It's Christmas

As this Christmas day is drawing to a close, I want to wish everyone who might be reading this a very happy holiday season, filled with family, friends and laughter.

Gay Marriage and the Bible

I just read a fascinating piece on Newsweek's website titled, "Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy." I encourage all who have an interest in this topic and what the Bible has to say about it to read this. Those who point to Scripture to back up their argument that marriage is only between a man and a woman are, as it turns out, sadly mistaken.

My favorite quote from the piece is this: "The practice of inclusion, even in defiance of social convention, the reaching out to outcasts, the emphasis on togetherness and community over and against chaos, depravity, indifference—all these biblical values argue for gay marriage."

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Jeans and Cocktails

Today, a silly post about dressing up, and how I guess I must be getting old.

Last night my husband Scott and I went to a Hollywood biz holiday party. We were excited that during this recession, some people are still throwing parties. The hosts were a small film production company (that a friend of ours has just started up), an advertising agency, and a company that does movie trailers. The invitation stated "cocktail attire." So I put on pantyhose, heels, a short black skirt and a silk blouse. (Normally I try to avoid pantyhose, but in the winter they aren't so bad.) I briefly considered that perhaps my ensemble wasn't QUITE dressy enough, but I thought I looked pretty good, so out the door we went. We pulled up, turned over our car to the valet, and joined the short queue at the door. That was when I noticed how the other people in line were dressed. They were wearing jeans.

Now I love jeans. I wear them all the time, every day, in fact. I have a home office, so I get to wear whatever I want to work, unless I have a meeting. Which is why, when I see "cocktail attire" on an invitation, I am happy to have an excuse to dress up. I don't do it very often, and it's fun to do every once in a while.

So call me old-fashioned, but I was not aware that jeans are now considered cocktail attire. Who knew? Now, most of these jeans-wearing hipsters were 20 years or so younger than us. And they all work in the TV or movie business. And the jeans were probably the pricey designer variety. But still. Of the 200-plus guests at this party, I counted about ten women wearing skirts. There were also a few in dressy pants, but the vast majority of both men and women there were in denim. Even in LA, where rules are meant to be broken, I was surprised to learn that dress codes pretty much don't exist anymore. Actually, that's not completely true. I am fairly certain that when the invitation states "black tie", you can't get away with wearing jeans.

I think.

Clothing aside, though, it was a great party, we had a marvelous time, met lots of interesting people, and saw many old friends. And next time, I'm wearing my best pair of jeans!

Happy Holidays!

Good news

It has been too long since I have posted, it's crazy holiday-itis time, but very quickly, I have a tiny bit of good news for you in this tough economy. You might be able to save some money. The news is this: if you are taking vitamins, STOP! That's right, so many studies have come in recently that the New York Times published an article last week about how people who take vitamins actually die sooner. So you don't have to spend a fortune at the health food store anymore, attempting to fend off disease and aging. Not even vitamin C (it protects cancer cells along with the good cells). With the exceptions of calcium for women and B12 for the elderly, vitamins are terrible for your health.

Feel better now?

This is why we are in trouble

Greed.

Yesterday, the CEOs of the big three American automakers came to Washington with their Rolex-adorned hands outstretched, asking for handouts from the taxpayers. Give us money, or our top-heavy corporations are doomed to fail! And it's all the unions' fault! Pay no attention to the fourteen layers of management that have run the business into the ground. We will run leaner, we promise!

One lawmaker asked, by a show of hands, who among the three had flown to DC on a commercial flight. All hands remained down. He then asked who was willing to sell their private jet today, and fly home on a commercial flight. No hands went up.

It appears that even our do-nothing Congress does not have the stomach for this degree of avarice. The showdown vote was cancelled.

A Silver Lining

An economic crisis is gripping the nation, and threatening to spread globally. Eight years (some say longer) of lax regulation in the financial markets has led inevitably to widespread greed and corruption. Almost a million Americans have lost their homes to foreclosure, and millions have seen their retirement accounts shrink to almost nothing.

