i'm making a change

The Ohio Democratic primary is just days away. And after reading a letter that Barack Obama wrote yesterday I think that I may have changed my mind on who I'm going to support. Have I caught Obama fever, or is it the head cold I had earlier in the week? Here's his letter:

I’m running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It’s wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans.

Equality is a moral imperative. That’s why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

We also need a president who’s willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached.

Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike.

Barack Obama

master bedroom project - some photos

master bedroom project - day 2

We found some drapes that we both liked. Greg, the new designer, suggested a chocolate brown color. I hesitated, but he was absolutely right. We found a set of chocolate brown silk panels and they look wonderful. We have a few more items to shop for and then the room will be complete. I had a really great night's sleep on the new bed and mattress set last night. The Martha Stewart linens from Macy's were very cozy. Greg mentioned that I should have takes a "before" shot of the room. He's right. It has made such a transformation from a mis-matched bedroom to a serene master bedroom retreat. Above is a preview picture. More photos once the room is complete. Also, thank for the all the affirmation that a ceiling fan is the right way to go.

master bedroom project - the shopping

This morning before painting I decided to do a little shopping. I'm still looking for just the right window treatments. Didn't find them, but did find a great deal on a few accesories for the bedroom. Three items for a total cost of $32. The combined regular price for all three was over $120. For the $32 I got a large basket that we'll use as a clothes hamper, a rug and a cool large candle that has a design that mimicks the new quilt I bought for the foot of the bed. Who knew that bargain shopping could be so much fun. I'm used to being "full price" Mike. Greg will be proud. So we're also thinking of putting a ceiling fan in the bedroom. But on all those design shows they always take them out. Anybody have thoughts on this?

master bedroom project - near end of day 1

All but the wall with the closets are painted and I really like the color. The green was getting tired. There's nothing like a fresh new room. The old mattress and box spring are leaned up against the closet wall. When Greg gets home tonight we may move them downstairs for the delivery fellas to cart off. If we do that tonight, I may get a chance to paint that last wall. If not, it will be painted tomorrow.

master bedroom project - day 1

I'm taking a break. I have to run to the store. The painter's tape that I was using fell out of my hand, bounced off the floor and into a bucket of soapy water. It was the only roll I have. The room is pretty well emptied and half taped. The green paint will soon be covered by a color called Woven Flax. That crazy Martha....it's khaki. I'd like to get it all painted today, the new furntiure arrives tomorrow morning between 8:15 and 11:30 am. No sleeping in tomorrow. More updates as the progress continues.

cool tunes - the bird and the bee

I downloaded a Christmas song from them last December. I didn't, however, dig deeper into their musical archive until last night. There I found a wealth of great songs. It is quite likely that they will become the background music of choice for many dinner parties in the future. Here's a list of some of the highlights of their music.

Birthday
Again & Again
La la La
Come As You Were
How Deep Is You Love (yes a BeeGees cover)

my happy day off

Have today off. I spent my morning at Target where I found the coffee cake at the Starbucks in the store smiling at me. I guess it was glad to see me? Well the barista knocked over some pamphlets off her counter. I picked them up for her and she gave me my drink for free. What a most excellent way to start the day.

valentine's day

Here is the special gift that I got yesterday. I photographed the different stages with my iPhone. Thank you for the beautiful tulips sweetie.

so funny

this post scares me...a lot

I am: 39% Republican.

"You're probably one of those chicken-littles who thinks maybe we should worry a little bit, occasionally, about the fate of the planet that our lives all depend on."

Are You A Republican?

bloggety blog blog blog

I haven’t written much in the last week. Not sure why. I guess maybe because I’m more tired this week. I’ve been working a 7 am – 3 pm shift as opposed to my more regular 8 am – 4 pm. Who knew an hour could make so much of a difference. I still wake up around the same time. I just don’t have as much “morning lounging time.” In fact, a couple of weeks ago I worked a couple of 9 am – 5 pm shifts. I really like that start time. I had a more relaxed start to my day. I didn’t sleep in any later. I even had time to go to Target and grab a Starbucks before getting to work. It was delightful. But here’s the thing. I enjoy getting off work at 4 o’clock as opposed to 5. So what’s a guy to do?

