Kucinich for President 2008

I got some good news when I arrived home tonight. My favorite candidate from 2004 is running in 2008. Now, if only Edwards would become his running mate! That'd be the perfect ticket. Integrity, passion, ideas (not just generalities) & a RESPECT our Constitution.

GOOOOOO KUCINICH!

Here's the article from the Associated Press:
Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich plans Tuesday to launch another presidential bid
Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - Updated: 09:12 AM EST

CLEVELAND - Fed up with what he says is his party’s failure to end the war in Iraq, Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is entering the race for president - again.
It’s the second bid for the nation’s top office for Kucinich, a six-term, liberal congressman from Cleveland whose long-shot presidential candidacy in 2004 made headlines more for Kucinich’s bachelorhood than his policies. This time around Kucinich has a wife.
Kucinich, 60, scheduled a press conference Tuesday at City Hall to formally announce his 2008 campaign.


He said he was inspired to run because he disagrees with the way some of his fellow Democrats are handling the war, including approval of a proposal to spend $160 billion more on the conflict.
"Democrats were swept into power on Nov. 7 because of widespread voter discontent with the war in Iraq," Kucinich said Monday. "Instead of heeding those concerns and responding with a strong and immediate change in policies and direction, the Democratic congressional leadership seems inclined to continue funding the perpetuation of the war."
His previous presidential proposals have included a national peace department, canceling free trade policies he says hurt American jobs and a single-payer, universal health care system.
Kucinich joins Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a fellow Democrat, in declaring his candidacy for the presidential nomination.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is considered the party’s front-runner, closely followed by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Neither has announced runs.
In 2004, Kucinich posted single digits in most primary elections, including his home state, yet stayed in the race.
He celebrated his bachelorhood on the campaign trail, telling New Hampshire audiences that he was seeking a mate. Women vied for a date with him during an online contest, but nothing romantic evolved from Kucinich’s breakfast date with the winner. It did earn him appearances on late-night comedy talk shows.
Last year he married Elizabeth Harper. He won re-election to his House seat in 2006 with 66 percent of the vote, basing his campaign on job creation and criticizing rising gas prices. He also was an outspoken critic of his own party, saying Democrats have lost their soul by moving away from liberal ideals.
Kucinich was elected mayor of Cleveland at age 31, the youngest leader of a major American city. He also became the mayor of the first city since the Great Depression to go into default.

For more information on Kucinich see: kucinich.us

Learning to live with less

I’ve been attempting to declutter & organize my house for years. I do a bit (this year I had 2 yard sales this year & quit selling Avon) but it’s never quite finished. I can never relax or move onto the next project. This constant state of disorganization reverberates in my life. I can’t enjoy my friends. I can’t sit & just read or listen to music or knit. I can’t take the time to do crafts that I’d like to do. I don’t take time to write down the stories I’ve had floating in my head for years.

According to Feng Shui, a cluttered home, particularly the basement or attic, is representative of the past cluttering your life. WOWZA! I must have 30 years of baggage to unpack. : >

This winter it’s time for spiritual & physical house cleaning. I do not want to become a bitter, neurotic, self-centered, energy vampire with no friends. Things have not made me happy; they have not solved my problems. I do not want to be surrounded by THINGS. I want to reconnect with God, Nature & my friends. I’m inspired to step off this merry-go-round of ego-centrism, entertainment & consumption. I want to laugh with my friends, feel the sunshine or rain on my shoulders, cook dinner with Ben & live. I want to be present in my life. I want peace.

Back in October I read “Give it Up: My year of Learning to live better with less” by Mary Carlomagno. In this book the author gave up a different habit every month for a year & this book is an amusing account of her travails. Each month she gave up one habit: drinking, shopping, coffee, cell phones, Television, chocolate, newspapers, etc.

Here’s my list of what I want to give up to live better with less: Television, Cursing, Sugar, newspapers (in my case print media), multi-tasking, computer, clutter, busyness.

TELEVISION: I am a TV baby! There is so much good stuff on TV that I could spend my life parked in front of the screen. Not to mention all my old-favorites that they are putting on to DVD. But I refuse to spend my life watching other people live or pretend to live. There’s lots out there to do: travel, play croquet, play games, learning to clog & ballroom dance, looking at art, creating art, laughing & loving. So I’m trying to cut down on television. Thank GOD, I don’t have cable. Besides, TV (& computer) makes it harder to sleep at night. It can keep your mind of important issues so that they stay unresolved. I know that’s what I use TV for much of the time. And don’t even get me started on how we are kept apathetic by entertainment. I want to try to take walks at night with Ben & then read in bed until my eyes are heavy. Maybe then I could be in bed by 10-11. It’s hard when you work until 815 & don’t get home until 9 p.m., especially when you have the high-energy levels of a Heather!

CURSING: It started with the 2000 Election. It’s gotten bad when, without thinking, you say the “F” word in front of your father! I think it’s going to be hard to stop between the slow decline of our civilization & bad drivers. I could carry a thesaurus to find more descriptive words to use though. : >

SUGAR: Call me Augustus Gloop. I love sweets! I can eat a whole package of cookies within 2-3 days. And there’s a constant stream of sugar at work. I know I use it to get my endorphins humming happily. Thankfully I’ve developed an addiction to dark chocolate. I also read somewhere to eat sweet substitutes, like Jell-O or fruits to curb those craving. I think I’ll try to bring snacks like that for work so I won’t be tempted by the chocolate.

PRINT MEDIA: I have at least 2 years of magazines that I have never read. I can’t throw them away & I have this compulsion to read them from cover to cover. For the last 2 weeks, I’ve taken one a day to read on my breaks at work. This week I’ve progressed to looking at the index & {gasp} reading ONLY the articles that interest me. The basket that I keep them in is now 1/3 empty!!!! I’ve also cancelled one magazine & I’m not renewing Real Simple when the subscription is up next year. When I want to read it, I’ll just get it from the library.

COMPUTER: I can get on my computer & suddenly hours go bye-bye. So the last few months, my goal has been to only check my email twice a day: once in the morning & once at night. This is made easier by the fact that I work full-time now. Although a couple of times this week I’ve checked my email more than twice.

CLUTTER: I’ve clearly never learned to not sweat the small stuff. I’m drowning in small stuff.

I’m finally ready to put down the clutter & organizing books & to let go of some items that are just collecting dust. I’ve amassed yet another pile of yard sale stuff in the basement. There’s still more that I want to go through. I look forward to spring, when I should can have a really good Spring Cleaning sale. My goal is to have one sale & then donate the rest & be done with yard sales for a while. Also in the spring I want to build a shed for the yard stuff that is stored downstairs. That will allow us to make the basement into a functional room & not just storage. We also have plans to add shelves to the built-in that is in our hallway. That will allow us to get the books of the living room floor.

BUSYNESS: I really need to give myself a few minutes on a daily basis to sit & read the Bible/books on spirituality/poetry/other inspirational/books & to meditate. I’d be less frazzled if I did this regularly. This will make me less manic & help me connect with God. Since last week I’ve been fairly persistent at giving myself 5-10 minutes of quiet time on most days. I will keep expanding that to longer. Baby-steps! Do one foot forward, so it doesn't get too overwhelming. : > Oh & I want to add yoga too.