RIP, Josephine the Spider

It is with great sadness that I share with you all the news of the passing of Josephine, our "pet" spider, this weekend. Frankly, I'm amazed that she survived this long as it's been getting progressively colder and windier here lately, but she did. We found her on the deck yesterday morning and decided that instead of letting her succumb to the indignity of being eaten by the cat the next time she escapes out the back door onto the deck, we would bury her in one of the flowerpots, which we did, and then we said a few short words about her, and toasted her with our Sunday morning mimosas, and went back inside.

Rest in peace, arachnid friend. Thanks for eating tons of mosquitoes, and for gracing our back door with your beautifully-constructed web. In death you will be remembered as one of the coolest-looking spiders I've ever seen, and indeed the ONLY spider I've ever seen for which I have felt any measure of affection, as opposed to utter revulsion and abject terror. I hope that Spider Heaven has you surrounded by lots of juicy bugs, and is a place where you can build your web as big as you want without worrying about humans breaking it every time they go outside to the grill, or condo associations power-washing the building, or frigid Connecticut temperatures, rain, and wind.

Funniest (I think) Family Guy Clip Ever

This is from the episode that was on this past Sunday (11/16). Shawn and I were absolutely dying when we watched it...the silently-laughing, tears-pouring-down-my-face, occasional-snorting kind of laughter.

Awesome. Just...awesome. Enjoy!

Veterans Day

As I was driving into work this morning, I heard the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA" on the radio. That song was the first song I heard when I got into my car to drive home for the weekend after September 11th, and it always gets me choked up. This morning, I actually cried in the car. I was somewhat pissed that I had to go into work today to begin with, because I believe EVERYONE should have Veterans Day off (like Memorial Day), but I thought, at least in this country, I can hold a job, if I want to. And as I looked in the rearview mirror to check how much mascara was running down my face, I thought, hey, at least I'm allowed to wear makeup. I'm a woman, and I'm allowed to wear makeup, and jeans, and jewelry. I was allowed to get an education, and even go to college. I can vote. I can drive. I have control over my finances, and I can own property. My father, husband, and male relatives don't control where I go, when I go there, and who I'm with. I can go to whatever church I want to, listen to whatever music I want to, watch whatever I want on TV or in the movie theater, read whatever I want to, and write whatever I want on this blog. And the reason I can do all these things is because of veterans. Thank God for the brave men and women who have fought for, and are still fighting for, our country and our freedom, because without them, we wouldn't have it.

We've got it pretty good here. Many people risk their lives to come to this country illegally in shipping crates, or hidden in tiny boats, or by swimming across the Gulf of Mexico, because they believe their lives will be better. And, without getting into the whole immigration issue here, you have to admit these people have a point. There are few places in the world where no matter what kind of background or situation you were born into, with hard work you can become whoever you want. In other countries, the rights that are GUARANTEED to our citizens are ones that their citizens can only dream of.

So, no matter who you voted for, no matter who was elected, no matter how you feel about the war in Iraq, and no matter which side of the political spectrum you're on, take a moment today to say a prayer for - or if you're not religious, to reflect on - the sacrifices of everyone who has ever given their service, or their life, for our country. Without them, things would be a lot different.

My Ideal Candidate

Well, it's officially over. One way or the other, we've elected a candidate, and I pray he'll be a good leader. Hopefully, he won't let down the people who voted for him, and for the people who didn't, maybe he'll win them over.

One of the more interesting things I've personally experienced from this election has been the fact that I realized that most of the people I know, with the exception of a few, really don't know exactly what my political leanings are. I'm cool with this, actually. I have definite political opinions, but I generally don't make it a point to discuss politics in depth with people. I just have found over the years that unless you know for a fact that someone's political views are in line with your own, it's not the greatest idea to get into the discussion. Someone always ends up getting pissed off. Also, since my company is primarily a government contractor, it's good policy not to talk about this stuff at work, which is where I spend the majority of my time. But, I'm cool with blogging about it, and in case you're interested or were wondering, here's a sampling of where I stand on some things that have been and continue to be contentious issues in this country. I left off some other things that I care about like immigration because I know this post is going to be long enough without it, especially once I get talking about education, but c'est la vie.

