no title needed. . .

. . . the pumpkin is being carved, the seeds are baking in some olive oil, salt and creole seasoning. No idea how many trick-or-treaters we will have here - hopefully just enough to drain the candy bowl. No need for leftovers.

I've done the early voting thing - and can't tell you how incredibly wonderful and liberating it was to cast that vote for Obama. I had to tell myself not to grin while voting. That may have seemed suspicious. I'm ready to be done with McCain and his ideas, and Bush and his actions. Time for something new!

And next week is UNCW's Writers' Week - a chance to play catch-up on grading, read, and of course, go to readings and events! And, let's be honest, a chance to sleep in all week. Now that is heavenly.

dirty, dirty words. . .

. . . and finally, someone says something about it! Campbell Brown (besides having a delicious name) of CNN actually posted an opinion piece on the whole calling Barack an Arab thing. And yes, while it is super nice of McCain to set that ignorant-in-desperate-need-of-more-than-just-a-hairdo woman at his rally, the whole point of the matter was missed. Being an Arab isn't a bad thing. Talk about this double standard - McCain won't touch the Wright controversy because that would be to bring up race (the black one), but he's quick to offer up the Ayers controversy because that brings up the other race (terrorist, which leads in this country to all things Arab).

People are just going to have to come to grips with their inner prejudices. All those out there who are terrified because Obama is black are going to have to take a deep breath and realize that he's a person, just like they are, only he isn't going to discriminate against them the way they are against him. Same thing with all the Republicans. Democrats aren't that bad. Without them, there would never have been legalized voting for women, blacks, and you can kiss public education good-bye. So relax. The Democrats managed to live through eight years of Republican policy and so far, no one has died. (Well, that's kinda a big lie. There is the war, the Recession, the complete chaos we are currently experiencing, in which case, why would anyone want to put a Republican leader back in control? It's okay to switch it up every now and then.)

We need more than two parties. Which is why I am neither. Because there really has got to be a third or fourth option. Someday we may get there. But first we have to get past the idea that calling someone an Arab is a dirty word, or the opposite of calling someone an American. Until our political leaders can see that difference (talking to you here, John!), we'll not progress into a more politically balanced country.