Category: news

Keeping An Eye On Palin

by rhealitycheck

I believe that Sarah Palin may have learned something in her disastrous run for VP. When I was reading the article about the Republican Governor’s meeting in the Times I was thoroughly shocked by many of the Palin quotes. I do believe she is one that the Dems should keep their eyes on because she is charismatic, attractive and if she learns how to actually speak well she could become a thorn in the side of liberals everywhere.

I mean just the simple fact that she didn’t want to talk about 2012 and instead redirected the conversation to what the governors should be focusing on now are their budgets and giving Republicans all around a better name, well that actually shows some vision. If she continues to make statements like that and thinks before she speaks, well, colour me concerned.

And it’s not just her, I know many people may have forgotten about Mike Huckabee but he is yet another Republican with amazing charisma. I generally don’t agree with anything he says but what I will give him credit for is actually making sense when speaking about what the middle class needs. With someone as grounded as he is and Palin starting to get her act together, I’m a little concerned about our future.

The Dems really need to get it together and fast because I can see some major competition coming up in our future. And I think it would be nice to have a more moderate government for a while, I mean idealistically I’d like it to lean left but you know I’ll settle for moderate. I just don’t want to think of what could happen should the likes of Palin and Huckabee get to be more significant National figures for the Republican party.

The Suit Makes A Comeback

by rhealitycheck

I have to say that I was thrilled when I opened up my Thursday Styles section to find that suits are making a come back. I have always loved a classic well tailored power suit, probably more well known as your typical interview suit. It’s just my thing. I think they look absolutely wonderful.

Granted I tend to side with the folks that are fans of pantsuits. I think that skirt suits are beautiful, sure but for some reason I always associate it with secretaries. Could be that I saw too many old movies where secretaries are in fabulously beautiful skirt suits but it’s true. And maybe I’m being a bit too controversial in my light fluffy post about fashion and how I’m excited about suits making a comeback but I also think the skirt suit brings up some gender discrepancies for me. I think the pantsuit comes off as more powerful and more formal. Although in the article I was reading there were quite a few that disagree with me but it’s just my opinion.

Ok Forget Prop 8, Let’s Talk About Arkansas

by rhealitycheck

While the rest of the country is bemoaning California passing Proposition 8, which I still find extremely depressing, let’s discuss what just happened in Arkansas. What you may not have known and what I did not know until very recently was that they just passed a motion to ban people who are “cohabitating outside a valid marriage” from serving as foster parents or adopting children. I have to say I was horrified to see that in my op-ed page of the Times!

I find it quite disturbing that there are now laws being passed about the marital status of an individual’s ability to raise a child. I was raised by a single parent and in our case it was because she was widowed rather early in life but what if someone had deemed her unfit. I don’t believe the state can determine what is best for the child simply by the marital status of an individual. For example, in college one of the religious advisers at the school refused to marry her “partner” (who is a man) because she is morally opposed to marriage if it isn’t equal for all people. What would Arkansas say about her children, would they be taken away simply because she opposes the institution of marriage?

Anyway reading that just horrified me. First California goes and passes a law that protects the rights of chickens over the rights of their gay residents and now this. Really, what is this country coming to? And since when did we want the government to come knock down our doors and take a peek into our bedrooms? I thought America was all about freedom, what ever happened to that? I thought conservatives were really about small government, somehow this does not sound like small government to me. And Little Cog made a fabulous point in this article about how there should be “Marriage for none, Civil Unions for all” and I completely agree with that sentiment.

And to throw a little amusement your way watch this video about a counter proposition banning divorce in California.

I will end this with a happy thought, CT just legalized gay marriage. Yay!

A Historic Election

by rhealitycheck

I would say this election is one to remember. Not just because a black man was elected President of the United States of America but also because we now have a Democratic majority in D.C. “We” just swept the House, Senate and the Presidential bid. I know this has happened in the past but with the conservative rule of the last 8 years it seems like it was a lifetime away that America knew what being centrist was about let alone having a Democratic majority in anything. I just hope that the Democrats can do a good enough job to at least not lose the majority significantly in the next 4 years.

