Arlen Specter - new clothes, same old tired ideas

I have to admit I was at first heartened to hear of Arlen Specter's defection from the Republican party and his new affiliation as a Democrat. Then I watched him vote. What I interpreted is that he changed parties solely to win the Senate seat in PA when it comes up for re-election. He claimed to be more in line with the Democrat's agenda but so far I'm not seeing it.
To vote against the changes in the bankruptcy law was a big give away to me. He is just a Republican in Democrat clothing and I think it's time he retired. We already have one Joe Lieberman. We don't need another.

Thank you, President Obama

Like many Americans last night, I tuned in to President Obama's address to both houses of Congress. I had high hopes for that speech and I wasn't disappointed.
As I expected it would be, the speech was filled with hope and promise, encouragement and comfort, but also a call to our better selves. The President not only laid out a plan for him and our leaders but called to each American to do their part. When was the last time you heard your President ask parents to pay attention to their children? It's been a long time coming.
I was also interested, as a nurse and as a consumer, to hear what plans he had for the health care industry. I think his plans are good [streamlining health records by taking them into the digital age, curing cancer, etc].
Addressing education will also help healthcare because some of our problem lies not with a lack of health care students but with a lack of health care teachers.
Targeting the high cost of health care will also be a big boon to the economy because that is something that is going to get worse fast if we are not proactive. The Boomers are going to need lots of care very soon and it's not free. Whether it's private insurance, Medicare, or out of pocket, someone is going to have to pay for it.
All in all, the President nailed it with his Address.
As for the Republicans, what can I say? Same old, same old. They really need to buy a clue.

Kiva.org

Many years ago, I read Gail Sheehy's Passages , a book that profoundly affected me. I was in the beginning stages of the groups she covered in her book and I wondered if life would evolve for me as it had for the people she studied. So far, she is right 100%. I have now thankfully evolved from a self-centered young person into [I hope] a more centered, more accepting, more involved, more peaceful older person.
It actually gives me plessure to reach out.
If you find yourself in the same place, I urge you to check out Kiva. I first heard of Kiva when I read Bill Clinton's book Giving. Kiva is an organization that lends money to entrepreneurs - with micro loans- all over the world. That's what's so unique about it. You and I can make a difference in someone's life by just loaning something as little as $25. It's a great example how a bunch of little acts can do great things.

Hope and Peace

My husband and I have been on a news fast for over a year. Of course, with the recent election we did fall off the wagon a bit. I admit I was the greatest offender. There were days I just couldn't get enough about the campaign. But for the most part, we refused to watch the evening news. What little news I got was from reading on the web and there I could pick and choose what I exposed myself to. Sometimes, all I read was the headline just to make sure I didn't need to head down to some undisclosed location because all mayhem had broken out.
I can't tell you what a difference it has made in our life. We are one of those couples who have opted to have a TV in the bedroom even though it's frowned upon. We enjoy watching TV in there and even have a DVD player. But we watch movies from Spiritual Cinema Circle not blood and gore R-rated movies.
Our life is now one of hope and peace rather than the fear-mongering that the MSM likes to offer up. Who decided gloom and doom was the way to get ratings?
I propose that we all try to look on the bright side of things and as a country refrain from the constant hand-wringing. It won't accomplsh anything. The more energy we give to the negative, the more negative we will get.
We have a new President taking office in less than two weeks. The bad days are behind us. We have nothing but good in front of us. Let's remember the slogan that got him into the White House in the first place "Yes, we can!".
I will be glued to my TV on January 20, 2009. It's a great day for all of us. 2009 is going to be a great year.