United Nations: Are We Really United?

Yesterday the Palestine Authority got voted into the United Nations. It doesn't get to vote, but it is recognized as a state. One hundred thirty-eight countries voted for Palestine, nine voted against, and forty-one abstained. This is turning into a pretty big deal from the U.S. perspective. The NY Times called it "a blow" to the United States.

Here's the deal: I don't understand why the U.S. feels like it gets to be upset that Palestine is getting recognized. We completely took their land after World War II to make Israel. How is it a surprise that they're upset? Granted, taking other peoples' land is something the U.S. is really good at, but why is it that we feel like we should decide whether or not Palestine gets to be part of the United Nations?

The more countries in the United Nations, the better! The whole point of the UN is to "unite nations," isn't it? I feel like the U.S. is that popular girl who is a major diva and tells other people not to talk to "that new girl" or something. Why can't we just get over ourselves and accept other people? It's not that hard.

Today I'm going to go out and mingle with people. I am going to say "hi" to five strangers. I think the more united our local communities are, the more united and tolerant our country will be. I challenge you to say "hi" to five strangers today! In our culture it's not normal, but you know, it's not too hard to start.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

The American Dream: Where Does Money Come In?

Last night the winning numbers for the largest Powerball jackpot of all time were announced. There were two winners and it's all over the news this morning. Everyone can't wait for the winners to come forward so we can see what they decide to do with the money.

I got to thinking about this: these people might be wonderful people with great intentions doing amazing things, but no one has heard of them; until now. Now that they have won a lot of money, suddenly the press will be watching what they do. Thinking about this was a stark realization for me: money gives you power.

I know that this is not exactly a bombshell; "money is power" is a saying that is common. But it made me sad to realize this. I feel like it's a very different "American Dream" than the one my ancestors had. It used to be that the American Dream was to work hard and earn enough money to provide for your family. Now, the American Dream (as I see it) is to have excess and not necessarily have to work hard for it.

I live the American Dream every day by fighting through the pain, the dizziness, the emotional instability, and everything else that comes with fibromyalgia. I live the American Dream by helping the victims of Superstorm Sandy even though I don't know them. I live the American Dream by taking an active part in my democracy. I live the American Dream by continuing to write even if I know only 50 people a day are reading what I write. I live the American Dream by continuing to have hope even while I receive rejection letters from all the sites I write to asking if they'll consider having me as a contributing writer. I live the American Dream by not giving up.

I want to be powerful before I get a lot of money. I want to be the voice of women who are struggling with fibromyalgia and anorexia and can't work. I want to inspire other people who have dreams and have to work to get them. I want to be the new face of the American Dream.

Getting interviewed as I left the polling location on Election Day.

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

Dancing with the Stars Finale

Last night was the finale of "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars." It was the only episode I watched this season. I used to watch DWTS religiously in high school and college, but after Season 8 I started ballroom dancing so I quit watching because I was so critical of the celebs.

*Spoiler Alert*

In Season 8, Shawn Johnson won and Melissa Rycroft came in third. They were both in this All-Star season, and Melissa Rycroft won last night. Shawn got second. I was so bummed out! Shawn was absolutely amazing! I was really happy for Tony Dovolani (Melissa's professional partner), though, because he's been on for 14 season and finally won. I think Derek Hough (Shawn's professional partner) has won twice. He is really a phenomenal dancer, though. The choreography he and Shawn did was really great.

Now I know all you hardcore DWTS fans who love the fact that Melissa won are about to say, "Shawn and Derek broke the rules in their last dance." I know. In the quickstep you can't break hold and they did. But it was brilliant. Would they have won if they hadn't gotten points docked by the judges for breaking the rules? Possibly. But they put on the show of a lifetime. Melissa wasn't as great, in my opinion.

I don't watch a lot of reality shows. I watch "Project Runway" and the season finale of DWTS. If I am sick and there is a "Top Chef" or "America's Next Top Model" marathon on, I'll watch those, too. The reason I don't watch reality shows like "The Bachelorette" or "Housewives of whatever-town-we're-in-this-time" is that they don't really require any talent. It's just watching people live their lives and fighting. Shows like DWTS, Project Runway, and Top Chef require a lot of skills. I like that. I think it's cool to see the best of the best in their field duking it out to get to the top.

Big congrats to all the finalists on DWTS! They all put in hours and hours of work to get that far and I know how much it meant to all of them. Can't wait until the next season finale for my next dose of DWTS!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Low-Budget DIY Gifts

This year I am making gifts instead of buying them. I am on a very tight budget, so these are just some of the things I'll be making this year I haven't finished them yet, but I'm working on all of them. Family members, if you're reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're getting. :)

1. Stockings. This is my fiancé's and my first Christmas living together. We both have stockings from when we were kids, but they don't match. I'm headed to JoAnn's today to find fabric to make matching ones that we can use for the next 60 Christmases together.

2. Genealogy. My dad's side of the family has pages and pages of documents from our ancestors. There are stories typed on a typewriter by my great-grandmother, old photos, and family trees that almost line up if you have a big enough living room to lay them out on the floor. I know there has to be a better way to see the family tree, so I'm going to make one and send copies to all my relatives on that side of the family. My grandparents on that side spent an afternoon this summer with my fiancé and me telling stories and sharing memories. I think that this gift will mean a lot to my family, especially my grandparents.

