Just Checking In...

Just wanted to check in, in case anyone ever comes by anymore. I haven't written anything in so long. I have a good excuse though. I've been working hard and researching our wedding. The Italian will be arriving in a few short weeks and we'll be getting married a few months after that. I had know idea all the details a wedding entails. I've spent countless hours researching! Alas, it looks like we will just have something very small here in the states and our relgious ceremony will be in Milano. I have to wait until everyone comes back from vacation to really start planning for our big wedding in Milano.
The Italian and I are going to be starting another blog together. Once he gets here, we will be getting the help of a fellow blogger to put it all together. Check back in from time to time - I will be posting the link to the new blog here!
Hope you are all well and enjoying your summer! My absolute favorite season - Fall - is almost upon us! In fact, the leaves here in Portland are already starting to change colors, believe it or not.

A presto!

A Change of Plans

I've really been neglecting my blog. It's not on purpose, really. I've been working a lot of overtime and by the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is stare at a computer screen. Usually afterwork I play tennis or go to the gym, so by the time I make dinner and sit down, I'm pretty much spent. I don't even have kids yet! That's going to be interesting! I don't know how you Mamma's do it. Kudos to you!

The Italian and I have been talking about his coming to Portland and his plans were to come here with plenty of money since it will be 4 or 5 months before he can even apply for work. Unfortunately, he is the latest victim of this global economic crisis and has not been paid by the University since September of last year. I don't understand how they expect people to survive! He won't leave until they pay him otherwise he'll never see that money. He even took a second job just to keep himself afloat but even that has been hard because it is a commission based job. I'm pretty bummed out because usually around this time of year I am preparing for his arrival. Not this year. Long distance relationships really aren't for the faint of heart. I like to see the glass as half-full so I am just seeing this as another bump in the road. Fortunately, I have some job security so we decided that I would go there for Christmas and New Year. This way I could meet his family. The last time I was there we had just met and he is pretty traditional in that he doesn't bring anyone home unless he intends to marry them. So, I will be the first woman he takes to meet his family. I have to admit that this is a little strange for me, having been raised in the states. It used to be that way in Mexico, but those are things of the past. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. According to the Italian, southern Italian mothers really scrutinize their sons choice for a wife. Maybe the fact that there is a language barrier will work in my favor!! I would like to learn some of her recipes and I am sure she wants me to keep her son well fed, so I think this may be a way to bond if we can understand each other. I'm thinking I might take some Mexican ingredients and show her a few of my dishes. I doubt there are any good Mexican restaurants in Milano.

If any of you out there have some tips for me, please, I need all the advice I can get!! I think I am more worried about saying the wrong thing and offending someone. I am going to be there from December 23 thru January 8th so I hope to learn as much cooking as I can while I am there. I am soooo looking forward to all the wonderful dishes the Italian's mom makes for Christmas. He has described them to me over the phone and I am left salivating everytime. She makes capitoni but he doesn't like it. I like fish, so I think I might like it. I hope these next 5 months fly by because I am so anxious to see him. At that point it will be a year and a half that we haven't seen each other. Too long! I am hoping that once I come back he will follow me here shortly thereafter. My first Christmas in Italy!! I am soooo excited!! I better lose a few extra pounds in preparation because if it's anything like the culinary extravaganza that goes on in Mexico for the holiday season, I'm bound to pack a few pounds on!

I have more to write about the situation at work, but I'll save that for another day. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer.

New Beginnings, Fender Benders, and Racism

How's that for a title? Well, I'd all but abandoned my blog and I thought it was about time I revived it.

I'll start with the new beginnings. I finally found the Italian and I a new place to live. My previous place was the size of a shoe box and not a whole lot going for it but when I moved to Portland, it's all that was left in the neighborhood I wanted to be in so I took it. Now, there's a surplus of apartments in this area and as a result, I found us a great deal! This place is so much bigger!! It also has a balcony and a beautiful view of Mt. St. Helens and downtown Portland AND it's two blocks away from work! I love not having to drive and saving on gas as well as saving the environment. I come home for lunch, it's great! I had some friends over this weekend and they could not believe the deal I got. I can't wait for the Italian to see it!



