First of all Happy Turkey Day!
Hey - all U Type 1 & 2 diabetics - !PUT THE CARBS DOWN! [stuffing, bread/rolls, rice, potato salad, yams] - ESPECIALLY ya'll Type 2/Adult Onset Diabetics
** > WELCOME TO MY REALITY < * *
I've been a diabetic for 32yrs, since March 1977, right before I turned 11yrs old [do the math for my age].
Currenty I'm unemployed for almost 2yrs {I put more into my Freelance Photography biz, than into job hunting}, no unemployment, living with Mom.
I don't believe that the government will come up with a healthcare plan that'll will cover me for all I need to have my Diabetes in "Control" It takes ALOT to take care of diabetes so I (& any other diabetic) can have a HEALTHY quality of life. Not just "Exist" - LIVE!
THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S CALLED "PRE VENTATIVE" Care! !
I have never really had any consistent healthcare coverage. When I lived in S. Florida - Boca Raton, I set up a payment plan for my Dr's visit (thanks Dr. Vinik - Mmmuah). Most of my insulin & testing supplies came out-of-pocket when I could afford it or from the kindness of others (used to get my test strips from the company rep). Needles I re-use even though it's encouraged not to do it.
Medicaid is a joke for me - I don't qualify because I don't have children & I'm not considered "disabled"(unable to work). For other programs I'm just barely above the income guidelines or don't qualify for other reasons.
For those of you who think "Public" Health Care clinics - NEWSBULLETIN: they're not "Free" anymore! Sliding fee scale based on Ur income or lack there of. Their attitudes suck to high hell! They treat you like it's such a "chore" because of all the bad & nasty "attitudes" that they deal with. I just want to be treated like I have some sense of intelligence with some sense of integrity!
At the moment I'm at a good clinic that operates due to the kindness & generosity of volunteer medical staff - Lakeland Volunteers In Medicine - L.V.I.M. There's still procedures that aren't covered because of lack of monetary donations. Currently the Dr wants me to get a CAT scan to see if my belly if bloated due to a Hernia or ?. I also need Laser Eye surgery for my Diabetes Retinopathy. Hopfully I'll be put on a list for the CAT scan & see what can be done for the Laser procedure.
Their website is: http://www.lvim.net
Well I try to make some time out to keep up with this blog but don't expect it on a daily.
Hey Polk for Obama -
Anybody out there? Is anyone doing any work to support health care reform? I can't just sit here and let this garbage happen. Let me know if you are involved and maybe I can join you. If your not involved and want to do something, let's get together and get something rolling in Polk County!!! I can't find a darn thing.
If we don't stand up this thing might go down in flames - hijacked once again by corporate interests and the right. We learned last November about strength in numbers... We can't leave him hangin'people.
Peace,
Danette May danjam1@tampabay.rr.com
A FULL WEEK FOR ONLY $600!! This Villa sleeps a max of 6 people
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<http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/vac/970238108.html>
My family and I have been increasingly disappointed with the way this campaign has turned out. First, we were baffled by Sen. Clinton's use of negativity to go after Barack and win the Democratic nomination. Then, we became even more disappointed by the tone the campaign took when Sen. McCain (who promised a clean campaign) decided to hire the same Bush team that lambasted him with false negative advertising. Did he really think it would work this time?
Although Barack has aired some negative ads, they were all issue ads and did not go after Sen. McCain or Gov. Palin personally. In fact, most of the Obama-Biden ads were positive, issue-oriented ads that spoke of what they will do for the American people. I'm constantly frustrated by the fact that the media do not explain the difference when they speak of negative ads. The McCain-Palin campaign and the Republican party have almost 100% negative ads on TV here in Florida and their ads are not issue ads but personal attacks on Barack.
I hope and pray that the American people have "wised up" to these Republican tactics and universally say NO to these tactics by voting overwhelmingly for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. It would be nice if the so-called "Joe the Plumber" knew his facts and told the truth when he spoke with Barack. Although meant to be a "gotcha" moment against Barack, I thought he handled it quite well. At every stage of the campaign and with every new twist and turn, Barack Obama has been the most impressive candidate I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.
