Merrrrry Christmas!

...and a happy New Year- but I'll get to that later :)

Mac vs. PC

TomTom ONE

Gone are the days of using maps! I have three Christmases this time of year- one with my dad's side of the family, one with my parents and brother, and one with my mom's side of the family- in Florida. One of the presents that my dad received (which is really kindasorta a family gift) at His side of the family's Christmas, which was yesterday, is the TomTom ONE- a GPS. It comes with easy to use software that lets you customize your TomTom, including adding more voices. They've got a few pre-installed, but with just a click, you can add voices that speak Mandarin, Norsk, Italian, and even Suomi. (whatever that is!) Right now I've got English (UK) on default, but I'm considering switching to Irish... :)

Christmas in reverse?

I hear SO much about "The Reason for the Season," that being Jesus's birth, and I'm reminded not to focus on the physical things, and look to the spiritual and unseen gifts Christmas brings. But honestly, I'm going to go out on a limb, and lay my head on the execution block for a minute.

Maybe the physical parts of Christmas not only bring the holiday to life, but actually participate in what makes the season truly special. If somebody tells me "Happy Holidays," I'm not planning to have a stroke and say, "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS!" No. I'll say, "Oh, you too!" *insert smile and polite nod here* You wanna know why? Because I'm a rebel. and there ARE more holidays than just Christmas around this time... Anybody remember Winter Solstice (No, not another way of saying Merry Christmas or Happy New Years- it ACTUALLY EXISTS) or Kwanzaa? (It's a CULTURAL holiday, people! NOT religious!) How about New Years?
My favorite part of "The Holiday Season" is being with my family- and opening presents. I can sound as selfish, self-centered and physically-focused as you want, but somebody is giving ME a present that they think I'll enjoy-(Most of the time I do!) They've thought about me, and expressed it through their wallets! I've also been given the opportunity to give them a little luxury... With the economy how it is, even the smallest things that can bring a smile to a face and a little extra light to the eyes is worth every penny. I also love the physical travel aspect. Having been bitten by the travel bug many moons ago, any excuse to explore the world, I'll take. There is something about sitting the the car for 12 hours to be with people who want to hug the breath out of you no matter how bad and "travelled" you smell, that makes me smile. There are those moments of pure bliss when you're all playing a card game and you're dealt the PERFECT hand, so you go out, leaving the other 8 family members seething and plotting your demise while you bask in the victory limelight. Wait- did I just find myself admiring not so much the physical, but the emotional and spiritual aspects we are gifted with this time of year? Maybe I'm really a circle enthusiast at heart, and my mind just seeks that well rounded balance. Well, whatever the meaning of my day dreaming, don't forget the reason for the season, and make holiday giving a way of living. (Somebody stop me before I turn into Dr. Seuss!)

Baby Hippo UPDATE

Her name is now Lola- (I love choosing the winner!) :)

Name the baby hippo!

Born November 13th in an English zoo, the latest addition to the family, a female pygmy hippo is now looking to the world to give her a name. Check out the options, the details, and vote on your favorite name: LoKo, Kadina, Zimmi, or Lola (my choice) here. Polls close Friday, December 12th.

"Doubt is the beginning, not the end of wisdom." - proverb

It's outrageous. Apparently, there will be no investigation of President Elect Obama's American citizenship. To join the armed forces, you must present a birth certificate- but to become the most powerful man in the world- in charge of that same military, you can simply say that you were born in the US?!?!? I can promise you that if a Republican were in that same position, there would be an investigation. Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that the time for change has come- not that it's anybody's fault, but the world itself has changed, and we need a new strategy for this era. Yet, if this is the kind of change we're going to have, give me a time machine!

I've given in!

I must admit, that this weekend I sat down and read Twilight- I finished it (the first book) last night and am in the middle of New Moon right now. *insert guilty look here* I've constantly heard mixed reviews, from people who said they really liked the books, people who said that everything was too perfect (I'm not really seeing that as much- I mean, yeah, they all have pretty fantastic lives, but also have a HUGE price to pay for the way that they exist) and then there are the ones dead (haha, no pun intended) set against it. Right now I'm kind of in the middle. As a Harry Potter fan, I've always had a sense of... (shall I say balance?) about these things- and I'm not as bothered by magic, witches, wizards, spells, vampires, etc. I see them as characters in a persons imagination, poured out onto paper for other people to read. I'm not denying that some of these things exist, and I have to be cautious. But as a writer, I know how simple it is to randomly create a character, not even based off a real experience and give them a life. Essentually, if I read something that I feel convicted about, I'll stop reading (with God's help- who do you think I am? Superwoman!? :P) but so far my alarm system has not gone off for the Twilight series, and I really hope it doesn't.

Sorry to be so crass-

But we're screwed. Apparently the news of the hour is that leaders in Congress have agreed on the auto bailout plan-that the bailout would include billions in short-term loans, which could prove disastrous in our hurting economy. I cannot even begin to say that I have the solution, but I don't think that bailing out the Automotive industry is the way to go. We'll see what happens, I suppose :/

I'm baaaaack!

