Living in Sydney with an American accent gets the question “where are you from?” asked of me quite often.  Oh, if only I had a nickel for every blank stare I got with “South Carolina” as my response and another dime for every time someone asks “is that near New York?”  Anyway, nevermind.  Since about 1860 or so, SC has managed to stay out of the news and under the radar.  Other than Strom Thurmond with that whole “Dixiecrat” thing and the occassional West Wing reference, ¹ South Carolina is quite solidly one of the most obscure states in the continental U.S. 

Though recently, my native folk seem to be cropping up a bit more often.  I mean, if we’re getting the news down here, it has to be pretty big deal.  You may remember that guy who asked for directions after knocking over a bank, but most certainly you remember Miss Teen South Carolina.  ”Uh, some Americans don’t have maps?”

Congrats SC, you’ve done it again.  This time with First Family connections.  In a “shocking” article it reveals that Michelle Obama can trace her ancestery back to slavery.   Though, really, is it that much of a shock.  Can’t most of African-American’s do that?  It was sorta popular, back in the day.  Yet, of course, because South Carolina just can’t catch a break, of course the Pre-bama, came from a plantation owned from some hillbilly from the first state out to say “I’m outta here” when it came time to give up said slave.  That’s right.  My old stomping grounds, and when I mention this to people, it’s like I held Michelle Obama, wife of the man who will save the world, personally in the chains of slavery.

I think it’s cool that Mrs. President has roots in my home state.  At least someone besides me does, however it seems a bit arbitrary at this point to bring up the slave thing.  Before I get carried off in the heat of racism or something, I want to make clear that I’m not flippant about slavery and the past, it’s a part of our history and is definitely something that still effects the lives of  so many Americans.   So.  Is it because it’s Black History month?  Is it an awareness thing?  Does the fact that Michelle Obama visited her family’s former plantation matter?  Does it have any bearing on anything relevent?  Is it just a stunt?  Or is it a conspiracy to keep the great state of South Carolina in it’s place?

I don’t know.  I just don’t.  You tell me. 

But until then:

__________

Wow, what a stunner Tuesday was, huh?  As I watched CNN electoral vote by electoral vote, I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.  By the time Obama was giving is acceptance speech, I was wondering, who has the movie rights?  I can imagine the NBC mini-series.  It’s the perfect underdog story ¹; the good intentioned minority politician stands up against corrupt white America and wins.  Though it didn’t come easy.  He had to duke it out the entire way, starting with his own party, proving himself that he was the perfect man for the job despite reservations.  Then he had a second uphill battle as he proved to America that he wasn’t just an ordinary guy, he was extraordinary.  But he didn’t have it in the bag, he just couldn’t squeak by a margin.  And then… he did.  Over night people decided, okay, we want him.  

And we got him.  Cue stunningly artistic shot of Obama-look-alike on the podium.

I can’t wait to see the sequel.

Hello all,

I have returned from my India vacation. I am inclined to tell you how AWESOME it truly was, but I understand that no one wants to watch other peoples’ vacation videos, so I’ll keep it to myself. Anyway, there are more important things at hand. Did you happen to see what day it is? I don’t know about you, but I will be watching updates on TV and the internet every minute for the next 24 hours. And if you wish to do the same, I found this to help you.

Also, there is a great Election Widget page on the Huffington Post today, but mind you that most stuff won’t be updated until polls start closing.

Happy Voting!

Other than the occasional social issue, I try to stay as clear as possible from politics. It’s not the politics that I find distressing, but rather the politics OF the politics that I find particularly off-putting, but really that’s an argument for another day. Upon creating this website, I never had any intentions of it being a political haven, particularly because I don’t think I can speak articulately enough on any one political subject well enough for it to be so, nor honestly, do I care. But it would seem now, with the November election rapidly approaching, I find myself a lot more interested, and not to mention, scared.

Yes, to repeat that, I am scared of which what the political winds are blowing. I’ve heard countless times that this may be the most important presidential election America has ever seen, and though I can’t argue if that is necessarily the case ¹I cannot deny that the election is crucial to the future of our country. The notion of John McCain taking office terrifies me. Actually terrifies me. The below video pretty much sums up why:

McCain will be the next Dubbya, and then some. Over the last eight years, the USA has tumbled² from grace due to the current administration and to be honest, I don’t think that we are strong enough to take another four years of decline. That’s over a decade falling, and that’s bound to do some damage. The economy is worse off than it has ever been. (From 3 trillion surplus to 5 trillion debt, is nothing to scoff at, even though the numbers are fairly hard to comprehend.) McCain will surely continue that with his notions of what “rich” is and how we should continue to stay in the futile war we’ve been drowning in for the last seven years. If McCain wins the presidency, America will go even further into debt with the war, not to mention, lose lives that ought not be lost, run screaming towards Christian Evangelical Fundamentalism and most certainly set social issues back twenty years. ³

We need Obama.  And though I really like him and think that he will do a good job as president, I am not claiming that Obama has to be the most 100% perfect man for the job.  We just can’t have McCain — at this point, even if it were 2000 McCain and not 2008 McCain — because Bush has already set us back too far. Maybe it would be different, tolerable at least, if he was coming straight off the heels of Clinton, but he’s not, our grave is being dug as I type this.  

