Andrea Wilson Woods' Blog

I am not someone who normally makes Christmas wishes, but this year … well … the world is bugging me. So Santa, if you’re listening, here is my Christmas list. It’s a tall order, but if anyone can do it, you can!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS …

5. The return of common courtesy, good manners, and etiquette
As an experiment, I googled “common courtesy”; it garnered 512,000 hits. Then I tried “Britney Spears” for comparison—63.2 million hits. Those numbers accurately depict today’s society. I can remember a time when what Emily Post said mattered; now I’m sure most people under the age of 30 don’t even know who she is. I recall my mother telling me that a woman was allowed to check her makeup in public (i.e., open her compact and tap on some powder), but applying makeup in public was a no-no. When I was a child, I got in trouble for calling the “young” grownups next door by their first names even though they told me to. My mother made me march over to their house and apologize for my bad manners. Most children today, however, don’t know how to behave properly in public let alone the definition of the word etiquette.
Yesterday, I discovered that rudeness is not limited to younger generations. I was at our local liquor store buying a lottery ticket. A man, easily 30 years my senior, appeared to be in line ahead of me. Not wanting to cut, I moved back to allow him his spot. He snarled, “I’m not in that line. I’m in this line,” as he pointed to an area where there was no line. Grumpy bastard. So much for trying to be courteous! I used to dislike it when my students called me “Ma’am” because it made me feel old; now I am just grateful that someone taught them some manners.

4. For politicians to stop being politicians
I believe our forefathers would be disgusted by our two-party, partisan political system; it is an utter disaster. At what point did politicians forget that they worked for the people who elected them? They spent taxpayers’ dollars—our money—as if we had an endless supply. Oh wait … we do … as long as China keeps lending it to us. (Guess greenbacks grow on trees over there.) I love the movie Bulworth starring Warren Beatty because he plays a politician who decides to start telling the raw truth about both political parties. He raps …
“I’m a Senator.
I gotta raise $10,000 a day every day I’m in Washington.
I ain’t getting it in South Central.
I’m gettin’ it in Beverly Hills.
So I’m votin’ from them in the Senate the way they want me too …
and-and-and I’m sending them my bills.”

Of course, Bulworth is assassinated because no one likes a politician who tells the people the way things really are. Once upon a time, I entertained the idea of running for Burbank City Council, but then I realized I am the female Bulworth. I couldn’t lie to the people who placed their trust in me to make their community a better place. Here’s my truth:
“You want better schools and you want higher scores,
Well guess what parents, you need to get involved more.
Our Burbank teachers can only do so much—
Stop spoiling your kids, pay attention, get in touch.
They don’t need cell phones or tons of clothes,
School isn’t childcare as you should know—
Help our teachers, your children, and yourselves, too
Stop blaming the schools for the mistakes that you do!”

3. An empty email inbox.
Make that four empty inboxes since I currently use and check four email accounts daily. (That’s down from six so I have made some progress.) I still have three other “active” accounts: USC, AOL, and Gmail; they are forwarded, ignored, and used for research purposes respectively. In order to reduce the amount of email that I receive, I finally unsubscribed to daily emails such as Word-a-Day, weekly emails such as Early to Rise, and monthly emails from all retailers. Some people don’t understand why I haven’t signed up for Twitter or established a LinkedIn account yet. There’s an easy explanation—I cannot handle another thing to do or to check every day.
I remember when I didn’t even own a computer. I recall having only one email account for years. When did life become so electronically busy? Sometimes, I just want to become an ostrich, stick my head in the sand, and disappear from the planet for a while. I definitely see a day when I will withdraw from society because I can’t imagine spending my twilight years with my eyes glued to the glow of my laptop in an effort to keep up with my online identity. Forget the fact that hours on the computer is the one of the major causes of my migraines (hence the reading glasses—oh joy); I need the touch, smell, sound, and sight of real people. But I digress. For now, less email will do.

2. A president who doesn’t suffer from ADD and a desperate need to please everyone. (Or for Barack Obama to stop trying to be a hero who believes he must simultaneously solve all of the world’s problems.)
Recent studies have shown that people who are heavy multi-taskers, like our president, cannot give items their full attention; therefore, their brains suffer as a result. Communication professor Clifford I. Nass stated, “They’re suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them.” One could argue that if their mental function is impaired then their job performance suffers as well. According to recent polls from a variety of sources, President Obama’s approval rating has slipped to 47 – 49 percent. Considering he entered office less than a year ago with a 68 percent job approval (only one president out of the last eight—Eisenhower—had numbers that high), the drop is significant.

