Thursday, September 30, 2004

ok, ok, ok, i can't normally watch debates because they make me too nervous

and i wasn't going to
but then, i turned it on and stood in awe
kerry kicked butt!
and bush was just a painful mess.
it was so awesome!
we are back on track and gonna win this thing!
keep on keepin' on!

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

easy action to take:
write an email/letter to your friends around the country

How many voters have you persuaded today?

BUSH the flip flopper

Monday, September 27, 2004

The reason Sen. John Kerry appears to have "flip-flopped" on the war is simple; Kerry was lied to by Bush about the reasons for going to war just as the American people were lied to. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, no connection to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and was not a threat to the United States. How can Bush supporters just swallow this lie and continue to back him?

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Let me be as blunt and direct with the American people as I can be... The invasion of Iraq was a profound diversion from the battle against our greatest enemy -- al Qaeda --which killed more than 3,000 people on 9/11 and which still plots our destruction today. And there's just no question about it: The president's misjudgment, miscalculation and mismanagement of the war in Iraq all made the war on terror harder to win. Iraq is now what it was not before the war -- a haven for terrorists. George Bush made Saddam Hussein the priority. I would have made Osama bin Laden the priority. As president, I will finish the job in Iraq and refocus our energies on the real war on terror.

they're taking away the horses.... so unbelievably cruel and sad

...the animals will be rounded up with nets and tranquilizer darts and then hauled away for adoption. The reason cited: Wild horses are incompatible with the region's intensive gas production.

Friday, September 24, 2004

when will the senseless, graphic, devastating, and unbelievable violence in urban america receive the appropriate attention and dedication it deserves? (at least in comparison with the likes of the laci peterson episode). imagine the national headlines if this had happened in a white suburb or rural farm setting....

"I'm shocked because she actually died," said Morgan, who plans to move by the end of the year because of recent shootings in the area. "It's sad because I'm used to it," he said. "It's normal, but it's not normal."

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Every so often you just have to sit back and marvel at the Twilight Zone we're living in at the moment. Here we have a US-installed foreign head of state, whose travel schedule is determined by the US State Department, visiting the US to buoy the president's election campaign and spouting demonstrable lies in order to support a retrospective rationale for war that the White House wants Americans to believe but lacks the gall to state explicitly.

This remains a very competitive election, with both debates and campaigns that matter. John Kerry and the Democrats have it in their hands to win in November.

Gotta get this new book from "The Daily Show", sounds hilarious. This quote isn't from the book, but gotta highlight it from the review: The dirty secret of the campaign's last six weeks is that, by concentrating on any remaining undecideds, both campaigns are basically fighting over the idiot vote.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004




hey! go me!
today's my birthday
i'd explain, but i bet you think this post is about me, don't you, don't you


Tuesday, September 21, 2004


it's a joke to him: "Those weapons of mass destruction have to be here somewhere," Bush joshed as he narrated a slide show of him looking behind furniture, as if hunting for WMD's. "Nope, no weapons over there. Maybe under here," Bush joked. - Radio & TV Correspondents Dinner, 3-24-04 - after 804 US Soldiers had died.

but it's real people and real lives: Brooke Campbell lost her brother, Sergeant Ryan M. Campbell, in Iraq on April 29, 2004. In his last letter to her, Ryan wrote, "Just do me one big favor, OK? Don't vote for Bush. No. Just don't do it. I would not be happy with you." - To Whom it May Concern by Brooke M. Campbell 9-3-04

Vote Kerry/Edwards November 2nd. And tell your friends and family and community and churches and loved ones and acquaintances and everyone you know. And don't be shy about it, because you know how real and important this is!

Monday, September 20, 2004

"we've had a terrorist attack, skyrocketing deficits, and a disastrous war, but how do we know his opponent won't really screw things up?"

almost two weeks ago i had dinner with my ex, the ex, the big ex where our relationship ended so badly that i swore off dating for years, um, 7 years and counting at this point. i never see my ex as he lives across the country. i never talk with my ex as we can't talk very well. but he was visiting and i ran into him on the street and we agreed to dinner and we talked for 3 hours or so. nothing was said about the past really. except to play catch up on our lives. major catch up since we haven't talked much or seen each other hardly at all over those 7 years. it was like a giant blast from the past of reconnecting with someone who was so close to me and who has since only lived in my head. oh yeah, this is who he is in real life.

