Posts with the tag HOPE

Promises broken.

Nesha from Randolph, VT — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:45:51 EST

The U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the rest of the American Possession were not included in the Health Care Reform bill, dispite being promised. I feel betrayed. I fought for this President. But now I am not being treated like my other U.S. Citizens. Is there really Hope?

Your Sun Self. InPower.

Raw Truth — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:49:33 EST

Earth, our Sun & center of the Milky Way Galaxy align Dec 2012, closing this World Age & beginning a New World Age.

The frequency of judgment, criticism, blame, shame, complaining, resistance & the like, is surfacing, as perceived objective reality in the form of confusion & discord, for us to refocus with higher awareness, to advance the fullness of what is possible.

As time compresses into only now, what you feel & think, show up as perceived reality faster. What you perceive as reality is frequency waves or energy. Energy is energy. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is frequency, continually changing in response to focused attention & or intention.

Frequency waves are neutral energy with limitless potential. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you have/do not have. What matters is what you focus on & what your intentions are. When you pay attention to something or have an intention, the wave collapses into particles or solid form, which you perceive as sensory perception.

Would you rather perceive frequency as wellness or disease; an abundance of money or debt; peace & harmony or confusion & discord?

When you focus & intend, through the eyes of your heart, your sense of perception is far greater. The potential for laughter, wellness, abundance, happy relation-shifts, joyful prosperity, creativity & more, advances. This is your moment to advance brilliance & magnificence.

Solar activity is unprecedented. The following information about the Sun is direct, without any fluff! http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/video/112909.htm

Learn from contemporary scientists, physicists, doctors & luminaries as they focus on advancing global coherence every Wed & invite others. To listen click http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1582

Warm regards,Doreen

Doreen Agostino
Bridge to a New World Age 2012
WorldChanging iRadio @
http://www.freetobewealthy.net
http://www.twitter.com/rawtruth

Financial Regulatory Reform Bill Targeted by Republicans and Blue Dogs

David W. Kent — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:28:29 EST

It has been widely reported across the news wires that Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has released a financial regulation reform bill. Through tough regulation, it will seek financial stability and consumer financial protection and justice.

We in the working/middleclass are being stripped of what little equity we have accumulated. We are forced to accept sub-standard wages, less employer benefits and in millions of cases...under/un-employment.

You can bet, the republicans and blue dog democrats are already planning on voting NO and introducing countless amendments to weaken or water down the legislation. You can be assured, they are planning endless delays. They will follow the same game plan as they did and are doing with health care. Joined by the wallets, the republicans and blue dog democrats will be relentless with their shady tactics.

We OFA members must become active again and counter their corruptive efforts. We cannot and should not expect President Barack Obama to fight this second front alone. It is time to gather the troops and bring re-enforcements to the already tired progressives on capitol hill. Stand-up and plan a strategy on how to bring aid to our fellow progressives. I still have hope, I know you do to. Stand-up, smile and be proud of what you are doing. You are not alone.

Health Care ... next step

Unknown user — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:08:45 EST

A very good email to recieve, thanks to all who are making this happen ...

"if enough good people do nothing, the other side will win"

Larry --

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

... Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

... In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

... Let's keep making history,

President Barack Obama

A Matter of Mind Control

Carac�is — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:42:36 EDT

Yeah, probably it's not the most original blog entry of the comunity, but I still wanna bring it up for the gazilionth time: the healthcare reform, you all know is the most dreadfull subject to be spoken about right now. It divides republicans specially, but also democrats, and suddenly everybody starts googleing it and trying to get as much information (true or fake) about it, not to decide their position, not by the inocent curiosity or moral standard of being informed. Nah. To be able to throw a big "Now here you got! Fuck you yeah!" to the oposite side. What the hell are we doing? What do we get? We're not even doing anything to solve it out or help in any way, we're just fighting over some immaginary cup to win God knows what.

So, you see, this is my point: I'm portuguese, am 16 years old and know very little about how the american health care works. I just know it is a private healthcare controled by ensurance companies who don't really give a crap about their clients and only want to get the biggest amount of money they can reach their hand to without loosing much money. That leads to situations like when someone finds out that has cancer and still doesn't have a health ensurance, it becomes extremely hard for him/her to find an ensurance companie that is willing to spend $700 or more a month to save their costumer's life. I know that many people in America don't want to have a health ensurance because they just don't have money to afford it and even if they did, it would still be risky to fully trust in it, as the insurance company could get ridd of the costumer as soon as it realised it was being too dispendious. I don't know if it's because I live in Europe, but I find just impossible to believe that american citizens have pulled this off for decades without a single change, or a will to change. I cant' understand how republicans (like Palin), BEING AMERICAN CITIZENS, can stand in the way of a considerable rising on people's quality of life... it just seems unreal to me. I stoped complaining about Portuguese healthcare system when I heard about the american one. It's crazy.

With all this blah blah blah, I meant to reach this: America needs a change. And I thing that everybody, and I mean everybody, even republicans and conservative people all over America have realized it deep inside, although their old-fashioned and surpassed vision of things still moves them towards nowhere. Politics is about mind-control. It is, and no one can say it isn't because it is. Everywhere. It's about sending a message to people that they know they want to hear, that can make people say without a blink "That's the guy". That was the master reason for Obama's victory; people feel a change inside their hearts and strike to reach it. But republicans keep on filling people's head with bullshit and completely turn reality into whatever it's better to distort the message, and we all see it everyday. In order to be a real change, there must be a real effort to join and start working in a plan to rebuild the world we live in, and everybody can help. It's a question of hope. That's where Obama is definately right.

Health Care is a human right not a privlege!

Midge — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:56:20 EDT

Today we held the memorial service for my 24 year old daughter in-law and her unborn baby girl. Jenny did not have health insurance and was not properly treated at for-profit ER. Within 24 hours she went to the next ER and was diagnosed with severe double pneumonia, Septic shock and Respitory failure and laid in an ICU unit for the next two months at a cost of $22,000. a day.

When there was no hope of survival we removed Jenny from life support and said our good byes to this beautiful young woman. She left behind a husband (my son) and a two and half year old daughter. Jenny's crime and death sentence was that she could not afford health-care.

In the richest country in the world our Jenny died.

Don't allow another family to suffer the pain that we have. Stand up for the Public Option, stand up for what you believe in, get out of your chairs, your house, your comfort zone and speak out for this injustice. In the richest country in the world Jenny died....don't let there be another Jenny..

http://bit.ly/doUQR

President Obama, have you forgotten your promise?

BookwormBev — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:20:49 EDT

President Obama,

You were elected with the greatest wave of hope that I have seen since the election of President Kennedy...

...and now I feel terribly let down.

You have allowed, yes allowed the radical right to capture the emotions of this nation.

Although your negotiating skills are important; although your intelligence is important; although your organizing abilities are important; the most important ability you have is the ability to inspire.

You have not been using that ability lately at all. You have gotten sucked into the endless chess game of power and politics, and you have neglected your constituency, big time!

I listen to the news and the talk shows with dismay. I have been to a town hall meeting on health care with Lynn Woolsey. The passion and fear of the radical right was prominent, although not in the majority. It is hard to believe that so much credence is given to such outrageous lying. The right wing does not approach this subject, or any other, as far as I can tell, with logic or facts; its approach is on a crazy version of faith. It is like people who twist the bible to support their hate and then say, "The bible says it and I believe it." They forget that the people who hated Jesus were the ones who upheld the letter of the law, but not the spirit; the ones who were judgmental and divisive, not the ones who believed in love and community.

The greatness of the United States was NOT achieved by people acting alone, as much as independence is prized here. It was achieved by people acting together. People harvested their crops together, raised barns together. People helped each other. They were good neighbors. We developed a system of free public education, so all children could be educated, not just those of the rich and powerful.

Respect for the United States in the world was not born of military prowess, but of respect for the generosity, caring and fairness of the American people. It was because, at one time, we took the high road, the road less traveled!

Now we have fallen. We take the low road, talking about the necessity for something we don't call torture, but is. We kill, not to protect people from tyranny, but to protect *our* resources, even if they are located in the countries of others.

I find it so hard to believe, President Obama, that you seem to be cooperating with those who are so short-sighted as to believe that the well-being of the United States rests with military domination.

You talk about health care, but you have given away everything important that you might have done for health care. You talk about health care costs, but you are no different than President Bush in your spending our hard-earned wealth on death, on military adventures and military toys. Do you hope to save on health care and give those savings to the military?

Is it time for me to realize that I have been had? That in handing you this election, the American people have been had? Where is the man I voted for?

Yes we can...what? We can sit by while you allow the military-industrial complex and the insurance vipers to destroy America? I don't usually use that term, America - it applies to pretty much the whole western hemisphere, but I use it now, for the idea of American. The idea of people living together in freedom and peace, in community, caring for the well-being of all - not just our families, not just our town, not just our state, but everyone, everywhere. I thought we were nice people! What happened? Tears come to my eyes as I write these words. What happened?

I could understand the trend under President Bush - but you?

I know you cannot single-handedly do it all. But you have ceased to be a leader, because a leader inspires. A leader calls to the best and highest in us. The majority of Americans responded to that call when they voted for you. They were overjoyed at the opportunity to put their energy into positive endeavors at last.

You are gone, it seems. You have gone over to the fraternity of the rich and powerful.

I am dispirited, left behind, holding the (empty) bag of hope, while the mean-spirited rejoice.

"Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music"

Rev. Nancy Freeman — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:57:47 EDT

This movie found it's way to me and I haven't even watched but the first 15 minutes of it and it hit me that this would be something that all American's might want to see right now. It's a tribute to the people of New York City and how they "Came Together" after the 9/11 events, using John Lennon's words and music. I can tell it is very uplifting and emotional. It was broadcast live on October 2, 2002. I don't know where I was then but I was asleep and too wrapped up in my own little life garbage problems to know it was happening. I'm wide awake now and I believe, as a nation, we could use a LOT of uplifting RIGHT NOW. It would be a huge reminder of what the people of our great nation did as they came together after 9/11 and we can do it again. Today, it seems that our nation is falling apart and we all need this reminder. I highly recommend to every American that they watch this video as soon as possible. Give it a shot, you might be happily surprised.

Peace, Love and Light,

Nancy Freeman
ilene@reikifree.com

This is my country...

Erin from Savannah, GA — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:31:23 EDT

I love this country. I always have. I love the rights and freedoms that living here affords me. For example, this very blog's existence is a tribute to the things that the constitution and Bill of Rights have afforded me as a citizen of this great nation.

But, I get very tired of a few things, and this felt like the proper forum in which to vent them.

I'm tired of hearing people proclaim, generally in voices tinged with rich Southern judgement and hatred, that this is the "Greatest nation in the world." This is a good country, a great country at times, but not the greatest in the world. We've all got value, and our position as a super power is quite limited in its timeframe. We need to wake up and realize that we are only as good as our treatment of other nations and other cultures. Our interaction with the rest of the world is what makes us great, and by that definition, we've been slipping slowly into a quagmire of indifference and ignorance. In fact, by that standard, I think that this country looks anything but great.

I believe in Barack Obama because, during his campaign, and before his campaign even started in fact, I began to feel something for this country I had never felt before. I felt like this country could finally be a force for good in the world. Instead, I've become sad at what I've witnessed.

People have been ranting and railing against these election results in ways that I never would have dreamed of, even when Bush was completing his reign of terror. I was told over and over that my opinions were unpatriotic and told to step down and shut up more times than I can count. And yet, when our president gets elected there are campaigns, protests and a group of people trying to convince us that the man we elected is not an American citizen in order to get rid of him. Ridiculous, low-intelect and ill-informed garbage. It's disheartening.

Anyway, with the latest wave of attacks on healthcare reform, I find myself searching for my UK visa application once again. The truth of the matter is this, folks: All people who pay taxes and live in this country have the right to go to a doctor when they're sick. And not just a free clinic doctor who doesn't care. No. A real doctor who wants to help. A real hospital with good equipment. They have the right to pre-natal care, to crisis-counseling, to get help when they can't see a purpose to getting out of bed in the morning, to findreason to put down the bottle, the joint, the pills, to learn to stop cutting themselves, or throwing up after every meal. Children should not be an individual state's responsibility. I have yet to hear a single argument against this policy that isn't selfish, greed-motivated, or full of ignorant, paranoid delusion about what this bill would really do. We need to stop letting other people do our thinking for us. We need to start reading and watching and listening and forming our own opinions. This country does need to step it up and start caring about each other.

We need to stop thinking about everything as "not my problem," and start thinking about what we'd do if it were our problem. Not everything has to affect us directly for it to be "our" problem. Anything that impacts another citizen of this country is "our" problem. I don't care if we're talking about healthcare, gay marriage, or recycling. The lack of social conscience in this country is disturbing and, quite frankly, depressing. This is our nation, our land, and our world. We need to take responsibility and have some pride of ownership.

If we were really the greatest nation in the world, it seems to me that we would have figured this out by now.

HOW DO WE PAY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION MANDATE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?

MoorAmerican — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:47:27 EDT

"This victory alone is not the change we seek —
it is only the chance for us to make that change."

— President Barack Obama, Election Night, 2008

HOW DO WE PAY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION MANDATE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?

Somebody asked the chief engineering officer of BEE, “POPLUV THE PAYGO” …”Is this just another APE idea?”

American Politrix Enterprise is alive and well. There is a civil unrest among the American people about the whole idea of change, as they see or perceive and believe, things are actually going the way of “spreading the wealth around” by the Obama Administration.

“JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!”... “NO WORKER LEFT BEHIND!”… “NO TAXPAYER LEFT BEHIND!”… “NO HOUSEHOLD LEFT BEHIND!”… “NO AMERICAN LEFT BEHIND!”… 304 MILLION AMERICAN PEOPLE STRIVING FOR A MORE PERFECT UNION…

“POPLUV THE PAYGO”

This is what needs to be said in response to the outrage over CHANGE – Change You Can Believe In! ... says the spokesperson from NESS – the National Economic Security Service. NESS is a non-partisan independent free enterprise estate trust of the American people, the free sovereign beneficiaries of a capitalist free market enterprise system.

What’s in a 5 syllable slogan that triggers instant economic stimulus or security income payments and derivative income payments from the Global Derivatives Market?

The Global Derivatives Market is a dollar-based financial trading market for central bank financial contract obligations. Derivatives are contracts derived from economic activity and leading economic indicators.

“POPLUV THE PAYGO” …is first a reminder of what time it is with the general circulation money supply… Create consumer demand for Federal Reserve Bank Notes to generate economic stimulus payments to American taxpayers and households, at least through the duration of the U.S. economic recession.

Once the economy shows signs of real GDP growth and job creation, consumer demand can be adjusted to generate economic security payments.

After all the outrage over how change is unfolding in America, the natural order of the universal law called CHANGE rules and takes advantage of “a teachable moment” of how to get things done in Washington, D.C.

The Democratic party as the super majority must enable the American taxpayers with the opportunity to profit from contributing there net earned income up to 100% in exchange for an economic stimulus payment equal to twice the amount of the net earned income contribution towards the national budget of the U.S. up to a maximum contribution of $5 trillion dollars in Federal Reserve Bank Notes.

This civil liberty already exists says the spokesperson from the National Economic Security Service (NESS). Two (2) free enterprise economic development models have been designed by BlackSunWheels Economic Engineering.

Both institutional economic enterprise models, the American Currency Board and the United States Currency Board are accessible by the American taxpayers and households to provide for the general welfare of the United States.

American business enterprises based in the United States can sponsor the United States Currency Board. The American Currency Board is exclusively for individual American taxpayers and households.

There are 50 billion financial unit shares of economic resources (fuser) immediately available to 138 million American taxpayers. 114.8 million American households in the U.S. are eligible for both – Economic Stimulus Payments and Derivative Income Payments from the Global Derivatives Market, a dollar-based financial trading market utilized by the Federal Reserve Bank to monetize credit lending transactions.

The Federal Reserve Bank Note is designed for the general circulation money supply – paper money for the demand deposits of M1. Liquid cash money instruments. ‘POP’ Public Obligation Paper; financial credit lending debt exchange units.

United States Dollar Funds includes coin and paper instruments. The currency board utilizes public laws enacted by Congress to effect risk-free, tax exempt, financial equity trading fund with fixed exchange rates that transforms the American taxpayers and households into a self-financing social order of economic production.

The U.S. economy will be changed into a self-financing "pay-as-you-go" consumption economy says, the spokesperson for BEE.

Every unit transaction in equity trading fund creates financial unit shares of economic resources – fuser, which is also called ‘LUV’ … Lawful Unit Value of U.S. Dollar Currency equal to United States Treasury Notes, readily available from TreasuryDirect.gov.

United States Treasury Notes are equal to the dollar face amount of minted silver and gold bullion coin; one ounce weight and content guaranteed and backed by the United States of America.

American Eagle Bullion Coin; one ounce silver and gold pieces – 1 Dollar face amount for Silver coin piece - .999 fine pure silver; 50 Dollar face amount for Gold coin piece - .999 fine pure gold.

The American Eagle Bullion Coin program is public law enacted by the United States Congress to pay revenues and profits through the U.S. Treasury Department towards the national budget and government debt obligations.

The American Eagle Bullion Coin program makes the currency board a government fiscal tool that shapes free market demand for Federal Reserve Bank Notes used in the production of United States Dollar Currency equal to United States Treasury Notes and based on the value of silver and gold bullion coin, says the spokesperson for BEE.

As for “T-H-E-PAYGO”? Simply risk-free and tax exempt income opportunity for the working class. The principles that effects a national unity founded upon TRUST – HOPE – ECONOMY; transparent “pay-as-you-go” balanced budget fiscal policy.

“POPLUV THE PAYGO” is how we pay for the General Election Mandate of American voters that want CHANGE. Financial stability and economic prosperity. This is the change the American people deserve.

So, my fellow Americans, after all the fussing, cussing, shouting, pouting, ranting and raving, ask the question - Who Wants To Be A Trillionaire? Smoke it over in your mind - contact esp_ness@hotmail.com to get more information about how we gonna really grind with the American Currency Board and the United States Currency Board.

social networking enterprises... engage.

"Magnificent Desolation"

James — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:58:26 EDT

I stare out from my home in Southern Wisconsin, over the magnificent desolation of the United States of America. The moon landing, which occurred as I was standing at a huge television screen in Disneyland...my first outing from the hospital after becoming ambulatory from my wounds received in Vietnam, seemed to go a long way toward making up for a really lousy nineteen sixty-eight, and the few years rotten which had proceeded it. There was hope that hot July day. There was celebration. There were some damn good reasons to dig in and participate in my culture and in life itself. And what have we, just now, right out there beyond the panes of my window? I am living in the best financial time of my life. I have never been more successful. I am, in years, well advanced in wisdom, having made so many mistakes that I just had to learn from them or die. And here I am. What do I lack that I had when I was back in that amusement park, my wounds still seeping, my one year old daughter gurgling away in my wife's arms. I had no job and no prospects of finding one. I had an apartment with two months of rent due to a kindly old and gentle landlord. Yet I had great high hopes, and a sense of participating accomplishment. Those guys on the surface of the moon, a quarter of a million miles away, were beating new trails for me and about me. Things mattered. There was 'magnificent desolation' on that rocky airless body, but there was a great future on planet earth far below.