Any who…in the absence of posts from the last week, here’s a quick recap of what I have been up to:

Last Saturday Greg and I went up to Cleveland for the Home & Garden Show with Tom and Brett. We met their friends Vick and Jamie there. We had a fun time looking at the Italian gardens, floating (yes I said floating) houses, and miles and miles of exhibits. I had a Betsy Kling sighting. I even spoke to her. She’s my favorite area television weather personality. After the show we headed to a local Mexican restaurant. I don’t remember the name, but it was quite tasty. I had quesadillas.

Sunday’s agenda consisted of a tag team approach to our laundry piles. We got it all done, folded and most importantly, put away. We had lunch a Chili’s. They have new burgers with thick cut bacon on them. How could two large guys pass them by? After lunch we started our latest project…finding a new master bedroom set. The bed we have is over 10 years old and is a queen size. After repeated trips to Chili’s, we require a more luxuriously king-sized bed. We visited Levin Furniture (found a couple sets we liked there) and Arhaus. While Arhaus is probably out of our price range this time, I like how the sales associates make me feel special there when I point out that we have purchased several pieces of furniture from them in the past. I’m pretty sure I was a member of royalty in a past life. Just kidding. I just like to be ooooed and awed over. Who doesn’t? After our furniture looking it was back to home base to watch a dvd of something, I can’t remember what we watched. Then it was Super Bowl time. Bored with the game and commercials, I quickly fell asleep around 8:30.

Monday – early work starting time of 7 am. Followed by a trip to Sears Automotive to get four new tires. I really don’t understand why tires don’t last longer. I heard a rumor that they could make a tire that would last a lifetime, but the tire makers don’t want to. Stupid jerks. Anyways, as I was by myself, I had to hang out at Chapel Hill Mall for an hour and half while they worked on my car. As I mentioned earlier in the week on Twitter, this mall is so disgusting, It just seems dirty. I stopped at a Border’s Express to pick up a magazine to read and I swear the guy in front of me in line had dropped a present in his pants. It was quite stinky. As I was killing time, I did find a nice bedroom set at, of all stores, JCPenney. It is on sale through Saturday, So Greg and I need to find some time this weekend to look at it again an spend our income tax refunds. Coincidentally, Martha Stewart bed linens are also on sale at Macy’s. I have visions of a pretty bedroom in my head. Unfortunately, that vision also includes newly painted walls in a different color and lots of nice accents pieces and wall hangings.

I was off work Tuesday, since I have to work all this weekend. Tucker had a 9:20 vet appointment to follow up on his ear issues and get some shots. I had a quiet breakfast for one with my newspaper at Flury's Cafe. It was tasty, but I now realize that I prefer to share those moments with Greg. Swung by Target and chatted with sister for awhile. I enjoy our conversations, we need to have more them more often. Our friend Nick came over and we watched the Jodie Foster flick The Brave One. I didn’t care for it. It was slow moving and I just didn’t believe that someone would do the things that Jodie Foster’s character did. Oh well. I also made chili for dinner for Greg and a special treat of heart-shaped brownies for dessert.

Wednesday – early work starting time of 7 am. Followed by a cooking school class at the Ellet Branch Library. It was a lot of fun. My friends Tom, Robyn and Bernadette went too. It’s a regular series, twice a month. It’s basically a demonstration by Chef Sarah followed by a big plate of samples. She made Cheddar Meatloaf Patties, Asian Noodles with Pork, a chicken dish and really tasty blueberry muffins. I’m looking forward to the next class in a couple of weeks…Quick Pastas and Homemade Sauces.

Thursday - early work starting time of 7 am. Had a very nice lunch with Megan. We work so near each other, it's a shame we don't meet for lunch more often. We've decided that we're going to work on that. The evening consisted of a lot of television viewing. Lost, Survivor and I’m ashamed to admit…Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet III. Yeah, I'm in my mid thirties, and I still watch this stuff.

So now you’re up-to-date. Sorry for the long post. I’ll try to get back to more regular posts. Also, the new web site is coming along nicely. I’m still working towards an early March debut.

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