New Hampshire tactics may hurt Thompson’s 2008 bid
Add comment November 6th, 2007
Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Hauls in More Than $3.5M in 20 Hours
Add comment November 6th, 2007
I’m Voting for Hilary!
In Presidential elections past I have always voted with my heart. Mostly Democratic – I even voted for Jesse Jackson once, and in a moment when my heart went cold I voted Republican. Those exercises in civic duty were momentarily satisfying but sadly lacked any lasting joy since my candidates generally lost.
This time around I am changing my tack – I’m voting rational. I figure if I can come up with ten rational reasons to vote for a candidate, I would be doing myself an injustice if I did not. I found only one candidate met my criteria. Here are my ten rational reasons to vote for Hilary Clinton.
- She’s a Woman: For God’s sake, every democracy in the modern history of mankind has had a female leader except the U.S. What is wrong with us?
- She’s Strong: That is not the opposite of wishy-washy. That means watch out or she will kick your ass.
- She’s showed us her pain: No matter what you think of her decision to stay with Bill you’ve got to give her credit for hanging in when lesser spouses would have fled. She gets extra credit for her recent comments regarding her thoughts on having the freedom to choose what is best for your individual situation.
- She is Chaste: Believe me if “they” haven’t found any dirt yet, they won’t. Maybe this should be listed under “She’s Smart” for knowing decades ago to keep her nose clean and having the fortitude to do it. That is the number one reason I choose not to run for any office – youthful indiscretions!
- NY Loves Her: As Blue states go NY is the barometer of rational liberalism – there isn’t enough estrogen in San Francisco and holy cow, Massachusetts elected Mitt!
- She’s Got Experience: No other candidate running can say they know the ins and outs of the White House like Hilary.
- She Perseveres: I root for the one who perseveres because it is a quality I lack. After that whole National Health Care thing I would have thrown in the towel, but not Hilary. She is ready for round two.
- She has a sense of Humor: Well – put another way – she knows one needs a sense of humor to succeed in the job of President of the United States. Unfortunately, she is no Al Gore in this department.
- She is All Business: Take it from a perimenopausal woman – the woman means what she says even if she doesn’t say what she means.
- She’s Got Bill: regardless of what you may think of him, liberal Democrats love him. The bonus: he can play the target of the inevitable ruthless nitpicking from the right for the duration of her term in office.
- Why should I stop at ten? She’ll Go All the Way. She has the money and the power for the long haul. Realistically, only one other Democrat has the money to make it to the end and in my mind’s eye, I see him being eaten alive.
Laurel Wilson is a novice screenwriter with an eye toward the political. Readers can contact her @ frenlk@yahoo.com.
6 comments October 31st, 2007
He Did the Monster Mash
A Salute to Bobby Pickett
It’s time for the Monster Mash again. Of course YouTube has hundreds of Monster Mash interpretations; one of my votes is for a 2005 performance of the 1962 hit by the song’s creator, Bobby Pickett, and his seasoned band The Cryptkickers.
Pickett, who died in April 2007, won three gold records for Monster Mash. The song hit the Billboard Top 100 in 1962, 1970 and 1973, selling more than one million copies. Among his movie credits are: Monster Mash, Lobster Man from Mars, It’s a Bikini World, and Boogie with the Undead.
He toured and played the song for decades. His tour bus broke once down outside Frankenstein, Missouri at a 1973 Halloween show.
Elvis Presley reputedly called The Monster Mash the “dumbest thing” he ever heard. Pickett was likely not concerned. He said when he heard the song he just heard the “ka-ching!” of the cash register!
« Betty Story is a writer, researcher and recovering librarian. She can be contacted at betstory@storyinfo.net »
Add comment October 30th, 2007
Day in the life of a Ron Paul Supporter
It’s not an easy life. Supporting an underdog in a presidential race. But it’s what makes us American. Like him or not, he’s got some real momentum online.
For those with Ron Paul, we salute you!
Add comment October 30th, 2007
Halloween: One Day for Darkness
I think I’ve figured out why I like Halloween.
The thrill of cold weather tickling down my spine makes me shiver.
Ghosts and ghoulies and other creatures stalk the night, and shrieking is allowed.
My costume lets me role play good or evil, romance or horror, present reality (President masks scare me big time), seminal events of the past, or the future I would like to see. Just imagine.
Halloween is All Souls Day, when Catholics pray for us all - saved or not. The day after Halloween is All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation when Catholics pray for those who’ve been sainted. The name “Halloween” itself comes from “All Hollows Eve” – the day before the holiness. I always knew I was supposed to be a saint, but I was never sure I’d make it. So I’m glad we have this chance to pray for everyone who doesn’t make it into Heaven on the first try.
Photo by Sophie Nimmannit. Some rights reserved.
The Religious Right gets it wrong. They think the day is about worshiping the devil, when it’s really about acknowledging our fear of same. Not every spirit is sanctified, just like not every public figure is a saint. Saints, would-be saints, and public figures have a dark side. Refusing to acknowledge the dark side is a congenital problem for some. Halloween is the day set aside for us to examine the darkness. I am glad that for the rest of the year restless spirits leave us in peace. I don’t want to know every politician’s peccadillo or the reason why some souls cannot sleep.
Despite the darkness, there is an innocence about Halloween. The shivers and trembles are superficial. Masks of evil walk the world, but they can be placated with candy – unlike the real horrors we see unfold on the nightly news. Halloween is a traditional feast at the end of harvest. Autumn is half through and the hard winter is ahead. But for now we have food, we have warmth, and we have jack-o-lanterns to light the way home.
9 comments October 29th, 2007