Even Charles Krauthammer, a man whom, like Bill Bennet, I have vilified over these past few years for being a self-serving, silver-spooned, big mouth, possessed of little real life experience, seems to 'get it' when it comes to what I am writing of. Where the hell has out hope gone? Why have we allowed our leadership and our media to treat the future of humanity, and our culture, as if it is simply another sound bite? How do we get our "Mojo" back? Yes, I am back to discussing the electronic medium of television as part of the great evil here. We have allowed this channel into our hearts and souls to become the purveyor of our belief systems. And that medium is all about sales. Pure and simple return on the investment of a dollar is the only thing it is about. What sells ads gets on the television and stays there. You might as well redefine Fascism using only that one word: Television. The companies that can afford to buy the time get to shape the programming. They determine what programs their ads will run during. They decide what news programs will be supported by their ads. Who but they can spend three million dollars for a small bit of time for an ad on television? And so we have Fascism, which was a word coined prior to WWII to describe society run by corporations and business alone. It was an evil sounding word created to describe just how unjust and cold a culture can be if it is run strictly for commerce and by people who respond only to financial concerns. Have you watched that television over the past six months and viewed bankers? Have you watched our government throw trillions at these 'fascists' to little or no effect, other than that they take the money, declare more 'profits' and then wait for the next 'bailout?' You are watching fascism unfold all around you.

Krauthammer, in his column today, did not indict the media. He blamed us. We are weak. We do not understand, and without his saying it directly, we are stupid. We, the audience of that television media conglomeration, is whom Charles is referring to.

Were you alive when men walked on the moon? If you were not alive yet, do you still thrill at the idea, the videos and the interviews with the people who went there? That feeling of nationalism, Americanism, and humanity that comes over you is the feeling I want to write about. I want to believe that we can get it back. I want to believe that we can take this whole financial mess and turn it around just because we want to. I want to believe that we can go after these banking and investment thieves and take that money back from where they have sent and spent it. I want to believe that the worker in this country is our hero. Those guys on the moon only got there because of unions, scabs, workers working for little and workers working for a lot. And the public that sent them up there is not, and was not, stupid. We were just joined in a cause then. And now we are alone. We all sit in front of that tube and watch alone, or with only a small group nearby. We are not together on anything except hope. And fear about our future and the future of our families and friends.

We should have rebuilt those goddamned towers and built them bigger and better. We still can. Screw all the plans and the private investors and City of New York. They are part of us too. Let's build real airplanes, tough, modern and economical, which we can fly without taking off our shoes to get aboard or huddling afraid, with our little plastic baggies of toothpaste and makeup clutched to our chests. We can go back to the moon. Big time. And we can do it in a lot less than ten years. And we can do in such a manner as to make our own children stand there at Disneyland, like I did that day, with little or nothing except an overwhelming feeling that they are going somewhere with a bunch of winners. We owe it to these kids and the one's coming. We owe it to the world, and to all those people out there counting on us to be what we, indeed, really are. We are a singularly great culture that came out of the muck. We are made up of ancestors who fled prison, execution, famine and disease to come here. And look what we have become out of that! We have become a people who can do anything. We are the only people on earth who can right now. If we will.

Now we need to get off our craven little asses and get busy. We need to make our great leader, and yes I believe that Obama is all of that, give trillions to these projects. We can even throw in highway bridges and the proper generation of intelligent energy. There are no limits. Trillions for these things and no more for any banks. Not one damned cent. If I lose my accounts and my cards, well, I'll be right there with you...and, if I have to go back to Disneyland at my age and stand there with nothing again, then I will do it, if I can watch that giant screen and see hope, pride, and a future projecting out of it and deep back into my hurting soul. Are you willing to risk it and stand there with me?

http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com

htto://www.themastodons.com

http://www.from-the-chateau-dif.blogspot.com

Becoming political... Hmm?

SummerLovin77 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:06:16 EDT

I'm learning. After Camp Obama, I became full of hope. The stories of the people warmed my heart. I am fairly young and as my last blog stated, "Not so political". But for the problems ahead, it is compassion that is needed. I'm pleased with the outcome so far and appreciate the knowledge of the OFA workers. We all are passionate about serving. I never thought a girl like me would have an interest in POLITICS...

Summer? Becoming political? YES. ^_^

Truer Understanding

Maria — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:07:00 EDT

I was reading the news about the Stimulus Watch as they are calling it. It kind of gets me upset how the republicans fought against any true solutions and now set themselves up as a watch group as if they cared about Americans. It is time for a truer understanding of how many in this country are treated, the invisible group of minorities that no one sees or cares much about, the Indigenous Americans.

If we could somehow get these people concerned in this article here called STIMULUS WATCH: $25 check may cost you food stamps and somehow get them to see that stories like one called Promises Promises are caught in a much worse situation then we can begin to change things in a real way.

In this article it mentions how the Indian Health Service Clinic diagnosed a little 5 year old girl with depression when she quit eating, walking, and complaining of pains in her stomach you can begin to see where the anger and the feeling of being Invisible comes from.

Compassion begins when you can see another person or race as real people too with real feelings and real lives. So many in America need to develop this truer understanding and realize the anger stems from there being no reason it started in the first place except as a group you made a choice, a bad choice whose consequences are very real to those forced to live with this lack of true vision where the horror they are experiencing for the first time is daily life for others.

You can help make them visible again by contacting your Congressmen, your local papers, your friends and family, your coworkers, etc. and exclaim loudly that you support Indigenous rights and demand they do too. It is the start needed to change things for the better.

Thanks for reading about something that I feel needs to be spoken of every day until real change occurs...

Maria

What "Hope" Means

leftcoastjim — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:56:13 EDT

Barack Obama is a welcome breath of fresh air as well as a beacon of hope. However, less that 150 days into his regime, it's becoming clear that along with the "hope" will come great disappointment. I believe that American citizens, holders of many ideals for a culture, were generally disheartened by the actions of the last administration. What might they be hoping for from this new gentleman and his entourage?

Possibilities include (in no particular order):

A genuine response to the Katrina damaged people and cities, providing jobs while providing support.
A health care system that takes care of people from birth to death, paid for by taxes, involved in encouraging health as well as treating illness.
Getting serious about providing public education as formidable as any in the world.
Providing graduate education.
Restoring and creating US jobs by changing corporate tax incentives.
Building mass transportation in the US.
End of Rendition and Imprisonment-without-charge.
End of the Patriot Act and restoration of Habeas Corpus.
Allowing countries to protect their own workers with subsidies and tariffs.
Replacing the US tendency to imprison its citizens, with a policy of educating, or training and preparing them for productive lives.

When President Obama took "Single-Payer Health care" off the table, gone was the hope that this was a boat-rocking administration. Obama may be treated kindly by history for making changes that deal only with emotional "wedge" issues; put a woman here, a hispanic there, a black there. These can be admirable, but substantially window dressing. Putting on the Supreme Court, a judge with a 51% chance of voting for an aggrieved citizen over an abusive corporation, is courageous.

Hope means rebuilding New Orleans levees to withstand only level three hurricanes would be a funny Saturday Night Live skit if it were not true. Why is it we are not preparing for a level five (like the one that did all that damage?) Giving the wounded homeowners a cheap trailer is better than nothing, but it should be recognized as just that. The fact that it is years later should be another embarrassment to the Greatest Nation on Earth.

Hope means tax breaks to the most profitable corporations in world history makes no sense while 50 million Americans have no health care and about the same are experiencing regular hunger. Cheers to "The Biggest Loser" TV show for feeding millions of people, as well as all the churches, foundations and end-hunger groups that perform so admirably day-after-day. But how do we build up a trillion dollar excess, then go to war in order to give that trillion and several more to a few hundred US corporations, and plead "got no money" to starving, undereducated, underfed, under-employed citizens. We do it with elected officials whose loyalty is to those corporations.

Hope means if you need ten million dollars to get a senatorhip in DC, you can get it from the US government! Or you can do business as usual by appeal to Big Oil, Big Defense, Big Health Care and sell your soul to interests other than the US population.

Hope can mean many wonderful things. It can mean an end to the embarrassment to Americans horrified that their agents are torturing and kidnapping. Or it can mean only that the criminality of the past eight years will be dialed back some.

Hope can mean that a savvy politican, used to Americans sitting quietly, will hope he awakens a sleeping tiger, and will be able lead the way to a Renewed America. An America with a Constitution in use, with true concern and generosity for its citizens. Where will our Hope take us?

LeftCoastJim

Car Culture has met it’s Match with Obama- No more muscle cars.

Peter from Carrollton, TX — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:29:52 EDT

Car Culture has met it’s Match with Obama- No more muscle cars.