by complete happenstance, Jessie happened by while we were talking and a convergence of my past and present melded. strange indeed. the stranger and more striking thing to note is how calm and easy it all was, really. no more hangups, no more personal drama, no more sadness or hurt or anger or bitterness or pain. just a simple dinner with someone from the past.

i've refrained from discussing this episode on here because it's very personal and even though i do get personal on here sometimes i was wary of getting into it with you. but it also seems to fit with what i spoke of in my last post about everything in my life seeming transitional right now. as if running into him and calmly putting that past away was part of a transition in life. i'm done with that past. i'm done with these things. and i'm ready for the new. it's the end of the world as i know it, and i really do feel fine. so, then, the question is, now what?

Sunday, September 19, 2004

why does turning 34 on wednesday feel so monumental, even when it doesn't feel like anything different? it's not even a major number really. and yet, it feels strange, almost transitional.

i've been a bit bummed lately about the kerry/edwards campaign, but then i got this very helpful and wonderful message from a friend:

Friends --

As we enter this vital phase of the election, I want to urge you to be energetic in broadcasting the most important message that we can communicate as supporters of John Kerry: Our message of optimism and victory.

We support John Kerry because we have seen the rightness and the wisdom of his message. I do not know a single person who has seen Senator Kerry speak in a live setting who has not been powerfully impressed with his integrity and his vision. The greatest challenge that we face in this election is not any question of substance or ability. John Kerry wins in those categories every time, hands down. The greatest challenge that we face is in helping the American electorate to start envisioning John Kerry as their next President in the face of a massive effort by the Bush campaign to make that as difficult as possible.

The Bush campaign has followed a coordinated plan to make Americans feel defensive, or self-conscious, or even embarrassed about proclaiming their enthusiastic support for John Kerry. The sneering, sarcastic, derisive tone of the Bush message is not just the product of a juvenile attitude. They are much smarter than that. The Bush message is sneering and sarcastic because all of us are susceptible to being made fun of. And the Bush campaign is making fun of Americans who agree with John Kerry on the issues, who admire John Kerry's lifelong record of public service, and who want to see John Kerry elected President.

But the Bush campaign's strategy is flawed, because that kind of sneering and sarcasm depends upon intimidation. As soon as people stand up to it -- as soon as they refuse to be made fun of for what they believe -- the sneering collapses and slinks away. This is the method of the schoolyard bully, and that's precisely what we're facing. And our strength, our way of refusing to allow the Bush campaign to intimidate the American people, is to proudly express our belief that John Kerry will be the next President of the United States.

I cannot tell you the number of times that I have sat with friends who are solid supporters of John Kerry but who have allowed themselves to become intimidated by the tone of sarcasm that the Bush campaign has been drenching us with. And I cannot tell you what a galvanizing impact it has when I respond with my own, powerful belief that John Kerry will be victorious in November. The effect is transformative. America is ready to welcome the Kerry administration into office and send the Bush administration packing. The only thing that could stop that from happening is for Americans to doubt their own instincts about what is right. That's why the Bush administration has set such an insulting tone for this campaign -- to make people doubt their own instincts. And that is why we have to urge people to trust their instincts and to believe that the American electorate will do the right thing in November.

It is time to get people excited about this election! It is time to begin trumpeting our message of optimism as loudly as possible! Because, come November 2nd, Senator John Kerry is going to be elected the 44th President of the United States, and American voters still have the chance to become a part of that winning team!


And then I realized that a lot of what's going on with the media and the polls and the political outlook in this country is being driven by the idea that the bush people want us to believe there's no hope and that it's already over and that we should just give up. you see, if we give up or get defeatist or give in to their bullying nature, they can just walk all over us. but if we show them we have real power and shock them with our real power, then we will have defeated the bully whose only real power is intimidation and fear. Don't let them bring us down. Fight the good fight knowing that hope is on the way.

