The Scent of Desperation

So, yeah, even though I am totally Team Aniston, I have to say, the latest cover of GQ with Jennifer Aniston posing wearing only a necktie reeks of desperation. It pains me to say it, but it is true. Between running around with John Mayer (who, incidently, I thought was better than Jessica Simpson but is a cad and beneath Jennifer Aniston) and the recent spate of interviews, I fear that we are getting an Aniston overload. I would hate to have the J.Lo-type backlash hit Jennifer Aniston, as she really is probably one of my favorite actresses out there today. I sincerely hope Aniston will find her clothes, put them on, find a decent guy who is not an honorless jerk, and fulfill the dramatic promise she showed in movies like "The Good Girl."

Hey, Santa? Is that too much to ask for?

Oh, for pity's sake!

You know, I thought it was bad enough when stores started putting out Christmas stuff before the Thanksgiving turkeys were in the grocery stores. Something about jumping the gun and wearing out a welcome. But this - this is much worse.

President-elect Obama has not even dropped the "elect" part of the title and Republicans are already jockeying for position for the 2012 race.

I think I'm going to be sick.

Sarah Palin, who I was really, sincerely hoping would just slink back to Alaska in her RNC duds with the First Dude, will not GO AWAY!! Sarah, honey, the election is over. You LOST. Stop torturing the lower 48 with your idiocies and put-upon folksiness, will ya? I am tired of going to CNN.com and seeing your face and your name there. Especially when it for something really lame, like having a photo-op at a Turkey Farm. Go track some moose or some, will you? Sheesh!

Then, there is all the talk about Louisiana Governor Boby Jindal. Ok, ok, I have to make some things clear at the outset. One, I am a proud Louisiana girl, though I am quite happy to be displaced from my state of birth. Second, I happened to grow up in the same neighborhood with Gov. Jindal and my older brother was friends and classmates with him; from what little contact I had with Jindal, he seemed to be a decent guy. Hey, he remembered my brother when I happened to meet Jindal on a plane a couple of years ago. So, I have no real enmity towards the man. At least personally. Political enmity is another matter all together. While I am, in fact, the same ethnicity as Bobby Jindal, I disagree strongly with many of his political and ideological views. Just because someone happens to be brown does not mean they are like me. The man is extremely well educated, but I wonder how that meshes with his self-professed belief in intelligent design. And, as my mother pointed out, the man has yet to finish out an office before making a run for his next one. Things that give me pause to ponder.

At any rate, I for one, would like a break from the election-mania (even if I am in withdrawal from it, in some ways). Can we please let Obama officially become the president before we start trying to defeat him? Please?

Oh, Miss Manners??

So, I have a question in regards to etiquette. When does it become unseemly to continue sporting the bumper sticker of the winning presidential candidate? It's not that I am not still thrilled to pieces that Obama won, it's just that I am wondering whether it might be considered, oh, I don't know, sort of like rubbing it in to still have the Obama bumper sticker on my cars. I mean, the number of McCain/Palin stickers dropped considerably by the morning after Election Day (though I'd like to think that was because those individuals saw the folly of their ways). We took the yard sign down last weekend, as neighborhood covenants gave clear guidelines for that. But what about the car? Is there a point at which you shouldn't have the sticker on your car anymore, sort of like not wearing white shoes after Labor Day? Or is it strictly left up to individual interpretation?

Where's Miss Manners when you need her?

Mutts Unite!

*aside* Yes, I know its been 3 weeks since my last post...between LKNM Trunk or Treat and then canvassing/phone banking/beating my head against walls about the election, I haven't had much time to post. But that's over now, and I'm back...

Can I just say, I already *heart* soon-to-be President Obama? Forget all of the policy that I agree with him, the stances on issues, and the fact that he didn't choose a dimwit like Sarah Palin for a running mate. I think I would *heart* him for this comment alone, which he made at his press conference today in discussing what kind of dog would be coming with the Obama family to the White House: "There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me."

As the proud owner of a canine mutt who also happens to be the proud mother of human mutt, I love the fact that Obama referred to himself as a mutt. It warmed the barren cockles of my stone heart...

The Music Man

Apparently, the polls aren't the only thing tripping the McCain-Palin campaign up. As reported by E!Online, the '80s band Survivor has asked the McCain campaign to stop using it's well-known song, "Eye of the Tiger," at campaign events. This is yet another blow to the McCain campaign, musically speaking, as the bands Heart, Van Halen, and the Foo Fighters, as well as the musicians John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne have all told McCain and Palin not to use their music at rallies and in ads.

So, basically, McCain is down to Hank Williams, Jr. and Pat Garrett (proud singer/songwriter of "Moose-Shootin Mama"). Yeah. Anyway, in the spirit of "reaching across the aisle," I thought it would be nice to suggest some other songs the campaign might be able to use at different events:

- Since Heart nixed Palin's use of "Barracuda," I thought this classic might be appropriate for Palin's theme song: "If I Only Had a Brain"

- Seeing as Palin has a theme song to describe to describe her, it only seems seems fair that McCain gets one too: Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"

- A song to describe the apparent campaign strategy: AC/DC's "Highway to Hell"

- Seeing as how members of the Republican Party are jumping ship at this point, McCain may want to sing this well-known ditty to make himself feel better: "It’s My Party (and I'll Cry if I Want to)" by Lesley Gore

- A great song to convey the state of the McCain-Palin campaign in it's current condition (as well as highlight McCain's Navy experience): Abba's "S.O.S."

- Given McCain's recent statement that being around 10 points down in national polls is getting the Obama campaign "just where we want them," McCain needs a song to match that level of bravado: New Kids on the Block's "Hanging Tough"

- A song that makes a plea, on behalf of John McCain, to all of the voters and pundits in America: Jonny Lang's "Lie to Me"

- And, finally, the song that the McCain campaign should play on the night of November 4th: The Rolling Stones "Can’t Always Get What You Want"

The Inbox of Untruth

My dear husband works in the energy industry, and, as such, tends to be surrounded by mostly conservative-leaning individuals. He complained some time ago that his co-workers kept sending him anti-Obama e-mails; my response was, "Oooh - forward them to me!!"

Today he obliged. And this is what I received:

Perhaps there are SOME out there who are beginning to get 'the picture'. The following is a narrative taken from Sunday Morning's televised 'Meet The Press'. and the author is employed by none other than the Washington Post!! Yeah......the Washington Post of New York and Los Angeles Times fame!! Must say that I'm dually impressed..................

From Sunday's Televised 'Meet the Press' Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.

Obama Explains National Anthem Stance

Sun, 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, General Bill Ginn' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain why he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General also stated to the Senator that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171... During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the
right hand over the heart. At the very least, 'Stand and Face It'

Senator Obama Live on Sunday states, 'As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides, Obama said. 'There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message.
You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing.' If that were our anthem, then I might salute it.'We should consider to reinvent our National Anthem as well as to redesign our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we as a Nation of warring people, should conduct ourselves as the nations of Islam, whereas peace prevails. Perhaps a state or period of mutual concord between our governments. When I become President, I will seek a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation have placed upon the nations of Islam an unfair injustice. My wife disrespects the Flag for many personal reasons. Together she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past, many years ago. She has her views and I have mine'. Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put aside my hatred. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new
path of hope. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America .

WHAAAAAAAT the Hell !!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it right. This could possibly be our next President.

I, for one, am speechless.


Dale Lindsborg ,
Washington Post

Also included in the e-mail were the comments of those who had been sent the e-mail previously, including this comment by the co-worker who forwarded it to my husband: "Did anyone see this on this past Sunday morning…Hard to believe he would actually admit to his and his wife’s beliefs on TV…UNBELEIVABLE!! God help us if this is true!"

Immediately, I was suspicious. Surely, if this had actually taken place, Faux News, Sarah Palin, and all of the minions from the "Obama is a terrorist" camp would have jumped on the story, right? And yet, neither Palin nor McCain's recent speeches suggested one word of what this e-mail was indicating. Second, I noticed something quite peculiar: the dateline on the "article" - Sun, Sept. 07, 11:48:04 EST. As I recall, on September 7th of this year (and actually, many past years), time was being reported in EDT - Eastern Daylight Time - not EST - Eastern Standard Time (yes, all those years of reading Encyclopedia Brown are finally paying off!). Third, Obama would want to use "I Want to Teach the World to Sing" as the new National Anthem? I would have pegged him more as a "We Are the World" kind of guy. A quick Google of "Obama Meet the Press Anthem" quickly brought up the Snopes page identifying this e-mail as a hoax. As I suspected, there is no Dale Lindsborg working for the Washington Post and Obama was not even on "Meet the Press" on September 7th (for the record, he has not been on Meet the Press since late July).

Well, I sent all of my research back to my dear husband, who in turn sent an e-mail back to the people who received the original e-mail along with him. He also admonished his fellow e-mailees to look at these types of forwards with a discerning eye and look up the facts themselves.

As of this writing, he has not received a response from the McCain supporters.

The Glass House

Another day, another partisan interview for Sarah Palin. The latest missive from Ms. Palin comes courtesy of her time on the Laura Ingraham Show today. As reported by Andy Barr, Sarah Palin continues to throw stones from her glass house, though she is doing it in a folksy manner.