I had a fender bender a few weeks ago but no one was hurt except for my poor car. I accidentally backed into my friends car. His car had not even a scratch, thank goodness. I was on a really steep hill trying to parallel park. There goes my good driver discount....Boo! I had never had to deal with a body shop and insurance before. What a pain! My insurance was actually really nice, it was the body shop that made it difficult. They kept my car for 3 weeks. Who knew one could have separation anxiety from a car!




My job is going great! I am doing really well. I have only been there two months and I already got a promotion, however, it was not without drama. This is where the racism comes in. I was hired as an assistant although the person I was assisting had no background or education in that position. She has worked in the medical field but as a medical assistant. Medical assistants really don't make much so she took a job as the clinic receptionist and was actually making more money. When the position became available she volunteered for it and the office manager decided to take a chance and train her. This isn't really a job where one can just be trained. There is so much more to it. It takes some education. Eventually I was hired as an assistant because she (we'll call her "A") was really struggling. "A" knew that I had the educational background and ever since I started working there she has been really snippy and condescending. I can hold my own, but being that I was new and her assistant, I didn't want to be insubordinate. So, I let a few things slide. Everyday I would catch mistakes she was making and when I presented her with them the look on her face was clueless. The sarcasm on her part got worse. Now I see that perhaps she was threatened by me. One day we were discussing Spain and she said that she was treated badly there because of the way she dressed (she's very hippy/bohemian, not that it matters to me but just to give you an idea) and then she said that Spaniards are the "lowest" of the European community and my response was that I had never heard that and that I disagreed with her. She continued to say, "You know, just like how Mexicans are the lowest of the Latin American countries". She said this to my face knowing full well that I am Mexican. I could feel the blood rushing to my face and my fists clenching but I wasn't going to indulge her in a reaction like that. I knew she was trying to push my buttons. I just told her that that is absolutely not true and I had never heard such an ignorant thing. Her response was, "Oh, I don't feel that way, but other people do". I decided to let her ignorant commment go. She obviously doesn't know any better and has no class or tact whatsoever. I later found out that she insulted Spaniards because she thought the Italian was Spaniard. Can you believe that?? I mean if she doesn't like me fine. But to generalize a whole culture and to put someone down that she has never met and knows nothing about??!! I feel sorry for her.

Shortly thereafter, my boss came to me extremely frustrated and asked me if I wanted "A"'s postion because she was making way too many mistakes and costing the clinic money. I can't tell you the feeling I had inside. I was so happy and the term poetic justice rang like a melody in my ears! Of course I accepted and she said she would put "A" back into her original receptionist position, which would now make me her boss. I knew "A" would not be happy. She started with her sarcasm again, but this time I gave it right back to her. Now she is acting really nice and is acting like she is relieved not to be in that position anymore. I know this is just a defense mechanism of hers. It is a very challenging position and there is a lot of attention to detail. I'm sure she is humiliated but she needs to learn to be humble. She goes around the clinic acting like she knows more than everybody else. As terrible as it sounds, I hope she leaves. Everyone else in the clinic is so cool, she's the only moody one. Can you believe now she is actually inviting me to see her boyfriends band play...Ha! We will never be friends. I don't surround myself with people like that.

On to a happier note, as a result of my promotion I get to do to Dallas for a conference on June 10th for 4 days!! Things are going great for me career wise and in my personal life. The only thing missing is my Italian and I am really hoping he makes it here by August so that we can start our life together!

Ch-Ch-Ch- Changes

So many things have happened in the last two weeks and I decided I wouldn't write until I had some sort of outcome. First of all, I quit the job that I had taken to pass the time while I searched in the medical field, without having gotten a job to replace it with. At first I thought it was a pretty cool place to work and I am actually a consumer of it's product and have been for years. After about a month or so, things changed, drastically. They brought in a new VP that wanted to run things the way he did at his former place of employment. In my opinion, if he liked the way the old job was working for him, then he should have stayed there. It was horrible, I went from being treated like an adult to being micromanaged. I wasn't eating or sleeping well. I found myself turning into a moody person and I am normally a very positive happy person (unless you piss me off, of course, haha!) but seriously, it was beginning to affect my health and well-being, so I had to make a decision. It was difficult on me because of the health benefits I would be losing and we all know that not having health insurance in this country is like walking a tightrope, and given my health history, I would be taking a big risk. Add to that the fact that me not having a job would prolong the Italian's arrival. I seriously cried on the phone to the Italian the morning I decided not to go to work anymore. That was exactly two weeks ago today.

