SLOWLY BUT SURELY WE'RE GETTING THERE...

In January, when President Barack Obama took the oath of office, our financial system was on the verge of collapse, and the GDP rate was negative 6.3%. Presently, our financial system is relatively stable and the GDP rate is positive 2.8%.

Sure, more needs to be done and perhaps some things could have been done better. But let's not forget the accomplishments:

~Stem cell order reversed~
~SCHIP passed and signed into law~
~Ledbetter bill passed and signed into law~
~Hate crime legislation covering gays signed into law~
~Major Green energy initiatives started~
~EPA rules revised to address Climate Change~
~Executive order signed to protect large areas from drilling~
~Car emission standards revised~

~National Science Foundation funding boosted~

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~Stimulus bill passed... and is already helping to revive the economy~
~Financial system reform plan implemented~
~Regulations on the way~
~Gitmo closing ordered~
~Torture banned~
~Iraq troop withdrawal ordered~
~Afghanistan approach under review~
~Direct negotiations with Iran started~
~Negotiations with Syria in progress~

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~Disarmament talks with Russia re-started~
~Travel restrictions for Cuba lifted~
~Energy/Climate Change legislation passed the House; soon to be passed by Senate~
~Student loan market overhaul approved by U.S. House~
~Health Care legislation underway~

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And I'm sure that I missed many more...

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For the naysayers... the proof is in the pudding.

AWKWARD FAMILY PHOTOS...

Well, what else is she supposed to lean on?

Welcome to the Carnival...

Susan would have had no idea of the tension in the room if it weren't for the burning sensation on either side of her head...

Why do the people of Oklahoma always luck out?

The Pacifist...

This is what happens when your baby-sitter is a 14-year-old crack head...

On second thought... how about a jigsaw puzzle?

Grandpa can't see a GOD DAMNED thing...

Looks like SOMEBODY crashed this mustache party...

Drinking a glass a day will NOT help you do this...

Answering the age old question... can one get too tan?

A pony isn't looking so crazy anymore... isn't it mom..?

Among portrait photographers, this is referred to as the EXORCIST...

THE UNBEARABLE LIKENESS THAT IS LOVE...

Going back hundreds of years, people have searched for the meaning of LOVE. But even the great Philosophers, with their profound definitions, could never fully touch its true essence. To the best of my knowledge, love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a strong sense of affection and attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure ("I love this sandwich") to intense interpersonal attraction ("I love my significant other"). This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define...

Writing about my thoughts on love has been on my mind ever since I created this blog. I never really shared my take on love and the wonderment of all its intricacies as I have always been profoundly horrified of truly giving my all to someone. Seeking for some guidance and enlightenment on this matter of the heart, I approached the ones who can convey their thoughts with the least amount of bullshit and baggage... CHILDREN. What do little kids know about love you ask? You'd be surprised that despite their young, innocent minds, kids already have a simple yet deep grasp of what this enigmatic 4-letter-word means to them:

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs..."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay..."

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss but they look happy and sometimes they dance in the kitchen while kissing..."

"Love is when you hold hands and sit next to each other in the cafeteria. That means you're in love. Otherwise, you can sit across from each other and be okay..."

"If you want somebody to love you, then just be yourself. Some people try to act like somebody else, somebody the boy likes better. I think the boy isn't being very good if he does this to you and you should just find another boy..."

And my favorite thus far...

"You have to fall in love to get married. Then when you're married, you just sit around and read books together..."

What is love if not costly? Real love demands sacrifice that can't be found in self-centeredness. You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. Sacrificial love requires that we give what we value most: our hearts, minds, souls and strength. Real love does not always follow our natural inclinations. Some say it's mysterious, magical, complex, difficult, imaginary, thought-provoking, inspirational, intuitional, joyous, immeasurable, ecstasy or simply undefinable.

Despite having my reasonable issues and difficulties with fully understanding love, I do know that love is a universal experience. Yet, every individual occurrence - while perhaps bound by a common thread - seems absolutely unique. To everyone, it expresses itself differently. To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor...

I believe that love can only go as far as the capacity of one's mind. Love is loving someone without expecting anything in return; no judgments, no restrictions, no limitations and no expectations. I don't think I will ever fully understand the scope of it all but I do wish that someday I will learn to allow it into my life...