Friday, September 17, 2004

voting and friends

over the many, many years of my friendship with my best friend from high school (and yes, that's a long time since i'm turning 34 next week), i've always attempted to get him to care about voting. and it's always been an ongoing issue since he moves constantly and so before an election i always remind and become like a nagging wife who always brings up the thing the husband never wants to get around to.

we've argued over whether voting mattered, whether there was time, whether he wanted people to know where he was, whether he wanted people to know who he was, whether he believed in the system at all, whether he was a democrat or a green or a nobody, and just how much he hated politics altogether. and many times he hasn't voted. sometimes he has, because i pushed the issue with him. but it almost always felt like something i was pushing and he just did it for me.

this year is different. and wonderfully so. this year, he's the one pushing. he hates bush so much that he's constantly worried that he won't be able to vote for some reason. he's asking me to help him get registered, confirm his registration, and so forth. i've gotten voice mails where he's literally yelling about how he's worried about not getting to vote in november and begging me to help him make sure he does. and this has been months before november. i don't have to remind him at all. he's become more interested than i could have ever fathomed, particularly knowing who he is and his disinterest in these types of things in general. listening to his voice mails and his great concerns on the phone, as well as my family's and other friends' concerns and worries and interest in voting this year, makes me smile that they are interested, that they know they can come to me with questions, that they will vote, and that i don't have to really nag this year.

bush has helped me get my friends registered to vote and interested in voting, months before i would have ran to them with a nagging reminder. thank you for that, bush; possibly the only thing i will ever thank you for.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

The "Excuses President"
His is the Excuse Presidency: Never wrong, Never Responsible, Never to Blame. President Bush’s desk isn’t where the buck stops – it’s where the blame begins. He’s blamed just about everyone but himself and his administration for America’s economic problems. And if he’s missed you, don’t worry – he’s still got 48 days left until the election.... After four years of hearing no from this president – no, it’s not our fault; no, there’s nothing wrong; no, we can’t do better; no, we haven’t made a single mistake – it’s time for a president who will start saying yes. Yes to good jobs with higher wages; yes to affordable health care and middle-class tax cuts; yes to a government that lives within a budget and businesses that can out-compete anyone in the world-- Senator John Kerry

Safety, love, and good luck wishes to our New Orleans Gay brethren:
"What To Do About Ivan": The highways are jammed: to get anywhere reasonably safe (i.e. two hours to the west), I'd have to spend at least six hours on the road with car full of three dogs, a cat, numerous suitcases, and one slightly grouchy boyfriend.

Despite the changes of August, Kerry’s message for America is still significantly stronger than the Bush message, which should be taken up by progressives with considerable confidence in its efficacy... Amidst the fog of conflicting poll numbers, convention bounces and many distractions, voters remain ready to respond to strong Democratic campaigns in 2004. Democrats should put their energies into this critique, choice and vision, recognizing that big change is possible. Kerry can clearly move back into the lead in this race.

Read this memo if you want to feel better about current concerns prevailing in the political atmosphere right now. We CAN and WILL WIN this election, but we can't give up! We are stronger than we may think! Keep on keepin' on out there.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

ok, here's a secret:
my new sunglasses
they cost $8.00 at walgreens. $8.00, 8 dollars

i mean, really
everywhere i go lately people keep talking about these sunglasses
like they look high-priced
i must've gottenem at a fancy boutique for hundreds of dollars
i'm not making it up, even just today someone said to me that they looked expensive
let alone all the comments about how good they look

people: $8.00 at walgreens

p.s. if jessie takes a pic, or one day my webcam works again, i'll show you how they look

Monday, September 13, 2004

Thoughts from my daily calendar, "Moving Forward, Keeping Still: The Gateway to Eastern Wisdom":

"I really admire bees' sense of common responsibility.... Although sometimes individual bees fight, basically there is a strong sense of unity and cooperation. We human beings are supposed to be much more advanced, but sometimes we lag behind even small insects."-- Dalai Lama

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

hey, check this out. you know The Onion online JOKE news service, right? well, way back in January of 2001, as bush was just about to come to power, they put together this piece entitled: "Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare of Peace and Prosperity is Finally Over'." At the time it was a JOKE, but now it's been updated with links that have been fulfilled by bush and his right-wing nuts over the last four years. And it's no longer a JOKE. it's just plain sad...

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

While visiting my family this weekend, they were kind enough to throw me a birthday party-- probably my first one in over ten years or so. It was simple and brief, but nice. We combined it with a 'Hello' party for my niece since returning from the summer in Kansas City (where the family there held a goodbye party-- hence the 'hello'). To celebrate I got lots of party supplies and toys from the 'Hello Kitty' store including plates and napkins and such (hello kitty equals hello party, right.). We had fun and my niece is so wonderful; she's starting the 5th grade today.

