a new day.

a new day, a new year. a new president, new hope, new attitude. a new computer, a brand new me.

stay tuned......

happy election day– update.

a long line and a little over an hour later, and my vote was officially cast.

i've voted in every single election since turning 18, and i've never been more proud to stand in line and let my voice be heard than in this one.

perhaps it's because my world view is a little broader, perhaps it's because with age i've become a little wiser. perhaps it's because this time i believe my vote will truly change the world.

today, i cast my vote for all the women that fought so hard for so long for the right to vote in this country.

i cast my vote for all the women (and men) around the world that are still struggling for this very right.

i cast my vote for the troops that are fighting so hard to guarantee this freedom, and all freedoms, so their fighting is not in vain.

i cast my vote because i am so grateful to these ancestors, to my peers, for giving me the right.

happy election day.

no matter what your beliefs, no matter what "side of the aisle" you're on, no matter what gets you to the polls, just get there. and vote.

live blogging.... on the debate.

8:02 PM first debate! so, so exciting. goosebumps all over. (i'm just that girl.)
8:04 PM i really do wish obama would stop using the phrase "defining moment." i'm 100% behind you mr. obama, but. we get it already.
8:11 PM obama: "we need accountability, but not just when there's a crisis." preach on.
8:12 PM oh, a little humor! a self-depricating mccain joking about his old age! i love it. until i think of his old age, and the next-in-line being sarah palin, and then.... not so funny.
8:14 PM oh, spending in washington is out of control, mr. mccain? you must be referencing the $5,000 a second we're spending on the iraq war, right? okay, just wanted to check.
8:18 PM love the split screen. it's so rosie o'donnell/elizabeth hasselbeck!
8:19 PM mccain made a couple of funnies to himself. he he.
8:23 PM is it just me, or does obama's hair look significantly grayer? poor guy. this whole campaigning business has quite obviously taken its toll on him.
8:27 PM thank you for mentioning hybrid vehicles, obama. they are what i spend my weekdays pushing to the public and to the media. ahhhhh, and my work (hopefully) means something. soon.
8:32 PM "wrong-headed?" hmmmm, obama, use a different phrase please. you've got a lot of them in your vocabulary.
8:37 PM mccain: "i've fought unnecessary and wasteful spending...." ummm...like, $5,000 a second?
8:38 PM is this the third time mccain has used "miss congeniality" in reference to himself? just wondering.
8:30 PM first mention of sarah palin!! i've been waiting for this all night.
8:42 PM FOUR THOUSAND LIVES. so, so sad.
disclaimer: i am a liberal who fully supports our brave troops. but to me, troop support and administration support are two very, very different things.
8:45 PM uh oh, here comes the inevitable patriotism plug those conservatives are so fond of endlessly pushing.
***8:48 PM quick cake break, because i fully support obama's position that we need more troops in afghanistan. chocolate will just help this broken record go down a little easier.***
***8:52 PM leo looks at me with eyes of judgment, like perhaps i shouldn't be eating said piece of cake. need to run to the kitchen to get him a treat.***
8:59 PM can someone please explain to me what "failure" means in terms or iraq? i mean, there are no weapons of mass destruction. sadam hussein is dead. isn't it time to move those troops to afghanistan and focus on the taliban and finding bin laden?
9:00 PM obama mentioned green bay.... he's got my mom's vote.
9:05 PM the right-wing use of the politics of fear is so incredibly frustrating.
9:08 PM diplomacy should be the cornerstone of foreign policy. YES. WE. CAN.
9:17 PM i'm really surprised the fact that russia is neighbors with sarah palin hasn't come up yet.
9:24 PM yep. 90 minutes is definitely long enough for a debate. my ADD is totally kicking in.
9:26 PM oh no. the inevitable 9/11 question.
9:36 PM yes we can, mr. obama. YES WE CAN.

signing off... hope you've enjoyed.

40 days.

project runway night turned political.

happy, happy friday.

pure inspiration.

"....after so many decades, 88 years ago on this very day the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would forever be enshrined in our constitution.

my mother was born before women could vote. but in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president. this is the story of america. of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.

how do we give this country back to them?

by following the example of a brave new yorker, a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the underground railroad.

on that path to freedom, harriet tubman had one piece of advice:

if you hear the dogs, keep going.
if you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
if they're shouting after you, keep going.
don't ever stop. keep going.
if you want a taste of freedom, keep going."

– hillary clinton, democratic national convention, august 26, 2008

obama rama

after standing in line for three hours in the dreary minnesota weather, phil and i finally made it inside the xcel energy center to our destination: obama's victory speech. we were well aware history was about to be made, and we were like giddy schoolchildren as we made our way to our seats, thrilled to be a part of the experience.

and what an experience it was. obama declared victory at the podium in st. paul, securing his place in history as the first african-american presidential nominee. as i intently listened to obama speak, i knew he was right. this WAS our moment. i could feel it all around me– a new generation was about to step up and take charge and i was going to be part of it. i am part of it.

the road to november 4th is surely going to be a long and draining one, but i am incredibly excited to see where it takes us....

current obsessions, vol. 1

i started reading "a new earth" after josh convinced me it would change my life. as always, he was right.

the book really emphasizes the present moment, and the power of just being. i cannot believe what this seemingly obvious concept has done for me. i truly feel the "satori", or enlightenment, that mr. tolle talks about throughout the book.

from mr. tolle: "life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. how do you know this is the experience you need? because this is the experience you are having at this moment."

brilliant.

i fell in love with meiko after seeing her perform with the hotel cafe tour at the high noon saloon in madison, wis. last month. her voice was powerful and incredible, and it definitely translates from live show to CD. perfect to to play at full volume on a rainy day, candles lit, wine in hand.....



as everyone who's had any sort of contact with me within the last few months knows, i am an obama girl, loud and proud. this is not to say that i'm closed minded and i shun my friends who are mccain or even (gasp!) hilary boys and girls. i pride myself on being open-minded.

but i whole-heartedly believe that obama has the power to bring this country together and change the world. aside from his policy proposals and stances on the issues, i believe him to be one of the, if not THE, most inspirational people of the 21st century.

i am so excited to see the changes that 2008 brings in the political arena, and i am counting down the days until november 4. i'm also a strong advocate for exercising civil rights and responsibilities, so i encourage everyone to educate themselves on the candidates and VOTE!!