" 'Barack Obama hasn’t told the American people the total truth about that, about his association with Ayers,' Palin said on conservative radio host Laura Ingraham’s show. 'Doggonit, he fails to tell the American people with candor and with truthfulness what his associations are and we have to know.' " And you would know this how, Ms. Palin? I ask this in all seriousness, really. Both Barack Obama and Mayor Richard Daley have said that Obama and Ayers were acquaintances, nothing more. Ayers has been accepted as a member of Chicago education for a number of years. Unless you have incontrovertible evidence to suggest otherwise, I am inclined to believe that Obama is telling the truth. And if you did have incontrovertible evidence to indicate that Obama was more than an acquaintance of Ayers, wouldn't you have shared it by now? Maybe it's just that the truth isn't to your liking, hmm? It's much easier to throw around vague accusations and demand that the other side prove them wrong rather than offer any evidence yourself to back up your position. But while we're talking about candor and truthfulness, Ms. Palin, could you explain why it was that your husband and your staff avoided answering the Troopergate subpoenas until an Alaskan court upheld them? Oh, and have you answered those questions about the Alaskan Independence Party yet?

Palin then continues to talk about the unfairness of it all. " 'I don't see the other ticket being asked to be truthful and give details,' Palin said." Um, maybe it's because, for the most part, the other side is being truthful and has been forthcoming with the details, Ms. I-Have-Yet-To-Hold-A-Press-Conference-Since-Becoming-The-VP-Nominee. You have a degree in journalism - surely you remember what journalists are supposed to do, right?

" 'Some in the mainstream media are saying that, well, we’re taking the gloves off unfairly. No. You know there are only, what, 26 days to go. We gotta start getting answers to these questions that are paramount here so that voters have a choice in front of them that is based on truthfulness and candor. They deserve it.' "

"We gotta start getting answers to these questions that are paramount here." Really. You honestly think that Obama's supposed connection to a man who set bombs when Obama was 8 years old is more important than issues like the tanking economy, the Iraqi occupation, the search for Bin Laden, the need to develop alternative fuels, our healthcare system, the education system, and the environment? Are you sure that you're reading every magazine and newspaper that is put in front of you? Or are you just that out of touch with the average American, Ms. Joe Six-Pack?

Further in the interview, Ms. Palin suggests that electing Sen. Obama to be president would "diminish the prestige of the presidency." Let's not even get into the potential racial implications of such a statement. Taking that statement at face value, once again, one has to wonder whether Ms. Palin has been paying attention. I mean, how much prestige is being brought to the office by current president - you know, the guy who can't even get his own party to touch him with a ten-foot pole. I'm sure that Sen. McCain, a womanizer with a terrible temper, will bring loads of prestige to the office. You know, if he actually beats "that one."

She Doth Protest Too Much

Well, apparently, it wasn't enough that John McCain's campaign has decided to run away from the issues and is attempting to run on character assassination and smears. It wasn't enough that his running mate, Sarah Palin, has gotten the crowds at her rallies so worked up with her accusations of Obama "palling around with terrorists" that a crowd member shouted out "kill him." (By the way, heckuva way to unite the country guys.) Nope. Apparently, when it comes to slinging the mud, in the McCain camp, it's a family affair. McCain's wife, the former Cindy Lou Hensley, has heard the impassioned call to arms and has stepped into the ring. On Tuesday, she said that Obama has "waged the dirtiest campaign in American history."

Really? No, seriously? Mrs. McCain, do you honestly believe the words coming out of your mouth or is your memory that short? Let's put aside the fact that your husband has called the other candidate "a liar." Let's forget that your husband's running mate, who happens to be married to a former member of the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party, is pretty much calling Obama a traitor. Let's forget that Karl Rove, for pete's sake, had said that your husband's campaign ads have gone too far. In fact, let's forget about the entire McCain/Obama campaign of 2008 and recall the last time your husband ran for president. Recall the eve of the South Carolina primary, which John McCain was favored to win - until the Bush campaign began spreading the rumor that Bridget, the McCain's adopted daughter from Bangladesh, was actually John McCain's black love child. Are you honestly trying to convince voters that Barack Obama, who has run a campaign on the issues, has run a campaign slimier than the Bush 2000 campaign?

It's hard to understand what the McCain campaign hopes to gain by putting Mrs. McCain in the position of slinging mud. Mrs. McCain is not the most sympathetic of individuals - I doubt that most people would relate to a multi-million dollar heiress who wears $300,000 ensembles and started dating her husband while he was still married to his disabled first wife. Often times, a campaign will use a surrogate to sling mud in an effort to avoid the candidate from doing so himself, in effect keeping some distance between the candidate and the ugliness. But that really doesn't work when the one slinging the mud happens to share the same bed as the candidate. Especially when one considers that back in May, Mrs. McCain stated that the McCain campaign would not engage in any sort of negative campaigning. Or maybe this is an attempt to pull Michelle Obama into the fray and then go after her, seeing as how the smears against Barack Obama just don't seem to be sticking, what with his poll numbers getting higher and higher. If so, it looks like the Obama camp isn't taking the bait - instead they're taking the high road.

And honestly, I think it's better for Cindy McCain that Michelle Obama has decided not get into a catfight with her.

Michelle Obama would knock her out.

What's Wrong with Being Intellectual?

Or, in other words, is "average" something worth aspiring to? I ask this because it seems as though the McCain-Palin camp - and many of their vocal spinsters - seem to be suggesting that Sarah Palin is best suited to be vice-president because she is average, or as Palin herself put it "Joe Six-Pack American." And beyond that, they suggest that those who question Palin's qualifications are "intellectuals" or "elitists" who do not represent the common person.

The first issue, of course, is whether someone really wants Joe Six-Pack American in the White House (or a heartbeat away from it). When I think of Joe Six-Pack American, I think about characters like Homer Simpson or Raymond from "Everybody Loves Raymond." Great characters, certainly your average Joes, but not really the person I want leading this country. This country is a complex thing - so many issues to deal with, so many intricacies to follow. I'd like to think of myself as an intelligent person, but I sure as hell don't have the intellect (or stamina) to run it - I'll admit that right now. So when I look at Sarah Palin, a woman who took 6 years to get a degree in journalism, an individual who couldn't give one example of a newspaper of magazine that she reads regularly, and a person who did not have a passport until last year, I don't see the intellectual qualifications necessary for becoming the leader of our country.

Second, I really worry about the spin doctors, commentators, and campaign officials who downplay the criticisms of others as the opinions of "intellectuals." I worry when they joke about the educated being "elite" and out-of-touch, if only for one reason: what message does that send to the public and to our children? It sends the message that intelligence, education, and facts are something to scoff at, something to put down and belittle. It sends the message that listening to those who are educated - those who are experts - is silly and unnecessary. But most significant, it sends the message that education is a bad thing. It's something for nerds who are out-of-touch with society and it has no redeeming value. How can a candidate, on the one hand, claim that education is the necessary key to our country's future success, but on the other hand, denigrate the same educated people simply because they are educated and happen to disagree? It looks like they are taking a page from high school, casting themselves and the McCain-Palin supporters as the bullies or jocks and the naysayers as paper-pushing geeks. Why on Earth would a child want to aspire to be the outsider in that kind of world? And what does it say about how much the McCain-Palin ticket (and their colleagues) really and truly support education if they are, in effect, knocking it down at every turn?

Guys, you can't have it both ways. You can't give speeches about the importance of education and then mock someone simply for being educated. Either we want an educated community and country so that we can lead the world, or we want to put the less educated up on a pedestal and into power because they are the common people. Choose one.

John McCain: Psychic

I couldn't help but shake my head when I read about John McCain's campaign releasing an ad declaring him the victor of tonight's debate - even before he said that was actually going to attend the debate.

Gee, John, if you had a psychic on your team, couldn't they have told you that suspending your campaign wasn't going to be such a great idea?

Economic Crisis or a Political One?

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard: John McCain will be suspending his presidential campaign some time tomorrow in order to focus on the proposed legislation for bailing out Wall Street. As part of his campaign suspension, he is also pulling out of the long-scheduled and anticipated debate with Barack Obama on Friday, and his campaign has mentioned the desire to postpone the vice-presidential debate, slated for next week, until an undetermined time.

If someone tried to make this up and sell it as a movie script, it would be deemed a fantasy. It is just that out there.

For one, McCain has been absent from the Senate since April 2008. Up until today, he has felt no apparent sense of urgency about getting back to the role of being senator, and the Senate, for its part, does not seem to have ground to a halt. In addition, McCain is on neither the Joint Congressional Economic Committee nor the Senate Banking Committee. He has admitted that economics is not his forte. He has a long and storied history (up and until some time last week) of being a champion of deregulation. So why exactly is his input so direly needed at this juncture? He hasn't been at the hearings, hell, as of yesterday, he hadn't even "examined" the bailout package proposal. Realistically, what does he have to add to the mix that is so important that he needs to miss a presidential debate? I mean, seriously. Is his input even going to be helpful? For a hardcore deregulator to turn around and try to write economic regulations would be like a fundamental Muslim trying to write a Papal encyclical! It makes no sense!