Hemi’s, Mopar’s, Chevy, Ford, Roush, Shelby, Challenger, Mustang, Camaro, Corvette, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston martin, Porche, Bentley, Lexus, Acura, and other cars; sorry if I didn’t list them, will soon be dead. Obama has issued a mandate that forces auto manufacturers to create fuel efficient cars. Well most won’t be affected because they are foreign cars but U.S. made vehicles must meet the stringent 35.5 mpg limit on passenger vehicles. What does this mean to you, you ask? You won’t be able to have those Shelby GT500’s or Camaros that pump out 500+ horsepower anymorel. You can’t even get a decent luxury v6 that makes more than 300 horsepower. For example, I owned a 2003 honda civic ex; 5 speed manual. If I slowed down and went speed limit I might get close to 40 mpg. Not to mention it was a coupe. Small, compact, fuel efficient, aerodynamic cars will be our future. Car guys weep along with me as we see super cars slowly go by the wayside. I don’t want a Prius. I don’t want a Insight. Both of which are good cars by the way. But don’t fret, there is still hope. There are sports cars that use fuel cells and diesel hybrid technology out there. Not to mention Tessla has an all electric sports car. What I’m trying to say here is, the old ways have died. The new ways are just arriving. It is still too early to see what the future would be like, but I definitely know there won’t be any more 6.0 liter v8’s coming outta the good ole’ U. S. of A. American Muscle, meet green. Being a big car guy myself, trust me I LOVE CARS, it’s sad to see that is going away. But for the greater good. Just go buy a classic, fix it up, pass it on to your kids, and keep it in the family like it was your family jewels.

Might be something we will drive in the future. World's smallest car.

New Green Auto-makers in the Wake of Obama’s 35 mpg Rating increase for Passenger Vehicles

Peter from Carrollton, TX — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:27:43 EDT

PC Childs, commented some gibberish on my site that almost threw me into a frenzy. OMG did he not read the post? Is he just babbling away at me? Wait, did he almost call me an idiot? Well the point is, everything he said didn’t make any sense at all if you read my entire post. I’m sad that muscle cars will be going away just because I enjoy a nice American made muscle car. Most car guys would agree with me. But this pansy drives a 1986 VW with a 1.6 liter engine and he has the nerve to say I know nothing about cars. He’s the idiot for blasting me about new technology when hes in a 1986 car! Mercedes has a fuel cell sports car, Tessla has an all electric sports car, Honda has three concept fuel cell cars and electric sports cars and thats just some of the auto makers in the hybrid sports car arena. Mercedes has an hybrid suv that drove across Africa!! Never heard about that did you PC Child. There are motorcycle makers in California that are making all electric motorcycles. Even if you didn’t want a sports car or motorcycle, I can hypermile my 3.0 V6 coupe up to 45 mpg. So take your little 1986 1.6 liter engine that gets 50 mpg with old technology, and I’ll get my 2003 3.0 V6 with 45 mpg car and I’ll laugh at you in my luxury car all the way to the gas station. Oh by the way I give props to VW for making a 250 Mpg vehicle. It’s not as new as his spiffy as his 1986 VW but well, decide for yourself. Take a look and comment which car you would like to take.

Here’s some stats about the new VW Extreme 1.0 Liter car. The VW 1-Liter, developed in a wind tunnel, has a very narrow and very flat body configuration that necessitated tandem seating for the two occupants. Measuring in at 4.1 feet wide, 11.4 feet long, and just over 3 feet tall, the car features an amazing drag coefficient of just 0.159…even more wind-cheating than the slippery GM EV1 electric car’s 0.19 Cd. With its 235 mpg fuel economy, it can travel 400 miles on its 1.7 gallon fuel tank…all the while achieving a 75 mph top speed.

PC Child’s 1986 Golf is a POS. You guys comment and vote please. FYI this post was in response to my Car Culture Post Here.

Immigration and social justice

MariaXimena — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:31:47 EDT

Many latin and hispanic people have their hopes up for a change in social justice and fairness for families who have immmigrated to the US and have blended families, what is your view point?

In Afghanistan, soldiers bathing naked ended exchange of

Unknown user — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:55:26 EDT

Bathing naked in one of the villages south-eastern Afghan province of Paktia cost the lives of two employees of foreign private security companies (ЧОП), accompanying the supply convoy of NATO.

That was reported by news agency Pazhvak with reference to the representative of county security police colonel Khabibullo Fateh.

According to police, the incident occurred last Thursday in the town of Styria, where foreigners, employees of Chop, vspotevshie on the road from the heat, decided to swim in natural waters.

According to a local doctor Tsamkani Najib Rahman, who witnessed the tragic incident, the guards escort, razdevshis, polezli swim in the lake, on the bank of which at that time were local women, resting in the shade of trees near the water.

In turn, according to Afghan Padzhvok agencies, local women recruited in the river water.

According to local tradition, swimming, the more naked, in the presence of women in Afghanistan is forbidden. Swimming in water bodies to men only in clothes, and even then only in the company of persons of the same sex.

It is reported that women are not departed, and remained on the shore and watched the soldiers.

Soon, the local male population as a whole vyvalilo from their homes on the coast, and demanded that the guards were immediately removed from their village.

Verbal skirmish soon developed into a cross, which resulted in two employees ЧОП were killed and four local residents were injured.

Police arrested 20 people - residents of village Steer, who brought their wounded to the provincial hospital, but was soon forced to release them, as well as to the cause of Pashtun tribal elders intervened, demanded that the police order to respect the rules of Sharia and Afghan traditions.

In turn, representatives of NATO did not comment on the incident. Head of Provincial Police, General Aziz Ahmad Wardak confirmed the fighting in Styria, but declined to tell reporters details of the incident.

Remember, the Afghan heat is not the first time brings the U.S. military. For example, recently one of the military rushed to defend the army post in western Afghanistan in pink underwear and slippers, Vietnamese.

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Obama's First 100 Days and the Politics of Transformation

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:47:58 EDT

A great tribute by former presidential candidate Gary Hart..

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Nahsja from Vallonia, IN — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:53:15 EDT

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Save The Dream Doesn't Work. Failed Plan.

Robert from Escanaba, MI — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:20:32 EDT

Hello:
My name is Robert Hosking. I applied for a home loan modification with my lender (Saxon Mortgage Services, Inc.). They denied my request via letter with the following reason, "Lack of funds to contribute for work out options at this time".

I called them to ask what this meant and they informed me that my income was insufficient to contribute to the costs associated with a loan modification. I asked them what "costs" they were referring to and they stated, "attorney fees", "evaluation fees" etc.

This sort of stonewalling seems to go against the whole purpose of the "Save The Dream" concept.

I suppose ultimately it is up to the lender if they wish to rewrite the loan? Any advice? I suppose homeowners are at the mercy of the lender regardless of current political initiatives? I'm not behind on my mortgage but any reduction would be helpful as I an currently unemployed.

Thanks
Robert H.

Forza Obama!

Obama from Italy — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:13:07 EDT

A world hope.

Greetings from Italy.

my favourite one

Unknown user — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:11:38 EDT

Hi world,

sometimes I fear we all get nuts, besides a few chosen one.

http://nuttales.blogspot.com/

Here you can find my own story

So my dearest wish is, that President Barack Obama will be one of the few and gives us hope and a good direction to head to.

God bless you Mr. President

Where's the Hope?

Tom from Irvine, CA — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:34:05 EDT

I was so excited when we won.... I could see so many changes possible for the greater good. But now I'm not so sure. How are we going to get out of debt by spending more money. How will our charities feed the hunger and help the homeless when their donations are now being targeted by Obama.

I ask myself today - Where is the hope? In times like these - with all of the economic crisis. I thought that our president would step up and talk about how he's going to give us hope. But almost everyday I hear news that takes my hope away.

Where's the hope?

Appropriating and Recontextualizing Google Image Search Results

maya escobar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:26:01 EDT

Part 1 of an article I wrote for jewishinstlouis.org

Every art student learns about the fair use principle, granting us permission to use any image in our artwork as long as we transform it so that it conveys new meaning. But beyond that all-encompassing definition, we don’t know what transgressions, if any, we are actually committing.

Recently in the news is the preemptive lawsuit artist Shepard Fairey filed against the Associated Press. According to Fairey the AP threatened to sue him unless he pays royalties for the image that he used as source material for his now famous campaign poster of Barack Obama. Fairey argues that he is protected by the fair use principle. He claims that his intention was not to reproduce any particular image, but instead was to capture a specific gaze representative of the ideas of hope and change.

In an interview on NPR, Fairey declared he was going forward with this suit on behalf of all artists, the thousands of artists that created their own campaign images in the same grassroots manner, pulling images from the web in support of the message of hope, change and a new administration in Washington.

screen shot of: first page of google image search results for "Barack Obama"

I am fascinated by Fairey’s implication that the process of appropriating and re-contextualizing Google image search results might be considered a grassroots action. As an artist, I frequently use images that that I find on Google. Like Fairey suggested, my motivation for using these images is to highlight the search itself, not the derivative image.

Perhaps then, these cyber Robin Hoodian actions—using and transforming Google image search results—are capable of changing the structures that control the dissemination of information. After all, the order that information appears in Google searches is determined by the amount of people searching any given topic. And as a result of the Fairey’s appropriation, his campaign poster may be forever linked to Obama’s presidency.

email from President Obama

Obama’s popularity can be credited to his skillfully constructed presidential campaign that effortlessly linked his name to hope. I was quick to jump onto Obama’s online campaign message of hope. Like many others, I subscribed to his twitter, facebook, and YouTube pages. I now get weekly emails from him and I even have a blog on his site…

Hopeful again

Kitty from Akron, OH — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:17:44 EDT

I'm hopeful again.

This president, our President Barack Obama, is using reason and encouraging discourse. I do not agree with everything he is doing, but I see by his actions he is going about his decisions wisely.

Thank you, Mr. President.

You've been a long time coming.

Listening to Republicans and Democrats argue.....

LOL — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:42:24 EST

over whether tax cuts or bigger government are the answer to our economic problems is like listening to the captain and the first mate of the Titanic argue over whether more and smaller buckets or less and bigger buckets are the answer to their situation.