The silver lining that I see is that finally, FINALLY, the incredibly ridiculous trickle-down, Reaganomics, free-market economic theories that have ruled our financial lives for so long will die. It has now been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans does not create jobs or grow the economy. It simply makes the rich richer and leaves the rest of us with the crumbs. It is now obvious that deregulation and leaving the markets to run themselves offers too much temptation to a greedy few who would take advantage of the many to enrich themselves.

It will be an extremely painful lesson, and a long one. But with a new president who is focussed on the needs of the middle class over those of the ever-increasing number of billionaires, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A new green economy, the restoration of essential regulation, increases in the minimum wage, and other proposals can't come fast enough.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out, George!

Obama's First Day on the Job

Cool Video from Africa

As followup to my last post about how people the world over are celebrating Barack Obama's election victory, check out this video from Africa. I am sure there are many similar videos out there. This one features footage from Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Congo. Maybe I will look for one from Uganda.

Why do YOU think these people are jumping up and down, crying, and dancing for joy? After all, Obama is going to have his plate completely full fixing the many serious problems right here in the US. Is it because of his Kenyan ancestry? Or that he is a symbol of a changing attitude in the US toward minorities? Or is it just the prospect of a shift from a war-mongering, torturing, UN-mocking, imperialist leader to one more interested in peace, diplomacy, human rights and equality for all? Probably all of the above, and more. I would love to hear your opinion.

The Day After

Wow! What a victory for Obama, and really for the whole world. I am listening to the Thom Hartmann show on Air America, and he is taking calls from all over the globe this morning. Everyone, from every nation, is saying the same thing: we are celebrating here. I know that my friends in Uganda, Kenya, Finland and elsewhere are celebrating also. The world still looks to America as a shining example, and the media worldwide have given unprecedented coverage to this election. In Obama's triumph, the world sees hope and freedom, and the expectation that our tarnished image can be restored to its former distinction. I am hearing African-American pundits say that growing up, their parents told them, "You can be anything you want, except President." That wall has come crashing down. It's wonderful. I am grateful that the Republican campaign was not successful in frightening Americans into voting against their best interests, and the interests of people everywhere.

Yes we did.

Is This Important?

On this, the last day before an historic election, I found this. A misspelled word, in very large type, in a McCain campaign television ad. Do you think this is important? Or just a sad reflection of a campaign in the last throes of defeat, overlooking the details? It's probably the latter, but I think it says something about how the country might be run if McCain were to somehow pull off an upset (perish the thought!). When you are governing the most powerful nation on the planet, all of the details are important. How many people looked at this ad before it went out? Does this say something about the dumbing-down of the electorate, now that an intellectually challenged hockey mom can garner popular support as a VP candidate because voters like the fact that she is just like them? I don't know about you, but I don't want to elect someone like me. I want leaders that are much smarter than I am for this very complex and challenging job.

It's important!

Please get out there and VOTE!

Financial Times endorses Obama

This just in: to follow up my post about taxes, the Financial Times, the British equivalent to the Wall Street Journal, has endorsed Barack Obama for president. The piece makes for a very balanced view, useful to hear from an outsider's perspective. It is well worth a couple of minutes of your time.

UDATE: Today (October 31) The Economist, the weekly news and international affairs paper, has also endorsed Obama. Read it here. (Full disclosure: The publication belongs to The Economist Group, half of which is owned by the Financial Times.)

Neither a conservative nor liberal publication, The Economist has in the past endorsed Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Bill Clinton.

"The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly: the Democratic candidate has clearly shown that he offers the better chance of restoring America’s self-confidence."

Tax Confusion

I watch all the news channels--all of them, including Fox, which I endure just to see what the other side is saying. At the moment, McCain and his surrogates are dragging out that tired old GOP talking point: those liberals will raise your taxes! They say Obama is a socialist, Obama will take away your freedom, Obama wants to share the wealth. Well I happen to think that sharing the wealth is a great idea. The United States has grown into the greatest nation on earth through its progressive tax system. Taxation by its very nature is a redistribution of wealth. The wealthier you are, the more you pay, to finance the critical government functions that each and every citizen depends on, those things that individuals can't do for themselves. Firefighters, roads, education, security, clean drinking water, safe working conditions, military defense, and caring for those who cannot take care of themselves, to name just a handful. These are foundational American values. This is "sharing the wealth". It's a good thing.

