"AND THE WINNER IS...."

Some people go out of their way seeking public recognition and reward. Air time, public appearances, talk shows - it can make or break your career if you're in cinema, television, modeling.


If you have eight children to raise, it can bring in a lot of money.

Celebrities can help funding for major health, social and disaster organizations.

But the Nobel Prize is not awarded for being the most popular, most photographic, or having the most hits on their Facebook page.

Alfred Nobel of Sweden left the great majority his massive fortune (gained by the invention of dynamite - which also ended the life of his younger brother) to be awarded annually for for outstanding contributions in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Storting (their Parliament). According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

I know this won't change anyone from saying nasty things like "A very sad statement that after just 12 days in office he could be nominated for this, shows what little meaning the actual award has today. Pathetic!" and "It's sad to see the prestige of the prize become completely irrelevant when given to a politician! " (and in the comment they misspelled 'irrelevant')

BUT OBAMA DIDN'T ASK FOR IT - HE WAS AWARDED IT!

There - now I feel a little bit better.

ONE VERY QUICK QUESTION

Why is Barack Obama's eligibility to be President of the United States being questioned (once again) because of his birth in the state of Hawaii ....

... and I don't recall ONCE hearing any squawk about Presidential candidate John McCain being born in (drum roll here) Panama.

So Hawaii isn't a state, but Panama is? Since when?

MY GUY

Before I married a political-science major in 1978, I had never voted. I was, if this is at all possible, a political atheist. Meaning that I didn't believe in politicians.

I mean, they existed, they were people... sorta. But they were figureheads who took money from lobbyists, who got it from rich people, and voted the way the money told them to. I didn't believe they listened to the people who voted them into office, so I never voted.

But, then as I mentioned, I married a poly-sci FANATIC. Not interested in politics, but LIVING politics, textbooks, theory, education, as an avid, rabid, dead-dog Democrat, by the way. Much the way he is now about terrorism.

So I began voting, under pressure. But have been more than a bit of a fatalist about it. When I vote, the person loses. I mean, just like that. Didn't seem to matter if it was local, state, or national election - just if I voted for 'em, that sealed it, they lost.

Wanna see?

Gerald Ford (he's from Michigan, and really got screwed getting the job of President - Spiro, Nixon, etc)

Jimmy Carter (but only the second time, don't tell my husband, okay? I couldn't take his accent the first time around)

Al Gore (damn Florida voting machines, otherwise he would have nailed it)

Also didn't help that so many times my vote and my husband's vote cancelled each other out, but that's a whole other story.

But guess what. My guy won tonight. My guy.

So now we're gonna have a left-handed Hawaiian guy with a GREAT smile.

I'm proud to be an American tonight.