Yesterday I went to lunch with some friends from school and out of the four of us, only one had found a job in the medical field, but she was offered a really low salary. I honestly don't know how she is going to survive on that. Admittedly, I panicked a bit, but as soon as a worried thought enters my mind, I try to follow it with a positive one. I decided I was going to do what I could to market myself well and not sell myself short at the same time.

This morning I woke up and decided I was going to call a woman I had interviewed with back in November and again about 3 weeks ago. We had been going back and forth about this job for 3 months. This was going to be the last phone call. If she didn't respond or gave me the run around, I figured today would be the end of it. When I called, the receptionist acted as though she was waiting for my call and put me through to the woman I interviewed with. She told me she was so glad I called because she had been thinking about me over the weekend. Long story short, she offered me the position. Finally, after 3 months of back and forth, I finally got the job with the pay that I was hoping for, and after 90 days, if all goes well, possibly a raise. Although one might be leery given the history of the pursuit of this position, I am going to be cautiously optimistic and hope for the best. I really feel a sense of relief and I am so happy.

Now the only thing that is missing is the Italian. I hope the 90 days go by fast so that we can expedite his arrival. I miss him so much! I am also thinking of getting a new place before he returns. The rents are decreasing and there is so much out there right now. I want to stay in the same neighborhood though. I just love my neighborhood and so does he. New job, new home....and next a new..... :-)

I Love Pandora!!

I am officially addicted to Pandora. Pandora Internet Radio is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Seriously, it's that good and it's free! For those of you that are not aware of this little gem, it's a website that creates radio stations for you based on your favorite artists. They created what is known as the Music Genome Project which analyzes up to 400 distinct musical characteristics by a trained music analyst. This is how it is described on their website:

These attributes capture not only the musical identity of a song, but also the many significant qualities that are relevant to understanding the musical preferences of listeners. The typical music analyst working on the Music Genome Project has a four-year degree in music theory, composition or performance, has passed through a selective screening process and has completed intensive training in the Music Genome's rigorous and precise methodology. To qualify for the work, analysts must have a firm grounding in music theory, including familiarity with a wide range of styles and sounds. All analysis is done on location.

The Music Genome Project's database is built using a methodology that includes the use of precisely defined terminology, a consistent frame of reference, redundant analysis, and ongoing quality control to ensure that data integrity remains reliably high. Pandora does not use machine-listening or other forms of automated data extraction.

The Music Genome Project is updated on a continual basis with the latest releases, emerging artists, and an ever-deepening collection of catalogue titles.

By utilizing the wealth of musicological information stored in the Music Genome Project, Pandora recognizes and responds to each individual's tastes. The result is a much more personalized radio experience - stations that play music you'll love - and nothing else.



This website is truly a music lover's dream and a great way to discover new artists based on your music preferences. They have artists from all over the world. It's truly amazing and for those of you with iPhones, there is even an iPhone app for Pandora. Unfortunately, for now, Pandora is limited to the United States. They have not yet acquired licenses to stream in other countries. It is something that they would like to do in the future. You can read their blog for any updates directly on the website.

I am desperately seeking a Blu-Ray player by Samsung (model BD-P2550) which has Pandora and Netflix Instant Watch programmed right into it. It was such a popular item during the holidays that it is sold out everywhere. Are we really in a recession?? People seem to be spending. Boh. I keep hearing that it is going to be in stores again soon. My current BR player just isn't cutting the mustard anymore and I'd like to sell it.

I hope you check it out, if you can and let me know what you think. You can even connect with friends and share music. Have fun!

I'm Back...It's Been So Long....

Well, what can I say? So much has happened. I have joined the ranks of the nations gainfully employed, albeit in a field that has nothing to do with medicine. But, with major employers announcing lay-offs daily, I am lucky to have anything at all. The hospital that I was hoping to get a job with, just announced 500 lay-offs, so that went out the door. I did have an interview there, but the position was given to an internal candidate..surprise, surprise. I was told there may be another position opening soon, however, that was before they announced the layoffs.

