Thoughts on Change, Hope, and Obama's Inauguration Day

So today's the big day. The day we get our new president. the day the world's been waiting for. The realization of hope, of change, of America's "first black president", Barack Obama... "the man who inspires us all"....

It's a moment that many have  been eagerly waiting for and a lot of people are even undertaking drastic measures to participate in. I kinda just don't feel it. 

I sorta think that Nov 4th was the "big day." The day America made the decision of who they wanted as our leader. The historic day. Tomorrow is really just making it official.

When you buy a new a car (go with me on this), the real excitement comes from the test drive, the loan approval, the decision to buy, to take ownership. Tomorrow, in this metaphor, is just getting the keys. From this point on all we have to look forward to is the disappointment of advertising promises that never live up to the hype, the first 'dent', those exorbitant maintenance costs. Looking back and wondering why you thought you needed that 'special edition' paint job and the sports wheel package. Why? Oh yeah, because no one else had it yet; you wanted to be the first. You've never had that before and thought you needed a 'change'.

I know I'm sounding a little negative here. I hope I'm wrong. But already Obama is starting to come to terms with reality. It is not well publicized, of course, but he has already admitted that he won't be able to do all he said he would do, and definitely not in the time frame that he had promised. 

Ah, campaign promises. I remember a time not long ago when the term 'campaign promise' was a cliche, a joke. Nobody expected a politician to actually follow through on them. No one even paid much attention to them. They are what they are; what you say you'll do in order to get elected. Again, I hope this is wrong.

"Hope","change", these are big words that mean a lot to many people. Many find themselves inspired by this new president. They see a bright future ahead. And see themselves contributing to make a difference. In this regard I'm excited too. 

But all through the campaign, I just didn't feel it. That great sense of hope everyone was talking about. This wonderful "change" that's coming. Even on election day, I didn't feel it. And now, on the eve of one of the most historic moments I may ever witness in my lifetime... again, I just don't feel any different.

I was really starting to wonder if I was damaged, jaded, unfeeling. Then I finally realized why I'm not thirsty for change, so hungry for hope. I realized it's not because I'm a cold, cynical American. It's not that I don't need it, or that I don't want it. But it's because I've never lost hope. 

I guess until now I never truly understood how many Americans had lost hope in the future. I've always felt that one man (or woman) can make a difference, no matter how small. And that lots of small changes add up quickly and affect a more permanent change than any grand gesture ever could. 

If you're one of the many who need this to regain that sense that has been lost. Then, I say good. Great. Enjoy it, party it up, savor the feeling, and remember it. Keep it wit you and let it inspire you to make a difference for a better America. 

If over the next 4 years I see this happening, I see more Americans taking position and standing up, making a difference towards positive change... then Mr. Obama will have my vote for re-election. But, if all we're seeing are those dents in the bumper, too many miles, and high maintenance charges....  All we're left with are memories of the ads that made us want this and too many unfulfilled promises. If we're feeling 'buyer's remorse' for opting for this 'Limited Edition', then be assured that once again I will call for change. 

If I've learned anything over the last year and in my life, it's that change is necessary and constant. One man does not a country make. And my friends, there is always hope.

God Bless.

How Dangerous Are Cell Phones, Really??

They're after our right to 'freedom of speech' again....

Okay, slight exaggeration. But the National Safety Council started touting studies and statistics today that show that ANY cell phone use while driving is extremely dangerous and shouldn't be allowed.

I think I need to get a look at these "studies" that the National Safety Council keeps referring to in their recent campaign to ban all cell phone usage in cars. I swear I almost had an aneurysm as I listened and tried to make sense of their claims and "arguments" of how dangerous cell phones are. The representative that was being interviewed on the radio while I was driving home today made the following claims:

• There's absolutely no safety advantage to using a hands-free device while driving.

 - Then why the hell did everyone push so hard to pass THOSE laws??! Seems like a huge waste of time, money, and congressional process. Or maybe it was just seen as a necessary "first step" toward a total ban...?

