Huckabee and most likely will win the Republican nomination easily. Huckabee is a joke. McCain, however, is a threat because his brand of flag-waving will be attractive to conservative Christians and those who are too blinded by patriotism to see the mess Bush and Cheney have gotten us into in Iraq. This is why we've got to get the strongest Democratic candidate (Obama) and the most likely candidate to bring about significant change (Obama) nominated, and then elected.

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

Peace,
AuntieM

One quick thought

I've been positively buried under schoolwork this weekend because I still haven't gotten myself onto a study schedule since getting my new job. As a result I've had to hit the books pretty hard these last couple of days and hadn't been able to write anything for this blog. However, I wanted to take five minutes and post one quick thought: what constitutes a terrorist nation? I propose that a terrorist nation is one that uses fear to intimidate, control or otherwise direct the beliefs and actions of its citizens, a nation that frightens people into supporting its goals through threats (whether overt or implied). Is this a reasonable definition? If so, then by this definition the United States is a terrorist nation. The US has used propaganda and scare tactics against its own citizens to get us to go along with their trumped-up war-for-oil, and so we'd quietly stand aside as our own government robbed us of the civil liberties that the founders of this country fought and died to give us. I floated this theory in one of my classes and it was quite well accepted, which gives me hope that the next generation may be brave enough to take up the banner and fight to restore our liberties. But we cannot leave the fight to them; we must do our part, we must walk our talk, otherwise we don't deserve liberty. If we don't participate in the struggle to regain the rights that were granted to us in the Constitution, then we deserve to keep wearing the shackles of fear that we willingly put on when we accept propaganda as truth.

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but we must never fail to protest it." Elie Wiesel

Later,
AuntieM

Negative e-mail, and a cat going blind

I think I may have offended Hubby's sister, my sister-in-law. Last night I received another one of those hate-filled e-mails that slam Democrats. This one made reference to Chappaquiddick (I know I misspelled that one!) and Ted Kennedy's unfortunate auto accident back in about 1968. It's amazing how Republicans just can't let anything go. Anyway, she was the one who sent the e-mail, and for some reason last night I had Had Enough. You already know that I hold Senator Kennedy in very high esteem, and that e-mail was the last straw. I did manage not to send back anything hostile, and after a couple of false starts I finally managed to compose an e-mail which described my campaign to reduce hate on the net by countering negative e-mails with positive ones. I closed with a beautiful quote from Gandhi, and wished her peace. Doesn't sound too bad to me, but I have this feeling that she may not take it in the spirit in which it was intended. I hope I haven't irrepairably damaged our relationship, but I couldn't take it any more - I had to stand up for my beliefs. Silence is implied consent, and by remaining silent on all the other e-mails that have made my blood boil, I have tacitly agreed with that point of view. No longer. Up until now I have been betraying my principles for the sake of maintaining family harmony, but I can't do it anymore. I buried my principles for far too many years; now that I have found them again, I cannot bear to set them aside anymore. As family, I hope that she will respect this.

I'm worried about BoyCat's vision. I think his eyesight is failing as a result of his diabetes. Twice now I've seen him do the oddest thing. He'll approach the top of the stairs, pause and feel around with one forepaw to find the edge of the stair before starting down. Both times it has been pretty dark in the hallway; I haven't seen him do this in daylight or when lights are on in the hall. But it still worries me, and it simply breaks my heart to think that those beautiful gold eyes of his may not be showing him the world the way they should. He's also taken to wandering the perimeter of rooms while sniffing at furniture. I don't know whether he's doing this to help find his way around, or if he knows there's something up and he's trying to memorize the layouts. I wouldn't put that second possibility past him - he's so smart it's scary. Two factors that will help him out though: he doesn't go outside at all, he stays inside where he's safe; and I'm not fond of rearranging furniture, most everything is where we put it when we moved in, so he won't have to constantly re-learn new arrangements. Does anyone have any experience in dealing with blindness in cats? Any helpful suggestions would be welcome.

Classes and work are keeping me busy, but I'm having lots of fun at both! I've been able to get in a little rabblerousing in a couple of my classes and have found a few fellow travelers as well. It's good to see that some of my classmates are also longing for change; the trick is to channel the energy we use to complain into action for change. And of course to figure out which cabinet to rip from the wall!

