I find that Friday is one of the slowest days on the internet (second only to Saturday because hopefully people are enjoying some fresh air – you know, OUTSIDE). My email slows down. My Twitter stream slows down. Most people are done writing and promoting for the week and gearing up for the weekend.

I thought it would be a perfect time to show a gratuitous talking cat video.

I’ve told you about my fat cat Josie before. But I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned that she’s a talking cat. I guess it’s not so much that she talks. She announces.

She jumps up on the bed with a meow for no reason other than to let me know she’s jumped up on the bed.

She circles my feet meowing like an insane cat when clearly I have the cat food in my hand and I am about to place it in her bowl.

She gives the tiniest meows on her way down the stairs. Usually about one meow per stair.

And once she’s announced herself and she’s done with us, she’s gone in a flash. It’s amazing how fast her fat furry butt can move.

So today, I’m giving you a break from politics and football and whatever else is circling the internet and presenting to you:

Josie the Talking Cat

Please to enjoy and share. She’s no Maru but she’s my little internet sensation.

My husband (shaking head). Have you met him? If so, you can skip ahead. If not, here are a few things you need to know.

My husband is awesome. He is a handyman plus. He can literally do anything: welding, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, carpentry, IT, cooking, laundry, and even sewing. I’m convinced they based the TV series MacGyver on him.

He can be the most easygoing guy in the world. If I want us to go on a vacation, I pretty much plan it and then tell him about it. If I want to order takeout, he says “Surprise me.” But he can also be one of the most difficult too.

He’s the only person I know that can stop by the hardware store for a single nail and agonize over the decision.

3/8? 1/4? Galvanized? Corrugated? Spiral? Pneumatic?

When it comes to guy stuff, he is extremely picky. Now I want you to imagine him picking up a rental car.

First of all, he likes cars. A lot. We subscribe to several car magazines and we always attend the car show together. He knows more about cars than I ever care to. And when I need help falling asleep, he talks to me about the viscosity of motor oil.

So when he gets to drive a rental car, he’s like a kid in the candy store. He prefers to go to the companies where he has some sort of premium service: gold, emerald, or whatever it’s being called these days. Then, he gets his pick of the litter. He usually picks his car based on one he’s been wanting to “try out.”

When he’s forced to go with some other car company that assigns him a car, he’s been known to go back to the counter to see if they might have something else. Like that shiny red one over there.

He usually gets it. He’s learned to attract more flies with honey than vinegar.

He rents these cars locally because he’s on the road most of the week. He drops his car at our local airport, picks up a rental car there, and heads home to pack up for the journey out the next morning. And every time he comes home, it’s the same thing, “Honey, wait til you see what I got this week.”

He’s driven a Volvo, Nissan, Chevy, Ford, and probably others he’s never even told me about. But this week, he was especially excited to show me his car.

He came in and said, “I have something for you to write about!” He was referring to my involvement with TWIN (Toyota Women’s Influencer Network). He was proud to show me his brand new Toyota Camry. As per usual, my son and I went out to the driveway and climb in and test all the buttons and switches.

I gave him my initial assessment. The outside was very blah. Nothing special about the design. But the interior was especially comfortable and roomy with a nicely positioned dashboard and center console. I told him I thought it would be a good car for a long drive. He said he would let me know. And I knew he would.

Over 300 miles later, he’s happy to report a few key things he discovered when driving the Toyota Camry:

• It is actually a very comfortable car for long distance driving.
• It has a very nicely integrated iPod system. He says the interface on the dash operates exactly like the iPod menu does. My car also has iPod integration and I’m less than thrilled. I think Toyota probably made a wise choice by not trying to re-engineer something that is already so wildly popular.
• It has a very good braking system. I didn’t ask him exactly how he knew this. I really didn’t want to know. Sometimes, grown men and rental cars are a dangerous combination. I should tell you about my honeymoon sometime.
• It has a ridiculous gauge. According to him. It’s the average MPG, which in and of itself is a useful measurement. I guess his issue was with the non-digital gauge that you would never really see moving. I kind of understood his point. Kind of.

