A Little About Moi

Just updated my “About” page … thought I would include it here.

Let’s see … I was born in the Central Valley, my parents are teachers, I have a younger sister and I currently live with my boyfriend and two cats in Sacramento. I was born without four teeth to grow in, so I have a fake tooth. I was “diagnosed” with scoliosis in fifth grade and had a spinal fusion in 1996 – so, literally I have a steel spine. I don’t really like children and I can’t ever choose if I like cats or dogs better. I love riding horses – hunter-jumper that I am. My secret dream is to be able to rap. When I was little, my career aspiration, among writer, pilot, nun, movie star and lawyer, was always to be a first lady. My goal is to have my name in a history book. My favorite color is plaid and I cry at those damn SPCA Sarah McClachlen TV ads.

I am a cradle Republican, but grew up with an East Coaster teacher Democrat father (he converted in ’96) and women’s rights journalist mother who’s father was an FBI agent. Both my parents were involved with theater, our Episcopal church, the YMCA and various Cotillion/car party type functions. Needless to say, I grew up in a house divided. I treasure my ability to talk politics with those on opposite sides of the spectrum without getting too emotional. Some of my friends don’t like it when they talk politics, but that’s because they grew up in a world where you didn’t talk politics with people in another party. I refuse to shy away from a reasonable, rational political conversation. It’s exciting, it’s revealing and it’s gratifying. However, there are always some that cannot talk politics and so I stay away from them … they can’t handle the truth, huh?

I am moderate – pro-choice, ambiguous about gay marriage (I believe that government should not dictate that), and not a fundamentalist moralist. Clearly. I live with my boyfriend.

Anyways, I love feedback. Ciao.

We really do exist

Let me be upfront, I am a Republican. Now, before you turn your head and cough, I am a MODERATE Republican. We really do exist.

I hate though, that I have to clarify myself as a MODERATE. Why can’t I just be a Republican? Why do I have to classify myself as non-conservative? The whole conservative movement is a complete discredit to the original Republican ideology.

And let me begin.

I am fiscally conservative, or that’s how they say it out in the “real” world. I believe that fiscal policy should be tight and well, conservative. I hate, HATE looking at my paystub and look at the high amount taken out of my paltry salary for government programs I don’t believe should even be in existence, much less receive that share of money.

And then there is the “liberal” side of me, which I think is total bullshit. It’s not a liberal notion to think that a woman should have the right to choose to keep a fetus or not. I don’t think it’s liberal to say that people could get married to whomever they want to as long as it does not interfere in the safety of others. I don’t think it’s liberal to CONSERVE our environment.

It’s actually very Republican, or at least it to be, to think that there should be less government oversight and that individuals have the freedoms to make personal choices regarding their lifestyle or health. Why aren’t the Democrats – who crave for Big Brother’s galliant entrance – opining for government oversight over reproductive rights? I don’t understand it.

Teddy Roosevelt, the first modern president, was a strong Republican. While he was not always popular with his party, he got things done. He was an environmentalist, a peace activist (mostly a war monger …), socially progressive and a believer in equality – racial and gender specific. He is the model of Republicanism I follow and I thought the Republican party liked to follow. Don’t they always say, “We are the party of Lincoln and Roosevelt!!” at the conventions??

And the fact is that the majority of Californians think like me too! I am no revolutionary. But these fill in the “Independent” box.

The Republicans think Steve Poizner is a good choice for Republican candidate for Governor in 2010. While he is an admirable guy, very smart, very efficient and very skilled, he will not win. No one who has closely aligned himself with the flailing Republican party will win. And don’t get me wrong, I love being a Republican.  I am proud to be a Republican. I will die a Republican. My blood runs red … not Communist red. Republican red. But I will not vote for a conservative Republican. I will not vote for someone who relates to the Religious Right of the Midwest. And I don’t understand why those who think they are progressive want him to win.

He is just another schill for the Young Republicans to get behind, and that is no candidate for me.

I’m personally rooting for Meg Whitman.

