My college's homecoming queen is a drag queen!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090220/ap_on_re_us/homecoming_drag_queen

GMU, you have upped your cool factor.

Another A+ for Barack Obama

The first bill that President Obama signed was for women's rights! Who has the coolest president ever? Me.
And I really want to email Lilly Ledbetter and congratulate her for all her hard work. Women's rights are too often ignored (by men and women) or forgotten. Women, we need to stick up for each other, or men will keep trying to bring us down. Not that I hate men. Just the bad ones.

"Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman whose fight for equal pay led her to the United States Supreme Court and inspired the 2007 fair pay legislation that bears her name, announced her support for the Obama-Biden campaign today. At a working women's economic roundtable discussion hosted by Michelle Obama, in Richmond, Ledbetter shared her story of fighting for equal pay for equal work, and why she's supporting Senator Obama, the only presidential candidate in this election who voted in favor of her bill.

"There is only one candidate who has stood up for women like me. Who has consistently fought to help women who are working hard every day for our families and aren't being paid fairly," said Ledbetter. "That's why I'm proud to endorse Barack Obama for president of the United States. The priorities of the Obama-Biden ticket are clear. Senator Obama and Senator Biden will stand up for families like mine.""

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gGg4Wj

I am Officially Hopeful because of President Obama

Click on this link

"President Barack Obama on Friday quietly ended the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. Liberal groups welcomed the decision, while abortion rights foes criticized the president."

I am the happiest woman in the world right now. The global gag rule, also known as Mexico City policy, has been removed. As a feminist and believer in being practical with family planning and women's health, I am ecstatic. Women all over the globe are going to be better off, now that funding will go to important family planning organizations.

I am not going to talk about abortion here because I couldn't change a pro-lifer's mind. They are as unmoving in their position as I am in my views. However, I will say this:
na na na na na na!
Boo yeah!
Ohh, snap!

I was there at the Inauguration!

I was standing near the Washington Memorial when Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the United States. I was up at 7 a.m. and walked from Virginia into D.C. I was actually surprised how short the distance was; it only took 40 minutes to get there. Getting back was a different story.
It was freezing! I was wearing a thick coat, two pants, two socks, a hat, gloves, and sweater. I was still cold. It was great to see the crowds all cheering for President Obama. I thought I was going to cry with emotion, but I didn't. It was too cold to even think.
When I came home, I saw the reactions of people all over the world watching the Inauguration. I was watching a 107-year-old black woman talk about it on the Internet. It just breaks my heart knowing that she didn't feel like a person growing up because she was black.
But, I'm just very proud of America right now, to have overcome our tragic past, and I hope that we keep striving to end oppression of minorities.
Oh, btw, Bush was booed when the announcer introduced him. I read the comments of YouTube clips calling the crowd "classless." Please. He deserves worse. And next time, don't vote for someone because you think he'd be a good person to have drinks with. Vote for a leader with brains.
OBAMA!

My first D.C. public school visit

Today was my first day visiting 8th graders at a DC middle school. There was about 10 kids, 7 girls, 3 or 4 boys. We asked the kids to answer some questions on poverty. This was the first time that I've ever been in the DC public school setting, and let me tell you that I was anxious the whole time. Kids were slapping, hitting pushing, cursing, yelling, running, getting out of their seats, drumming on the desks, doodling, throwing balls at each other, locking each other out of the classroom, taking other people's things, ignoring adults, giving attitude, not listening to directions, and bullying others.
It was the most chaotic, stressful 1.5 hours I've had in a long time. I've never attended school with that kind of environment. I don't know if I could handle that everyday like those kids do.
At one point, I guess I had an upset look on my face, because a boy sitting next to me said, "You don't like the students." Then he got slapped in the back of the head by another boy for conversing with me and not doing the paperwork.
It's going to be so hard to get through to these kids. I actually do communication work, but I'm going to go to school at least once a week to make relationships with these kids. Maybe they'll eventually begin to trust and listen to me.

Faux Pas Number 1

So I was at Subway restaurant, waiting for my co-worker to get his coat from a nearby office. While waiting, I was justing looking around and the table next to me, there was a family with two children. They were eating meatball subs with melted cheese on it, and I was just staring at them while they tried to stretch off the cheese. Now mind you, I haven't eaten cheese in a long time, so it was disgusting and fascinating to watch this. I was staring at the kids for awhile when I hear the mom say, "How you doing?"
I looked over, realized I was caught staring at her children, then smiled and looked away. I awkwardly stood there, still waiting for my coworker to get his coat.
David tells me I often stare at people. I need to stop doing that.

I want to be a superstar

So, as usual, I was browsing YouTube when I came across Tricia Walsh Smith's new post. Don't know her? She's the crazy British woman who was ranting about her rich husband kicking her out and leaving with only a small fortune, as opposed to a large fortune. Well, now that she's had her 15 minutes of fame, she can't get enough: she's gone and done a music video. Watching it made me think, "If she can do that, I can do that. Problem is, I'll look just as stupid as she does." Check out her new video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meB6s_5Ed0M