Okay so it DOES matter. Vote. Clearly it mattered 4 years ago and 8 years prior to that and not enough people took it seriously the last two times (I have to believe that is why Bush had two terms...I really don't want to believe that people ACTUALLY voted for him).

 

Anyways I am living in the country now. There is a Ho-down (spelling here is unknown) where I can meet my local representative (or at least the republican one). What does one wear to a ho-down? LOL! Even more importantly what will happen there? What will be said? Not sure if I can go given the party affiliation. Hmmm...I am curious. Will they be chanting Palin and McCain's name? Ah Palin. Isn't she such a wonderful representation of what it means to be a smart, well-spoken woman in America today? I mean golly-gee what a Maverick. Okay enough of the politics. I apologize for the sacarsm but it is once again UNBELIEVABLE what has happened in America today and politics here.

 

All I keep thinking along with everyone else is HOW BAD IS IT GOING TO GET? We have open enrollment in November when we have to decide what we should do with 401k and other investments...um, is there going to actually BE a stock market?! See my dad was not that far off. I am not that crazy either...we are all just waitign to see what is going to happen. Biting nails and wondering why I even bother to listent to NPR and Lehr hour because it just causes anxiety about the state of things which really I have NO control over. So I am moving on. We all need to move on. Bye Bush Bye! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

A recent article in The Boston Globe reads "...customers willing to pay a premium will soon be able to power their homes with environmentallly friendly wind power."  Okay great. I think it is a great step forward. I hope that more and more people will opt to pay the almost $5 dollars more a month. The more people who sign up, the more wind projecst that can be started. So yes, I am happy to see that Massachusetts has finally gotten it together to at least make environmentally conscientious choices available to people. I believe Seattle and Washington state and I am guessing but not sure, all of the West Coast did that years ago. Most of Europe has been using wind power for years. But why do we have to pay a premium to do something good for all of us? Why are we not given a reward? Why must we be forced to pay more to help our environment? Why doesn't Massahusetts give some sort of incentive to both the power companies and to customers so that everyone can afford to help our environment? Why do the "green-friendly" cleaning products have to cost a dollar more than the ones that both destroy our environment but also potentially harm our bodies? Why are all the gas-saving cars so expensive? Why should being environmentally conscientious cost more? That to me is the biggest flaw of the environmental movement. It needs to change. I am not sure how or why or who but some how some way being good to the environment needs to be economically viable for all. Period. Untill our politicians, companies, and our governments do that, we will not be able to stop the downward spiral of the destruction of our earth. The article goes on to say that this is a "prime example of how we can use market mechanisms to combat climate change." Yes great. So why can't we figure out how to bring cost-effective products and choices to the market for all of us not just to those who want and have the extra money to spend? Please, make it work for all of us!

Not sure if P!nk's song Dear Mr. President gets as much air play as it does here in Germany, but here and especially in Holland, it is played several times a day. You can't go into a store in Holland or turn on the Dutch and German radio stations without hearing it. What do I have to say about it? Well I couldn't say it any better. "Dr. Mr. President. How CAN you sleep at night?" Today Germany uncovered two serious terrorist plots to take down the American air base in Ramstein and the Frankfurt airport. There were something like 40 different locations that they busted for being involved in terrorist plots all over Germany, many in the area where I live. I have a lot of faith in Germany and I have no doubt they are on top of this stuff. When it comes to taking care of things like that, this place does not mess around. Period. But then there is always the people they don't know about. Yesterday 8 terrorists were arrested in Coppenhagen for plotting terrorist activity. The main reason cited for this, and I quote the CNN reporters exact wording here: "hatred against American citizens."

 

I was getting my hair cut in Maastricht (Holland) the other day and as usual my hairdresser wanted to know what I thought about Bush. Of course I didn't hold back on anything. She of course agreed with all I said. That he is a babbling, scary idiot who has zero diplomacy skills. He has destroyed just about everything he and his very scary administration have touched. Any president that follows him has A LOT of work to do but let's face it, could it get much worse? God I hope not!

 

But still we are going back. We are going back because we miss and love our families very very much and I want my children to grow up knowing their cousins and aunts and uncles and well everyone.

 

So Matt got the job in Boston. We are moving back and thank god we can at least go back to a real blue as blue can be blue state. (Except for our govenors...why do we always have these crazy govenors?)

 

And so we have come full cirlce. Seven years ago on October of 2000 we moved to Seattle. When we got there, the stores were decked out in Halloween gear. I knew I was in Seattle when one of the window displays in a hip little clothing store had three pumpkins with these words carved out: Are you scared yet? VOTE! That was the year 2000 when obviously either enough people didn't vote or the wrong sort came out to vote, because my friends that is when our leader in chief was voted into office. Since then wars have been started, people have died, New York City and Washington D.C. were attacked, people were left to die in the worst national disaster we have ever had (Hurricaine Katrina) and oh let's not forget the many many agreegious environmental offenses the administration has unleashed on the world. So yah I am coming full circle. Except this time the world IS in fact a lot scarier. 

 

And so I will say it again: MAKE SURE YOU VOTE! Our citizens and the world are depending on our votes. My Dutch hairdressers have all begged me to please get someone else in office. I fully intend to do my share. Believe me. I am tired of being scared to speak English or admit I am American. I avoid that question most of the time or just expect that someone will want to talk politics because here people aren't afraid to and then I make it clear from the getgo that I DID NOT vote for him. I was a little afraid to walk down the street today with my children talking English. Not that I thought anything would happen but well those plots were plotted here in Germany because of hatred against America and I am sure that many people here in Germany really wish they could have nothing to do with America and its god awful politics. That is the truth. It can be a scary world out there and only we can make it better.

 

So Mr. President, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE GONE! (and neither can most of the people I have met over here that dare to talk politics). So here we come Boston. (Hope you have room for one more opinionated liberal!)