7 Questions With Shayna

Finally Blogger is cooperating long enough to get this thing up.

The following is a seven-question interview with Shayna, the poetic, musically gifted, politically sincere, rocker and devout mother from My Music Highway. She first peaked her head into this rambling political blog that I call Political Notio wearing a blue wig and a pink hat in September 2005. Then she was known simply as Girl on the Blog. Today she is all over the place as she has built one of the most trafficked blogs around that she gracefully refers to as the music highway “I call life.”

This girl is a firecracker; a true loaded pistol and she quickly became one of my favorites. A proud southerner, Shayna surely symbolizes all that is great and progressive about the Southland (besides that accent). She even stuck by Political Notio when it was no longer in service. She has always been very kind to me and her blog has become an almost daily routine for me. And now I get to ask her a few questions. I only wish I had more traffic to throw her way…

1. Have you ever run for office? (Can be High School or any sort of elected position)

No... I never did. I was always the campaign manager... plus, I missed a good bit of school due to traveling with my music... I had tutors on the road... Sooo... I really wouldn't have made a great candidate for any sort of school club.

2. What about you has changed since you started blogging?

I have opened up more as far as my writing. I look back at my Girl on the Blog days and just laugh. My political views have changed some. I have become more involved and enlightened with the world around me. I feel I have a voice now and people are listening to what I say. Blogging has been my outlet through some really tough times. It's great therapy! :)

3. What do you think is the most important issue facing our day, and where do you stand on that issue?

To be honest, Chris... there are several issues that I find extremely important. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Oil prices, the Bush administration... these three issues are so mind blowing. I am scared that Bush is going to take us all to "Hell in a Skillet". BUT... let me just talk about an issue that is very important to me, a woman in America. I feel that my rights as a woman are being slowly taken away. I am quoting myself in a post I wrote back in March...

"I am a Middle Class American White Woman. I live in the greatest country in the world and I have Freedoms other women in other country's desire, long for… want.

To take my Freedom away…
My Freedom to choose…
My Freedom to make decisions…
Makes me like "those other women" in "those other country's"…
desire, long for… want.

It's My Freedom… It's My Body… IT'S My RIGHT TO CHOOSE! I DO NOT want to become one of "THOSE OTHER WOMEN"!

South Dakota is only the beginning of taking My Freedom… My Body away. I will not stand by and let this happen!" Other states are jumping on the South Dakota band wagon and it's a shame. I could go on and on and on about this issue... you can read the rest of my feelings here.

4. You are obviously musically gifted and have an ear for good music; do you play any instruments as well, and what is the most nervous you have ever been while performing?

Thank you, Chris. I am blushing. :) Yes, I play both acoustic guitar and piano. I started playing the piano when I was around the age of 6 and just started playing the guitar a few years ago. I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world... I have such short fingers. But I can "rock out" on a piano/keyboard. :)~ The most nervous I have ever been would have to be when I performed at the Grand Ole Opry when I was 16 years old. I cannot begin to describe the emotions I had the four days of performing on that stage. I was filled with emotions of nerves, excitement, awe and bliss.

5. The Boston Tea Party was a revolt against a one-half of one-percent tax increase on the price of tea. What do you think it will take for the American people to protest the outrageous gas prices and begin to organize and demand action from Bush?

Wow... this is a tough one. In a perfect world the simplest forms of protest would get ones voice heard... this is not the perfect world. We seem to be silenced by our protesting. I am not sure there is a great answer to this question and if so I am not sure I have the answer. Would all Americans revolt and demand action? I don't think they would and in this not so perfect world that is the hard cold facts. "Bush is King" (at least he thinks he is) … I am to the conclusion that it will take someone hirer up to dethrone him… and it needs to happen or I fear our "Great America" will turn into the "Foolish America" that it is slowly becoming.

Just a few thoughts of action...There is always the form of protest… I have thought about everyone protesting local "filler up" stations…. But would these be the most effective locations? And would this be enough? Probably not! Or would it be better to protest at our state capitals? I have no right answer.

At the "filler up" stations after pumping our gas we tend to go inside the stations and not only purchase gas but purchase items such as snacks, drinks, etc… Maybe we should stop purchasing these items from these stations… that, to me, would hurt these stations/corporations.
And isn't Bush an oilman? Is he profiting from this as well? I mean, I really don't know… but if he is… shame on him… he really is taken us to "Hell in a Skillet".

It would be nice if we Americans could just not purchase gas at all for a few days… then and only then do I think that might raise a Bush eyebrow… that's money not being made. Do I have faith in my fellow Americans to rise up and demand action? No, I can't say that I do... after all... a majority of my fellow Americans voted Bush into office.

6. What is the most conservative thing about you?

The most conservative thing??? Well I think I have one thing in common with most conservative Republicans... I too don't want to be Republican as they, the Republicans, seem not to want to be right now. A lot of our Republican reps are trying to shy as far away from the President as possible. Can one blame them? So... I tend to be a right-winger in that aspect.

7. What is the most liberal thing about you?

Being a Methodist... most Methodist Churches are pretty darn liberal. "WE" accept everyone no matter what race, sexual preference, etc... I, like my church, strive not to judge... I want women to have equal rights, I want homosexuals to have equal rights, I want different races to have equal rights... I DON'T WANT TO HOLD ANYONE BACK.

Well said my dear. Sounds like music to my ears.