Happy Election Year! My Politiblog Post

Hello friends. Welcome to this segment of my blog called Happy Election Year.

Forewarning: This is MY blog. It's MY opinion. I know that not everyone will agree, and that's totally cool. I will still love you if you think I'm crazy.

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you probably notice that I post a lot of anti-Trump memes. Mostly, I just find them hilarious because I just can't take the guy seriously. Don't mistake that for feminism or a powerful support of Hillary, although a teeny tiny part of me is all "Ya Ya Sisterhood, vagina monologues, you go girl"! A very tiny part.

My current ideas about the election started when Obama ran. I liked him. But I think a lot of that election was emotion-fueled. Many people wanted the first black president. It was the principle of the thing. And it happened, and they blamed him for everything that was left to him. (BTW, it happens to Every. Single. President. They always get crucified for what gets left behind by their predecessor.) In my opinion, I might not agree with everything that something like Obamacare represents, but I respect the fact that he tried to do something. He took action. When my husband and I get too idle for too long he likes to say "Let's do something even if it's wrong." (This leads to some hilarious/infuriating home improvement projects that rarely get finished or get thrown together to look finished. This is my life, folks.)

So I noticed in the last elections that there was a little less emphasis on the topics and a little more discussion of race. Emotional voting.

The thing that troubles me about this election is that every time I have tried to tune in to debates, read articles online, etc., I'm not hearing the important stuff-the political issues that are important to me. I've eventually figured it out, with a lot of digging; there are clues and hidden places where you can find out what each person represents. I highly recommend this quiz at the isidewith website to help you figure out who you're most compatible with in terms of the issues. It turns out I'm about a 98% match with Jill Stein. I don't really know her, but I'm trying to learn more about her.

So much of the debates are just pointing fingers, picking out negatives, poking fun or harassing the opposition.... It's too much of a circus for me to take seriously. Talk about the things I want to hear from you!!! I don't care about how you feel about what the other person is doing wrong. Talk to me about what every single voter is thinking when they are watching you: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME?

Some of my political standings are a little lackadaisical at best, and others I'm fiercely strong-minded about. Basically, here's the gist on the major stuff:

Abortion: I think women's bodies are theirs and the government has zero right to tell us what's okay to do or not do to them. I don't think it should be used as a means of birth control, so possibly psychological evaluation after each one should be considered, but that's not my problem to solve. I think the only involvement the government should have is to NOT make it illegal. I'm not even asking them to fund abortion clinics or anything, just don't make it so hard that women are putting their lives in danger. Men are not controlled in any way in the reproduction category, so think on that.

Environment: I think we should be able to find, institute and maintain sustainable and reusable fuel and energy. We owe it to the Earth. It's only going to put up with our bullshit for so long before it floods us off.

Guns: I think there should be lots of background checking and verifications to own guns and ammunition. If you deserve to have a gun, you should have nothing to hide. I don't think the public should have access to military grade weapons, period. You are not fighting in a war. A little handgun will kill a burglar just as easily as a machine gun. Let's not get excessive.

Global policing: Stop it. Mind ya bizness.

Healthcare: Don't make people have it. Either provide it free or let them choose whether or not to even have it. Let them choose who provides them with it and how much they pay for it. Jeez, fining people for NOT having insurance only makes them grumpy. Then we get candidates like Hillary and Donald.

Education: GET RID OF COMMON CORE BEFORE I DIE. Literally, common core will be the death of me.

Criminal Justice: People: Stop being stupid and committing crime. Police: Stop shooting people.  I mean really. It's that easy. Also, don't judge anyone based on their color or social status.....white male college swimmers, ya'll.

Healthcare/Science/Environment: Find and/or release the damn cure for cancer, Type 1 Diabetes and all immune diseases already. You can put a guy on the moon? You can create hover boards and phones that catch fire? We turn old dinosaur shit into gas that runs our cars for crying out loud! (Okay, I know that's not exactly how it works, but there's a point in there.) There's a million amazing things that humans can do, and they still can't find better treatment or cures for chronic diseases? Bullshit. Stop spending money on stupid shit and save your fellow humans.

