Monday, March 31, 2008

Favorite Dishes

Over the weekend, I attended the wake for Sheleata Kanatuna, the beloved cat of Tim and Tony, who passed away a little over a month ago. As with all wakes, I brought food. A cat-serole, to be precise. That's what the invitation asked I bring.

My cat-serole was a huge hit, so I'm happily sharing the recipe.

Crisp Potato and Bacon Casserole
from Gourmet magazine, October 2004 and reprinted on Epicurious.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb boiling potatoes (3 or 4 medium)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 bacon slices (1/4 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

  1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Generously spray 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish with Pam.
  2. Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Transfer potatoes to a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish and toss with oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Arrange potatoes in 1 layer and scatter bacon on top.
  3. Bake until bacon is crisp and potatoes are cooked through and golden around edges, about 35 minutes. Loosen potatoes with a metal spatula before removing from dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Makes approximately 4 servings.

Notes: Having now made this dish twice, I would say do everything to taste. If you want more rosemary, use it. Personally, I made sure that the entire dish was covered with bacon. When you stir in the bacon at the end, that ensures you will have bacon spread throughout. Finally, I did not use boiling potatoes. I used regular baking potatoes and then Yukon Gold potatoes and both times it was great. This dish was easy and delicious. I will definitely make it again.

_______________________________


Last summer, I was talking to Jason one night when he mentioned to me this little chicken dish he was making himself for dinner. It sounded divine so I begged him to send me the recipe. He did, and imagine my surprise to learn this guy's guy scans the Wall Street Journal for recipes!

Very quickly, the tarragon chicken below has become a regular in my cooking repertoire. I probably make this every other week. It's easy and makes a lot, so I always have leftovers. One tip, like Jason, I prefer to cook the chicken itself on my grill. I start out following the recipe, but do not like to return the chicken to the skillet to just sit in the olive oil and its own fat for 30 minutes. Also, I only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And I have never used white wine vinegar - I've always used tarragon in place of it.

Bistro-Style Chicken with Tomato and Tarragon

Ingredients
3 T olive oil
2 chicken breasts and 2 leg/thighs, on the bone with skin (or a 3 1/2 lb chicken cut up)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 C dry white wine
1/2 C canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, lightly crushed with your hands, juice reserved (I used diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes out of my garden!)
1/4 C tarragon or white wine vinegar
3 T unsalted butter
2 t roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy, nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. When it just beings to smoke, add only enough chicken pieces to fit into the skillet without touching and cook until well browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside while you saute the remaining pieces in batches, if necessary.
  2. When all the chicken has been removed from the skillet, add the garlic to the drippings and saute over medium heat until fragrant but not browned, about 15 seconds.
  3. Add the wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the skillet along with any accumulated juices and boil the liquid until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with about half the juice in the can, the vinegar, and the butter. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through (it should register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes; turn the chicken pieces once or twice during the cooking time and break up the tomatoes with a spoon. The sauce should hold together but still be chunky. (If the breasts are very thick and are not cooked through after 30 minutes, remove the legs from the skillet, cover with a lid and continue to simmer until done.)
  5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the fresh tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken in the skillet or transfer to a platter, topping it with the sauce.

Bon appetit!

It Could Be A Long Season . . .

The Cubs lost Opening Day. To the Milwaukee Brewers. At least Fukudome hit a 3-run homer.

You Dream It, They'll Build It

I know there's a certain amount of cheesiness in this commercial, and yes, it's a complete rip-off of Field of Dreams, but how can you not love any commercial featuring Ernie Banks and Billy Williams?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

The day I've waited for all winter is finally here: Opening Day at Wrigley Field!

Yes, it's raining. Yes, it's been a full century since the Cubs last won the World Series. Yes, the Cubs routinely disappoint us and break our hearts. Yes, we get our hopes up each year only to have them crushed by the All-Star Break.

But next year is here.

