forgot the baldasty

Ok so I was going to write up a whole thing on media bias today. Then I forgot my Baldasty at home. I unfortunately do not have internet at home right now and thus cannot post from there. So I have to do it all at work...or a coffee shop. But I promise an intellectually stimulating post soon. haha

Instead, I thought I'd post this interesting little fight going on between Obama & McCain with a little moderating from Pres. G W Bush.

Here's how it went in my head:

Obama: There is no al Qaeda in Iraq. But if there is, then I would invade.
McCain: I have news for you boy! There is al Qaeda in Iraq. And it's called...al Qaeda in Iraq.
(I laugh here. McCain has such a way of communicating.)
Obama: There was no al Qaeda in Iraq until Pres Bush & McCain said there was al Qaeda in Iraq and invaded Iraq.
Bush: Um...have you been living in America for the past couple years? al Qaeda is pretty much everywhere. We're in Iraq now to stop them from building a base. Oh, and al Qaeda in Afghanistan is the same organization as al Qaeda in Iraq. Just in case there's any confusion there.

There's your synopsis if you don't want to read the news articles :) but hey I linked the Washington Post, NY Times, and Wall St. Journal all in one post, so you should!

Also what do we think of Ralph Nader & his running mate Matt Gonzalez?

And...do you think our founding fathers intended us to have a 2 party system?

natural-born citizen?

The President of the United States must be a natural-born citizen. John McCain was born on a military base in Panama. Does this disqualify him? The New York Times raises the issue, and this is my favoritie part of the article:

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and one of Mr. McCain’s closest allies, said it would be incomprehensible to him if the son of a military member born in a military station could not run for president.
“He was posted there on orders from the United States government,” Mr. Graham said of Mr. McCain’s father. “If that becomes a problem, we need to tell every military family that your kid can’t be president if they take an overseas assignment.”

I think it will be a travesty if this really becomes an issue!

media bias

Oh, I cannot wait! to pull the Baldasty out on this one...too bad I'm at work or I'd do it right now. Who do you think the media favors? Obama or Clinton?

Or maybe the first question is, do you think the media has a bias at all?

race results

Results from Charles Harris are in...don't worry about looking up mine ;) Nothing worth talking about! haha

But my friend Sammy turned out to be 5th place with a time of 31:57. Sick!

But I of course googled him...here is what he looks like, and he may live in Marietta now, but it also seems like he spent some time in the A-U-G - small world! Also may be an Olympic hopeful...

McCain: take that obama!

Ok so he didn't really say "take that obama!" but might as well have. McCain says the war will end soon. Not in 100 years. Which as I can remember from the Texas debates, Obama took literally. For all his skill at making "good" speeches, you'd think he'd recognize a figure of speech when he heard one. Sorry...just think it's kinda funny! =)

Downtown Dash for Diabetes

Ok now that the 10K is done, time to look forward to my next race! My sorority's alumnae chapter is running in the Downtown Dash for Diabetes. Juvenile diabetes is part of our national philanthropy. And, my dad has diabetes, so yet again, here we have a race that I feel passionate about!

My fundraising goal was $200, and I just surpassed it yesterday! So yay, that is very exciting! But, that's no reason to stop raising $, and we have yet to reach our team goal of $500. So please visit my page if you'd like to contribute to a great cause! Proceeds benefit the Diabetes Association of Atlanta, and their mission is "Improving the quality of life for people with diabetes through screening, education, and medical assistance in a caring, responsive way."

It's just a 5K so I'm looking forward to it, not quite as nervous as I was for the 10K. Isn't that funny? I would never imagined myself ever thinking "It's just a 5K." How far I've come...and how far I've yet to go!

pictures!

Pictures from the run:


My first racing #!

Approaching the finish line - Ryan caught me in mid-air

Crossing the finish line @ 1:05:30

Post-race with Sean's picture

pure exhilaration

So I am done with my very first 10K!!!!! And my first race since high school, which seems like a lifetime ago. It was pretty amazing, and emotional! Here's the play by play...

5:35 am - wake up! brush teeth, throw clothes on, check & double check that I have everything (but later find out that I forgot things of course)

6:00 am - out the door

6:20 am - arrive at North Dekalb Mall shuttles, scope out other racers to see what they are taking with them

6:25 am - go to McD's to use bathroom & sit with Ryan

6:50 am - get on the shuttle! say goodbye to Ryan. Have my race # pinned on and my gel & Sean's picture in my hand.

7:05ish am - shuttle leaves, meet a new person on the bus who actually went to high school with one of my sorority sister - small world!