You know what would be to impressive and a confidence builder? If Obama came out and said, “I am not sure how to fix the economy just yet, but we have determined what the problem is. While I can not assure you that I can keep any of you in your homes or keep you from falling into poverty, but I can promise that your kids won’t be in the same situation.” That would signify to me that he actually understands the cause of our current situation.

Throwing money at the big banks and the irresponsible housing lenders and borrower is about as impressive to me as George Jr. bombing camels to protect America from guys with butter knives from taken over airplanes. Neither are actually going to keep the condition from being repeated. At least when it comes to guys with butter knives on a plane, I can trust Americans will rise up and fight off the offending situation. I am not sure that I can count on Americans to stop agreeing to terms they don’t understand, and borrowing more money then they can afford to.

When everybody involved realizes that taxes and incentives are red herrings and economically unsound ways to influence circulation. Lowering taxes on the wealthy doesn’t cause them to start businesses. Lowering taxes on businesses doesn’t cause them to hire more people. By the same token charging hire taxes and redistributing the money to the poor doesn’t make them any less poor. The government creating temporary jobs only gives people false security and unpredictable income.

If the administration could put somebody to work following the money once it reaches the market, I would feel much more comfortable. So you send a stimulus check out. Where does the (in the last case) $1500 go when you send it to them. Obviously they were paying their bills, or maybe they weren’t and for that month they do. If they buy merchandise, how much of it is retained here in the US and how much is spent on places outside the economy.

If Obama announces he has put somebody in charge of following money as it enters and leaves our economy, I will feel much more comfortable with the faith everybody is putting in him.

WHO IS THAT GUY BARACK OBAMA? HE IS US.

Alex Karoub — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:27:43 EST

..... Contact: http://Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

(orig. posted 11/7/08)

We have made historic headway by together pointing our nation in the right directions. After decades, we have America focused on the issues of fundamental importance. Now, each of us acting in concert can together move our country to lead the world to the fruitfulness of moral goodness. I have no doubts about my abilities and the abilities of fellow Americans to work smart and hard to achieve these goals.

Barack Obama has the visions, leadership, and integrity for us to correct and redirect our country to once again lead the world for the fruitions of good. Let's closely listen, learn, and move forward based on that which we know deep inside is good and which we can validate with our hearts.

I hope that those who had but a few reasons to support Obama, look further into the other issues more deeply. I found the more I explored, studied, and listened to Obama the more I found us in agreement. The couple of issues that I did not have depth of knowledge of, quickly became obvious in need. This was unusual for me since I have always refused to be any kind of a follower, and still am not. I find Obama to be a deep thinker who is articulate and inspirational; and, of most fundamental importance, Obama makes excellent moral sense.

Hopefully, our country has learned lessons from the past of mistakenly following leadership blindly, as was done with Nixon and Bush. There are leaders who are simply in it for themselves and will cater to individuals or groups in order to grab for their own benefit. Corrupt and bad leaders hide at all levels. This is especially true in city government as well as county and state government. The corrupt deals of politicians need to be exposed, and those responsible need to be weeded out in the coming local elections. Others need to be investigated by law enforcement and be prosecuted for illegal dealings; for deals they often make for their hidden personal agendas. Let’s look at the bad experiences of the past as bitter medicines, let’s eliminate the need for such bad medicine in the future. Let us use what we know is good to go forward.

I believe we have chosen wisely, not by greed and not by misguided retaliatory anger. I believe this time our country has chosen with open eyes, with each of us listening and examining our choice of leadership closely, driven and validated by our hearts.

I hope we can continue to make our efforts even more inclusive (in many more ways than I touch on here). Far right republicans will be stubborn to change, but we will need to include them to change if we are to succeed. Sure a few more will leave our country, but that is not the American way. No, we really don't need their false fronts of power, money, insider knowledge, or other trappings that they have taught many to 'respect?'. Let's recruit as many as we can, that's the American way, evolving and changing together as one nation. Try to be understanding as we move forward; by better understanding each as individuals and people with various desires and needs we will find ways to reach out with friendship and have them join our causes of good.

Be on the lookout, and root out bad leadership in government and business. Do not be intimidated by those who use the false fronts of power and give a false sense of security in order to lead. Be extra leery of those who say or imply ‘Trust me’; those who give a sense that they somehow omnipotently know better. No longer will Americans be dazzled by phony displays of brilliance or baffled by baloney. There are government aristocrats and business leaders who still believe in the old adage of: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle em with bullshit”. We can embrace complexity by demanding true, fundamental, and understandable explanations. We can root out falsehoods by not accepting double speak. We as Americans know how to grow ourselves by first believing in ourselves. Don’t be a follower. Don’t be a follower of followers.

However, when we find leaders who are good; a leader that thinks, speaks, and acts from their heart; one that is honest, has integrity, and leads by sincere examples; then we need to in a big way, join them, support them, and promote their causes of good. From much research, investigation, and scrutiny, I believe Barack Obama is such a person. I hope we search for and find many more who are similar, who we can add to service at all levels of government. We need to add/replace leaders in business with ones that have honesty, integrity, and show quality in leadership. We need more people in leadership roles who are moral, like Barack Obama.

Remember, we are not fighting a battle, we are the artisans and sculptors of the future for ourselves and generations to come. Rarely do societies have opportunities to make such dramatic moves forward as we now have in this opportunity of today. Take pride and practice in being inclusive as we stride forward. In moving forward, create opportunity not only for yourself, but also for all. Hope is a wonderful thing to behold; but without opportunity, hope can become but a dream never achievable. We can, will, and must, create opportunity.

In the coming year I hope that we do not lose our spiritedness, but instead continue to build and make headway. I hope we all continue our campaign for change in government and business. We will succeed in moving forward once again, it will take much effort and good oversight on the part of each of us. We will make great strides in the months and years ahead in order to achieve the fruitions of good. Let's keep our enthusiasm progressing through these coming toughest of times. Let us use the light of goodness and love to motivate us with historic momentum.

I have chosen Barack Obama because he best represents my deepest beliefs in America. Please take time to read the issues that Barack Obama has published on this website. Also, give your attention to see how he leads us to move our nation forward in the time ahead. Most importantly, be part of America's great future, participate in the greatness that together we will make. Participate!

We will each and all flourish, if we think, speak, and act, by using the love in our hearts.

Your reply is welcome. Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

AMERICA...the Pain Begins...TELL ME YOUR REALITY...tell me your story, I'll listen and reply...someone that really hears you and cares enough to respond to your thoughts, ideas, feelings and concerns...YOUR REALITY that YOU are LIVING WITH TODAY

Citizens for Change in America! — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:57:36 EST

JUST the Beginning... this is just beginning...it will not be going away...more people are hurting than anyone knows...now it is starting to openly show...rich, poor, middleclass, republican, democrat, independent, black, white, tan, red, pink or purple with pink pock-a-dots...it just doesn't really matter...the pain is broad and getting deeper daily...AMERICA must wake up and come out of this stopper... REALITY...America is in REAL PAIN... ALL AMERICANS...tell me your story and I will hear you! If you have a story...tell about the effect on you, your family, friends, neighbors, relatives... tell me about your story and the effect it is having...tell it to me today!

THE TRUTH HURTS...reply

Citizens for Change in America! — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:37:56 EST

The Truth HURTS…
This economic problem has always been about choice…what you decided to do with your money in the past and in the future is your choice that you have everyday of your life…AMERICA faces these choices and ALL of the AMERICAN PEOPLE will have to decide…
FACT: you paid off your house
FACT: you paid off your car
FACT: you paid off you credit cards
FACT: you paid off your investments
FACT: you paid off your bills
FACT: you paid off your expenses
FACT: you paid off your children’s educational expenses
FACT: you paid off you children’s college bills
FACT: you paid off your taxes
FACT: you paid off everything
FACT: DID YOU REALLY PAY and then some…so everyone can do WHAT EVER they desire…even for WRONG THINGS…for other peoples houses, cars, sunroofs, tinted glass windows, gas, tires, trucks, options, investments, summer homes, time shares, tips, trips, vacations, heat, electricity, clothing, food, college, medical, insurance, stocks, interest, bank loans, credit card bills, EVEN WRONG business CHOICES…did you…make these choices…take these risks…live this lie of fake prosperity.
The banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies and government offices…
all are having fun making choices with other peoples money…
yes everyone…especially those that might be considered too big to fail?
REMEMBER the BASICS (part of the costs of doing business is loss in theft, shrink and bad accounts…this is in all business models as experts are taught by experts…PROFESSORS teaching MBA’s and CPA’s for CEO’s and Presidents)
All the experts…
take their pay for whatever good or bad decisions and answers they tell you…
TALK IS CHEAP…but YOU PAY for all the CHOICES
YOURS…THEIRS…and everyone else in between…
every person not living by the Facts…
but by the MYTH…
Is sold on the idea to fill up every living Mystical Fantasy and Desire…
that is the Prophecy of EXPERTS…
fed to the people on both ends of AMERICA
Economic and Political
FACE the MUSIC…
BROKE is BROKE…
Do not hand me your meal ticket…I did not eat your lunch!
I did not own your business, bank, brokerage company, bakery, battery company, best shop or basket case…
do not give me your bills…
I didn’t get any of your pleasures, profits or perks…
I didn’t benefit from any of your lavish life style…
I didn’t get any thing before…
I don’t want anything now…especially, not any of your bills!
YOU went broke…not me…
You didn’t pay any of my bills…
You didn’t worry about feeding my children or sending them to school…
YOU KEEP YOUR OWN choices to yourself this time too…
IT'S YOUR CHOICE to keep the TRUTH...
PAIN FREE!