Second, the news of the Wall Street crisis and talks about a bailout hit last week. Last week. Where was McCain's sense of urgency and duty then? Why didn't he come off the campaign trail at that time and rush to Washington so that others could learn the fundamentals of economics at his knee? Couldn't he have skipped his rally in Minnesota on Friday? Or how about his rally in Pennsylvannia on Monday? Why now? Especially now that there are so many questions about his campaign, and more specifically, his campaign manager, Rick Davis. And if the crisis was so urgent, why didn't he fly back to Washington immediately after making his announcement today? Why stay in New York for an interview with Katie Couric and to give a speech tomorrow morning? It doesn't add up.

Third, the McCain campaign wants to postpone the vice-presidential debate. Seriously? Why is that exactly? Sarah Palin has absolutely no role in Congress. She is not needed there to work through the details of the bailout. So why postpone her debate if Joe Biden is ready to go forward with it? I mean, Sarah Palin has had zero - count `em - zero press conferences since becoming the Republican vice-presidential nominee. The amount of interviews she has given can be counted on one hand. For someone who could potentially become the next president of the United States, there has been very little opportunity to see whether she can truly pass muster. And that is frightening. If she is, as the McCain campaign has stated, ready to lead on Day 1, then why isn't she ready to debate next week?

The move reminds of an action that I am sure many people have done at one time or another. It's the "dog-at-my-homework" move. I remember being in high school and not being prepared for a test, so instead of showing up and failing my test, I used the good ole "I'm sick" routine to buy more time. I've been there, really. But the difference was, I was in high school and the only one who was really affected was me. I wasn't a 72-year-old adult vying for the highest office in the land. I mean, once I became an adult and had real responsibilities, I didn't shirk them in that way. And would hope that someone who wants to guide our country for the next 4 years would have more integrity and gumption than to pull something like this.

Honestly, Senator McCain, it seems that the pressing crisis of the moment is more a political one than an economic one. The only reason you're worried about the economy is because the economic crisis is causing a political crisis for your poll numbers.

Fear and Loathing in Lake Norman

Another night, another phone bank for Barack Obama's campaign. Seeing as how the Lake Norman area tends to be, for lack of a better word, less diverse than the city of Charlotte to the south, I understand that my hours of phone banking are likely to yield few Obama supporters. Most of the Obama supporters in this area have already been identified, leaving us phone bankers to pick through those voters who have classified themselves as unaffiliated with any political party. It is a thankless job, really - calling people up, interrupting their busy lives to ask them about what has become an increasingly ugly election season. Most people don't want to talk about it, which I can totally respect, and more often than not, these people are quite polite but firm about not wishing to continue their phone conversation with me. Doesn't really hurt my feelings...eh, okay, maybe just a little. As long as they are polite, I don't feel too bad.

And then there are the not-so-polite ones. The ones who, rather than tell me that they simply don't want to talk to me, would rather say rude things. Like a certain young fellow I had the luck of calling tonight.

A.L., as I will call him, is an apparently lovely young man who lives in Cornelius and has a healthy vocabulary and an incredibly polite conversational manner. Upon hearing the name "Obama" pass my lips this evening, he responded by yelling into the phone: "F*ck you, I'm not voting for that n*gg*r." He then punctuated his response by hanging up on me.

Word to the wise, A.L. and others with your impeccable manners: I, like other phone bankers, do not have a random number machine dialing the phone numbers for me. I have a sheet of paper, obtained from the registrar of voters, that gives me details about you: your name, your age, your political affiliation, your phone number. And your address. Yeah, your address. And guess what - chances are, your friendly phone banker doesn't live all that far away from you. As luck would have it, I live within 3 miles of our upstanding young citizen A.L. Luckily for him, I am far more bitchy and antagonistic on the computer than I am in real life, so I will just chalk up our encounter and his amazingly bigoted insult to be an interesting anecdote to share on my blog and and at cocktail parties in the future. A different person, however, might not be on such an even-keel.

*sigh* When did manners fall so far out of fashion? Darn that rock n'roll!!!

Voter Deception, Republican-style

It's probably pretty obvious that I tend to vote Democrat. What, with having been a registered Democrat in the various states I have lived in, having volunteered for different campaigns, and having donated money on more than one instance to a Democratic campaign or cause. So, imagine my surprise when I went to my mailbox today and found a "vote-by-mail application" addressed to my family from the Republican National Committee. I mean, why on Earth would the RNC be spending their money trying to get a solid-blue house to vote in an election? Both my husband and I registered as Democrats when we got our licenses in North Carolina in May - that type of information is easily gained by a campaign.



I opened up the mailer and saw two parts attached to each other. One part was, ostensibly, the directions for requesting a ballot: "Vote Early By Mail; It's as Easy as 1. Each voter should complete and sign a card. 2. Place your stamp on it. 3. Drop it in the nearest mailbox. Request your vote-by-mail ballot today." The second part was a pocket (which doubles as an envelope) with a ballot request form for (wait for it) Virginia. Yes, Virginia. Even though the RNC mailer was addressed to our North Carolina address, the form inside was for Virginia. And the address on the return envelope, the envelope that will take your ballot request to the registrar of voters? It was for Chesterfield County, Virginia - the county where we used to live.



Honest mistake? How? The RNC mailer was correctly addressed to us in North Carolina, using our name. The return envelope was addressed to the Electoral Board in the county we used to live in Virginia - there was certainly no mistake about that!

I had been reading on various blogs about voter deception through the use of misaddressed ballot requests and registrations. But with so little being reported in the mainstream media, it was hard to say decisively that anything fishy was going on. Other moms I am acquainted with in Iredell County, North Carolina had received ballot request mailers from the RNC, and they stated that theirs were addressed correctly. Clearly, nothing could be amiss, right?

Of course, those individuals also happen to be Republicans. And myself? I am on the record as having donated to the Kerry campaign in 2004.

Not exactly the kind of person who is likely to vote for McCain in 2008, hmm?

Of course, I easily caught what was going on. So, no harm, no foul, right? What about people who might not be as aware of the deception going on? What about people who might not think to question the validity of the material they received? Aahhh...

In an election where every vote counts, where both North Carolina and Virginia may become blue, anything that takes out likely voters for the opposition is going to help your candidate win the electoral votes, isn't it?

The Republican National Committee: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

So Close, yet So Far Away

Today, Sen. Obama came to Charlotte and spoke at a rally. Having missed both Joe Biden and Michelle Obama's visits over the past week, the hub-unit and I were excited about the possibility of seeing Obama speak, live and in-person. We packed up the toddler and went downtown (arriving later than I would have liked to, but we won't discuss the reasons for that *cough*unscheduled McDonalds stop*cough*) and stood in line for 2.5 hours...to no avail. We were still several blocks away from the entrance when we heard the unmistakable sound of Barack Obama's voice over downtown, punctuated by the disappointed groans of those in line around us. One lady in front of us burst in tears because she was so disappointed. Even though Sen. Obama spoke for 30 minutes, we did not get into the venue. Estimates indicate that close to 20,000 people were inside the security when he started speaking, while at least 5,000 to 10,000 were outside.

While we were extremely bummed about missing the chance to see Obama speak, I have to say that we were thrilled by the turnout. It was amazing and exciting to be a part of such a diverse and enthusiastic group. It really made everyone feel as though "Yes, we can!"

A Question of Honor

For a candidate like McCain, who cannot run on his recent voting record nor on the issues, running on personality and character is about the only way to go. Over and over, he and his surrogates have stated that he is a man of honor and integrity. However, his actions contradict those words. The level of distortion and lying within his campaign have reached the level where even Karl Rove has said that McCain's ads do not pass the truth test. When you have Karl Rove questioning the truthfulness of your ads, something ain't right. As someone who is tired of the bald-faced lies being presented over and over again as the truth, I am glad that the Obama campaign is finally hitting back - and with the truth.




And follow up that one, the DNC has a new site, Count the Lies, designed to track the number of times the media calls out McCain and Palin on their lies (which, up until the ladies from The View took up the call, hasn't been very frequent).

I expect that website to get very large.

Quick Wrap-up

Ok, it's late, I have family in town, and I'm going on vacation Friday...Here are some links (I wish I had the time to break the down) that I have been enjoying today. I hope I will get a minute tomorrow to go over some of the speeches from the RNC today...I had an enjoyable time shouting at my screen during the broadcasts!



A scathing opinion of Sarah Palin from a Wasilla resident.

A Washington Post article on the last-minute vetting of Palin

McCain's Straight Talk only applies when he's not being asked tough questions...threaten to ask tough questions, and he'll cancel his interview with you!

And my personal favorite for today:

Republican speechwriter Peggy Noonan and former McCain strategist Mike Murphy tell us what they really think about the McCain campaign and the Palin pick (thanks to a couple of hot mics that they thought were not on)

Tucker Bounds gets Bound Up

Have you seen the CNN clip of Campbell Brown attempting to get McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds to answer a question about Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience? You know, the Vice Presidential candidate who admitted that she hadn't kept up with the war in Iraq in 2007, which happened to be the same year she first got a passport. It's a classic already!