While the weekly travel is getting old for all of us, we do get a little excited to see new cars every week, even if it only means a quick glimpse a night and a joyride around the block.

By the way, if you are a Toyota Camry owner or have a story about one, you should check out The Camry Effect where you can share your experiences or just read about them (the oldest story I’ve seen so far involves a 1983 Camry!)

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.

You know what I think about a lot? Changing the world. You know what I don’t do a lot of? Changing the world.

I struggle with changing the world versus changing my world. How important is one over another?

I know what I can control. I know the little differences I can make. I know how it adds up and influences others. Ultimately, that’s how every movement starts. With one or two people and a few ideas. Sometimes those ideas are radical but in order for the movement to take shape, those ideas have to go mainstream.

I was talking to one of my friends about all of this. I’m a Gen X-er. She’s from Gen Y, or what some people call a millenial. Her feeling is that so much is wrong with the world and so much still needs to be change. I couldn’t help but disagree.

I was born in the 1970s. I’m into my 5th decade on Earth (wow, that makes me sound really old). And I recounted so many of the changes I’ve seen in my lifetime…

• We went from glass containers to plastic containers and now some are back to glass. But they’re all recyclable.
• Recycling is the law in many states (including mine).
• Smoking is banned in many public establishments (my first year of high school still included a designated smoking section for students).
• Homosexuality is more mainstream than ever with major gay characters in both TV and movies
• Many animal shelters, included county-owned and operated facilities, have adopted no-kill policies

Now, I’m sure for every step forward in one area, we’ve taken a step back in another. However, I feel encouraged when I see change. It might takes decades for the change to be enacted but to think of my life growing up in the 70s compared to our lives today, I’m much happier with the world we have.

The work is never done though. There is more education to be had. There is always more change to be had. The difference that I see is that more people want it and more people care about it and more people are willing to do something about it.

But what can you do? How does one person make a difference?

Through your writing, your voice, your actions, your message.

There are a few things I believe in strongly and I hope some of those things have been reflected here on this blog.

I have a passion for the environment. As a former biologist, my favorite subject was tree ecology. Every Earth Day, you’ll find me participating in local events and last year, I got my son involved in a trash pick-up.

I want to end hunger. Whether it’s world hunger or hunger in your very own city, there’s no reason for any person to go hungry ever. It’s why I starting working as a Social Media Ambassador for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

I want every child to feel safe and protected. When crimes are committed against children, my blood boils in a rage. I’ve written about it simply to get it out but we need change in the laws to better protect our children and severely punish the offenders.

I want animals (wild and domesticated) to have rights. I have no tolerance for cruelty to animals. In most cases, I feel that these crimes should be treated as felonies. I also believe that animal owners need to be held accountable and responsible for the care they give their animals.

These are by no means all of the causes that live in my heart. But these are the causes you don’t have to go very deep to find. I’m going to be spending more time this year figuring out how to use my voice to make a difference. And I want to help you do the same.

I’m working on a project (shhhh – I can’t tell you about it yet but I promise I will shout it from the rooftops when I can) and I want you to be a part of it. There’s nothing for you to do now except stay tuned and hopefully tell me how excited you are too.

And, more importantly, I’d love for you to tell me what you feel passionate about and if/how you’ve used your online voice to make a difference.

Photo credit: nellart

I had a birthday party today. Well, I didn’t have a birthday party. My 5 year old little boy had a birthday party and I played hostess. I thought to myself, no problem. He wanted a bowling party and I was more than happy to oblige. A little bit of cash would save me a lot of headache. I didn’t have to clean the house, prepare the food, host the games, buy the goody bags, make the cake. Nope. I paid one price so I could show up and have an instant party.

Not sure what I was thinking because no matter how much you pay, having 14 kids at your party will stress you out (especially when you’re battling another seasonal ailment like me). So I got to thinking about how I like to unwind and what I need to relax. Maybe you’ll do the same.

Today’s (Optional) Writing Prompt: Describe, in detail, the way you like to relax.

