Seriously, y'all know I would totally wear this hat on the bus. I want one.
Showing posts with label Election 08. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Election 08. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Does anyone know where I can get this hat?
Seriously, y'all know I would totally wear this hat on the bus. I want one.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
This is the way a President should speak.
In case you missed it, here is a link to President Obama's Inaugural Address, with both text and video.
My President
Congratulations to Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America. I, like so many others, never thought I would see this historic event so early in my life. I never thought two key Southern states would have given their Electoral votes to a democrat, let alone a black man. I look forward to the next four years, to progress and to the positive changes the United States needs. Thank you, Mr. Obama, and godspeed.
Ps. Michelle, I love the outfit you were wearing this morning!
Ps. Michelle, I love the outfit you were wearing this morning!
Monday, January 19, 2009
A just and lasting peace.
"With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
-final paragraph of the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln, 1865.
-final paragraph of the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln, 1865.
The prize we sought is won.
By Walt Whitman, published 1865, inspired by the assasination of Abraham Lincoln.
193. O Captain! My Captain!
1
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
2
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead.
3
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
193. O Captain! My Captain!
1
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
2
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead.
3
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
In case you haven't heard...
We elected a black man to Commander In Chief. He will be sworn in one hundred years after the foundation of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP. In so many ways this was an historic election. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee as the running mate to former Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Walter Mondale. This year, the Democratic Party had a dogfight to the nomination between a former First Lady and a black man. The Republican party nominated a woman as the Vice Presidential nominee, the highest honor bestowed on a woman by the Republican party to date. Regardless of who was chosen as the 44th President, we were going to make history.
Eight years ago, we elected George W. Bush as the 42nd President. In a gross oversight, we elected him again as the 43rd President. In the course of these eight years, George W. Bush has managed to bring our country to an economic crisis almost as severe as the Great Depression. Nearly one third of Americans, or 90 million people, under the age of 65 did not have health coverage between 2006-2007. His zeal for deregulation led the way to predatory lending and lack of personal financial responsibility. He has given tax cuts to big business which send jobs to overseas. He has disputed the validity of Global Warming. For absolutely no reason, he invaded a country under the guise of The War on Terror. This country had no ties to the organization responsible for the tragedy on September 11. He falsely reported finding Weapons of Mass Destruction in this country. He has allowed spending upwards of millions of dollars a day on this fictitious war. When he was sworn in as Commander of Chief, a gallon of gasoline was $1.44. This summer those lucky enough to find gasoline had to pay around $4 a gallon. He has supported the torture of "enemy combatants" (and liberal definition of the term "enemy combatant") and assisted in the creation of the USA Patriot Act, a convoluted piece of litigation which allows the federal government to toss civil liberties out the window.
While this seems in and of itself a pitiful legacy for a President, none of this adds up to the largest embarrassment and most tragic failure of his presidency.
The failure of the Bush Administration to respond to the crisis of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of the Gulf Coast still brings tears to my eyes. After the hurricane, I tried very hard to avoid the news, both online and on television. I knew what I would see and knew I might not be able to handle it. I was unable to avoid it completely. I will never be able to forget the image I saw of a woman who had been waiting outside the stadium, sitting in a lawn chair, hoping to get relief from her environment. Unfortunately, she died before she could get help. The citizens of New Orleans had no choice but to leave her where she was. Even more unfortunate, this was not an isolated event. The scope of this tragedy was unlike anything we had ever experience here. The City of New Orleans is still recovering to this day. I cannot speculate on the motives of the Bush Administration to act so slowly in response to this disaster. I certainly hope the ethnic diversity of the population of the Gulf Coast in general and New Orleans in specific was not in any way a factor.
Last night the United States made history by electing a black man as President. We elected this man, Barack Hussein Obama, in a near landslide, 349 to 162, with two states still pending confirmation. In some ways, it is not surprising that we elected a Democrat to this office in reaction to the mess created by the previous Republican administration. What may have made this election a nail-biter was the ethnicity of the Democratic nominee. In the end, the American people stepped up and voted on the issues and what truly mattered. We needed change, and the contents were more important than the packaging.