1. While I'm a religious person, I am quite tired of the religious right attempting to permeate every facet of life in this country. I want them out of our doctors' offices, our pharmacies, our bedrooms, our labs, and our schools. I believe in a woman's right to choose abortion, though only in certain circumstances (rape and incest, and when her own life is in danger, or when it is known that the baby will not survive and the woman doesn't choose to bring the baby to term. I really think that's her right.) I believe what goes on behind closed doors in our homes is not the government's business. I believe anyone who wants to get married should be able to and should be afforded the same legal rights as everyone else...whatever happened to "all men are created equal"? I believe in stem cell research as long as it is done ethically. I believe we can keep "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance because there are bigger things we need to worry about at this point. I believe abstinence-only sex education is a waste of time, because, let's face it, kids, no matter how stupid and immature they might be, are going to have sex, and they need to be told how to protect themselves, and understand the consequences of what will happen if they don't. I believe evolution is a FACT, not a theory, and THAT'S what belongs in the science classrooms of our public schools. And most of all, I believe the founding fathers knew what they were doing when they mandated the separation of church and state IN THE CONSTITUTION.

2. I believe healthcare is a basic human right. I think children especially, no matter what age, and no matter what their background, should have guaranteed affordable healthcare, period. The institution in this country needs to be completely overhauled. While I'm not in favor of a single-payor system, I think the government needs to closely examine the relationship between medical care, insurance, and pharmaceuticals, and get involved when things are working too much in the favor of corporations and not enough in the favor of the people who are being served by them. From a practical standpoint, as the CEO of my company regularly reminds us (and he did it again this morning when he was in the office), healthcare is 17% of the GNP in the US, and if the healthcare system collapses, our economy is screwed. Medicare will be bankrupt within the next two decades as the Baby Boomer generation ages (more elderly people = higher healthcare costs). It's worthwhile to focus on attempting to fix the system now before it gets worse. It's in the government's best interest to invest in industries like healthcare IT, which will significantly reduce healthcare costs by reducing medical errors, providing clinical decision support and data mining/repository services, and eliminating the bureaucratic nonsense that providers have to deal with, allowing them to focus on patients and their care (also, that would keep my company in business, and therefore I would have a job, hehe).

3. I also believe education is a human right. Get rid of NCLB (No Child Left Behind), because it's not working. Fix the absurdly broken system. The solutions are obvious:

Provide MORE SUPPORT for teachers (which will not only attract talented people to the profession, but also help keep the ones we have), who I believe are the most woefully underpaid group of professionals in the country. In no other profession are you mandated to obtain an advanced degree, paying for it out of your own pocket, within a certain amount of time, in order to keep your job. Teachers are expected to also be babysitters, counselors, go-betweens, mentors, and a host of other things to their students, and the amount of red tape and administrative drivel that they have to deal with is staggering. They should be paid accordingly for their services and provided at least SOME financial support to obtain their Masters )because it's too much to hope that a school system would ever be able to do it for them).

Overhaul the standardized testing system. I do not believe that standardized testing is an accurate measure of students' abilities. Sure, it shows which kids have learned basic skills by a certain age and which haven't, but the amount of emphasis this country puts on the performance of a school at large on standardized tests, I think, is a little nutty. Some kids don't test well. Some kids cheat. Some kids will not be able to perform "up to standard" because of learning disabilities or other handicaps.

Freaking provide funding for struggling schools...and that means inner city AND rural. Many rural schools have the same amount, if not less, materials and funds than inner city schools, and I think people forget that.

Fund programs that get parents involved in education, without being a hindrance to teachers ("helicopter" parents need not apply).

Fund after-school programs for students of all ages whose parents work outside the home, to keep them safe, involved in school, and NOT involved in drugs, teen sex, or gang activities. Also, fund mentor programs to at-risk kids, and support early learning for pre-school age children (and younger).

Provide more government support for college education. Make it more affordable for everyone who wants it. That includes support for trade schools, vocational programs, ESL for adults, and continuing education programs as well.

I do not believe in mainstreaming kids with severe learning disabilities. Of course, never having been a teacher, I don't know what it's like, but I can't help but feel that kids with disabilities like this would benefit more from individual attention that's not necessarily in a classroom setting. I've heard too many stories about how teachers are penalized for their classes' performance, when many of the kids in their classes are special needs and require more specialized education. Give more support to professionals and aides who work in special education...their salaries should be commensurate with regular teachers', and I know they're not in many places.