Here we go…

—

My favorite kind of relax is the kind I feel like I deserve. When I’ve had a day that’s either mentally stressful or physically stressful or even both, I’m ready to settle down at home and totally chill. I’d like to say it’s after the kids are in bed but to be honest, I’m lucky if I can get Evan to bed much before me.

Let’s take today for example. Busy day, birthday party, 5 year old on a sugar high. I come home and haul in the birthday stuff, configure new toys, make room for leftover cake in the fridge, clean up the kitchen (again). Then I take the dog for a walk and start thinking about dinner. Trying to keep the family on a healthy track and I made these super yummy baked chicken fingers and salad for dinner and it wasn’t until then that my relaxation started.

Large glass of chardonnay.

Yummy food on my plate. Mostly guilt-free.

Seated on the soft couches in front of the TV.

Watching grown-up TV!

Discovering mindless entertainment like “Storage Wars”

Evan off to bed.

Games on my phone like Scramble and Word With Friends.

Comfortable pajamas. Usually I like nightgowns but when I’m lounging, I like PJ pants.

Super soft comfy socks. A MUST.

If it’s cold, a fire in the fireplace.

If I’m not too tired, a little bit of Bailey’s over crushed ice.

Fall into my bed and pile on the blankets.

Drift off to sleep knowing the day is over.

—

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in the sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

Okay, I’m not really a twin. I’m IN the TWIN.

Toyota

Women’s

Influencer

Network

You might have noticed that little badge on the right pop up in my sidebar a few weeks back (it’s under the section called REPRESENT). I’m here to tell you what it’s all about and why you might care.

First of all, I consider myself a chick who digs cars. I like to look at them. I like to drive them. And I’ll also tell you what I think about them. I’ve owned an SUV before it was called an SUV (I think we just called them trucks back in the day), an economical sedan, a sporty convertible, and a luxury (in my eyes) crossover vehicle. I value good looks, great gas mileage, quality workmanship, and innovation, when it comes to cars anyway.

So when the opportunity arose through the Clever Girls Collective to join the Toyota Women’s Influencer Network (TWIN), I jumped at the chance. This was the pitch:

Toyota recognizes that women (you!) play a lead role in important decisions including those pertaining to cars. That’s why Toyota and Clever Girls are announcing the launch of the Toyota Women’s Influencer Network (TWIN). TWIN is a cool new advocate discussion group focused on how you connect with cars, driving, and the Toyota brand, not only as a means of getting from A to B but as a partner in your daily adventures.

Toyota has been part of many major milestones in our lives, from our first family road trips, to getting our driver’s license, to buying our first car. Toyota wants to hear about your experiences, learn from your history, and know what you think about their products and brand. And their cup holders. And their interiors. And what’s under the hood. And new technology. And going green, saving money at the gas pump…pretty much everything about cars, the car shopping process and driving.

I applied and was accepted and I’ve been chatting with some other lovely ladies and Toyota reps ever since.

Here’s my confession to you. I’ve never owned a Toyota. I know all about Toyotas. I almost bought a Corolla back in my cheap college student days. I really wanted a RAV4 when it first came out. I coveted the Avalon when I was old enough to appreciate a luxury sedan. I fell in love with the Solara convertible. And my heart beat a little faster when I saw the new FJ Cruiser.

I’ve paid attention to their innovative commercials. (If you have never experience the joy of watching the Swagger Wagon commercial, I present it to you now).

I’ve followed their safety issues. That’s right. I’m not going to pretend that Toyota is perfect in every way. But I’m anxiously watching their road to recovery and improvement. And innovation (there’s that word again).

Then there’s the hybrid movement. I’m late to the game. I like the idea of a hybrid but I’m a self-admitted skeptic. Since Toyota’s in the lead in that space, I’m keeping my eye on them. And I’m keeping my eye on this sweet Prius V. I’m not ready to run out and buy one. But I like what I see so far.

Your turn. Are you a chick (or dude) that digs cars? What matters to you? If you had the ear of Toyota, what would you tell them?

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.

I have a confession to make.

I hate doing laundry.

I know I’m not alone. I couldn’t possibly be alone. But it’s not every aspect of laundry I hate. I’m fine with the sorting. I’m great with the washing. I can even handle transferring from washer to dryer. It’s what happens after that that I have no tolerance for: the folding and putting away.