Now that I have some extra income, I have been playing tennis and taking Krav Maga lessons. I didn't realize how much I truly missed tennis. I used to be really good and participated in tournaments. I hadn't played in over a year and a half. Now that I am back on the courts, it's going to be hard to ever get me off again! I just love it so much, so I am extremely content to have the opportunity to play again. Krav Maga is Israeli self-defense. Krav Maga is used by the FBI, CIA, INS and several law enforcement agencies. It is very intense. Not only do you get a great workout, but you are learning to defend yourself also. It's not for the weak. I've had a few bruises already and have been extremely sore. I haven't felt those muscles in a long time! Maybe my next post will be about Krav Maga....

The Italian is still in Italy, but we are hoping he can make it here by late spring/early summer. It's so hard to be away from him, but we speak on the phone as often as we can and email and text almost everyday. This global economic crisis isn't really helping things much, but we are both optimistic. This is the land of opportunity after all! See, it's all in the attitude, isn't it?

Portland has been in the news in the last few months. First we had the snow storm of the century, dumping almost 2 feet of snow. The city was completely shut down. No one knows how to drive in it, nor is the city equipped to handle it. I just had a chuckle because I have lived in two different states where 2 feet of snow is considered a light dusting. Then Portland was in the news because some nutjob was tired of living, decided to get himself a gun and go to the club district, which is like a mile away from my apartment, and randomly take out some people. The people he victimized were foreign exchange students. 2 died and several were gravely injured. The girl that was most severely injured was a foreign exchange student from Italy. Rome, to be exact. She was shot something like 11 times. Or was it 17?? I don't remember, but it is a miracle that she made it. Her parents came here and I believe are still here with her. It looks like she is going to ride out the school year here. Her family says they love Portland, and they realize it was completely random. I'm so glad that she made it, but I feel terrible for those kids that didn't.

I've also been on Facebook a lot. It's addicting!! I've connected with people I hadn't heard from in years. Are any of you on Facebook?

Slip of the Tongue...??

So as most of the world knows, the "youthful" and often tactless Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi made a remark about our new President Elect being young, handsome and even "tanned". Hmm..anyhow, here is how some Italians have responded to his remark:

http://www.notspeakinginmyname.com/

iTunes Tuesday a Day Late: Special Election Edition Barack Obama

I went for a walk today and even though the skies were gray and the ground was wet, people had smiles on their faces and the atmosphere in Portland is joyous and victorious. Last night history was made and there were fireworks, revelers in the streets. The employees at Trader Joe's were happier than usual. It felt like midnight on New Years. I've never seen anything like it, but it's good, really good. The world is happy!! A friend of mine in California sent me this and it's infectous so I had to pass it on. So rejoice, turn up the speakers and get up and dance!!

A Proud Day for America

We did it. My country voted in the right man for the highest ranking job in the country. I have always been a proud American, but never more so than now. Barack Obama has defeated McCain in a landslide. The people have spoken and the truth prevails. No doubt that he has a tough job ahead of him. Much like Clinton, he will have to clean up the mess that the second Bush has left behind. But true to history, I am positive that a Democrat administration will be good for our economy. There was definitely a ceiling shattered tonight. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

I can hear people screaming in the streets!! OMG, I even hear fireworks!!

What's Wrong With This Picture?? And an Important Message

Can you spot it? This just confirms her ignorance, but hey, thanks for the support Palin.



And now an important message from young America.

The Morning Banana Diet

There seems to be a shortage of bananas in Japan and that's because of the Morning Banana Diet craze. The lastest fad diet to hit Japan. There are literally no more bananas in Japan and the Philippines can't keep up with the demand.

This is how the diet started:

A Japanese white-collar worker named Hitoshi Watanabe (currently 31 years old) had ballooned from his college days weight of about 135 pounds to about 175 pounds. Through various fitness and diet practices he managed to get himself back to 160 pounds, but he couldn’t get any lower.

Enter Sumiko. Hitoshi’s girlfriend was a pharmacist with additional training in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, yoga, and various natural and alternative health practices. When Hitoshi confessed that he wanted to lose that last 25 pounds, Sumiko suggested the ideas that became the core of the Morning Banana Diet: a banana for breakfast, room-temperature water to drink, and dinner well before bedtime.

