Friday Feel Good: Halloween Baby Cuteness

I'm putting my disdain of FOX News on hold for today to bring you a photo of my baby nephew, Judah, and sister-in-law, Lindsay, featured on Janice Dean's Blog. Let's hope Judah's stint on FOX doesn't determine his future partisanship :)

Judah's dressed up as a little turkey, how cute is that?! :) The photos were taken at a "first Halloween" babies costume event that Lindsay organized. I am so proud of Linds who's been planning amazing events for the "summer moms of Park Slope" group. Really great things from baby CPR to meetings in the park. The group has grown to include over 80 new parents! Being a new parent can be just as daunting as it is exciting and having a social network to experience the ups and downs with is crucial. I'm so proud of Linds for providing this type of support to all the new parents involved! Other babies at the "first Halloween party" dressed as pea pods, lobsters, penguins, super baby, a free range chicken!

Happy Halloween :)

I considered going as Sarah Palin but decided that was far too scary, even for this holiday ;) Instead i'll be going as Angela from The Office, blond wig and all! (Though the only wig i could find was the "Hannah Montana" wig...)

Israelis For Obama

Some of my most intelligent relatives and friends are fearful of Obama because they believe he’s a "threat to Israel." I’ve explained policies, misconceptions, and scare tactics to them with no success. The video below is incredibly moving. Please share it with everybody you know and especially every Jewish person you have ever heard question Obama’s commitment to Israel.

I've written and joked about this in the past, but now it's time to get emotional to appeal to those of you i haven't yet...

I watched this video through tear-filled eyes. I saw courage in the faces of the Israeli citizens and heard hope in their voices. The Jewish people of Israel are ready for change just as much as we, Americans, are.

Let's get Obama elected.

(video via Crucial Minutiae)

Vote "NO"

Here are some important videos and links for voters in various states:

Colorado and South Dakota (but EVERYONE should watch this video):



Oppose Bill C-484, "Unborn Victims of Crime Act"

Connecticut:
Vote NO on Question 1 - Lindsay beat me to writing this post :) More info here and here

California:
Vote NO on 4 and 8, here for more

I'll update this as i find more info for various states...

Last Day to Register to Vote in CT

Today is the last day to register to vote in CT so if you haven't already, please register today! You'll have to go in person but the offices are open until 8pm tonight. Be the change you want to see in the world, vote.

Friday Feel Good: Season of Giving

(This should have been posted yesterday, sorry about that)

I heard on NPR this morning that groups who serve the community are especially struggling right now, since Americans are terrified to open their wallets to donations more than ever. I don't blame them, it's difficult to donate money to charity when you're not sure how much gas will cost tomorrow and whether you'll be able to pay your mortgage or rent this month.

I wanted to write a post about how good it feels to donate. Since starting my jewelry shop in August, I have been able to donate $200 to The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County and am writing another check today for $150. Honestly, i couldn't do this out of my pocket. So i took up jewelry making. I donate 50% of my earnings to the organization and am incredibly grateful for all my costumers who purchase the jewelry knowing half their money will go to such a great cause. It enables me to engage in activism through giving money and also serves as a creative outlet. I love to craft so this really was a perfect match for me. I realize i'm shamelessly self promoting right now but i wanted to remind everyone to give, especially now, because there will always be someone out there who has less than you, no matter how little it is you have.

Please feel free to browse my shop for holiday gift ideas: designsbygalina.etsy.com :)

Where do you give, especially around the holidays? Do you donate money? Food? Your time?

Sarah Palin is a Liar and Rachel Maddow is Incredibly Hot and Talented...

Ok, so what? I have a secret crush...



Maddow asks: "Are we in an alternate universe or is she?!"

Sarah Palin's Hypocrisy & Unnecessary Spending

I may be a little late on this but it looks like Sarah Palin installed a tanning bed at the governor's mansion shortly after she took office in 2007. Now, normally i wouldn't think much of this because even though i choose to stay away from the fake and bake, cancer causing, boxes, who am i to judge, ya know? But unless Palin was suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder), installing a tanning bed was both hypocritical and fiscally irresponsible. For someone who claims to do away with unnecessary spending, purchasing something that can cost "up to $35,000 to install in a home, not including parts" is prodigal.

The other irony in all this is "Palin declared May 2007 to be Skin Cancer Awareness Month in Alaska. In the press release, it read, 'Skin cancer is caused, overwhelmingly, by over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and from tanning beds.'"

Then again, it's really no surprise that Palin is both a hypocrite and fiscally irresponsible based on the $150,000 she spent on a campaign wardrobe and makeover.

As Racist as Ever...

To those of you who think we're living in a post-racist nation. Think again. America is still filled with hatred, fear, and most definitely, racism.

Apparently Obama is a "second stringer" because he is black and Palin will make a good VP because she is filled with "the holy spirit."

Some of the other things said about Obama?

"I'm afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over"

"This is a Christian nation! What is our country going to end up like?!"

"When you got a nigger running for president, he aint a first stringer. He's definitely a second stringer."

"He's related to a known terrorist"

"Just the whole... Muslim thing... and everything..."

"Obama and his wife, i'm concerned that they are anti-white and that he might hide that"

"I don't like the fact that he thinks us white people are trash"

"Baby killer"





Thanks Maggie for sending this video along. As difficult as it is to watch, it's important to see...

Street Harassment Survey

Cross posted here by request, Please Take the Street Harassment Survey!