I believe 2008 will be filled with Cubs magic and they will win it all. And I look forward to at least one fun-filled sunny afternoon in the bleachers this summer. Of course, I don't have tickets yet, but I'm happy to let anyone take me to a game. Hint. Hint. Hint.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Yes, Hell HAS Frozen Over

Mandatory Disclaimer: I love my dad. He's a pretty cool guy. He introduced me to Watervale, a place I cherish. How could anyone dislike a guy like that? My dad is a good man and wouldn't hurt a fly. He taught me about antiques. He taught me to love the Cubs. Okay, that's actually a fault because that has subjected me to lifetime of continual heartbreak. But did I mention I love my dad?

Okay, now that you know that I love my dad, let me say again: Yes, Hell HAS Frozen Over.

My dad has one major fault: He's a Republican and he always votes. (And, in case you're not sure, I'm not.) In fact, I don't think he's ever met a Democratic candidate he liked. In order to keep family peace, we cannot discuss politics. EVER. But sometimes, I make little jabs. Like telling him that Democrats always vote the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and Republicans vote the next day. He doesn't like that much.

Late this afternoon, we had a fairly quick conversation. As our conversation was concluding, I said, "Dad, you should vote for Obama in the Indiana primary in May." (My dad lives in Indiana, so this is possible.) Now, I said this as a joke because I knew Hell would freeze over before he voted for a Democrat. But his response shocked me. He asked me why he shouldn't vote for Hillary. And he was serious.

So that started a short political conversation.

Ultimately, my dad said that what he wants to happen in the Democratic party is for the whole Obama/Clinton decision to go to the convention in August. And then at the convention for Al Gore to end up with the nomination as a way to bring party unity.

I insisted that would never happen, but my dad insists that Al Gore could win in 2008. Not just the Democratic nomination, but the whole election! My dad believes Al Gore could beat John McCain! (Ed Note: Read the Gore link. It's pretty interesting and has a fun twist that I hadn't thought about previously. I could actually get behind the twist.)

I like Gore. I like him a lot. I really wish he had been our president for the last 8 years, but I won't go down that road right now. I wish he would run again, but I also believe he's done running for President.

Being the smart ass that I am, I asked my dad, why, if Gore was so great and beloved by all, didn't more people vote for him 8 years ago?

My dad said, "they should have."

Yep. My dad, who voted for W twice and never misses an opportunity to punch R on a ballot, now regrets his decision in 2000. He wishes he had voted for Gore.

Me too, Dad. I wish you had too.

You may want to place money on a Cubs World Series victory in October. Hell has officially frozen.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

THIS is "Out Like A Lamb"?

When we were little, we all learned that March "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."

Spring arrived on March 20th and since then, the Chicago Area has been hit with one snow storm and, despite the calendar saying it's March 27th, is about to get hit with more snow.

According to the National Weather Service:

The National Weather Service forecast for today calls for periods of rain and snow, becoming all snow after 1 p.m. The high for today is 37, with northeast wind around 15 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch is possible.

Tonight, there's a 40 percent chance of snow. The low will be around 26. North northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph.

According to forecasters, the total accumulation will be between 1 and 3 inches.
The Weather Channel says that by 3:00pm, Arlington Heights has 100% chance of snow. Yippee.

I don't care how much snow we get, I'm not shoveling.

UPDATE 12:33pm: UUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!!! It's snowing! One of my friends just suggested that I stay in and snuggle under the blankets in front of the fireplace. If I could find the fireplace, that oddly the Cook County Assessors' Office insists I have, I might do that. Except that I have a lot of work to do today, so really, that's not gonna happen. Even if I had a fireplace.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I'm No Longer a Virgin Gardener!

As you will remember, last summer was the first time I played in dirt and experimented with gardening. I grew tomatoes, lavender, irises, primrose and a number of other things. And not to brag, but I was fairly successful. I weeded pretty regularly, did not use nasty pesticides, and did not have pesky critters with the exception of one disgusting tomato bug at the very end of the summer.