God bless you all and don't forget to go and VOTE!!!!
My husband, Gary, and I send our deepest sympathy to Barack Obama and his family during this sorrowful time with the loss of his grandmother. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this time. God Bless!
Colette & Gary Rodriguez
P.S. Hopefully, by 11:59pm on 11/04/2008 we will all be saying that "Toot" helped to raise a good man who will be our next great President!
"Pole" for Obama to Get Voters to Polls
On Saturday November 1, for a final push to get out the vote I decided to use an empty flag pole at Lakeland Farmer's and Flea Market in Lakeland Florida to encourage shoppers to vote early.
Some of the photos in the links below demontstrate how I temporarily transformed the empty pole in a high visibility location at the market to an early vote pole - to remind folks to vote after they left the market.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/africreations/2994175232
SlideShow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/africreations/show
The election is only a few days away! Please do whatever you can to get out the vote and/or make a donation to help raise funds for Obama for America.
Delores
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Afri
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/BlackDesignersCraftersandArtistsforObama
The Florida GOP sent out a Racist E-Mail to all of thier supporters. Here is the YouTube Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ngetOkbtH0
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
A friend of mine emailed me a link that I found to be quite interesting in the Pro-life, Pro-Obama discussion. The website is: ProLifeProObama.com. Below is an excerpt from the site.
Source: Guttmacher Institute, "An Overview of Abortion in The United States"
Source: Catholics United Study "Reducing Abortion in America: Beyond Roe v. Wade"
Source: Joseph Wright and Michael Bailey, "Reducing Abortion in America : The Effect of Economic and Social Supports" (Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good) and The Guttmacher Institute "An Overview of Abortion in The United States"
An ariticle from the Washington Posthttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/07/democrats_predominate_among_ne.html
By Alec MacGillis
Sarah Palin has drawn big and revved-up crowds this week in Florida's most Republican bastions, such as Clearwater and Pensacola. But the latest voter registration numbers from the state show how daunting the Sunshine State may be for her and John McCain outside the friendly environs of her events.
When The Post looked at new voter registrations across the country in yesterday's paper, partisan breakdowns were not yet available for the roughly 200,000 new Florida voters who signed up in September. Now that data is available -- and it, along with detailed demographic data, helps lay bare why Florida is suddenly looking competitive for Barack Obama.
As of Sept. 30, there were about 800,000 new voters added to the rolls this year in Florida, down slightly from the one million new voters added in 2004, when the Republicans launched a major registration effort to sign up evangelical Christians. But of those new registrants, Democrats had gained 415,580 people this year as of Sept. 1, while Republicans gained just 169,841. New independent voters outstripped Republicans, as well, with 253,294 new registrants. All told, the Democrats' registration edge in the state has now grown to about 550,000 over the Republicans.
Democrats held an edge in every age group of the newly registered Florida voters, even among new voters over age 65. The majority of the new voters, though, were under age 35, and 46 percent of them registered as Democrats -- more than double the 21 percent who registered as Republicans.
Most telling was the racial breakdown of the new registrations. African Americans made up nearly 19 percent of the new sign ups -- despite being 16 percent of Florida's population and 12 percent of the state's electorate. As notable, perhaps, was that Hispanic voters made up nearly 20 percent of the new voters, the same as their share of the state's population. This might not seem so surprising until one considers that a sizable portion of Florida Hispanics are not yet citizens and so are ineligible to vote. For the rate of new Hispanic voters nonetheless to correlate with their overall share of the state population suggests how intensive the outreach among Hispanic citizens in the state has been.
As significant is the partisan breakdown among the new Hispanic voters. Not long ago, Florida Hispanics were the most Republican-leaning in the country, thanks to South Florida's large Cuban population. But a new generation of Cubans is less Republican, and the ranks of non-Cuban Hispanics are growing, particularly the burgeoning Puerto Rican community around Orlando. Earlier this year, Democrats surpassed Republicans among the state's registered Hispanic voters. The latest numbers show this trend accelerating: 46 percent of the newly registered Hispanics this year are Democrats, 35 percent are independents and only 20 percent are Republican.
