Daphane's blog

Politics is a business. And like any other business, it operates year-round. Elections happen in terms/cycles, but campaigning is a constant process. As soon as a candidate wins an election, he/she is already campaigning for the next. Last year we saw the culmination of a record, 2-year presidential campaign between Senators Obama and McCain, with the inauguration of the nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama. It was a historic campaign and an even more historic election.

On January 12, 2010 a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the island nation of Haiti to its core. The earthquake hit and left the nation in ruins. The capital, Port Au Prince, was demolished and the toll on its people is insurmountable. This is the latest in a series of natural disasters requiring the aid and support from millions of people and organizations around the world. When disaster strikes, you can almost predict the series of events that will take place; broadcast networks on the ground, U.S. government officials respond, celebrities chime in, and charities and relief organizations alike ask for our support.

There are so many stereotypes about people of different ethnic backgrounds. Oftentimes we don’t even know that the stereotypes exist before we are knee deep in the midst of them. I don’t really even know what a stereotype is other than someone’s opinion or a faulty judgment. Most stereotypes aren’t credible and aren’t based on any scientific evidence. I have been close to many groups that have been scrutinized and stereotyped.

I’ve been outspoken for just about my entire life. I feel very strongly about speaking up when I disagree and I am not shy about expressing my opinion, especially when it comes to the well-being of others. I recently had the opportunity and the determination to speak and advocate on someone else’s behalf. I am a member of a gym and exercise about 5 times per week. My gym offers a variety of classes and they really work for me. I am a subscriber to the theory that it’s easier and more fun to exercise with direction and other people. I have been knee deep in my routine for about two years now and working with the same trainer/group exercise leader. She is the sole reason for my club membership, so when she told me that the club had dropped her health insurance, I was outraged.

2009 has finally come to an end and millions of people couldn’t be happier about it. It was a year of extreme highs and lows. We saw the magnificent accomplishment of Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign and experienced the tumultuous downfall of the job market due to the economic crisis. Through it all, we somehow managed to survive the year, just barely, and make our way into 2010.