4. I believe in a nationwide "three-strikes-you're-out" law for violent criminals. I also believe in mandatory life in prison without parole, at the very least, for people who abuse children under the age of 12. We do not need those people on our streets. The rate of recidivism for people like that is way too high for us to take the risk of putting them back out there. Incidentally, I also support capital punishment, though only when used in specific cases. For example, I don't believe someone who shot someone while robbing a store deserves the death penalty. Murdering anyone is horrible, but I believe there are certain circumstances which render the death penalty more necessary, such as when some sicko premeditatively kidnaps, molests, tortures, and murders a child. There is no place on this Earth for someone like that, and no place for them in our society. They may feel remorse for their crimes, but will never be rehabilitated. I really don't believe people like that deserve another chance...they don't even deserve life in prison. As awful as that sounds, that's how I feel.

5. Get us the hell out of the Middle East. Our soldiers are dying for people who would just as soon kill them as look at them, and the civilians who don't feel that way have been beaten down and oppressed for so long that no matter how long we stay there trying to prop up the "democracy" we've "established", once we leave, it won't hold up. There is just way too much volatility, hate, and religious fundamentalism in that part of the world for it to be worth it anymore, and I believe we could be spending our defense money more productively (like beefing up our border security, so we never have to deal with another 9/11). This kind of segues into the next thing, which is...

6. ...reduce our dependence on foreign oil, particularly from the Middle East, by investing in alternate energy solutions. Provide bigger tax incentives for people who make "green" lifestyle choices, from buying hybrid or electric cars, to using energy-saving appliances. I have always found it dumb that people who want to do those kind of things always end up paying more for them. It's stupid that purchasing an Energy Star washing machine is generally about $82347521983745 more expensive than purchasing a regular one. If you want us to conserve energy, make it affordable for EVERYONE, not just rich people. Invest in r&d for energy and alternate fuel initiatives, and for organizations, for- and not-for-profit, who work to protect our forests, our oceans, our wildlife, our national parks, and conserve our resources, and also help developing countries learn how to use, not squander, their own.

7. All this being said, I'd prefer if candidates would try and find some way to fund all these things I've mentioned without taxing the shit out of us. I don't like this whole, "higher taxes for people who make over a certain amount of money" thing, for one main reason, which is that anyone who makes said amount of money most likely worked their ass off to do it, and the idea of the government taking half their hard-earned money, essentially punishing them for building their wealth, makes me a bit squeamish (American Dream, much??). I have hopefulness that re-appropriating government funds, reducing the national debt, and working on long-term solutions for the things that are costing our government the most money would provide us with enough capital to fund these kinds of things, without redistributing the wealth of hard-working Americans.

Phew...I told you this post was going to be long. But hey, at least I got the stuff off my chest. In my lifetime there has never been a candidate I've voted for who has aligned closely with all my beliefs, and I don't think there ever will be. Until then, I'll have to keep doing what I've been doing, which has been voting for the lesser of two evils. I think a lot of Americans feel that way. But maybe someday, we won't have to do that. It sure would be nice.

There's this...thing...going on today...maybe you've heard of it...

...it's called an election, I believe. Perhaps you've heard it referred to once or twice, on the news, as I have. Therefore, if you have not already done so, you should vote. : )

In other news, without going into who I'm voting for (my mom always told us that that's nobody else's business but our own, and she said if anyone asked we should respond like my grandpa used to and say "Santa Claus"), I can definitively say I will be MEGA-HAPPY when this election is over. For better or worse, no matter who gets elected, it will be nice when the country can move on from the lies (from BOTH sides), the smear campaigns, and the bulls*&@. It's an extremely historically significant election, to be sure, but I've also found it to be an annoying one. I can't say I'll be sorry not to receive the annoying pre-recorded phone calls & ABSURD amount of mail from the local candidates either.

I just hope the line isn't too long when I go to vote for the first time as a Danbury resident this evening! I don't want to miss the Election Day $20 BBQ buffet tonight at La Zingara in Bethel!