So I was "tagged" recently to write seven random facts about myself. For some reason I had a difficult time thinking of 7 things, but I did it! Here they are...
1) I'm currently learning Mandarin Chinese. I've been learning for over a year now, and I still only feel confident in my ability to say "hello", "thank you", and "give me your money!" (Thanks Jess!) :)
2) One time, my friend and I did Tai Chi in an elevator. (It was an experiment for my psychology class...I'm not that crazy, I promise!)
3) I can bend my left thumb all the way back and have it touch my wrist/forearm area.
4) I have all the U.S. presidents memorized, including their political party. (Completely useless information really, but one day I randomly decided I wanted to memorize them all.)
5) I once had a serious addiction to ice cubes.
6) I still have a crush on John Cusack.
7) I did NOT like the book Twilight. I tried, I really did!
So now I would like to tag anyone who is reading this who hasn't already been tagged. Tag!!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin!
To make up for my super-serious previous blog, I thought I'd add this comedic political video to lighten things up a little. Enjoy!:)
Why I'm Voting For Barack Obama
While I have many reasons for my decision, I feel these are somewhere at the top of my list. As I contemplated writing a blog about my vote, I felt it would be a good thing to do for myself--to help me sort out my thoughts and put them into writing. I also wanted to share my thoughts with others...I've had many people ask me why I'm voting for Obama, and sometimes it's hard for me to give a full, complete answer on the spot. Hopefully this blog solves that problem.
Why I'm voting for Barack Obama:
1. Regarding foreign policy, he values diplomacy over aggression.
2. Under his healthcare plan, he would mandate that all children have health care coverage. Also, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year. For those who don't have health insurance, they will have new affordable options to get insurance. Everyone will be able to buy into a plan similar to those of federal employees. Essentially, his plan is appealing because it isn't totally universal (which would probably require a tax increase), and it also helps to better regulate private insurance companies so that they can't keep raising their prices to ridiculous costs. (And yes, we would still get to chose our doctor!)
3. He understands the need to utilize other sources of energy (wind, solar, bio-deisel, etc.), and to create more fuel-efficient vehicles. (We already have the technology...we just need to escape from the monopolizing grip of the oil companies!)
4. He understands that the war in Iraq cannot be "won" or "lost" - we just need to pull out as soon and as safely as possible.
5. He will not raise taxes for people making under $250,000, and he will cut taxes for everyone making under $200,000. Also, he want to close corporate tax loopholes and end deductions for certain industries (like gas and oil).
6. Regarding education, he understands that the voucher system does not work. He also gets that Bush's No Child Left Behind program is failing (I haven't met a single teacher who likes the No Child Left Behind program!) He's also discussed his intentions to make tuition more affordable...I'm interested to see how he could actually do this, but at least it's on his mind!:)
7. He doesn't accept money from lobbyists. Being a politician, I think this really says something about his character.
8. As a decision-maker, I believe he would be more collected and calm rather than impulsive and angry.
9. Consistently, he has stood his ground in opposing war with Iraq and Iran, and in focusing on weakening al-Qaeda and stabilizing Afghanistan.
10. His words inspire me in a way that only a few other human beings throughout history have been able to accomplish. (I know you're thinking this is cheesy, but trust me when I say I usually cringe at anything remotely cheesy...unless it's pizza. So when I say things like this, I mean it.) :)
Reasons why I'm NOT voting for John McCain:
1. His ideals and policies are too similar to the Bush Administration's, which, as everyone knows, failed miserably.
2. In the past, he has repeatedly opposed increasing funding for education. He’s even supported abolishing the Department of Education.
3. Regarding healthcare, he wants to offer a $2,500 or $5,000 tax credit for families. This actually sounds nice, but without implementing rules for private insurance companies, they could just raise their prices...which would make the tax credit worthless. Also, McCain’s health plan would tax health benefits for the first time in history, eventually forcing families to pay more.
4. He has accepted over $2 million in donations for his campaign from big oil companies. This makes me worry about where his loyalties will remain...
5. His campaign and commercial ads have said some of the most outrageous, dishonorable, and completely false things about Obama.
6. He wants to make Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent--which are tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Also, McCain's economic plan would give big oil a $4 billion tax break (what the?!). It would also support tax breaks for companies that send American jobs overseas (outsourcing = bad!).
7. As a woman, I find it offensive that he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. There are plenty of other politicians (both male AND female) he could've chosen who would be much more qualified for the job, but he chose Palin. Was it because of her extensive experience in foreign relations?? Her experience as a political figure on a national level?? No...she has neither of these qualifications. I believe she was chosen not only because she's a woman (to try and sway Hilary Clinton supporters), but because she's a "pretty", "hockey mom" type of woman. This is the same thing as exploitation, is it not? If I were Sarah Palin, I'd be offended!
8. His campaign publicly stated that they wanted to shift their campaign from talking about important things (like the economy, healthcare, etc.) to making personal attacks on Obama. (I guess they are desperate...but that is no excuse!)
