Katrina Rewind or Gustav Redemption

Almost three years to the date, another hurricane is about to bear down on the Gulf States, promising more devastation and destruction. Gustav has already wreaked havoc, causing flooding and heavy casualties in Cuba and much like its predecessor Hurricane Katrina, its packing a mighty punch, currently listed as a Category 3 storm. There has been a mass diaspora from the area, evacuating over one million residents of The Big Easy, sending them on buses, trains and planes to far off destinations, leaving behind their belongings and pets, hoping to return to dry homes and untouched communities.

Tomorrow, the Republican National Convention is slated to begin with all the hoopla and frenzied excitement that any partisan party promises. Because of the pending storm, John McCain has decided to postpone many of the activities and speeches scheduled to kick-off the convention. He feels it's inappropriate to celebrate during what could become another major disaster to hit the Gulf Coast in three years. Hopefully this time, the Republicans will be more prepared to handle such a catastrophe instead of turning a blind eye as they have done in the past. President Bush was supposed to speak in prime-time tomorrow evening but somehow, I'm sure McCain is thanking the God's that the storm may prevent his appearance, further distancing him from the failed administration.

I've read portions of Doug Brinkley's The Great Deluge, cataloguing eyewitness accounts of people who weathered out the storm in New Orleans and other nearby, low lying areas. The book is phenomenal and horrific in how it details the tragic deaths of the city's displaced residents both in and outside of the Superdome, in swollen lakes and flooded houses and especially highlights the despair and hopelessness that sunk in soon after the storm hit. Our government failed the residents of New Orleans. FEMA failed New Orleans. George W. Bush failed New Orleans. In the richest country in the world, no person, black, white, Jewish, Christian or Muslim should be allowed to perish in the streets of a major American city, left to rot in a flooded, diseased mess that could have been prevented. The Army Corps of Engineers warned various government agency's on the risks of the Levy's failing yet pork belly politics won out again, leaving New Orleans vulnerable and Americans clueless. This was a bi-partisan failure but when a president allows thousands of people to fester in feces ridden water, fending off looters, rapists and criminals for five days before help arrived, there is something fundamentally wrong in our society.

This time, we may or may not get it right but with only a few months left to the Bush administration, I'm hopeful that with President Obama at the helm, humanism will be at the forefront and America will learn how to take care of one another again.

Love It or Leave It, Just Make Sure You Vote on Election Day!

McCain's VP Candidate

I'm not sure what to write about Sarah Palin since I still don't know much about her. Here's what I do know:

• She's a proud member of the NRA


• Has five children, the youngest just four months old and the oldest is in Iraq serving with the US Army


• Wants oil drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Preserve


• Wants off-shore oil drilling


• Very conservative


• Pro-Life


• Super Christian


• 44 years of age


• Local Beauty Queen


• Former sportscaster


• Owned a snow mobile dealership


• Married to Todd Palin, an oil drilling worker


• Alaska Governor for only 16 months


• Appears flaky and inexperienced


• Describes herself as a soccer mom


• Has no foreign policy experience


• Is a heart attach away from being leader of the Free World

A political buddy of mine posted this youtube link on his AIM and I stole it to post here. You decide for yourself on how you feel about her. I will not vote for her simply because she's a woman. Her beliefs are on the other end of the spectrum from mine and although I think she is probably a nice lady (for God's sake, she's three years older than me) I don't think she is up to snuff for a VP candidate. It angers me that McCain did this. Hillary Clinton worked so hard for every vote and McCain exploited her candidacy. Most liberal women will not look Palin's way. I think we all feel insulted and deceived by the McCain camp. Palin appeals to the uber Christian, super conservative base and that's about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9pnzQ96kWA

Cheatin' It Up in Hempstead

I just received an instant message from one of my politically minded pals in regards to John Edwards. Apparently, he's going to make an appearance at Hofstra University next Friday, his first since he was outed for cheating on his cancer stricken wife of more than 25 years. I'm sure the event will be filled with local and national media seeking comments from attendees before and after his speech. My feeling at the moment is that he is a lousy human being, adulterer and a cad. I'm not quite sure why I am attending this Educate 08' forum but I'm anxious to hear what he has to say. Will he circumvent the truth? Will he speak of the affair at all? I suppose he'll put a sleazy political spin on the whole mess and make me detest his cheating ways even more.

I saw him speak four years ago at Hofstra, getting up in the wee hours of a chilly March morning, to listen to a stump speech that I heard was riveting, powerful and would sway my vote in the forthcoming primary. It did. He spoke of the poor, his two America's and the working class. I was mush, fell in love with his ideas and switched the lever on primary day. Edwards didn't get the Democratic nomination in 2004, yet I knew that he would emerge in the coming years and be a valid contender for the presidency.