Reality Bites

Sometimes it even bites us in the ass. Just ask Sarah Palin.

Mrs. Palin, a supporter of abstinence-only education, has just announced that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, is 5 months pregnant. Considering that proponents of abstinence-only education say that it is superior to safer-sex education because it teaches the morality of waiting until marriage to have sex and encourages teenagers to have sex, should we just consider Bristol to be an anomaly? Or is she a victim of a program that has been shown to be ineffective and is being pushed by those more interested in pushing religion rather than trying to protect and educate our children?

In the statement released by Mrs. Palin's campaign, she said, "We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents." They are proud of her decision? Why does the minor, Bristol, even get to make a decision when no other woman in the United States would get to make a decision about their unplanned pregnancy if anti-choice Sarah Palin got her way? Why does Palin's daughter get a choice when the rest of us won't? What makes her so special?

Hey, Sarah, how does it feel when the shoe's on the other foot? Not quite so easy to walk the walk, is it?

Much Ado about Nothing?

So, I went out today canvassing for the Obama campaign. Yes, you read that right: a former Hillary supporter was going door-to-door for Barack Obama even after Sarah Palin was announced as the Republicans' VP pick. Just because she has a uterus doesn't mean she's anything like Hillary, ok? Anyway, the mainstream media was touting the appeal that Palin would have to Democratic women and the Republican base. But, you know, from my experience today, not so much.

Not a single actual voter I talked to today was impressed by the Palin pick. Most were figuratively scratching their heads about it. I met other former Hillary supporters and the words "insulted" and "pandering" came up quite a bit. One former Hillary supporter said that she really had to question McCain's judgement in picking a vice presidential candidate that he had only met on one occasion before the day that he offered her the spot.

I talked to Republicans today and the Palin pick threw them for a loop. Going door-to-door, I met a a registered Republican in his 40s with a background in the computer industry . He said that he was fairly confused as to why McCain would tout his experience as one of the primary reasons he should be President and Obama should not be, and then turn around and choose Palin. He said he was now heavily leaning towards Obama because "the country needs the change and inspiration and personality that he brings." And in discussing Obama, he mentioned the inspiration and vision that Kennedy brought to the presidency and the United States, and how that was something the country sorely needs at this time.

Closer to noon, I met a retired woman in her 80s - a registered Republican who has never voted Democrat before. In discussing Sarah Palin, her brows furrowed and she said that she was quite upset by the choice. She stated that she had supported Mitt Romney in the primary and had been prepared to support McCain. However, his choice of Palin has put her on the fence and into the undecided camp.

So there you have it - my experiences going door-to-door in Davidson, North Carolina the day after Sarah Palin was placed on the Vice Presidential ticket. I'm not going to say that it is representative of the country as a whole, but it does suggest that maybe, once again, the talking heads on tv should get out a little more before they start spouting off.

Universal Healthcare: McCain-style

Good news everybody! According to John Goodman, who helped to create the healthcare policy of John McCain, all Americans already have health insurance - it's called the emergency room! No, he's not kidding! Since, by law, emergency rooms cannot turn a person in need of treatment away for inability to pay, Mr. Goodman makes the case that all Americans are insured. He even states that the Census Bureau should stop categorizing people as "uninsured" and instead "categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care."

Look, I know that this doublespeak worked well for the Bushies - calling a law to trample our constitutional rights and civil liberties "The Patriot Act," naming another law that encourages mediocrity and guts the basics of our schools "No Child Left Behind" - but this is really reaching! Are McCain's people so desperate that they are not just taking a page here and there from Karl Rove's playbook, but actually stealing the very ink he used to write it? That's really desperate!

From a financial standpoint, suggesting that the use of emergency facilities is comparable to having health insurance that covers preventative care is ludicrous. The costs of emergency medicine are far greater than for comparable care providing by a doctor's office/clinic or urgent care. In 2005, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans published a comparison of costs of various procedures in both the ER and a doctor's office. I don't think it is at all surprising that the costs were much higher in the ER. If we are really committed to bringing down healthcare costs, pointing people toward the emergency room is not the way to go! Using the ER for regular healthcare is certainly not the way to make healthcare more affordable to the masses.

During graduate school, part of the requirements of our program was to work in the psychiatric emergency room at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. While indigent patients did receive care, the amount of time and money that was used to deal with issues better left for a regular psychiatric visit was amazing. Trying to deal with a stabilized patient's lack of an antidepressant refill meant less time trying to help a suicidal patient, other than finding a facility for him to go to.

Oh, and last time I checked, the emergency department of most hospitals does not offer chemotherapy, well-baby checkups, routine pre-natal care, cancer screenings, physical therapy, routine physicals...

The Democrats have been suggesting that McCain and his campaign are out of touch with the American people. I think John Goodman may have inadvertantly proved it for them.

The Very Friendly Skies

So, the internet is coming to American Airlines and it's not coming with a filter. And people are starting to wonder whether this means more guys will be joining the Mile-High Club with Rosie Hand. As CNN's Mike Galanos states, "First off, filter out the crap. I don't want my son sitting next to some pervert who's watching porn." Relax Mike - I'm sure you can have your son seated in a different part of the airplane, far away from you.

But seriously. Unfiltered internet on an airplane? I'm not a big fan of censorship, but I agree: I don't need my kid to be watching the latest bestiality-S&M-German scheisse video thanks to the surfing preferences of the guy sitting next to him. I mean, aren't these the same airlines that had issues with women breastfeeding without hiding under a blanket? And I definitely would not want to use one of the airline blankets ever again!

Maybe they should change the slogan to "Cum Fly the Friendly Skies."

Trigger-Happy Jack

Another day, another attack on Obama. This time, McCain, once again harping on Obama’s seeming lack of experience, suggests that Obama underappreciates the threat that Iran poses, pulling out of context (of course) Obama stating that Iran is “tiny” and “doesn’t pose a serious threat.”

Where to start?? Decisions, decisions…

First, let’s address the ad itself. How could McCain have approved it? Does he even know where Iran is? He has said that it shares a border with Pakistan.

Then there’s the fact that the Obama quotes were pulled entirely out of context. Obama made the remarks during a speech in Oregon during May 2008. In it, he talked about the fact that even though Russia posed a huge threat to US – a far larger than what Iran poses to us now – neither John Kennedy nor Ronald Reagan rushed to war in the way that McCain is advocating going into Iran. In fact, Obama emphasized that those leaders chose to sit down and talk to the Russian leaders. I guess that talking about the issues would require some basic knowledge (such as geography), so maybe it would be best for a McCain presidency to go to war instead. Hey, it’s worked out brilliantly for Bush in Iraq, right?

For someone who sees Iran as such an enormous threat, McCain couldn’t be bothered to stop campaigning and be in the Senate to vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment that outlined the Senate’s feelings about Iran. And while Obama also missed that vote, at least he attempted to introduce legislation in March 2007 that would have designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Where is the proof of McCain’s preparedness to the fight against the apparently ginormous Iran threat? Is it merely in the his support of the much-ridiculed Bush designation of Iran as a member of the Axis of Evil?

Doesn’t sound like a lot of preparation there, McBush.

Even die-hard Republican Pat Buchanan admits that a vote for McCain is a vote for a war with Iran. Is this the kind of preparedness we want from our president? How the hell are we, the American people, expected to provide the resources for yet another war – we have neither the military manpower nor the monetary backing for such an undertaking. I’m getting a sense that John McCain is not a student of history, otherwise he might recall that another great superpower once found itself overstretched due to military entanglements that were seemingly without end. That superpower was the USSR. And we all know how that one turned out.

So while McCain is trying to paint Obama as “dangerously unprepared,” I think it is only valid to view McCain as just plain dangerous.

And That's Why You Didn't Get To Select the Veep Nominee

I am absolutely touched - touched I tell you - by the outpouring of support by the Republicans for Senator Clinton. Just today, Rudy Giuliani, in a CNN article, stated that the"best decision to win" would have been for Obama to pick Clinton for the VP slot.

Yeah, maybe the best decision for McCain to win. But certainly not for Obama.

I mean, let's be honest. We already have the racists lining up behind McCain, trying to disguise their bigotry by hiding behind claims that Obama is a closet Muslim or has a hidden agenda or has "Hussein" as a middle name (as brilliantly outlined in this article). An Obama/Clinton ticket would not only send the misogynists and chauvinists scurrying to the Grand Old Party, but all the Clinton-haters as well.

And whilst we Dems become verklempt over Rudy's concern for our party, let's not forget the ways in which he, too, bashed Senator Clinton when he actually thought he might have a chance of winning the Republican nomination. Let's see...there was the time he accused Hillary of character assassination. There was the time he compared her negatively to George McGovern. There was the time he criticized her for stand on the Iraq War. And those are just the easy citations to find.

Could it be, Rudy, that you were hoping, like so many Republicans, that the Democrats would provide McCain with an easy way to mobilize a base that isn't quite so excited about their presumptive nominee? Do you really think that the American people are really that enamored of you that they don't realize where your biases lie?