Frankly, I don’t trust My Fellow Americans to make the right choice.  People vote their wallets an unfortunate amount of the time, even if they don’t have the wallets that are going to benefit.  Plus there’s the ignorant contingent that we have to deal with who just like to have their freedom to bare arms and not having to deal with those different (or more intelligent) than them.  Not to mention, those looney’s who vote Independent, thinking that that is a way to keep the evil away by not voting for it.  You know what, stay home, independents, because all you do is take away from the good guys, since your “parties” are generally little off-shoot denominations of Democrats anyway.  Thirdly, what’s to stop the GOP from stealing yet another election?  Twice in a row they’ve done it, and not subtly, either, so what’s to stop them from doing it again?  What’s the swing state of choice this time?  And finally, Obama is counting on a lot of votes from demographics that aren’t the most reliable when it comes to rolling out of bed on that Tuesday in November, and though they seem to be changing their tune this year, old habits die hard.  I can’t say that the outcome is optimistic here. 

The last thing I want to be is cynical, and to be honest, I think that my new found viewing of the West Wing is only exacerbating the issue.  (Why can’t Martin Sheen run for president?  Or at least Laura Roslin?  They’ve done nothing but proven awesome at it on screen, who’s to say they won’t do better than the standard Dubbya set?)  Is it so wrong that I want tomorrow to be better and that I believe that, in our case, if it doesn’t get better, it’s going to get a lot, LOT, worse?  I know I’m not the most informed person in the political playground, in fact, I’m pretty sure I’m the kid on the leash that has to sit in the corner facing the opposite direction, but I do my best to stay informed and alert.

I’m scared about the election.  I’m scared it’s going to turn out the way that I’m scared of it turning out.

Wii Fit:

Down to 22.27% BMI, thats 59.9 kg.  Fingers crossed.

________

“Obama Campaign Reaches out to Gay Georgians”

When I first saw this headline, I thought, “what, all four of them?”  Even as a lesbian from Georgia’s neighbor, South Carolina, I still find it hard to grasp onto the idea that there are more than a handful of gays and lesbians in the deep south and I think that it is insanely important (not to mention comforting) that people as politically powerful as Obama are able to recognize that gays and lesbians don’t just live in California and New York.  According to the 2006 U.S. Census analysis by UCLA’s Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law & Public Policy, there are over 280,000 GLB’s roaming the dirt roads of Georgia, and a number that meaty isn’t only surprising, but makes you go “Hm, maybe Obama’s onto something.”   And hey, maybe if this little experiment works out for him in Georgia, he can head on next door to my neck of the woods and see what kind of support he can rustle up over there.

According to the article in Southern Voice, Obama has turned some of his campaigning efforts in Georgia towards the GLB community in hopes of getting the southern st­ate to turn a pretty shade of blue in November for the first time since Bill’s first election in ‘92.

It would appear that Obama’s tactic is so appealing that, according to this article at least, even some of the gay Republicans can’t help being interested in his views on gay rights.

Ah, the controversy of the Gay Republican.  Being born and bred on the buckle of the Bible belt myself, the concept of the “Gay Republican” is not foreign to me, though that does not makes it any less baffling.  So many of my peers and elders alike have lectured me about how “politics has nothing to do with sexuality and therefore doesn’t influence who I vote for.”  I’m sorry to burst any bubbles, but it does and it should, especially once anyone, GOP or otherwise, starts using a particular stance on sexuality for political sway. “Yes, you might be one of the few who gets a tax cut, but you must also resign yourself to wearing a pink triangle on your arm so that we can keep an eye on you.” It becomes unavoidably apparent that sexual and political preferences unquestionably go hand in hand. The question that does remain to be asked, however, is where is the line here? And what trade-offs are we willing to make for these “clear cut politics” so many people speak of?

Cloning is still a fairly new phenomenon, really only measuring up to a few sheep here and there, so it’s not surprising that a story about a woman who paid to have her dead dog cloned would make the news.  People are bound to have their opinions on such things.  Is it natural? Is it a sin?  What have you.  Personally, I think the sin lies in the fact the woman paid $50,000 to have her dog Booger cloned.  What’s wrong with going the pet shop and just getting a new one that looks like him and naming him something like Booger 2?  50k must be one hell of a puppy.  Anyway, I digress.

Bernann McKinney has made the news once again because allegedly she is the same woman who sexually assaulted a mormon missionary thirty-one years ago.  It turns out if you have your picture out in the paper for the world to see, the world tends to see it. Read the full article here.

What an idiot.  Thirty years ago, this woman commits this crime and then flees the country.  She’s never able to be found ¹ which would mean to me, if I were a criminal on the run, that I should keep doing what I am doing. But what does this girl do?  She runs and does something ground breaking and media attention-getting, leaving her face splashed all over the internet. Sheesh, I at least hope that dog knew how to fetch a beer out of the fridge.

I leave you with a quote that more than confirms her guilt for me:

“She’s ugly as sin now, but sure enough, that’s her.”

Wii Fit:

BMI: 22.79

Weight: 61.5 kg

Two days before my deadline and I still have 1.5 kg to lose.  Son of  a Bitch.