Oh yeah, and gay people should just be "people". All the same rules, rights and regulations as everyone else.


Really, those are the main things I care about. Now, on to the candidates.

Kristy, why are you so tough on Donald Trump??
Good question. Here's my answer:
He's an affront to all women and any man who loves a woman. Boy banter doesn't generally offend me, and I don't consider myself an extreme feminist, but I do think the way a man regards a woman says a lot about his character. Being a man in a position of power (which he obviously was at the time of the recordings, because why would anyone bother to record some Joe Schmoe otherwise?) he should carry himself in such a way with other people that is upstanding and respectable. You may think it's hypocritical to hold him to a different standard than other men because of his guy talk, but that's right, dammit, I am. He wants to be the freakin president! People love that he's so blunt, and believe me, I'm the girl for brutal honesty, but he's not the guy I want representing me to the rest of the world.

ALSO: STOP ACTING LIKE RAPE CULTURE IS NOT A THING. It is. And it starts with boy banter and cocky machismo.

He lacks a sense of decorum that I find to be an important trait as President. Think about this: Would you want him talking so tactlessly in a major war negotiation? Bend over and kiss your ass goodbye then because it'll be 9/11 non-stop.

Another thing that disturbs me is how violent his rallies were. Why was he so aggressive with people? Why is it okay that he made fun of that reporter? Everyone brushed it off and I'm over here like, WTF? This is the guy you want as your leader? Puh-lease.

During the second debate, I saw the way Donald got when talking about war. He was a little too excited, like a little kid getting his first BB gun. My fear is that he will become President and then want to play war with the US resources. He's a warmonger.

**UPDATE WITH FACTS: 
According to the Times: "Trump has had many different stances on abortion over the years. In 1989 he held a pro-choice fundraiser, in 1999 he said he was pro-choice but “hates it,” and he didn’t declare himself anti-abortion until he began to toy with running for president in 2011. He doubled down on his anti-abortion stance after he announced his candidacy in 2015, and even went so far as to suggest that women should have “some form of punishment” for seeking abortion, before walking those comments back. He supports outlawing abortions but allowing exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother."

Here on heavy.com Trump's called out for his treatment of women. There are direct quotes from him and facts about how he treats them.


Bottom line: I don't trust him. I don't respect him. He scares me.



Kristy, why don't you ever talk about Hillary or make fun of her??
Oh, I do. I laugh at lots of jokes about Hillary. I don't post many memes about her on FB because there aren't many and I think Trump just makes it so dang easy to make fun of him.

I will most likely vote for her because I'm feeling the "lesser of the two evils" vibe that often happens at elections, and I'm afraid to vote for another candidate (such as Jill Stein) because I want Trump to win less than I want Hillary to.

I see a lot of people laying a lot of intense stuff on Hillary's shoulders. The email thing I get, and that is one of the main reasons I'm not a fan. It's a trust issue. But assuming she "let people die" and saying that she's no better than Trump because of what her husband did.... He got impeached, people. He had consequences. And Hillary is not Bill. People often assume that just because two people are married, they are one and the same on all issues. My marriage proves that is NOT the case. My husband and I disagree on all sorts of political stuff. It keeps things spicy.

Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to her because her campaign has run more quietly and under the radar, but seeing her at the debate made me like her a little better. She was poised, she was patient with Trump, and she answered the questions clearly. She's classy, and I feel less afraid of her representing me than Trump.

Bottom line: I don't really trust her. I do, however, respect her demeanor and how she handles people. I wouldn't be afraid to let her represent me to the world.



What we're seeing here is a STRONG need to have a woman president. Do we like Hillary or do we just want a woman president that badly? Emotional voting.