• Talking on the phone is one of the MOST distracting things you can do in a car. More dangerous than eating a cheeseburger or playing with the radio.
  

- That really seems a bit extraneous. I've done all of these things. I've been with people who do these things while driving. Trust me, I would MUCH RATHER carry on a conversation with someone than have them eating or playing DJ.

• "Driving while talking on the phone is as dangerous as driving drunk."
  

WHO are these people they are studying and WHERE are they finding them??? These have to be the same people (we all a know a few) who can't even handle chewing gum and walking down the sidewalk at the same time. Some people just have very, VERY, poor multi-tasking abilities. I'm guessing that these people would find it difficult to drive and look behind them in their mirrors at the same time. Should we outlaw those dangerous rear view mirrors now?

And now the statistic that almost caused me to drive right into oncoming traffic...

• It's actually been shown to be SAFER to be talking to people who are IN THE CAR than to drive alone.

What!!?

I can't believe he said this. I mean, I believe it's true...sometimes. I just can't believe that one can compare talking on the cell phone [not dialing, not 'texting', but TALKING on the cell phone] to drunk driving, and then turn around and say, that it's more than fine if it's in person. That doesn't even make sense. When people are in the car you tend to look at them occasionally, right? That would cause you to take your eyes off of the road. Are people staring at their cell phones while they talk? My brain is starting to short-circuit again while I'm typing this! I'm sorry, but I just can't take any body's word for it that it's a safety advantage to talk to people in the car, but if it's using wireless technology it's comparable to having a .08+ blood alcohol content. 

I'm not sure what the REAL motivation behind this ridiculousness is. And I'm scared to learn what their real end-game entails. But right now is when we [people who are able to responsibly talk and drive] need to speak up. We cannot allow this to become law. If it does, it will be similar to a lot of the gun laws in this country; the law abiding, responsible drivers will suffer, and the irresponsible scofflaws will not even be affected. 

How about we get the traffic cops to actually do their jobs and deal with the real dangers that are already on the road? An example, something else that happened as I was driving home today. I was behind a large truck. We were on a road that is two lanes in each direction (south Clark St.). The truck was weaving between the lanes without turn signals and spending most of the time with a set of wheels in EACH LANE. The driver could have been drunk, could have been half asleep, definitely was being dangerous. I backed way off of him. But the Chicago Police who were driving right behind me didn't do anything about it. This might be because the cop driving was too busy tailgating me with a cell phone to his ear?

Priorities people. I seriously believe that there are far more important matters at hand than whether or not I should be legally allowed to take a call while behind the wheel. Let's deal with them first, okay?

Roland Burris Gets Denied Seat by Senate

Roland Burris goes to Washington. Roland Burris goes to Senate. Poor Roland Burris gets shut-down. No entry. "Credentials no good."

Video showed an emotionally upset and disappointed man walking across the street in the rain to tell the press what [he must have known] he will have to do next.

I feel for him though. I really think he might a good man, a decent politician, and probably even a pretty honest guy. He's got a good record, REALLY wants this job, and quite possibly for the right reasons. But he knew this wouldn't be easy.

The Democratic Party told Blagojevich not to appoint anyone. PEBO seconded it. But Rod had to go ahead and do it anyway. Sure he might legally have the right to do so [for now]. But it may have just cost a good man his reputation, and maybe more importantly, his career. The shady governor just can't do what's right, what his party and 'The People' want, or what is good for the state and the nation.

Rod Blagojevich is a self-serving, arrogant, and desperate man with little or no redeemable qualities. I challenge anyone to argue against that. And now we have just one more shiny example of that. If he's going down, he's going to take everyone around him down with him. It doesn't matter [to him, or anyone else] whether it's on purpose or not. He's essentially got political "cooties." And there seems to be no "shots" for that.

Poor Roland Burris might have been appointed legally. He probably saw this as his opportunity to make a positive change and affect positive change in a time in which it so needed. And how great would THAT be; to see such good come from such evil! Unfortunately he just might have been too pure of thought. It didn't cross his mind that he wouldn't be able to separate the "appointee from the appointor."

He'll fight, and he'll probably even get his seat in the Senate. But just long enough to warm that seat up for the next, publicly elected, Senator from Illinois. Long enough to get his name in the books. And hopefully long enough to pay his legal fees and plan his retirement.

7 Things Every Cat (And Their Owners) Should Have

Living in Chicago I meet a lot of pet owners. Due to the small spaces and lack of back-yards, a good number of these people choose to room with cats. Many conversations I've had about pets usually conclude with similar deductions: We all love having a cat, but hate the chores that go along with it.

So, do you want to reap the rewards for pet ownership without [all] the responsibility? Well, with these clever inventions you can have all the fun without the fuss.

First off, you have to make sure that the little guy (or girl) eats. That's where an automatic pet feeder comes in. Just fill it up every few weeks or so and your good to go. (Unless you have an exhibitionist cat like mine who prefers to be watched while he eats. But that's an whole other article.)

Now that your cat's eaten, they'll probably be thirsty. Sure you can leave the seat up on that giant porcelain 'fountain' in the bathroom.... but if you're too lazy to put out a fresh water bowl, chances are that your toilet's not exactly gleaming clean. No problem, all you need is a "Pet Fountain". This cool contraption percolates plenty of fresh water for whenever your furry friend wants it. Most even include a carbon filter that keeps the water fresh, clean, and healthy!

If you're in the city, or just over-cautious, your cat might not be able to get outside too often (if at all.) That's okay, just bring the outside in for them. Now that you've got your Pet Fountain, for a few bucks more you can add the "Aqua Garden". Purely organic, hydroponic wheat grass easily grows simply by clipping a little "seed pod" to the side of your pet fountain. Within a few days you'll start seeing growth of what will become your pets favorite little patch of healthy grass to play with, and eat! It will usually last a few weeks. Then you can just pop in a new "pod" and grow more. Or, if you're feeling down, you can always cut the grass; throw it in a blender; and make your own wheat grass shot?

Food? Check. 

Water? Check. 

Grass? Check. 

Uh-oh. What goes in must inevitably come out as well. That's often enough to make most people not adopt a cat at all. Taking care of that 'business' is definitely not a pleasant proposition. I am personally not a fan at all of 'poop-scooping.' So, I go "ScoopFree".

The ScoopFree litter box is worth it's weight in....gold. [nope, didn't go there] This litter box does all the dirty work for you! All you have to do is replace the pre-filled litter tray about once a month and throw the old one away. (This might have to take place slightly more often if you're a crazy "cat-lady" with lots and lots of cats.) Indeed, this is a high-tech toilet for your kitty. Complete with motion sensors, timers, and built-in motorized 'rake' for scooping. It even stores the 'dirty stuff' out of sight and thus, out of mind! Some models even have their own ionic air filters now so you don't have people walk in your door and question, "Do you have cats?" This is indeed the best 'waste management' solution since indoor plumbing!

What? You don't always have enough time or energy to play with the little fur-ball when you get home? Feel bad that he's not getting enough exercise? 'Miss Pretty Precious' turning into a holy terror? "Loco!Motion" may be just what you both need. Just add 3 AA cells, [plus maybe tie a shoestring on the end] and this automated arm will keep your kitty's attention for sure. It's extremely quiet as far as electronic cat toys go. It's by far the most hushed that I've [barely] heard. Moreover, it's random, jerky motions capably mimic your own play-skills. My cat really goes crazy with the thing. Therefore, "Loco!Motion" just may be the most appropriate name for it.  *(It may be sold under the name, "Pure Commotion" at some pet stores.)

Hit Below to See

"Pure Commotion" In Action!!

I know, I know... All that playing [among other cat activities] tends to spread quite a bit of unsightly fur EVERYWHERE! How it got on top of my surround sound speakers I may never know!?! But not to worry, I've found how to handle that too.