This summer, I'm feeling more adventurous and I want to do more food gardening. I have a fairly large area to plant in - two large beds immediately off the patio that get direct sunlight most of the day and a third bed along the back of the house that thanks to a large tree gets mostly shade. In addition to being healthier and fresher than buying veggies from the store, growing my own will help stretch my budget, as I fully expect to start needing to direct deposit my paycheck to Citgo any day now.

Earlier today, Gourmet Goddess posted about the state of the world and mentioned her upcoming gardening projects. This prompted me to ask some gardening questions which prompted her to just do a whole post on gardening.

Newly armed with outstanding gardening advice, I feel confident about my plans for the summer. Of course, that will require that it stop snowing sometime before August.

Thanks for the help Heather! I'll have to have you over for dinner this summer when I have some food from my garden!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Another in the Series: Yes, Jessica is Blonde

A few minutes ago, a friend of mine who only has a cell phone calls me and we're having a lovely conversation. Now, mind you, my friend has had a beer or two prior to calling me.

In the midst of the conversation, I ask "Did you get the text message I sent you earlier?"

He responds, "No, I did not. I don't know where my phone is. I think it's out in my car."

In all seriousness, I tell him, "Well, you better go find it. You wouldn't want to lose your phone."

Without missing a beat, he replies, "You're right. Plus, I don't want my phone sitting out in my car in this freezing weather."

Ten minutes later, we have to end our conversation because his phone battery is about to die. And then it hits us both. He's talking on the one and only phone he has and the one and only phone I sent him a text message on.

We laughed at ourselves for another five minutes. His excuse was two beers. Mine is simply that I'm blonde.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Happy 80th Birthday, Mr. Rogers!

Today is the 80th birthday of the late Fred Rogers.

I wasn't allowed to watch much tv when I was a kid, but Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was always allowed.

In this big, bad world we live in today, it's nice to be able to remember the simplistic truths of this life. Mr. Rogers likes us just the way we are and if we liked everyone just the way they were, without expectation, maybe the world would be a better place.

So in honor of Mr. Rogers and Sweater Days, here are a few YouTube videos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Opening Theme Song, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"



Testifying before the US Senate in 1969 . . .



A rare interview from 1986. . .



This is Mr. McFeely telling us about Sweater Days.



Mr. Rogers' goodbye . . . If you're a true fan of Mr. Rogers, can you really watch this with a dry eye?



And, of course, we can't close this blog post without the traditional closing to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, "It's Such A Good Feeling." I gotta add this one to my iPod. Sorry about the crappy video and the thing at the end . . . you gotta take what you can get on YouTube.

What Breed of Liberal Are YOU?

I found this super cool quiz "What Breed of Liberal Are You?" over on nermal, not normal and of course had to take it immediately. Trust me, you'll love it.

How to Win a Fight With a Conservative is the ultimate survival guide for political arguments

My Liberal Identity:

You are a New Left Hipster, also known as a MoveOn.org liberal, a Netroots activist, or a Daily Show fanatic. You believe that if we really want to defend American values, conservatives must be exposed, mocked, and assailed for every fanatical, puritanical, warmongering, Constitution-shredding ideal for which they stand.

It's Here! We Made It To Spring!

Ah . . . . crisp fresh air. Sunshine. Blue skies. Melted snow. And my calendar says that today is the Spring Equinox. I made it through the endless winter of 2007-2008.

Taking out the garbage this morning, I noticed that the ground was no longer frozen solid. That means I will soon be seeing my tulips popping up. And after that, the hastas will be back. And, of course, the rabbits too. And the perennials plants in my backyard garden, too. I honestly don't even remember what I planted back there. Watching all the plants appear will be like Christmas morning!

It's about to warm. It's not yet warm, but somehow the 32 degrees didn't feel so cold today.

And the Cubs open at Wrigley in 11 days.

As I write this, my neighbor Louise is outside arranging her fake tulips in her rock garden. Really. She put away the fake winter flowers and wooden reindeer and snowmen this morning and brought out the spring flowers. Yes, her rock garden has fake flowers, but the rest of her yard will soon be overflowing with real flowers - rose bushes will line her driveway and there will be too many different types of flowers in the back to name. She must be almost 90, but she'll be out there every morning weeding, planting, watering, and generally tending to her gardens. She inspires me. Seeing Louise outside tinkering is a sure sign that Spring is here.

