War in Iraq Sucks It

An open letter to pollsters, stat takers, and survey pimps

January 19, 2008 by Queen of Spain 15 Comments

What the HELL is this crap? Are you serious? A poll asking South Carolina voters which presidential candidate is the SEXIEST. Really?

I’m just curious what is accomplished by a poll like this, why any polling company would ask this question, and why the hell they think I care.

The President of Public Policy Polling, Dean Debnam, agrees this is silly, “Politics doesn’t always have to be completely serious,” he says in the press release. “We did this survey to remind folks to keep their senses of humor during this intense election season.”

Yeah, I’m not laughing.

If you want me to keep my sense of humor, how about asking me which candidate tells the best joke. Or which candidate is mostly likely to have a beer at the local pub. Draw me a funny political cartoon. Let me just state I’m stretching with those examples, because I really am not sure this election needs to have a sense of humor. Some “light” moments-I’ll give ya’ that…but my sense of humor just doesn’t come into play with dead soldiers and Iraqis, families struggling to pay their mortgage, lives-hanging-in-the-balance, fate-of-our-country politics.

But let’s tackle the bigger issue here and why this poll makes me roll my eyes and want to move to Canada-ENOUGH with the sexy crap. Obama girl, Hillary boy, Edward’s hair, Clinton’s cleavage-ENOUGH already.

What does even discussing which candidate is SEXY accomplish in the bigger picture aside from the few chuckles the polling folks were hoping for?

It reinforces that “sexy” matters.

It reinforces the idea that Americans care more about Oprah than Obama.

It reinforces to my daughter she needs to be thin, beautiful, and slutty.

It reinforces to my son SEXY counts when trying to win over the world.

It reinforces to ME some voters care more about American Idol and Britney’s custody case and will actually cast their ballot for the candidate who has the best stylist.

It reinforces to the candidates the false notion 8.3 million readers of BlogHer.com care more about fluff than the issues.

Maybe I have no sense of humor this morning. Maybe I woke up to find this poll and am overreacting. I’ll admit I’m feeling rather cynical this weekend.
Or maybe I’m tired of some woman shaking her ass all over national tv for Obama and the media discussing necklines and skin.

We have quips about looking “too” feminine or “mannish”-leading to snark about tears in New Hampshire. We have polls measuring the next leader of the free world’s SEXY.

Enough. Please. Enough

crossposted at the Huffington Post

Filed Under: Hippo Diet, kill me now, Queenie Backup, War in Iraq Sucks It

How Hillary Can Win Me Back

January 6, 2008 by Queen of Spain 13 Comments

I saw it during the ABC/Facebook debate last night. That spark. I SAW IT.

When Edwards and Obama started hammering her tag-team style, she got ANGRY-that’s when the Hillary I used to love came back out to fight.

Of course, that Hillary is the one that tends to fire me up while turning others off. That’s the Hillary that gets the sexist and conservative voters calling her the b word and railing against having a crazy woman in power.

That fight I saw in her? It was real. Genuine. It was the kind of thing her campaign was trying to manufacture with those cackles on national television and giggles of a “softer side.” Why can’t they just admit “Hillary lite” isn’t nearly as exciting and commanding as “Hillary pissed and yelling” – don’t sell me a softer Hillary, sell me what I KNOW works and gets stuff done: Raging Ass Kicker Hillary.

I don’t care anymore if you hate her for it. You hated her anyway and you’ll hate her again. I don’t care if she’s so far into the establishment she is considered the “same old thing.”

Bring back the Hillary people love to hate instead of this Middle-of-The-Road-play-all-sides, rhetoric spewing android democrat and she’ll get me back. Then we can talk about experience AND history. Then we can talk about having the resume AND being the First Woman President.

She was right last night-a woman in the oval office would be huge. But no one is talking about it yet. No one is excited about it yet-why? She’s made us forget she could make history by becoming one of the many drones of politics. By becoming one of them. She used to be trail blazer, now she’s lost in the herd.

Show me that trail blazer again. Show me the woman who tried to push universal health care while not even a politician. Who, when I was still a teenager, had me reading up on drug makers and their lobby. Who had me proud and excited a strong and vocal woman was injecting herself into the national spotlight in a way no other First Lady has.

Let her loose.

