no, i'm not dead. i'm not even seriously injured. i'm just lazy. and i was on vacation. so i didn't post. learn to live with it. but not to fear i am back with a vengance (even more so after seeing die hard sunday morning). i'd like to pretend that the political world took a vacation with me - and it almost did - after all it is august in DC. the only really exciting thing going on (although i am almost scared to say that as i feel so disconnected from the world - something else huge may be going on and i wouldn't even know.) has been the whole cindy sheehan/bush peace protest/camp out thing. i think this woman started out as a great figure of what this war has done to our country and it's people. and standing alone i think her message was incredibly powerful, as long as it was kept simple. however, this poor woman got associated with the left, and we always manage to screw up simple things. like throwing out an incumbent president with a below 50% approval rating. or throwing out a UN appointee who hates the UN. you know, the basics. we got our messages mixed up and talked in paragraphs and not phrases and we all said something different and convulted. really, it's a wonder we keep losing. now would be a good time to admit that i finally read the george lakoff, don't think of an elephant, book. i was a bit nervous cause there was a bit of a hype behind it and usually those things dissapoint (except for harry potter 6 of course). but all in all i really enjoyed it - i think his take on the whole thing is very accurate and it would be a positive thing for all democrats to read - but obviously just reading it isn't enough. it needs to be put in action. i for one plan on using some things i learned in it in my job - but if only one campaign does this it won't be enough. so spread the love, help us win, buy or borrow the lakoff book, seriously.

ok, off the soap box. on a sad note i have realized why the A's have been on a losing streak as of late - me. This season they have only lost 2 full series (3 games in a row against the same team) - the first was when they were in Washington, DC playing the Nationals - I was at all 3 games. The second was just last week in Oakland against the Baltimore Orioles - which I was also at. this leads me to only one conclusion - it's my fault. i can never go to another game, ever. or at least this season.

on a plus side i switched up my swimming routine and was closer than i have been in a while to puking after i got out.

and many happy thoughts to caitlin mulligan and lisa rand who are both moving onto (or already have) fabulous new jobs. way to be girls - way to be.