Attention Virginians:

If you are not registered to vote and want to vote in the presidential election, you have to register TODAY!

Please do! Seriously.

OJ Simpson and his co-defendant have been found guilty on all counts.

They didn't get him for murder, but they did get him for burglary, coercion, assault with a deadly weapon, and for kidnapping. He is probably going to spend decades in prison.

Congratulations, Sarah Palin!

Thanks to you, 90% of my friendslist is now drunk.

Too bad I had to work during the drinking game debate.

So, now the Republicans who voted against the bailout measure are saying things like how they wanted more help for homeowners facing foreclosure, and similar concerns.

Fine.

But you guys had better come up with something that you can all vote for quickly.

And it had better include oversight. I think even the banks are ruing deregulation now.

*goes back to watching the rhino on Africam*

Wall Street is falling apart, the banking industry is imploding, and there was, supposedly, a deal in Congress to do something about it.

What the hell happened?

Apparently many Republicans in the House ended up voting against it. Was it because of an overly partisan speech by Pelosi? Was it because of a Jewish holiday? No! It was because certain members of the House didn't vote for it after agreeing to vote for it.

The economic disaster isn't going to fade away because it would be convenient for us. Is it a lot of money that will be going into the maelstrom if this thing passes? Yep. And it's taxpayer money. But we're going to be paying one way or another.

Hello! This is important! The "average Americans" all of you talk about while campaigning are the ones who have the most to lose if this mess doesn't get fixed! And some of you have the gall to blame your vote on a Pelosi speech that placed some blame on the president.

Grow. The. Fuck. Up.

Protest the speech, but don't base the future of the economy on a grade-school level pissing match. Say whatever you want about the speech, but base your vote on what is right for the country. If you were saying it was because of the bill, I could at least understand that. But no, that isn't what you say changed your minds.

I spent the entire day standing in front of piles of newspapers with headlines proclaiming that a deal had been reached. The irony was just too much.

I am still reeling a little bit after Paul Newman's death. He had started to seem a bit immortal, until those last pictures of him.

I loved seeing him on the big screen. I loved those intense blue eyes. He was a compelling actor, and one of the best in the craft.

But, more than anything else, I respected what he did with his life. Charity wasn't a reason to appear at the right fundraisers for him. It was something to put heart and soul and sweat into. Without making a big deal about it, he put together a brand of foodstuff that was sold and marketed to raise money for various good causes.

Some people show up at lavish parties to raise money. Paul Newman made salad dressing and cookies, and he put together a legacy that will continue.

Remind me to not only raise a glass in his honor, but also to have a nice salad with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. I know just the dressing for it.

The House is about to vote on a bill called the Orphan Works Bill.

Here's the short version of what that means:

There will be searchable databases of works that are copyrighted in this country, run by internet companies. The holders of the copyrights will have to register their work on those databases and pay any associated fees. The holders of the databases would be able to take a cut of any royalties.

If the work is not findable, then it could be assumed to not be under copyright. In fact, if the work is not easily found, it could be considered an orphan work, and, therefore, free for any use.

I have some major problems with this whole mess, and I imagine that you creative types feel the same way. Want to tell your representative in the House? Click here.

If you want a more thorough explanation of the bill and what it means, go here.

Please help fight this! We shouldn't have to pay for the rights to our own work!

I should point out that the vote is tomorrow, so please protest this tonight.

Woah. This is amazing.

By the way, and I know this is really late notice, Barack Obama will be on the campus of The university of Mary Washington in Fredericksberg at 5pm today. Show up to show support, and to hear him speak. He is seriously one of the greatest speakers in my lifetime.

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson

IT'S AUTUMN!!! YAY!!!!!

*dances happydance outside where it is nice and CHILLY*

Summer is over at last and I am so HAPPY about that!

*cheerfully prepares for stinging-cheek, jacket wearing, piling-on-the-blankets, Daydreamer-finally-feels-alive weather*

I love the fall. Can you tell?

Okay, so more and more people are now supporting offshore drilling to bring down the price of gas.

There are a few facts that these people aren't considering.

First of all, it will be years before there are any more drilling platforms off of our shores, no matter who is in charge of this country. The states will have to agree to any new drilling, according to the legislation now being considered, and then the platforms will have to be requested by the oil companies, and then they will have to build the platforms.

Second, the oil companies have absolutely no plans to do any more drilling offshore. Why would they want to? The current market is exactly what they want. Banks may be hitting the dirt right and left, but when was the last time you heard about an oil company having any financial problems?

Third, and finally, we are at refining capacity! In other words, no mater how much oil floods the market, we can't turn any more of it into gasoline than we already do in this country! Until the oil companies decide to build more refineries, and until they manage to pass these refineries past all of the inevitable NIMBY protests, the supplies of gasoline are staying right where they are in this country.