Then all those women and young people the Hillary camp took for granted-all those WOMEN LIKE ME who have been waiting their ENTIRE LIVES for this just might consider making it happen.

Let her loose.

And hope it’s not too late.

crossposted at the Huffington Post

Filed Under: BlogHer, Feeling YaYa, Holding Court, War in Iraq Sucks It

There’s So Much That We Share That Its Time We’re Aware…

December 1, 2007 by Queen of Spain 13 Comments

…it’s a small world after all.

Now, once you’re done cursing me for sticking that song in your head…last night something amazing happened, and it hit me how big this whole “web 2.0, social media, blah blah blah” stuff is.

My Sister-in-law had a baby. On the surface, not such an earth shattering thing. I mean, yes a miracle and all that, but not exactly unheard of in this day and age. The thing is, she’s in Germany. Her husband, my brother-in-law, is stationed in Iraq. My father-in-law and mother-in-law were en route from West Virginia to Germany and my family and I are in California.

I might need a diagram for that.

Somewhere around lunchtime the West Virginia contingent landed in Germany and somewhere around dinnertime they were off to the hospital. Somewhere around desert time my phone rang and a baby had been born. Relatives needed to be alerted and a father needed to be found in Iraq. Mind you I was online with a Canadian and on the phone with a Bostonian.

So emails were sent, calls were made, skypes were attempted, and twitters were pushed out into the universe because I was too excited to remember what the time difference was in Iraq or, apparently, how to google.

By bedtime, I was congratulating Dad the soldier via webcam and getting a tour of his room in the Middle East.

I had spoken to people all over the globe over one tiny little girl.

I wasn’t doing business. I wasn’t blogginig. I wasn’t connecting with old friends or reading techie news. I was simply celebrating life.

So I’m done with talk of ‘what is web 2.0?’ and ‘what is social media?’

It’s life.

The end.

Filed Under: BlogHer, BlogHer.org, Feeling YaYa, Royal Kinfolk, War in Iraq Sucks It

To Iraq With Love

September 11, 2007 by Queen of Spain 4 Comments

“Dear Uncle C. Be careful and have a good time. Get all those guys that are bad. Helps your friends. I love you.” -Count Waffles the Terrible, age 4.

Filed Under: Count Waffles, War in Iraq Sucks It

From The Blogosphere to Iraq, with xoxo

September 9, 2007 by Queen of Spain 17 Comments

On September 11th, 2007 the kids and I will be at a local park. They won’t be on the slide and the won’t be digging in the sand. They will be in a tiny rec room coloring pictures for their uncle and other soldiers stationed in Iraq.

I want you to join us.

I’d like to show my brother-in-law how cool you and your kids are…and that we think of him, and his colleagues. He won’t be home for another year. That’s a long time to be away from your two little ones, your pregnant wife, and your friends.

Leave me a comment or send me an email (queenofspainblog@yahoo.com) and I will provide you with his address. If your kids are back in school, maybe just send the artwork they made on Tuesday. Have your older kids write a letter. You can use a regular stamp and you can drop it in the mail. Its really not much to ask.

Spend September 11th in a constructive way. Please.

Queen

Filed Under: War in Iraq Sucks It

Living Under a Rock

July 18, 2007 by Queen of Spain 12 Comments

patrick Alright, so I just found out about the cell phone thing. Considering it has been forever since I’ve gotten out of the house, I’m giving myself that one.

However, I’m not sure why it took my so very long to discover Pink’s Dear Mr. President.

Dear Mr. President lyrics
(feat. Indigo Girls)

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me.
I’d like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind.
They’re all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don’t know nothing ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You’d never take a walk with me.
Would you?

Filed Under: War in Iraq Sucks It

Rosie and Me: Moms with Mouths-Kids in the Crossfire

June 28, 2007 by Queen of Spain 19 Comments

My stomach churned. My blood boiled. The Rosie photo making waves across the talk shows and blog posts has moms and pundits all a flutter.

My gut reaction, upon seeing this photo of Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter dressed in fatigues, was anger and confusion. Why is this darling girl wearing bullets? What sort of sick political statement is Ro making, exploiting her daughter this way?

Then my brain kicked in, I took a deep breathe, and realized Rosie has one hell of a point. Don’t get all crazy on me now-yelling about how much you hate Ro. Use your head and listen to me for just a second.

