Today is election day.

While I'm excited for Obama to win, and wishing that I was old enough to vote, I can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment over this election season. This is really the first election I've followed so closely, and it seemed almost disgusting how much the media put their political bias into everything about the candidates. Like they already chose their candidate at the beginning of the Race for the White House, and suddenly that person would definitely be the one that would win.

It's unfair. This whole election was focused on foreign affairs, energy, and our failing economy. I heard almost nothing of any other issues, or the candidates' positions on them.
What about the African genocide? Starvation in third world countries? The astronomical amount of debt that certain countries in South America owe to us, the rising crime rates throughout America and the rest of the world, funding technologies that would lead to new developments in the medical field, illegal immigration (go fairtax! :D ), racial/age/gender discrimination, education plans, preservation of our green space......?

Most of those things I had not heard an ounce of from the news. Or the online articles. Or the newspaper. I found a couple of lame posters at school that die-hard Obama or McCain fans and American Government students put up, showing their positions on just about everything in tacky red and blue sharpie with a little picture or flag taped on to it. Some I had to go research.. the point is, I expected the media to focus on more issues than they did. America is a powerful country in the world. Once we fix ourselves (whenever that may be), it is only right that we help to fix other countries that can't do it themselves.

Another thing that bothered me: I want to be able to listen to random interviews from ALL of the candidates. No flashcards or rehearsed answers, no going against everything you've said before, no trying to say things to make other people look good. I thought Sarah Palin had intriguing ideas, some of which I might have actually seen potential in, but her opinion didn't seem to matter about three days in to her campaigning for McCain. She just said what they told her to. Same with Biden, I don't feel like I really know a lot about him. I think the VP's in this election are kind of under-rated... if the president dies, they lead the country. And, honestly speaking (it's okay if I say this because I'm not anyone in power or of high importance in society), Obama has a high chance of being assassinated and McCain has a high chance of dying about two hours into his presidency. So... you get my drift. Vice prez = muy importante.

Finally, I have a problem with (this is on a state level and the national level..) all the dirty politics. I live in Georgia... all I see are commercials about what a loser Jim Martin is or how bad Saxby Chambliss (I'm probably spelling his name completely wrong..) is. It's to be expected, to some degree, for state senate races... but not for an illustrious presidential campaign. I found both candidates to be quite out of line when they went on with commercials about how bad the other one is. I want commercials that tell me about how good Barack Obama or John McCain are. Why I'm voting for THAT person.. not reasons why I shouldn't vote for the other candidate. I think this is the sole cause for all the bashing on the supporters' part. There was a 9-year old boy who got shocked when trying to take a McCain '08 sign out of someone's yard. One neighborhood in my area had all of the Obama yard signs stolen, and the bumper stickers peeled off the cars. Even on the news, at the McCain rallies (before he got them all calmed down again), they were shouting about how Obama is a terrorist.. one person even said "Kill him!" and everyone else started cheering a lot louder... that's unacceptable. Or how that one rapper said a bunch of awful, vile things and then at the end shouted "Obama '08!!" as if that makes it O.K. It's disgusting that people want to do bad things in the name of the people they support. It makes the candidates, and said supporters, look bad.

Anyway. This is a historical election. Even though I can't vote in it, I'm so happy I was old enough to be aware of everything that happened. If McCain wins, I'm still going to wear all black tomorrow. Either way, whoever wins, there is still the reassurance of one thing: At least it's not as bad as Bush. :) I hope you're enjoying your day off as much as I am. Don't forget to vote.

So, John McCain's acceptance speech for the Republican nomination was yesterday. John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, are both all over the news. First, I just want to say that she was a strategic pick as far as getting all those Clinton supporters that are just too stubborn to vote for a black man; however, she has little experience...and, let's face it, John McCain is ancient. When he dies (which he so will if he's elected), I'm not sure an Alaskan soccer mom with one knocked up kid, some in the army, and the rest running around the White House, can be the first woman president of the United States of America. She seems great. She really does. But not for a potential president of the United States, should John McCain wheeze his old self to death.

Anyway. That's not why I'm writing this blog. I'm writing it to talk about the little part of John McCain's speech that talked about energy independence in America. Mr. ILoveDestroyingNature, as most of you probably know, wants to drill in Alaska. You can read the specific excerpt (and an awesome article from an awesome website) here: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/mccain-global-warming-47090502?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

Well that's a nice idea, old man. Except it's about more than energy independence. Drilling oil in Alaska is no different than getting oil from "countries that don't like us very much." Yeah, I wouldn't like a whole lot, either. And as I've already ranted about before, the effects that Americans are looking for are not going to be felt (if they're felt at all) for several years. There is no short, easy solution to the pile of shit we've got ourselves in this time. If we drill in Alaska, all we're doing is (after years of planning, buying, wasting money..) ruining that poor state in order to find some more of the stuff that's destroying our planet. It's like those T. Boone Pickens commercials for natural gas use....well gee, that's a lovely thought-- too bad natural gas really isn't any better for the environment than oil.