I am very lucky to have so many friends and coworkers who self-identify as either Democrat, liberal, or both. I have not heard anything negative about President Elect Obama. On the New York Times Online, there is a video feature here. Individuals from key states had their thoughts recorded about our new president. The bulk of these folks have positive comments. One woman is identified as Amy Ridolfi, 28, from Philadelphia. She claims to be a Democrat who voted for McCain, because she feels the world is not ready for a black president. She feels the world will view the United States negatively because we have "switched parties" and this will have a negative impact. In the past eight years, The Bush Administration has alienated the United States from many of our allies. Those not alienated are too afraid to speak up. Reviewing the news from abroad, it is easy to see that the rest of the world is welcoming the change this election has brought. The Obama Administration has a long road to travel, but I feel we can expect our wronged allies to be willing to mend fences.
She makes the statement that the world is not ready for a black president. Given the results of the election last night, one could say with total certainty that she is wrong. If the time was not right for a black man to assume the highest office in the land, I would be saying President Elect John McCain with much disdain. America has spoken. Barack Obama is the best man for the job, regardless of color. Having a leader who is something other than an affluent white man will boost the credibility of this nation. Shall we remind Amy that the vast majority of the world of which she speaks does not self-identify as white?
I think we can expect great things from Barack Obama. I feel we can also expect him to demonstrate that he is a President who is black and not a black man who is President. In 1984 and 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson was a candidate for the Democratic nomination. He was not successful. In my opinion, he was a black man running for President. Throughout this race, Barack Obama has demonstrated that he has the qualities required of a President. He has been incredibly even-tempered and an excellent speaker. He is known as one who thinks before he speaks. He has not made his ethnicity a factor, although the opposition tried. This election makes me believe it was more the candidate than the timing. Now more than ever the world is ready for this man to lead the United States out of this terrible place. The color of his skin is merely a bonus. I commend the Americans who voted with their principles and their open and educated minds, and not with their bank accounts and prejudices.
To those of you who may feel alone in a Red Sea, take heart. There are many, many more people out there who think like you. When the current state of the union turns around, remember to say, "I told you so."
For information on the Electoral College, go here. I won't even try to explain it.
Eight years ago, we elected George W. Bush as the 42nd President. In a gross oversight, we elected him again as the 43rd President. In the course of these eight years, George W. Bush has managed to bring our country to an economic crisis almost as severe as the Great Depression. Nearly one third of Americans, or 90 million people, under the age of 65 did not have health coverage between 2006-2007. His zeal for deregulation led the way to predatory lending and lack of personal financial responsibility. He has given tax cuts to big business which send jobs to overseas. He has disputed the validity of Global Warming. For absolutely no reason, he invaded a country under the guise of The War on Terror. This country had no ties to the organization responsible for the tragedy on September 11. He falsely reported finding Weapons of Mass Destruction in this country. He has allowed spending upwards of millions of dollars a day on this fictitious war. When he was sworn in as Commander of Chief, a gallon of gasoline was $1.44. This summer those lucky enough to find gasoline had to pay around $4 a gallon. He has supported the torture of "enemy combatants" (and liberal definition of the term "enemy combatant") and assisted in the creation of the USA Patriot Act, a convoluted piece of litigation which allows the federal government to toss civil liberties out the window.
While this seems in and of itself a pitiful legacy for a President, none of this adds up to the largest embarrassment and most tragic failure of his presidency.
The failure of the Bush Administration to respond to the crisis of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of the Gulf Coast still brings tears to my eyes. After the hurricane, I tried very hard to avoid the news, both online and on television. I knew what I would see and knew I might not be able to handle it. I was unable to avoid it completely. I will never be able to forget the image I saw of a woman who had been waiting outside the stadium, sitting in a lawn chair, hoping to get relief from her environment. Unfortunately, she died before she could get help. The citizens of New Orleans had no choice but to leave her where she was. Even more unfortunate, this was not an isolated event. The scope of this tragedy was unlike anything we had ever experience here. The City of New Orleans is still recovering to this day. I cannot speculate on the motives of the Bush Administration to act so slowly in response to this disaster. I certainly hope the ethnic diversity of the population of the Gulf Coast in general and New Orleans in specific was not in any way a factor.
