I never thought of myself as a political blogger, but have been thinking lately about all the family and friends I have that have served this country faithfully, both here and overseas - and I don't want to let their sacrifices to have been in vain. I've been a little haphazard in my voting over the last few years, but my hopes for this planet have to start with change in myself - which includes putting my money where my mouth is by voting and standing up for what I believe.

The debate tonight was certainly different. I found it interesting that on the final question, nothing bad was said about Edwards. The questions were at the very least, interesting, and in some cases, very pointed. I firmly believe in supporting our troops, but desperately want to see them come home. I wish this planet could pull together and work on the issues that truly affect us long term:

1. Caring for the environment and finding alternative sources of energy
2. Reform the educational system (and give our hard-working teachers the support they need and the parents the time and support they need to take part in their childrens' education)
3. Implementing universal coverage for health care - including some program that would encourage both the medical community and the patients to put preventative self-care first.
And
4. Funding research on curing diseases and issues like cancer, hunger, Alzheimers', and Parkinsons.

Who would I vote for right now? I'm not sure. I'm going to watch the rerun at 11 and maybe I'll have a better idea. I certainly need to put in more research.

RIP, Beverly Sills

She was my favorite soprano, and one of my favorite personalities - extraordinary singer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Check out some of her performances on YouTube:



Obit from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11618782