First, you NEED a Roomba. Really, just go get one; The BEST 'practical' gift I've ever received. Roomba does a better job at getting fur off of carpet, tile, and hardwood than anything else I've used. And the best part? It does it all-by-it-self! Almost completely hands-off. You can set it to run while you're at work. Roomba will automatically get itself back to it's charging dock when it's done. And it even gets into corners, under most furniture, and won't fall down stairs! All you need to do is empty it out when you get home, (Extremely easy!) and your floors will always be fur-free.

Cats LOVE sleeping on the bed, the couch, maybe even your pool table. Unquestionably, cats adore anything that their fur will stick to. Well, just a few swipes of the "Mini Sweepa" and you can comfortably bring guests over again. No fear of her nice black dress turning into a furry, gray embarrassment. No more worries of waking up with a mouthful of cat hair. The little rubber bristles of this handy brush get that fur up quicker than any lint brush, roller, or tape you might be using now. The "Mini Sweepa" is re-usable, and it works great on lots of surfaces. You'll find yourself giving almost everything in your place a swipe or two when you're getting ready to have company over.

Well, I'm sure there are more items that I could add to this list. But I've covered the essentials pretty well, I think. If you know of a must have that I don't have listed here, or you already own some of these items... I'd love to hear about it. So, leave a comment and share it with us!

Blagojevich To Appoint Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris as Obama's Replacement

In a bold [yet not too surprising] move, our fearless Governor will hold a press conference this afternoon (at 2 p.m.) to name Obama's successor in the Senate. Blagojevich is said to name 71 year-old former Illinois State Attorney General Roland Burris as his choice to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. 

This, only a matter of weeks after his well publicized arrest for attempting to "sell" said Senate seat for personal gain. This arrest also sparked action within the Illinois Congress to move toward impeachment of the self-serving Governor. 

It has been well stated by the Democratic National Party that they would not recognize ANY appointments by the tainted Illinois Governor. I can't believe that anyone would even consider accepting an appointment from Rod Blagojevich. This would have to be considered career suicide by anyone with half a brain. I know jobs a hard to came by these days, but come on now! 

If Roland Burris does take the Senate seat, he can't reasonably imagine that he could keep it in an open election. Or that he will be able to actually accomplish anything while in office. I just don't foresee any self-respecting politician wanting to have anything to do with him. 

Really, for the sake of government, democracy, and the good of this country, Rod Blagojevich needs to give up. He needs to retire, resign, give up the Governor's position. He needs to get out of politics, fight his court battle, but do it as a private citizen. By maintaining his position as Illinois Governor and continuing to [try to] do business, all he's accomplishing is tainting others with the same suspicion of corruption that he brought upon himself. The only real thing I think Blagojevich will ever accomplish from now on as governor, is to further ruin the reputation of Illinois politics and make this state known as having the most corrupt and dishonest political system in the nation.

Perhaps this move is meant to reinforce Rod's assertion of innocence? But I can't see this as anything other than a last ditch attempt to gain favor with someone who has ties to the Illinois Attorney General's office. Just more scheming, plotting, and dealing to save his own arse. 

This is just one more shiny example of how Rod Blagojevich has no class. He works with entirely no consideration for his political party, the State of Illinois, or it's many fine citizens who [unfortunately] put him in office. This guy is only out to help himself with absolutely no regard for anything else. 

Well, maybe something good is to come from this fiasco. Perhaps Illinois voters will take a little more time in choosing who to vote for in the future. The citizens of Illinois (especially Chicago) have for much too long voted for officials based on the wrong criteria. They don't take the time to actually think about what they're doing and who they're giving power to. It's time to wake up Illinois! Take those blinders off, and start making some better decisions!

How Barack Obama Controls The Media

This recent "situation" with Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama's, shall we say, somewhat detached involvement with it has shown me something. Honestly, it reminded me of my Wednesday nights watching "The West Wing". There was a recurring theme that spread across many different episodes. It was always stressed to be very important and necessary to move forward with the administrations agenda. It all came down to four little words, "control the news cycle."