Last night the United States made history by electing a black man as President. We elected this man, Barack Hussein Obama, in a near landslide, 349 to 162, with two states still pending confirmation. In some ways, it is not surprising that we elected a Democrat to this office in reaction to the mess created by the previous Republican administration. What may have made this election a nail-biter was the ethnicity of the Democratic nominee. In the end, the American people stepped up and voted on the issues and what truly mattered. We needed change, and the contents were more important than the packaging.
I am very lucky to have so many friends and coworkers who self-identify as either Democrat, liberal, or both. I have not heard anything negative about President Elect Obama. On the New York Times Online, there is a video feature here. Individuals from key states had their thoughts recorded about our new president. The bulk of these folks have positive comments. One woman is identified as Amy Ridolfi, 28, from Philadelphia. She claims to be a Democrat who voted for McCain, because she feels the world is not ready for a black president. She feels the world will view the United States negatively because we have "switched parties" and this will have a negative impact. In the past eight years, The Bush Administration has alienated the United States from many of our allies. Those not alienated are too afraid to speak up. Reviewing the news from abroad, it is easy to see that the rest of the world is welcoming the change this election has brought. The Obama Administration has a long road to travel, but I feel we can expect our wronged allies to be willing to mend fences.
She makes the statement that the world is not ready for a black president. Given the results of the election last night, one could say with total certainty that she is wrong. If the time was not right for a black man to assume the highest office in the land, I would be saying President Elect John McCain with much disdain. America has spoken. Barack Obama is the best man for the job, regardless of color. Having a leader who is something other than an affluent white man will boost the credibility of this nation. Shall we remind Amy that the vast majority of the world of which she speaks does not self-identify as white?
I think we can expect great things from Barack Obama. I feel we can also expect him to demonstrate that he is a President who is black and not a black man who is President. In 1984 and 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson was a candidate for the Democratic nomination. He was not successful. In my opinion, he was a black man running for President. Throughout this race, Barack Obama has demonstrated that he has the qualities required of a President. He has been incredibly even-tempered and an excellent speaker. He is known as one who thinks before he speaks. He has not made his ethnicity a factor, although the opposition tried. This election makes me believe it was more the candidate than the timing. Now more than ever the world is ready for this man to lead the United States out of this terrible place. The color of his skin is merely a bonus. I commend the Americans who voted with their principles and their open and educated minds, and not with their bank accounts and prejudices.
To those of you who may feel alone in a Red Sea, take heart. There are many, many more people out there who think like you. When the current state of the union turns around, remember to say, "I told you so."
For information on the Electoral College, go here. I won't even try to explain it.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Finally.
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The American people have spoken and they have spoken clearly." Senator John McCain
"The American people have spoken and they have spoken clearly." Senator John McCain
Election resource
New York Times
If you click on a state, you'll actually get a county by county breakdown. The nerd in me (what? me? a nerd?) finds this fascinating.
Presidential Election Results
You can get the predictions from all of the news bureaus, without the holograms.
If you click on a state, you'll actually get a county by county breakdown. The nerd in me (what? me? a nerd?) finds this fascinating.
Presidential Election Results
You can get the predictions from all of the news bureaus, without the holograms.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wow.
The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board endorses Barack Obama for President. Bush carried Utah by 72% in the last election. This is huge.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A priviledge, a right, or a responsibility?
I came across this article in the New York Times today. It talks about how election officials are trying to purge voter registration records and may be doing so illegally.
From the article:
"In the year ending Sept. 30, election officials in Nevada, for example, used the Social Security database more than 740,000 times to check voter files or registration applications and found more than 715,000 nonmatches, federal records show. Election officials in Georgia ran more than 1.9 million checks on voter files or voter registration applications and found more than 260,000 nonmatches."
As we see here, using the Social Security Database produces questionable results and should only be done as a last resort.
