It is very fitting on the eve of President-Elect Obama’s Inauguration speech and the day honor Dr. King’s legacy of peace, humanity, and equality, to think about ways we will personally work towards making this world a better place.  Since we are celebrating the progress our country has made towards fulfilling Dr. King’s dream, we should look at ourselves and decide what our own progressive steps should be instead of just relying on others (ie.  government, celebrities, charities, etc…).

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher answered Obama’s challenge of service by putting a pledge video together, commemorating purposeful actions towards living a better life and helping others.  The couple was on Oprah today discussing how this video helps people be accountable to others for the change they intend to facilitate in their own lives, communities, and the world.  They encouraged others to make their own videos and share their pledges.

Please watch the video .  Think about how you would like things to change.  Then, think about how you can effectuate the change you desire.  Now, what’s your pledge?

As we end another year and begin the next, I am looking forward to all the good that 2009 has in store.  I know everything won’t be perfect, but I hope to learn something and grow from everything.  I also hope to shed any negativity from 2008 and start 2009 renewed.  Isn’t that really the beauty of beginning a new year… a new day… a new you?

Since it is common to reflect on the previous year before fully welcoming the next, I’d like to review 2008 and what I learned:

1.  IN LIFE:

My daughter celebrated her first birthday this year on October 23rd .  Well, really she just looked at all of us like we were crazy while WE celebrated her birthday.  What did I learn?  Life is a blessing and everyday should be a celebration.

  She had cake for the first time and enjoyed it… a lot.

2.  IN DEATH:

Several unforgettable celebrities died in 2008, like:  Bernie Mac, Charlton Heston, Ertha Kitt, Heath Ledger, Isaac Hayes, Odetta Holmes, Paul Benedict, Paul Newman, Roy Scheider, Sean Levert, Sydney Pollack, and Tim Russert.  The timing of most of these deaths was very unexpected.

In addition to celebrity deaths, I experienced a more personal brush with death when my grandmother passed away on October 9th. I learned from this… well, I was reminded that life is short.  Make an effort to spend quality time with your family.

  This was the last picture taken of my grandmother.

3.  IN ENTERTAINMENT:

“The Dark Knight” grossed $996,900,728 worldwide.  I learned that I’m not the only one who enjoyed this movie.  I also learned that it’s ok to kick your feet up, relax, and just be entertained sometimes.  In fact, it’s necessary.

4.  IN SPORTS:

During the 2008 Olympic Games, Michael Phelps , a champion swimmer, won the most gold medals (8) at a single Olympics ever.  I learned that with determination and training, one can do anything.

5.  IN ECONOMICS:

Our country is facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  I personally know of three professional people who have been laid off due to the slowing economy.  Banks have been loaning less and less money, the automobile industry was close to collapse, and both of these cornerstones of our economy were bailed-out by the government.  Home values slumped, credit card interest rates and property taxes increased, and foreclosure and unemployment rates continued to rise.  Gas prices soared and then plummeted, leaving people distrustful about all this crude oil business.

What I learned from this economic mess is: 1.  Material things are definitely not as important as safety, health, and wellness.  2.  Save money and plan for the future.  3.  Budget wisely and purchase only what you can afford.  4.  Things come in cycles.  This, too, shall pass.

6.  IN POLITICS:

Barack Obama became the first black, first non-continental US-born (although, in the state of Hawaii), and most attractive man to be elected President of the United States.    From this I learned that America truly is a land of opportunity.  You can succeed no matter where you come from.

I could go on… but, I have to put my daughter to bed.  She’s not really adjusted to our move yet.  She’s waking in the middle of the night, having only a short nap during the day, and screaming every time between.

What did you learn in 2008?  If I get a lot of feedback from this post, I may continue it tomorrow with Part II.  If you’re uninterested, I’ll move on to something else.

I wish you and yours the best new year possible!  Stay safe and be well!

Happy New Year!!!

  I am just so thrilled to say Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States of America!  This is a surreal, inspirational, and historical event for many Americans.  I realize not everyone is as happy about this.  I hope non-supporters can learn to respect and appreciate Obama as he works hard for our country and to earn their trust and support.

McCain conceded gracefully and set the tone for future peaceful collaborations between his supporters and Obama’s.  I’ve already heard and read a lot of praise for McCain’s concession speech…kudos.

I think this excerpt from our President-Elect’s speech says it all:

“It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America…

…Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.”