3. Scarves. If you know how to knit or crochet, this is always the go-to thing if you're in a pinch! I've been making scarves for the victims of Superstorm Sandy, but I found some yarn that I think someone in my family will really like, so I'm going to make that scarf for them.

4. Memory Stories. This sounds almost too easy, but my dad has always said that all he wants is a page or two telling a favorite memory we have of us growing up. It doesn't have to be crazy, it doesn't have to be long, just something we want to share with him from our childhood.

5. Scrapbook. A few years ago I made my little sister a scrapbook of photos of us growing up. She absolutely loved it! I also made a scrapbook for my fiancé of our first road trip together from Kentucky up to North Dakota and back. It's a really sweet memento we can have on our coffee table.

These are just a few low-budget ideas that are tried and true. It's ironic: growing up I always wanted to have more money, but the best thing about not having a lot of money is that you learn to be creative. Now that I have more money, I'd rather make the presents that mean so much to the people who receive them. They take so much time to make, but it's worth it, because they are fun for you to make and you know the recipients will love them.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

'Tis the Season to Be...Shopping?

Black Friday that starts at 8pm on Thanksgiving night, Small Business Saturday that starts the evening of Black Friday, Cyber Monday that starts at 6pm on Sunday night...what's next? Opening presents on the 24th? Or New Year's Eve Eve parties?

Thanksgiving night I was playing cards with my future in-laws and getting ready to watch the Patriots game. We were laughing, eating too much, and talking football. The tall grandfather clock in the foyer struck eight and I laughed and said, "Oh good! Walmart's open; let's go start our shopping!" Everyone laughed and we all kind of took a minute to realize where we were and who we were with; we truly were thankful to be together in that moment.

I've done the Black Friday shopping thing before. While I understand the kinds of deals you can get when you shop on Black Friday, isn't it more important to spend time with your family instead of getting cheap gifts for them? And, let's be honest, how much of what you buy on Black Friday is really for your family? The two times I went Black Friday shopping, I did get most of the gifts on my list, but I also was sucked in by the amazing sales and bought a lot of things for myself.

It feels like we are pushed to buy buy buy for our family because that will show them that we love them. But are the presents what we really remember? I don't remember any of the gifts I got for my family on either Black Friday trip. I don't remember the things I got for myself on either trip. I don't really remember the gifts I've received for Christmases that aren't things I still use frequently (dress form, Cricut, sewing machine). I do remember the Thanksgivings and Christmases I've shared with my family in terms of conversations, dinners, and laughter.

I absolutely am about to take advantage of Cyber Monday to buy our Christmas cards. I love VistaPrint's selection and there are some great deals today. Other than that, my fiancé and I actually might be making all of the presents we give to people this year. I feel like homemade gifts mean more to family. My mom knitted me socks a couple of years ago; I still wear them and think about my mom every time I do. I've cross-stitched a couple of things for my grandparents and they framed them and hung them in their house. My dad wrote a book of poetry and gave it to us a few years ago and I still have it on my bookshelf. These gifts mean so much more than just running to the store, getting into a brawl, grabbing something off a shelf, and wrapping it.

My challenge to you (and myself) this holiday season is to take a second to stop, take stock of your family, and be grateful. My family isn't perfect, but I am so grateful to have every one of my relatives in my family. If you choose to give gifts this year, give something that you know means something both to you and the recipient of the gift.

Be in the moment every moment this holiday.

L to R: Emily (sister), me, Bridget (sister), Brandan (brother)

TV Violence: Is the News Taking It Too Far?

2:00 am
I don't think I've seen this hour in months! For some reason (*cough* new meds *cough*) I can't sleep tonight. I keep having nightmares and I'm absolutely exhausted, but I can't sleep. I decided to get up because I felt bad for waking up my fiancé every time I moved.

The nightmare I kept having was about something I saw on television today. I was flipping channels around 3 pm; I'd just finished listening to/watching an episode of America's Next Top Model and I needed something to bring my IQ back up. I went through the news channels and stopped on CNN. They were talking about the possibility of a cease-fire in the Middle East. I am all for peace, so I decided to watch the story.

As the top of the hour rolled by, they showed the most recent development in the escalation of violence: a group of Hamas men on motorcycles dragging the body of an alleged Israeli spy through the streets of Gaza while crying out, "God is great!" I was horrified! I am an extremely sensitive person when it comes to seeing violence and this crossed the line. I was absolutely blown away that they would show this at three o'clock in the afternoon. They did not preface it with, "This shows graphic images" or anything like that. How many kids had yesterday off from school and could have been flipping channels like I was?!

Around 8 pm or so, my fiancé and I were watching Anderson Cooper 360 and for some reason he or his producers thought it would be important to show a bunch of "graphic images" while Anderson talked about what had been going on lately. Anderson prefaced it with, "We are about to show some very graphic images..." While I appreciate the warning (I hid my eyes, but I wasn't quite quick enough), AC360 is a primetime show. How many families are flipping through channels on their first night of Thanksgiving vacation and accidentally see a baby wrapped in a Palestinian flag being lifted in front of a crowd for all to see?! At 10 pm when AC360 came back on after Piers Morgan's show, he did the same thing. I, again, didn't watch; but I wasn't as bothered by CNN showing those images at 10 pm than in the middle of the afternoon and during primetime.