Just look at him. Does he look like he knows what he's talking about?

You know what my favorite part about John McCain is? The fact that he chose a totally hot VP. I don't care if that's awkward; Sarah Palin is really beautiful. And except for her lack of experience, the McCain campaign's quick choice to pick her, the investigation she's under right now, and the fact that her conservative values didn't sink into her own daughter who is now pregnant, she seems really nice. Army mom, right? That's pretty cool. My sisters are in the army. I felt like I could relate to her. But then I remembered that I am an incompetent loser. So maybe that's not exactly a good thing. Even though all her flaws make her seem very down to earth and human as opposed to Barack Obama who sometimes (inadvertently) makes you feel inadequate because of his wicked intelligence and flawless health, I still don't know if it's a good thing to relate to them THAT much. I mean, I personally think about half of this country is full of dumb losers. I don't want that half to relate to my potential Vice President. I want to see a better person in a politician than what I see in myself, you know?

Ahh! I'm changing topics. I should go back and edit this, but I don't feel like it.

Now, Barack Obama is awesome. But he's not exactly as up to par as I want him to be either in this area. I know that the environment is not everyone's number one priority (even though it needs to be), and he would much rather elaborate on the economy. And Iraq.
He has done things in the past to help the environment, voted in ways that were generally for the better health of the environment, so on. I know he never voted against giving tax credits to wind power and other alternative energy sources like John McCain, but Obama hasn't exactly come up with an impressive plan as to what he's going to do in office. I mean, I guess it's a pretty easy issue since Bush has done next to nothing for our Earth except take up space in it...so the plans won't have to be so grandiose for people to say "That's a good idea!". But it's so important for people to realize that there's a restriction on offshore drilling for a reason\. That there are alternative energy sources out there, and if we funded the research properly, we wouldn't just be energy independent, but oil independent as well. The sun alone gives the earth enough energy to support 5.9 billion people for 27 years, and that's just in the small time span of 24 hours. Maybe if we learned how to harness that instead of worrying about digging into our natural gas supply as well as our dying oil supply, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. That's what I want Obama to elaborate on, so that we can all get a better understanding of where he's coming from on the environment.

But John McCain, seriously, you've said enough.

No icons today;; get over it. :(

So yesterday I had a conversation with my sister. I went like this.
Valerie: You look retarded when you stand up.
Me: I can't help it; I get all dizzy and I can't see.
Valerie: That's weird.
Me: I know. Lately it's been getting worse, and I would get up and walk into another room and not be able to tell if the light is off or if I just can't see.
Valerie: That is not normal. Mom, something's wrong with Melody.
Me: It's a common medical condition, Valerie.
Valerie: Seeing black is not normal. You're a freak.
Me: This is true. But-
Mom: What's wrong?
Me: Nothing, I just-
Valerie: *explains*
Dad: Maybe it's just because you're growing.
Me: I've barely grown an inch since last year...
Mom: I'm taking you to the doctor.
Me: *evil glare at Valerie* Fine.

    So after this, I went on WebMD or whatever it's called and put in my symptoms. But they didn't have one for temporary vision loss/seeing black. And that was kind of the main thing..so that didn't work out well. Anyway, I'm going to the doctor on Thursday. I doubt they're going to be able to do anything about it though. Hm.

    Today we went to the ashram. It was weird, because it was just me and them. I was in the middle of reading my Stephen King novel (actually it's a collection of short stories), and then a bunch of people came and we did origami and it was fun. On the way back (it's like an hour and a half trip), we stopped at Dairy Queen and got some shakes in the drive thru. This was only interesting because the guy was from India and he and my dad started conversing in Urdu. I need to learn Urdu; I'm so tired of being completely in the dark when they're having conversations and laughing and whatnot. Anyway, I know we only went to make me feel better, because this is the first time ever that I've gone to the ashram without Serena, and now she's not here. I appreciated it.
    Now that I'm home I need to try and see if Esther recorded the thing I was supposed to watch on History Channel yesterday. If not I'm screwed. Well. I have an excuse, but I really wanted to watch it!
I guess that's it. a;sdlkfj