We are citizens….It describes the way we’re made.

President Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address this week, and I am a little behind to the party. I watched it yesterday morning, and cried no less than four times.

I hope you find a chance to watch it; how many of us find time to watch endless hours of TV, but don’t find 60 minutes to spend watching the President address our country and fill us in on his plans? Even if you don’t agree with him, you should be educated in what’s happening in Washington, so you can participate in our democracy.

I am so proud to call this President mine, someone I elected twice. His words on how to get jobs into the US, how to help immigrants achieve their dreams, and his dedication to this Earth (and realizing global warming is real) was amazing.

One of his quotes has really stuck with me:

But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can — to secure this nation, expand opportunity, uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.

We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example.

– President Barack Obama, SOTU 2013, February 12, 2013

Here is the full video!

We can get this done, America.

 

 

“We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines.”

I love my President. I love fact checking. I love Obamacare. Last night’s debate was a bit boring, but that zinger was great, and I think this makes it 2-1 BO. I am sitting at the edge of my seat these next two weeks, and will probably hop up on my soap box a few more times, so stick with me, if you can.

5 things: late october

1. Fall is finally cooling down (although now that I say that, I bet it’ll get to be 90 again…)

2. This is my mug until November 6 (and for the next four years.)

3. Early Halloween Costumes.

4. Weekend adventuring, fabric stores, new plates for GMS, my first trip to the Getty Villa, birthday parties and early Halloween parties, soccer practice in the rain, dying hair, beers and  pink lipstick and binoculars and SNL and the promise of a lovely week ahead.

5. This mash-up from Pitch Perfect.

Aren’t we all from somewhere else?

I’ve kept quiet this election cycle much more than I did in 2008. I suspect this is because I have been busy in my personal life, in my blogging life over at GMS, and in my work life. But I have to take a moment to talk about last night’s debate, because these issues affect everyone.

I am voting for Barack Obama, and I am guessing this is no surprise to any of you. But I am not merely supporting the President for re-election because I support him fiercely (which I do) but because I am afraid of what a world would look like if Romney wins.

When this election cycle started, no one knew that it was going to be the election that was about not rolling back women’s rights, but that’s what it’s become. Romney and Ryan’s plans to limit my access to contraceptives, abortion (should I God forbid ever need it,) and general family planning is horrifying, and unacceptable.

In addition, I believe that we should take assault weapons off the streets. And the fact that Romney made a question about gun control about making sure that families have two parents (married, off course, a subtle nod that gay parents won’t cut it) was horrific. Or is there a study I missed pointing to single parents as the parents of most murders?

If I hear Romney refer to middle class as “middle-income” one more, I swear, I’m going to lose it. Because, in case you didn’t hear it, Romney defines middle-income as people who are making $250,000 a year – not actually the middle class OR middle-income in this country (which is, in fact, $50,000.)

And, by the way, they are illegal immigrants, not “illegals.” 

My sorella wrote a lot about this today, so I’ll let her post speak to more points that asserted my belief in Barack. I believe in everything she said, luckily, and she beat me to the punch today, plus you guys probably read her blog, too, right?

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

I hope you have a lovely 50th birthday.

I made these cupcakes in your honor when you were elected President. If I could guarantee you’d get one and I wouldn’t be left with them to eat myself, I’d make them again for you.

We might have to make another one this year to celebrate.

Have a lovely day with your lovely family in lovely Chicago.