So here is my unsolicited, non-partisan advice, Mr. President. Try focusing on one thing at a time. You cannot fix everything all at once, and anyone who expects you to spent too much time listening to your campaign speeches last year. I have nothing against “Hope” and “Change” but you are one man, and your first name isn’t Super. You must learn to prioritize like the rest of us. Now if you consulted me, my top three concerns are the economy, the war, and the healthcare debacle. Americans need jobs and we need to know that our troops and our country are safe before you convince us to go into another trillion dollars in debt. I may not agree with all of your decisions (okay, most of your decisions), but one thing is certain—the results of your “multi-tasking” politics are showing. The Tea Party movement is increasing in numbers, Sarah Palin already sold a million copies of her book, and Fox News is not only finishing this year as the top-rated cable news network (no surprise since it has enjoyed this rank for the past eight years), but it is also experiencing its best ratings ever in the network’s 13-year history. F-O-C-U-S = Focus, Mr. President.

And the #1 thing I want for Christmas is …
the perfect job!
If you can make this one happen Santa, I promise to tell everyone that you are real—including my younger brother. I told him the “truth” about you when he was five years old, and it made him cry. It turned out okay; our mother made me go back and lie to him. I consider that moment one of my first as well as one of my finest acting performances. Anyway, here’s the criterion for my perfect job:

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all list everything we wanted in a perfect job and on Christmas morning there would be an offer in our stocking? I recently found a position that meets most of the above requirements but since it is in academia, I probably won’t hear anything for months. I do have to thank A.B. for allowing me to use him as a reference. As Santa knows, personal relationships are everything.

AWW — XoXo

P.S. I apologize for not posting a blog for so long. My normal goal is one post per week. I’ve been ill with pneumonia ever since I participated in Thrill the World on October 24. Being sick for this long has kicked my ass!

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I wanted to stay away from this topic; I really I did, but I cannot keep my mouth shut anymore. When the Miss California pageant directors held a press conference yesterday, I couldn’t believe the crap they were spewing. Considering these same people paid for Carrie Prejean’s breast implants prior to the Miss USA pageant “to put her in the best possible confidence” according to pageant co-director Keith Lewis, I find their credibility suspect. Did Carrie violate her contract? I honestly don’t know—that’s for her lawyer and Donald Trump to decide. (Mr. Trump will render a decision later today.) But let’s be honest. No one would care if she been “politically correct” on national television.

If you don’t know by now, Miss USA judge and well-known celebrity blogger Perez Hilton asked Miss California Carrie Prejean if she thought every state should legalize same-sex marriage. She responded honestly that while it was wonderful that Americans have choices, she personally believes that a marriage should be between a man and woman because that is how she was raised. The key points to remember are:

1. She specified she was stating her opinion, and
2. The first amendment of our constitution guarantees her that right.

Some people complain that as Miss California, Carrie has a responsibility to represent our state, and she shouldn’t have revealed her personal opinion. How quickly people forget. Carrie actually reflected the majority. Last November, Californians voted for Proposition 8—a ballot proposition that eliminated same-sex couples’ right to marry. Therefore, the argument that Carrie’s opinion doesn’t “represent” California is false.

I don’t agree with Carrie Prejean. I support gay marriage. I voted against Proposition 8. However, I cannot tolerate intolerance. Was Perez Hilton’s question unfair? Maybe. But you have to admire someone who stuck to her principles and possibly lost the chance to become Miss USA. Even if her answer had been different, Mr. Trump swears she wouldn’t have won anyway, but few people believe him.

We must keep Carrie Prejean as Miss California to show the other 49 states that we believe in free speech—especially when we don’t like what we hear.

AWW — XoXo

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I have been in limbo ever since Anderson Cooper announced that Senator Barack Obama is now President-elect Obama. I couldn’t bring myself to watch Obama’s speech or even McCain’s concession speech. I have slowly tapered myself off my nonstop-CNN-Fox News-MSNBC obsessive television viewing because even the best pundits are running out of things to say.

I find myself yearning for magazines and books and realize just how much I had stopped reading because I was too focused on the election. What was one of the most historic elections of our time may also become one of the most historic elections of my marriage. My husband and I weren’t happy with either ticket so we separately decided to write in a candidate—different people of course. (The day we vote for the same person in a presidential election, our animals will start speaking perfect English.)

Election night was quiet at our house. We knew our candidates couldn’t possibly win. We knew by 8pm that Obama had won. We discussed the local propositions, which we mostly agreed on, but the results were still being counted when we went to bed. We were surprised to discover that Prop. 8 passed while we slumbered even as Obama celebrations continued in West Hollywood.