7:20ish am - arrive at Tucker High school, warm up. Ran around the parking lot a couple times slowly, did some strides, stretched a lot. Met a cool dude, #3, so I knew he was a fast runner, probably one of the "famous" ones. His name was Sammy, he introduced himself to me, I was a little starstruck! Ryan told me he was definitely in the first 5 people to finish, I think in 30 minutes? When the race results are posted, I'll figure out his name. He asked me where I was from, wished me good luck etc.

7:35 am - done warming up. I walk back towards the high school entrance only to see floods of people leaving. I guess we are lining up at the start now!

7:45 am - and we're OFF!!! In that very moment, I realized why I love running, why I ran track so many years ago. It's just this rush of excitement I get. I wasn't even competing, I just wanted to run the whole thing, but there was still a pure, exhilarating joy in starting a race, starting something big, and oh yeah! Starting something that means a lot to me - a race in memory of my cousin Sean, who died from leukemia. Took a look at his picture and folded it into my hand to carry through the race.

7:56 am - Pass the 1st mile

8:06 am - Pass the 2nd mile, feet are starting to get wet! :(

8:15 am - Pass the 3rd mile, water table! Ok so I have never tried to drink water while running...BIG disaster! I took one sip and water went all over me. ALL over me. So I was like...forget this. Threw the water cup in the trash can (boo to all you runners who threw your cups on the street! That's littering! Be a responsible runner!!). Then took my PowerBar gel. Such a weeeeeird sensation. I just squeezed the gel into my mouth and then kinda slurped it down. The green apple flavor wasn't too bad! It kicked in pretty quickly, I definitely felt energized afterward.

8:27 am - Pass 4th mile. At this point I start seeing runners running BACK to the start line. What are you crazy?!?! They had run the whole 10K and turned around to run back to the start line. Sick! I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that! Also I think it was at this point that there was a tent set up with the music from Rocky blaring over speakers. Two guys were there cheering us on. I don't know if they were affiliated with the race or what but at this point I started tearing up. I just started thinking about Sean a lot, and of being a kid and all the things we did, playing together and everything. And what things would be like now if he were still alive. And how I just don't think of him enough, I was so young when he died. But do we ever think about the past and get those feelings out, those losses that we go through together?

8:39 am - Pass 5th mile. Worked through the verging tears :) Now I'm ready to be done!!!! Volunteers, police officers, all cheering us on. It was really awesome! And then...water table #2! I decide to try again, this time I got 2 sips in before I choked on the 3rd. I am definitely going to have to practice this drinking while running thing.

a litte before 8:50 am - Pass 6th mile. I forgot 10K was 6.2 miles for a second and started to get annoyed - where is the finish line!? Because after mile 5 I started to pick up the pace a little more and pass more people...ready to be done. But oh no, there was still .2 miles to go! Duh!

8:50:30 am - 6.2 miles DONE. AWESOME. There was Ryan just yards away from the chutes cheering me on, taking pictures, the tears start welling up again! I swear I was never this emotional at track meets. I run under the finish line - 1:05:30! I'm happy =) Ryan is there at the end of the finish chute. I don't really know what we said to each other, I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I can't even describe them, but they were some of the greatest feelings in the world.

Post-race - took a last look at my picture of Sean...he was there with me the whole time =) what a great experience, getting to run a race with him!

deep thoughts?

try to think beyond Obama's speeches...anything there?

getting nervous

The hours are ticking away...I'm getting closer & closer to my first 10K. I was googling "running first race" and came across a cool blog:

Running Chick

And particularly her articles on Complete Running

Her 5 tips for running your first race, I found very helpful!

1 - Find the start & finish lines

Cool, I think I can remember to do this tomorrow.

2 - Bibs & chips

Bib pins to front, got it. Don't tear off the bottom til I'm in the finish chute, got that too. Don't pass anyone after you finish...sounds like common sense but something I would probably forget to do!

3 - Final check

20 min before race, make sure you have everything you need. Well, being a not so seasoned runner, I have no idea what gel & Body Glide are. Good thing I'm going to Sports Authority tonight! She also gives a little pre-race warm-up: 10 min jog, 10-20 sec sprints, light stretches. I was definitely wondering what to do about this. I was just going to show up, stretch, and get in line for the start. I wasn't really sure what else to do about warming up! But now I'll have to find a little area to do this in. Go to the bathroom! And try to relax. A lot to remember!

4 - Remember manners

Don't think this will be a problem. I intend to line up near the back with the other slowbies and take my time! I'm not in a rush, I just want to finish. Gradual start will probably help me! =)

5 - "All systems are go! Smile. Wish your fellow racers “good luck” and then run your little heart out! Run your little feet off!"

I love this...gotta run my little heart out and run my little feet off tomorrow!

McCain on Castro

McCain wants Fidel dead and doesn't think his brother Raul is much better. Harsh words or good foreign policy?

texas debate - hm #5

moment of crisis? Describe the moment in you life you were tested the most.

