Obama

"And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit — that American promise — that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours — a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that 45 years ago today brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead — people of every creed and color, from every walk of life — is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise — that American promise — and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess."

Changing

Well, I may feel a little guilty right now, but I'm changing things up a bit. It's hard to keep a very type-specific blog going when there isn't enough information immediately available to make it interesting or worthwhile. We shall see how things go in the future, but for now...

Project Runway!

Last night's episode had the designers working with materials from Saturn cars (Saturn happens to be a big sponsor of PR, go figure...that little in-between commercials of past runway contestants designing outfits inspired by various Saturn cars? Lame. Sorry, Bravo.)

So Leanne won (black dress to the right):

I love this black dress, especially the top. She has those weird stand-out wing things on the hips, which usually the judges hate, but it worked with the proportion on the rest of the dress (sort of. If I was actually going to buy this dress, I'd want those things to be smushed down, myself.)



Keith got voted off, finally. (Dress below)


Guess what Keith. Your dress was boring, your other ones have been mostly ugly, and you annoy me. So I'm not that sorry to see you go. That may be uncharitable, so here's a compliment--you don't annoy me as much as Season 3 Laura, who was a guest judge fill-in last night. Why are the producers of this show trying to bug me? Laura is like the wicked witch of the west if she had red hair, wore a lot of dresses, and lived in NYC.

Other observations from this week: I still don't like Kenley, I want Heidi's hair, and to be honest, I was only half paying attention, because it was kind of boring this week. Doesn't ANYONE on this show ever hook up? I wonder what the show will be like on lifetime. Will they encourage crying and emotional breakdowns? Will there be interventions headed by Sally Field? Will a pick-up truck be involved somewhere?