Kanashimiyo konnichiwa

I'm afraid my country is broken beyond repair.

And yes, I blame the ignorant, the paranoid, and the irresponsible. Mostly the irresponsible, because they allow for the other two.

Our country's infrastructure is falling apart. Our children and elders are starving. Abuse, rape, and murder are running rampant. Our people are being programmed by the corporate media. And no one wants to take responsibility for ANYTHING.

Our veterans are broken by irresponsible corporate wars and we don't take care of them or their families.

The politicians are elected by the unthinking and ignorant public based on their television appearances. Those politicians know their constituents will not stand for bad news. They know their constituents will not vote to take responsibility for ANYTHING, especially if it means money out of the taxpayers pockets. So they distract us from our problems at home with more pointless wars, spiraling our country further and further into debt.

We need to feed and educate our children. We need to fix our roads and bridges and rail systems. We need universal health care. We need to stop sending our military off to be physically and emotionally broken in wars we fight only for profit and distraction. We need to care for our elderly. We need to take better care of our natural resources, national parks and clean up our soil and water. We need to research and build green energy sources. We need to be responsible, individually, for the betterment of the world. The WHOLE world. Not just corporate america.

If we'd not allowed the media to program us to do their will, we would never have ended up in this situation. We have to be responsible citizens of the world. Starting TODAY. Starting now.

Happy "independence day", US citizens. We've had 233 years of independence. But now it is time for us to wake up to the fact that we can't survive unless we realize that as a planet we are INTERdependent. There is no independence. Not if we're going to survive. We are one planet. One people. We have to take care of the planet and each other.

peace.

I was reading something today that implied that Obama would decriminalize the procedure commonly known as "partial birth abortion". Firstly, I would like to state that this terminology is specifically designed to horrify the reader/listener and set us up with a certain expectation about the procedure and about the woman/doctor who would carry it out. But the women/doctors who did this in the past certainly had reason to do so. It was normally done to save the life of the woman in question. The term actually refers to a number of procedures. However, in case the term had not horrified us enough, the article I was reading described something so horrific, I cannot believe any woman or licensed doctor would ever perform it. The writers of the article were obviously trying to manipulate the emotion of the reader to their point of view.

(article here: http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2008/10/21/opinion/letters/letter3.txt)

Currently, in fact, the procedure (as well as *all* second and third trimester abortion) is illegal. The fact is, Obama did not vote to criminalize it in the Illinois Legislature when given the opportunity. However, he did not vote either way on that bill, he simply voted "present". The bill was worded in such a way that it defined the fetus as a person and could have criminalized virtually all abortion had it passed. It is probable that it was purposely written that way by people who would like to criminalize all abortion. I believe that the reason Obama voted the way he did on that bill is to protect the choice to terminate early pregnancies.

Speaking from some experience, I do not believe there is a single woman in the world who does not feel the weight of the decision to terminate a pregnancy. It is a horrible decision to face. But there are situations where the best of three BAD choices is to terminate. If it becomes illegal again, people will still find ways to terminate pregnancies, because when you are in that situation there is no other way forward. I was pro-life for most of my life. I did not understand how bad a situation could be. I firmly believe that it is not a choice that can be made lightly. It is something that will directly impact the rest of your life. But sometimes it is the only choice.

Think before you vote. Someone you know may need a choice.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm

I'm not disallowing your opinions. I am simply stating that you should not be allowed to make your opinions laws, or to enforce your narrow morality on all of the United States. I am not telling you to stop going to church. I'm not telling you not to pray. I'm not telling you to sleep with people of the same sex as you. And I'm not telling you to have abortions. I and the liberal community are not trying to make you do anything different than you do every day. Obama and the liberals will not force you to do anything differently. But McCain and the christian conservatives will try to force thousands of Americans just as worthy as you to live their lives in a way contrary to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That is what this country was founded on. Every person who came to this country of their own volition came here to pursue THAT dream. Whether our ancestors were Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, or any other faith, men, women, rich, poor, whatever the color of their skin or the faith in their heart, the one belief they shared was that in the United States, ANYONE has the RIGHT to find happiness.

That's what I dream for this country. I dream that we can return to our truest foundation of liberty and possibility for every man, woman, and child who can call themselves American.

I'm a monogamous bisexual. I could very well end up with a female life partner. I'm a liberal woman. I want to be treated with respect in the workplace. I want to be paid equally. I want the same opportunities as a man. And I want all my friends to have the same opportunities as a white man, even if they aren't. And I know people who have had abortions, and I know that while it is never a good choice, sometimes it is the best choice. And I am friends with people of all the color and gender spectrums.

I am still friends with a couple of republicans. And all they want is for me to shut up about it. They want me to stop fighting for my rights and the rights of my friends because it offends them.

But here's the problem. I'm not challenging their rights. I'm not fighting to change them at all. I am not offended when they go to church or stay abstinent or choose to have 5 children or have marriages involving one man and one woman or when they go hunting. But every vote they cast is a direct attack on everything I am and everything I stand for. Their whole goal in politics is to make everyone conform to what makes THEM fulfilled. Every rally they attend is aimed directly at me and at the people I love, because the things that are fulfilling to us is not what they are used to. Every talk show they listen to, every charismatic preacher they listen to is directly attacking me and my friends. They want me to shut up, but if I shut up, I will certainly lose the right to be myself. But if I speak up, they can still go to church. They can still pray. They can still go hunting. They can still get married and have lots of babies. I am not trying to change them. None of their rights are under attack.