I have the same problem with the dishes. I’ll use them. I’ll load them in the dishwasher. But unloading the dishwasher? Ugh.

Now, I’m going to share my laundry secret with you. Two secrets, to be more precise. One is a product and one is, well, you better watch…

You know those moms that have five, six, or seven kids? (Or more?) I often think about the gallons of milk they must have to buy. And the toys they have to pick up. And THEN, I think about what laundry day must be like at their house. Maybe I don’t have it so bad.

Will Tide Coldwater make laundry day easier? Not really. Will Tide Coldwater make laundry day more fun? Definitely not. But here’s where it can help.

It can save you money.

If you’re washing your clothes on warm or hot, you can switch to cold and still ensure you’re getting clean clothes. How does that save you money? Because you don’t have to pay for the gas or electricity or whatever your hot water heater uses for the water needed for your laundry. As a side benefit, you can now take that long leisurely bath without fear of running out of hot water.

It can make your clothes cleaner.

I say this because I have always washed my clothes on cold. I’ve always heard that warmer temperatures fade colors so I’ve always used cold. I will occasionally use warm-cold on things like towels. And I never thought about the laundry detergent not being as effective. Since this is specifically designed for cold water washing, I’m covered.

HOWEVER…

If you’re like me, you want to know why I need special detergent to wash on cold since I’ve been doing that all along. Great question. I had the same one and went looking for answers.

I went to Tide Coldwater’s FAQ page and found a couple of items of note:

Why can’t I use the original product on a cold water setting?

If you’ve never read my About Fadra page, it might be worth a look. I don’t hide the fact that I’m a mom but you won’t find me pushing cute pictures of my kid on my blog all that often. I have plenty of other channels in which to do that.

But there is a line all the way at the bottom of that page that sums it all up for me:

While I don’t consider myself a “mommy blogger”, I am a mom and will blog about it from time to time. Why? Because out of everything I’ve done, it’s the greatest accomplishment in my life.

I am an extremely proud mother and especially so today. My baby boy Evan is five years old today. It’s his first big milestone. The first birthday that really seems to mean something to him. For the longest time he was actually terrified of turning five because he was convinced that the day he turned five he would be sent off to kindergarten. Luckily we’re past that now.

I did reveal to him today that his birthday was technically supposed to be January 23rd and not January 24th. I’m not talking my due date. I’m talking his scheduled delivery date. He was a breech baby and after weighing all the options, I decided to proceed with a scheduled cesarean birth. The hospital called me to give me the date and time my son would be born. And then they told me the doctor that would be on call and therefore would be delivering him.

I froze.

NOT HER was all I could think. And that’s pretty much what I said. This was one decision I was not going to back down on. I didn’t have much control the situation but I did want to have a say in who brought my baby into the world. They were able to reschedule me for the following day at a later time and my doctor was wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for a better obstetrician.

Still, Evan insisted that we should celebrate his birthday early since technically he was supposed to have already been in the world. I explained that his birthday didn’t count until the day he popped into the world.

The truth is that a lot didn’t count until he came into my life. Into our lives.

When I met my husband, we thought we’d have kids. And then we thought maybe not. And then maybe. And then maybe not. When the maybe finally stuck and we were graced with a beautiful baby boy, we both wept tears of joy. We had been married for years but we were only a couple. After the birth of my son, we became a family.

I look back on five years. Five long years that felt like five years. It’s been hard. Some parts of mothering are so natural to me and other parts are still so foreign (I really like my sleep and my alone time). I tend to remember the difficult times. Those are the ones etched in my memory.

Then I started looking back at how far my baby boy has come in five years. Really, how far we’ve all come in five years. We are a family with more good times than bad and being a mother has definitely been my crowning achievement.

Even though I’m not a mommy blogger, I beg of you to indulge me and just spend three minutes of your time seeing Evan through my eyes.

