Politics, that is. With fired up candidates storming Iowa and New Hampshire like it's the state basketball championship or something, the mud slinging begins. McCain says Romney changes positions. Hillary gets righteous about Obama's lack of experience and preaches about change. What kind of change? This is where what they say doesn't matter near as much as how they have proven themselves as people and not candidates of a political party with gazillions of dollars at stake.

I found this article kind of ironic when I read it today because it's about two years too late, though very well written. Where were ya'll back when the rest of us were raising hell about this stuff, George? Oh..excuse me. It wasn't an election year, of course. The truth of the matter is that the president of the United States is not actually our leader per se, just a figurehead for his or her party. Congress controls the law and with the exception of that rare use of veto power like Dubya has pulled with the war stuff, he or she has no say in things. The parties do. And all of the special interests that exist therein. And all of their personal baggage. "We the people" who believe in this country get lost in all that poop.

If the teevee newsfolks have their numbers straight, the state of New Hampshire is home to a whopping 45% of independent voters. The other 49 states should be so fortunate. My feeling about the whole thing is this....shut the eff up about vague references to change and race and gender and lay out a plan that we can understand. Call off the dogs that are sniffin' out dirt on the other guy and concentrate on ways to really MAKE changes instead of talking about them. Like healthcare reform. And immigration policies. And some way to make every country in the freakin' world besides England not hate us for what we stand for in regard to the military.

*end of rant* Thanks for your concern for Lily cat. She survived my dumbass move with the poison and is sleeping peacefully as the wind howls in advance of another front here on tornado alley. It's the strangest thing about living close to the Mighty Mississippi. It can be freezing cold one day and the next it's close to 70 like back in that January when the tornados ripped through Halls and Jackson. I have wind chimes made from the stained glass remnants of the church windows that got smashed. If I end up not in Kansas Tennessee anymore, I'll be calling ya'll to help me fight the wicked witch of the west.

^j^