Pink Floyd at their best!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Stretching: The Truth
If you’re like most of us, you were taught the importance of warm-up exercises back in grade school, and you’ve likely continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you.
Read more Stretching: The Truth
Gunfire in Charleston, South Carolina
Gunfire broke out during an argument outside a South Carolina mall, leaving one man dead and another critically injured.
Police say that three men who were shopping Wednesday afternoon at the Citadel Mall began arguing in the parking lot.
Then shots were fired.
Authorities say one man was killed, a second was critically injured, and a law enforcement officer who happened to be at the scene shot the gunman in the leg.
No word on what the argument was about.
Police say that three men who were shopping Wednesday afternoon at the Citadel Mall began arguing in the parking lot.
Then shots were fired.
Authorities say one man was killed, a second was critically injured, and a law enforcement officer who happened to be at the scene shot the gunman in the leg.
No word on what the argument was about.
PSA - Recall: ReliOn insulin syringes
This is a Public Service Announcement
The following recall has been announced:One lot of ReliOn sterile, single-use, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed needles, recalled by Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Covidien), because the syringes might be mislabeled. Patients could receive 2.5 times the intended dose, which might lead to hypoglycemia, serious health effects and even death. One incident has been reported, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The recalled syringes, with lot No. 813900, have this product information: ReliOn 1cc, 31-gauge, 100 units for use with U-100 insulin. About 4,710 boxes were distributed in the recalled lot, affecting about 471,000 syringes. The syringes, distributed by Can-Am Care Corp., were sold at Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs under the ReliOn name from Aug. 1 through Oct. 8. Wal-Mart requests consumers return the recalled syringes to their local Wal-Mart store or Sam's Club pharmacy. Customers will be provided a replacement product.
For more information, consumers can call Covidien at 866-780-5436 or visit http://www.relion.com/recall.
*****
Should you or anyone you know use the above recalled product(s) please heed this recall.
Two and a half times your dosage can be lethal.
Atlanta woman basks in Obama tribute
At age 106, Ann Nixon Cooper doesn't usually stay awake past midnight. But on Election Night she had special reason to do so: She was waiting for Barack Obama to mention her name. Cooper, one of the oldest voters for the nation's first black president, had been tipped off by the Obama campaign that she would be mentioned in his acceptance speech. Toward the end, she got her moment.
"I was waiting for it," said Cooper. "I had heard that they would be calling my name at least."
Obama introduced the world to a woman who "was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin."
"Tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can," he said.
Cooper first registered to vote on Sept. 1, 1941. Though she was friends with elite black Atlantians like W.E.B. Du Bois, John Hope Franklin and Benjamin E. Mays, because of her status as a black woman in a segregated and sexist society, she didn't exercise her right to vote for years.
Instead, she deferred to her husband - Dr. Albert B. Cooper, a prominent Atlanta dentist - who "voted for the house."
Her husband died in 1967. Cooper has outlived three of her four children and lived to see women gain the right to vote and the end of segregation. On Oct. 16, she voted early for the Illinois senator, who called to thank her after reading a news article about her.
Cooper said she believes Obama's win could finally signal the change she has been waiting for.
"I feel nothing but relief that things have changed as much as they have," she said. "After a while, we will all be one. That's what I look forward to."
Cooper turns 107 in January, just a few weeks before Obama's inauguration.
What does it mean to you?
This was posted by archiguy on the Charlotte Observer's webpage under the question - What does the election Tuesday of Barack Obama as President mean to you ... and what will it mean to the country?
"You always hear the question asked, Why do we have to settle for the politicians we have? Why don't more men of greater talent run for office? Wouldn't it be great if our Best and Brightest would want to be President instead of a hedge fund manager or a millionaire divorce attorney? Well, it's pretty clear to me that Barak Obama is one of the best men our country can produce, possessed of formidable talent and drive. We're fortunate to have a man of his intellect and unrivaled power to move and inspire. His calm, confident, and assured demeanor during the debates portend how he will interact with world leaders, who have been waiting on a grown-up to come back to America's helm. He will carefully consider all options available, and his administration will be the complete antithesis of the reckless, ill-considered stumbles and bumbles of the hopelessly incompetent Bush regime. The country will be well served by this brilliant, capable man. One of our Best and Brightest in the top job. Finally."