Nice try, Rudy. But it's time to dry those crocodile tears of yours. In the words on Senator Clinton: No way, no how, no McCain.

Declawing the PUMAs

"No way, No how, No McCain."

It's 12:30 at night, and I am still sitting here, smiling over an incredible speech by Senator Hillary Clinton. I would still be enthusiastically pumping my fist in the air if it weren't for the comments I've been reading on CNN - not just from the general public, but also from the commentators. As someone with a degree in journalism, who, for a time, planned on going into the press and interned for different outlets, I am absolutely sickened by the talking heads who try to spin themselves as unbiased. I am not even talking about Faux News, I am talking about CNN and their vaunted "Best Political Team." What a load of crap. For months, they zeroed in on the negative of Hillary, treating her as a second-class candidate, while treating the male candidates with more dignity. And the minute she stepped out the race, suddenly (in a move that makes me recall my psychological training), they started projecting all of their bias onto the Democratic Party, implying that it was the Dems who were being unfair. Granted, the Obama campaign could have done a better job trying to soothe the wounds of the primary, but the media's attempts to make itself look blameless and unbiased were (and still are) the height of hypocrisy.

But tonight, Senator Clinton, in a masterful speech, made it clear that this isn't about grudges or chauvinism. This isn't about who disrespected who. This is about how America can not bear 4 more years of the same failed Republican policies. This is about our children and the future we want to give to them. This is about supporting someone because you believe in the causes that she believes in and will continue to support those causes and that fight, regardless of which person is leading that charge.

Some of the CNN viewer comments suggest that supporters of Clinton should vote for McCain so that Clinton can run and be the nominee in 2012. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. This isn't a game of chess - these are real issues, real decisions, and real impacts. A lot can happen in 4 years: we can begin the process of rebuilding our economy and begin looking to renewable energy, or we can do nothing because (as McCain believes) the fundamentals of the economy are sound and all we need to do is drill offshore in order to support our energy needs. Another 4 years of Republican "leadership" in the White House will lead to a decidedly conservative Supreme Court - a consequence that will have long-term effects that no Democrat would have the power to undo as president in 2012. Not even Hillary Clinton.

Senator Clinton made it clear that any follower of hers should now become a follower of Obama's, because a vote for McCain is a vote for 4 more years of the last 8 years. The causes, the issues that are at stake are larger than just one person, whether it be Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. And any true supported of Hillary Clinton could never be a supporter of John McCain. Hillary told all of the PUMAs, loud and clear: It's not ok. Really.

But I'm a Cheerleader!!

Oh, the humanity. It seems that the school system in Monroe County, Ohio recently revised their dress code, mandating that the bottom of shorts and skirts be no more than 3 inches higher than the top of the knee. Sounds like a pretty sensible rule - after all, school should be about learning about things like the Netherlands, not other classmates nether regions.

However, not everyone is happy with the dress code. It seems that the poor, peppy cheerleaders can no longer wear their short skirts to class on Fridays thanks to the new code. And they - and their parents - are not happy.

Boo freaking hoo.

From the article posted on WLWT.com:
Parents said that it's frustrating to have the school say that the uniforms they provided come up short.

“My daughter is a senior, this is her last year. We paid for uniforms and they should be able to wear them on game day," Becky Daniel said.

"They conduct themselves like ladies, they are representatives of the school, they all handle themselves very well, and I think that it's ridiculous," Tonya Turner said.

You know, Ms. Turner has a point. I think that the cheerleaders should be able to wear their short skirts to class, because, well, you need to have someone represent the school while you're at school, right? In fact, I think that the members of the football team should go class fully decked out in their game gear. I think that members of the wrestling team should go to class in their spandex. And as for the swim team...? I'm sure they will all handle themselves very well.

Kiefer Explains It All

Finally, a Hollywood star that seems to get it. In an interview published on IMDb, the lovely Mr. Sutherland boldly states that he, and other actors, are in fact paid too much. He goes on to state that the real stars are doctors and other emergency services personnel.

Hallelujah. Someone finally understands that making a Hollywood blockbuster or a hit tv show is not as important as doing brain surgery.

Now, if only Kiefer could get that much clarity about drinking and driving.

Come Together, Right Now

I'm ticked off. I, who have been a loyal Democrat since the wee age of 6, am royally ticked off at my party and our presumptive nominee, Barack Obama. No, no, no - it has nothing to do with the fact that I supported Hillary Clinton for the nomination. She lost, it's over and done with. I am ticked because for a bunch of politcos, the Dems and Mr. Obama are playing a seriously crappy political game. From where I sit, I see a party that is yearning for unity and healing after an incredibly bruising fight to the nomination. But instead of trying to soothe the wounds and be a real uniter, I see the party leadership and Mr. Obama seemingly ignoring those who supported Hillary Clinton instead of trying to reach out to them. Worse yet, I see John-freaking-McSame trying to bring them into his campaign!

The Dems need to get their asses in gear and their message clarified. Screw the historic nature of an Obama presidency - a Hillary presidency would also have been historic. You're not going to score points that way. They need to make it clear - especially to the PUMAs - that a vote for McCain is no better than cutting off your nose to spite your face. Obama needs to swallow his pride and honestly try to reach out to the Clinton supporters and make them feel like a necessary and vital part of his campaign and the fight for the White House. Acknowledge them and acknowledge Hillary - you've already got the nomination, genuinely acknowledging Hillary and what she stands for and what her candidacy meant to the party and the nation is not going to lessen you any. Be a gracious winner. It's still not too late to win those 18 million voters back to your side.

Facebook, schmacebook

Behold, for I present you with an amazing oddity in this technologically connected age of ours...I blog before as the last American between the ages of 13 and 45 who does not have a Facebook page. The horror!!!

Ok, ok, so it's not quite that dramatic, but yeah, I do not have a Facebook site. And in spite of forcing my friends to resort to old-fashioned email to stay in touch with me, I don't plan on getting a Facebook site. Honestly, I already spend wayyy too much time online. Another online addiction won't help me get anything more accomplished in my life. Between email, Lake Norman Mommies, E!Online, CNN.com, IMDb, and my recent return to Yahoo! Answers, I spend a disgusting amount of my life plugged in and tuned out.

So, my dear friends (if you happen to be reading), please don't see me lack of a Facebook page as an affront to you, to technology, or to progress. Rather, see it as an attempt to get out and enjoy a little sunshine every once in a while (without having a WiFi network nearby).

Homebirthing in the USA

The latest issue of Newsweek features an article about homebirthing. The article discusses the AMA's push to outlaw homebirthing, and, of course, there is the obligatory scare comment from an ob/gyn about how women come in half-dead from hemorrhaging while attempting to homebirth, this one courtesy of Dr. Ellen Tracy of Massachusetts. " 'We've all seen scenarios where mothers came in, after very major blood loss, in a very catastrophic state,' she says. 'By the time they arrive in the hospital, you're sort of behind the eight ball in trying to resuscitate these patients. The same thing with neonatal outcome.' "

Ok, I'm not going to say that there aren't scenarios like this. But if Dr. Tracy is going to pull out the worst-case scenario card on home-birthing, I think turnabout is only fair. I would love to ask Dr. Tracy or the AMA or ACOG to produce the numbers on the women who ended up hemorrhaging due to unnecessary interventions, such as cord traction and c-sections. How many women have experienced disastrous outcomes due to the use and misuse of drugs like Cytotec and Pitocin? I am sure I will never hear the numbers - I mean this is an industry that refuses to even voluntarily make public the c-section rates of various hospitals and doctors so that patients can make an informed choice - but I have a strong hunch that the numbers of poor outcomes in the hospital setting are much higher than than for a homebirth situation. And yet, I have not heard about the AMA sponsoring a resolution encouraging more restraint and fewer routine interventions during hospital birth.

More from the Time article: "Doctors argue that what may seem like a low-risk pregnancy can go very wrong at the time of delivery--and that making home birth easier to access could lead to a huge step backward. After birthing moved to hospitals en masse in the 1950s, the maternal mortality rate plummeted, from 376 per 100,000 live births in 1940 to 37.1 per 100,000 in 1960. The most recent statistics show 15.1 deaths per 100,000." Yeah, I won't even rehash how unnecessary interventions are often the reason for low-risk pregnancies suddenly going "very wrong at the time of delivery." But I do take issue with the author just throwing out the statistic about maternal mortality rate dropping at the same time that birth moved to hospitals and implying that the two are related. Fact is, when birth initally was moved to the hospital setting, mortality INCREASED due to poor handwashing and sanitation in the hospital-setting. The time period being highlighted by the author also happens to coincide with improvements in nutrition and prenatal healthcare within the United States - with those statistics, the author is comparing a group of women who were at the end of the poverty and paucity of the Great Depression to women in the gleam of the post-WWII era, but that is not mentioned. Is it possible that these improvements could have had something to do with the decrease in mortality?? Hmmm...

One thing is for sure, this issue is not going be fought quietly. As midwife Joan Bryson states in the article, "Legislating against home birth is totally un-American and unfair." Amen, sister.

Power to the people!

