check it out

Hey guess what is awesome. The white house website. Go look at it and sign yourselves up at www.whitehouse.gov. It's really cool because it has everything that is going on with our laws and policies of the Obama administration. No secrets. It's such a different style. The Bush administration had a friggin "Barney Cam" on the white house website. The friggin dog had a camera on him and walked around and somebody wrote stuff as if the damn dog was talking. What the hell is that? I mean even my kid's damn "Webkinz" website is more informative than the Barney Cam but you know, some things must have held priority for that administration and the reporter biting dog was important. Anyway, if you sign up, there is a place for comments and according to the website they will be viewed for any suggestions and before any legislation is signed it will be displayed for the public to read and comment on. Maybe it's just me, my love for this new president, but that sounds awesome. There's a blog and a whole section on the agenda that he and Biden are scheduling and lots of interesting, easy to comprehend things that please me greatly to see. I know that I'm sort of obsessed lately but that will pass, I'm sure.
Anyhow, check it out, sign up, leave your comments and bookmark it so you can periodically look at what is going on in our country. It's nice to be involved in our democracy. It's nice to know if our president plans on changing the Constitution or not. Now, if it is an emergency type law (wire-tapping might fall into that category) we won't be asked to comment, so let's hope this bastard isn't a crazy one. Just check it out and see if I'm trippin' or if this is a cool thing.

matching pj's christmas morning

I know right, we really are cute.

"See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya"

Saying goodbye to Dubya! There, it's done, he's gone. I am so relieved. I listened to the swearing in and the Inaugural speech on my way to work and I screamed, honked and flailed my hands out the window. I cried and shouted with joy. This was an awesome and emotional experience and I am proud to be an American at this time. I've always been proud to be an American but Bush made it a little embarrassing at times. I will try to move past the Bush era but it will be hard to do because he has done so much harm to our country and our core strength. I don't really know how to put it any other way. I believe he really divided our country between the two parties. I had never, before him, felt so strongly against Republicans as I did during Bush's watch. I seriously felt anger toward people because they defended his Presidency or because they voted for him or watch Fox news. That's crazy that I would be mad at someone for siding with an asshole. Oh, wait, maybe that's not crazy... anyway, if someone says they prefer McCain over Obama it doesn't piss me off half as much as if they say they prefer Bush over anyone. I mean, wow, that's saying a lot. He made me mad and at the same time, I felt sorry for him in some weird kind of way. Then I think about all the shit that he fucked up and how there's not much he did right and I stop feeling sorry for him. I'm not trying to sound like a left-wing wacko but he really did not do anything that I can think of that helped this country. I even tried researching this a little and the list is short, really short. There are some things that are really a matter of opinion, such as, the "surge" in Iraq or the No Child Left Behind bill. I can tell you, having two children in elementary school, NCLB is not a good thing. The teachers are too focused on test scores and not focused on teaching the stuff that is truly valuable. They don't have enough time to stray a little and teach about character and creative art or music. They have said themselves that their curriculum is too big with star testing stuff and there isn't enough time to teach the kids about the kind of stuff we learned. ("you teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."... imagine if he hadn't tried to fix our education system). I know if I look a little longer, I'll find something he did right.
Ok, here's a few and I will have to read more into them to learn about them. Former President Bush, (oh, that is great... "former president"... fantastic), intergrated the executive branch. He had Condaleeza Rice and Colin Powell as his secretaries of state and Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. He is the first President to have "non-white" people in two of the 4 highest positions in the executive branch of our government. Ok, this is good, he's done stuff... what else?...
Gay people... he didn't do anything to change any of the laws that Clinton put into effect regarding gays. In fact, he did not turn away a gay family from the White House Easter Egg Hunt... (did not know that...). He signed a bill to give non-spousal couples the same federal pension standards as married couples. And he appointed a gay man as U.S. ambassador to Romania (did not know that either... good job Dubya...). However he still worried me because I thought he might try to change the constitution and have all the gays of the world shipped out of the country and forced to work for the Republican party digging ditches or decorating guns or cowboy hats... Ok, stretching for the humor is just as bad as being "misunderestimated"
Immigration reform: he did not deport all the illegal immigrants like his party would have liked him to do. That is good!
Now, the thing I keep hearing about is the protection Bush gave us. I love that little soundbyte that is overplayed by the right... "we have not been attacked since 9/11". This is true. But, we would not have been attacked on 9/11 had dumbass read his security briefing that he was given shortly before September 2001. Now, I'm sure there were a lot of threats but that's not good enough for me. Bin Ladin swore he would bankrupt our country and oh, look at that, we are in a huge economic meltdown. Did he do this? No, but going to Iraq didn't help us financially and the real cause of 9/11 is still living, breathing and potentially planning his next move and not in Iraq.
Now, let's get something clear, I do not blame George W. Bush for everything. The weather, the lottery numbers, the fact that my check engine light has been on for a year, my bad hair days, etc. But he does need to accept responsibility for a lot of shit that went down over the last eight years. This idea that his presidency was just fun and interesting is not acceptable. His denial that Katrina was mishandled is appalling, his torture policy that no-one is going to call him on ridiculous and the right wing pundits who keep defending him should just admit he fucked up. I have hope for our new president and I have hope for myself that I will swallow my bitter pill and let go of some of the hatred and blame that I have for G.W. Bush. I will write a more positive entry next time... somethings need to be said.