While I understand that this is news and it needs to be shared, I really feel like the brazen reporting needs to stop. I am extraordinarily sensitive to this kind of thing, yes, but as a future parent, I take exception to this. I wouldn't want my children watching the news for a school project or something and all of the sudden see someone being dragged behind a motorcycle. What kind of message does that send to my kids? That the networks care more about the ratings they can get with shock value images than they care about the fact that the person being dragged has a family who might not even know he's dead?

What if it had been an American soldier being dragged behind the motorcycle? The networks would never have shown it! It would have been news, sure; but they would not have repeatedly shown the clip of it actually happening. They would have mentioned it and said something about how it is just immoral and horrifying that those heathens would do that to one of our soldiers. But someone who isn't an American? Sure, let's show that to the world. Some ally we are, showing our ally spy's body being desecrated.

I have immense respect for reporters and their crews. The job they have is incredibly difficult and sometimes dangerous. I don't want Anderson Cooper to take this personally (not that he'll read it; but maybe he will) because I think he's a brilliant reporter. I just want to bring awareness to the fact that just because something happens doesn't mean we need to see it in real time. Wait until after 9 or 10 pm and then show it if you really think it has merit.

Parents, please consider what your kids are exposed to. Even if you're "doing the right thing" and limiting TV time and making sure they're not watching R-rated movies, or whatever you think is the "right thing," pay attention to what they're watching. Remember that if you're watching it with them in the room, they're watching it, too. If the news gets too violent, turn the TV off, have a family game night or something, and watch the news online after your kids go to bed. Violence breeds violence. We need to breed a generation of peace.

Enough. Time for some sleep.

11:30 am
I just proofed what I wrote last night and think it's ready to share. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Medicine, Incoherence, and Love

Well, I feel like I need to have another personal post.

I have been late getting my posts up in the last couple of days and they haven't been very good, in my opinion. I just had to double the dose I'm taking of my pain meds. I am really feeling it. I am incredibly dizzy, very tired, nauseated, and forgetful. Honestly, I could deal with all of the side effects if I wasn't forgetful. One of my biggest assets is my memory. I was supposed to do laundry on Thursday. It's now Tuesday and I still haven't done it; not because I don't want to or something, but because I just forget.

I used to write my posts between 6:30am and 8:30am. It's now almost 10:30am and I'm just starting to become coherent. I'm trying to keep up with writing these posts in the morning, but I'm not sure how it's going. My page views have tanked and I'm incredibly unimpressed with my writing when I read it in the evenings when I'm actually awake. I don't have the energy or attention to look for sponsors for my site or promote it online.

It's affecting my amazing fiancé, too. I am our housekeeper, since he works a full time job, but lately I haven't done anything around the house. This morning I woke up after my fiancé was already up. I stumbled out and he looked upset and sad. I asked what was wrong and he said that he's worried about how this medicine is affecting me. I got upset because I really want to be the best fiancée ever for him, but the medicine is making it virtually impossible for me to be amazing. I am incredibly lucky because he loves me more than anything in the world, and he's worried because he loves me, not because he is upset about the effect the medicine is having on his life.

Please stick with my site; I'm probably going to start writing in the evenings and scheduling it to post in the mornings so my posts are a little bit more coherent. Also, check out the craft and food sections. I just updated those and there are some really nice things on there!

In terms of the morals of this post, be kind to people in your life; you never know what's going on in their lives. Yesterday when I went to the grocery store, I was getting some weird looks. I think I probably just looked really out of it. Be kind to each other.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Real Woman Campaign

The approach of Black Friday means we are inundated with commercials showing all the insanely good deals that we will be able to get. Something I've been noticing this year is that the models in all of the commercials look so small! I am a small person and I am not incredibly judgmental of other small girls. I like being small and I can understand other girls wanting to be small. But there are a few commercials this year that have just blown my mind in terms of how small the models are.

I know I've talked about Victoria's Secret before and I'm going to mention them again: their holiday commercial makes me feel scared for the girls in it. They are tiny. Their knees and collarbones are just sticking out there and you can see their hipbones and ribs through their skin. It really freaked me out because I was anorexic for years and these girls have no way of getting that small while staying healthy.

Kohl's has a commercial out for their weekend sales and the models are so tiny! They're in clothing, but they are gaunt and they look like stick figures. There is a little girl in the commercial, too, and she's also incredibly small.

What are we teaching our kids, especially our girls? That being small means you're pretty and sexy and guys will want you? That's pretty much all I'm seeing.

I think it would be smarter to use real women in commercials. Think about it: how often do you see something on a model, think it's beautiful, you go buy it, and it looks completely different on you? That happens to me all the time! Yes, I'm small, but I'm also short, which means that what I see on the models doesn't look the same when I put it on. We should realize that 35% of America is obese and even those of us who aren't obese don't look like models. Models aren't realistic when it comes to showing us what clothes will look like on our bodies.

