I support Dennis Kucinich at this point in the election race.  I voted for him in the last primaries, and I intend to in this election as well. He is pragmatic, smart, reasonable, and logical.  He is forward and open in both speaking and thinking.  He has plans for domestic and foreign policy that will repair damage done during the current administration.  While I am still open to hearing out other candidates, it would take quite a change for any one of them to attain the same level of inspirational leadership qualities that I find with Kucinich.

• Dennis4President.com
• YouTube Group
• Donate for Democracy

I’m really glad he’s been getting more attention in the media lately. Some of the attention has been a sort of meta-acknowledgement, where broadcasters discuss unique or interesting attributes of Dennis, rather than actually discussing his politics. I won’t go through listing them in detail, but they have in the past included: Elizabeth, height, veganism, and various pocket-sized items. I am okay with this.

This situation strongly equates in my mind to a question that I often receive: “what do you think about people that are vegetarian for [any of many non-ethical reasons to be veg goes here]?” While I wish there were more activist vegetarians out there, a vegetarian that doesn’t eat meat for nutritional reasons (for example) is eating no animals in the same capacity as an ethics-based vegetarian. With Kucinich, I believe any public discussion of him (even about his interesting background) will aid his campaign. Going one step further, a vote for Kucinich because he’s the only candidate that voted 100% against this war, is the same as a vote for Kucinich because he’s the candidate that has an appropriate plan for healthcare, human rights, and foreign policy.

“Why isn’t Kucinich a Frontrunner?” - Tucker Carlson

Note: Watch the first 3.5 minutes of this. It’s the first time I’ve ever agreed with Tucker Carlson, to my knowledge.

Source: CNN’s Obesity Map (July 2007)

Losing weight is not as hard as you think it is. I’ve done it. It just takes being conscious of what you eat, and considering alternatives (healthier or simply not eating as much as you are currently).

Start with SELF Health and VegWeb Recipes. Or, hey, go jog to the grocery store and buy some broccoli.

On Friday, Rachel called me from DC, saying that she was stuck in traffic. Earlier that day, in Orlando, I had driven home without hitting any traffic at all. I was curious how different cities compare in this respect. Naturally, I went to Google Maps to find out! Below are the results.

Orlando, FL:

No traffic pictures: regular-size and large-size.

Washington, DC:

No traffic pictures: regular-size and large-size.

Houston, TX:

No traffic pictures: regular-size and large-size.

Los Angeles, CA:

No traffic pictures: regular-size and large-size.

Now on Sirius Radio, Howard and Martha:

1. Lots of recycling. It’s impossible not to recycle in CO. As an apartment-dweller who has attempted to recycle in Orlando, this would be quite a change of pace, in a good way. [2] [3]

2. Lots of biking. On average in the cities I visited, everything is within biking distance for normal everyday needs. Work, food, groceries, and entertainment.

3. Wind and solar power. Many restaurants, businesses, and even the local governments advertise their ecological friendliness by being 100% wind powered. [2] [3]

4. Sense of humor. Everyone, including all the nice people and interesting businesses, seem to have a great sense of humor and humility.

5. Beautiful, well-recognized university campuses.

Colorado State University

University of Colorado

6. Delicious vegan, organic food. Vegan food options at every restaurant and store. There were even several specialty shops (making them not so unusual). While I’ve never had much of a problem, Colorado would certainly make shopping and dining more convenient.

7. Lively festivals. We saw the Boulder Creek Festival and the Boulder Bolder 10k. And that was only one weekend of fun! [2]

8. Great local stores and co-ops. Everywhere.

9. Four seasons of weather. I was fortunate to see Colorado during the summer. Having more seasons than “summer” and “hotter summer” would be nice change from Florida and Texas.

10. Beautiful mountain-y scenery. Pictures speak more than words in this case. [2]

[my photos] [article 1] [article 2]

Happy Election Day, everyone!

Two things:

1. Vote NO on Amendment 3!!!
2. Hug a democrat!