Who do you love?

Honestly, I voted for Hilary. I do love me some Hilary. But I am so happy, proud and optimistic for our country. Great choice. The whole world is happy. God bless mother lovin' America. Whoo-hoo!!
LATER DAYS GEORGE W. BUSH!!!
More to come...

Oh-Bama!... Redemption!!

Look at this... he is trying to make it up to us. Thank you Obama for doing this, it really means a lot. Gene Robinson, a gay Episcopalian Bishop, will be giving the opening prayer for the inauguration. I have, once again, fallen in love with Barrack. Now I do realize he made this choice after he chose Rick Warren, the evil pastor who has hate in his heart, to do the main prayer or invocation or whatever it's called. So, better late than never. I wouldn't stop supporting him, it would take a lot for me to do that but I was mad for a minute. Now, this gay dude is great. He is what us other gay folks wanted to hear and I am happy about this. It took a little long though but I'm happy anyway. Thanks B. O. (oh, those are sucky initials).
I love God and Gays and I love Barrack Obama too.
Yeah!

View from our patio

This was from a few years ago but still beautiful. I am lucky.

Happy New Year!!

Whoo-hoo!
2009! Wow. How exciting. Last year was good. I have no regrets and I'm looking forward to the new year, the new President and a pay raise. Hopefully this President will do well. I really think he will. I'm not mad about his stupid Rick Warren friend anymore, I'm over it. I shouldn't get so upset but it is difficult not to when people are talking trash directly to me and my family. I just learned that someone left a comment on my other blog but it was removed by Google I guess. I really wish I had seen it, it was on a posting about Prop 8. Probably someone angry about gay people. Probable someone saying: "you still have rights.... waaaaa, blah, blah, blah..." Oh well, what the hell, they smell. (I'm feeling extra mature in '09).
I'm really hopeful and excited about this upcoming year. I haven't made any unrealistic resolutions just wanting to help Amy keep the house clean. We are in the process of painting the living room and I have been very helpful if I do say so myself. Painting is fun. We are going to paint the kids rooms next. That should be interesting.
Lily has gotten promoted in ballet to a level 3 class. She's only been doing this for a year and she has moved up faster than any of the other kids. I guess she's really good. I'm not there when she has class but according to Amy, all of her teachers say she's the best one in their class and they use her as the example when they show the kids how to do something. I'm so proud of her. If she sticks with this, she may someday have the lead in the Nutcracker... (wouldn't that be awesome). I have high hopes for her. She is very graceful and has a lot of determination. I must say, I'm not surprised that she is a good dancer. She has been dancing around in twirls and swirls her whole life. She's a great singer too. Amy and I really need to tap into these talents of our children and live vicariously through them... light bulb! Lukas got an electric guitar for Christmas and last year Lily got an acoustic guitar so after we get them some lessons, we are going to start a band. I'll be their manager like Joe Jackson or the Osmonds or Hanson or the Jonas Brothers or... we'll see what happens.