The boom in Hispanic registrations can be attributed not only to the Obama campaign but to a host of organizations that have been registering voters on their own in Florida, including Democracia USA, which focuses on registering Hispanics. The group's president, Jorge Mursuli, told us that the organization has registered 138,000 Hispanic voters nationwide, more than 30 percent above its 2008 goal, with a focus on Florida, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Reading, Pa., Tuscon, Las Vegas and Pueblo, Colo.
Mursuli said that the sharp partisan shift among Hispanic voters following the vitriolic immigration debate of the past several years was clear both in Florida and across the country. In 2004, nearly half of the group's newly registered voters were unaffiliated, with the remainder splitting between Republicans and Democrats. This year, 58 percent have signed up as Democrats, 33 percent as unaffiliated and only nine percent as Republican.
He cautioned that campaigns and groups like his had a lot of work to do to before Election Day to turn the registration numbers into votes. "We've still got our job cut out for us," he said. "Latinos still have to turn out and if they don't turn out there will be questions about whether it's worth investing in" registering Hispanic voters.But, he said, the numbers nonetheless suggested a significant shift in the works. "It's pretty dramatic," he said.Posted at 3:47 PM ET on Oct 7, 2008 | Category: Battlegrounds
This Wednesday, October 8th, please join Joe Biden in Tampa, where he will talk about Barack's vision for creating the kind of change we need.
http://fl.barackobama.com/TampaJB
Community Gathering with Joe Biden
Sun Dome University of South Florida East Fowler Avenue and USF Bull Run Drive Tampa, FL
Wednesday, October 8th Gates Open: 8:30 a.m.
The event is free and open to the public. However, space is limited and tickets are required.
For security reasons, do not bring bags and please limit personal items, including umbrellas. No signs or banners permitted.
Sign up for a ticket using the link above, or pick up a ticket at the one of the following locations. Tickets are available:
Tuesday, October 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tampa Campaign for Change Downtown Office 817 E. Washington Street Tampa, FL (813) 272-2362 USF Campaign for Change Office 14519 North 18th Street Tampa, FL (813) 978-9138 Clearwater Campaign for Change Office 133 N Fort Harrison Avenue (Entrance is on the corner of Drew and Watterson) Clearwater, FL (727) 461-2856
Forest Whitaker Draws Crowd for Political Rally in Lakeland
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080927/NEWS/809270251#
By Shoshana WalterTHE LEDGER
LAKELAND | For about five minutes Saturday afternoon, Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker spoke about the importance of young people rallying around presidential candidate Barack Obama and empowering themselves by taking a more active role in the election,
In the front row, cousins Whitney Lee, 19, and Tiffany Lee, 15, both of Lakeland, giggled. The two recognized themselves in Whitaker’s words. They stood beneath the shade of a campaign sign and watched Whitaker’s every move.
Reaching out to young people is something Obama has proved he does best, Whitney had said before Whitaker took the microphone. He speaks to young voters, embraces them, and that’s one of the reasons she’s been encouraging people to register to vote, she said.
That sentiment was echoed throughout the event at Lakeland’s Lake Bonny Park as Obama supporters registered new voters and practiced campaigners pumped up a crowd of about 300.
That crowd swarmed Whitaker as he arrived, many on their tiptoes to sneak peaks and quick cell-phone snapshots at the round-faced man, who’s much taller than he looks in the movies.
Accompanied by his publicist and his wife, Keisha, a tall actress with oversized sunglasses, Whitaker created excitement when he arrived.
Obama represents us, he told the crowd: Vote. You can make a change by being heard.
“When you have hope, you can make those possibilities into a reality,” he said.
Behind him, Whitaker’s publicist assembled a “protective circle” of campaigners who whisked Whitaker to his car immediately after his speech.
But the crowd wouldn’t leave him alone.