This year, if I buy a piece of clothing, I'm going to take a picture of myself in it and send it to the store I bought it from so they can see what it looks like on a real person. We all should do this! Please join me in the "Real Woman Campaign: Showing Retailers Reality" and send your pictures in. We won't get anything changed unless we push to make it change. Let's show the reality of the situation; be real women and show the reality!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Feel-Good Friday: Holiday Baking!

As many of you know, I love to cook and bake. I've been working so hard for the past couple of days because my fiancé has a giant craft/bake sale at his school this weekend. I wanted to share some of what I made with you!

It's Fall, so I thought it would be fun to make leaves. Since I don't have any leaf cookie cutters, I figured out that I could use real leaves! I washed the leaves and then painted them with chocolate. Once the chocolate dried, I peeled the leaves off and was left with beautiful chocolate leaves!

After I made all of the leaves, I made a template for a box (coming soon as a freebie on my site!) and wrapped the leaves up!

I also made a bunch of cupcakes and decided to play with them a little bit. Also, the best way to individually wrap 5 1/2 dozen cupcakes without having to cut a billion boxes is to use the little clear party cups. 

These are candy cane cupcakes: I dyed the batter red and added crushed candy canes to it. The frosting is just regular vanilla with crushed candy canes sprinkled on top. I left the big chunks because I thought they added character!

These are chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and yellow fondant stars sprinkled with dyed sugar for sparkle. I made the fondant myself and it turned out perfectly!

I added peppermint extract to chocolate batter to make chocolate mint cupcakes. The frosting is just vanilla dyed green. I thought about adding mint to the frosting, too, but it would have just been too overpowering. 

I love snowflakes, coconut, and chocolate; it's such the perfect winter combination! Double chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and coconut fondant snowflakes. 

When I say I love snowflakes, I mean I really love snowflakes! These are just regular white cupcake with chocolate frosting and blue sugared fondant snowflakes. It's a shame I have to give these up and I don't get to taste them...!

Obviously, Thanksgiving is only a few days away, so I had to do something special for it! Chocolate-Oreo cupcakes with candy turkeys on top. There is an Oreo at the bottom of each one of the cupcakes. I adore these! I hope they sell well.

Wrapping the cupcakes is so easy with the little cups.

Here is my favorite picture of the cupcakes! I don't know why I like it, but it seems very artsy and it made the perfect background for my phone. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Thankful Thursday: Helping Others

Polar Fleece Sandy Scarves

It's Thankful Thursday again! This week has flown by. I guess I'm a bad judge of time with my new medication, though!

Here's something I never thought I would be thankful for: having fibromyalgia. My fiance has told me from the start that a day will come when I realize how my condition makes me a stronger person and makes me more able to help other people. That day is today. I will always have hard days, but it's all worth it because I get to help others.

I've spent the last two weeks making things for other people. I've made 17 scarves for the victims of superstorm Sandy, chocolate leaves and cupcakes for my fiancé's choir's craft sale, and I've messed around with some other craft ideas. I love making food and clothes for other people! I think it's the best thing about me having to stay home.

Knitted Sandy Scarf

Chocolate Leaves

I also put in a video to be Anderson Cooper's co-host on Anderson Live. I'm waiting to see if I got accepted into the top 5, and then people will vote on the finalists. I will be able to help more people if I get my name out there more.

Here is my audition video. Even if I don't get on Anderson Live, I still want to inspire help people, so please share the video with your friends!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! I am going to be spending the entire day in the kitchen, finishing up cupcakes and making all the boxes for the holiday goodies. Keep an eye on my tweets to see photos of what I'm up to today!

What are you thankful for on this Thankful Thursday? Please share!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Should Some States Secede?

Following the re-election of President Obama, 20 states are petitioning the federal government for secession. My sister-in-law shared this a few days ago and I thought it was a joke! Then I started hearing about it from more sources. The states that want to secede include Kentucky and Montana; the two states I've lived in. The author of the previously linked article says to let the states that want to secede do so. I take exception to this.

I don't want you to think I'm freaking out about all this; I don't believe that we are in danger of seceding from the U.S. because Obama would have to sign off on that, and he has enough sense to not allow 2/5 of his country to leave. But I do want to talk about this a little bit.

How is it possible that people feel that they would be better off if they were not part of the United States? I understand all too well the anger of losing an election, but would these states really be better off not being part of the union?

None of the states on the list have a budget surplus, which means they would have to find some way to generate money quickly. Really, the best way to do that is to raise taxes. But most of these states don't want to raise taxes--hence the reason they want to secede. So how would they raise money?

How would they get money to fix the interstates that run through their states (or countries, I guess)? How would they keep the schools that are receiving federal funding open? Free and reduced lunches are funded by the government (at least in KY); who would pay for those? Some of the KY farmers have gotten government subsidies for their crops during this drought; would the state government help those farmers out? How would we have a military? I don't want to go back to little warring city-states like there were in ancient Greece.

There are so many reasons to stay in the union. Being unhappy with the results of the election is just part of the deal when you're in a democracy. To the people who want to secede, man up. There is absolutely no reason for you to be such drama queens in this situation. Just get over yourselves and work with what you have. That's what the other half of the country did during the Bush years.