Obama’s full speech can be found at:  http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/05/raw-data-barack-obamas-victory-speech/

I’m just as tired of all the presidential election campaigning as you are.  I too, will be glad that it will be over tomorrow.  You have to admit, it’s been pretty exciting though.  So, on the eve of the most important and historic election ever, I would like to discuss family politics and economics.

I don’t know about you, but our family’s budget has tightened like a noose around a moose and we would like some relief!  Since the economy has been on most of our minds, why not check out which candidate will save us the most if he is elected President?

Both candidates have bragged about their economic policy being the best for Americans.  Both have said they will save us the most in taxes.  Well, 1.  Watch the youtube.com video above, 2.  Click on the link below, 3.  Enter your income, marital status, and number of children in the tax calculator, and… 4.  WAH-LAH!  You will see which of the candidate’s tax plan will save you and your family the most money.

http://taxcutfacts.org

I’d like to know:

Who’s plan saved you the most?

By how much more did you save?

Does it make a difference to you? (Joe, the plumber, said even if Obama’s tax plan saved him more money, his mind was not changed from voting for McCain)

No matter who your candidate of choice is–get out an exercise your constitutional right to vote!

  There are many things we can do together as a family.  You know the ol’ saying “The family that prays (or “plays” or “preys”, depending on the version you’re familiar with) together, stays together”?  No matter the version, I think the main thing is to do things together as a family. 

When you heard this phrase, you probably thought about something other than voting.  Since we do most things together in my household, we extended this to voting.  My husband took a late lunch yesterday, picked my daughter and I up, and we headed to the voting poll to do something we’ve never done before–vote early.

It was great to see other family combinations there–husband and wife, mother and daughter, etc.  Now, I understand that everyone can’t fit family voting into their busy schedules, but we can all remind and encourage other family members to exercise their right to vote.  Maybe it should be, “The family that votes together…”  You fill in the blank.

I mentioned yesterday that discussing politics could sometimes turn family events into war zones.  I know this all too well.  We have strong republicans and democrats within our family tree that usually love to turn family events into WWIII.

But, not this year!  For the first time in many moons, we actually agree on the same politician.  Even when we do not agree on every single nuance of the issues, we agree that our politician of choice has the right temperament, background, consistency, and ideas for change to lead our country out of the mess it has found itself in.

It has been very enjoyable to laugh, in unison, at the debates.  It has been historical to watch CNN and MSNBC for updates and not just to find something new to argue about.  During the most exciting election of our lifetimes, it is very refreshing for everyone in my family to be on the same accord when we say, “Barack Obama for president!”

Are you and your family on the same page this year?

Politics–with good reason–is a hot topic these days. Aside from the very serious issues our country is facing, history is being made. Either a black man (by America’s standard, since he has 1 black parent) will be president or a woman will be vice president of the United States of America. I support Obama 100%–let’s get that straight–but, that’s not what this blog is about. As with each blog, I begin with a question for those who dare to answer. Are you offended that Palin is running as VP of our great country? I certainly am.
     This is not a political blog, but one that addresses family issues. So, I will not discuss her political views (although I do not agree with them). Since Palin is postured to represent the interests of women in America because she is a mom, a wife, and a career-woman, let’s examine this gun-toting soccer mom more closely to see if she truly represents the values of other wives, moms, and career women.
     The same source of the following information, first released the later-verified allegations that John Edwards had an affair:  1) As a wife, Palin is suspected of having cheated on her husband with one of his business associates, 2) As a mother, it is rumored Palin worked frantically to cover up her daughter’s pregnancy by rushing her to get married before the news came out and affected her candidacy, 3) As a career woman, Palin has been undergoing an ethics investigation for the “Troopergate” scandal where she is suspected of firing Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner for refusing to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper, over a Palin family feud.
     Just for the record–if Obama had 5 children, one of which had special needs (that Palin seems to exploit) and deserves all the special care he can get, another who is going through the hardships associated with teenage pregnancy–I would inquire as to how he would manage presidency and family life also! I am not distracted from the issues of this campaign because of the attempted feminist-stirring political crap being tossed out there. I would love to see a woman in the Whitehouse as someone other than a first lady, but Palin is not the one.
     Why does the Republican Party insult women across America with this candidate? I haven’t even touched the surface of her limited and shady credentials. This is the person the party is saying should be the actual president if anything were to happen to McCain. As far as I can see, the only thing appealing about her is her looks. Everything else is just insulting.