As his publicist hurried him along, Whitaker posed for pictures, signed autographs and answered a reporter’s questions. He obliged a fan for one last photo from behind the rolled-down, tinted windows of his black SUV.
Dylan Parrish, a senior at Rochelle School of the Arts, leaned in as Whitaker smiled from his seat.
Parrish registered to vote Saturday and turns 18 in October.
“I’m very excited,” he had said from the bleachers before Whitaker arrived. “It’s been really hyped up since last year ... I think [Obama] talks in a way that we understand.”
Whitney Lee said she likes Obama’s stances on education, the economy and his support of equal pay for equal work.
At 15 years old, Tiffany Lee can’t vote yet, but she knows other people can. Her father, 41 years old, registered to vote for the first time in this election, she said.
She’ll be able to vote next time around, and if all goes well, she said, she knows who she’ll be supporting.
Per: Obama Action Wire
There's a dangerous rumor going around the internet in Florida right now, and it's being repeated by some news outlets. To be clear: when you vote in Florida, the address on your identification CAN be different than your registration address. Thousands of voters around Florida could be discouraged from voting or even denied their rights based on this misunderstanding. And nobody knows better than Floridians how big a difference even a few votes can make. We need to make sure this false rumor isn't reported as truth and alert people to the facts. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper now and help preserve voting rights. The voter identification law is relatively new, and there is a lot of honest confusion around what will be required of Florida voters this November. But this election is too important to let the confusion go uncontested. With the devastating effects of the Bush-McCain economic policies being felt worse than ever, millions of Americans are counting on the change that only Barack Obama and Joe Biden can bring. Once this rumor gets established in people's minds, it will be very hard to dislodge. That's why we need to act now to push back with the truth. With our easy-to-use letter tool, it's simple to write and send letters to your local paper. Check it out now and help get the message out: http://fl.barackobama.com/FLvoting Keep fighting the good fight, Obama Action Wire
There was a message circulating some of our groups in Florida yesterday that spread incorrect information conerning the the ID needed to vote. We're going to clarify below.
A message from the Florida Campaign for Change chief election lawyer:
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false. Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330 See the last bullet:· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false.
Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330
See the last bullet:
· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
Please feel free to email florida@barackobama.com with any questions or concerns.
The Seattle Times recommends Barack Obama for president. Below is an excerpt from the article. Be sure to check out the complete op-ed and link which includes Obama's positions on the issues.
BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENThttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008190671_obamaed21.html
Excerpt:
An economic Katrina is shattering the confidence of hardworking, middle-class Americans. The war that should never have been in Iraq is dragging on too long. At a time of huge challenge, the candidate with the intelligence, temperament and judgment to lead our nation to a better place is Sen. Barack Obama.
Obama should be the next president of the United States because he is the most qualified change agent. Obama is a little young, but also brilliant. If he sometimes seems brainy and professorial, that's OK. We need the leader of the free world to think things through, carefully. We have seen the sorry results of shooting from the hip.
As our country lurches from one financial or energy crisis to the next, American taxpayers remain burdened with the cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan — to the tune of $12 billion a month.
Consider the banking and financial morass. Neither Obama nor his opponent, Sen. John McCain, offers a perfect solution. But McCain is all over the map, veering from statements such as "The fundamentals of our economy are strong" to the more obvious "Wall Street is threatened by greed."
McCain is at heart a deregulator. But it is the hands-off and ineffective federal regulatory system that allowed this mess to fester. Obama offered a more coherent approach months ago when he called for regulating investment banks, mortgage brokers and hedge funds and streamlining overlapping regulatory agencies.
Our country is on the wrong track. Average, middle-class citizens have lost confidence that if they work hard, they can improve their lives, afford to send their kids to college and not be tossed out of their homes.
American optimism has been wracked by President George Bush and a previous Republican Congress. If you want change, you do not keep what is essentially the same team in power. You try something different. You vote for the stronger matchup, Obama and Sen. Joseph Biden, a smart and steady hand on foreign policy and other matters.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs5cw9