Hitoshi lost the weight before his marriage to Sumiko, and he was so excited by the diet that he uploaded his before and after photos to the quarter-of-a-million-member Yaseru (”slim down”) community on Japan’s most popular social networking Web site, Mixi.jp. Many members tried it, asked questions, made suggestions, and the diet took off like wildfire.

I was kind of surprised by this since most Japanese people are quite healthy, unless they are sumo wrestlers. OK, maybe that sounded ignorant....Okinawa has some of the healthiest people in the world, who also happen to have the longest life span. So this banana diet sparked my curiousity, because you know, I am perpetually on a diet. What woman isn't these days?? Plus, I love me a good banana!! So I did a little research on the internet and found this website It's not a starvation diet and is much easier to follow than the Extreme Fat Smash Diet which I have done in the past. The Extreme Fat Smash is very limiting and I was always starving on that diet. The banana diet is much more reasonable. The rules are simple:

Eat a banana for breakfast

* You can eat more than one, and in fact the inventor of the diet often ate four bananas in the morning, but don’t stuff yourself to the point of fullness or discomfort
* Eat only raw, uncooked, unfrozen bananas
* Some variants of the diet allow other fruit to be substituted
* If other fruit is substituted, some variants require it be restricted to one type of fruit per meal
* If you are still hungry 15 or 20 minutes after your banana, you can eat other food (the inventor of the diet sometimes ate a rice ball two and a half hours later, about 200 calories worth)

Eat anything you want for lunch and dinner

* Dinner must be eaten by 8 p.m. at the latest (6 p.m. is better)
* There are no limits on what you can eat or the amount, including fried foods
* However, you should not eat a dessert with dinner or any of your meals
* At all meals you should eat only until you’re satisfied but not full or stuffed

Drink only water

* The only beverage allowed at most meals is water, preferably mineral or filtered
* The water must be at room temperature, not chilled or hot
* The water should be drunk in small sips and not used to wash down food
* There is no quota of water to drink, and you should not drink it in excess
* Outside of meals non-caloric beverages like tea, coffee, and diet soda are generally allowed but somewhat frowned upon, and in general water is encouraged as much as possible; milk products are not considered compatible with the diet
* On social occasions you may drink beer or wine

Eat your food mindfully

* Chew your banana and other food thoroughly and be mindful of its taste

You may eat an afternoon snack

* A sweet snack of chocolate, cookies, or the like is allowed at about 3 p.m.
* Ice cream, a donut, or potato chips are not recommended
* Some substitute fresh fruit for their snack, but if you want sweets you should not deny yourself
* Some Japanese who like salty snacks eat salted konbu (seaweed) snacks
* Some Japanese who are very hungry in the afternoon substitute a filling, fist-sized rice ball for sweets
* If you are hungry after dinner, you may have a second snack of fresh fruit, but this should not be a habit

Early to bed

* Go to bed by midnight. If you can manage to go to bed earlier, all the better

Exercise only if you want to

* Put no pressure on yourself to exercise
* If you want to exercise, go ahead: the test is to do what puts the least stress on you

OK, so I don't agree with the exercise only if you want to rule. I believe that exercise is key to a successful weight loss and lifestyle change. I'm going to be a guinea pig and try this diet. What have I got to lose but this tire sitting around my waist?? If it works, great, if not, I'm sure I won't gain any weight, right?
There are many health benefits to eating bananas, such as:

Bananas ease depression
Bananas treat anemia
Bananas help regulate blood pressure
Bananas are brain food
Bananas reduce constipation
Bananas cure hangovers
Bananas soothe heartburn
Bananas help avoid morning sickness
Bananas calm nerves
Bananas ease peptic ulcers
Bananas are a cooling fruit
Bananas help to quit smoking
Bananas help reduce stress
Bananas minimize stroke risks
Bananas help prevent cramping
Bananas help reduce swelling and irritation from mosquito bites
Bananas help kill off warts

So after my Italian class this morning, I went to my favorite grocery store Trader Joes and was thrilled to see that they had plenty of bananas. I'm going to start it on Sunday morning and see how it goes. I'm on a quest to get my bella figura back! I'll keep you posted!

