100 in the past and 3000 odd in the future!

I've really enjoyed yesterday's trip out of the apartment and out of the state, down we drove to Kentucky and a town called Peducah. Along the way our route took us right by Superman's home, yep, I kid you not, we passed Metropolis! It is a real place, it's been there since 1839, holds an annual Superman convention, used to give school children bags of Kryptonite, has a Superman Museum and has a massive statue of man in blue tights in the main town square.

After that it was just a short hop down to Paducah, in the local mall we met up with Matt's friends, one of whom drives a similar car to Matt, with the added funky sides of World Of Warcraft splashed down the sides and on the bonnet (Opps I mean hood!) We trawled the mall for a while and then off to a Mexican restaurant, which may have been a little unwise with all this talk and hype of swine flu that's sweeping the media right now. It was OK, I'm not sure I get Mexican food tho, as you have hot and cold stuff on the same plate, with hot stuff placed over cold, but it's kinda spicy and very tasty! A lot of the conversation was about World Of Warcraft and other console/computer games and for a while I did feel my age, well c'mon, to most of those, I was senior by 20 years!

I was not responsible for the movie choice after the meal, so don't put blame on my shoulders when I inform you that the film of choice was Hannah Montana! Happily I can report that it wasn't as bad as it could have been, indeed it was kinda fun, made me almost feel young and our little group where the only ones watching the flick. It's a fairly basic story, a fair amount of singing, a little dancing, a little loving and a few morals along the way to a rather uneventful and uninspiring end. Mind you, there is a little bit of eye candy to keep you from snoozing in the chair. Reminiscent of Brad Pitt in a River Runs Through It, or is that just happening in my mind? However, as is often the case, I seem to be a long way behind with the gossip, as apparently the whole world knew about him and Hannah herself Mylie Cyrus having an on and off relationship during and just after the making of the movie.

On the way back, Matt got a little frisky, which shocked that pants of me, literally, but god was it nice, just one of the reasons why I've got a younger boyfriend! TeeHee!.

So the World Health Organisation is one step away from declaring the Swine Flu epidemic a pandemic and it sure seems to be making global headlines. It's been the main story on all major American networks, it's the main headline on many of the Worlds major newspapers. But, hey, hang on, can we calm it down a little, there has been 7 deaths in Mexico, 1 here in the US (of a little toddler from Mexico) and there's only (at lunch time today) 156 confirmed cases of people with the H1N1 Swine flu virus, which isn't deadly, but my point is this, according to the CDC (Center for Disease control) 36,000 people die each year in America from normal influenza, so is the current hype and media panic over Swine Flu necessary and justified? I think not, the squirrel thinks not, what do you think?

The other top news story from over here, apart from the squirrels are making a mess outside, I've spent the day cleaning and I'm getting fat on American candy, has to be that this very day is the the 100th day that Obama has had the job of the worlds most powerful man! Everyone from the Tennessee pig farmer to FOX / NBC/ ABC/ CNN's top jurnos have been rushing to give their view on his first 100 days in power, or hired in so called experts to give him a report card. As an outsider, it's all rather amusing, it would seem that pretty much most of America think he's doing a pretty good job. OK, some are saying he's spending money like a drunken sailor, but then again, he took power right at the time the World has faced the worst financial crisis in a generation, and country leaders the world over are splashing the cash in order to kick start their own economies, it's just that America has more money than most!

I didn't vote for Obama, I couldn't obviously, so I'm not really qualified to give an opinion, so I'm just gonna look at some of the things he's done in his first 100 days. OK, one of the first things he did that hit the headlines around the world was sign instructions to end the camp x-ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Speaking of Cuba, he's lifted certain bans, and now people with relatives in Cuba are now allowed to visit them, something that has not been possible for pretty much as long as I've been alive. He's lifted the ban on abortion funding, his stimulus funding has so far saved of created over 127,000 jobs, he has outlawed the use of torture (Bear in mind that pictures of some of the torture and treatment of prisoners in Iraq had not been seen in America until a few days ago) He has made orders for American troops to leave Iraq, and more to go to Afghanistan, he's made rules for bankers and mortgage brokers to abide by, he's kept his Blackberry, he's got a dog, he's helped shape the G20 conference in London, he's met and opened dialog with many world leaders, some of who have been enemies of America. He has ordered and 80's reduction of the emitance of greenhouse gases (But not until 2050 has that target got to be reached. Again as an outsider, I'm shocked at how little there is in resources to enable the normal American to recycle) he's got one of the, if not THE most charismatic, pretty and intelligent first lady the White House has known. He's sent aside $428 billion for some health care reforms, he;s just done a live press conference, broadcast live on TV for an hour about his first 100 days and he's proved that he's a very charismatic and powerful speaker, who is 101% stronger, more believable and trustworthy than out own PM.

However, on a personal note, he's done very little in the realms of gay rights, in fact what has he done for gays and lesbians.............ermm nothing! However the last word on this mega long post, I leave to Barack Obama " I'm pleased with the progress we've made but I'm not satisfied, I'm confident with the future but I'm not content with the present."

I'm looking forward to the next 100 days!