I get so much done on a train, including forgotten activities like reading books for pleasure, writing, listening to loved albums as a whole, viewing the world, and thinking about large issues from the personal, social, political, and global perspectives in depth that so rarely happens in our hurried world. We spend so much of our time doing all the things we have to do first that we never find the time to get past them and enjoy the quiet times where we can live our lives fully. I for one am tired of never fully living my life and I plan to incorporate these learned concepts into my daily life more. I'm feeling these needs more and more as my birthday approaches...

Sunday, September 05, 2004

i'm taking a 12-hour train ride down the pacific coast to visit my family in los angeles, for only one day, and coming back by train on tuesday. gorgeous views, relaxing ride, book readings, napping, snacking, viewing car, quiet calm, and did i mention gorgeous views of the ocean.

everyone i tell this to screams about the 12-hours, the fact that a plane would get me there in 45 minutes, and the 12-hours again.

why is everyone always in such a hurry to get some where when they're supposedly on vacation? why isn't the trip itself the destination? why is the madness of the airports/runways/taxis/shuttles/carriers/baggageclaim/ticketlines/ securitylines/boardinglines/lines/crouchedseating/immobility/madness preferable? why not enjoy the trip itself?

i answer those questions by taking the slow, relaxing, non-hurried train rides with gorgeous views while reading a newspaper and a good book, propping my feet up on the viewing car dashboard and looking out into the horizon...

Saturday, September 04, 2004

THIS is one of the saddest stories I have ever read. I literally started crying reading this.

I've been there. I visited Mexico in 1989. I stood on top of that pyramid. The views were amazing, gorgeous, culturally and historically Mexico, swirled by unending desert. To think that this is happening, to be a part of the view, within one of the most historic wonders of ancient times just sickens me....

Friday, September 03, 2004

reese's world is 4 years old now

as always, it would not exist if not for jessie. after 4 years i've learned a little bit about this website, html, computer, tech stuff, and i'm proud of what i can do, but i'm still very naive and ignorant about much of it. thanks to jessie and others who've helped me move forward with it all.

you know, i've been thinking about what the site gives me for a while now. having a blog provides an outlet for me to rant of course, which is helpful because i'm not very good at ranting in person. it gives me an opportunity to pull together cool thoughts or sayings or quotes that i like from things i read. it allows me to discuss issues with people who comment or write me.

but most of all, i enjoy it because it allows me to be more open with people, something i'm not very good at in person. it's much easier to say something heartfelt and deep, even sad or emotional, on here than in real life. i can also express anger on here which i find very difficult in person.

additionally, i feel like blogging has helped me to grow as a writer-- just even to think of myself as a writer is a growth in itself because of this blog. editing the newsletter i work on came together in part because i realized i had things to say. and that i had a voice.

so, again, thank you to jessie for starting me on this venture. and thank you to all of you who venture in and out of reese's world from time to time. here's to another year.

Thursday, September 02, 2004

And it's on!

For three days in New York, instead of talking about jobs and the economy, we heard anger and insults from the Republicans. And I'll tell you why. It's because they can't talk about the real issues facing Americans. They can't talk about their record because it's a record of failure. I believe it's time to move America in a new direction; I believe it's time to set a new course for America.

and then check out this long list of highlighted failures on this link: George W. Bush’s Failed Presidency in One Speech: 4 Years of Failure; No New Ideas; Negative, False Attacks

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Democrats were quick to criticize Hastert’s latest suggestion. “That’s totally absurd. It fits a pattern of simply throwing out whatever slander occurs to them,” the Republicans, said Matt Bennett, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee in New York. “This is what the Republican leadership does. They lie about people.”


These are scary times. And it's an ominous sign of the times that the Speaker of the House can float such a false and extremely defamatory charge and have the behavior go almost unnoticed in the press.

Think about it.

"A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican": Joe gets up at 6:00 AM to prepare his morning coffee.... well worth a read and contemplation

so the countdown begins til the 22nd of the month
i had already started referring to myself as no longer '33' but, 'i'll be 34 next month'
now, i guess, i'll start saying something like 'i'll be 34 in a few weeks' or 'i'm turning 34 later this month' or maybe i'll just say 'i'm 34' just to get used to the sound
i don't feel any different really
what's the difference between 33 and 34 anyway?
what's the difference between 34 and 30 or 25 or 40?
i don't really have the answer
i don't feel 'older' necessarily; i just feel the same
it's weird how a number supposedly defines you for a year