The Last Debate Before the Elections

Wow, this was McCain's chance to redeem himself, instead he showed just how little control he has of his emotions. He might as well have thrown himself on the floor to complete his little tantrum. The incessant blinking, rolling his eyes, snickering and sneering. Grow up dude! It's obvious that he knows he's in trouble but instead of ceasing the opportunity to take the lead, he acted like a child. Obama had the opportunity to completely discredit Palin when he was asked if she was qualified for the VP, instead he took the high road. Did McCain when posed the same question?? No, of course not. Personally, I don't want a man or woman with a temperament like that representing my country. McCain and Palin are like two peas in a pod. Neither of them can speak eloquently, nor can they remain composed in the face of adversity. They should take their act to the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. I think that's more their target audience. Those "Joe six pack" types. Speaking of Joe, Joe the Plumber sure got his 15 minutes, didn't he? I hope he realizes that McCain isn't the right choice for him. Especially with regards to his healthcare plan. This is one of the most important issues to me both because I am still paying medical bills from last year and because I will soon be working in the healthcare industry (and have in the past). I'm not a doctor but I have lots of friends that are and this is what the very respected New England Journal of Medicine has to say about McCain's healthcare plan:

The choice facing health care professionals, like all Americans, is basic: Who deserves to be trusted with the stewardship of America's health care system? The McCain proposal violates the bedrock principle that major health policy reforms should first do no harm. It would risk the viability of employer-sponsored insurance and the welfare of chronically ill Americans in pell-mell pursuit of a radical vision of consumer-driven health care. Senator McCain's plan does not demonstrate the kind of judgment needed in a potential commander in chief of our health care system.

I'm willing to bet that Palin has never even heard of the New England Journal of Medicine! Shoot, she probably doesn't even know where New England is and I'm sure has never been there. What would be the point? That part of the country is as blue as the sky.

Here is a little video on what the analysts had to say about John McCain's anger mismanagement:



Only a few more weeks and I can cast my vote. Get out there and vote people!! I had a dream that we won and I didn't care what time it was, I sent a text to the Italian in Milano saying, "WE WON, WE WON!!" This of course wouldn't be good news to him being a Republican sympathizer and all, but man would I love the chance to rub it in his face!!I hope my dream is a prelude of good things to come.

Portland, OR No.3 on Top 5 List of Amazing Green Cities

Portland is the only U.S. city in the top 5 list of Amazing Green cities. People here really care about their surroundings. We have solar-powered parking meters and tons of green space. People pick up their dog poo (95% of the time) and when I'm out on a walk I rarely see trash laying around in the street, as far as trashy people are concerned, that's another story...just joking! Rounding out the top five were:

5. Malmo, Sweden
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Portland, Oregon
2. Vancouver, Canada
1. Reykjavik, Iceland

Here is the article from Howstuffworks.com:

Green City 3: Portland, Ore.

­­Portland lies on the banks of the Willamette River in the Pacific Northwest and is home to more than 500,000 people. It’s been a model of sustainable living for decades, smartly mixing urban and outdoor spaces.

Chuck Pefley/Stone/Getty Images
The Portland skyline is backed by Mount Hood.

Its greenness is hardly new. Since its 1903 "Report to the Portland Park Board," Portland has been inspiring cities across the United States and the world to embrace green space in their urban planning. Thirty years ago, Portland continued leading the way by demolishing a six-lane highway to develop a waterfront park in its place. Today Portland has roughly 92,000 acres of green space, including 74 miles (119 km) of biking, hiking and running trails, and has enacted an urban-growth boundary to contain the urban landscape and protect 25 million acres of forest and farms [source: Grist].

Portland was the first city in the United States to enact a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and was a founding member of the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. It has also held rank at the top of green city lists in the United States and in the world for several years [source: Progressive Policy Institute]. The city has 50 buildings that meet or exceed U.S. Green Building Council standards for sustainability, and its mix of commercial and residential areas is pedestrian and bike friendly -- roughly one quarter of commuters bike to work [source: Popular Science].

­Looking ahead, Portland has set ambitious energy goals. By 2010, the city plans to supply 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, including innovative approaches such as solar-powered parking meters.

Yet another reason to love Portland! More reasons and pics to come soon.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words.

