This snap has nothing to do with what I want to write about today. But, please note that the block is TOTALLY covered with little snails (what I'd call 'augers'). Super cool stuff (ok,
I find it interesting).
Now, on to what's really on my mind (yeah, I know; Some of you may think this is frightening stuff).
From an international perspective, I'm going to tell you why I hope the United States elects Barack Obama the next president.
First, let me offer some quotes from some of this morning's news:
America's Highway Trust Fund is almost out of funds.
"In turn, the department called for an immediate infusion of $8 billion in tax revenues into the fund. That's precisely what some Democrats in Congress have been trying to do -- and a move that the administration, just six weeks ago, opposed.
"It's too bad that it has taken an emergency to force the administration to pull its head out of the sand and appreciate how serious this problem is," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who leads the committee in charge of appropriating transportation funds, in a Friday statement."
Obviously, Americans desperately need some real change in Washington. Having driven all over America, and having driven (or been driven) in many other countries, I can tell you that Americas highways are some of the best in the world if not the best. But, they must be maintained. Without good roads, what then?
A few bits on Senator John McCain:
""On the core issues, the economy and the war, he has been joined to Bush at the hip," said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. "On the other hand, Bush is a lead weight dragging him down. He has to rely on rhetoric to separate (himself) but he can't separate himself on policies important to the American people.""
....and further.....
""Voting with George Bush 90 percent of the time isn't being a maverick, it's being the president's sidekick," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. "The idea that John McCain represents change in Washington is as laughable as his claim that he'll take on the special interests when some of the biggest corporate lobbyists in America are running his campaign."
Railing against Washington's political establishment is an old tradition in presidential campaigns, but McCain overlooks the fact that he is an elder in the club. He is Arizona's senior senator, having served 22 years after four years in the House."
Since I don't live in the States, I can tell you that folks around the world (certainly in the areas I'm familiar with) are VERY unhappy with the current U.S. presidential administration. It feels as if America is totally not listening or noticing what is going on in the world beyond its borders. That should be really scary to Americans living within the U.S. borders. We all live in a very global world. One can not hide out and ignore the world. Otherwise, the rest of the world is going to pass you by.
Ok. Enough of this morning news.
Barack Obama has lived outside the United States. He lived and went to school in a Muslim country. With international relations at the top of the list (along with the economy) of things the U.S. needs to work on, a president who has lived internationally is priceless. My kids are growing up at the moment surrounded by kids from countries other than our home country. Kids who grow up as members of the 'international community' I believe are better able to understand and fix international problems.
I have family who write better than I do about this kind of stuff (lots more facts/figures etc). But, I can tell you my guts are rarely wrong. Before the current U.S. president was elected, I told folks I knew, "If he is elected, I know he's going to get America into a war in the Middle East." Well, my guts say that America needs Obama.
Without going through a laundry list of issues, I will tell you that Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are very different in how they stand on the issues. If you don't have first hand knowledge of this, if you don't believe me, I encourage you to read and discover for yourself. Ads can be very misleading. Read from the hard core news sources. It's worth the time.
Ok. Enough politics for today.
Peace.
Eid al Fitr is here. We're home today relaxing. Munchkins are vegging out on TV; we let them have the cartoon channels back for a few days then the cartoons will disappear again once school's back in. The husband, poor guy, is back at the office. Hopefully, he can finish what needs to be done. 