Whatever her reason for posting this picture, whatever the situation surrounding this picture (Rosie says the kids were playing dress up), and whatever you think of her—stop and think about WHY you are reacting the way you are to this captured childhood moment.

Let me show you another example, a photo of my son a few years ago at Halloween. Does your blood boil when you look at this? Do you question what kind of mother I am?

I mouth off on political issues all the time. I am against this war. I use photos of my children all the time to further my causes. To make my points. To make you think.

So why lash out at Rosie?

Ask yourself-is it because it’s her daughter..not her son?

Is it the bullets?

I see kids playing with toy guns all over my neighborhood.

Or is it because the thought of war, violence, military is too much for you to handle in the context of children. We teach them to respect our soldiers, to look up to them, to say “Wow, Captain Killing Machine-I think you are cool…I want to be just like you when I grow up.” They play war in the backyard. They even use their fingers as guns when there are no toys to shoot around.

Makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Those two child soldiers ready to fight, simply doing what we have told them is admirable, honorable, and acceptable.

Now go look at the photo of Rosie’s daughter one more time. Go look at the photo of my son one more time.

Tell me the difference.

Bravo Rosie. I’ll keep posting my photos and mouthing off, promise me you will do the same.

(photo from http://www.rosie.com)

Filed Under: Holding Court, Queenie Backup, War in Iraq Sucks It

Margaret Mead is on to something

June 7, 2007 by Queen of Spain 13 Comments

Being an American is exhausting.

I spent the first part of this week in tears. Hanging a yellow ribbon from the tree in our front yard and showing my children the stars on the American flag billowing below the ribbon. Their uncle has gone to war, again.

As I struggled to explain to a 4-year old exactly what a “soldier” does, I thought of all the families involved in this monstrosity of a war, the children left behind, the Iraqi’s lives destroyed. Despite my 100% disagreement with this war and the idiots who started it, I found myself damn proud of our soldiers and their families. Of our stupid, stupid country and its stupid, stupid military.

So as I swelled with pride and wonder for my fellow Americans, imagine my disgust and bewilderment when I had to explain to a Canadian just how FUCKED up our government is when it comes to helping our children. Helping the poor. Helping one another.

It started simply enough, a post about us fat ass North Americans and our lazy, lazy, kids. I tried to explain socioeconomics. I tried to explain the lack of education. I tried to explain why a lard-ass Ogre, who shills for McDonalds, would be our spokesman for combating childhood obesity. I tried to explain that yes, Taco Bell can be found in our public school cafeterias and yes, our produce and healthy foods cost more than the average family can afford. They buy the shit, because the good stuff is more money and hey, it’s got our government’s stamp of approval.

The more I explained the more I shook my head. The more I explained the more embarrassed I became. The more I explained, the more I was moving to Switzerland.

Why does America do this to me? I don’t expect to agree with everything that goes on in the great USofA at every single moment. I also don’t expect to hide my head in shame when I think of the clusterfuck that are these 50 states lately.

Just when I had shaken my redhead so much it hurt, I saw a light. I got an email. I watched something I’ve been involved in since the start head in a new direction. One that made me swell with pride. One that reminded me it’s not about the country. Its not about the borders. Its not about who’s government does what. It’s about what we can do,together. Ladies and gentleman, may I present BlogHer’s ACT.

We are excited and honored to announce today, with Elisa, Jory and Lisa, the launch of BlogHers Act, a year-long initiative to harness the incredible power of women online. That would be you.

BlogHers Act will take on two things —

1. Making a difference on a single global cause

2. Identifying the top four issues that women online want the U.S. Presidential candidates to address in order to win our votes in the Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ08 Election.

Imagine the opportunity that’s in all of our hands right now.

All of us know the positive, productive, monumental ACTION of bloggers, especially women bloggers, when rallying around a problem, an issue or an event. Since we started blogging a few years back, we’ve witnessed – and been so lucky to be a part of – countless moments, big and small, when bloggers worked together to make a difference.

Hell yes. Now get off your fat ass you lazy American, Canadian, or um..non-North American and do something.

Filed Under: BlogHer, BlogHer.org, Holding Court, Queenie Backup, Royal Decree, War in Iraq Sucks It