Just Another Cog in the Baby-Birthing Machine

*sigh* What will they come up with next? As Rixa reports on her blog, the race to dehumanize birth has passed another milestone with the invention of the BirthTrack. Now, instead of just having to fight off unnecessary IVs, vaginal exams, Pitocin, and the cesarean-increasing Continuous Fetal Monitoring, the 21st century American mother who hopes to have a somewhat-natural hospital birth will have to fight off this marvelous monstrosity.

What is BirthTrack? According to the maker, Barnev, Inc, BirthTrack "monitors cervical dilatation by transmitting ultrasonic waves from transducers (placed on the abdomen) to receivers affixed safely and painlessly to the mother's cervix. Thus cervical dilatation is monitored continuously and automatically with a high degree of accuracy, reducing the need for manual examinations." And how does BirthTrack do this? By affixing sensors to the right and left side of the cervix, as well as to the top of the fetus' head "as soon as it is accessible." Never fear, though, the manufacturer's website assures those of us who might question such things by stating, "These clinically proven and safe disposable sensors were designed for ease of use and minimal disruption of patient comfort." Um, yeah. Try telling that to a birthing mother who wants to walk during labor.

So let me posit a question or two here. Why exactly does dilatation need to monitored so closely? According to the BirthTrack website, there are 4 benefits to the system:

1. "Early decision making...Precipitous and non-progressing labor may be detected earlier and appropriate actions taken for improved outcome." *snort* Excuse me while I scoff! As a woman who has had a precipitous labor (under 2.5 hours from first alert to crying, peeing baby), let me say that if you, as a health provider, need a MACHINE to figure out whether a woman is having a precipitous labor, then you probably shouldn't be in this field. And as for detecting non-progressing labor earlier, um, excuse me? In spite of what some may believe due to the Friedman Curve, a birthing woman's body does not follow a timed schedule. Some women (like myself) go from 0cm to 10cm in no time flat, while others go in spurts, hitting peaks and plateaus, before reaching 10cm. Most women WILL hit 10cm, given the time, support, and space to do so. Detecting "non-progressing labor" sooner just means that that number more women will have their natural progress interfered with, and unfortunately, even stalled out.
2. "Efficient labor room- Allows staff to utilize their time with patients more productively, in the absence of repeated digital vaginal examinations. Staff time spent on digital examinations is potentially utilized better elsewhere. Better use of personnel resources leads to cost reduction and more." Allow staff to utilize their time more effectively? Doing WHAT?!? From the stories I've heard from my fellow hospital-birthing moms, in many cases, the ONLY time they saw their doctors or nurses was for a vaginal exam.
3. "Increased patient comfort- Limiting the number of intrusive, vaginal examinations provides the mother-to-be with the comfort and privacy she desires. The partner becomes an informed participant. The displayed data allows them to follow the labor process together minimizing anxiety and contributing to a relaxed atmosphere in the labor room." Ooh, I know a way to limit "intrusive, vaginal examinations" - don't do them! As for the partner "becoming" an informed participant, excuse me if I sound too preachy, but the partner should have been participating by supporting and helping the laboring woman from the word go and should have been informed by reading and/or taking classes before ever setting foot in the hospital. The BirthTrack sounds more like another "Machine that goes Ping!" and will only redirect attention away from the woman and onto a readout.
4. "Support tool during litigation- BirthTrack provides full documentation of cervical dilatation and fetal head descent during the labor process" Ahhh - finally, we hit the crux of the issue and the real reason that BirthTrack will be coming to a birthing unit near you.

Elsewhere on the BirthTrack site, the makers state the reason that such a machine needed to made: "Despite advances in modern childbirth technology, it is still impossible to obtain accurate measurements of key variables needed to identify the approximately 1/3 of labors that require intervention." You know, I think Ina May Gaskin (amongst others) might take issue with that "statistic." The site goes on about the negatives that occur as a result of poor estimation of cervical dilatation and fetal descent: "Hours of unnecessary suffering on the part of the mother;
Risk of infection for mother and fetus; Substantially increased rate of labor complications;
Significant waste of hospital resources including caregiver time, administered drugs and equipment usage." Ok, and rushing to inject pitocin and/or do a c-section is going reduce the "unnecessary suffering" or the rate of complications? If so, then how do so many countries in Western Europe that have fewer interventions manage to have far better maternal and infant outcomes than the US with far fewer c-sect - Ohhhh. Nevermind.

Helpfully, the BirthTrack website has a FAQ section. Here are some a nuggets:

"8. How can it reduce C-Section rates?
We do not yet have proof that the use of BirthTrack will reduce CS rates yet. However, there are several ways it may help to reduce CS rate. It is well known that oxytocin receptors down regulate their numbers and therefore earlier detection and management of dysfunctional labor are likely to reduce CS rate. It is also possible that the displayed information showing the effect of individual contraction on dilatation and station may be useful in titration of oxytocin. In addition, an earlier management is likely to result in earlier recognition of a need for CS and earlier performanceof CS may ,in its turn, eliminate difficult CS and fetal distress that is linked to prolonged labor." Earlier "management" of "dysfunctional" labor will lead to fewer c-sections? Because the research shows that women with earlier and more interventions have fewer c-sections, right? Yeah. Anyone who thinks the BirthTrack will lead to fewer c-sections rather than more, please raise your hand. Didn't think so.

"1. What about my mobility ? Will the sensors disturb my walking around?
No. You can walk with the sensors. However you need to realize that the system will not collect information on the progress of labor while you are walking" But wait - I thought one of the points of the BirthTrack was to provide continuous information. So, while the sensors won't disturb your walking around, chances are the staff, whose time is now being better utilized more effectively, and the hospital policies probably will.

"2. Must the membranes be ruptured to use it?
The membranes need to be ruptured to apply the fetal electrode (to monitor the progress of head descent). " And we all know what a ruptured placenta means, right? That clock to deliver or be sectioned starts ticking...I wonder whether that will help a woman's labor to progress?

And finally, a word about the remarkable company that brings you the BirthTrack. "Barnev, Inc. is a Delaware based medical device company dedicated to improving Women's Healthcare through the development, production and marketing of cutting-edge, real-time obstetric monitoring devices." Does anyone else see a contradiction betwee wanting to improve women's healthcare by developing obstetric monitoring devices? Just me? "The company was founded in 1998 by a team of biomedical engineers, perinatologists and industrialists." Engineers - ohhhh. Say no more. As the wife, daughter, and sister of engineers, that explains it all.

Come Fly the Nickel-and-Dimed to Death Skies

I guess it was only a matter of time. Starting today, USAirways is charging for beverages on its flights. Yep, as the Wall Street Journal details in an article, the airline is now charging $2 for soft drinks and water and $1 for coffee and tea.

I think this should be termed "Skyway Robbery."

So, basically, a passenger can't bring liquids past the insecurity checkpoint that they are supposed to be at 1.5 to 2 hours before their flight departs. And now, the passenger can't get anything to drink for free once he is onboard the plane with its dehydrating air. Which pretty much means that the passenger has to pay the outrageous prices at the airport concessions/store or, now, pay the outrageous prices on the airplane.

Though never fear, in case of medical emergency, the attendants can use their discretion to give out beverages for free. Whew! I guess that extra fee is going towards training the attendants to do in-flight triage, then?

Didn't think so.

Save Money...Live Better...Vote Republican?

Well, it would appear, if one believes the Wall Street Journal, that Walmart management has gone from merely trying to influence the economic landscape of the United States to influencing the political one. In an article published on Aug. 1, writers Ann Zimmerman and Kris Maher report that during mandatory meetings, executives have been telling Walmart managers and department managers that if the Democrats win the White House in the fall, it will be easier to unionize businesses, such as Walmart; at the same time, the managers are stressing to employees that the effects of unionizing would be negative to the employees and could lead to fewer jobs as labor costs rise and decreased take home pay as workers are required to pay union dues.

Gee, it brings a tear to my eye that Walmart execs are truly looking out for their employees.

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and assume that during these meetings, the execs don't discuss why Walmart employees lose jobs after unionization. They don't discuss the fact that after the Walmart in Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada was unionized, the company shut the entire store down rather than work with a union. They don't discuss the fact that after the meat-cutting department of a Walmart in Jacksonville, Texas unionized, it, too, was shut down, causing all 10 employees to lose their jobs. Nope, I'm sure that the Walmart execs are too busy painting the unions as the bad guys to even bother to take a look in the mirror and notice that history has a way of showing the truth, even if those involved are loathe to admit it. Walmart is anti-union because a unionized Walmart might actually have to pay its employees a decent wage, give employees decent benefits, let employees classified as "full-time" actually work full-time hours, instead of the paltry 34 hours that Walmart considers "full-time." A unionized Walmart might have a harder time competing with other stores, thereby rendering Walmart's competitive advantage moot.

Without everday low prices, why exactly would people choose to shop at Walmart? For the fashionable clothing? The high-quality goods? The well-staffed and friendly stores?

Yeah, not-so-much.

Save Money…Live Better?