I often don’t think about the writing prompt I want to offer up until I sit down to write. But today’s prompt came to me while I was taking a bath. While I was soaking in our garden tub, my husband and son laid on the bed watching an old black and white movie with Tarzan. I kept hearing Evan ask questions. I loved that he was interested and that he was actually asking questions about it.

As I took in that moment, I was immediately taken back to my childhood. To some of the old movies I watched on TV with my dad and I knew that’s what I wanted write about.

Today’s Writing Prompt: How did you spend your Sunday mornings growing up? What are some of your favorite memories?

Here we go…

—

Easy like Sunday morning. I like the song but I like the mantra even better. There’s just something inherent about a Sunday morning that is just so relaxing to me. It might be because we don’t go to church. I’m not a big fan of church-going. It’s just not my thing. And one of the things that makes it unappealing it that it cuts into my Sunday morning.

Growing up, we were random church goers. My mom would get a wild hair to try some new church. Once I was old enough, I would pretend to be sleeping like a log and unable to be roused for church. But during the off times when church wasn’t a regular thing, or wasn’t a regular thing I was trying to avoid, I would watch TV with my dad.

My dad and I have had a rocky relationship over the years but I have to admit that most of my childhood memories of him are very endearing and have an impact on some of the ways I live my life. Sundays mornings are just a little part of that.

It always started off with him drinking coffee, black, in his mug appropriately labeled “Dad.” And he always sat and watched CBS Sunday Morning. It was hosted by Charles Kuralt and I just remember how soothing it was. It played into the easy Sunday morning feeling. Every broadcast ended the same way. A scene from nature with no soundtrack other than that which naturally occurred in the scene. A babbling brook, a quiet snowy mountain. It calmed me in a way I miss.

And then, there was always the unending supply of Blondie movies. These were the black and white films with Dagwood, Blondie, Alexander, and Baby Dumpling. They were silly and predictable and yet my dad always turned them on. And I always sat and watched them with him. I still don’t know why I loved those movies so much. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the movie, the silliness of the humor, and the nice and easy flow on a Sunday morning.

—

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in the sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

Last week, I was waxing philosophical about taking charge of my life and my health. And I was celebrating that one pound I lost that stayed off.

Well, it didn’t stay off but I didn’t get one bit discouraged. I still drink my green smoothies and, yes, I just finished week 2 of the Couch to 5k program. At least now I feel like I might have a fighting chance if a homicidal maniac was ever chasing me. And did I mention why I’m doing all of this?

Because I’m getting old.

There. I said it. If you don’t know my age, you can look back at my posts or ask someone. It’s not a secret. I don’t deny my age or the fact that I’m getting older. I just don’t necessarily like it. The gray hairs that are popping up are okay. The thinning hair is not. The settling of certain body parts is okay with me. The inner tube around my waist is not. The drier skin on my cheeks in the winter is okay. The lines under my eyes are not.

So I’d like to change a few things. And to keep me in check, I always refer back to one of my favorite sayings:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”

I seem to have serenity about plenty of things. And I have courage, especially when it comes to hair dye. But what about my skin? Where’s the wisdom?

Here’s what I’ve picked up in the past few decades…

Beauty starts from within but it’s also reflected on the outside.

I’m not being shallow. I’m being serious. I have a good heart and soul and I’d really like my face to youthfully reflect that. So I’m working both angles.

On the inside…

I’ve changed my diet. More fruits and veggies, lots more water, less meat, less really bad food like french fries. I’m also trying to get more sleep. I’ve been letting things go if I’m tired at night. You may have noticed I have more afternoon posts than morning posts these days. Now you know why.

Then there’s the external stuff. I’m fortunate enough to have had several opportunities to work with The Museum Spa, a medical spa here in Raleigh, NC. I had a great consultation and a few treatments. Then I received a bounty of skincare products that I’ve been using religiously. But was there more work to be done?

Oh yes.

I tend to be more of a natural girl at heart so I still stuck to my guns on having treatments that didn’t require injections or anything along those lines. I took the advice of Collette, my aesthetician at The Museum Spa, and signed up for two more treatments: IPL treatment and a chemical peel. Here’s how it went down.

So I look good (most of the time) and I feel good (most of the time). And I think I’ve finally found a little serenity and wisdom.