I have to say being in Chicago for this momentous occasion was pretty spectacular. Granted I wasn’t in Grant Park (you know Chicago is notorious for its riots for no reason and this time there were many reasons had the results gone either way) but still biking home from my friend’s apartment across town there were victory calls smattered throughout the city for Obama. There were couples on the street rejoicing and people everywhere celebrating. It was an unforgettable experience.

To be here.
Right now.
Is larger than anything that one can imagine.
It is being a part of history.
And this history cannot be rewritten. It is up to the Democrats with Obama at the helm to truly turn this country around and show us why we put our faith in them. I just hope they are up to that task.

I know that Obama wasn’t my ideal candidate but I cannot explain what a relief it is to see him as the nominee. But in the same breath I will also say that I was extremely impressed with McCain’s concession speech. That was one of the most gracious concession speeches I have ever heard and quite frankly if McCain had campaigned like that I don’t think that Obama would have had the landslide victory that he did. I may not agree with McCain but I do respect him. I respect him because as he proved in his speech he is a classy, intelligent, honest (relatively speaking, this is politics) and courageous man. In that speech I saw a glimmer of the McCain that I actually considered to be someone worth looking in to in the 2000 Republican primaries. I still say had he won the 2000 primaries or even been allowed to run in 2004 I would’ve considered him. He had far more gumption back then and as this speech proved he can really be a moving speaker.

I give a hearty “Congratulations” to Obama and I do hope to see what we can accomplish in the next 4 years. As an eternal optimist I am hoping for the best!

side note: I am officially a Rachel Maddow fan girl now… I typically don’t think of myself as a “fan girl” but I don’t mind for her, she’s worth it

Incompetence, Next Stop White House

by rhealitycheck

Now I don’t believe in doing anything party-line. In fact, this year is the first time I have ever voted a straight ticket because I believe that all parties have good candidates to offer and one should spend the time getting to know who is best for the job.

But I really have to say that I have been wary of Governor Sarah Palin from quite early in her nomination as the Vice Presidential hopeful and it has now heightened to being more than a little terrified of what might happen should we allow her into the White House. For one, her camp and the McCain camp are having issues and clearly are not communicating with each other. I mean a McCain aide even said that Palin had gone rogue over the last week or so. Now, that is not a team that works together and if our President and Vice President can’t work together what hope can we have for Congress or the Cabinet?

While that is definitely concerning I think the straw that broke the camel’s back is that Sarah Palin actually believed that the President of France would just randomly call her up at her campaign office. I mean does her office not vet their callers at all? Obviously not since you can actually watch the whole thing on youtube and read all about it in the Canadian Press.

Haven’t we had enough incompetence in the White House? Do we really need yet another misfit in a position of power? I know that being Vice President is not the same as being President but let’s face it McCain is old, if he were Obama’s age I’d say it’s not nearly as frightening – still a concern but not to the same degree. This, this is just outrageous irresponsibility on his part and utter incompetence on hers. What a pair.

Has anyone else taken a look at how Canada’s doing? I hear it’s a nice place to live…

The Importance of California’s Proposition 8

by rhealitycheck

To be honest I hadn’t really been paying too much attention to Proposition 8 in California, I guess I just viewed it as just another one of those votes that irritates me. But after reading this article in the New York Times and as a member of the queer community I feel that it is not just my right but my responsibility to speak out on this matter.

Proposition 8 matters.
It matters because it is an issue about human rights.
Civil liberties.
In fact what it is mostly about is discrimination.

Before you stop reading, hear me out.

This is not about what you believe in as a church. This is not about what your religion dictates. This is about legalities. This proposition is allowing a blending of church and state. It is about denying two people that love each other the right to visit the other one in the hospital should one of them fall ill. It is about not allowing two committed people the right to adopt a child because it would be better to have that child jump through several different dysfunctional foster homes. It is about the legal institution of marriage not the religious one. I don’t care what your religion dictates. Feel free not to have gay marriages at your church, synagogue, mosque, temple or what have you. That is your right in following with your religious beliefs. But a legal marriage license is simply a partnership between two people that affects their taxes, their property, their bank accounts, visitation rights and all other legal matters. What happens outside of the realm of the legal system really is not a concern.