Well, he blew it. I just can't get past it. I supported Gary Hart in the early 1980's until he decided to have a dalliance with Donna Rice. I even wrote my American History Regents exam essay on his 1984 bid for the presidency. I was sorely disappointed in him and vowed that I would never support another politician that cheated on his wife, no matter what kind of marital arrangements they had. Bill Clinton's oral sexcapade left me limp simply because it was tacky and totally off base. For God's sake, he was the President of the United States of America and he chose to get head in the hallways of the Oval Office. I found it in my heart to overlook his blue dress mess because the economy was booming and life was good. I'm sure Hillary Clinton felt differently about his widely publicized incident since she was embarrassed and humiliated on the world stage.

John Edwards' cheating heart is quite a different monster. He broke his marital vows to a woman who has suffered endlessly in her adult life. Elizabeth Edwards, an accomplished lawyer in her own right, raised a family with John, lost their son Wade tragically in a car accident and had two, late in life children with him. Her final fate is her ongoing battle with incurable cancer, knowing that she will someday have to leave her small children in the care of this man, flawed character and all.

I'm not sure how I will fair next Friday but I do know that I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least in those fleeting moments during his speech. None of us can ever understand the inner workings of a marriage nor can they judge what they don't understand. I'm not a very forgiving person but I'm always willing to hear the other side before shutting them down. This is your chance Mr. Edwards, so bring it on!

Lost Faith in Women

I have lost faith in women. You can yack about the Ya Ya Sisterhood of the Traveling what have you's but from my extensive experience and know how on women, I have found that many of them are back biting, nasty little whippets. Woman against woman crimes are on the rise and they are not pretty to watch. I've consistently tried to be a helpful, caring person, always looking out for not only my friends and family but neighbors, students and the average Joe I sit next to on the subway. When my attempts of being human are rebuffed, I react. Sometimes I scoff at the ignorance of these wannabees while at other times, I sit and lick my wounds, feeling defeated and foolish for thinking my help might be needed.

I'm finished with faith...faith in women that is. I've always been a pretty good Catholic, fumbling and making mistakes along the way, but never disrespecting those that have a good heart. In Long Island, I have met more women who are self consumed, two faced, nasty, mean, fake, phony and not worthy of my friendship or my help. From this point on, I will stick with my guy friends and the special women who have accepted and nourished my caring spirit. You all know who you are and I will always cherish our relationships. For all others, step off.

Caffeine Blizt

I'm not supposed to have anything containing caffeine. All this pent up energy is mine all mine, no hot or cold trendy caffeine laden beverages needed. Today, I lunched with an old friend at a local southwestern joint, just a mile down the road from my college Alma mater and across the street from the Barefoot Peddler (see Restaurant Steals and Deals). I ordered the Overachiever Combo Platter with tofu and healthy doses of both beans and guacamole made in-house by a worker with a heavy hand for cilantro, not my favorite herb by a long shot. When it came time to choose a cold beverage, I should have reached for an ice cold Poland Spring Water but instead decided on a Diet-Coke directly out of the fountain, filled with enticing ice chunks and a nice fizz for that added draw. I know I looked more than excited for that diet soda, like a little kid in the height of the summer waiting for their mom to take a nice Tasty Freeze out the freezer for the Kool-Aid gang on the front porch. Even the "Welcome to Moooooe's" guy, with the deepest voice I've heard since that moustached crooner from the Oak Ridge Boys belted out "Elvira" back in the early 80's, quizzically looked at me when I proudly ordered my frosty soda pop. If I could read his mind he was probably thinking I was on the "wagon" or something less profound as he yelled in my ear, "Welcome to Moooooe's" again and again.

As I slurped away at my 20 ouncer, I expressed to my friend a fleeting fear of how this would affect me yet continued to suck away, burying my worries somewhere between a fork full of marinated soy and a gritty homemade salsa that tasted lousy. I was hungry so I wolfed it down the shoot anyway, caring more about the company I was keeping than the food on my plate. After much spirited conversation, thoughtful gift giving on my friends part (he bought me a gorgeous blank book encouraging me to keep writing) and wild laughter, I forgot about my dalliance with caffeine and decided my little dance with the dreaded stimulant was a "no harm, no foul" sort of thing and happily drove back to work.

Gradually, over the next hour, I began to feel jittery and mildly hyper but excused my behavior by rationalizing the poor beverage choice I made earlier in the afternoon. While driving home, I was chatting with my sister about Hillary Clinton's speech, starting to feel my heart rate accelerate, my blood pressure inch up the scale and my thoughts scatter. I was on a caffeine high and I was reeling, just a bit out of control. I wanted to concentrate on Hillary and not focus on the chemical disruption that was plaguing my biological make-up, but I couldn't seem to overcome this almighty feeling of being overwhelmed. Knowing that I needed to drink large volumes of water, I quickly entered the house, grabbing a bottle from the fridge and guzzling its contents till I had brain freeze. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I broke into a hot sweat that encompassed my entire body till I began to feel dizzy from near dehydration. Everything I had just digested was being pumped through my pores in quick time, leaving me feeling liked I'd just ingested a plate of "special" brownies and a plate of "shrooms."

