This is messing with my mind. So many of us are saying we are ashamed of America, and rightly so, in my opinion. And yet, many also are in agreement with Michelle Obama's statement that she's never been more proud of America in her adult life. People are getting involved in politics and voting in record numbers. Seeems nearly everyone is determined to take our country back from a brutal administration.

This is a diary for all the people who are holding themselves back from typing "first" in a diary. The temptation to be bad is human nature. So I invite anyone who wants to type "first" as many times as they want in this diary and get it out of their system. And no one will be hr'd. At least I hope they won't.

When I was 11, my family moved from Ohio to Birmingham, Alabama. My father was offered a job running his heart-lung machine during open heart surgery by a very good surgeon there. Their success rate was exceptionally good. There exists around a hundred slides of smiling young children with large scars on their chests. They are smiling because they had heart defects that would have killed them but after the surgery they were told they would now have normal lives. I wish I could post those pictures, but I don't know how I could ever get permission to do so. They look so beautiful, black and white children.
There was a woman who worked with my Dad who sterilized the instruments. She was African American. He liked her very much. The cafeteria in the hospital was segregated. The black people had to eat on one side that was shabby and dirty. I think they even had to bring their own food. My Dad one day decided he couldn't stand that any longer and he called up the head of the hospital and said he wanted the cafeteria integrated by the next day. My Dad had a hot temper sometimes and when he demanded something he got it.

(Thanks to bubbanomics for the title suggestion).
This is a meeting to discuss Bill in Portland Maine's days off. I found a CNN site of average days off in various countries in 2007 -http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/work.life.balance/chart/. Some of us have been saying Bill should get some holidays off and some sick/mental health days off in addition to some vacation time. Look at the chart and take the poll if you wish to pick which country's vacation days Bill should get.

Since I'm drunk for the first time in months, I decided to write my first diary. Alcohol= courage. I love you goobers. I felt really bad today but now I feel OK. Fascinating, huh? I got out my mini Swiss Army knife and challenged someone to a duel. Since they just laughed at me, I'm still alive.
We will prevail. It's hard work debating people who have lots of irrational hostility. But that is a big part of life and we will keep doing it.
Mayby my second diary will be half-way decent. Thanks to Kos for being sane and BiPM for being smart and funny.
My Dad was very anti-authoritarian and I am too, so I'm writing a stupid diary. Ha ha.