Walmart, previously know as Wal-Mart or even Wallyworld, recently changed its slogan from “Always Low Prices. Always.” to “Save Money. Live Better.” Having recently read the wonderfully written The Wal-Mart Effect, as well as having seen “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price,” I started wondering about Walmart’s new slogan. “Save Money. Live Better.” Sounds good in theory. But does shopping at Walmart really result in saving money or living better?

Save Money. Does Walmart really save people money? Sure, the products that it sells are cheaper than those found at Target or many other stores, but given that the quality is often quite poor, it’s quite reasonable to wonder whether people end up spending more on replacement items because the initially cheap Walmart item became unusable so quickly. Anecdotally, I know of a lot people who go into Walmart with a list of things to buy, but end up walking out with quite a few impulse buys thanks in part to the layout of the store and the prices of the items. Did any of them really save money? That’s questionable at best. And there’s the workers. Not just the workers who are directly employed by Walmart and earn less than poverty level in spite of working full time. I’m wondering about the workers whose jobs were either shipped overseas or eliminated all together by the juggernaut-that-Sam-Walton-created. People whose businesses were forced to close, whose livelihoods were ended. I doubt very much that they are saving money.

Live Better. Who is living better? Is Joe Schmo down the street living better because he has a brand-new, crappily made flat-screen tv? I doubt it. Walmart feeds our materialism, our need to accumulate more and more stuff. Suddenly, instead of having to save up and plan in order to buy new things, doing the research to find the best product at the best price, we can buy cheap electronics and toys imported (from China predominantly) without nary a second thought about whether we actually need or can afford said product. It’s so cheap, so why not? Is this a good thing? Is this living better? Hard to make a definite or accurate conclusion about this, but more than likely, no, it’s not living better. Focusing so much on the materials, on the stuff, leaves us little time or attention to focus on other things like family. Like society. Like the fact that the Walmart way is built on the backs of workers halfway around the world who could never in a million years afford the products they are making and shipping to the United States.

It’s interesting that one of Walmart’s clothing brands is called Faded Glory. I’ve remarked to the Mister on more than one occasion that Faded Glory is a pretty crappy name for a clothing line. I mean, come on, Faded Glory makes you think of a run-down, desolate small town in the middle of nowhere. Not exactly the inspiration for buying clothing, right? But, perhaps, in the Walmart world, calling the clothes Faded Glory was an optimistic substitution for the real truth of the matter: No Glory. After all, how many Americans have lost factory jobs because of Walmart’s relentless pursuit of lower prices, causing companies to move manufacturing overseas? How many people work in barely humane conditions for a mere pittance in a far away so that Walmart can sell remarkably low-priced apparel? Walmart branding one of their clothing lines “Faded Glory” would be like Heidi Fleiss saying she’s merely in the service industry.

I’m not saying that Walmart is evil or greedy. It’s a corporation and its corporate culture appears to be centered around providing consumers with low prices. At any cost. So focused on the bottom line that everything else is lost along the way.

I have to admit that until recently, I was an enthusiastic Walmart consumer. Lower prices were just awesome. Sure, the fresh produce was terrible, but it was cheap! And yeah, a lot of the products, whether electronic or furniture, were absolute crap, but it was cheap! And sure, parking and navigating the store itself was an exercise in frustration, but everything was cheap! And the employees always appeared miserable and unwilling to help, but everything was cheap! So, I continued to shop there. But after our recent move, the nearest Walmart is 11 miles away. Suddenly, my daily or every other day trip to Walmart had to be put off to a weekly trip. I had to start buying last minute needs at other stores. And more and more, I began to realize how much different things were at other stores, both local and national-chain, in comparison to Walmart. Workers, for the most part, at other stores actually smiled and were helpful. The items at other stores, while relatively more expensive, seemed of better quality, especially the food. I started to dread, more and more, the weekly trip to Wallyworld. It became the last stop, the dreaded stop, that anchored my weekly shopping run. The news stories about Walmart, the effect it was having on the areas it moved into, as well as worker lawsuits, environmental concerns – a whole laundry list of issues - started to penetrate my consciousness. I began to realize that my saving a couple of bucks a week at Walmart was costing others far, far more. And that was something I was not prepared to continue. I made my last Walmart run approximately 2 weeks ago – I really hope it was my last. A clearer conscience, even with a lighter wallet, is a much better way to live.

The Baby Borrowers, Episode 2

Intro. We get a short recap of the first episode. Mr. Announcer Man gives the lowdown about the teens and the situation. Then he tells us that “5 families handed over their most precious thing of all.” People handed over their Wii’s to these teens???!?? Oh, you meant their kids. Sorry, my bad. We’re re-introduced to the usual suspects. Kelsey and Sean, she being the one who wants kids early, he wanting her to fall flat on her face so that she’ll quit with the baby talk. Morgan and Daton, who decided that going on this reality show was the way to save their on-again, off-again relationship (because this kind of thinking works out for most couples, right?). Sasha and Jordan, out to prove to the world that they can do this. Cory and Alicea, who “loved the idea of having babies young, just like their own parents.” You know, after Alicea’s stellar display in the last episode, I’m not sure she should be the poster child for children raised by young parents. Just saying. And last, but not least, Austin and Kelly. More recrapping follows. Blah, blah, blah. Then credits and, at last, the show.

It’s 3:14 in the morning and Cory is awakened by a crying Karson, while Alicea continues to get her beauty sleep (insert your joke here). Cut to the sun rising with Cory still taking care of Karson while Alicea stays in la-la land. Good times, ya’ll. Mr. Annoucer Man voiceovers that one teen from each couple will have to go to work today. We see Morgan and Daton in bed with Morgan asking Daton not to go to work. Oh Morgan, if only it were that easy. Alicea continues to display the winning attitude that will garner her the “Mother of the Year” award as she shows an inability and lack of desire to mix up cereal for baby Karson. Poor kid – he’s going to have serious feeding issues if he stays around Alicea any longer. That and a complete potty mouth.

Sean and Kelsey. Kelsey is not feeling well and asks Sean to stay home with her and baby Etta. While I feel for Kelsey, one of the realities of parenthood is that you really don’t get time off. I remember when my own son was 4.5 months old and both Scott and I got the stomach flu – Two days of sheer misery compounded by having to take care of an infant. Thank goodness Ian was (and is) such a boobaholic – it made taking care of him soo much easier.

Mr. Announcer Man (hereafter referred to as Mr. AM) tells us that each teen worker will earn $100 per day, with which they have to buy food and pay rent. Ouch. Cut to Karson crying as Cory attempts to feed him. Karson’s mom, watching all of this via video, states that there is no way she is going to allow Karson to spend the whole day alone with Alicea. Lucky for Karson (and his mama), Alicea has decided to go to work, leaving Cory at home with the baby. Has anyone warned Alicea’s employer about the baby that will be coming to work for them? Over at Sean and Kelsey’s, both of them are staying home, forgoing the princely sum of $100. Oh, Kelsey. And you thought your stomach hurts right now. Just wait until it’s completely empty because there’s no money for food.

The jobs! Austin is working at a “feed and pet store.” Jordan is employed at a vet hospital. We see that one of his first assignments was pulling maggots out of a rabbit’s butt. That job sounds infinitely better than having to deal with either Alicea or Kelly. Daton’s working at a coffee shop. And Alicea? She’s working at a lumber yard, and having considerable trouble stapling boards together. Insert your own dumb-as-a-post joke here.

Sean and Kelsey’s. Kelsey appears quite upset and could probably use a pep talk and some cheering up. Instead, she gets a visit from Etta’s mom, Natalie. *sigh* You know, I realize that this is a learning experience and all, but was it really necessary for Natalie to come over and give poor Kelsey the reality kick-in-the-head when the girl is already down? Having Natalie give Kelsey an inspirational talk about child-rearing is like having Naomi Campbell give a talk about anger management.

Kelly, amazingly enough, is doing well with baby Zachary. Perhaps it’s because he can speak her language? Kelly relates that she was in daycare as a baby, and she feels that she is more connected as stay-at-home-mom with Zachary than she was with her own mom. She has been with this kid for all of maybe 2 days and she is more connected with him than her mom because her mom put her in daycare. Um, okay. Zachary’s parents are watching and his mom says, jokingly, “Don’t get too attached, he’s our kid.” Heh. Why am I having flashes of “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle?”

Kelly and Cory decide to take their infants to a nearby park. Karson, apparently relaxed now that he is out of the house that Alicea screeches in, makes a poopy diaper. Kelly offers instruction to Cory on how to change the diaper. We are treated to scenes of Karson’s blurred out bum being wiped by a clearly disgusted Cory. In his amazing wisdom, Cory shares with us that a poopy diaper “is just like throw up.” Really? I’m afraid to find out what you’ve been eating, Cory. “I gagged so much from it. Just the smell of it, the look of it, it just makes me sick.” Yeah, and the rest of us treat a poopy diaper like fine art.

Five o’clock. The worker teens go home. Austin and Kelly have a cute scene where they kiss and reconnect with each other. Cory and Alicea? Not so much. Cory appears to be attempting to give Alicea an ultimatum about her needing to do more with Karson. As can be expected, that goes swimmingly. Daton comes home and says that he wants to go to a skate park. Morgan replies that she wants to come too; she and Miley will walk around on the edge of the park. Daton seems just thrilled with the idea and tries to convince Morgan to stay home with Miley, but it doesn’t work. In an interview, Daton tells us that he has only worked 8 hours in a day “like, 5 days in my life.” What a difficult life you lead.

It’s nighttime. The clock at Cory and Alicea’s shows us it is 1:46 in the morning as we hear baby Karson start to cry. Cory tells Alicea to go get Karson because he was up with Karson the night before and is tired. Predictably, Alicea stays in bed and Cory has to go get Karson. He brings him to the bed and entertains Karson with the lights on while Alicea continues to snooze. In an interview, Cory states: “Right now, I don’t know who is more difficult to deal with out of Alicea and Karson.” In Karson’s defense, at least he has a decent excuse for acting like a baby.

Morning. Alicea (who remarkably looks much better without makeup) is not wanting to go to work. She wants Cory to go , complaining that she is getting blisters on her feet and they hurt. Well, pop the suckers and get your ass back to work! I don’t think Workman’s Comp covers for blisters. Cory, pushover that he is, gets up and starts packing a lunch for himself as Alicea asks how to mix baby cereal. When a half-dead Cory doesn’t answer her, she has the balls to bitch about him. Cory, my man, take your balls back and RUN!

Sean and Kelsey’s. Mr. AM says that following her “heart-to-heart” with Etta’s mom, Kelsey has decided the best way to be a parent is to go to work. Snerk. What did I say about Natalie’s pep talk? Sean, helpfully, says to Kelsey, “Don’t get fired.” Wow, between Natalie’s pep talk and Sean’s optimism, Kelsey must be full of warm fuzzies.

The stay-at-home moms and dads gather up the kiddoes and head over to The Little Gym. We are treated to the sight of a clearly uncomfortable Sean sitting on the floor with Etta. He looks like he is having flashbacks of every single gym class during which they had to play dodgeball and he forgot to dodge. Morgan is not feeling the class. She remarks about how the other parents were so into it and she wasn’t. Heh. I guess someone’s not drinking the kool-aid (my guess is that Mr. Daton drank it all).

Surprise! One parent of one teen in each couple shows up unannounced. Sean’s mom, Sherry, giddily hugs him after he opens the door, while Sean looks like he has no idea who this crazy woman standing on the doorstep is. I think he’s still dealing with those dodgeball flashbacks. Myra, Sasha’s mother, surprises Sasha and Jordan. We are treated to a happy reunion between mom and daughter. Morgan’s reunion with her mother, Leisa is decidedly more low-key. Morgan looks like she would rather get a hug from a 20-foot-long boa constrictor than her mother. I just noticed that Morgan looks an awful lot like Kelly Clarkson. At this moment, she looks an awful lot like Kelly Clarkson getting a surprise visit from Simon Cowell. Morgan asks how long her mother is there for – 3 hours. Morgan does not seem happy.

Alicea’s mother has dropped in on the happy couple. Her mom asks her, “Do you want to have baby now?” Alicea responds, “Yeah, but my own.” Her mom replies that Alicea’s child may not be “chill” and may have colic. I am not in the least bit surprised when she passes on the tidbit that Alicea, as an infant, “was just a pain in the biggest ass.” Heh. Corey makes a sound indicating that Alicea still is the biggest pain in the ass. Alicea complains that they have a sucky job and a kid who won’t stop crying. Alicea’s mom gives her a dose of reality about how things don’t always go the way you want them to. Yeah, Cory could write you a book about that one.

Sasha’s mom, Myra, gushes about how proud she is of Sasha and Jordan for being as mature as they are. She talks about how close she and Sasha are and how much she misses her. Less Mommy dear and more Mommy Dearest, we cut to Morgan and her mom, Leisa, as Leisa asks why Morgan isn’t excited to see her. Emotional maturity appears to be a strong suit with this family. Guess who said the next line: “I came here to be real. If you are not willing to open up to me and express how you feel, then forget it.” If you guessed Leisa, the actual mommy, you get 5 points!! Morgan responds, “No Mom! Why don’t you ask me about my life or what’s going on with me?” “Ok, what’s going on with you?” Seriously, I’m having a hard time figuring out which one is the mom and which one is the kid. Outside the house, Leisa interviews that she doesn’t know how Morgan is feeling because Morgan isn’t telling her. Um, I’m going to guess that Morgan is seriously pissed off at her mom right then, and I didn’t even have to consult a Magic 8 Ball to figure it out. I am feeling bad for Morgan at this moment. And pissed off that I’m feeling bad for any of these teens.

Morning. The infants will be returned to their parents this morning. Kelly says that she hopes she will be able to see Zachary again in a couple of years. I’m telling you, unhealthy attachments…little Zachary is going to have to go into Witness Protection or something. We next see the happy reunions. And 'i have to say, sap that I have become, I find myself tearing up. But then, Wiley and Leslie, Miley’s parents, decide to give Morgan advice about her relationship with her mom. Buh-bye tears! Wiley spouts some nonsense about Morgan wanting and/or needing her mom when it comes time to give birth, and I find myself thinking: Wiley, dude? Ok, one, you’re a dude, so please don’t lecture Morgan about what she will or will not need when it’s time to give birth, m’kay? Two, you got to see Morgan with her mom for all of 3 hours, if that, and suddenly you’re the expert on them and what needs to happen? Geez, I know we get wisdom from raising kids, but we don’t suddenly get the power to see into the past and future, ok? So quit with the annoying giving of advice about things you know nothing about. That’s MY profession!

Kelly and Austin get props from Zachary’s parents, as Sasha and Jordan get them from Shay’s parents. Cory and Alicea? Not so much. The words “selfish” and “angry” are thrown around. But it doesn’t seem as though Alicea is really comprehending any of it. *sigh*

Chet and Debbie Downer, er, Natalie, reclaim Etta from Kelsey and Sean. They do a great job squashing poor Kelsey’s self-esteem further into the ground. Mission accomplished, they take Etta with them off into the sunset.

And that concludes the infant portion of NBC’s grand experiment. Breathe a sigh of relief that no one died, was maimed, or otherwise permanently harmed. Except for possibly, poor wee Karson. Someone get that kid a lollipop!

Because Every Sperm is Sacred...

My, my, my. It just seems that George W. Bush feels as if his administration hasn’t wreaked enough havoc in the lives of his fellow Americans. If things weren’t bad enough, what with the economy tanking and the pointless war in Iraq continuing to drain lives and resources (for starters), Georgie boy has decided that the world is such a gosh-darned-great place that women should be denied access to contraception if it suits their doctor or pharmacist.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, George W. Bush has done such a bang up job taking care of his already-born constituents that his administration has the time and resources to turn their attention towards the unicellular, future Americans. This Reuters article provides details about a proposed rule that it being discussed within the Department of Health and Human Services Department that would strip federal funding for any facility that requires its doctors and/or pharmacists to provide “abortion” procedures. And the definition of abortion is encompassing enough to cover birth control pills, intra-uterine devices (IUDs), as well as the morning-after pill.

According to the article, the memo reads: "The Department proposes to define abortion as 'any of the various procedures -- including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.’” See, this is what happens when you have cronies making rules, instead of experts or even, you know, people who have taken biology. Because if someone with half a brain had perused the document before sending it out, he or she might have pointed out the birth control pills are designed to keep a woman from ovulating. So, birth control pills (unless taken as Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill) couldn’t be considered a form of abortion, even by DHHS’ twisted logic.

Also from the article: “Health and Human Services officials declined to confirm the proposal, but noted their responsibility to protect against discrimination of doctors and pharmacists who object to abortion or birth control on religious or moral grounds.” Excuse me? Look, far be it from me to tell somebody else how to live his or her life and how to choose a profession, but if you have a moral or ethical problem with a large part of your job duties, maybe it’s time to choose a different profession. I would have loved to have been a veterinarian, you know, except for the whole having to put animals to sleep thing. Probably a good thing I didn’t follow that vocation, because I’m sure some pet owner would be thrilled to hear me, as a vet, say to them, “I am so sorry Mr. Schmo that your beloved dog Trixie got hit by a car and is suffering horribly from irreparable internal bleeding, but it’s against my beliefs to put her to sleep. At least you can take solace in the fact that I’m not being discriminated against, right?” The idea that a pharmacist – someone who is not my doctor and is not privy to my medical history – can pretty much make a medical decision for me by refusing to fill a prescription because it is against his or her beliefs is insane. What’s next? Scientologist pharmacists don’t have to fill prescriptions for psychotropic medications? The only people being discriminated against are those who are not in a position to take their prescriptions or themselves elsewhere because of geographic or financial reasons.

This just disgusts me. What happened to government trying to make the lives of its citizens better? What about equality? Will the Bush administration also go to bat for pharmacists who refuse to dispense Viagra or Cialis? How about doctors who refuse to administer vaccinations, seeing as how many contain the cells of aborted fetuses? Where does it end? And could someone please explain why the bodies and choices of women were deemed to be a good starting place for this exercise in paternalistic hogwash?