Obama stutters...then describes the "trajectory of my life" the choices he made to become who he is. Used the phrase "bring people together" a lot.

Clinton "I think everyone knows I've been through so many challenges in my life...people ask me, how do you do it? I shake my head in wonderment...my challenges are nothing compared to what Americans go through every day...give others the opportunities and blessings I've beeng I've been given...what wakes me up every day...I'm honored to be here with Barack Obama."

I don't think either really answered the question. Or if they did...doesn't make me feel too safe if we ever have a crisis (like 9/11) situation again.

texas debate - hm #4

troops out in 60 days - clinton

wow...probably  not a good idea. do not like it!

obama taking mccain's "100 years" out of context. like we would really try to sustain a war for that long.

texas debate - hm #3

"I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I was ready to be commander-in-chief" Obama

applause!

Just because you think you're ready...does that mean you are?

Hillary's answer comprised the numerous countries & leaders she has worked with, her experience over the years, etc. Quantifying her experience, detailing it. That's the cold hard facts. Not just a nice thought about herself.

"al Qaeda are stronger now than they were in 2001" Obama

I'm pretty sure I've read recently in the news that they are not as strong and that things actually are going well in Iraq. We just never hear about that do we? I'll have to find sources after this debate is over.

texas debate - hm #2

obama wants mandates on healthcare & imposing fines.

clinton wants universal healthcare.

both are going to cost a lot of money!

and i already have insurance...do i really have to start paying for other people's insurance too?

can it be optional?

texas debate - hm #1

So I am sitting here in my bed watching the Texas debate between Obama & Clinton. Yes I am a dork. And no, I don't have a working TV or cable. So yay for cnn.com

So here is my hmmmm #1.

Obama wants to give $1000 to people who make less than $75000/yr. Nice for me since I don't make very much money. But where exactly is this money going to come from?!?! My guess? The taxpayers! Lofty ideas...not very practical or beneficial in the long run.

change in the air?

karl rove on obama's weaknesses

But is it too late to stop him? for once I am cheering for Hillary. Come on girl you can bring him down!

The highlights:

Mr. Obama had not been so effectively criticized before. In the Democratic contest, John Edwards and Mrs. Clinton were unwilling to confront him directly or in a manner that hurt him. Mr. McCain was rightly preoccupied by his own primary. On Tuesday night, things changed.

Mrs. Clinton can do much more to draw attention to Mr. Obama's lack of achievements. She can agree with Mr. Obama's statement Tuesday night that change is difficult to achieve on health care, energy, poverty, schools and immigration -- and then question his failure to provide any leadership on these or other major issues since his arrival in the Senate. His failure to act, advocate or lead on what he now claims are his priorities may be her last chance to make a winning argument.

The truth is that Mr. Obama is unwilling to challenge special interests if they represent the financial and political muscle of the Democratic left. He says yes to the lobbyists of the AFL-CIO when they demand card-check legislation to take away the right of workers to have a secret ballot in unionization efforts, or when they oppose trade deals. He won't break with trial lawyers, even when they demand the ability to sue telecom companies that make it possible for intelligence agencies to intercept communications between terrorists abroad. And he is now going out of his way to proclaim fidelity to the educational unions. This is a disappointment since he'd earlier indicated an openness to education reform. Mr. Obama backs their agenda down the line, even calling for an end to testing, which is the only way parents can know with confidence whether their children are learning and their schools working.
These stands represent not just policy vulnerabilities, but also a real danger to Mr. Obama's credibility and authenticity. He cannot proclaim his goal is the end of influence for lobbies if the only influences he seeks to end are lobbies of the center and the right.
Unlike Bill Clinton in 1992, Mr. Obama is completely unwilling to confront the left wing of the Democratic Party, no matter how outrageous its demands, no matter how out of touch it might be with the American people. And Tuesday night, in a key moment in this race, he dropped the pretense that his was a centrist agenda. His agenda is the agenda of the Democratic left.

For Mr. Obama, words are merely a means to hide a left-leaning agenda behind the cloak of centrist rhetoric. That garment has now been torn. As voters see what his agenda is, his opponents can now far more effectively question his authenticity, credibility, record and fitness to be leader of the free world.

so tired

I am so tired this week!

I ran 6 miles Mon, 5 miles Tues, 6.3 miles yesterday. After I ran yesterday, my legs hurt so bad. It was hard to walk! I ran 2 Pi Miles, which was considerably harder than running the flat Comet trail. oh well. This is only making me stronger, right??

So today I am taking a day off. Then tomorrow I will run a mile, stretch a lot, and eat some spaghetti. Then Saturday is my first race!

my new favorite place

The Silver Comet Trail

So first of all - I just ran 6 miles without stopping! Albeit slowly...the point is I made it!