Let's OPEN A BIG HEART FOR EVERYONE TO WIN!

as, Tyfundi or Ty — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:19:18 EST

Take a moment and see through the eye's of a child. In every country, every creed and nation, the youth want freedom. The freedom to choose is a right every human has been given. Yet, so little has been utilized. We have seen more abuse than anything, over the years.

President Obama was elected because that abuse has run us in the financial ground. This is not the first time, our nation faced financial corruption. Most every child knows this first hand. There are student who have followed the financial trail for years, knowing all to young the seemingly hopelessness of the future. Why, because of the lack of funds in every home in the world.

The high rise in SCAMMERS around the world, milking anyone who will [in good faith] give them a chance. Thinking they have been befriended by a honest person[s] who will help them grow a family, business, and country. Only to get robbed over and over again.

Most every american and nation can turn this around! There are jobs for our youth and more.

Let's have a BIG HEART FOR EVERYONE TO WIN!

AMERICA...tell me WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Citizens for Change in America! — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:07:56 EST

TELL ME...what are you doing?

I pay my bills...paid off my house and can not sell it...moved because my x-spouse took our child to another state...was not made to bring him back after two years of lawyers, judges and court systems (even though the state had laws against and prohibiting children being moved out of their state)...I had to move to be closer, involved and remain to be an active parent for my child and our society benefiting from this action...faced with having to use some of my retirement/401k funds and pay taxes and penalties because I am not yet 59 and 1/2 years of age...will be penalized for paying off my car…will be penalized for paying off my house...will be penalized now for the actions of needing money to pay bills and do what citizens are supposed to do, but can't sell my house in this tough economy (loose money) and having to sell stocks/investments (loose money) because there is no plan for me, no bailout for me, no help for me...

you have PAID the RICH...PAID the RICHER...PAID the RICHEST

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY DOING...

what did you do...

what will you do...

what do you do?

CALL ME if you really care...I will give you the full story, painful details, hardships and sacrifices I have had to make...

the question is real...the question is important...the question must be answered...

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Introduction

Albert from Kula, HI — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:40:30 EST

I started this blog because I believe many of us have reservations and/or valuable suggestions about the Economic Recovery Act. The daily experiences of the average citizen can provide insights that are denied the politicians.The collective wisdom of we, the "silent majority", can contribute guidance denied the politicians in their lofty isolation. Hopefully, President Obama's staff will be monitoring it regularly.

Perhaps our concerns will be addressed by the President and our fears allayed. Maybe our suggestions will be seriously considered or, in some way, influence decision making. In either case, its a chance to have our voices heard.

All I ask is that you set aside your politics and maintain an open mind. Focus on the greater good of our people, our communities, our country and, indeed, the world. And, do it with respect!

"YES WE CAN!"

Is it Too Late for the 99%?

Harm None — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:05:28 EST

I voted for President Obama. I did this in part, because I listened to him and I read what he said, and as far as I can see, he's a rational, reasonable human being, and a man of principle. The other reason I voted for him, quite frankly, is that he isn't a Republican. The Republican party rules, it doesn't govern, and it does so with contempt for the subjects. The Democratic party must stand toe-to-toe with the Republicans, backing them down and undoing some of their skulduggery, or we, the 99%, will be crushed once and for all.

It is said that 1% of the people in this country own most of its assets. The land, the capital, the banking institutions, the production machinery, etc., are theirs. Increasingly, as the years have gone by, I have seen the result of the rise to power of this 1%, and seen what it means for the rest of us. Their motto is, “Never enough.” (Or, maybe it's, “Nothing for the 99%”). Any suggestion that those who are better off have a moral duty to share with their less fortunate fellows is met with hysterical cries of “socialism!” They will go to their graves secure in their conviction that might makes right, and they are right. To them, that--and they--are all that matters.

I know of no spiritual tradition (unless one considers Satanism to be “spiritual”) that advocates destroying the planet and killing or condemning the masses to lives of misery and squalor for the benefit of the avaricious few. Nonetheless, such are the results of rule by this vicious minority, and it must be noted that many of them claim to be Christians. Even the misery and squalor are only begrudgingly allowed because someone has to be available to serve as cannon fodder abroad, and grist for the machine at home. If not for that, the 1% would, without compunction, plow the 99% under for fertilizer.

Only a short time has passed since the election, and it is already clear that the 1%, through their Republican minions and their sympathizers who remain entrenched in government, have dug in, folded their arms, and are absolutely determined to deny the 99% even the slightest gain.

Barack Obama must be a brave and forceful man, indeed, to forestall the final ruination of this country by the 1%, but he will not do it by playing fair. Far from it; he will have to trade the olive branch for a whip, harden his open heart, and lay in with that whip, or this will be the last generation of Americans who can even pay lip service to “freedom.” If he fails, the pretense will no longer be necessary, for only our masters will be free, to do with the rest of us—the 99% of us—as they please.

They won't be held back by any notions of fairness or compassion.

If I could speak with President Barack Obama

FarmGal — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:41:17 EST

Dear President Obama:

I would like to talk about hope. And I want to talk about despair too. Many, many Americans have hope but there are those who have gone from hope directly into the pit of despair. For them there is not hope left. What could they possibly hope for now? People in grocery stores having to put pack 2 gallons of milk and 3 boxes of store brand cereal can only hope that their children standing with them in line will stop crying because they wanted milk and cereal. The despair of the parent or parents is obvious. They apologize over and over to the people in line and the clerk because they had to hold up the line while they have food for their children put back. Sometimes it breaks my heart that I can’t quietly say to the clerk please ring those things on my bill. Oh I do it when I can but I’m a retiree on disability and a part time job that nets my husband and I have an income of about $1800 a month out which at least $400 goes into drugs, gap insurance and drug gap insurance.

But this isn’t about me because we have our home and we try to live within the money we get. My husband who is younger than me works part of the year for the State of Virginia in the Agriculture Department certifying cattle scales and that is now in question with all the state budget cuts. He has reached the “out of hope” frame of mind of landing any kind of work in his field of construction but as I said we hold on.

The people who can’t hold on are my concern. People who couldn’t afford to have a job while the oil industry played with the fuel prices, people who went to their factory job one morning and were told the plant was shutting down, men who used their last bit of money to pay for a course at a truck driving school being told this weekend that the school was closed as of TODAY because they had no money to fuel the trucks so some men who drove 2 hours to get to the school returned home with the feeling their tuition is just money they’ll never see again and they won’t be getting that job they had counted on when they received their commercial drivers license.

People are filled with hope that the Stimulus Package will bring them relieve but many are already saying that that “stimulus” will be spent by large companies on perks for themselves instead of hiring workers. Oh they’ll bid jobs but they plan on using the people they have or hire illegal aliens at cut rates to further enrich themselves.

Meanwhile the Republican Party of which I am a member plays games trying to stop forward progress in rescuing this country. To them it’s simply a game they play because they don’t concern themselves with 2 gallons of milk and 3 boxes of store brand cereal for their hungry children. In fact it appears many of our elected officials from both parties don’t even concern themselves with paying their lawful taxes until their tail is in a crack.

President Obama, Sir, I’m sure you are aware from your work in Chicago that when hope turns to despair the next stage eventually becomes anger. Anger with oneself for not providing, anger at the “system” because there’s no relief in sight, anger at Congress who had no difficulty spending trillions of dollars for war but can’t see that America’s people are close to losing their tiny hold on sanity and hope.

Please Sir I know you are a smart man and know these things but someone must now step up to the plate and ensure that the billions of dollars you pushed through Congress is not wasted in filling the pockets of the greedy and the corrupt. Somehow there must be a way and a means to keep the Stimulus dollars moving to where it needs to be.

Thank you for listening. I spent as much time and funds as we could afford supporting you when you were running for office and I shall remain steadfast in my support of you. Remember when things aren’t going as planned that there are millions who trust you and know you will do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Hope Art

Henry M — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:04:54 EST

You may know that Shepard Fairey, the creator of the original Hope art, was arrested: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iplIoa3L6GNqY7FnCd4nktBaQaQA

But have you seen these spoof, which like'em or not, are well done: http://www.villagevoice.com/slideshow/view/165211/1

Henry M

KCUF, 128 Kb/s on Shoutcast Unlimited and still the Most Eclectic Music on the WWW:

http://tinyurl.com/kcuf-on-shoutcast-limited/ to play, http://www.urdomain.us/kcuf.htm to see what's playing, and now available on RECIVA Internet-Radio receivers, http://tinyurl.com/kcuf-on-reciva

KCUF can now be listened to using a Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget: http://gallery.live.com/results.aspx?bt=1&q=KCUF

The Year, The Word, And The Resolution Is “Sustainability”

LOL — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:40:32 EST

As the new year rolls in, it is time for a few activities. It is time to reflect on the past year’s successes and mistakes and learn from them. It is time to think about what one wants for the future. It is also a time to make resolutions. I was involved in all of these activities over this first week and realized something I have never quite fully recognized before. Almost everything we long for is about sustainability. Ecological, economical, social, and personal physical and mental sustainability is what we in no to obvious or direct ways are trying to achieve.

Who is Listening Out There? How many are still involved?

Steve Sulkin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:17:55 EST

As I hear the wind taken out of the sails of our President, as I see people recede back into their homes and away from the civic involvement that was the true phenomenon of the election, i get more energized to cause this video that I produced and the six words, "Yes We Can (Change our Destiny)" to become the catalyst that keeps hope alive and to become the administration's and America's new rallying cry.

Please help me forward this video to everyone you know. If you haven't watched it, it's truly inspiring.