For the past eight years, Bush has been giving tax breaks to the very wealthiest Americans, even giving breaks to corporations to reward them for shipping jobs overseas. He has abandoned completely the conservative pay-as-you-go philosophy. In the meantime, he has engaged in a very expensive war that has bankrupted this country and severely weakened our military. All the while, real wages have gone down, unemployment has gone up, and millionaires have become billionaires in record numbers.

Bush has irresponsibly traded away our children's futures in exchange for his adventure in Iraq. A responsible leader, before starting a war, should be willing to ask the American people to sacrifice for the effort. This means raising taxes. Bush didn't have the guts to go to the citizens because he knew that we would not be willing to pay for it. But we will be paying for it, for decades to come. And now that the entire financial system is on the verge of collapse, and trillions of dollars in wealth has evaporated overnight, how will we pay the bill?

And now McCain is doubling down on the Bush tax cuts, calling to make them even bigger. The "Joe the plumbers" that McCain claims to be fighting for would actually get a larger tax cut under Obama's tax plan than under McCain's. Don't take my word for it, look at this chart from the Tax Policy Institute as published on the Washington Post website. See for yourself which plan works better for your family. Or go here, for a nifty tax calculator. Don't fall for the spin.

Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty

I have a somewhat different view of poverty today than I did four years ago. Or, more accurately, I see it from a different viewpoint.

In the summer of 2005, my cousin Christina Jordan and I traveled to Idaho for my sister Jill's wedding. I made the trip from California, she journeyed all the way from Uganda. I knew she was doing some kind of charitable work there, but had not gotten involved nor bothered to really find out what she was up to. She showed us some "peace tiles": amazing artworks created by some of the kids she was working with in Uganda, painted on 8" x 8" pieces of plywood, some of them by kids who had never before held a paintbrush. And she told us of her plans and dreams....

The following summer, she and her three adorable boys spent a few weeks (on and off, traveling around a bit) at our house, and we had long discussions about Uganda and her foundation there, Life in Africa. The day after she arrived, I found out that my daughter Megan, then 17, was going to Uganda! Surprise! Her trip was life-changing, both for her and me.

Today I find myself the president of Life in Africa USA, the stateside fundraising arm of LIA, selling handmade jewelry, raising awareness and much-needed funds to provide education and creative activities to Ugandan children, many of them orphaned or otherwise devastated by fallout from the civil war that raged in northern Uganda for most of the past 22 years.

While I never believed that poverty could be solved by throwing money at it, I really wasn't sure what strategy might work. Now I understand that money can help, by financing small businesses through initiatives such as microfinance, and by ensuring that education is available to all. These types of bottom-up strategies seem to me the only way to create real change, as it has now been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that top-down economics leads only to disaster. The battle is exponentially more difficult in Africa, where government corruption is the norm and enriching oneself at the expense of the citizens has been the prevailing leadership strategy for decades.

More to come.....

It's political, and it's personal

I have three kids. My son is 22, and my twin daughters are 20. Two of the three have Type I diabetes, the kind that kids get, the kind that is not caused by obesity or poor eating habits, but by an autoimmune response gone wrong. Because of this, something over which they have no control, they are uninsurable. That is why this election has aroused my passions. Well, it's not the only reason, but it's a biggie.

So far, we have been fortunate. My husband's employer provides excellent coverage for the entire family. A couple of weeks before my son graduated from college this June, I started calling insurance companies, just to see what was out there. His graduation meant that he would no longer be covered. I soon found out that the diagnosis of diabetes is a pre-existing condition that prohibits him from obtaining individual coverage. He can't get it at any price. His only chance to be covered is if his employer offers it. He has since gotten a job, but it doesn't come with insurance, so for the next three years he will be covered under COBRA, for which we will pay a considerable extra monthly premium. After that....well, that is why I am urging everyone to elect Barack Obama.