As for me, if KY secedes, I'm making my own country and you're all welcome!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Weird Things

As many of you know, I have fibromyalgia: a syndrome in which the central nervous system mistakes every sensation for pain. I just started a new treatment regimen that has left me with very little energy. I am not turning this into a pity party, by any means. I just wanted to give an inside look into what having fibromyalgia is like.

I think the weirdest thing about fibromyalgia is what hurts me. Think about the everyday things you do. Now think about what it would feel like if every one of those things hurt. Here are some examples:

• Jeans feel hard against my skin.
• Loud sounds feel sharp inside my body.
• Crowds feel like hail inside my head.
• Bright lights feel like knives on my skin.
• Someone touching my skin feels like fire.

It's very strange to have this happen. A year ago, I was just fine. Now, I work from home, I can't go to the mall for long shopping sprees anymore, I hate going anywhere with large crowds, and I never know when I'm going to have a flare-up and have to cancel everything I'm planning on doing that day.

For those of you with fibromyalgia, here are some things I do that help my pain levels (other than medicine):

• Yoga
• Healthy diet
• Exercise
• Consistent schedule
• Relaxing

I know that it's not the ideal life: I just graduated with a college degree and I'm not using it. But you know what? I still have a great life. Yes, I have to deal with this, but I do what I love every day. I write, I cook, I knit, and I have the best fiancé of all time. Find what you love and do it. It's the best way to work your way through learning what your treatment plan needs to be.

Again, I'm not looking for sympathy; just raising awareness. If you have someone in your life who has fibromyalgia, understand that it is a real thing. They feel pain even though it's not physically there. They are not making it up. They want more than anything to get back to a normal life. 

Please be kind to each other.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Petraeus: Will We Ever Know the Truth?

This morning I was watching MSNBC's "Morning Joe" while I was waking up. The anchors spent 15 minutes speculating on Four-Star General David Petraeus's extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. While I am aware of the fact that there are new accounts of timelines of the investigation coming out today, why on earth should we be so arrogant to think that we know the "facts?" This is a case that involves both the CIA and the FBI. How is it possible that these pundits think that they are privy to the actual happenings in this case?

The CIA and FBI are insanely good at keeping whatever information they want to keep private to themselves. If they actually did know about this affair during the summer, I'm sure there is a good reason that they didn't bring it to light. Or maybe there was a bad reason they didn't expose it. Regardless, if they kept this secret for almost six months, they had time to decide how much they're going to share with the media. I'm sure that our intelligence agencies knew this would come to light at some point (affairs like this one have a nasty habit of doing that), so they had time to choose what they were going to tell us.

So far, we, the public, have found out that the affair didn't start until after Petraeus was out of the military. Is it possible that the affair started while Petraeus was still in the military during one of the six trips his biographer made to Afghanistan to work with him? Sure, but Petraeus could face a military trial for adultery if that were the case. That would be incredibly embarrassing for not only the four-star general, but the U.S. military. Is that something the CIA and FBI would have the ability of covering up? Of course.

Some of you might think that I'm being incredibly cynical. I think being cautious is justified. The U.S. doesn't say that we have the best intelligence in the world for nothing; we do. The members of the CIA and FBI are astoundingly good at their jobs and there is no reason for us to think that we are ever going to get the full story of this affair. Petraeus might come out with a "tell all" statement, but he was the director of the CIA. Why on earth should we trust him? He was a professional spy. His job was to be good at covering up the truth and leading people to believe what he needed them to believe.

While I trust the CIA and FBI to keep our country safe, I don't trust them to keep a strict moral code. The people involved in these two agencies are professional spies. I am not going to put my trust in these people on an ethical level when they are asked to lie on a daily basis. Do I want them on my side when it comes to finding terrorists? Absolutely. Do I want them on my side when they're running an undercover op to derail a plot that could compromise our county's security? Yes, I do. But would I marry someone who worked for a U.S. intelligence agency? Not a chance.

Photo credit: Adam Creech, 2012

So, I understand that this is news and it's going to be discussed. But let's all just take a step back, look at the big picture, and realize that we will probably never know the whole truth. I think the one fact we do know is that there are two spouses who are hurting right now because of the actions of Gen. Petraeus and Mrs. Broadwell. Let's keep them and the children of these two reckless people in our thoughts.

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to all the men and women who serve and have served our country. Your sacrifices will not be forgotten.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Election2012: The Invented Patois

Election season is full of anger, snide remarks, and arguments. But looking back, it's fun to see some of the most humorous things that were said. Invented words and sayings are some of my favorites.

We talked about numbers. I was told that I was part of the 99% back in 2011. But now in 2012, I'm apparently in the 47%. So, does that mean that next year I'll end up being in the 1%?! Sounds good to me...

Last summer we were concerned about hitting the "debt ceiling." Now we're worried about falling off the "fiscal cliff." How did we get toward the ceiling last year? Can we use that to keep us from falling off the cliff this year?

In the medical care debate we have RomneyCare vs. ObamaCare. No offense, but I wouldn't want either one of them bringing me chicken noodle soup. I want DoctorCare or MommyCare, if we're just being honest and making up sayings for what we want when we're sick!