Now that the inaugural is over, hopefully it will become more apparent that I wish nothing, but to help inspire our world. My motive is simply altruism. But I find it hard to give away my video's master tapes to the world as everyone thinks I'm trying to gain something. This is simply not the facts.

I do this because I know that if millions simply listen and watch this video, only 5 minutes of their time, it will energize them to stay involved.

Someone out there must know some in the administration, a famous star of "Oprah" size who can truly get this video out there.

Videos of elephants mating or other sillyness on YouTube must not be our legacy of involvement. Let's make this video and our involvement be the big story out there.

Thanks for your help.

Watch the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4srDYEPoqo

Obama: This is my hope. This is my prayer.

Mike W — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:34:47 EST

"This is my hope. This is my prayer."
Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/this_is_my_prayer

"The particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us," President Obama said this morning to a crowd of several thousand people gathered for the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton in the nation's capital. "Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times."

A dozen foreign leaders attended, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who delivered the keynote address.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) read from Scripture, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered a prayer for national leaders, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) delivered a prayer for world leaders, and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) delivered the closing prayer. Casting Crowns, a Christian rock group, performed at the event.

The National Prayer Breakfast, currently co-chaired by Reps. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and Heath Shuler (D-NC), is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., on the first Thursday of February each year. The event has taken place since 1953 and every U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower has participated in the breakfast.

The President is set to sign an executive order regarding the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which we'll have more on later today.

Read the President's remarks below.

Train Ride To Hope (An Inauguration Day Poem)

Sistah Joy — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:42:41 EST

Train Ride to Hope
(An Inauguration Day Poem)
© J. Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford

A 7:30 A.M. train ride
Inaugurated by a commemorative fare card
Bearing the likeness of a man
Who believed in hope and change
Maybe the time had come
For a nation whose yesterday
Spurned right at its own peril
A nation that, despite dreams and visions
Proclaimed before broad witness in light of day
Rejected truth 'til civil disarray
Dictated that only change could counter catastrophe
Perhaps this would be the train ride
To usher that nation
To the dawn of a new day

A sea of humanity
Like ants, satellite images would depict dots
Blurred into huddles to become muddled masses
I was proud to be one of the millions
Knowing I had neither ticket nor hope of
Seeing anything more than jumbotrons
I trudged on
Under the 3rd Street tunnel
Loosing, early in the day, Beverly and Jayne,
My comrades in arms
But I moved on
This is my hometown, I know this place
Placing phone calls of reassurance
When intermittent phone service allowed
I pressed on
Moving from one undesignated
Vantage point to another
Both the Blue Gate and the Silver Capital viewing area
Were inaccessible
But how could they close The Mall
The entire Mall?

But my guardian angels were on it!
Like the pride, yearning and desperate belief
Of all who withstood the frigid cold
Even the batteries of Chicky’s hand-held
Neon orange radio knew not to fade
Sylvia’s ungloved hand must have been frozen
As she held the small prize just above our heads
Standing behind me Jasmine asked if I could
Move just a bit to the side
So she too could hear
We each prayed for a clear signal
Sylvia said a glove would restrict digital dexterity
As she deftly rotated the dial with precision
Not chancing to miss a single word
That would mark this moment in history
So it was to be
This anointed neon orange electronic device
Clearly appointed by Divine providence
To appear next to me
Whether held in Sylvia’s hand or God’s
Did the job of unseen jumbotrons

The four of us fellowshipped and communed
We were from DC, Colorado and Texas
Sisters of different generations and races
Silently sharing tears as Aretha sang
Sharing hugs and hopes as we listened
To introductions, oaths and speeches
Believing the words we heard
On a small radio would take us
Beyond Metro stops,
Malls and trains
Knowing that on this day
Hope had transported a people
To a place where they believed
That the time for change had come

V is for Vision

coralights — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:41:34 EST

I have always thought of myself as a visionary. Often future events I've anticipated but didn't share with others have come to pass.

But at age 63 - I can look back and see that my vision was obstructed.

We all live with these obstructions. What we are taught, what we hear, feel and see - and most of all what we don't learn about ourselves and others until it's too late

This blog is dedicated to me, you, our President, and truth, hope, and justice for all.

Taking on more responsibility?

Linda — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:02:19 EST

I am one of those people who wants to do everything but ends up having no time to do anything right. Why am I drawn to the hope that's been offered to us by the new Administration? And can just a little bit do any good?

This blog is a baby step -- and I'm ready to see where it takes me...

ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA

WEBMASTER — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:23:01 EST

Organizing for America * USAservice.org

What a beautiful time in history to be alive. It is now our moment to reach out and help our local community service organizations. For those who would like to help President Obama in his quest for renewing America may I refer you once again to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520

We are seeking input and membership from those who would like to be part of USAservice.org -
and take a leading roll in participating in the Renew America campaign.

In the first week we have acquired over 700 new leadership registrations.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520

barackobama.com Organizing for America
source: http://tribes.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxHrx

CRY AMERICA

Citizens for Change in America! — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:35:42 EST

What is going on…is anybody really listening…

We have seen it all…more dollars for more scams, bonus, buyouts, bailouts, hoops, loops, etc.!

What is this anyway…

Is this the USA…

Are we American…

Is anybody listening…

Is anyone really there…HELLO

Please tell me you didn’t hang up…

You didn’t turn into a switchboard …

You didn’t put me on hold…

Let me know you still HEAR MY VOICE…

You know I am there…

You are

You care

You

Oh, please tell me you are still there America…any comment

...tell me, at the very least, you hear my cry!

UNDERPRIVILEDGED PETS

peace-nik — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:18:31 EST

The devastating economic crisis affects all American families. And for almost two-thirds of Americans, pets are valued members of the family and they need your help. Americans are struggling to put food in food dishes, let alone the table.

Companion animals increase the quality of life for their owners as most pets are valuable members of many American families. But incomes are decreasing or disappearing and many families cannot afford to feed and provide proper care for their loving animals.

Americans need more help accessing food for their families, including their pets.

Please help to pass legislation that makes food more readily available for all Americans.

Due to the global economic crisis people are sacrificing a lot but they are not the only ones. Household pets, often considered to be a part of the family, are affected by financial hardship as well.

Owners of dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chickens and even iguanas are finding it increasingly difficult to feed and care for their additional family members.

The health and safety of pets depend on loving care which sometimes has substantial costs. Pet food and regular veterinary care are necessities for companion animals, but the costs add up quickly.

Food and care costs have escalated while owners incomes remain fixed or are declining. Small pet care has become unaffordable to most, and owners are allowing their dogs, cats to stray.

But there is a glimmer of hope. Some area food pantries are recognizing the desperate need for animal care, and are distributing pet food along with their grocery donations. This is NOT yet available in EVERY COUNTY especially here in Florida.

EVERYONE let's tell Congress, County Commissioners, Local Humane Societies and shelters, Local Newspapers, churches, ANYONE who might care. Tell community officials of how this concern needs immediate attention, this I have done but with no reply.

Get the word out across America showing concern for this escalating dilemma of our needs for food and reliable basic, medical care for our pets during the current economic crisis.

Please help those struggling to accommodate their needs to provide better, and keep these hungry, sick and abandoned "underprivileged" animals off our streets.

God's Speed

TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT

WEBMASTER — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:08:15 EST

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________

January 21, 2009

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Transparency and Open Government

My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset. My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.

Government should be participatory. Pubic engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions. Knowledge is widely dispersed in society, and public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed knowledge. Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide their Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and information. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation in Government.

Government should be collaborative. Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their Government. Executive departments and agencies should use innovative tools, methods, and systems to cooperate among themselves, across all levels of Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals in the private sector. Executive departments and agencies should solicit public feedback to assess and improve their level of collaboration and to identify new opportunities for cooperation.

I direct the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services, to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies, within 120 days, of recommendations for an Open Government Directive, to be issued by the Director of OMB, that instructs executive departments and agencies to take specific actions implementing the pinciples set forth in this memorandum. The independent agencies should comply with the Open Government Directive.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

This memorandum shall be published in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

# # #

source: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1460623847

also see THE WHITE HOUSE
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/TransparencyandOpenGovernment/

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

WEBMASTER — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:26:19 EST

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

__________________________________________________________

January 21, 2009

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Act

A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires tansparency. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants." In our democracy, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which encourages accountability through transparency, is the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government. At the heart of that commitment is the idea that accountability is in the interest of the Government and the citizenry alike.

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrased by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protet the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those thay are supposed to serve. In responding to requests under FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public.

All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The presumption of disclosure should be applied to all decisions involving FOIA.

The presumption of disclosure also means that agencies should take affirmative steps to make information public. All agencie should use modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government. Disclosure should be timely.

I direct the Attorney General to issue new guidelines governing the FOIA to the heads of executive departments and agencies, reaffirming the commitmet to accountability and transparency, and to publish such guidelines in the Federal Register. In doing so, the Attorney General should review FOIA reports produced by the agencies under Executive Order 13392 of December 14, 2005. I also direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to update guidance to the agencies to increase and improve information dissemination to the public, including through the use of new technologies, and to publish such guidance in the Federal Register.

This memorandum does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enfrceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

# # #

source: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1460623847

BEST OBAMA SONG EVER-Change Is On The Way

Jason from Pittsburgh, PA — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:17:22 EST

This is my way of congratulating our new President, his staff, First Family, and our nation. Please watch, enjoy, and leave comments if you wish. click or paste this link to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWsXbXTQHj4&fmt=18

Witness to History 1\20\2009

Emilie — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:47:43 EST

I witnessed history....