Elections are supposed to be invigorating, but last Tuesday, I felt as though I was walking through a fog. I could see clearly; however, the fog pervaded my senses and made the world around me seem dull. Luckily, I had mailed my ballot weeks before. As the election results appeared on the TV screen, I watched without any care as to who was leading. Not caring—being that indifferent—is worse than hating someone (under certain circumstances).

I don’t remember ever feeling so dispassionate during any other presidential election. I guess I didn’t drink the Obama Kool-Aid.

AWW — XoXo

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Remember when the Academy Awards used to say “And the winner is …” before handing over that sacred gold statuette? Now they instruct all of the presenters to say “And the Oscar goes to” so the losers don’t get their feelings hurt. At some point during my lifetime, “winner” became a bad word because—to continue with the film industry analogy—all of the nominees are winners. Bullshit. If that were true, every one of them would receive an Oscar, but they don’t. Only one person in each category does (unless there is a tie, a rare occurrence), which brings me to my point—the last presidential debate.

The winner last night was clearly Sen. Barack Obama. With every debate, he has become more articulate and more specific about his ideas while still espousing his message of change and hope. I’m now ready to concede that on Wednesday, November 5, we will wake up and hear the news, “And the presidency goes to …” What? That phrase sounds noble, but who actually speaks that way? We are not the Academy. In the real world, people lose. Let’s say what we mean. “And the winner is Sen. Barack Obama.” I’m sure Sen. John McCain will get it over it.

AWW — XoXo

P.S. I don’t trust the polls though. My prediction as of today is that Obama will win by no more than 30 electoral votes.

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After reading in the magazine The Week how many Americans will start to feel the pains of the economy, my husband and I were soon bitten. First, one of my creditors lowered my credit limit. Their explanation was that I missed a payment. Well, I did miss a payment—six months ago—when an online transfer didn’t go through due to technical difficulties on their website. As a result, my payment was late, the one and only time this type of thing has ever happened with this particular creditor. Maybe I should mention the creditor in question is Washington Mutual, and they’re not doing too well these days.

The second ouch came when another creditor closed an old account that had a zero balance. Any credit expert will tell you it’s better to  keep an account open—even if you never use it—especially when it has a zero balance. Why? That account helps to lower your debt to credit limit ratio, an important factor in determining your credit score. So by closing my account, which was in good standing, that creditor effectively helped lower my credit rating. Are you sensing a pattern here?

Anyway, the third ouch was my husband’s retirement account statement. He expected a loss, but seeing 16 percent of his retirement gone in one quarter still felt like a punch in the stomach. Luckily, he’s not retiring any time soon.

I’m getting nervous. All of these events occurred within four weeks of each other. Recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated he may ask the federal government for a loan because California cannot pay its bills. He’s encouraging California residents to buy state bonds, and I’m thinking 1) Why should we? and 2) With what money?

AWW — XoXo

P.S. I forgot to mention that California is on fire again. Sigh.

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I admit the title of this blog is somewhat ironic considering I am an “artist” who occasionally writes about politics. (Trust me, my interest in this subject matter will diminish after the election.) However, I just received another ridiculous email from a fellow artist who forwarded this Huffington Post article from playwright Eve Ensler best known for The Vagina Monologues.

The most upsetting thing about Ensler’s article is the many partial truths littered throughout it. Artists are not journalists so therefore they often don’t do the necessary research before voicing their opinions. Ensler is absolutely entitled to her point of view; however, she should be accurate when she discusses Sarah Palin’s record.

For example, Ensler condemns Palin’s action of shooting “hundreds of wolves from the air, ” but what she fails to mention is that this practice is legal in Alaska. It is called “predator control” because it is used to keep the populations of moose and caribou high for subsistence hunters. If one wanted to twist this fact in the opposite direction, one could suggest that Palin is providing food for the people in her state by supporting and participating in a law that allows them to kill the predators who prey on the animals  that many people eat. By the way, this predator control program is limited to just 9 percent of the state’s land mass, and unlike the lower 48 states where gray wolves are endangered, they number between 7,000 — 11, 000 in Alaska.

Ensler also states that Palin is against abortion, doesn’t believe in global warming, and tried to ban books. Let’s be clear about Palin’s beliefs, which are far more nuanced than Ensler would like us to believe.

• Palin is against abortion in almost all cases except when a mother’ s life is in danger. Palin’s view stems from her belief that life begins at conception, a view shared by many religious people in this country.
• Palin believes in global warming, but she doesn’t think it is necessarily manmade. She stated in the vice presidential debate that it is part of the cyclical nature of our planet, a view shared by many scientists. Even though she doesn’t think man created it, Palin is prepared and has ideas about tackling global warming.
• Palin never tried to ban books. Look it up on factcheck.org.