In the United States, we talk about having "the right to vote." As an American, I am supposed to be able to vote in an election. Is that really true? No, it is not. As an American, we can lose the right to vote if convicted of a felony. In some cases, that loss can be permanent. In the state of North Carolina, anyone over the age of 16 is sentenced as an adult. Period. No discussion. Let's use an example here...Duwayne. He's 16. He has some older friends his mom would prefer he didn't associate with. He gets swept up in the peer pressure of being cool. He is involved in an armed robbery with these unsavory friends (in NC, I believe it's an automatic 7 years jail time). He's only 16. If he's shown the right track, he might be able to turn his life around, go to college, give back to the community, be a role model for someone like him. However, Duwayne has lost the "right" to make his voice heard before he was ever allowed to use that "right." If we think about two specific characteristics that could describe a majority of those in the prison system, regardless of the state, what comes to mind for me would be either poor or black. This reeks of classicism and racism. These are the individuals who most need their voices heard. Instead, the government takes away that "right" for at least a part of their adult lives. If this truly is a right, then how can they take it away? Voting is our responsibility, but it is more a privilege than a right.
The election officials are now going to inadvertently disenfranchise even more individuals at this polls this year simply because they did not follow proper procedure.
Riding the bus gives me a daily reminder that there are so many more people out there that live nothing like I do. It reminds me that there are so many people that didn't grow up with a stay-at-home mom, a cookie cutter house in the suburbs, an SUV and a country club pool to swim in during summer breaks. Few people we allowed to attend a $12,000 a year (in 1990!) private college, without scholarship money or student loans. Riding the bus has been the best reminder for me of the need for social responsibility. It is important that we look out for every member of our community, regardless of who, or what, they may be.
Here's some further reading for you.
Losing The Vote; The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws In The United States
From the article:
"In the year ending Sept. 30, election officials in Nevada, for example, used the Social Security database more than 740,000 times to check voter files or registration applications and found more than 715,000 nonmatches, federal records show. Election officials in Georgia ran more than 1.9 million checks on voter files or voter registration applications and found more than 260,000 nonmatches."
As we see here, using the Social Security Database produces questionable results and should only be done as a last resort.
In the United States, we talk about having "the right to vote." As an American, I am supposed to be able to vote in an election. Is that really true? No, it is not. As an American, we can lose the right to vote if convicted of a felony. In some cases, that loss can be permanent. In the state of North Carolina, anyone over the age of 16 is sentenced as an adult. Period. No discussion. Let's use an example here...Duwayne. He's 16. He has some older friends his mom would prefer he didn't associate with. He gets swept up in the peer pressure of being cool. He is involved in an armed robbery with these unsavory friends (in NC, I believe it's an automatic 7 years jail time). He's only 16. If he's shown the right track, he might be able to turn his life around, go to college, give back to the community, be a role model for someone like him. However, Duwayne has lost the "right" to make his voice heard before he was ever allowed to use that "right." If we think about two specific characteristics that could describe a majority of those in the prison system, regardless of the state, what comes to mind for me would be either poor or black. This reeks of classicism and racism. These are the individuals who most need their voices heard. Instead, the government takes away that "right" for at least a part of their adult lives. If this truly is a right, then how can they take it away? Voting is our responsibility, but it is more a privilege than a right.
The election officials are now going to inadvertently disenfranchise even more individuals at this polls this year simply because they did not follow proper procedure.
Riding the bus gives me a daily reminder that there are so many more people out there that live nothing like I do. It reminds me that there are so many people that didn't grow up with a stay-at-home mom, a cookie cutter house in the suburbs, an SUV and a country club pool to swim in during summer breaks. Few people we allowed to attend a $12,000 a year (in 1990!) private college, without scholarship money or student loans. Riding the bus has been the best reminder for me of the need for social responsibility. It is important that we look out for every member of our community, regardless of who, or what, they may be.
Here's some further reading for you.
Losing The Vote; The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws In The United States
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I don't think that's covered under the warranty.
If she says "maverick" again, I'm gonna pitch my TV out the window. Seriously.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hope springs eternal, or so they say.