What I find unacceptable is not allowing two committed people who intend to spend the rest of their lives together the right to do so legally. It is perfectly ok to allow Britney Spears to have a 24-hour marriage because she married a man yet gay couples that have spent 10, 20, 30 or any number of years together are denied that right. How is that acceptable to this society? How is it acceptable in a society that touts “liberty and justice for all”? That is not justice.

Also, I find it fascinating that many liberals are suddenly conservative when we talk about gay marriage just because of that one little word marriage. But you know what I’m not willing to budge, when you speak in legalities you apply for a license to get married not to have a civil union. If you want to oppose the term marriage then it must not hold legally for anyone. It is perfectly acceptable if everyone, regardless of whether they are marrying someone of the opposite sex or someone of the same sex, is applying for a license for a civil union. That way it would still be the same rights and the word marriage is no longer in contention. But until that can change the simple fact is that in order to be equal and fair, the equivalent would be to allow gay marriage. Creating new laws to separate the two institutions legally allows for discrimination and therefore is not acceptable, hence the need for gay “marriage”.

In fact this sort of discrimination reeks of the same sort that existed when interracial marriages were not allowed. Is this truly any different?

Again, this is not a matter of religion, it is a matter of legalities. And until we can offer all people equal rights this will be a problem for this country and, in my opinion, for the world.

In the immortal words of Catie Curtis:
Some day we’ll all be free
I can feel it, it’s our destiny
Some day, I believe
Love will make an honest world for me

I hope Californians will choose to keep that refrain true.

I Feel A Liberal Breeze

by rhealitycheck

I don’t know that I believed this would be possible after my personal nightmare actually came true and Bush was elected a second time (and actually validly that time) to the White House. But I feel a wee liberal breeze sweeping through the US. It may not be a gust, it may be a little weak but it is there.

I really think the most significant thing that George W. Bush has managed to accomplish in his time as President is to have broken so many records in so many ways. He has lead us to the greatest deficit this country has ever seen. We are getting ready to rival the Great Depression with his fantastic economic leadership. And for the kicker ladies and gentlemen, he has a 71% disapproval rating, a first since the Gallop polls began. Don’t believe me? Check here.

I don’t know that I believe that this liberal wind may necessary lead us very far or last very long but I am glad it is here for the time being. And I am glad that it appears to be breaking down all sorts of barriers, race and gender alike for qualified individuals.

Why Not a Muslim President?

by rhealitycheck

This has been a sore point for me about the Obama campaign when the rumors first began that he might be a Muslim. And I have no problem with the fact that he isn’t Muslim and has been a Christian all his life, what upsets me is the fact that he vehemently denies being Muslim instead of questioning why we seem to believe that the President of the United States of America needs to be Christian. If I recall correctly one of main reasons for people migrating from Europe to America was fleeing from religious persecution, which is why we have laws in place that separate Church and State. Surely just because our fearless leader seems to believe that everyone should be a “God fearing Christian” does not mean that holds true with the fundamental belief system of our founding fathers and the laws that this country was built on.

I cannot describe how thrilled I was to hear (well really read because I don’t have time for tv so I just read the interviews online) Colin Powell speak out on this topic. I am glad that one very distinguished political figure has finally spoken up for very blatant discrimination. We all know that this country has problems as does the rest of the world and that discrimination of every kind is out there. But to outright assume that any Muslim person in the country would be loyal to terrorists as opposed to the US is just ignorant. It is choosing to be a bigot instead of actually considering the person’s history and merits and deciding from there where their loyalties lie.
I was also pleased to see that one of my favourite columnists Maureen Dowd actually wrote a piece on this today. What I thought was even better was that it was not her typical sarcastic snarky style that I hold so dear but it was actually something rather thoughtful that brings out the humanity of the situation. Colin Powell did not go into those details in his interview but I think it is important to remember that we have Americans that were born and raised here who happen to be of the Islamic faith. They are Muslim, they are American and they should be allowed to be proud to be both. Isn’t that what makes America unique, being able to believe in something different from your neighbor yet still being an American and still being part of a great nation? I fear that if something so small as your religious beliefs can make it impossible for you to dare to dream of being president we are losing an integral part of what makes America great. I would hope that we can do better.

