Politics Some More

We had an excellent debate at bookclub the other night in a room filled with ardent Hillary and Obama supporters. We read Bernstein's book on Hillary Clinton which is really fascinating, even if you don't like her. I also received a letter from my dad that I am posting below about a group who supports Obama for his work with the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo.

HABEAS LAWYERS SUPPORT OBAMA
January 28, 2008

Dear Friends:

We are at a critical point in the Presidential campaign, and as lawyers who have been deeply involved in the Guantanamo litigation to preserve the important right to habeas corpus, we are writing to urge you to support Senator Obama.

The Administration's Guantanamo policies have undercut our values at home and stained our reputation around the world. All of us are lawyers who have worked on the Guantanamo habeas corpus litigation for many years, some of us since early 2002, and we were all deeply involved in opposing the Administration’s attempt to overturn the Supreme Court's Rasul decision by stripping the courts of jurisdiction to hear the Guantanamo cases. We have talked with Senator Obama about why the Guantanamo litigation is so significant, and we have worked closely with Senator Obama in the fight to preserve habeas
corpus.

Some politicians are all talk and no action. But we know from first-hand experience that Senator Obama has demonstrated extraordinary leadership on this critical and controversial issue. When others stood back, Senator Obama helped lead the fight in the Senate against the administration's efforts in the Fall of 2006 to strip the courts of jurisdiction, and when we were walking the halls of the Capitol trying to win over enough Senators to beat back the Administration's bill, Senator Obama made his key staffers and even his offices available to help
us. Senator Obama worked with us to count the votes, and he personally lobbied colleagues who worried about the political ramifications of voting to preserve habeas corpus for the men held at Guantanamo. He has understood that our strength as a nation stems from our commitment to our core values, and that we are strong enough to protect both our security and those values. Senator Obama demonstrated real leadership then and since, continuing to raise Guantanamo
and habeas corpus in his speeches and in the debates.

The writ of habeas corpus dates to the Magna Carta, and was enshrined by the Founders in our Constitution. The Administration's attack on habeas corpus rights is dangerous and wrong. America needs a President who will not triangulate this issue. We need a President who will restore the rule of law, demonstrate our commitment to human rights, and repair our reputation in the world community. Based on our work with him, we are convinced that Senator
Obama can do this because he truly feels these issues "in his bones."

We urge you to support Senator Obama.

Politics

The races are heating up and I am still...undecided. Really split over some of the candidates. I have been checking the New York Times daily for different takes on the Clinton v. Obama issue. This column makes a good point, are we really wanting another Clinton in office after have over a decade of the Bush saga and nearly a decade with one Clinton?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/opinion/28cohen.html?th&emc=th

On the other hand, I am reading Carl Bernstein's book on Hillary and finding her life fascinating. She basically has been in politics since serving as student president at Wellsley. She was raised by an atrocious father who instilled conservative Republicanism in her. It was at Wellsley when she finally started moving in a more liberal direction. From Bernstein's account, the students at Wellsley adored her and she was an excellent leader at a very confusing time with the civil rights movement and Vietnam war. She really did meet Martin Luther King Jr. and was one of his most ardent admirers. I am really excited to finish reading the book and learn more about her.

By the way, when perusing the Times, I always end up finding other great articles. This one is about a new homeless shelter in Oakland that was built "green," pretty awesome if you ask me:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/us/28shelter.html?th&emc=th

Also see this link for an interesting column on whether cholesterol is really the culprit behind heart disease...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27taubes.html?em&ex=1201669200&en=2219ce6dff19d9c2&ei=5087%0A

Break the cranky

It's been a weather-full weekend, changing rapidly from calm and sunny to cloudy and windy and rainy. Good weekend to stay inside and watch movies or the Australian Open, but I need to be doing work on my dissertation which has put me into quite the cranky mood. Additionally, I have a landlord who is too senile to be one and cannot even remember that I reported days ago that my kitchen sink is clogged. It is one of those days where I want to throw up my hands and yell AHHHHHHHH...but instead, I need to do work, that'll cheer me up!

Work on a Saturday

Well, Saturday morning and I'm at work. Just squeezing in a quick strand...it's nice having this blog because when I have a few spare moments I can update! Anyways, we only have one family coming to group this morning so they will get lots of personal attention.

Saw a movie last night, "No country for old men." Liked it, but don't know why I liked it. Very violent, no specific point to the movie, very ruthless killer. I am sure I had weird dreams stemming from seeing it. At the end of the movie everyone was upset because it just suddenly...ended. I didn't think it was ending so I had totally zoned out at what was going on the moment before it ended so now I feel guilty and like I'm going to have to see it again but I really don't want to!

Gotta run to group...group on...

Back to health

Welcome to my daily strands. A few thoughts today. I met with a holistic personal trainer this morning who completely re-energized me. I am now hoping to shift my focus back to being mindful of what I put in my body, adding revitalizing stretches and relaxation breathing to my exercise regimen, and gaining back bodily balance. The trainer recommended several supplements that I had always thought of taking but got too overwhelmed when trying to buy them in the store. He told me exactly what to buy and recommended this website: www.mercola.com for the best products and prices. I am now going to take Complete Probiotics and Carlson's Cod Liver Oil (also available at Whole Foods). Additionally, he recommended a gluten free diet as I've been having a lot of stomach issues (even driving me to do undertake one of the most horrible experiences of my life--a parasite test). Even though I don't have Celiac Disease, websites for Celiac disease provide good information on gluten free diets:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319/DSECTION=8
Nowadays most stores carry gluten free products. Interestingly, gluten free may be particularly good for those with blood sugar problems such as myself. High gluten foods also tend to be high glycemic index (GI) foods and good to avoid anyways. My trainer gave me a good list of foods to avoid. I think I will miss having pizza and beer! However, many alcoholic drinks are still ok to have, including wine.

Other thought today...I finished reading Dave Eggers book "What is the What" at about 4 am this morning. This is the amazing, true account (even though it is labelled as fiction in order to be overly protective about calling memories absolutely true facts, a bit over the top if you ask me) of a Sudanese boy whose village was destroyed and he had to walk across the entire country to get to a refugee camp with little food and clothing. The book goes back and forth between Mr. Deng's current day (in which he is robbed in his own home) and his memories from his trek across Sudan, to Ethiopia and then a camp in Kenya. He directs his stories to characters in the present day as well as to the reader. This man is amazing. Here is a link to his website:
http://www.valentinoachakdeng.org/
I love being able to catch up on what has happened since the publishing of his book.