I had to run to Cameron Village tonight to pick up a couple things. I ran into the Village Deli to get a sandwich and ran into Stacy. Stacy used to work at my vet's office. She, like everyone there, is super sweet and Truman loved them. She asked if I still had Truman. I told her I did not. I think she left before he got really sick. I told her it was cancer after all, which was confirmed by the vet school. We laughed about how he was still a total chowhound even after he lost most of his teeth, apparently lost his eyesight, and in spite of the fact that both the regular vet and the oncologist vet said his appetite should start to go downhill. Stacy was as sweet as ever and admitted to not being sure if she should ask me. I told her it was okay. I also told her I was thinking about thinking about getting another cat, but I'm not quite there yet. I was okay after I got my sandwich until I got to the door. I then boohooed to the bus stop. It's been just over a year since he died, and longer since she worked there. She still remembered him. That's how cool he was. (And that probably shows how much I spent at the vet too!)
I made a pit stop at Great Outdoor to get a headlamp for my trips home from the art studio. I remarkably had a couple minutes to spare at the bus stop. As I was waiting I overheard a conversation about politics and the election between to younger African American guys. They started to talk to me too. It was interesting to hear their points of view were not that different from mine. It gives me hope.
_______________________________________________
This is one of my favorite pictures of Truman, rocking the candy necklace. He was the best cat. I miss him very much.
I made a pit stop at Great Outdoor to get a headlamp for my trips home from the art studio. I remarkably had a couple minutes to spare at the bus stop. As I was waiting I overheard a conversation about politics and the election between to younger African American guys. They started to talk to me too. It was interesting to hear their points of view were not that different from mine. It gives me hope.
_______________________________________________
This is one of my favorite pictures of Truman, rocking the candy necklace. He was the best cat. I miss him very much.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
*politics alert* whoop whoop whoop *politics alert* whoop whoop whoop
I'm sorry y'all, but I still firmly believe in the separation of church and state. Believe what you want to believe, but separation of chuch and state should be sacrosanct. This country was founded on that principle. Jesus doesn't make us go to war. Greedy, ego-centric politicians make us go to war.
I'm sorry. I just can't keep quite about this disturbing article.
I'm sorry. I just can't keep quite about this disturbing article.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Hey everybody, this way!
I am home again today. I made it halfway to the bus stop this morning and felt like I needed to lay down. So I turned around and came home. I woke up around 1:30 and walked down to Snoopy's for a chicken salad sandwich. While I was there, I was passed by two cars and a truck decked out in Hillary For President signs driving around and honking. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Hillary. I really hope she wins. I've always liked her. It just seems supremely hypocritical for this type of campaigning to be acceptable. Hillary has a very definite stance on the environment and what she's willing to do to change it. I don't think Hillary knows about it. I'm sure it's six volunteers run amok. I called her campaign headquarters to say something about this. A switchboard operator told me everyone was too busy to talk to me and that I needed to go on line. (Sorry, lady, I don't need to do anything!) My only recourse at that point was to go to her main website and submit comments. I must admit I am a little put off by all this.
Here's what I said.
"I live in Raleigh, NC. Our election is tomorrow. I understand that Mrs. Clinton has strong ideas about the environment, including ending carbon emissions and fuel dependence. I am in support of Mrs Clinton and sincerely hope she is our next president. What concerns me is that her Raleigh, NC camp feels an appropriate way of campaigning is to decorate cars and drive around downtown honking their horns. Not only are these people contributing to the noise pollution, but also to the air pollution. When I looked up how to volunteer for Mrs Clinton, I did not see driving and honking as one way to support her campaign. In a conservative state such as North Carolina, she will have to be very careful with how she presents herself. We still have a very large farming community who feels her place is at home, taking care of her husband. These actions witnessed today appear very hypocritical.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves."
Here's what I said.
"I live in Raleigh, NC. Our election is tomorrow. I understand that Mrs. Clinton has strong ideas about the environment, including ending carbon emissions and fuel dependence. I am in support of Mrs Clinton and sincerely hope she is our next president. What concerns me is that her Raleigh, NC camp feels an appropriate way of campaigning is to decorate cars and drive around downtown honking their horns. Not only are these people contributing to the noise pollution, but also to the air pollution. When I looked up how to volunteer for Mrs Clinton, I did not see driving and honking as one way to support her campaign. In a conservative state such as North Carolina, she will have to be very careful with how she presents herself. We still have a very large farming community who feels her place is at home, taking care of her husband. These actions witnessed today appear very hypocritical.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves."
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