Edgy Mama

More of my photos of the crowd outside the Sarah Palin rally here and here.

I don’t have a photo of myself, unfortunately, as I realized the next day that I was dressed just like Sarah Palin. I’d dressed a bit more conservatively than usual in order to move through the crowd easily. So both of were wearing too long dark demin jeans, long-sleeved white Tees and black blazers. We both had on our smart girl glasses and beaded dangly earrings. So what does this mean?

Here’s my weekly column for Mountain Xpress.

So what are your kids wearing on Halloween this year?

More on zombies, Sarah Palin, and my clothing choices soon.

New article about Obama and North Carolina in The Nation.

A number of folks noticed this afternoon that both the Manifest Obama video (I posted it last week here) and website had disappeared. I’d received a nice note about the video from Lauren Rosenfeld, one of its creators (see comments), so I e-mailed Lauren and her husband, James, to find out what happened.

Here’s their response:

Anne,

Thank you so much for your kind support of Manifest Obama.  We took it down because it was no longer serving its intended purpose of watering the seeds of peace and positive focus amongst supporters.
We were at 23,000 views around dinnertime last night, and things had been going well – lots of very nice, very positive feedback from supporters.  But then we started noticing a huge spike in traffic (an additional 20,000 views by this morning) and experienced an overwhelming number of very troubled & troubling comments, both on the video and on outside blogs.  When we learned this morning that Glenn Beck had mentioned the project in a negative light on his show, we realized that we were catalyzing & provoking exactly the opposite of what we wanted.  So we pulled the plug swiftly.

Though it was perhaps a disappointing ending, we feel the project served its purpose.  Everything is impermanent!    We were so happy and grateful for your comments and other comments from similar supporters.  We will all continue to stay positive and proactive, continue to focus on bringing peace & prosperity to everyone in this nation & the world.  We will continue to recognize and transform the suffering we see around us, even & especially in those who disagree with us.  We will continue to work towards the day when Obama, an exceptional and inspiring leader, takes the oath of office.  Thank you for all your support!!

Many blessings,
James & Lauren

Thank you, James and Lauren, for providing hope in a positive manner. As I mention in my post below, I often attract haters as well, and I know how icky it feels. At least on this blog, I can moderate comments and refuse to post anything that I think is rude, bitter, inappropriate, or worse. I guess y’all had no such recourse on YouTube, which is unfortunate. I think, regardless of controversy, you’ve got to keep putting your truth out there. Perhaps we’ll get to see the Manifest Obama video back up on November 5th.

(I initially wrote this because one of the first things I told the bloggers in my class last weekend was to examine their motives for writing and blogging. I figured I’d better examine mine first. I know this will anger more of you–hell, the closer the election gets, the more hate mail I receive. BTW, NObamaDave, what’s your real e-mail address? Despite the consequences, I believe it’s my role as a writer to put it out there, so here goes…)

I write because my thoughts emerge sharper and clearer through my fingertips than from my mouth.

Writing is how I make sense of the world. Writing is how I examine, explore, and dissect what I don’t understand, what scares me, what confuses me, and what gives me joy. Writing is how I figure out what I really think and feel about things—from talking to my kids about sex to why yoga pants rock to surviving my kindergartner’s first day of school.

Although I would write regardless of who might be reading, I’m lucky to have an audience—you readers who come back week after week, for a laugh and the feeling that you’re not alone in your parenting challenges.

Yet, with an audience comes added responsibility. While my primary goal has been to give you a chance to giggle with me at the absurdity of raising kids, lately I’ve realized I also have a responsibility to tell the truth as I see it, even when that truth’s not funny. I also have the responsibility to offer you words that sometimes transcend—words that create a picture, provide an insight or make you think.

Thus, while I’m happy to oblige with my weekly dramas, I’ve been more serious than usual over the past month. How can I regale you with tales of  baby poop and toddler tantrums when the financial world is crashing, people are out of work and out of money, and a powerful woman is irresponsibly using the word “terrorist” against a fellow American? 

Therefore, I’ve branched into writing a bit about politics and the world outside my insular North Asheville existence, despite knowing that these subjects can be veritable Afghani minefields.

I recognize that these words can make readers angry. That’s difficult for me. I know how words can hurt—just look at the rhetoric that’s dragging the current Presidential campaign into the swamplands. But I’m not here to keep my mouth shut. Well, maybe my mouth, but not my fingertips. 

So let me say right here and right now whom I think will be best for our country. I think Barack Obama has the better chance of rescuing us from the tar pit we’re sliding into than John McCain. Yes, it’ll take time, it will take sacrifices, but that’s ok with me. I’m more than willing to pay now if my kids can have a future with fewer of the debilitating fears I currently harbor about the environment, the stock market, home values, and our future.

So, I, Edgy Mama, am endorsing Barack Obama for President of the United States. While I’m at it, I’d like to endorse Kay Hagen and Heath Shuler for U.S. Senate, Holly Jones for Buncombe County Commissioner, locally-grown food, and every microbrewery in Western North Carolina.

That’s why I write. So I can put down, right here, what I’m feeling and thinking. I can tell the world—or at least, those of you who’ve read this far–whom I believe should be the next President of the U.S.

Thank you, readers, for giving me this platform, this opportunity, and for reading this far.

I also want to thank my kids, because they’ve initiated and even forced my transition from writing from my head to writing from my heart. They also, at the moment, continue to think it’s cool that Mom writes about them.

Finally, I’d like to thank Steve Almond, who has inspired me anew to put it out there and damn the torpedoes, and George Orwell, for this title and never-ending inspiration.

So, go Obama. Right now, my heart’s saying this is “why I write.”

Check out more of my photos of James Taylor for Mountain Xpress.

JT, as always, sang beautifully. And spoke eloquently in support of Obama. What a guy!

Here’s my weekly column for Mountain Xpress: how to survive kid sleepover parties.

Enjoy! Happy Monday.

This video was made by a 5th grade teacher at Rainbow Mountain School here in Asheville. Eight people have e-mailed it to me over the past few days. Depending on who you’re voting for, it’ll either make you cry or make you rip your hair out. Happy first day of early voting in North Carolina!!

UPDATE 10/22: The video and the website have disappeared. I hear Glenn Beck was ranting about the video, but I can’t imagine that right-wing influence would be strong enough to knock this down. The only reason I can imagine would be sufficient enough to remove all traces of the video would be if the Obama campaign decided that it was somehow harmful. Anyone know what gives?

 Is the glass half empty or half full? Or does it just need to be filled to the brim?

Mountain Xpress‘ Best of Western North Carolina issue hit the newsstands today.

Edgy Mama is honored twice: I’m number three of the Best Blogs in WNC, and number two for Least Favorite Feature in Mountain Xpress.

Weird, no?

Then again, The Asheville Disclaimer was voted number three for favorite feature and number one for least favorite feature (personally, I adore the Disclaimer–they’re the print equivalent of Monty Python meets Jon Stewart with a local twist).

What does this mean? To me, this divide indicates that there are two types of Mountain Xpress readers: those who like satiric humor and those who don’t. Sadly, there seem to be slightly more who don’t–or at least who don’t and vote. Speaking of, the voting mostly took place the same week I wrote my “Forget Sarah Palin–Edgy Mama for VP” column, which provoked lots of comment among readers.

Anyway, thanks, to those of you who appreciate satire and who continue to read and comment and react (and vote). I’m honored.

I feel so lucky, that here in Asheville, we have such diverse and innovative media.