So Hillary Clinton has raised $27 million dollars in her 3rd quarter campaign run for president. Eeeking out Obama by $7 million. Though he raised $32.5 million in the 2nd quarter while she raised only $27 million. The crazy thing is that Clinton with a 39% popularity rating among democrats, and Obama at 20% are a woman and a black man. Who woulda thunk?

And they’re far ahead of all the white male republicans who, honestly, are just a mess. Giuliani and Thompson are neck in neck, a serial cheater and an actor. Giuliani claims to be a republican but supports legal abortion and is pro-gun control, while Thompson is so far to the right even the radical right wing is scared of him.

Hillary’s numbers are higher than ANY of the candidates by a solid 10 points, but would the nation really elect a woman? It’s sad to think that a solid portion of the country would say no just BECAUSE she’s a woman. And yet it’s remarkable how many other countries have female leaders. Ireland, New Zealand, The Philippines, Mozambique, Germany, Liberia, Chile, Switzerland and India. And countries with Second in Command? The UK, The Netherlands, Canada, Denmark. Countries that used to have females leaders include Argentina, Iceland, Malta, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Latvia, Panama, Israel, Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Poland, Turkey, South Korea and Indonesia. If an a country like Turkey under democratic Islamic rule could have a female President all the way back in 1993, it seems we’re a bit behind the times.

Which brings me to Burma, a country that is sadly behind the times. Over the last week, thousands of monks and Burmese people have filled the streets of Burma’s capital in an effort to hold peaceful democratic protests against the rising cost of gas. For the first several days the streets were solid with people arm in arm marching together in complete nonaggression. But after it went on longer than the government could stomach, they cracked down and sent in their 400,000 strong militia (one of the world’s largest per capita militaries) to break up the demonstrations and killed what is now an estimated to be 200 people and detained what we think is another 6000.

Burma has long been military dictatorship. In fact, in the 1962 military led coup they took over not just the government and the military, but all aspects of the economy and politics as well. And how do they stay in power? Well of course, they’ve got natural resources to exploit. Oil and gas, and good relations with China. So how will this military state be brought to it’s knees if the people are murdered for having a voice? (In the last uprising in 1988 3000 were left dead.) Will we send help? Oh, sorry, we can’t. All of our troops are in Iraq.

But for those who aren’t in Iraq, and happen to have a couple million bucks, The Daily News published a list of “50 Must Haves” for any Millionaire. I was excited to see the list as I thought it might have some cool things that would give me some gift ideas (I mean the cheap version of the expensive idea), but when I saw the list I couldn’t help but laugh.

Let me just show you one:

Agent Provocateur for millionaires? Well, it just so happens that I own a few pair of “Agent” panties. And believe me, I’m no millionaire. They’re nice. I’ll give you that. But they’re nothing to write home about. I’d much prefer something in cashmere, if it exists. Now that would be something I’d like to find on the list.

Another fantastic example:

This amazing cushioned brush will make your bald head look like it has hair! No. It’s just a brush you can buy at sephora.com. I think I may just go over to the internet and get one right now since I can afford it. I don’t understand. This is supposed to be a list for millionaire’s, not the middle-class (like me).

By the way, what’s up with Kim Jong Il, president of North Korea,’s jumpsuit? He’s such a bizarre man. That’ll have to be another blog. Just popped into my mind.

Anyway, if a brush and a pair of relatively inexpensive underwear can make it onto The Daily News “50 Must Haves for Millionaires,” I think they need a new editor

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