The candidates made up words to describe each others' policies during the campaign. Obama described Romney's tax ideas as "Romney Hood"--Robin Hood in reverse. To me, Romney Hood sounds like a form of knighthood: the level to which all businessmen aspire.

A few weeks ago, Obama also mentioned "Romnesia:" the condition Romney's supporters must have had if they really forgot Romney's voting record. Romnesia sounds like a country:

"Once upon a time, in a far away land called "Romnesia," there was a King named Mitt. King Mitt had the six largest castles in all of Romnesia and the Knights of Romneyhood defended their ivory towers with a ferocity rivaled by none." I will leave you to imagine the ending of that story. Hint: the dragon called "Obama" and 51% of the peasants go after King Mitt, so he escapes to one of his other castles, where he will look longingly out the window for four years until the next election comes and gives him the kiss that turns him back into a candidate.

Romney came up with "Obamaloney," referring to Obama's rhetoric. Now, I'm not a connoisseur or anything, but I'm not sure an obamaloney and mayo sandwich would be very good; not to mention making meat like that is illegal in most states.

According to a lot of news networks, this race was "razor tight." What is razor tight? I am not the only one who asked this question. Stephen Colbert did, too:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Humor is the best way to feel good, especially after an election as venomous as the one we just had. No matter what side you were on, please feel free to laugh at all of this. I know I did!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Conservatism: Black and White?

One of the things I'm learning as I "grow up" is that reality isn't as black and white as I generally like to believe. I have always been a this-is-correct-so-it's-good/this-is-wrong-so-it's-bad type of person. But looking at all the issues going on and how I feel about some of them, there are definitely things I never thought I would say.

When it comes to "family values" I am apparently a lot more conservative than I could have ever imagined. I didn't realize this until my fiancé and I were talking about raising kids. I plan on being what I see as "reasonable," very similar to the way I was raised. But looking deeper into what that means, it turns out that it is more "conservative" parenting than "liberal" parenting.

Now, of course, I about had a heart attack when my fiancé first brought this to my attention: conservatism is bad...isn't it? This has been going on for a few months. It's taken me a while to start to feel okay with it. I mean, I was raised in a "liberal" family, wasn't I?

I believe in being an incredibly present parent. I believe in loving my kids no matter who they are. I believe in telling my kids what they are and are not allowed to do or eat. I believe in disciplining my kids. I believe in being honest with my kids. I believe in having dinner together every night. I believe in having family game night on weekends instead of watching TV or going to a movie.

This is such a weird thing to be talking about since I don't even have kids. But it's important to see someone who used to be such a self-professed liberal accepting some more conservative ideals. I want to be perfectly clear: I am not going insanely conservative, but I'm also not a liberal extremist.

What would happen if our government took a lesson from this? Being a moderate means that we can see both sides and choose for ourselves what is right for us; not being a dogmatic follower of a certain party. Yes, I voted for Obama; yes, I worked for his campaign. But not because he is a Democrat; I believe in him, because I agree with most of his policies. Not all. Most.

Take a moment today and be with yourself. Decide what works for you; not what your party dictates that you should believe. It's harder than it seems like it should be. It's taken me months to be okay with it. But it's important. I'm glad I've taken some time with it.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Thankful Thursday

I think one thing most people can agree on from the past few weeks is how awful all the political ads were. I heard countless people saying that they couldn't wait for the election to be over so the ads would be off television, and I felt the same way.

Yesterday I turned the TV on to watch the news and the majority of the ads were for Christmas deals! This was very disconcerting to me. I understand the importance of shopping early and being prepared for Christmas, but there are ads for "Pre-Black Friday" now. What is Pre-Black Friday?! Apparently, it's going on this weekend at a few stores: you get the same prices and deals you would get if you went to the stores on Black Friday.

But what about the giant holiday between now and Black Friday? Thanksgiving tends to get ignored on television. If you look at it from a marketing standpoint, why shouldn't it be ignored; other than food, what can you get people to buy for it?

But is it appropriate for stores to blatantly bypass Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas? I don't think it is, and apparently, neither did the department store Nordstrom:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/nordstrom-vs-christmas

I love this! I think Nordstrom has the right idea. Full disclosure: when I saw this, I immediately was confused because November 27 is not a Friday this year. This photo was taken in 2009. Regardless, I think the idea is great.

Let's celebrate Thanksgiving! Give thanks for what you have instead of looking ahead to what you can buy at a good price.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Election 2012: Victories Beyond the White House

What a night! I am so incredibly happy to have volunteered for President Obama for the last few months; honored to have been a part of this historical election.

These are the historic results of the night (as they're being reported now):

• The U.S. re-elected the first African-American president.
• Three more states passed marriage equality acts (Maine, Maryland, Washington).
• At least 19 women will serve in the U.S. Senate, a record number (20, if ND elects Heidi Heitkamp).
• The first openly lesbian U.S. senator was elected: Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.
• The first openly bisexual U.S. representative is projected to be elected: Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona.
• Two states legalized recreational use of marijuana (Colorado, Washington).
• This is the first time since 1801-1825 that we have had three two-term presidents in a row.