This was something that came to mind briefly when the Hillary Clinton Secretary of State appointment was imminent. Obama spread that story out over 2 or 3 news days. He held a press conference on Friday supposedly to answer questions about it, briefly commented on it, and said there would be more information on Monday. He then proceeded to give, essentially, a speech about his economic plans. He took a lot of public discussion and debate about Hillary Clinton, capitalized on it, and artfully changed the subject to what he wanted us to talk about. That Monday he did approximately the same thing. He kept the conversation on the economic crisis and how he's going to fix it. Honestly, brilliant.

And now, with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's arrest and corruption charges, he did it again! As soon as talk started that he might be 'involved' or some how entangled in this mess, he held a press conference. All of the media showed up; everyone wanted to hear him deny, or lay out facts about who talked to whom. He gave essentially two well thought out, intentionally worded sentences stating that he personally knew nothing about it. He then, again, gave a little speech... this time about health care. Obama then introduced Tom Daschle as his nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary and passed the mic over to Tom.  Unfortunately for Barack the "change the subject" technique didn't work too well this time as the news focused only the first few minutes of the conference. He did however set up his next press conference by telling us that it would "take a few days" to get that list of contacts between his and Blago's personnel. So we are all now waiting with anticipation for that next time he'll step in front of the camera. 

It's like Groundhog day. A bunch of idiots standing around waiting for a rodent to come out of a hole and tell us if it will be warm and nice soon, or if it'll be cold a bit longer. We (especially the media) are all waiting around for Obama to come out of his office and tell us if everything's okay and safe, or if we're going to see more trouble for a while. 

I'm not going to make a decision whether it's good or bad that our president elect, or "PEBO" as the kids are saying, is taking his policy cues from a canceled TV show. I'm just going to say that I'm on to you Mr. Obama, and I'm a little impressed. So let's all pay close attention over the next 4 years. If you're reading this, chances are you own at least one season of "The West Wing" on DVD. Watch it again and let me know if you see any other similarities between Jed and Barack.

Damn I miss that show....

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Barack Obama Denies Involvement With Blagojevich in Press Conference - News Reports Controversy.

Barack Obama held a press conference today to respond to the myriad of media requests I'm sure he has gotten about the Blagojevich fiasco. His answers were obviously very carefully worded and "less than forthcoming", as 'the news' would say. It's also been reported on that he will not immediately release a list of 'liaisons' or members of his staff that had contact with the Governors office [until it is thoroughly compiled and detailed]. 

This has gotten the media in a frenzy. The fervor at which reporters are suggesting that this means he has something to hide is hilarious to me.

Here are MY thoughts on Obama's reaction to the situation in Illinois:

Barack Obama is evidently (as proven November 4th) quite a skilled politician and public speaker. He ALWAYS chooses his words carefully and is rather good at choosing just the right words. (e.g. "Yes We Can" and "Change") Also, this Rod Blagojevich thing is political poison. Anyone who is only reasonably associated with it will have one hell of a hard time loosing this from their public-opinion resume. And any redeclaration of facts about personal involvement will be questioned, re-questioned, and questioned yet again resulting in a very fast and very strong drop in public support. These details alone are reason enough to understand Obama's reaction to his press conference questions today. 

I'm not jumping to Barack Obama's defense so much as I am rationally thinking this through. (Something today's news media is not very experienced at.) I'm trying to think how I would react if I were in his position. And I'd like to think that it would be pretty much as we're seeing.

You might want to consider as well that Obama has moved forward with his transition planning and Cabinet appointments faster than any President-elect in history. He obviously has a very tightly scheduled plan he intends to follow before Inauguration Day. I'm quite sure that his plans and schedule had absolutely nothing 'penciled-in' for avoiding having his career tainted by an idiotic, selfish, criminal Governor from Illinois. And I'm also pretty confident that Obama's not willing to let this idiot affect his presidential plans in any drastic manner. 

In other words, he has better things to do. (He might as well just say, "I'm busy. The end.") Unlike the media, whose number one interest and agenda is to jump on whatever juicy story that pops up. To take that story and talk about it 24/7, exploit it for ratings, and sensationalize the hell out of it. 

The media just makes me laugh...

....and disappoints me again and again.