I don't know archiguy from Adam but he says what a whole hell of a lot of us feel - Why not have the Best and Brightest in lieu of the worst and dullest that we have had in the past ... especially so during the last eight years.
Sadly though his post and a few others expressing hope and optimism where the only bright spots in over 100 responses thus far. The rest were the same old bile and vitriol hate filled rants we have come to expect from the wing-nuts ... many of them incoherent, most rambling non sequitors.
"You always hear the question asked, Why do we have to settle for the politicians we have? Why don't more men of greater talent run for office? Wouldn't it be great if our Best and Brightest would want to be President instead of a hedge fund manager or a millionaire divorce attorney? Well, it's pretty clear to me that Barak Obama is one of the best men our country can produce, possessed of formidable talent and drive. We're fortunate to have a man of his intellect and unrivaled power to move and inspire. His calm, confident, and assured demeanor during the debates portend how he will interact with world leaders, who have been waiting on a grown-up to come back to America's helm. He will carefully consider all options available, and his administration will be the complete antithesis of the reckless, ill-considered stumbles and bumbles of the hopelessly incompetent Bush regime. The country will be well served by this brilliant, capable man. One of our Best and Brightest in the top job. Finally."
I don't know archiguy from Adam but he says what a whole hell of a lot of us feel - Why not have the Best and Brightest in lieu of the worst and dullest that we have had in the past ... especially so during the last eight years.
Sadly though his post and a few others expressing hope and optimism where the only bright spots in over 100 responses thus far. The rest were the same old bile and vitriol hate filled rants we have come to expect from the wing-nuts ... many of them incoherent, most rambling non sequitors.
Klan 'prank' troopers get their jobs back
Two Ohio troopers have won back their jobs after being fired for pulling a KKK-type costume prank the day before Martin Luther King Jr.
Day.An arbitrator ruled Tuesday that the firings in May violated a union contract.
The Highway Patrol said Wednesday that Craig Franklin and Eric Wlodarsky will return to work within 30 days.
They also get back pay and benefits.
A patrol investigation found that Franklin had dressed in a white cone, mask and cloth, and that Wlodarsky sent a cell phone photo to a colleague.
The Ohio State Troopers Association's attorney Herschel Sigall said the incident was "stupid, but not vicious."
He criticized Gov. Ted Strickland for seeking the firings.
Back pay and benefits?! They should have been fired and made to pay the state back for the time wasted training them.
A 'prank' is one thing, but being in a position of authority does carry a tad more responsibility than these two nitwits showed.
Forcing the state to reinstate these two bozos is a crime in and of itself ... but paying them back pay and benefits is insane.
Day.An arbitrator ruled Tuesday that the firings in May violated a union contract.
The Highway Patrol said Wednesday that Craig Franklin and Eric Wlodarsky will return to work within 30 days.
They also get back pay and benefits.
A patrol investigation found that Franklin had dressed in a white cone, mask and cloth, and that Wlodarsky sent a cell phone photo to a colleague.
The Ohio State Troopers Association's attorney Herschel Sigall said the incident was "stupid, but not vicious."
He criticized Gov. Ted Strickland for seeking the firings.
*****
Back pay and benefits?! They should have been fired and made to pay the state back for the time wasted training them.
A 'prank' is one thing, but being in a position of authority does carry a tad more responsibility than these two nitwits showed.
Forcing the state to reinstate these two bozos is a crime in and of itself ... but paying them back pay and benefits is insane.
Skinheads indicted in alleged plot against Obama
A federal grand jury in Memphis, Tenn., has indicted two white supremacists accused of plotting to kill Democrat Barack Obama and dozens of other black people.
Twenty-year-old Daniel Cowart and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman were arrested last month, before Obama won the presidential election.
They are being held without bond.
They were indicted Wednesday on charges of possessing a sawed-off shotgun, planning to rob a licensed gun dealer and threatening a presidential candidate.
Authorities say they plotted a killing spree that would end with them attacking Obama while dressed in white tuxedos and top hats.
Court records indicate Cowart and Schlesselman conceived the plot on their own and it fell apart quickly.