—

I had to make sure (just in case you didn’t watch the video but I really wish you would PLEEEEEASE!) that I emphasized one of my secret weapons that I showed you in the video. It’s my Clarisonic Mia and women have told me (you know who you are) that they just can’t live without it. Personally, I love mine and my face has never felt cleaner.

—

Disclosure: The Museum Spa treated me like a queen and provided me with complimentary services and even arranged for Clarisonic Mia at no charge. I love the women there and would gladly say nice things about them just because, but this post was strictly my opinion. All views and content are my own.

In case you didn’t know (or aren’t American or don’t follow American politics), it’s an election year. I think it’s a pretty important one too.

I don’t have a gut feeling yet as to which way the election will go although my hope is usually for a conservative candidate to take office. However, there are a couple of hoops to jump through before we even start thinking about that. Namely, the Republican primaries.

This is where my head swirls a little. Just when we start to learn all about the eighteen candidates, some of them start jumping ship.

Oh yes. There were eighteen people who officially declared themselves 2012 Republican Presidential Candidates: two women and sixteen men.

I have to admit that I usually wait until a little later in the election year to really start thinking about the candidate I’m backing. Or I wait for my husband to tell me who to vote for. (Relax. I’m totally kidding. I tell HIM who to vote for.)

But this year, I’m a little more concerned. We’ve had two primaries (okay, technically a caucus and a primary) and before you know it, South Carolina’s big day will be here. Already, they’re dropping like flies.  Five candidates have officially withdrawn from the race (the high profile ones being Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann).

What’s my concern? That anyone I might want the opportunity to learn more about will drop out of the race before I even have a chance to vote.

There are 35 states ahead of mine this year. North Carolina doesn’t hold it’s primaries until May 8th.

I have to wait until May 8th to cast my vote.

And you know what usually happens? The candidate has pretty much already been decided and my trip to the polls is merely a formality. I don’t like it. I don’t want it that way.

So I decided to do a little internet research to see if I could learn a little more beyond my 9th grade knowledge of Civics. I have to admit, I’ve always lived in a primary state so I really had no idea what a caucus was. And I didn’t really understand why we cared so much about what Iowa and New Hampshire thought. Then I found this neat little video that helped explain it.

Did you watch it? I mean, I know it’s 5 minutes and it’s about politics but trust me, I bet you’ll learn something. I learned lots but I still didn’t know why exactly the results from the early states can be so decisive in candidate selection. So I went to my favorite encyclopedia, Google, and I looked it up.

The only problem with Google is that you have to know the right question to ask in order to get your answer.

“Why is the Iowa caucus so important?”

“What’s the difference between a caucus and a primary?”

“Why do early primaries matter?”

There’s no definitive answer. Just a few points worth making…

• The Iowa caucus is especially important because it’s the first official indication of where candidate support lies.
• Because these states (i.e., Iowa and New Hampshire) are small, campaigning takes place on a much more personal scale.
• No candidate who finished lower than third in the Iowa caucus has ever gone on to win the nomination.
• The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have previously garnered over half the national and international media attention paid to the entire selection process.
• These states are not representative of the United States as a whole: they are overwhelmingly white, more rural, and wealthier than the national average.

But what I really found out is that there is no reason that my vote shouldn’t be important. There is no reason why my vote on May 8th shouldn’t count as much as others. The biggest issue is the coverage and influence of the media.

So here’s my plea. If you live in one of the 35 states that has a shot at this before me, vote your conscience not just what the evening news says. And if you’re conscience isn’t clear, read about the candidates for yourself. There’s a nice neat list of all 2012 Republican Presidential Candidates with links to their profile, position on issues, and official website.

At the very least, you’ll learn who Matt Snyder is. (Sorry, Matt. You’re not getting my vote.)

***

While we’re talking politics, if you’ve been living under a rock like I do most of the time, you might be wondering why you can see my site but other sites are blacked out. These sites are protesting the proposed SOPA legislation. I, too, think it’s a really, really bad idea and encourage you to read more and take action. I just wanted to exercise my freedom on the internet today because I can!