I know it's supposed to snow tonight and we may get up to 10 inches, but I'm still grateful the calendar says Spring. That means the snow and muck can't last all that long.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

Today marks the 5 year anniversary of our war in Iraq. That's 1827 days. Of course, it has also been 1784 days since Pres. Bush proudly declared "Mission Accomplished" while thrusting his virility in the face of everyone on the planet.

What have we accomplsihed in the last 5 years?

  • 3990 dead American soliders
  • 23,000-100,000 injured American soliders
  • 1,189,173 dead Iraqis
  • spent over $1.3 TRILLION in 5 years
According to Antiwar.com and American Friends Service Committee.

Some might argue that the money we've spent in Iraq could have been better spent. Let's see what else we could have done with that money.

One day in Iraq costs $720 million. According to the American Friends Service Committee:
  • Health Insurance for an adult costs $4,403 per year. $720 Million could cover 163,525 people.
  • The average cost of a new elementary school is $8,497,627. $720 Million could pay for 84 brand new schools.
  • It costs $624 to give a child free school lunches for a year. $720 Million could buy lunch for 1,153,846 kids.
  • An affordable housing unit costs around $111,061. $720 Million could buy 6,482 homes.
  • A year of Head Start costs $7550. $720 Million could open 95,364 new slots.
  • The average cost of renewable electricity for a home is $565/year. $720 Million could pay for 1,274,336 homes to have it.
  • An average school teacher’s salary is $57,000. $720 Million could put 12, 478 new teachers in the classroom.
  • The average cost of a four-year state university is $20,628. $720 Million could put 34,904 students through college.
  • Health insurance for a child costs $1,700 per year. $720 Million could cover 423,529 kids.


I would even argue that if that money were jostling around the US Economy, we might not be in a recession and New Orleans would be rebuilt by now.

Like Barack Obama, I have been against this war from the beginning. And I am saddened by all that could have been, but for this war. Now I'm not arguing that we should have sat idly by after September 11th, but the fact is that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with September 11th, and it seems to me that the Bush Administration knew it. We should have finished what we started in Afghanistan. If we had, maybe we'd have Osama Bin Laden by now. And maybe so many soliders lives wouldn't have been destroyed.

Monday, March 17, 2008

There's Only 3 Days Til Spring . . .

Like Dorothy chanting "there's no place like home" towards the end of The Wizard of Oz (a movie I have never really liked), I find myself chanting "there's only 3 days til Spring" today as I look outside my window to see blowing snow.

All together now, "there's only 3 days til Spring."

Now if only I had some Ruby Slippers to tap together.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Ask A Librarian via Text Message

I don't know if this is a new service or not, but I love it!

Imagine this scenario . . .

It's Friday night and you're having $5 martinis at Francesca's with the girls when someone wants to know the release date of the Sex & The City movie. You say May 30th and your girlfriend insists it's April 30th. A round of Cosmopolitans is hanging on the answer.

What do you do?

Text message the Arlington Heights Memorial Library (during normal business hours, except 9-10pm weeknights)!

Send a message to 265010.

Start your message with ahmlq:[your message]

After that, just send and receive messages as you would normally (no need for the "ahmlq" again).

Tip: Due to message length restrictions, short queries with short answers work best.

Let's get back to the Sex and the City question.

265010
ahmlq: Sex and the City movie release date

And the answer would be . . . May 30th.

Of course, standard text messaging rates apply.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

A Dry Spell

The last few days sitting down to write anything has felt like pulling teeth. Nothing I've started to write has gone anywhere in my head, so nothing got written. It's not even that I've had nothing to say - trust me, I have always have PLENTY to say - it's been more that I've had too much going on in my brain to be able to say anything intelligible.

But today the fog on my brain seems to have cleared.

And I will be back, possibly even later tonight. Definitely by tomorrow.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

What Makes Me Smile!