Twenty-year-old Daniel Cowart and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman were arrested last month, before Obama won the presidential election.
They are being held without bond.
They were indicted Wednesday on charges of possessing a sawed-off shotgun, planning to rob a licensed gun dealer and threatening a presidential candidate.
Authorities say they plotted a killing spree that would end with them attacking Obama while dressed in white tuxedos and top hats.
Court records indicate Cowart and Schlesselman conceived the plot on their own and it fell apart quickly.
*****
Duh! It's not like they have a brain cell between them in the first place - they're skinheads after all ... a group not known for being intelligent either singularly or collectively.
Left-handed people more inhibited?
New research suggests the lefties are more likely to be inhibited and anxious. Psychologist Lynn Wright and her colleagues at the University of Abertay Dundee ran behavioral tests on more than 100 people to see if they agreed with statements like “I worry about making mistakes, "“Criticism or scolding hurts me quite a bit," and “I often act on the spur of the moment." The answers of left-handed subjects revealed more reticence than righties.
From New Scientist:
In left-handers the right half of the brain is dominant, and it is this side that seems to control negative aspects of emotion. In right-handers the left brain dominates...
However, (Swansea University behavioral neuroscientist Philip Corr, who was not involved in the study,) says handedness is not so much a predictor of personality as a great way to understand how emotions are handled in our brains. “Although we may have a predisposition to an inhibition, that may encourage us during adulthood or childhood to develop coping strategies,” he says. “It could act as a blessing.”
Wright, a lefty, agrees. “They [left-handers] like to color-code things, they like to write lists, it’s almost a way to alleviate their stress,” she says..
This time, election system worked.
But why?
After all that fuss, the system worked. There was no meltdown, no flurry of lawsuits, no statewide demands for a presidential recount.
So does that mean America's voting machinery is finally fixed? And why did it work so well under record-setting turnout?
"Panic," said Doug Lewis, who heads Election Center, a nonprofit that works with voting officials across the country. "Everyone involved in conducting elections was just on pins and needles the entire year. Over-planning really helped."
There were extra precautions in nearly every precinct. In some areas, helicopters stood by to deliver touch-screen machines if extras were needed. Ballot orders were also increased.
The Election Assistance Commission, the federal agency that oversees voting systems and distributes money to improve them, recommended that local jurisdictions recruit twice as many poll workers as in previous elections.
"Election officials went to extraordinary lengths to have not only a Plan A, but a Plan B and a Plan C," Lewis said.
In the end, there were a few hiccups - some machines were slow to start up, and voter rolls were missing some names. But for the most part, the system functioned well.
It worked even under the onslaught of more than 133 million voters, the largest number in at least 40 years. Many of them waited for hours to choose between John McCain and Barack Obama, the first African-American elected president.
"The voters were enthusiastic and just glad to be in the process," Lewis said. "That attitude really helps. The day goes by much better."
All of which is good news, but no reason to get complacent, voting activists said.
"America had its game face on," said Doug Chapin, director of electionline.org at the Pew Center for the States. "Election officials and poll workers and voters were laser-focused on what they needed to do. They were willing to stand in line. They knew about early voting. They were vigilant about hiring extra poll workers."
Yet, Chapin said, "we need to do more. We didn't have a close election, and that took some of the pressure off."
Also alleviating pressure on Tuesday was newly popular early voting, which allowed people to mail in ballots or vote in person days before the election. At least one-third of the nation's general-election ballots were cast that way, according to early estimates.
But the process had its downside. Because so many voters wanted to cast early ballots, many people stood or sat or played cards in lines that lasted hours. In Florida, the governor ordered early polling places to stay open 12 hours a day instead of eight.
But Ion Sancho, elections director for Florida's Leon County, said early voting is the answer to overhauling the nation's varied, and sometimes confounding, voting system.
"When you can remove one out of three people from the lines on Election Day, that means there won't be two-hour waits at the polls. Fewer voters are going to be inconvenienced."
In 2000, confusing ballots and mismarked ballots enraged Florida voters. And in 2004, touch-screen machines refused to boot up, and Ohioans seethed while standing in line for as long as 14 hours.
