To my friends: I love you...

But what I really want to do is vote, then leave the country and not come back until long after the election, and not speak to ANY of you. I understand you do NOT agree with me politically, and although I have not lost any respect or consideration that I have for you, there is no way I am going to agree with you. Regardless of the economical issues, I can't bring myself to vote for someone who goes against my morals in such a way that Obama does. I don't understand your constant need to defend yourself to me, to render anything I have to say as "stupid" or "ignorant," although I haven't done anything of the sort to you. Whether you agree with me or not, let me say what I want to say. If you think it's stupid, leave it at that and keep your mouth shut. Lord knows that's what I've done every time you have something to say about your preferences. It's sad that everyone seems to soak up the media like a rotten sponge, no matter what side is shown. I'm pro-life and anti-euthanasia. Obama is not. As for the idea of higher taxes for the "uber-rich," what I want to know is, why should those who have been successful be punished and made to pay for those who aren't, for whatever reason? I don't believe this is the answer to the improvement of the economy. No, I don't make $250K, but I plan on working hard and eventually reaching that level and beyond. I've seen those that are poor and living off of what the government gives them. Technically, I work for them. Let me tell you something...the last thing they need are more handouts. There are people that truly need it and I will not deny that. But I refuse to dependent upon the government with every fiber of my being. I will not be taken to that level.
So, my friends, I love you, but this is how I feel. It's more than voting with my pocketbook or my rosary. Vote for the person you like the best, and leave me to do the same.

I paid $80 for it; I can call it whatever I want!

I recently made a rather disturbing purchase. Well, maybe it's not so much "disturbing" as it is a radically new move for me. I never really thought I'd buy one, but it's really not such a bad idea. What is it? I bought a girdle. That's right - a beige creation that stretches from just below my bra to the middle of my thighs that must have been fashioned out of what could only be NASA-grade materials. When I set out to buy it, I figured my ideal body shaper would start at my ankles and work its way up like a tube of toothpaste so that I would just end up with a FANTASTIC rack (not that my rack isn't fantastic already). Alas, no one carried what I wanted short of a wetsuit, and wetsuits don't necessarily make one's boobs look good. (And how would I use the bathroom?) I did find something interesting, though. I'm going to call it a girdle because I think it's funny. Correct me all you want. It may really be called a "body shaper," or more commercially, "Spanx," but refer to the title of this post for my comment on that. I did pay $80 for it, after taxes and all. Estimated time for assembly: 15 minutes, or what felt like a lifetime. I needed MORAL support to get this sucker on. But the result? A sleeker me! The fat wasn't gone, but visibly diminished. My sharp curves were all smoothed out. Nice. Worth the 1/7 of my paycheck, after taxes. I wore it to a wedding this past weekend, one at which I really felt that I had to look good. As a test run, I wore it for a full day at work. It wasn't uncomfortable, but I nearly got a UTI since I was so scared of using the bathroom with the thing on. It did, however, improve my posture, and the next evening it looked just wonderful with the dress I wore. Conclusion? Girdles are GREAT. Girdles are magic. Girdles are....expensive. And if your mom really loves you, she'll help you in the bathroom of the reception hall so you can...um...go.