9. McCain has made clear that he plans to stay in Iraq for a very long time.
10. He uses politics of fear. He focuses on trying to make us scared of Obama, rather than focusing more on telling us what he himself would do as President.
As I said before, there are many other reasons for my decision, but I think these are the ones that are most important to me. I also want to invite anyone who is reading this to ask me any questions that you might have - if anything I have written is confusing, or if you'd like me to give you any sources, etc. I always try to find my information from unbiased sources (like factcheck.org - I totally recommend this website!), but we all know that this can sometimes be impossible! Please give me any feedback you have...I think seeing things from all different perspectives is the only way to truly understand an issue, and only then can one's opinion be completely validated. For those of you still reading this looong blog, thank you! You are awesome! :)
Why I'm voting for Barack Obama:
1. Regarding foreign policy, he values diplomacy over aggression.
2. Under his healthcare plan, he would mandate that all children have health care coverage. Also, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year. For those who don't have health insurance, they will have new affordable options to get insurance. Everyone will be able to buy into a plan similar to those of federal employees. Essentially, his plan is appealing because it isn't totally universal (which would probably require a tax increase), and it also helps to better regulate private insurance companies so that they can't keep raising their prices to ridiculous costs. (And yes, we would still get to chose our doctor!)
3. He understands the need to utilize other sources of energy (wind, solar, bio-deisel, etc.), and to create more fuel-efficient vehicles. (We already have the technology...we just need to escape from the monopolizing grip of the oil companies!)
4. He understands that the war in Iraq cannot be "won" or "lost" - we just need to pull out as soon and as safely as possible.
5. He will not raise taxes for people making under $250,000, and he will cut taxes for everyone making under $200,000. Also, he want to close corporate tax loopholes and end deductions for certain industries (like gas and oil).
6. Regarding education, he understands that the voucher system does not work. He also gets that Bush's No Child Left Behind program is failing (I haven't met a single teacher who likes the No Child Left Behind program!) He's also discussed his intentions to make tuition more affordable...I'm interested to see how he could actually do this, but at least it's on his mind!:)
7. He doesn't accept money from lobbyists. Being a politician, I think this really says something about his character.
8. As a decision-maker, I believe he would be more collected and calm rather than impulsive and angry.
9. Consistently, he has stood his ground in opposing war with Iraq and Iran, and in focusing on weakening al-Qaeda and stabilizing Afghanistan.
10. His words inspire me in a way that only a few other human beings throughout history have been able to accomplish. (I know you're thinking this is cheesy, but trust me when I say I usually cringe at anything remotely cheesy...unless it's pizza. So when I say things like this, I mean it.) :)
Reasons why I'm NOT voting for John McCain:
1. His ideals and policies are too similar to the Bush Administration's, which, as everyone knows, failed miserably.
2. In the past, he has repeatedly opposed increasing funding for education. He’s even supported abolishing the Department of Education.
3. Regarding healthcare, he wants to offer a $2,500 or $5,000 tax credit for families. This actually sounds nice, but without implementing rules for private insurance companies, they could just raise their prices...which would make the tax credit worthless. Also, McCain’s health plan would tax health benefits for the first time in history, eventually forcing families to pay more.
4. He has accepted over $2 million in donations for his campaign from big oil companies. This makes me worry about where his loyalties will remain...
5. His campaign and commercial ads have said some of the most outrageous, dishonorable, and completely false things about Obama.
6. He wants to make Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent--which are tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Also, McCain's economic plan would give big oil a $4 billion tax break (what the?!). It would also support tax breaks for companies that send American jobs overseas (outsourcing = bad!).
7. As a woman, I find it offensive that he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. There are plenty of other politicians (both male AND female) he could've chosen who would be much more qualified for the job, but he chose Palin. Was it because of her extensive experience in foreign relations?? Her experience as a political figure on a national level?? No...she has neither of these qualifications. I believe she was chosen not only because she's a woman (to try and sway Hilary Clinton supporters), but because she's a "pretty", "hockey mom" type of woman. This is the same thing as exploitation, is it not? If I were Sarah Palin, I'd be offended!
8. His campaign publicly stated that they wanted to shift their campaign from talking about important things (like the economy, healthcare, etc.) to making personal attacks on Obama. (I guess they are desperate...but that is no excuse!)
9. McCain has made clear that he plans to stay in Iraq for a very long time.
10. He uses politics of fear. He focuses on trying to make us scared of Obama, rather than focusing more on telling us what he himself would do as President.
As I said before, there are many other reasons for my decision, but I think these are the ones that are most important to me. I also want to invite anyone who is reading this to ask me any questions that you might have - if anything I have written is confusing, or if you'd like me to give you any sources, etc. I always try to find my information from unbiased sources (like factcheck.org - I totally recommend this website!), but we all know that this can sometimes be impossible! Please give me any feedback you have...I think seeing things from all different perspectives is the only way to truly understand an issue, and only then can one's opinion be completely validated. For those of you still reading this looong blog, thank you! You are awesome! :)
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