Things have changed since then. Electronic machines are no longer the darling of voting officials. In big electoral states such as California, Florida and Ohio, many precincts have junked them in favor of old-fashioned paper ballots read by optical scanners.
Statewide voter registration databases, which are now required by law to help prevent a repeat of 2000, provide what are supposed to be comprehensive lists of eligible voters.
The lists are not without problems, either. On Tuesday, in states including New York, Georgia, California and Pennsylvania, people at the polls complained they were dropped from the rolls. Their only option was to cast a provisional ballot, which is not recorded if poll workers cannot find a voter-registration record for each ballot.
Voting advocates said Wednesday those omissions still constitute a serious failure in the voting system.
Sancho said such problems take years to correct.
"We are inching our way toward a better electoral system," he said. "A lot of work remains. But we handled more than 130 million voters in this country yesterday. We were able to accommodate more people than ever before and do it more smoothly. So we have to be doing something better."
Quotes
The following are quotes from around the web on the advent of Obama's victory.
Some are nice some are, well, not so nice.
"It's fun to watch Nazis cry..."
"America just rose ten-fold in the eyes of the world ..."
"Think how much detergent Obama is going to have to put in a
washing machine to wash Bush's skidmarks off of the American flag..."
"A Democratic-controlled White House, Congress AND a New Pony!..."
"That ain't just a mandate... that's some profound cosmic intervention..."
"The world just got a whole lot better..."
"I hope we can get some good things accomplished now..."
"We have not won enough yet. Republicans are like cockroaches. We can set off the bomb, kill the big one and most others, but the next day there are always a few left. If we don’t finish the job and mop up the stragglers, they will breed again..."
Some are nice some are, well, not so nice.
"It's fun to watch Nazis cry..."
"America just rose ten-fold in the eyes of the world ..."
"Think how much detergent Obama is going to have to put in a
washing machine to wash Bush's skidmarks off of the American flag..."
"A Democratic-controlled White House, Congress AND a New Pony!..."
"That ain't just a mandate... that's some profound cosmic intervention..."
"The world just got a whole lot better..."
"I hope we can get some good things accomplished now..."
"We have not won enough yet. Republicans are like cockroaches. We can set off the bomb, kill the big one and most others, but the next day there are always a few left. If we don’t finish the job and mop up the stragglers, they will breed again..."
Virtual world celebrates Obama's win as well
From YouTube to Flickr, from Facebook to Twitter, images and sentiments from celebrations across the nation flooded into the Internet's media-sharing sites, just moments after Barack Obama clinched the presidential election.
Telling stories of this election
What is the most telling story about how deep the feeling and desire for change in America was that within minutes of Obama's victory was announced by the various news organizations was that a crowd gathered at Layfayette Square just outside of the fence at the White House for a boisterous and jubilant unscripted impromptu celebration that grew as the evening went on. The fact that the crowd was peaceful and no one was disrespectful of either those who voted to not change nor to the prevailing laws in America was another reason change has come to America.
Also, I must say that McPain found out what happened to McCain last night when he gave his concession speech which was eloquent and showed that the senility that was so prevalent throughout his campaign was fained for the most part - he is 72 years old so some degree of senility is to be expected - why he would fake it is confusing, but his handlers were some of the most rabid of the wing-nuts so the confusion isn't all that much.
Another telling point was the reactions of the crowds listening to McCain's speech: the hundreds of thousands gathered to celebrate with Obama listened to McCain speak in silence, respecting him and listening to what he had to say and nodding in agreement and clapping when he called for America to come together to move forward.
In contrast the small group gathered to see McCain booed and jeered when he called for coming together and there was one call from out of the group that was not quite audible enough to make out clearly (someone will enhance it I am sure) that had the negative and derogatory vibe to it that had become the hallmark of the campaign.
Also, I must say that McPain found out what happened to McCain last night when he gave his concession speech which was eloquent and showed that the senility that was so prevalent throughout his campaign was fained for the most part - he is 72 years old so some degree of senility is to be expected - why he would fake it is confusing, but his handlers were some of the most rabid of the wing-nuts so the confusion isn't all that much.
Another telling point was the reactions of the crowds listening to McCain's speech: the hundreds of thousands gathered to celebrate with Obama listened to McCain speak in silence, respecting him and listening to what he had to say and nodding in agreement and clapping when he called for America to come together to move forward.