Obama's health care plan will make it much easier for those with pre-existing conditions to get coverage. McCain's will make it more difficult. (Ironically, McCain himself would not be able to get coverage under the plan he is proposing, because he has cancer.) If you need more details, go here: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/print_friendly.php?ID=nj_20081011_2605

This is my personal plea to you: Please think about all those Americans with pre-existing conditions, including my kids, when you vote on November 4. Vote for Barack Obama.

The Silver Lining

It's all about the election. And the economy. And how they are related. Today I am thinking about the one bright spot in the economic storm that threatens to bring down the global economy. FINALLY, finally, we will be rid of the unregulated capitalist, trickle-down, reaganomics, deregulation, free-market policies that have almost destroyed this country and have made it into the largest debtor nation on the planet. It will be painful, and difficult. But now that these economic theories have been proven disastrously wrong, we can dispose of them and build a new economy. Obama can guide us in doing this. McCain will take us backwards.

That is the crucial choice in this election.

I DIDN'T KNOW: find out who is googling you, ziggs.com

digg 1: Zakaria: McCain's VP choice is 'fundamentally irresponsible'
digg 2: 10 People From Your Past Who Will Haunt You On Facebook

I didn't know that there is a new social networking site that allows you to find out who is googling you. It is called ziggs.com, and after you set up a profile, when someone googles you and finds your ziggs profile, you get an email that tells you who that someone is. Sounds interesting, but I already have profiles on enough networking sites to keep me plenty busy. Not to mention my recent addiction to political blogs--I mean, I must keep track of what's going on during this most fascinating presidential race. Some of my favorites are fivethirtyeight.com, democraticunderground.com and thinkprogress.org. Check them out!

TALK2ME: roll call bailout vote, 1929 stock market crash

digg 1: I WONDER: Homecoming hairstyles online
digg 2: McCain: Instead of emergency room, go to Wal-Mart

Today, of course, everyone is talking about the economy, so TALK2ME: What happened this morning in the United States House of Representatives? How did my congressman vote in the roll call bailout vote, and why? Will we experience another 1929 stock market crash-type event? Here's what I think: we do have to do something, but Paulson and Bush are unwilling to even consider any alternatives to the toxic bill that, ironically, brought progressive Democrats and fiscally conservative Republicans together to send a message. That message is this: Do not rush through a bill that few have had time to read, let alone digest. And do not put more taxpayer dollars into the hands of those who got us into this mess. There are numerous alternative plans being floated by numerous economic experts, many of whom in my opinion are smarter than Paulson and Bush put together. OK, I know that is not saying much, but there it is.

To see one of my favorite alternatives, try this: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=303317

Talk to me! What do you think?

I DIDN'T KNOW: ephelides, mabon

digg 1: Our WWWorld Blog
digg 2: WSJ.com - Lawmakers Battle Over Rescue Plan

I didn't know that there are two types of freckles. The first is ephelides, the light-colored kind that come and go with sun exposure. Now that the autumnal equinox is upon us, those who get those summer freckles should notice fewer of them soon. Lentigines, the second type, don't fade in the winter and are usually isolated spots.

I also did not know that mabon is what pagans call the beginning of the fall season. It seems everyone has a way of celebrating fall. For Jews it is rosh hashanah and of course here in my country almost everyone celebrates Thanksgiving. How do you celebrate the turning of the seasons from summer to winter? I would love to hear from you.

MY OWN WAY: fall begins, fall leaves, first day of fall 2008

digg 1: ourwwworld pilot game: week 2 update
digg 2: One thought pushes fence-sitters to the left: Palin

As fall begins, my own way of celebrating is to enjoy the fact that I don't have to turn on the air conditioner anymore. Here in the LA area, the seasons are not as pronounced as they are in other parts of the country, but we still enjoy such autumn pleasures as colorful fall leaves and cooler temperatures. It's planting season here, so I am looking forward to buying some iceland poppies and snapdragons for my garden. Here's to the first day of fall 2008!