Being an American, especially right now, is tough. We have a lot on our plates, and a lot to think about with these two. As much as I'd love to wipe the slate and start fresh, unfortunately that's not an option. I hope they start taking this a little more seriously and think more outside of themselves. I'm not seeing a whole lot of them seeking to help their fellow Americans.

What it really comes down to is what is important to you. Which candidate really supports the things that make you passionate? I have no interest in converting anyone to my point of view. I've lost interest in the two of them since it has become more like a reality TV show than an actual election.

So in conclusion, I mainly have two goals for this election: I hope whoever gets elected doesn't make me feel embarrassed to be an American and I hope that whatever they decide to do during their term doesn't interfere with mine or my family's well-being. Hey, what do you know? Embarrassment and hope. Emotional voting.


Bottom line: Who's up for hibernation until November 2020?

I am not strong today.

I am not strong today.

Being a primary caregiver to a child with Type 1 Diabetes is hard, I don't think anyone would argue that. I do my best not to complain, not to let it overcome me. Some days that's impossible.

Today is 4 days with little sleep. Night one was drastic lows. Nights 2-4 were big highs and adjusting insulin constantly. With his monitor alarming me every time he was above or below certain numbers, then working all day... it made for a difficult week. 

Yesterday I started a bad head cold (one of the "pros" on my pro/con list of homeschooling-no more foreign germies!!). Stress and lack of sleep mess with my immune system, and basically 100% of the time stress manifests itself as colds or body aches and pains for me.

Today is a bad day. Not every day is like this, and it won't always be like this, but today is a bad day.

For me, lack of sleep is also the main trigger of my depression and anxiety. If I get my 7-9 hours every night, I'm good to go and rarely suffer from them. But this week has been anywhere from 3-5 hours solidly any of those 4 nights. So I took a sick/mental health day. Today I'm holed up in my bedroom, in my jammies, cuddling the kittens, eating snacks (both healthy and then not so much healthy) and watching shows and writing and crying at toilet paper commercials. I've had much worse days of depression and much MUCH worse days of anxiety. But it's still not any fun.

Tomorrow will be a better day, and most likely the next too. And some time, probably soon, I will have a bad day again. But it's not always going to be bad. Once in a while I just have to eat crap food and watch a Sister Wives marathon and think how wonderful it is to have only one husband and one child and how that is more than enough to keep me busy. 

So I apologize for not being a good friend today. I'm sorry for shortened conversations, lack of interest in you and lack of communication in general. Not every week will be like this one, I promise!

Today is a bad day. I will allow myself to have a bad day. It makes me appreciate the good days that much more.

Making a comeback!!!

Well guys, it's been over a year since I posted because, well, life and stuff.

Since I last posted, the last book of the series The Phoenix Project by M.R. Pritchard was edited and sent off. Resurrection was a work of love, and complete and total heartbreak, like when you read the last Harry Potter book. I'm so sad to see that series end, but M.R. is alluding to a spin-off which would just please me to bits.

Also, just a vent/warning: I've had a horrible run-in with an online publishing group. I was looking for more editing work, and they were very unprofessional. The Association of Independent Publishing Professionals (aipponline.org) don't tell you up front that even if you pay the $170 fee to become a member, they can still reject you if they don't like your profile. Their website is difficult to navigate, and the spot where they say that you need to have a professional website is buried many clicks deep to get to anything. Then they keep a $20 "application" fee, and refund the rest if they decide you don't fit in their clique. Needless to say, I sent a nasty email. Lesson learned.

You'd think that with a year having gone by, I'd have lots to discuss, but really I just want to jump back into the habit of writing. Not to mention, life really has just been helping at my husband's shop and taking care of little Mr. T1D. (My 9-year-old son with diabetes) I'm hoping to write again, maybe even pick up the book store series again and finish that up. I have some other ideas in the works, but I truly am more of a behind-the-scenes chick, so we'll see what happens!

Keep on writing friends. It's good to be back.
-K