In contrast the small group gathered to see McCain booed and jeered when he called for coming together and there was one call from out of the group that was not quite audible enough to make out clearly (someone will enhance it I am sure) that had the negative and derogatory vibe to it that had become the hallmark of the campaign.
Cloning from the grave
Scientists create new life from a mouse that has been frozen for 16 YEARS
“Scientists have created clones of a mouse that had been dead and frozen for 16 years. It is the first time they have been able to clone a frozen animal. The Japanese researchers say their work will benefit mankind - and could be used to bring back extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth or sabre tooth tiger.
But ethical watchdogs branded the experiment disturbing. Critics say it brings the world closer to the day when people try to clone long- dead relatives stored in cryopreservation clinics. It could even lead to a macabre new industry - in which people leave behind ‘relics’ of their bodies in freezers in the hope that they could one day be cloned. The gullible might be persuaded that they themselves could be brought back to life, complete with their memories, even though a clone would be a different person in almost everything except appearance.”
Read more at The Daily Mail
The World reacts to Obama's election
Some quotes from the World's reaction to Obama's election
"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place."
- Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president.
"This is the fall of the Berlin Wall times ten. America is rebecoming a New World. ... On this morning, we all want to be American so we can take a bite of this dream unfolding before our eyes."
- Rama Yade, France's junior minister for human rights.
"If it were possible for me to get to the United States on my bicycle, I would."
- Joseph Ochieng, a 36-year-old carpenter who celebrated in Nairobi's Kibera shantytown, one of Africa's largest slums.
"It's the beginning of a different era in the U.S. The United States is a country to dream about, and for us black Brazilians, it is even easier to do so now."
- Emmanuel Miranda, a 53-year-old police officer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"No doubt that Obama will be better for the Americans and the whole world, and being elected after the horrible policy of George Bush is enough by itself. Whatever change he can bring to the world after this catastrophic polices would be great."
- Hisham Abu Amer, 28, in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Reading the Forums
Perusing the open forums this morning I find the rabid wing-nuts are eerily silent today on them. Which is what I thought would be the case even though up through yesterday they were howling and screeching to the moon in full voice.
Over on the 'wing-nut' forums it is another story. Depending on on how rabid the poster is the more insane the posts are today ... of course dimblub, handjob and cuntler's heads are spinning like the little girl in the Exorcist's spun and the pea soup (read: bile and vitriol) is staining the walls of their padded cells today.
Meantime on the Progressive forums the talk is of joy and determination to work to realizing the change we voted for with the realization that it won't happen tomorrow and it won't happen without effort.
The rancor missing from the open forums is nice to read. It is a pity to think it will be short lived though, because the wing-nuts will be spewing hate and fear again all too soon and accusing everyone else of doing what they are doing.
I just wonder how long will it be before the Republicans take back their party from the repugicans because for now the repugicans will only grow more fanatical and fringe and that is frightening to imagine being as they are so far off the fringe edge now as it is.
Over on the 'wing-nut' forums it is another story. Depending on on how rabid the poster is the more insane the posts are today ... of course dimblub, handjob and cuntler's heads are spinning like the little girl in the Exorcist's spun and the pea soup (read: bile and vitriol) is staining the walls of their padded cells today.
Meantime on the Progressive forums the talk is of joy and determination to work to realizing the change we voted for with the realization that it won't happen tomorrow and it won't happen without effort.
The rancor missing from the open forums is nice to read. It is a pity to think it will be short lived though, because the wing-nuts will be spewing hate and fear again all too soon and accusing everyone else of doing what they are doing.
I just wonder how long will it be before the Republicans take back their party from the repugicans because for now the repugicans will only grow more fanatical and fringe and that is frightening to imagine being as they are so far off the fringe edge now as it is.
Reflections
Carolina Naturally is read in 137 of 196 (197 if you count Taiwan as a separate nation) countries in the world.
With the number of new readers finding Carolina Naturally every day it is going to be no time before we are read in every country on the planet.
That's cool and a little mind boggling as well.