So what have I been blogging lately? I have had three blogs in the last two months that have more than occupied my time. The first and most time consuming is my Puppy Blog, which is following my three puppies- (Now we're down one, but if you know of anybody who wants one of the other two, drop me an email!) Secondly, I went on a Student Action Team with Generation Joshua for the campaign of Ric Keller, and wrote about my journey through this blog. Third, (and most recently) I worked on the campaign for Saxby Chambliss (you would not believe how many times I heard people call him Zaxby!), which you can read about here. So rest assured (you lone reader) that my time neglecting YDE has been well occupied!

Sarah Palin

As much fun as this blog is (and will be)I've decided to start up an exclusive Students for Palin blog- and want to devote my time to that. Your Daily Espresso will be put on hold for awhile, but I promise to come back eventually!

Review: Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is a book about a girl named Tally who lives in an extremely technologically advanced culture in a futuristic world. In Tally's world, when a person becomes sixteen, they are given an operation that essentially turns them "pretty". Tally is looking forward to her operation until she meets a girl named Shay, who tells her about a group of rebels- outcasts who escape to a colony called Smoke, and don't have the operation. Tally is intrigued, but stays back home and awaits her operation; Shay goes to Smoke, giving up hope that Tally will join her. Tally is actually in a waiting room before her operation when a "special" comes and takes Tally back to HQ for questioning. They give her two options: find Smoke and alert them with a sensor hidden in a necklace , or never become pretty.

E.L.F. Cosmetics

Elf (Eyes Lips Face) is a company I ran into just a few years ago- their goal is to sell good quality cosmetics without impacting your budget. Boy have they! The large majority of their products are $5 or less- most of them with a $1 pricetag. They sell a line of mineral makeup, as well as nail polish, lipstick, face powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, bubble bath, makeup brushes, tweezers, eyelash curlers(even false eyelashes!) and so much more. The best part? No animal testing, and they're PETA approved.

WISH LIST! Amazon Kindle

This is one of THE coolest gadgets ever. It's the Amazon Kindle, an electronic book reader. My uncle bought one and was away when it arrived, so I was able to sign for the package and try it out for a week before I shipped it to him. My thoughts? AMAZING! The Kindle's screen is specially designed to allow you to read in direct sunlight. You can upload music to listen to while you read, and go online for FREE nearly anywhere you get cell service. One of the best websites I found for use with the Kindle was Project Gutenberg. I was able to download Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and other classics, and there are thousands more that are avaliable on their website(click Project Gutenberg.) I found that a couple of the buttons were inconveniently placed- I accidentally hit forward or backwards numerous times, but after a few days I was able to speed through whatever I was reading. If you're a reader, whether it's books, newspapers, blogs or email, it's worth the hefty $359 price tag.

Excerpt from John McCain's newsletter

"My Friends,

I am honored to announce that I have chosen Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as my choice for the Republican nominee for Vice President. As a father with three daughters, I can't express how proud I am to choose the first female Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.

Sarah Palin is a trailblazer and a reformer. As the first female governor of Alaska, she challenged a corrupt system and has been a tireless advocate for reform - passing a landmark bill on ethics reform. She has taken on the old politics in Alaska and reformed the state's energy industry. She rejects wasteful pork barrel spending. She's fearless - exactly the type of leader I want at my side and the type of leadership we will bring to Washington.

My friends, together Sarah Palin and I make the strongest presidential ticket and I know that she joins me in asking for your support as we head into our Convention week in Minnesota. We're shaking things up in this campaign - and Governor Palin and I are ready to bring real reform to Washington."

Visit Johnmccain.com for the full details.

Governor Sarah Palin

YES YES YES!!!! If there were any doubts that this would be a historic election, there are no more doubts now! (Taken from her Wikipedia Page)

"Sarah Louise Heath Palin is the current Governor of Alaska and the presumptive 2008 Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States. She will be the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing the Republican Party and the second female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major political party. Palin was born in Idaho and raised in Alaska. In 1984, she was the runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, receiving a scholarship that allowed her to attend the University of Idaho, where she received a degree in journalism."

Is that awesome or what! She's got beauty, brains and a degree in Journalism. ROCK ON! CONTINUING

"After working as a sports reporter at an Anchorage television station, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected mayor of Wasilla (population 5,470 in 2000) in 1996, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2002. Palin was elected Governor of Alaska in 2006 on the theme of governmental reform, defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary and former Democratic Alaskan governor Tony Knowles in the general election. She gained attention for publicizing ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders. Sarah and her father would sometimes wake at 3 a.m. to hunt moose before school, and the family regularly ran 5 km and 10 km races.^[4]

Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors, in Wasilla, Alaska, when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982; she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play.^[4] She played the championship game despite a stress fracture in her ankle, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds.^[4] Palin, who was also the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes, would lead the team in prayer before games.^[4]

In 1984, after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, Palin finished second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant^[5] which won her a scholarship to help pay her way through college.^[4] In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics. She married her high school sweetheart, Todd Palin, on August 29th, 1988, and briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband.^[4] Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She hunts, eats moose hamburger, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane.^[13][51] Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association."

You can see the entire page here.