But I also rooted (and worked for) Rudy Giuliani. I like the mods … they sometimes, sometimes get places.

Barbie

The Museum will be hosting a book signing for the non-fiction piece by Robin Gerber entitled “Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her.” The book has not been published yet – I am only reading the marketing proof they supplied the Museum staff with.

I LOVE it. The writing is great – very magazine article styled, which some may love and some may hate. I used to not enjoy magazine writing, but Barker is a huge magazine addict, so I have become more accustomed to it.

Anyways, the writing could be crap anyway because the story of Ruth Handler is absolutely amazing. The woman was a true genius (I have yet to get to where she is caught with her hand in the cookie jar) for development and marketing. As someone in the field of communications and marketing, I am enthralled.

But is it is the story of Barbie that I crave. I miss the companionship of Barbie, her plastic body, her big blue eyes and her ability to be anything and anyone I wanted her to be. I get so FRUSTRATED with these feminists and their arguments that Barbie is sexist, unrealistic, and a bad influence for children. I believe these arguments are made by woman who had no imagination as children. I never wanted to look like Barbie (especially because she had blond hair and blue eyes – I was very proud of my brown hair and brown eyes in a family of blondies and blues). I never thought she was a real person with no brain. She was me and I was her. She was courageous, she was creative, she was popular and she was a leader. She had friends (they happened to be trolls and My Little Ponies) and tons of clothes (ok, whatever, I can’t, like Barbie, never have enough clothes).

My favorite Barbie was a red-headed Barbie with green eyes who had originally come in early 90’s rocker gear. Barbie’s hair was not the usual smooth curl, but crimped and wavy, much like my own. She was the only Barbie that looked like me out of the sorority of dolls that looked like my sister. One night, while my parents were out and we were with a babysitter, my sister (still, clearly, have never forgiven her for this) took scissors to my doll. I was hysterical. Why couldn’t she cut a blonde doll?! Why did she have to give a butch haircut to my, MY doll?! It was tragic.

I started discussing my Barbie days with my co-workers. At the table of eight, only three of us believed Barbie was a role model. But then we started talking about our Ken dolls. Well, my mother never bought my sister and I a Ken doll, ever. We “lifted” a Ken from the girl next door. We didn’t think to take his clothes or try to find his lost head. That’s right, our only male amid the fantasy crowd of trolls, ponies, fairies and Strawberry Shortcakes was a naked, beheaded male body. You could take this and run with it in a psychological sense … but I won’t dwell on that now.

Back to Barbie … I don’t remember my first Barbie. I remember my first Barbie car – the metallic pink Chorvetter. Then it was a red Ferrari. Then it was a white and pink topless Jeep Wrangler. My sister had an RV. But that was as far as the accessories went. I don’t remember ever having a Barbie dreamhouse, although I got enough time with my mother’s original (I cringe now thinking of how we destroyed such a collector’s item) dream house and historic Barbies.

I could spend hours ranting and raving over Barbie and my happy memories and hours, HOURS spent make believing I was President of the United States or the queen of a magical fairy land … but I won’t. That would be boring.

But now I want to go out and buy some Barbies. Anyone want to play?

Send me a comment with your favorite Barbie moment.

Hello world!

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to start journaling, blogging, logging and … fighting sensation to say “jogging,” but I won’t.

Well, hello 2009. 2008 was an interesting year for me. I actually kinda, sorta enjoyed it. I had some good luck, I had some bad, but most of all, it made me introspective and it defined in what I believe and what needs to be said.

Who’s to say anyone will read this blog? Not me. I hope that to some degree it will give me space to really hash out my ideas and maybe the small crowd that does read this will find some sort of inspiration or affirmation. As my passion is politics (it’s really neck and neck with history, but that isn’t as blog-worthy), I hope that my posts will attract some debate and conversation.

In the meantime, I need to go wash my hair so I can head over to my friend Nichol’s, so she can cut my hair.

I will get back in a little while.

Hasta luego.

SacGirl