And I want to be their friends, because they are good people in other arenas but their opinions and votes are always against me. So why do they accuse ME of being offensive when I feel like I'm only defending myself and those I love?

I honestly tried to go to sleep @ 3. I failed. Still trying.

One side effect of being nocturnal is that when ppl want to talk to you, you are asleep. Miscommunication possibilities are very high.


Yeah.

Look at what my sister did!!

the first two pictures are my sister's dog, and she MADE that outfit!!!


wow, my sister is cool.

http://www.ktrs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1899

amazing and bizarre

one of my colleagues from St Olaf, ellis, is touring pretty regularly around the country now, and she will be at uncommon ground on Devon in November. I want to go.

that's all.

I dont know what to say to this.


so how can we get our economy back on track????

found this website which is full of some horrible and some gorgeous formal gowns made to measure. Almost all for under $120.


did I mention MADE TO MEASURE?? that means for ANYONE of ANY size!! fantastic. I dont need one atm, but next time I do, I will be going to this website.



Oh, and I ordered plus size bikinis for me and Amy. I ordered a bikini from her a couple weeks ago, in a sportsbra style, but it's WAY WAY TOO BIG!!! (I love it when that happens!) So I think we will take it to the sewing machine and fix it so it will work for Amy. I got a great, super comfortable black maxi dress from her, too. Everything on the site is made when it is ordered, so if you have special instructions, she can accomodate you too! (her clothes are designed for women who are pear shaped, larger on the bottom....so if you are an apple/figure eight like me look closely at the size charts before you order.) We should get our BIKINIS in about 10 days. Happy Happy! Now I just have to go on a fabulous trip to the caribbean to wear it! Maybe this winter.....if my poor completely overworked boyfriend ever finds a couple days in a row to just breathe......

poor guy. *hugs for Woodrow!*

why does our society assume that women are constantly lying about their past? Stumble took me to a mens fitness article that was supposedly written by a women (so totally wasnt) and it claimed to be all about how women lie and manipulate men. Shit like this pisses me off cause it assumes all men are stupid and all women are liars. I probably have more sensitivity to this because of the abuse from Phil. He accused me of this sort of thing all the time. Maybe he was reading bullshit like this to put the ideas in his head. Of course, now we know that it was HIM that was lying and cheating and he was projecting that behavior on me. If I learned anything from the experience, its that I have to be with a person who is OK with my past. The TRUTH of my past, which I would never lie about.

evil link full of disgusting overgeneralizations here

This is a fitness magazine? I dont think so. This is a worse rag than glamor or cosmo.

to make us all happier about the world, here's something nicer. Robots and monsters for charity!

I seem to have lost my ipod.

bummer.

I got me some new ink, and a big performance on Sat. Recording coming up, too.

life is 95% good. what more can anyone ask?

I will be singing with Chicago Symphony Chorus in the Mahler on July 26 @ Ravinia.

and I'll be in several things over the 2008-09 season with the symphony, including the Verdi Requiem with CSO's new director RICCARDO MUTI in January! Woot!

I rock.

'If'

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

so, I stopped by and thought I ought to make a post. As long as I'm here.


I went to church this morning.....well, Unitarian church. I liked it. And I got recruited for the choir.

I got my callback for Chicago Symphony Chorus the other day. I need to reply....that reminds me. But anyway, the callback auditions are late April. First gig is mid July @ Ravinia. Maybe Ill actually get paid to sing. Dad would be so happy.

Ive been knitting. Bizarre. Ive made a large orangey red rectangle. I think I'd like to give it to Piper when I get it done. I never made her a baby blankie, and William got one, so she deserves one. And the yarn is a lovely peruvian cotton with mixed textures, so even though the knitting is basic, the rectangle is very pretty and soft.

Everything is good. Stopped being veggie, but I'm trying to be reasonable about it. (someone made the comment I should have called myself pescatarian, but thats just silliness. especially when I made it perfectly clear in the post that I was still eating fish. My sister called me aquatarian. I like that.) Ready ready for spring. Have a deck now, so I can have plants. Last time I had a deck and plants, I had an evil and psychotic man with hard fists to go with them.

puppies are awesome.

I know, I never ever come on here anymore. Its ok. Its cause my life is so very good right now.

firstly, Im 32 tomorrow (ok, I guess it's today)

secondly, Ive been vegetarian (plus fish) since Ash Wednesday, which is now 3.5 weeks. Hooray! I wore my "skinny pants" last night for Wood's gig. (which ROCKED, by the way!) I intend to keep the vegetarianism (plus fish, still) till Lent is over. Then I have a debate with myself. There are a couple things I miss. Mostly bizarre things.

but for now, Im a veggie! and Im shrinking.


and also, tomorrow (today) I start my 8 week classes, guitar, flute, and 2 kinds of dance! Hooray!!