Walking the Road to weight loss: Small steps and giant leaps

July 20, 1969 was an amazing day in history. Niel Armstrong and Buzz Aldrain walked on the moon. Quoting those famous astronauts from the surface of the Moon. "This is one small step for man... One giant.. Leap for mankind." Well that quote completely exemplifies how I've been feeling about my weight loss as of late. Up until last Thursday I had been backsliding or sitting stagnant and not losing very much. then I started making small steps to get back on track. I lost .8 lbs and then another 1.0 lbs after two weeks. I have to admit I felt as those early space explorers must have before Apollo 11 reached the moon. I felt as though any significant weight loss was out of reach and that the process for life change was just that several small trips into space, with the moon just out of reach.

It took a good weeks worth of loss to remind me that the moon isn't really all that far away. This week I lost 5.8 lbs and that was the thruster boost I needed to get back on track. My initial goal is 28.0 lbs. For our current day astronauts that's like getting to the international space station with the Moon as a goal in mind! If I keep track I might just make it to the moon, if not farther.

Eulogy to a Cat

Snaggletoothed drooler,
constant conversationalist,
unconditional lover,
Caddy the Cat.

Black as night with a single snow white whisker,
hunter of green beans,
Bald headed baby,
Caddy the Cat.

The boy beaten by women,
world's worst mouser,
Chance Chickadee catcher,
Caddy the Cat.

Death out of selfishness,
Scared and alone,
Sterile vets office,
The end of Caddy the Cat.

Women, Moms and Family in Politics.

I've been noticing that every stinking article in the news lately about anything relating to the Presidential Campaigns has nothing to do with the issues, but is actually an insult to women everywhere. Now what I need everyone to know is that I've never proclaimed myself as a Feminist or even a major supporter of the Republican Party, but this blog has everything to do with these two subjects. It should be also pointed out that yes for all of 4 years I was a registered Republican but that was when I lived in Oregon and I needed to support a party that was a lot more moderate than the Ultra-Liberal Democrats of the Portland/Eugene Oregon metropolises. In places that are guaranteed blue states during every presidential election the Republican party has been forced to become much more moderate in their views so that's why I ,as a moderate person in regards to the political scheme of things, registered as a Republican. Now on to the real issues that need to be talked about.

I must say that the Appointment of Sarah Palin to the position of the Vice-Presidential candidate position for the Republican Party is a risky move, but one that should be congratulated and well supported for the fact that it shows that the Republicans are just a bunch of old farty white men and can be a bit progressive. Now I'm not telling you to vote Republican just because Palin is female, because lets face it she is no Hillary Clinton, but she is a woman and that says a great deal about what is happening on the political stage of the United States of America.

The issue of Sarah Palin's gender in the American media has become the much talked about subject on every news channel. The sad thing is that most of these mainstream media channels aren't talking about how much experience Palin has or what her voting record on any issues are. They are talking about her record as a mom and how will a woman do if she's the next in line should something happen to John McCain if he is elected and should die she'd be our president. Now the question is what does being a mom who is married have to do with being the Vice President? The answer is it doesn't! She has already proven that she can be an elected official manage being a mom and get all the support of her husband to help raise their children.

If Sarah Palin were a man this would not be a question we as a nation would be asking. It is a question we shouldn't be asking at all. If we as liberal people expect that all people are created equal, then instead of the age old mantra of equal pay for equal work, what we should be saying is equal respect for equal work. Just because she is a mom does not mean that she will do the job worse or better than any man or father. Also I feel that America should be ashamed for bringing this to light when democrats who believe that any family in any situation is valuable and Republicans are usually the one touting the Family Values platform. I feel that we're seeing a complete reversal in the Family Values stand off and a democrats showing their double standard. We should be proud of her for taking the step and look at other amazing women who are career women and parents like the CEO's of Pepsi and WalMart.

So before you ask that question again maybe we should talk about the real issues. Experience in legislature and power has nothing to do with parenting skills. Sarah comes from a small town in a sparsely populated state with the largest land mass and greatest amount of natural resources than that of the lower 48 combined. How will this experience help to make her stand out from a man who has 40 plus years of experience in the senate for a state that has a comprable population in size? We might also ask that how will the experience of being the governor of such a large state be comparable to governing a country almost the same size in land area? Lastly we might also ask is what kind of focus will she have on an economy that is driven by the demand for foreign oil when her state makes tax refunds of up to 1000 dollars yearly to its residents becuase of oil futures and drilling in her home territory and what are her plans to help alleviate all our pocket books?

All that I ask you to do is think about it and put her personal life aside. Yes she is a woman. Yes she is a mother of 5 children. Ask yourself what kind of leader will she be instead.