Last night, I was looking for some old home movies when I came across a large envelope of stuff my mom had saved for me. Inside the envelope, I found a little booklet that I wrote and illustrated when I think I must have been about 10 called "What Makes Me Smile!" Clearly, I have no artistic ability, but it's interesting to me that what made me smile when I was 10 still makes me smile today.

From the booklet "What Makes Me Smile!""

I smile on a warm summer day.

Smiles come from friends.

A rainy day makes me smile.

Holiday's (sic) are delightful.

Going to school gives my face some light.

Going to Florida is something to smile about.

Everybody smiles about a new baby.

I get a smile when [I] get 100/100 on a test.

Calvin Klein's are what I smile about.

Bush on Global Warming

A girlfriend of mine sent this to me a couple of days ago. And damn, it's funny. Enjoy.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Spring Ahead!

Tonight is the night!

Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00am Sunday morning. So if you want to get anywhere on time tomorrow (and not an hour late), turn your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed tonight - there's no need to set your alarm for 2:00, reset all the clocks and then go back to bed. You can do it early. It's okay. And don't forget to reset the clock in your car, like I always do.

One other thing - this is also a great time to replace the batteries in all your smoke detectors. You have more than 1 right? You should. And ideally, if one goes off, they all go off. Smoke detectors save lives.

When I was 10, my house burned down. Everyone was fine, no need to worry. BUT we were fine because we were lucky. The fire happened at 3:30pm, not 3:30am. At the time, we only had one smoke detector and it was back by the bedrooms. The fire started in the garage. After the fire was out, the firemen told my parents that the smoke detector didn't go off until they were on the roof cutting through it with chainsaws in order to to put out the fire. If that had happened at 3:30am, we might not have been so lucky.

So turn your clocks ahead tonight and replace your smoke detector batteries too!

A Public Apology to Santa

Dear Santa,

Evidence was presented to me today in the form of a picture from Christmas 1980, when I was 9, that contrary to my 31-year belief, you in fact, did bring me an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. And thus, I must apologize for my 31-year beef with you.

In my defense, I was on the phone with Mom, searching for pictures of Nana, when I found the unimpeachable evidence and Mom did not recall that you had ever delivered an Easy Bake Oven to me either. That seems like something she'd remember, especially in light of my yearly reminder to her about how I never received it the year you promised it to me when I sat on your lap at age 5 at Marshall Field's.

In light of this discovery, I now retract my snide comment in my letter to you this past Christmas about how I'd forget all about your failure to deliver the Easy Bake Oven if you brought me a Man. No wonder you didn't bring me the Man. You just figured I'd forget all about him, as I evidently did with the Easy Bake Oven.

To be honest, the only reason I can think of for forgetting about the Easy Bake Oven, is that shortly after that, our house burned down and my world was pretty much turned upside down. I realize that's not much of an excuse, but it's the best I've got.

I sincerely apologize if my 31-year vendetta has caused you any ill publicity or feelings. Certainly, that was never my intention. You clearly brought me the Easy Bake Oven and somehow, I did not remember. That is my fault. Not yours.

I promise to leave you extra cookies and milk this Christmas to try to make up for my egregious transgression.

But now that I've apologized and all is good between us again . . . Can we please talk about that Man I'm still waiting for? Seriously, it's March and he still hasn't arrived. I'm REALLY not getting any younger.

Love,

Jessica

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

Has anyone but me been feeling the eerie similarities between the selection of the 2008 Democratic Candidate for President and The West Wing election in 2005/06?

Evidently, it's no coincidence. And I love it.

This video is rich with many of my three favorite things:

Bradley Whitford, Jimmy Smits, Barack Obama, The West Wing, and real politics.

Monday, March 3, 2008

"Vantage Point" - Movie Review

Dave and I wanted to see a movie on Saturday night, and as usual, we had difficulty choosing. It's not because there are so many movies we're eager to see, but rather a "guy taste" vs. a "girl taste" thing. I wanted something that was feel-good or funny and he wanted an intellectual thriller.