One of the problems with street harassment is that it has been so rarely researched and written about. I recently had brunch with Holly Kearl, who is currently writing a book about street harassment. Rock on girl.

Help her out by completing this quick online survey about street harassment:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2zNzxBfuyVVLMKcoXoEtjQ_3d_3d

The more folks who take it, the more accurate it is, the more that changes in the world. Hollaback survey-style!

Survey via

Friday Feel Good: CT Equalizes Same Sex MARRIAGE!!!

Today i am proud to be a CT resident! The Connecticut Supreme Court just ruled that the state will now allow same-sex couples to marry. That's right, MARRY :) We're now the third state allowing gay marriage (along with Massachusetts and California).

The divided court ruled 4-3 that gay and lesbian couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry under the state constitution, and Connecticut's civil unions law does not provide those couples with the same rights as heterosexual couples.

"Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice," Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote in the majority opinion that overturned a lower court finding. "To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others," Palmer wrote.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Friday that she disagreed, but will not fight the ruling. "The Supreme Court has spoken," Rell said in a statement. "I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision, either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution, will not meet with success."

More info here.

Dear John McCain, You Are NOT "My Friend"

Dear Senator John McCain,

First and foremost, you are NOT my friend. Addressing me as such 19 times* does not change the fact that you creep me out a great deal, i disagree with you on a core level, and if you are elected president i fear for your health mostly because Governor Palin is no where close to ready to lead our country. I also would like to give you some advice. When asked a debate question, please try to respond to said question rather than ramble on in an accusatory and condescending tone. Also, be a bit more careful with your "jokes." Mostly because they all came off as bitter and hostile. A joke that fell especially short was the one in which you laughed about needing hair transplants in relation to health coverage. This is not funny because while you may only have to worry about your balding scalp, others have actual, substantial, health concerns that they cannot afford to treat. Also, addressing Senator Obama as "that one" is incredibly patronizing, and may even come off as racist (which of course you are not, right? wink wink). I would also like to offer some math guidance: a "first" priority means that it is number one on the list so when you said, "I can tell you right now the security of your young men and women who are serving in the military are my first priority right after our nation's security" you were a bit mistaken because that would make it your second, not first, priority. Also, the correct grammar is "is my first priority" because you are referring to security and priority which are both singular nouns, not "are my first priority." Lastly, you excitedly stated, "I'll get Osama bin Laden, my friends. I'll get him. I know how to get him." What exactly did you mean by this? Because if you know where Osama bin Laden is and how to capture him it seems a bit unpresidential of you not to speak up sooner. I realize that "debating" and running a presidential campaign must challenging work and as such i would like to end on a positive note. I was very glad to see that you are able to pronounce "nuclear" correctly, unlike Bush or Palin.

Sincerely,
Galina

wow, writing this made me feel significantly better... who knew? :)

*all direct quotes and "my friends" count via CNN transcript

ETA: Habladora signed on, anyone else in? Don't worry i won't accidentally send him this letter... or will i? hehehehe...

Friday Feel Good: Shana Tova!

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, was this week. The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are arguably the most important days in Judaism. They are a time to introspect, make amends for the year's mistakes, and plan the changes you want to see in your life for the year to come. This time is called the Days of Awe. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are significantly more imporant holidays than Hannukah, even though most people don't realize this since Hannukah is so close to Christmas.

Enough with the lesson in Judiasm. I wanted to post a quick story that was passed out at services to help you reflect a bit this week as well.

When I was in 8th grade, Mr. Ben Yudin, my comparative religion teacher extraordinaire, asked the class a question. "What are the four words you can say on any occasion?" The answer was, "This too shall pass."

I remember telling my father that night that I would never walk up to a bride and say, "Congratulations, this too shall pass." My father replied that it's precisely the couples who understand that the exhilaration of their wedding day will pass, who go on to have good marriages.

Since then, those four words have become a sort of mantra in my life. "This too shall pass" has gotten me through periods of stress, sadness, even excruciating physical pain. But lately, as the harried working mother of two, I have begun to really understand the value of these words for the joyous occasions, especially those easily missed moments - my son waking from sleep and curling his warm body into my lap; my daughter's face when I come home from work. "This too shall pass," whispers that voice in my ear. Turn off the cell phone, put down the paper, and just be.

Sarah Palin, Meet Dick Cheney... Oh Wait

I am newly obsessed with Rachel Maddow, and here's why:

The Great Schlep

At first i thought this was a joke. Mostly because i find it impossible to take Sarah Silverman seriously. But The Great Schlep is completely legit... although more than a bit ageist, racist, and stereotypical, it may just help get Obama's message out there...

"The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem! You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008, simply by talking to your relatives about Obama."

There are even talking points! (pdf file)

Anyways, watch The Great Schlep here:

Follow Up to my Sexism Masked as Tradition Post

Back in July I wrote about a coworker who was upset with his wife for being pregnant with a girl. I wrote how unfortunate it was for him to be disappointed with his future daughter before she's even born and at his wife for something that the sperm have more "control" over than the egg. I also wrote about the degree of sexism that still exists (in my peers no less!) masked as "tradition."

Today this same coworker's client came into their counseling session with a new baby boy. In the hallway (right outside my door), the counselor said, "Congrats on having a boy!" to his client. The client replied, "I heard you are a new dad too, congrats to you as well." The counselor explained, "Nah man, no congrats here. I had a girl. I wish i had a boy. I just shot and missed, ya know? haha. Hopefully next time."

I thought after his daughter was born he'd change his tune. Nope, guess not. Poor girl.