I reached for a holistic remedy to calm my nerves and then watched more of the Democratic National Convention. I was waiting for Hillary Clinton to speak, keeping a big box of tissues close, so when I watched her deliver her thank you's to all her supporters, I could wipe the tears away. I'm not going to go into the fact that we should have a woman as the presidents anymore...at least not in this blog...but I am in the process of sending a letter to the editor of Newsday and The New York Times on her behalf.

After many late night "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits" phone calls and text messages from other concerned women, I crashed in my bed, finally coming down from my caffeine stupor. I'm definitely a fan of decaffeinated anything and made a promise to myself that I was never going to touch the "poison" again!

I Cried

I must admit, moments after hearing Michelle Obama's speech, I cried just a little. I think I was overwhelmed by my loss in this election. I was hopeful for women this year and although I don't believe Hillary Clinton was the end-all, be-all, I wanted women to rally behind her and get her elected as the first woman president. I want to hear that glass ceiling do more than crack...I want that mother shattered beyond recognition and I want fair pay for all my sisters. It didn't happen this time but I'm hopeful it will in the future. We have to keep the faith, support the Democratic nominee and move forward as a nation. I guess I'm one of those women that the media has identified as Hillaryite, hard to sway. I'm going to do my best to stump for Obama but my heart isn't there, at least not yet. My belief lies within the hearts of all women who have suffered through gender bias, sexual harassment, unfair pay and lack of opportunities or advancement. We will overcome. I am woman, hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore...let that be our anthem once again.

Thoughts About the Democratic Convention.....

Today, most people care about what affects them personally..taxes, gas prices, property values and maybe, just maybe the war somewhere on their list of 242 things falling between toe jam and hairy ears. I'm totally disgusted by ignorant Americans who still smoke like stacks, eat McDonald's endlessly and vote Republican when they couldn't get accepted into a country club to save their lives. I'm not expecting any miracles this time around...I'm a cynic remember. I watched all the movies on the 2000 election, Karl Rove and the conspiracy movies about 9/11. If Americans can't get it together this time around, we are permanently sailing on a ship of fools. I just wish it wasn't Obama. I wanted Hillary and that's the honest truth. She ran a lousy campaign and suffered the ultimate price for it. Obama is a great candidate, just not mine. It was the right time for a woman, I will always believe that. I'm not impressed by motivational speakers...I always feel suspect of them and feel they have a hidden agenda. He's not a Kennedy or Kennedy-like and if he was, I'd probably dislike him more. I wanted a woman and I am still bitter about the whole deal. I just can't digest the fact that she won more popular votes than any candidate in a presidential election...and she's not the nominee. I was holding out for the convention, hoping she would make it through somehow, but considering this dog and pony show starts tomorrow, I hate to admit that she's dead in the water with no chance to clinch the nomination...and so is my hope for a democratic prez.

On Finding Old Friends

Archived from November 2006

This incredible thing happened late Friday afternoon that I want to share with all of you. I was in good ol' Roosevelt 203A (where magic always happens) and I was goofing around on Myspace with my trusty student aid Lia. She was showing me how to search for someone and when I typed a certain name in, I happened upon a most wonderful sight. It was someone I hadn't seen or spoken to in 11 years, but it was a someone I really wanted to re-connect with. He was one of my best friends from Albany High School...met him on the ski bus when I was 15 years old. It still remains a mystery to both of us as to why we drifted apart, but I can promise you that it won't happen again. Old friends are the best! When people randomly complain about how technology screws up interpersonal relationships (I was just doing that today to justify some oddity to my boss) I, most often, balk. I've found my friend who stood by me in good and bad times..it was high school...what can I say! DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA! All those confusing adolescent emotions and moments that only those around you at the time could possibly understand. I look back now and regret nothing...I had an interesting, but moreover, blast of a high school experience. I met some amazing people at Albany High and even though I'd rather not live there any longer....it was a fabulous place to live in 1982. Maybe it was the decade or something in the air, but those years will always hold a fond place in my hard-drive of a mind. It gave my writing a voice...a special place to draw from. Some people never get that kind of life, but I've been blessed in many ways, surrounding myself with special people.
I've got itunes on..listening to an 80's shuffle, trying to catch a buzz on those crazy, mixed-up moments of the late, great 1980's. I remember I bought a Pat Benetar and Bryan Adams (Cuts Like a Knife) album (not CD..let's get that straight...I'm a vinyl kind of girl myself) with Michael in that cool little record store on Madison Avenue by the Price Chopper...It's no longer there. I think a hair salon calls that address home now....and Madison Liquor where I did some of my best teenage lying just to get some booze for the ski bus. I think Amaretto and Marlboro Lights were my drug of choice those days.
I could spend the entire night reminiscing about my wild youth, raging in a city that didn't deserve any of us. We (meaning me and my posse) were too good for that town and somehow made it down to the bright lights of the New York metropolitan area...some in Manhattan, others in Queens and some in Long Island. The odds seemed slim that we would see each other again, but thanks to a wonderful (often scary) website, we raged against the dark and made it to the light. And now it's time for the raising of a frosty libation, some quick words of wisdom and a puff of the smoke (oh damn it...I gave that up) before I bid you farewell.