TALK2ME: tax policy center, fannie mae and freddie mac

digg 1: Palin Slashed Funding for Teen Moms
digg 2: The Muppet Show Cake (Slideshow)

Come on people, Talk2Me about taxes. I keep hearing McCain supporters say that Obama wants to raise your taxes. But report after report from non-partisan analysts say otherwise. The latest comes from the Tax Policy Center. Its report, released today, says that Obama's plan "would provide the greatest tax relief to middle-class families, while the McCain plan provides the greatest tax relief to the wealthiest families." Pretty much what ALL of the other studies done in the last few months have concluded. So, I suppose if you are incredibly wealthy, then your taxes will be higher under Obama, but of course few of us are. Since we are fighting two wars, borrowing billions from communist nations, millions of our countrymen are going without health care, fannie mae and freddie mac are having to be bailed out, and care for our awesome veterans goes unfunded, I really don't think that it is unfair to ask those who have benefited the most from living in this great country to kick in a few extra bucks.

What do you think?

I WONDER: hbo entourage, under the yum yum tree

digg 1: I WONDER: when in the course of human events; declaration of
digg 2: Can a family eat on $100 a week?

I WONDER why people are searching for under the yum yum tree, a 1963 film starring Jack Lemmon and Carol Lynley? I am pretty sure I haven't seen it, but I love the title. Among the new movies coming out this week is one called barbie and the diamond castle. I am certainly going to be missing that one. At my house, we all love movies, and hbo entourage, a show that goes behind the scenes of the movie business, is one of our favorites. It is funny and very well-written. I recommend it if you get HBO.

COMMON THREAD: nfl scores, nfl fantasy, hello kitty jewlery

digg 1: I WONDER: earthquakes today, white plague,
digg 2: Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama

Again today, as others have noted before, the COMMON THREAD on the google trends list is football. Everything from nfl scores, dallas cowboys schedule, and nfl cheerleaders to myfantasyleague and nfl fantasy. So I had to laugh when, buried among all of these testosterone-loaded search terms, there at number 21 sat hello kitty jewelry. Apparently they are debuting a new line today. I wonder if jillian reynolds, an nfl on fox commentator, likes Hello Kitty. My guess is not.

MY OWN WAY: caribou barbie, walter reed middle school, heart barracuda

digg 1: Talk2Me - This is intelligent politics?
digg 2: Why we were falsely arrested

Nicknames like caribou barbie and McSame are interesting, but did you know that Walter Reed Middle School and heart barracuda (song by the band Heart) both got unwanted attention at the RNC? It seems the photo behind McCain was supposed to be the military hospital, but was instead the middle school (in North Hollywood, CA) of the same name. OOPS! And the song Barracuda being played after the speech violated copyright laws. Apparently the mccain speech ratings were through the roof anyway.

TALK2ME: ourwwworld pilot game sample play

your post title: TALK2ME: palin pregnancy, bristol palin pregnancy


digg1: PREGAME: Provigil - a new drug to make us smarter
digg2: Palin denies global warming is man-made


Please TALK2ME about the palin pregnancy

It can't be ok for a presidential candidate to think that lying is the best solution can it? No, Palin is not actually a presidential candidate. She's running for Vice President. But the candidate she's running with is 72 years old, so she very well could be president at some time over the next 5 years.

They are saying that VP Candidate Palin faked her pregnancy for her 5th child. When the child (who has downs syndrome) was born, she called it her own although her 16 year old daughter Bristol was actually the mother.

I find it hard to judge parents in difficult moral situations, because I always ask myself what I would have done. I asked myself that when Bill Clinton lied publicly about the affair he' hadn't told his wife about yet. The argument I heard the most back then was that a president simply should never lie about anything.

What do you think?

about the ourwwworld game

kellysswwworld is a player blog in a virtual poker-like wordgame that plays on the current google top 100 search trends. A small global group of good citizens are piloting the ourwwworld game to share the game's ad revenues with their favorite cause. For more detailed information about the ourwwworld pilot game, visit http://ned.com