Feel-good songs

There's something to be said about fun and breezy songs that make you feel happy and hopeful. Here are two new or recently discovered videos for songs that just make me smile:

New Soul

Mushaboom

Incidentally, the marketing geniuses at Apple have used both songs in their commercials.

A great cause

I've always loved the idea of helping other people, and lately I've been taking more direct actions toward that purpose. There are so many people in need and so many worthy causes that it can be hard to know where to start. When it comes to donating money, it is also difficult to determine where your contribution actually winds up. I recently found out about a site that allows you to loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. This is wonderful because it allows you to have a personal involvement in fulfilling the dream of a hard-working person from across the world. For anyone interested in making a real difference in one person's life, this site is worth checking out.

His dream

I listened to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech with my children today...and I cried. Those powerful words always have that effect on me. In the past I think it was because of the pain and suffering that had been endured in the fight for the equality that should have been theirs from birth. But today it was more about the fact that the dream has never completely been realized. Why do we humans continue to focus on the differences in a way to push some down and lift others up? Why does skin color still signify so much to so many? And why do those of us who hold no hatred not do more to stand and fight for what is right? I am proud to have started on this path myself and am hopeful that my children will inherit a world where equality is so ingrained that the fight is no longer necessary.

Why I love Obama

It's hard not to gravitate toward a politician who actually sounds like a real person, especially when they're also charismatic, funny, brilliant and inspiring. Check out this refreshingly entertaining and truthful clip from CNN.com:
speech in Nevada 1/18/08
Ignore the technical difficulties in the beginning, and then try not to laugh.

Blogging

I don't know how people post things every day. Sometimes I have something to say but can't bear the thought of getting back on the computer after staring at it all day. Sometimes I have nothing at all to say or am simply too tired to say it well. If only I had more time, or could write without slowing myself down by analyzing every word. Not going to happen anytime soon. Oh well...I'll cling to the hope that my loyal readers find the infrequent posts worth waiting for.

Countdown to caucuses

Residents of Iowa are so lucky. The presidential candidates wander around there for months, talking to people on the streets and hanging out in the local cafes. What a wonderful opportunity for voters to actually get to know them. Then, instead of just walking into a booth and flipping a switch, Iowans proudly declare their choice at the caucus. I still don't have a complete understanding of how caucuses work, but I'm fascinated by the whole process, especially on the Democratic side. If voters in all elections had the opportunity to switch their vote if their candidate received less than 15% of the vote, President George W. Bush would have been only a bad dream, and Ralph Nader wouldn't be so villified. Someday I'm moving to Iowa so that I too can be important in the democratic process. I'll just have to figure out where it is first.

The new year comes early

Everyone with kids knows how rough it can be on New Year's Eve. They want to stay up, but they just keep getting more tired and cranky. Julien I let stay up later than usual, but by 9:30 he and I had both had enough of him being awake. I tried to convince Riahna to follow suit, but she was determined to stick it out. We were watching the CNN coverage of Times Square (can't stand Ryan Seacrest; love Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin), and she was excited about seeing the ball drop. It was then that I remembered that since TN is an hour earlier, midnight would actually arrive at 11. Brilliant. Eventually kids gain an understanding of time, but until then parents in TN who still think New Year's Eve only happens in NY have it made.