He suggested Vantage Point, but immediately said I would hate it. Not knowing anything about it, I quickly Googled it and learned that it was a political drama/action movie. Toss politics into a movie and I can get behind it quickly.

Vantage Point had all the ingredients for a good movie: all-star cast (Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker, and Sigourney Weaver), politics, and possibly intriguing subplots.

Unfortunately, this movie can be summed up in less than one sentence: 1 scene repeated 5 times and a car chase. It felt very Groundhog Day-ish, without the life lessons and without the enjoyment.

This was one of those movies I figured out within the first 5 minutes and did not spend the next 85 minutes enjoying the journey of how I reached my conclusion. It was unfortunate because there were some true possibilities for intriguing subplots. None of them was explored, however.

The best part of the movie came about 2 minutes into it (the first time) when the President of the US (played by William Hurt) is entering the Spanish plaza and the streets are lined with protesters. Anti-American signs were everywhere and I turned to Dave and said "did you just see the anti-W sign that just flashed?" and he saw it too.

My recommendation is to skip this movie, although Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox were some yummy eye candy.

UPDATE 3/25/2008: Tim and Tony saw Vantage Point on Easter and enjoyed it. Tim even reviewed it in a post called "Vantage Point Counter Point." So hop on over to Balancing Boyfriends and read it.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

We Are The Ones

Will.I.Am keeps knocking them out of the ballpark.

Enjoy!

The We Are The Ones Song
by will.i.am

people say Obama’s words are just words...
but...
when was the last time "words" weren’t important...???...

when was the last time a great leader didn’t use words to lead...??...
when was the last time a person didn’t use words to describe how they felt...?...
when was the last time "words" weren’t empowering...?...

and we can all recall the last time "words" were used to divide us and install fear...

Bush used words to fear us into voting for him the second time around...
terror this...
terror that...
nuclear here...
weapons of mass destruction there...

and those words effected a lot of people’s choices...

"enough is enough"...
let’s rebuild...

let’s change ourselves...
let’s allow positivity to guide us...

let's take action....
let’s activate our passion...
we are Americans....

and this is the first time in forever that someone running for president represents "US"...

some say this is all excitement...
I call it “proud to be an American”...

some say this whole Obama movement is "cult like"...
well...
if it comes across cult like...
then...
the cult is called America...

the Obama movement is connecting America.
and it has made "US" realize our importance...
the youth is excited and activated...
adults are passionate and motivated...
the elderly are proud to know the country they built is in safe hands...

we are one...

for too long politics has been corrupt...
separate from the American people...
with agendas that go against what the American people "need"...
education...
health...
safety...
jobs
etc...

politicians have spoken a different language...
making it so the youth and poor people feel as if voting was only for the wealthy and old people...
making "US" feel as if "we" had no voice...
making "US" feel powerless...
making it feel like if "we" did vote it wouldn’t change anything...

but wait...
that did happen...
some of us voted, and it didn’t change anything...

we were in the dark...
we had no voice...
we were powerless...

because America was not a united America...
and "they" spoke a different language...
and they had an agenda different from our well being...

correct me if I’m wrong... or speak up if I’m missing something...

we want education, health, safety, and good jobs...right???...
oh yeah...
and "a healthy planet to live on"...

but here we are...

in a war... poor education... poor health programs... the dollar is down... the planet, polluted...
the rich, richer... and the poor, struggling...
with sky high gas prices to top it all off...

and now even the rich aren't really rich internationally because our dollar is has fallen so far down...

in our slumber... a very small few got really rich...

because when you’re sleeping...

"it’s hard to change agendas"...

we know what happened in 2000 and 2004...
but in 2008...
it’s different...

we are awake...
and there is a movement...

and "it’s hard to change a movement"...

last time "we" didn’t have a movement...
America wasn’t united...

and now "United and "Standing"...for something...
we know the power of "US"...
and we have a person who represents the "U.S."...

"US"…

"we are the ones we’ve been waiting for"...

I’m proud to be an American...

will.i.am