The Ever Present Obsession with Losing Weight in America

by rhealitycheck

Imagine my distress as I am reading this morning in the paper about a new method of stapling your stomach where the surgery does not require cutting. I am quite serious and this appears to be quite real and if you’d like to read the article you should click here. I have always found it distressing when women (or men) want to get surgery in order to lose weight. Perhaps I am wrong but I just feel that the healthy way to do it is through diet and exercise. And I do realize that everyone’s body is different and it can be more difficult for some than it is for others which can be disheartening but I also think that it is our own responsibility to take care of our bodies. You cannot just allow yourself to balloon out and then expect a surgery to fix it.

Now I am no exception to the rule, I have my own set of insecurities about my own weight as do most women that I’ve met in the US. (Quite frankly many women from other parts of the world seem to have a healthier view of their bodies, perhaps not leaps and bounds healthier but it’s not quite as hyped up as it is here in the states, at least when I base this on my friends circle.) And I know that in recent years I have really let go and I really need to kick it up a notch but I am not going to let my hectic schedule talk me into a surgery that could possibly be damaging to my health. I mean how much do we know about “shrinking” your stomach. Somehow that just strikes me as a bad idea that could lead to all sorts of negative side effects and serious complications should you not be able to comply with your dietary restrictions.

It’s funny because I don’t think Americans have *always* been obsessed with being slender. I look back at the time of Marilyn Monroe and in those days having curves was sexy. In fact, that was the typical image of a model, it wasn’t those stick thin coat hangars that we call models these days. My theory (and I could certainly be wrong) is that this all changed when Audrey Hepburn came on the scene. No actress/model/famous woman had ever made it so glamorous or “cool” to be thin as she did. I mean let’s face it Audrey Hepburn is still an icon of class and beauty that is unparalleled. (I may be biased, I am also a little in love with her). But it saddens me to think that my most favourite icon of all time could have been partially responsible for this drastic shift in what is a beautiful body. I mean before her time women were supposed to have hourglass figures, which I will admit can also be a bit unrealistic but I think it gives a little more room for imperfection than the coat hangar look.

Don’t get me wrong I love Audrey Hepburn and I think that thin women without an hourglass shape can be beautiful too I just think it has lead to an obsession with losing weight and being thin. It would be great if we could get rid of the stigma of not being stick thin but also maintain an idea of what healthy is so that this country wouldn’t have such a problem with obesity. I believe there is a happy medium and somehow I think that we should be able to attain it.

A Rift Amongst the Republicans

by rhealitycheck

I was wondering if this would ever happen since I (and some talking heads that I listen to) have noticed that the Republican party has become considerably more “right” than it was in the past. And when I say in the past I don’t even mean that long ago, just 8 years ago the Republican party wasn’t quite as into the Christian right propaganda as it is today. Obviously it has been more on the right side of the political landscape but there are several Republicans in history that have made some marked “left” moves if you look at today’s political landscape. Although at the time they were still staunchly “right”.

I think Colin Powell’s announcement to support Barack Obama is a mark of the times and just how much the Republican agenda has changed and how it is leaving it’s moderate base behind. Some are too politically uneducated to follow along and therefore blindly vote as the party tells them to but those that choose to pay attention and be involved are becoming increasingly dissatisfied. I just wonder what this means for the Republican party as a whole. Personally I would imagine that with such a wide rift there has to be some happy medium for there not to be a break in the party and then we might be headed towards a completely different landscape that will break from our dominant two party system that we have had… well if I remember my US history correctly since the founding of this nation. Now that would be interesting