After all I came into this world when there where still farmers who drove their produce to the farmer's market in horse drawn wagons (granted there weren't that many, most used trucks, but a few did), jets where still mainly a dream of the infant Air Force everyone else had propellers, you could tell the make of a car a mile away and to be able to communicate to someone in another part of the world was a very costly and time consuming affair.
This is so much better.
With the number of new readers finding Carolina Naturally every day it is going to be no time before we are read in every country on the planet.
That's cool and a little mind boggling as well.
After all I came into this world when there where still farmers who drove their produce to the farmer's market in horse drawn wagons (granted there weren't that many, most used trucks, but a few did), jets where still mainly a dream of the infant Air Force everyone else had propellers, you could tell the make of a car a mile away and to be able to communicate to someone in another part of the world was a very costly and time consuming affair.
This is so much better.
Excuses
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to hear he excuses the repugicans will be spouting off as to why they lost the election.
One of the most idiotic has already been uttered right here in North Carolina where Liddy Dole blamed Democrats for funding 'attack ads' so vile and mean against her.
She who ran the most egregious and most vile 'attack ad' of them all (and we do mean 'them all' - nationwide from every campaign) against our senator Kay Hagan ... calling her "godless" manipulating a female voice to sound like Mrs., Hagan while her picture was on screen to say "There is no god."?!
And she is whining about 'attack ads'?!!!!
She lost because she pissed off the real powers that be in North Carolina and the rest of the state as well by being a true 'do nothing' congressman!
So what are your local repugicans mouthing off about as to excuses?
One of the most idiotic has already been uttered right here in North Carolina where Liddy Dole blamed Democrats for funding 'attack ads' so vile and mean against her.
She who ran the most egregious and most vile 'attack ad' of them all (and we do mean 'them all' - nationwide from every campaign) against our senator Kay Hagan ... calling her "godless" manipulating a female voice to sound like Mrs., Hagan while her picture was on screen to say "There is no god."?!
And she is whining about 'attack ads'?!!!!
She lost because she pissed off the real powers that be in North Carolina and the rest of the state as well by being a true 'do nothing' congressman!
So what are your local repugicans mouthing off about as to excuses?
Carolina Blue
2.1 million people turned North Carolina back to its true color yesterday - Blue.
Scraping off the red clown make-up!
Scraping off the red clown make-up!
An Open Letter to Barack Obama
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker
*****
Read more here.
Daily Funny
Three men: an editor, a photographer, and a journalist are covering a political convention in Miami. They decide to walk up and down the beach during their lunch hour. Halfway up the beach, they stumbled upon a lamp. As they rub the lamp a genie appears and says "Normally I would grant you three wishes, but since there are three of you, I will grant you each one wish."
The photographer went first. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living in a huge house in St. Thomas with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him on off to St. Thomas.
The journalist went next. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean with no money worries."
The genie granted him his wish and sent him off to the Mediterranean.
Last, but not least, it was the editor's turn. "And what would your wish be?" asked the genie.
"I want them both back after lunch" replied the editor, "we have a deadline to meet!
The photographer went first. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living in a huge house in St. Thomas with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him on off to St. Thomas.
The journalist went next. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean with no money worries."
The genie granted him his wish and sent him off to the Mediterranean.
Last, but not least, it was the editor's turn. "And what would your wish be?" asked the genie.
"I want them both back after lunch" replied the editor, "we have a deadline to meet!
President-elect Barack Obama's Victory Speech
Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama--as prepared for delivery
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
*****
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
And I Quote
"George Monkey Bush, savior of democracy.
The current economic meltdown, a fumbled response to Hurricane Katrina and a banner reading "Mission Accomplished" are but a few of the things that will make up Bush's legacy.
But it can be argued that through his ineptitude, Bush has shaken the electorate out of their apathetic daze, and in doing so, strengthened democracy in the United States.
How's that for irony?"
~ Marc Kielburger
The current economic meltdown, a fumbled response to Hurricane Katrina and a banner reading "Mission Accomplished" are but a few of the things that will make up Bush's legacy.
But it can be argued that through his ineptitude, Bush has shaken the electorate out of their apathetic daze, and in doing so, strengthened democracy in the United States.
How's that for irony?"
~ Marc Kielburger
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