In case you thought I had fallen off the planet recently, I have been working in various capacities at the Democratic National Convention here in Los Angeles.

Before I give you some of the highlights and funny stories, I just wanted to add my bipartisan note here. If you ever get the chance to be involved in a national convention, you should jump at the chance. I know that on television if appears as scripted speeches & funny hats, but when you are in the thick of it, it is the most amazing view of democracy in action. We are extremely fortunate to live in a country where we, above all, are given a CHOICE. Choices for who we want to be President, what kind of laws we'd like to have, and choices for what we want to speak out about. Often times we take for granted that we don't live in countries like Cuba, China, etc. - where decisions regarding your life, your job, your family, are simply made for you.

And working with all these people, listening to what they have to say - has changed me. I know politics can be filled with money, corruption & lies, but I also see real people doing very real things every single day to make our lives better. This is what I believe in. It may sound naive, but there are people who want to help people - help people have better education, see that they have proper health care, a right to a good job with decent wages and fair taxes, to protect people's privacy and their freedoms - this is the new frontier that has been imagined by great leaders and small children alike.

Oftentimes, we forget that the people we see on television are not exactly what this country is made of. This country is not all actors and millionaires, attorneys and CEOs. This country is teachers, teamsters, moms who drive carpools, factory workers, nurses, secretaries, farmers, day laborers who stand on the corner to get a day's work, gardeners and housekeepers. And it is children. 9 of 10 children who will only ever attend public schools. Children who eat lunches because the government pays for them. Its hard to look beyond our own lives - our own families, our own financial problems, our own dramas. But there are people beyond us, people now and children that are yet to be, who are depending upon our choices now.

If you ask, I will tell you why I am Democrat. But in the simplest of terms, because they look beyond your money, and your color, and your gender, and your sexual orientation - and they put the question to you - what is YOUR potential? Who can you be? Its a question that my mother always asked me. She told me I could do anything, be anyone I wanted. That is the idealistic and equal opportunity of the Democrat. We have the chance to take our extreme economical fortune and make modern, powerful changes in our country. To not look back, but to have the courage to look forward - to imagine a better country than even the one we have now.

Look beyond the rhetoric and the issues and ask yourself - how different could this country be? It was only 80 years ago that women could not vote. My grandmother lived during that time. It was only 35 years ago that we had the civil rights movement. My mother remembers this time. So what will your legacy be? I won't make any blatant plugs, but I will always vote for the greater intellect who has the power to use his mind and his imagination, but at the same time be guided by his heart - to have the courage to see the frontier that always lies in front of us.

After the balloon and the posters, the protesters and the 18 hours on my feet, sweating in my suit, this is what I will remember. It's a memory and an experience to shape a lifetime.

Thanks for listening.

I thought that was pretty nice. There is something about seeing someone care about something. It really is cool. Even if the thing might be something you don't give a crap about. Like, if a Republican friend really cared and was fair and passionate about what they believed, I could see myself liking and respecting that.

Speaking of Republican friends, Sara, along with Beth, and I have started a forum, as you might have read on the front page. It's called Three Way Action and it is indeed at www.threewayaction.com. Go register and have fun. So far it's started off with a bang. Don't let someone register your name. Go. Now. Enjoy. I am.

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*THREE WAY ACTION* (The Forum)

We're talking about everything under the sun, kids. For example:

Love vs. Lust

The Kurst Sub Accident

Movies adapted from books

The tragic Heche/Ellen break-up and Anne's subsequent break-down

Or just introduce yourself

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The Anna Nicole Smith Happy Song Corner

 
 
It's not far down to paradise. At least it's not for me. And if the wind is right you can sail away. And find tranquillity. The canvas can do miracles. Just you wait and see. Believe me. It's not far to never-never land. No reason to pretend. And if the wind is right you can find the joy. Of innocence again. The canvas can do miracles. Just you wait and see. Believe me. Sailing. Takes me away, to where I've always heard it could be. Just a dream and the wind to carry me. And soon I will be free. Fantasy. It gets the best of me. When I'm sailing. All caught up in the reverie. Every word is a symphony. Won't you believe me. It's not far back to sanity. At least it's not for me. And when the wind is right you can sail away. And find serenity. The canvas can do miracles. Just you wait and see. Believe me... Me and my late husband went sailing. We did. It was wonderful. My son came along and my husband's nurses. It was so cool seeing the water and the fish and the birds. So many birds. It was the most romantic day. And they had martinis and crackers and steak and Eskimo Pies too. On a boat! I know. I miss that boat... I mean, my husband. I miss my husband. I can too remember his name. It's... uh... y'all are messing with me. Stop! Sillies.
 
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