Mantras, Musings & Medleys

Let's start off with some mantras:

2008 Election: "Yes We Can!" (or, "Si! Se Puede!", or "Ja, Wir Koennen!", or "Da!, Mui Hochum!)

2008 "Little Economy That Could": "I think I can! I think I can!"

1996 Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team: "You can do it! You better do it!" ala Bela Karolyi

Lauren getting up in the morning: "You should do it. You can do it. You need to do it...In thirty more minutes."


Musings:

I've kind of kept my opinions to myself regarding the election, so as to let a little time go by before offending anyone's still-raw battle wounds. However, in true Lauren style, I have no (as Ads would say) "inner monologue" so I'm throwing in my two cents.

As I stated several months ago, I was (and still am) a Hilary Clinton supporter. However, once the primaries started to go the way of Obama, I tentatively got on board the Barack Obama shuttle to "Change." But I kept waiting to hear what that change was going to be. As I contiued to wait, I decided to take a look at John McCain, veteran, POW, statesman, and yes, man-with-at-least-seven-houses. I started to kind of like McCain--he doesn't lean very far to the right, making him more of the centrist that I could live with for a president; he certainly had political experience and military knowledge; and I had always felt bad for the dude who seemed like a regular nice guy who got screwed over by the Bush-Rove campaigning strategies of 2000. I started to think that maybe this would be McCain's year to shine, and that maybe I could get on board with that. I mean, I didn't agree with him on everything--gay marriage, abortion rights, war in Iraq---but I didn't agree with Obama on everything, either. I was definitely in a bit of a quandry in the months before the conventions. But then a huge thing happened that sealed the deal. Actually, TWO huge things happened. McCain, against his own better judgement, picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. Okay, so he's going for the woman vote here, I get that. But the more I heard her talk (or fumble, stumble, ramble, or whatever other nonsensical thing she was doing), the more I couldn't figure why on earth she would have been chosen. It made me really question McCain's judgement, when he had a)Lieberman, his actual first choice, or b) many other qualified, right-leaning female Republicans to choose from. The Palin thing immediately turned me off as a potential supporter; actually, I feel selecting her as a running mate for the Vice Presidency is an affront to all women. We're supposed to be grateful or happy that he selected a woman, even if she can't even conduct an interview, much less be a worthy match during the debates? It was embarassing, only made much more so by Tina Fey's hilarious impressions on SNL. The other huge thing that changed my mind was McCain's political tactics. The same guy who decried the Rove-isms of the 2000 primaries (remember that rumor that McCain had fathered a black child somewhere?) was using the same tactics on Obama. Only he was using Sarah Palin as the "bad cop" to do his dirty work for him. All the "Barack Hussein! Obama" references, exaggerated ties between Obama and Bill Ayers, and lies to the public about Obama wanting sex ed classes for 5-year olds (in actuality, it was a program to keep children from being kidnapped by child predators), not supporting nuclear energy and then implying that Obama is not part of the "real America" (then what the hell am I??); it was too much. I looked at Obama, who while not all puppies and fudge, never sank to the lows that McCain did; there was a certain amount of change about him. And the substance from him that I'd been waiting for came through during the debates, when he not only held his own, but at times blew McCain out of the water. While Obama was talking about real issues, McCain and Palin were still talking about Bill Ayers. By the last two months of the campaign, the choice for me was obvious. Nothing personal, it's just politics.

Medleys:

Weird stories now. First, I had a really weird dream last night that a very parental figure in my life (who shall remain nameless for the sake of my relationship with him/her) performed a lumpectomy on my left breast. I guess I had a benign or malignant lump and it needed to come out. Instead of going to the hospital, however, I allowed this person to do an at-home surgery, and then I went shopping. I started to get worried, though, when I started to notice that my left breast no longer lined up with my right breast. I remember being worried about what Adam would think.

Second weird story; I just heard this at lunch. One of my coworkers was recounting a story about a scientific conference she attended several years ago when she was in her mid-20s. She was just about to give her talk, when she went to the refreshment table to get a cup of coffee. As she was fixing her cup, an older man sidled up next to her and asked her to hold out her hands. When she asked why, he just told her to hold out her hands, so (in the good spirit of science and professionalism) she did. He took her hands and said, "Wow, they are so smooth. I would have expected them to be much more calloused after what I saw you doing on that pole last night." She just looked at him, too stunned by his implication to say anything. She went to give her 20-minute talk, her mind reeling the whole time with the knowledge that some guy had just suggested she was a pole dancer, as if she'd be flattered, despite the fact that she was a successful scientist.

And finally, THANKS. Thanks to all the family and friends who have been reaching out to Adam and me as we go through yet another separation, and the seemingly unpredictable events of my first pregnancy. We are very grateful to everyone for your kindness, thoughtfulness and caring, and we look forward to keeping you all "in the know" as each milestone of the next several months brings more news.

So Thanks. Gracias. Vielen Dank. Spacibo.