For the record, I am incredibly thrilled about the marriage equality laws that got passed last night, but I think it's pathetic that we are voting on other people's rights in the 21st century. The fact that the first openly lesbian senator was just elected, but the state that she represents (WI) banned same-sex marriage in 2006, is wrong. Marriage was defined as "one man and one woman" in Arizona in 2008, which means if Sinema is elected to the House, she will also represent a state that wouldn't support her if she fell in love with a woman and wanted to get married.

As for President Obama, I think it is great that as the first African-American to get elected president he got re-elected. I feel like race wasn't really allowed to be talked about in this election, and maybe I' not "allowed" to talk about it now, but I think it's important. I think that it proves to ourselves and the world that we do care about the content of someone's character more than the color of someone's skin. I don't know if it would have been said outright or not if Obama had lost, but I really feel like the far right would have ended up subtly hinting that we need to go back to the "traditional America." They (FOX News) did mention "traditional America" yesterday, when they realized that there are more people of minority races than white people in the U.S. now.

Nineteen or twenty women in the Senate is a record? That's only a fifth of the members! I think it's great that more women are getting elected to Congress, but we need to push that number up. Women make up more than half of this country's population; we need adequate representation in Washington.

I don't have an opinion on recreational marijuana use. It is my view that it should be allowed for medical purposes, but beyond that I don't see a reason for it. Just because I don't see a need for it, however, doesn't mean that I really care one way or another if other people use it.

Overall, this was an incredible campaign (while I am aware that there were problems on both sides, I'm spending today being happy about the win; there's time for criticism later). I was in tears last night when our president was re-elected. I was so overwhelmed. This is the most emotionally invested I have ever been in a political campaign, and it paid off! All the hours spent calling people, talking to people, getting up early, and going to bed late paid off. Listening to President Obama's victory speech last night made me feel delighted, honored, and proud to be an American.

I leave you with my favorite quote from last night's victory speech and a photo:
"I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting."

I got interviewed on my way out of the polls.
Great way to end the campaign!

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

Election Day!

Happy Election Day!

I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the campaign today. Here are the last two months of the campaign as seen by my iPhone.

My sister and I were so excited to see President Obama in September!

President Obama!

I got to see Natalie Portman speak at a Women's Summit.

Emily and I also got to see Michelle Obama speak!

I got the front row to see Alfre Woodard, Valerie Jarrett, and Sarah Jessica Parker speak at our campaign office.

I made patriotic cupcakes.

And patriotic cookies!

Had an awesome debate party.

POTUS/FLOTUS table!

My editor wondered if we had "Pets for Obama" signs; so I made some! Jett is so excited for the election!

Election Day pancakes!

Make sure you vote, but only after you've had a good breakfast!

Obama pancakes!

Forward!

Please vote today! 

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Letter to My 12-Year-Old Self

Good morning! I've been thinking about writing a letter to my younger self for a while, and one of my new favorite bloggers, AccordingToLara, inspired me to finally do it.

Dear 12-year-old Kinsey,

Hi! It's you in 12 years. Happy birthday! Enjoy your Harry Potter themed party--it's less cool to have a Harry Potter party when you're 24!

In six days, there is going to be a lot of confusion in the 2000 election. It's going to take until December to figure out who the president will be. Stop running around burning bridges with people, because Gore loses, and you're only 12. While it's important to be politically active, don't be a jerk about it.

You are about to find out that your dad has to have heart surgery. He and your mom are going to go to Texas for the surgery and leave your with your grandparents. He ends up being just fine!

In a year, you're going to move to Vanuatu. It's going to be scary and lonely, but you get to live right by the beach. Enjoy it while you're there. Don't stress out about what's happening back home, live in the moment. Breathe in every breath filled with the salty air and relaxed atmosphere; your life is going to change more than you can imagine when you move home.

You'll move back to the States when you're 16. You're going to feel incredibly out of place and do really terrible, self-destructive things to try to make it better. You won't listen to this, because you won't even understand it right now and when you do understand it you'll think you know better, but keep eating.

Also, be prepared for a relationship that will change your life. You will not be able to trust any man again for years because of this trusted adult who will take advantage of you. Keep going to your therapy sessions even though they open wounds you don't even want to remember. They will help, I promise.

When you're in college, you're going to vote in your first presidential election. Don't worry; your guy wins this time! Your parents will move to Ethiopia. Sounds like a long way away, huh? But don't worry; they come back after only seven months. They come back because your dad has to have heart surgery again, but just like last time, he's fine. :)

You're going to end up getting fibromyalgia. Doctors don't officially know what causes it, but I think the previous paragraphs explain the reason you get it. Keep fighting. It is so hard but you'll get better, because you don't have to fight alone. The most wonderful man asks you to marry him when you're 23 in your favorite place in the world: the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone.

Recognize this? It's where you go with your class three years in a row for Expedition: Yellowstone! You end up falling in love with this valley.

The ring is perfect.

You're going to work on the Obama campaign in 2012. I actually can't tell you how it turns out; the election is tomorrow! But I can tell you that this is the first time you've listened to my advice about not being a jerk to the other candidate. :)

You and your sister get to see Barack Obama in person! Oh--and you get glasses. You feel like you're going through a midlife crisis at first, but you do get used to them.