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Peace,
AuntieM

Apathy and jury duty

A story on the evening news caught my attention. It was about jurors not showing up for jury duty in Weld County, Colorado. So what, that happens all the time, right? Not to this extent. Of 200 people summoned, 161 were no-shows. Apparently the courts were hurting for jurors so badly that officials went out onto the streets and grabbed passers-by for jury service. Needless to say this created quite a stir. Those 161 who ignored their jury duty notices were summoned again today to be lectured by the judge and then assigned a brand new date to report again for jury service. Know how many showed up? 58. There were still over 100 who ignored their second summons. Now the Weld County officials are saying those people could be subject to arrest and fines. Wouldn't it be poetic justice if they had to go to trial and their cases kept getting dragged out because not enough people showed up for jury duty?

Maybe I've watched too much Law & Order, but I think it would be interesting to serve on a jury. I can't believe that in my entire adult life I've never been summoned for jury duty. Hubby gets summoned pretty regularly, every few years. Me? I think someone put a note in my file saying "Danger: politically aware. Do not let her serve." I did get to testify in a trial a few years ago, regarding a traffic accident I witnessed. That was pretty cool. Not Law & Order cool, but it was interesting.

Now I have a strong desire to watch the movie 12 Angry Men. What a great film! Even though it reflects the bad old days when only white men could serve on juries.

"It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Peace,
AuntieM

Caucus is done, and the wraps are coming off!

Last night I attended my first caucus, and from the news reports I've seen since then I wasn't along by any means. Turnout for Colorado's caucuses was massive, far more than anyone ever expected. My precinct captain, a 30-year veteran of caucuses and primaries in Colorado, was totally flustered and told us she'd never seen this many people come to caucus. She told us that typically there were about 4 from our individual precinct; last night there were 35. It was standing room only in the high school cafeteria where we all gathered to register and hear brief speeches before dividing into our individual precincts to caucus. There had to be at least 500 people there just for the Democratic side; don't know how many were there on the Republican side. Here's an indicator though: as we entered the school there was a sign directing the Republicans upstairs, and there were people there on the Democratic side doing crowd control and directing us to the cafeteria.

(I found out this morning from a local news outlet that 119,000 Democrats in Colorado participated in caucuses last night, and on the Republican side there were 55,000. Sounds like there are a LOT of dissatisfied Democrats out there ready and willing to work for change!)

The procedures for the caucus were interesting and entertaining. Once we were divided by precinct and began the actual caucus process, the first thing we did was take a preference poll, a binding vote to see what percentage of people present supported which presidential candidate. That turned out to be the only poll we took because an overwhelming 80% of those present voted for Obama. The Clinton supporters looked a little defiant, and isolated, on the other side of the room. (Okay, I just tipped my hand - I'm supporting Obama. I even signed up to be an alternate delegate for Obama to the county convention, and did phone work for MoveOn.org to support Obama last weekend. There, no more secrets.)

After that, we considered various resolutions that, if passed, would be forwarded on to the county convention next month, and may ultimately wind up as part of the Democratic Party platform. The resolutions were a lot more time consuming because many of the members of my precinct were trying very hard to be informed voters (that warms my heart!) and had lots of questions, which led to interesting discussions on the merits and drawbacks of each resolution. I was sad that my particular precinct didn't pass a resolution calling for impeachment hearings for Bush and Cheney. The rationale of those opposing this resolution was that it was a pointless gesture that would just tie up Congress from doing more important work. That is a valid point, but at the same time I would like for history to record that the people realized that Bush and Cheney committed crimes against the US government and the people of the United States, and we at least attempted to call them on their actions. I hope that enough of the other precincts passed this resolution so it can move to the next level.

I did manage to get in there and do some personal rabblerousing (and wow, it was fun!) on one resolution calling for the establishment of universal health care and a single-payer health care system. Being a veteran of the health insurance industry as well as a documentary fiend and student of the human condition, I was well-equipped to speak in favor of this resolution. It was amazing to hear conservative propaganda against socialized medicine being repeated almost verbatim (scare stories about Canada's health system) by otherwise well-informed liberal democrats. It was even more amazing to be able to counter this propaganda with fact and directly make a difference in the outcome of the vote. Not meaning to brag, but I managed to convince enough people in that room to change their opinions, and therefore change the outcome of our precinct's vote, and as a direct result of my grass-roots rabblerousing my precinct approved this resolution. I'm going to feel good about that for a while!

My overwhelming sense of last night was one of awe and wonder, joy at seeing so many people come out on an icy-cold Tuesday night to participate in the political process. It was humbling and awe-inspiring. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched over by the spirits of the founding fathers, the suffragettes and the civil rights workers, all of whom risked "their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors" so that we the people of today could make our voices heard as a part of the democratic process. And they were smiling proudly. It was beautiful.

Okay, since I outed myself a couple of paragraphs ago, let me just confirm: I have decided to support Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Up until just over a week ago I was an Edwards supporter, but when he dropped out of the race I had to do some quick reassessment. This was a painful choice for me because as a lifelong feminist I want to elect a female president so badly that I can taste it! At the same time I believe the time is right to elect an African-American president. But do you know the problem with both of those beliefs? Neither one leads to choosing the best-qualified candidate; they simply rationalize using prejudice as a decision-making tool. In order to make up my mind I had to set aside gender and race, and examine each candidate's stand on the issues I believe are most important (the decision-making process I outlined in an earlier post - I walked my own talk). By this measure it wasn't hard to choose Obama over Clinton, and the issue that made the difference for me was the war in Iraq. Now Senator Clinton says we need to get out of there, but just a few weeks ago she was advocating a "stay the course" policy. Senator Obama, on the other hand, has always opposed the war in Iraq. I prefer a candidate who isn't going to change his stand on such a crucial issue simply to conform to the prevailing winds of opinion. I also believe that Obama is more likely to create a national health-care system that will produce affordable health care for all US citizens, while Clinton will be more inclined to create aid programs to help the poorest citizens but the middle class will be largely excluded. I also don't like something I heard Clinton say about working with health insurers to create a plan - haven't we had enough cases of the foxes controlling the henhouses under Bush? We need something different, not same-old, same-old, politics as usual. To me that's what Clinton represents, while Obama represents hope, change and sorely-needed unity for the people of this country.

Here is something I saw this morning that I was simply dying to pass on to anyone and everyone that I could. This video is simply beautiful in its message of hope. It's an independently-produced video that popped up on YouTube about 4 days ago in support of Obama, and its message brought tears to my eyes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
Click on the above link, the video lasts about 4.5 minutes, and it's time very well spent! Nearly 2 million views already, this thing is flying around the net.

"Yes we can." - Barack Obama

For the record, I don't intend to let this blog become a running commercial for Obama, but since this blog is my platform for my views, from time to time I will discuss matters related to the campaign. My reason for writing is not to shill for any candidate. The main purpose of this blog, as I stated in my very first entry, is to advocate for positive social change. This blog will continue well past the end of the presidential campaign, because the battle will not be over on election day. There will be times that I choose to make the case that Obama is the candidate who is most likely to produce positive social changes, and there will likely be times that I disagree with his actions or proposals and give voice to those opinions as well.

Peace,
AuntieM

Der Tag

Today is the big day in nearly half the states of this country. It's Super Tuesday, the day when millions of voters will vote in primaries or participate in caucuses to decide which candidate will win his or her party's nomination. It's getting really hard for me not to use this blog as a platform to endorse my chosen candidate but I'm determined to stick by my previous resolution. Soon though, the wraps will be off and I will be able to speak (write) freely! In the meantime, just get out there and vote or participate in your caucus! The democratic process cannot happen without the participation of the masses, otherwise we wind up suffering through the tyranny of the minority, when a small but vocal faction gets out their vote more effectively than anyone else and winds up in control of this country. Don't let that be our fate!

In case you're wondering about my absence from this blog, I've been thinking a lot about healthy work-life boundaries, a subject which is discussed and honored at my workplace. I realized that since I spend so much time at home alone it's far too easy for me to fall into a pattern of always working on something - studying, housework, sewing, writing this blog, you name it - I don't tend to allow myself much downtime. It's hard to keep those healthy boundaries in place when so much of your work is done at home - it's easy for it to bleed into any spare waking minute. So this past Sunday evening I decided that once I finished studying I was going to be DONE, done with work of all types, and I was going to allow myself time simply to relax. So I made a point to put all of my textbooks out of reach, my sewing safely across the room, a glass of tea, warm blanket and the remote within reach, and I watched a movie simply for the sake of entertainment. Nothing controversial, no documentary, simply for laughs. It had been a long time, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Of course, now I still have the lyrics "Spider Pig, Spider Pig, does whatever a spider pig does" running through my head, but that will pass eventually.