And I did it in perhaps the most beautiful part of Atlanta I could have run. Seriously the whole time I was thinking, am I dreaming? Is this real?

Ok, a little backstory. So I have been doing really well, running about 4 times a week 3.1 miles or more. Lifting weights twice a week. Etc. But then, my birthday/Valentine's week rolled around. Veeeerrrrry hard to want to do anything when you are eating all the time & make fun plans to celebrate all week long. So this weekend I was really discouraged, b/c I had a long weekend (no work today! thank you presidents) and had not run Fri, Sat, or Sun! I felt like such a lazy bones. (or dundee bones as we kiwis like to call it) But today, I was like, I HAVE to run today. Kind of a do or die moment here. I have my first race this Sat and I still don't even know if I can run 6 miles without stopping! So I decided to run the Silver Comet Trail (or at least part of it, since it's 60 miles long and goes all the way to Alabama).

I get there and I'm like...hmm where do I park? where does the trail actually start? Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. There are a lot of bikers! (So I can't wait to take mine over there! maybe I will make "biking to Alabama" one of my life goals) I park. I stretch. I look up & down the paved trail. I still don't know which way to go. So I venture toward the restroom hut and there is thankfully a map. So I start running.

The trail is awesome. Flat. Paved. Wide. Mile Markers every so often. Friendly people, all sorts (bikers, dogwalkers, walkers, kids, older people, oh yeah and runners!). But the best part is you just don't feel like A. you are in the city. and B. you are working. It's enjoyable! Trees everywhere. Benches & rest areas every once in a while. Oh and awesome - bridges! You run over bridges! Like, old train track bridges. There is one point where I ran over the East/West Connector and looked back toward the East and thought, man, I have run very far! And then there is another point where you run under an old dark wooden bridge and the sound that is made when cars drive across is scary! But scary cool. I guess what it all boils down to for me is that this trail is interesting. There are so many things to take in & enjoy that you don't realize how far you are running or how long you've been gone. I ran the 6 miles in about an hour. Not bad. But it didn't feel like that long at all. All I could think about was how blue the sky was, how pretty the arch of tree boughs over the trail was, how cute that person's dog was, how neat this bridge looked, how serene that creek looked, how pretty the sound of it gurgling...

Ok I was channeling Thoreau there...point is the Silver Comet Trail is by far the coolest thing I have ever run on. It beats the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, and anywhere in Atlanta. In essence, it's just a paved trail through the woods. But it's a getaway, it's a mile & confidence booster, it's a secret. I love it!

And now I feel like this weekend wasn't a total waste, it was just a weekend of rest so I could conquer 6 miles of the Silver Comet Trail =)

review: Bella's Pizza

Bella's Pizza

date of visit: 2/16/08

kiwis:

taste: 2.5

service: 4

ambience: 3.5

So Ryan & I are on a quest to find the best pizza in Atlanta. So far my favorite is Pero's. But I won't talk about why because this post is about Bella's. We've been reading reviews etc and have a short list of pizza places we want to try in the near future. We happened to be hungry late at night and pizza was what we wanted, so we decided to try a new place. Bella's is on Atlanta Rd. right on the edge of Vinings/Smyrna. So, not more than a 10 min drive from my apt.

Now, for me, the perfect pizza is all about ratios. Besides being great tasting, you have to have the right ratio of sauce, cheese, and crust. This is where Bella's failed me. The taste was not all that bad, and I was able to get one of my favorite toppings - eggplant. As in fried, like what you would get for eggplant parmesan. Sounds kinda gross but I promise, it can be soooo good. Bella's did not disappoint on the toppings front. The eggplant, besides being an option which is amazing in itself, was very tasty! Ryan got fresh tomatoes which were equally delicious. However, the pizza ratios were just not right. Not enough sauce, and toooooo much cheese! Like...globs of it. Not good globs. Gross globs. And the crust...oh the crust. The crust is often my favorite part! some pieces had a good amount of crust, other pieces had less than a centimeter of crust at the end :( And the crust, while lightly baked (which I prefer), was pretty tasteless. Same with the sauce. Or maybe, they did have a good flavor, but the cheese was just so overpowering I couldn't taste anything else. Who knows?! It was very frustrating b/c I wanted to like Bella's so much, just for the toppings.

The service was pretty good, our server was a nice, attentive guy. Good on getting us refills. The atmosphere was really nice, very  neighborhood hangout. They have some great specials too that I would like to try - weekday happy hours where you get a free slice with a drink. yum! So Bella's...just kind of your average homey pizza place. I rate it above Fellini's but below say...Giorgio's or Pero's.