You're going to be just fine. Live in the moment and savor every day. Remember that your greatest asset is your heart, not your brain. You can empathize to the nth degree if you let yourself. Get that brain out of the way--you overuse it way too much! :)

Engagement photos! You're going to meet him more than three years before you start dating. Don't tell him, though!

You also fall in love with shoes.

You get two amazing kittens who love napping on you!

Love,

24-year-old You

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

"No Party Lines"

I know that many of you reading this have already made up your minds about who you're going to vote for in the presidential election. I was, however, thinking about the candidates' plans and this is what I've come up with: they both want the same things, they just want to take different routes to get there.

"5 Point Plans" and "6 Point Plans" have become a core part of this election. Here's what both candidates' plans look like:

Mitt Romney
1. Energy: Achieve energy independence by using the resources we have on this continent.
2. Trade: Have "trade that works for America" by making sure that other countries don't cheat when they trade.
3. Education: Better schools (public schools, colleges, and skills training).
4. Economics: Cut the deficit.
5. Small Business: "Champion small business" by lowering taxes on small businesses and the middle class, as well as getting rid of "Obamacare" and "replacing it with "real healthcare reform."

Barack Obama
1. Jobs: Create jobs in America by changing trade barriers.
2. Taxes: Change the code to cut the deficit.
3. Nation-Building: Rebuild at home and stop the wars.
4. Energy: Invest in American energy.
5. Education: Have more college graduates.
6. Healthcare: More access and lower costs.

So, if we take these plans and combine them, here's what it looks like (Red = Romney, Blue = Obama, Purple = Both):
Energy: Invest in the resources we have on our continent.
Education: Better schools, especially higher education institutions.
Economics: Cut the deficit.
Nation-Building: Lower taxes to champion small business so we can rebuild here at home.
Trade: Have trade that works for America by changing the trade barriers.
Healthcare: There is no overlap on this. Not sure why, since "Obamacare" is essentially "Romneycare," but in these plans, there is no common ground except for the fact that both candidates think they have the best answer for our healthcare problem.

By looking at this, it seems like both candidates want the same things. Back when the United States was founded, the president was the candidate who got the most votes and the vice president was the candidate who got the second most votes. I know that this isn't going to happen now because we have running mates, but it sure shows a willingness to cross party lines once the election is over to get things done.

In the last couple of days, both candidates have been flying the "there-are-no-party-lines" flag. If there are really no party lines, then come together. Stop airing the attack ads. Appear together at a function to help the victims of Sandy.

I'm not saying that these candidates are equal in how they're going to run the country. I'm saying that they need to acknowledge the validity of the other candidate's platform, though. They are literally saying they want the same thing on 5 out of 6 of the points on their "Plans."

I am very aware that there are a bunch of social issues that are not on these plans on which they disagree by immense amounts, but they're not talking about those. Sure, every now and again Obama mentions the repeal of DADT and getting to "marry who you love," but that's not what he's running on. This is a very economic-minded election and their plans both reflect that.

I think if Sandy has taught us anything, it's that we never know what's going to happen tomorrow. Cross party lines. If you have friends or family who are die-hard supporters of the "other" candidate, have dinner with them and talk about good things. We're not all that different from each other.

Take this weekend to get out there and make that last push for your candidate; but make the push for your candidate, not against the other candidate.

Stay safe, stay strong.

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

Face-to-Face campaigning is the most effective. Here is my "Face-to-" campaign photo.
Share your "Face" campaign photo to complete the cycle.

Birthday Resolutions

Today is my birthday. I'm 24 years old. It's amazing to think that I'm so old. Or so young! Part of me feels like I've been through enough to fill a lifetime and part of me feels so immature and naive. Also, one of my friends just brought to my attention that this is my last birthday as "Kinsey Whearty." Wow! It's true, though; next year I will be "Kinsey Hein!" It is going to be a big year.

In light of my birthday, I'm not going to be writing about politics, devastation across the eastern seaboard, or controversial things. I love doing it, but it has the tendency to make me a little cranky and I don't want to be grumpy on my birthday!

I always take some time on my birthday to make "New Year's" resolutions. Birthdays give me the chance to evaluate the last year and tweak what I don't like that I'm doing and continue what I do like. These are some of my resolutions for this year.

• Bridezilla. :) I'm getting married in June and I do not want to be a "Bridezilla"! 
• Take more of a stand for my recovery. I never thought that I would be 24 and not working because of my health. That's not who I am, and I want to work harder to get this taken care of.
• De-stress. I have a propensity to take little things and get really stressed out about them. If I think back to a few months ago, I know I was stressed out, but I can't even remember what it was that was stressing me out, which means it probably wasn't worth getting super-stressed over!
• Love more. My friends, family, and fiancé. 
• Work on being happier with myself. This blog has been so great for me because I have something that's my own, but I want to take it to the next level. I've got my own site, but I need to push it to something beyond what it is right now. I love doing this and I want to make it something successful. While I'm working hard on making this better, though, I need to make sure that I like myself for who I am and that my self-worth is not tied to my site and how many hits I get each day.

Thank you all for making the last two months of this blog so great! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support. I started this on a whim almost and it's grown more than I could ever have expected. I think knowing that I have such a great support group is the best birthday present ever!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi