is it over yet?

well, here we go again. election season has snuck up on the american citizens like a final exam you didn't study for. although, it feels as though obama and mccain have been running for the past hundred years and we finally get to decide the lesser of two evils. those who know me- know i'm not into politics- but in the same breath, i don't like being told i'm a hypocrite or racist because of whom i may or may not support. there have been many conversations over the past few weeks, which i would have gladly exited, where i was boldly called a racist to my face because i do not support obama. my lack of support for this candidate has NOTHING to do with the color of his skin, his middle name, his religious upbringing, or what side of the bed the man sleeps on- because honestly- i don't care about it. i hear the rumblings, "how can the leader of the free world have an islamic upbringing?" well, probably the same way one of the highest regarded leaders of said free world had numerous sexual encounters (in the oval office none the less) and managed to still be catalyzed as a hero of the little people. (pun not intended) personally, and i know this goes against my upbringing in that a christian leader is the best leader, i think religious diversity can be a positive thing. america is said to be predominately a christian or "God-centric" country- and i'm 199% for God- but with the growing numbers of buddhists, muslims, mormons, agnostics, and even scientologists- i think a diverse leader can be good. because obama might have a muslim upbring doesn't make him a terrorist or side him with the terrorists- seriously? way to jump from, "janie has a jump rope" to "janie's got a gun". i don't understand the rational to it. having said that and stated before that i don't support obama- i'm not a big fan of mccain. however, i like my taxes to stay low, i like to save unborn children as best i can, i don't believe in unneeded programs which can easily be taken advantage of, no socialized medicine or socialization at all. so, i'm technically voting more for what i'm against rather then what i am for.

i'm not a republican. i'm not a democrat. i'm not an independent. i'm not a green, peace, whatever party. i'm an american citizen and i'm tired. if i don't vote for the black man, i'm not a racist. if i'm not a republican, doesn't mean i'm not a christian. the two are not one in the same. i don't care who you vote for- just vote. and vote with an educated vote. not because of the sex of the running mate, the color of someones skin, someones religion, or the better candidate for the SNL cast to emulate. vote on the issues that will effect the country- that's what this whole process was originally set in motion for. use it for the right reasons- and turn off the tv, google the candidates, and you might just be surprised. probably not- but you just might.

goodness i'll be happy when november is over.

hard day.

today we had to put mollie to sleep. 14 years of nothing but love.

Wise words from a favorite family member:

Don't forget that you don't have to just do ONE thing in life. Get certified, educated in one area...keep moving. Just find a place to be launched and go for the gold! LIfe is exciting. You can transition as you go.

I needed to hear that.

front load on these questions...

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead?

Why do banks charge a fee for 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?'
Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

And my FAVORITE ...
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you

well, i haven't posted anything since last april. i guess in the blogging community that would be something short of a betrayal. alas, i am here again. many things have happened, both good and horrid, but that is in the past. so- onto something new and fun...i, katherine parker, am going to try my hand at something completely different then anything i've ever attempted. however, i will not disclose that information at the present time. my time and energy will be placed in this project as much as i can, and when i reach the point where i feel i've done the project justice- i will pursue more. ahh...the excitement looms.

and you wonder why...

i'm in awe. shock and awe. today was my "lounge" day. the one saturday i reserved to do nothing but stay in my comfortable clothes and paint. i mark these days on my calendar, since usually at this time of the year i am frantically trying to write the oodles of papers i pushed back or studying for the one last test professors love to insert right before finals. i value the days where i can just sit with my ipod fully charged with my favorite tunes and paint up a colorful storm. today that didn't happen, well...it hasn't happened yet. no, because i turned on the television. (this is where the shock and awe happened) i turned to vh1 and there was this show on it about child pageants, sort of a "behind the scenes" of these events. they follow a group of families around video taping their prep and planning it takes to participate. i was disgusted. these four and five year old girls were getting mystic tans. FIVE YEARS OLD! i'm twenty one and those things scare the hell out of me. these girls spend hours and hours of their childhood time learning dance routines. they call it Pro-AM. it's supposed to be a modelling while dancing act. these girls are dressed in their sequined belly baring neon green dance outfits and strike these poses. the director of Pro-AM said the girls always want to dance like they do in the music videos, like britney spears and christina aguilera. ok, being of stable feminist mind- i must say that i have watched the videos they are referring to over the course of my young life and i must say that 3/4 of the time i feel like i should have gotten an STD just watching it. what are these girls doing watching that crap at 6 years old?! like hell i'll let my kids watch that!! what sort of role models are these children getting?! the mothers are the toppers of it all though. living vicariously through your just out of diapers daughter is something i should be able to do a case study on when i get into graduate school. i might actually look into that. i don't know what it's been about me on my high horse...but this was just like rubbing sand paper on an open nerve. i guess it could be because one of my best friends matthew works with internet crimes against children. so, i am updated weekly on the arrests he's made relating to soliciting minors over the internet. he has a myspace page dedicated to it. (www.myspace.com/icacla) so, these mothers are, in a way, sticking their daughters out in this arena even more. one of my favorite movies, "little miss sunshine", deals with many of these child pageant issues. girls under the age of 8 who look like they should be my peers. i love the moral behind that movie and how the family deals with it. ALSO- they had the scary creepy man who sat by himself to watch it. (enter child predator here) nuts! and, i'm not saying all pageants, or even all child pageants are evil and we should do away with them. kids like to have the spot light. they are little hams for attention. but, is it wise to stick your child in a skin tight mini skirt and tube top, with hair almost a foot high, make up you should be able to pop off like a mask, and fake teeth shaking her 6 year old behind to "hey ya" by outkast?! honestly!! i'm just completely revolted and confused.

seriously. case study. i see that being in my dissertation.

prayers.

my heart and prayers go out to the students, faculty, and families of those who were part of the horrible tragedy today. my thoughts are consumed, my eyes fight tears, and my heart aches for them.