'Glee' gets rolling again

A trend to get on pronto... purple

I am loving purple nail polish right now.  

It's dark enough for fall, but prettier and more feminine than black, which is too stark and overdone in my opinion--whatever that's worth :)

I often painted my toe nails purple this summer, but for a fall fingernail polish I am all about it.  

Grab "pronto purple" by Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri line.  You won't be disappointed! 

'Greek' gets its 'Glee' on!

"Greek" is one of those terribly underrated shows.  It's clever, fun, and just plain entertaining.

This week was the season finale, and it was no exception.  It meshes perfectly with pop-culture right now--GLEE!  Intentional or not, this week's "Greek" is right in-line with America's love for all things singing and dancing.

The sororities compete in a sing/dance-off.  With their sorority sitting at 4th-ish, Cassie and Ashleigh know the competition is huge for them.  Ashleigh especially makes it a priority.

Beth, who is easily the dumbest person on the show, actually has something to contribute--she's a dance major!  Yay!  

Just when everything is looking so good for ZBZ, a few forks in the road pop up:

• Cassie is offered an officer position with the overarching sorority council, which means she is not allowed to compete
• Beth is deemed unable to compete because she had left the sorority and never officially re-pledged. 

So Beth is out and so is her choreography, and Cassie is not allowed to help.

Putting the house above her, Cassie declines the position and gets cracking.  One of the pledges steps forward and choreographs the number because she has experience from high school.

ZBZ's "Good Girls Go Bad," was so much better than Gamma Psi's number--no competition.  While the girls may not be up to "Glee" quality, they give their heart and sure do bust a move.  

Somehow it's not enough.  Gamma Psi comes out on top.  Suspecting cheating, our ZBZ's venture over to their rivals house to investigate.  They find evidence that they believe validates their claim, but... set the Gamma Psi house on fire.  

Will the ZBZ's confess?  Was it Rebecca's candle that set the place ablaze or something else?

In other news, Cappie and Cassie let the cat out of the bag--his brothers know and now so does Evan.  I am so glad they did not drag out the secret relationship storyline, even though it provided a few gems: "Yesterday, Ash wanted to know why I have this smile, and I couldn't think of an excuse, so I told her I was thinking of the rise and fall of Mischa Barton." 

As usual, "Greek" left me wanting more!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

No matter who or what you support, be sure to vote today.  This is a pretty big election if you live in King County or Washington state for that matter.  VOTE!!

Trust me, after you mail in your ballot you'll get this warm tingly feeling inside!  I love election day!

For what it's worth here are my endorsements on a few key votes this election:

Initiative 1033 

Initiative 1033 is the last thing Washington state needs while working to recover from the recession. 

        

Tim Eyman’s latest effort would limit the state’s future general fund revenue because it uses 2009 as its model.  This year saw record-low revenue levels with many cutbacks, business closures, low sales reports and unattractive unemployment levels. 

 

If voters want to move-on and improve from 2009, I-1033 must be defeated.

 

The initiative would severely limit the ability for city, county and state governments to provide basic services from education to health care. 

 

Public schools saw harsh cuts to their budgets this year.  Class sizes would continue to rise and more teachers would lose their positions.  If Washington wants to provide a solid education for every student, I-1033 cannot pass.

 

Higher education would also continue to suffer.  State school tuition would continue to rise making college increasingly inaccessible.  With class availability continually shrinking and faculty vacancies regularly left unfilled, the average time it takes to graduate is likely to increase.  This prospect would make the cost of attending college higher and also leave out more prospective students. 

 

In addition to making cuts on education permanent, I-1033 would do the same for current cuts on health care services.  Health care jobs would be cut and the initiative would harm the state’s Basic Health Plan and nursing homes and other health services for the state’s elderly would be crippled. 

 

Eyman’s initiative would also negatively affect city government’s capacities to fund police forces, fire departments and infrastructure projects.

 

Not only would it make current cuts permanent and lead to more cuts, Initiative 1033 is dangerous because it does not account for unexpected costs like natural disasters.  It leaves Washington state unprepared.

 

A similar 1992 Colorado initiative proves how detrimental passage of I-1033 would be.  The state dropped to 49^th in the nation for education funding, the number of children without health insurance doubled and transportation funding plummeted.  At one point, the state even lifted the requirement that all children be fully immunized before entering school because of a lack of funding to buy vaccines.  Colorado citizens felt the effects so heavily that they voted to suspend the initiative in 2005. 

 

Washington state cannot afford to make the same mistake. 

Referendum 71

Referendum 71, which appears on the Nov. 3 ballot, asks if the state’s everything-but-marriage law should be upheld. 

        

If Washington state voters believe in fairness and equality for all citizens, the referendum will pass. 

        

R-71 gives same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities that traditional marriages have including: the right to visit a hospitalized partner, the ability to use sick leave to care for an ill partner, business succession rights, and death benefits.