Another issue Ensler has with Palin is that she owns guns. Well, the Second Amendment allows for the right “to keep and bear arms” and approximately 25 percent of Americans own a gun. Does Ensler condemn them too? Ensler also wants us to believe that Palin doesn’t support sex education; well, that’s not entirely accurate either. Palin supports abstinence-only sex education.

Some facts in Ensler’s editorial article are correct. Palin believes in God, and she does support drilling in ANWR. Senator McCain suppors the former; he opposes the latter so drilling in ANWR is unlikely to happen during his administration … should he be elected.

Perhaps Ensler’s article would have been more powerful if she hadn’t opened with her sentimental feelings about polar bears. Right away, she comes off as an extreme animal-rights activist who puts animals before people instead of an intelligent woman trying to convey her concerns about one of our vice presidential candidates. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals, and Ensler is correct in that Palin wants polar bears removed from the endangered species list because according to the Anchorage Daily News she believes the listing “will cripple oil and gas development” in Alaska’s northern coast, a prime polar bear habitat. The conclusion I draw from Palin’s opinion is that she believes energy independence is a higher priority than protecting polar bears. People before animals. I think many would agree with her.

AWW — XoXo

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I feel sorry for Sarah Palin because she has already lost her way. Political pundits predict that the McCain campaign is prepping, drilling, and hammering Gov. Palin with an overabundance of knowledge so she won’t say the wrong thing tomorrow night. The Katie Couric interview was a debacle, and now Palin is expected to be more than perfect to make up for it. Well guess what guys—nobody is ever perfect. If Palin was allowed to be herself, she would win back the hearts of those undecided voters who deserted the McCain campaign after Palin’s gaffe and the first presidential debate. I hope she does well tomorrow night, not because I support her views, but because I don’t want anyone to blame her gender if she screws up.

My sympathies aside, here is a New York Times article you must read about Palin. I also urge all women to sign the Planned Parenthood petition that personally addresses Palin and her views about women’s choices.

AWW — XoXo

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It took me several days to figure out why I thought Obama performed better than McCain at the presidential debate on Friday night. Before I even listened to what the pundits had to say (I’m addicted to CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC—in that order), I knew Obama had the slight edge and his poll numbers would rise by Monday. The key to Obama’s success was his words and his delivery, which in the past I always found slightly wooden. Unlike McCain, who referred to Obama as “my opponent” and stared at the moderator causing his eyes to be downward when the camera was focused straight on him, Obama spoke directly to Sen. McCain and directly into the camera. These two choices—the much more personal use of “you” instead of a generic noun and facing the audience (i.e. the millions of Americans watching the debates on TV)—gave Obama’s words more depth as well as a harder punch when necessary. He remained personable and friendly even as he pointed out McCain’s flaws, while the older senator teetered between condescending and stubborn. (Did we really need a recap of his opinion about pork-barrel spending?)

Anyway, in my opinion, Obama had his best debate ever. Maybe he should give Hillary a call and thank her for teaching him the ropes. As for Sen. McCain, he needs to work on looking into the camera and addressing his opponent—not the moderator.

AWW — XoXo

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With Wall Street bleeding—literally drowning in a self-created red river—isn’t it curious that these greedy sharks love Obama more than McCain? Many political candidates (in fact I daresay most) are beneficiaries of huge donations by people with lots of money and power. However, I wonder about a man who claims he will “crack down on fraudulent brokers and lenders” and has been “monitoring the subprime mortgage situation for years” yet he doesn’t mention that these same sub-prime people have funded nearly 60 percent of his campaign. One could argue that investors own most of the wealth in this country so of course they are going to be donors to someone’s political campaign. In fact, even John McCain received some money from Fannie and Freddie, but not nearly as much as Obama. Dan Morain of the Los Angeles Times speculates that Obama’s campaign may take a hit now that his friends are broke. Given that last night’s star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles raised approximately $9 million for Barack’s campaign, I think he’ll be fine.

I’m just glad to know who his friends are …

AWW — XoXo

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I think Jill Greenberg did herself a great disservice when she allowed her personal views to affect her recent assignment, a photo shoot of Senator John McCain, for The Atlantic. She says the magazine didn’t vet her properly, that her views are anti-Bush so maybe “it was somewhat irresponsible for them to hire me.” Well maybe Ms. Greenberg the magazine assumed you would be a professional and do your job, which is to take great pictures—not smear a presidential candidate. Some conservative pundits blame The Atlantic, insinuating it was some kind of conspiracy against Senator McCain, but I believe Ms. Greenberg acted on her own here. This time I’ll give The Atlantic the benefit of the doubt.

AWW — XoXo

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