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10:09 a.m. - 2007-04-27
proud to be an american
Here is a nice long entry to make up for a few days' absence and to get you through the weekend.

A lot of the time, I feel kind of "down" on America. Amy B has said at different times how she's felt embarrassed to be an American and I reall understand that. My husband is more positive and dare i say "patriotic" than I am. We have an American flag on our porch and about once a week I consider having the "can we take that down" conversation. But.

This week, i have been really excited about some things. Let me tell you about them.

American Idol raised over 30 million dollars to fight poverty in Africa and America. I mean, this is awesome. There is sooooo much that can be done with that money. I am hoping they have connected with people who know how to use it efficeintly and since Bono is involved, I am sure it's going to well-run organizations.

My staff is really incredible. They love our kids so much and even though we have our issues from time to time, in general, we are all on the same page and nobody sees coming to work as just a duty they have to do to get through the rest of life. They know the value of what we do and how important it is to be there for the kids.

Rachel Ray dedicated a show to raising awareness for parkinson's disease research. Having worked briefly in public health, I have met a lot of people with chronic and terminal illnesses. I tend to be more focused on fighting poverty, but it only takes a little exposure to personal stories and real people who are stuggling with these illnesses to realize how important the research is.

My husband is a big brother with BBBS and he is really making headway in building his relationship with his little, Brandon. Brandon doesn't know his dad and lives with his mom and sisters. He is desperate for a male in his life and I am so excited that Kevin is there, taking him to baseball games and stuff. Last weekend they went to this BBBS event where Brandon got to build a robot from a Lego kit. From what Kevin said, it really built up his confidence and spraked his interest. It might sound small, but it's incredible what something as simple as developing a hobby or passion can do to a kid.

I still have a long way to go, but I have raised 16 thousand dollars for my summer program so far. 15 of that is from a grant proposal I wrote but the other thousand is from a small, personal fundraising campaign I initiated. And the checks are still coming! Special thanks to Shannon Kerr's generous parents! This money is going to go primarily toward the cost of transportation for field trips. (We get the admission tickets from this incredible foundation called Tickets For Kids but we have to pay for the transportation.) I firmly believe that if you can get kids who grow up in poor, urban environments out into the world to see what else is out there, the possibilities and choices that they realize they have multiply. The realization of options begets interest and increases curiosity. And from there, we can help them develop goals and strategies for how to achieve them. That excites me.

Obama. Wow. I saw the democratic debate last night. It was confusing because at first i thought it was on tv but it was actually on msnbc.com I atually got it to work no problem and without so much as a call to the husband. This is exciting in and of itself. The debate was interesting. I realized several things. One is that there are a couple of candidates i would be ok with supporting a couple of them if Obama doesn't make it. John Edwards is a nice man. he is smart and cares about things I care about. i wish he hadn't voted for the Iraq war because that was a bad decision but also because it's going to be an issue for him now...and then there is that 400 dollar haircut that he used campaign funds for...and the hair looks the same! Hilary. Hmmm. I wish she could work with an image coach or spend some time talking in front of the mirror or something. She just speaks in this harsh tone and comes off as a little bit bitchy and rough. Maybe she does it on purpose because she's a woman, which i can understand - she maybe needs to convince some people that she's tough enough. But I like that gentle, personal way that Edwards and Obama come off. Mike Gravel is pure comedy. He reminds me of George Bush Sr. on crack. i actually like how cut and dry he is. I guess it's because he knows he isn't going to get elected and doesn't have to worry so much about being moderate. But I kind of like how he is kind of crazy and overly opinionated. I wouldn't vote for him but I'd enjoy his company in a weird way. That guy from new Mexico is boring and uncharismatic. Joe Bidwel has a sense of humor which is nice. Christopher Dodd is ok - seems reliable and experienced. Good VP, maybe? Dennis Kucinich is crazy but he is right about a lot of things.

Currently my order for my top three is Obama, Edwards, Hilary. Which is not surprising...I like all of them for different things. And I would be ok with any of them, I think. Obama is so sincere and candid, while being diplomatic, polite, appropriate and logical. I love how he never flinches when he is asked about awkward things. He always seems grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight or explain himself or give his take on something. I love that.

So...given that stuff, I am excited about America this week.

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