        

Voters should be clear on the fact that this is not a referendum to approve gay marriage.  It is simply about fairness and equality.

        

If approved, it would strengthen Washington families.  It protects every Washington resident in a committed relationship and provides more stability for children and families.  Referendum 71 encompasses family issues such as adoption, guardianship and child support.  Ultimately it would help protect children.

        

It is important to remember that the referendum does not take anything from anyone.  Rather it gives everyone the same rights. 

        

Opponents of Referendum 71 argue that if it is approved it will lead to gay marriage.  The slippery slope argument is weak.

        

On the ballot it explicitly reads, “This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent of those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.”

        

The wording is very clear.

        

R-71 does not ask voters to approve or reject gay marriage.  It asks voters to approve or reject an equality of rights for every Washington resident in a committed relationship. 

        

A vote may come in the future asking Washington to approve or reject the legalization of gay marriage, but this is not it. 

        

Approve Referendum 71 and show that Washington state is committed to fairness and equality. 

King County Executive

In difficult times, Dow Constantine is the strongest choice for King County executive. 

 

Constantine’s councilman and state lawmaker background are reassuring with the city facing budget deficits, a potential flu outbreak, and possible flooding.  These are not easy problems to solve, and Susan Hutchison is too inexperienced be thrown into it. 

 

In the debate, Constantine repeatedly reiterated his government experience, record, and that he believes his values are in line with those of King County citizens. 

 

Constantine’s record supports his claims that he cares about the environment, is pro-choice and involved with light-rail.

 

Voters do not actually know much about Hutchison besides that she was a local news anchor.  She does not have a government record to look at and she has not been very upfront about her “values,” as Dow would put it.

 

Hutchison claims to be above partisan politics, but she has made donations to George W. Bush and Mike Huckabee—two notable conservatives, which leaves question about her political beliefs.

 

Voters may want to take issue with the fact that Hutchison did not bother to go to many question-and-answer and discussion sessions until relatively recently. 

 

Hutchison’s main argument is that she represents change as an outsider in Seattle government.  This is not a plus, though, since she lacks any related experience that would lead one to believe that she is prepared for the job. 

 

After watching a recent debate, it seemed that Hutchison did not have a clear grasp on the important issues.  Her solutions were often as vague.

 

When asked to name one program she would cut specifically, she gave no clear answer.  Her inability to answer that question seems odd since she answered the question about how she would manage the budget shortfall with “cutting waste.”

 

Constantine immediately gave an answer.  He explained that he would turn over the animal shelter business to the humane society, who could better handle the issue.

 

There is too much unknown about Hutchison.  Her lack of experience is too great for King County to trust her at this time.

 

Dow Constantine is the best choice for King County executive.

Mayor of Seattle 

(the pesky race that I went back-and-forth about)

While both mayoral candidates are relatively new to the political scene, Joe Mallahan emerged in the later part of the race as the stronger choice.

 

His opponent, Mike McGinn, recently flip-flopped on the Alaskan Way Viaduct/deep-bore tunnel issue.  Since McGinn’s major issue throughout the election has been his opposition to the tunnel, it does not instill confidence in his abilities to serve as major when he is not willing to fight for what he believes is best for Seattle. 

 

Mallahan on other hand, has remained steady in his views and has provided logical reasoning to support these views. 

 

He believes the city has already made a decision on the tunnel and that he will make sure the project is completed on time and within budget.

 

He thinks that the gun ban in parks and other city property is a strictly symbolic gesture.  He does not support it because it does not address the root of the problem.  Mallahan would rather spend money on increasing police officer headcount and programs for at risk youth.  Similarly he wants to use outreach as a way to solve the city’s growing gang problem. 

 

His background also lends well to learning the job of mayor quickly.  With the city facing huge budget issues, Mallahan’s 15 years of senior management experience are comforting.  He is a smart businessman and boasts community-organizing skills, which could be the perfect combination to solve Seattle’s current problems.   

 

Mallahan is the candidate Seattle can count on for a better future.  

Want a smoothie?

Next time you crave a smoothie, instead of heading to Jamba Juice stop by the nearest Clinique counter.  

The makeup company recently introduced their "Vitamin C Lip Smoothie."  

I am in love.  

It is packed with vitamin C and all the antioxidants you could want--all in a convenient tube of lip gloss.

The container is small, which is handy on-the-go.  The twist application method is easy.  Make sure you twist it a few times, though.  

The coverage is sheer to moderate.  Use it all-over for color or just a dab to create an incredibly natural and juicy lip.

After one application, my lips felt delightfully soft and smooth.

I'm hooked.  

I use both "Pink Me Up" and "Goodness Grapecious."  The later gives a bit more punch of color.  The former is lovely, light and natural.  

It's a complete lip treatment for $17. 50.

What makes 'Good Hair?'

Finally a reason to watch baseball

Tune into the opening of the 3rd game of the World Series tonight to get your "Glee" fix this week!

click here to view

Too bad it wasn't a mash-up ;)