After Palin's speech last night, I donated money to the Obama campaign. After McCain's speech tonight (one that damn near put me to sleep AND I must have downed at least half a bottle of Pepto Bismol) I donated again. At this rate, if these Republicans keep giving speeches I'm going to have to file for bankruptcy.

My bad: Gov. Palin does actually have a passport. She got it in 2007 when she had to go to Kuwait to visit the Alaska National Guard. She has also listed a "stop" (i.e. layover) in Ireland on her foreign experience resume. Pathetic. I've spent more time at Schipol airport in Amsterdam that she did in Ireland.

AND

for attempting to appeal to the "special needs" population, I say...Hypocrite and shame on you. She CUT funds for special needs programs in her state. Hmm, a Freudian slip on her part maybe?

A village in Alaska has lost it's idiot.

“Jesus was a Community Organizer, and Pontias Pilate was a Governor.”

https://donate.barackobama.com/

Palin: Are You Kidding Me?? The GOP Has Lost It's Proverbial Mind

I am sitting here watching the RNC and listening to Palin's "speech". This is a joke, really. Michelle Obama's speech was far better. Michelle Obama is far more fit to be the VP than Palin. Palin has no where near the education or experience that Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton do. She can't even see Barack. She was a small town mayor who had to hire a city administrator to help her do her job because a town of 6,000 or whatever was too much for her to handle. Um, how about a country of millions?? Taking cheap shots at Obama saying he's unqualified, WTF??? Let's compare apples to apples here. The woman has ZERO experience on foreign policy and I don't even think she's ever been out of the country. She probably doesn't even own a passport. But I digress.

Sarah Palin is far right politically, and contrary to what the GOP would have you believe, her experience does not qualify her for the 2nd most important position in the country. This is a cynical gamble on the part of John McCain - shame on him for putting this country and the world at risk in such perilous times. It's funny how the GOP is always touting itself as the party of national security - what a joke!

Do these people realize that McCain is 72 years old and not in the best of health. If something happens to him, she becomes President. OMG! The world is laughing at us right now, seriously. The London Times is calling Palin "An Apalling Candidate". She just mentioned no earmarking in her speech, yet her record clearly shows she earmarked in the past. She is being investigated for abuse of power (i.e. corruption) after less than two years in office. That sure shows something about her leadership style. And now she says she wants to build more nuclear plants!!?? She wasn't even properly vetted before McCain announced she was to be his running mate. I won't even comment on her family.....Mamma Mia! You can read more about her here: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/about-sarah-palin-by-someone-w.php

I'm really scared about the way politics are going in this country. This blog is not going to get political, but I just had to say something. I'm going to change the channel now because I'm getting sick to my stomache. I'm so glad I live in ultra-liberal Oregon. I'll never leave this place. God help us all......!

Long Island Lolita

Remember her? Amy Fisher, the 16 year old Long Island girl who had an affair with a much older married man, Joey Buttafuoco, then shot his wife in the face. Well, this weekend I was channel surfing and they just happened to be showing the movie about it. The one with Alyssa Milano. So, I thought, hmm, I wonder what she's up to these days. I felt sorry for her when the whole thing first happened. Then every once in a while I'd hear something about her, at first not too bad. She got plastic surgery, she was writing an article for a New York publication, she got married, had a couple of kids. All normal stuff. It's seems she really grew up and was sorry for what she did. Well, in recent years things have changed for her, I found as I decided to do a search on the internet. Apparentley she and her husband separated at one point and she decided to rekindle the "romance" she had with Joey, yeah, can you believe that? Then, once her husband got wind of this he decided he was gonna sell their homemade sex tapes to a distributor for revenge. Well, it became the number #1 selling sex tape in the industry. Rather than save face and fight it, she decided to settle with the distributor and actually promote the DVD. So now she's a porn star and pretty darn tootin' proud of it too. Here's an interview (not for the faint of heart! Rated NC-17) I saw on Youtube wherein she is proudly promoting her DVD and sounding rather stupid if you ask me. She lost my sympathy vote. She's got kids for Pete's sake!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ta7EaU0tldQ

I tried to post the video here but for some reason only part of the embedded item would come out. Anybody know how to get the whole thing to come out? I seem to be having trouble with youtube videos lately.