Yesterday I just plain didn't get to write. After I got home from work I spent my computer time getting my assignments for the week and catching up on discussion board action in my classes. That's a bigger task than it sounds when you have 70 people in a class, they each write a post and then respond to five others - that's over 400 posts each week! Great class participation though, that's why I love online classes.

It feels so great to type the phrase "after I got home from work". I can't believe how wonderful my job is now. Each day that I work I look forward to going into the office and I thoroughly enjoy what I do while I'm there. Doesn't seem fair to call it work.

Not much rabblerousing in this post, is there? Well here's something to think about. I had coffee with a friend on Sunday afternoon, and she said something that struck me as being a proper metaphor for initiating positive social change. She told me about remodeling her kitchen and how one day she simply got up and tore a cabinet off the wall to begin the project. She said the reason she did this was because once that first cabinet was down, she was committed to seeing the whole project through. To me this is a brilliant and elegant metaphor for what we need to do in order to begin any sort of social change movement: we need to tear that first cabinet off the wall and irrevocably commit ourselves to the project of changing our world for the better. Think about it - we can either debate endlessly about which cabinet (issue) to tear off first, or how to get the thing off the wall (how to go about creating change), or we can dive in and demolish that first cabinet with our bare hands, with gusto, with energy, hope for the future and faith that our social remodeling project will produce results we'll be proud of. And above all, with the knowledge that we're not just sitting on the sidelines, we're ready to commit "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honors" to seeing this project to completion. So what I'm asking you (and myself) is: are you ready to rip down a cabinet and start the process of social change? I would love to hear about any thoughts or ideas that you may have, and of course I will share my own in a future post. Until then,

"So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world." - Immanuel Kant

Later,
AuntieM

Walking my own talk

All right, just so you know: I am not all talk and no action. This evening I spent about half an hour making calls to drum up support for my chosen candidate in the caucuses on Tuesday. (I know half an hour isn't much, but it's way more than nothing, and there's always tomorrow. Besides, I needed to write this post!) This is one example of what I meant in a previous post about finding ways to get involved and finding volunteer opportunities that fit any virtually anyone's schedule. I got everything I needed online, and the calls were easy and quite fun. I spoke with a number of people who share my political views, and some of them even thanked me for using my own time to make those calls. It feels great to take action and to believe you helped make a difference, even in a tiny way. And if I can do that while sitting at home cooking dinner, so can you!

We each must figure out ways to walk our own talk, to put our beliefs into action instead of just endlessly yakking about problems. Constant whining about the problems of society without developing solutions is just an ongoing pity party. Coming up with solutions and not working to implement them is simply mental masturbation - we may feel smart but the problem remains. Gandhi was right - we must be the change we want to see in the world.

Caucus or primary in three days! I hope that everyone who is eligible will make a point to get out there and vote in the primary or participate in the caucus. Remember, if you don't vote you can't complain. Or at least you shouldn't.

Must make this post a short one, need to turn in an assignment for one of my Sociology classes. It's on a book I read a while ago called "Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes". It's a great read, particularly if you have kids. The ways that the marketers and the media attempt to influence kids in order to create lifelong consumers are appalling. This book focuses specifically on girls even though the authors admit that boys are also quite vulnerable to these influences, because "we believe that the particular identities offered to girls today through this marketing are more problematic because they offer so much less real power in exchange for pseud0-powerful activities." They go on to discuss the effect of gender-role stereotype reinforcement at an early (and easily influenced) age, the messages of powerlessness that are transmitted to young girls, and the goal of marketers and the media to mold young girls into loyal, lifetime customers. It's an awesome book and a really great read, worthy of your spare time.

Okay, so much for a short post. I suffer from an affliction which Stephen King aptly named "Literary Elephantitis", meaning when I write I go on, and on, and on... but on the plus side it's not a waste of space because I still have things to say! And my professors seem to enjoy my papers - if you want to see a professor's eyes light up, just tell them your paper is going to run long because you have far too much excellent information to cut.

"Well-behaved women rarely make history." - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (one of my all-time favorite quotes! It doesn't really fit this post but I like it, so it's in!)

Later,
AuntieM