Sorry, Hummer fans, but those are the facts. Allowing more drilling won't do a damn thing to lower prices.

How do we lower gas prices? Simple. We use less gas.

We can drive the speed limit. We can drive vehicles with better mileage. We can drive less. We can take better care of our cars. You know, all of those pesky "personal responsibility" and "sacrifice" pieces of nonsense.

So, the local university has a quarterback on the football team who was caught with alcohol before he was legally allowed to have it. Oops! Hai thar probation!

One (obvious) condition of his probation? No booze. At all.

His reaction? Not only does he drink, he posts pictures of himself getting tipsy on FaceBook!

That's right folks! Yet another UVA student has proven to be an absolute moron! Oh well then.

So, this morning, one of the local stations is running a poll asking people if the UVA football coach has done the right thing in kicking said absolute moron off the football team.

The really scary thing? One quarter of the responders so far have said that the guy should still be on the team.

*sigh*

And guys? Thank you for all of the responses to my last post. I really appreciate your support. It means a lot to me.

I miss her every minute of every day. I can usually handle it, but there are times when it hurts too much.

I just want my sister back, damnit.

There is nothing just or right in her being gone. If there was any justice in the world, it would have been me with that damned blood clot.

I miss her so much and there are times when it hurts too much to even breathe.

I just want her back.

Why is the one thing I want more than anything else is impossible? Some people win the lottery. Others make their fortunes as CEOs and are paid millions of dollars a year after they are fired for incompetence.

The most alive, wonderful person I have ever met is gone.

Right now, I hate the world more than I can describe.

Does this ever go away? A part of me wants my life back, and a part of me feels like that would be wrong somehow, as unfair as losing her in the first place.

So, apparently it's National Invisible Illness Week. I didn't know.

If you read this blog, you can't claim to not know anyone with an invisible illness - I have Depression and migraines and chronic insomnia. I also have anxiety that gets pretty severe at times (like lately and now). And I have ADHD.

This doesn't make me weird; these are all common disorders, although there is still a stigma to them all. They don't make me weak. They don't make me a hypochondriac. They are all very real challenges that I have to overcome every day. They can also be strengths, inn their own ways.

I don't want sympathy. I don't want to be treated as if I am made of spun glass. I just don't want to be treated as if I am weak because I have to deal with these conditions. I don't want people to look down on me because my brain is a little weird.

I am who I am. The depression, anxiety, ADHD, insomnia, and migraines are a part of the whole package, but they do not define me. They are all part of the difficulties that I have had to deal with, but there is far more to who I am, and I will not let them be the definition of who I am.

Depression shows me the dark side of everything. Anxiety shows me the risks around me. ADHD helps me see things that others don't, and allows me to make the odd connections that others would never see. Migraines teach me what I am too sensitive to.

So, no, I don't see the world the same way that you do.

But maybe that's why you read this blog.

It's 9/11 again and I am angry and sad.

This isn't a political day. This isn't a day to take advantage of. This is a dark and mournful day when we should stop and remember what we have lost.

Seven years ago today, thousands of people died because of politics and religion. Some assholes decided that their god called for the deaths of people who did nothing more that day than go to work.

Seven years ago today, the world was of one heart. The one good thing that came out of the horror was the unity that the world felt for what may have been the first time. We wasted it. That is a loss that is nearly as sickening as the loss of life.

I look back at that day with a mixture of grief and sickness and rage. I wasn't in New York or Washington of Shanksville, but the images are jarring and bring tears to my eyes.

Seven years ago, I made the promise that I would never forget, and I never will.

Again, I promise.

I will never forget.

"JD and OS are the managers here today. Have you seen them yet?"

"Nah. I just walked in the door."

"Let me page them up here."

"You don't have to do that. I can just wander back there."

*laughs, calls managers' phone* "Hey, JD. Wanna say hi to CC?"

"CC's in the building?!"

*huge grin* "She's standing right beside me."

CC looks great! The only signs of what she went through are weight loss and a rather lopsided mullet. She still has the same grin and the same wise-ass sense of humor. She's already back at work at her other job and says that she will be back at the store soon.

She was in the store for close to an hour, just talking to everyone. Gods, it was good to see her.

I'm home.

I had an amazing time.

*thud*

Don La Fontaine has died. You may not know his face, or even his name, but you sure as hell know his voice.

He had the Coolest. Voice. Ever.

I think he would have enjoyed this DragonCon.

Damnit! He was supposed to be the voice for the trailers for the movie based on my first book!

Sara Palin? Who the hell is Sara Palin?!

Well, Mr. McCain, you sure surprised me.

Kieth Olbermann and Chris Matthews were quite impressed. KO couldn't find anything to criticize, and especially liked the tone.

CM is comparing to Henry V, Reagan, etc.

Obama hit this one out of the park.

One more thing I want to add - four years ago, Barack Obama made me literally stand up and cheer. He just did it again.