And if i could put it in to words it would help. The mood in the air was one of hope and safety, in a crowd of almost 4 million I felt safe, I felt like we were a family. Everyone came together to support President Obama and Vice President Biden and I can honestly say yes it did bring tears to my eyes you may see that as funny but its beautiful to see all these people striving for the same thing in the same place is amazing and it is something that i would never change for the world. There was a point where a little girl got lost and everyone in the area i was in was yelling her name to find her, seeing and hearing and being part of thousands of strangers coming together to help a mother many of us didnt know was one thing that amazed me. Looking back at this opportunity I have had I am greatful and proud at the desicion that my country made in choosing its leader.I walked 5-7 miles through D.C and let me tell you it was more than worth it. As a teen who is unable to vote, many people look at my intrest in politics as funny or ironic. Yet, this year i got envolved in the election seeing my country get to the point it is in now I felt I had no choice than be involved. Being at the Inauguration of our 44th President and seeing that I was not alone in feeling the need for change and knowing that it was finally possible brought me hope for my generation, the ones before me and the generations to come. It's time for change, and change has come. YES WE CAN!

USA SERVICE ON FACEBOOK

WEBMASTER — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:18:39 EST

see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520

Every time our nation faces crisis, our national experience has shown Americans rise to the challenge. While government has an important role to play in helping rekindle our economy and addressing the problems of a distressed nation, President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, have a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. We are one nation.

The United States is once again at a crossroads and that is why the President-elect hopes to use the occasion of his Inauguration to rally our nation to commit to service in our communities. We are asking for your participation in meeting this challenge.

In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods. He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.

This website is designed to help promote these events and for Americans to make their commitments, build communities, find opportunities to serve and share their results. These can be events that engage people in direct service, or bring people together to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and how they can commit to becoming more engaged citizens. Please create an event or sign up to volunteer today.

source: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1460623847

UPDATE: Watch Obama Blogfest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOb4ZOnoK2Y

Mr. President

Nordseeurlaub in der Ferienwohnung — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:45:22 EST

Hello to all people readin my Post.

There ist a political new wave tumbeling through the world, inpsired by the new President of the United States. Even in Germany there ist a feel of hope for your country down from bavaria up to the Nordsee. We all hope that America ist settling new strength with this new leader. Only America will be in a position to be a archetype for the world in many roles e.g. economy, environment, or others. No russian, no chinese or elsewhat.

New Excitement

Roselia Conrad, DO — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:54:34 EST

I am enjoying a new excitement when I wake up in the morning, eager to turn on CNN to find out what is going on in Washington, DC...what is President Obama doing today? I cannot recall ever having this much interest in politics before...it's a New Day in America, for sure!! Happy me. Roselia

My opinion page on Barack's victory...

Lance from Ashburn, VA — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:57:25 EST

http://www.lancereviews.homestead.com/Obama_My_Opinion.html

the impossible made

LeTha — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:47:39 EST

we are history

yesterday i beared witness

to something i'd never thought i'd see

here, in this place

and we made it happen

the song...

there is

n o t h i n g

we can't do.

believe, trust, pray,

keep going

and you can change

yOUR world.

Today is a beautiful day

sj52a — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:12:09 EST

The fruits of a Americas once lost and now found hope and democratic fighting spirit is realised today. America lost its pride and forgot its self, it forgot why millions of people spent their life savings, risking their lives to come here, it forgot why America came to the standing it has in the world and why America has always been the hub for change, the driving force behind liberty and justice for all. The principals that found this country, that bathe the constitution, were forgotten, America grew lazy, it grew passive and complacent, it took its self for granted assuming without question or evidence that it was the best country on earth, forgetting why that might have once been true.

Today I am reminded, the world is reminded.

Today those things can be said again. I am proud of my countrymen, I am proud of being an American, a phrase that I would not have ever considered saying with a straight face before in my life, because there was nothing to be proud of. My accent was not something I liked about my self, hoping everyday that it would vanish and I could cut my ties with my former state union.

I lost hope, I lost belief, condoning, frowning upon the beautiful idealism that gave my country life, I did not believe that hope was possible for a better future, I was not sure that it ever was, I did not comprehend the idea that a president could be a force for good, deserving respect, I was never aware of that idea beyond that screen of my television and martin sheen and jimmy smitts. I thought that I knew America and what it was really capable of, not what I was told it was capable of . I thought that that idea was just a television show, more perfect and beautiful then life.

But today I, like so many others are renewed. I, once endlessly cynical. I, who lost belief in a better future. I, who did not believe that I could so proud of my accent and the country that it comes from. I believe that things can be different, I belive that I can change things if I want to. I believe. I hope. I am dripping with the idealism that comes only to a teenager, I know this, but I like this, I feel fine, better then. I know that in the future I may see the world for what it really is again, but I also hope that what I see now can be what the world really is.

Even if President Barack Obama cannot deliver on any of his promises, America will still have gained more from him then we can ever thank him for. He reminded us who we are as a nation, he reminded what we stand for and has shown us that we can dream, that we can imagine and that we can hope.

We Have A New President!!

Ani — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:53:48 EST

Barack Obama transformed himself from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a President putting the nation in our hands, as his partners. I muse today just how I may transform my self from a believer that a new day will come to an informed citizen dedicated in loving service to my neighbors, country and world in this new day that has come.

A Need for Happiness by my 10 yr old sister

Tamara Calixte — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:33:51 EST

A Need for Happiness

By: Soukaina Tapenga Calixte

A life of slavery,

Wanting to be free

Laying down,

Being beaten

Or your sore knees

Thinking of the past,

All of the people,

Who fought to be free?

You’re thinking in your head,

Slavery got to be dead,

I got to fight,

Now, forever,

To get victory,

How could I get out!

What would the slave master say?

Would he send the guards?

Who will be searching my way?

Where would I go?

Who will I meet?

I got to stop doubting,

I need to believe,

Racism, hatred, al of those things,

I am thinking,

Where did that all begin,

Separate schools, separate fountains,

Why would people be so cruel?

Being teased,

For being,

Over weight, different color,

And for what they do

This is all wrong

I wish this could all be gone

So now let’s think of all

The people who tried to put

A stop to

Racism, hatred, rudeness,

Slavery, being mistreated,

Assassinated, and attacked

Abraham Lincoln,

George Washington,

Harriet Tubman,

Martin Luther King Jr.,

Oprah Winfrey,

Rosa Parks,

Ruby Bridges,

And last but definitely

Not least

Barack Obama

Who is our President.

Thank You All!

Fred Sullivan — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:20:04 EST

Our work so far has been rewarded with the inguaration of a president for all the people of the United States. It is our responsiblity to keep on striving to make our communities, country and world better each day. Not with passive ascent but active inspiration,ideas, creativity, and action for all of America. We must look deeply and think about issues we would like have our country make progress in and becomes active stewards of them. We will all then be blessed with a better future for the causes made during this first term of our president will be profound and create positive effects for centuries for all the citizens of the world.

Future challenges

Emma — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:05:25 EST

Depression, recession, war, disease, famine, global warming and total financial meltdown of all economies worldwide and the list goes on and on…

Surely President Obama will wake up with a considerable headache for many days to come. But the key to all of these problems are one and the same; global cooperation across borders and beliefs. In today’s world everything is so interconnected that simply focusing on one thing, one nation or one solution is futile. We need to start thinking of ourselves as one race together on this one planet. Only with that perspective can any actual solutions be found. Thankfully President Obama seems to understand this very thing.

It won’t be easy of course, but then again nothing worth having comes easy. Perhaps this dive into despair is what’s needed for countries like the United States to begin to redefine themselves and their role in the world. We have changed greatly as a race, the past century. With this new millennium we face challenges never before imagined. To deal with this we need new ways of thinking, feeling and relating to each other.

The internet made the world significantly smaller, airplanes narrowed distances between us and the media forged new bonds across all boundaries. The global warming and diminishing energy resources will soon tie us even closer together, billions of individuals as we are, stuck on this tiny planet in infinite space.

To unite a world, the world needs to be inspired to unite. Bullying never works, people will always find ways to fight it. But to inspire such a complex thing as a world like ours, one must have a clear understanding of the path ahead, knowledge of the path behind us and awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of one’s own heart. Only at the highest peak can you make yourself heard by all, and the climb there is thorny to say the least. But I can’t imagine anyone with more promise than Barack Obama.

Insecurity, distrust and fear have spread like wildfire across the globe in recent years. Wars and painful conflicts seem present or unavoidable everywhere you turn. The US is no longer the guaranteed peacekeeper it once was and President Obama is not a miracle worker. No outsider can ever bring peace. But he can, and must, rebuild mutual respect. This does not mean nations will suddenly become eternal friends, nor will they trust each other blindly. But for diplomacy to work, some degree of trust is essential. This will be President Obama’s greatest challenge; to build bridges, within his own country and between many others.

If President Obama can manage to get people talking again, get them to move forward instead of this stagnated depression, no challenge is too great to overcome. This is a simple fact. There are some six billion of us here, there’s nothing we can’t do.

But making this happen, uniting enemies and reconnecting old allies, will require a very special touch, a fingertip sensitivity to what each and all need to hear. There are keys to unleash every human’s inner creativity. But we each have a different key, so anyone desiring to inspire, has to understand our differences and adapt. A challenge worthy of any hero!!

It’s a good thing our new President is young! He’s got time… I’m looking forward to his eight years in the White House and the subsequent (?!) decades in charge of a new and reformed United Nations!

The Color of Authority

P.G. Rose — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:27:11 EST

American Politics has managed to reach a new low in World History. We have been shamed as a Nation, and diminished as a people before the World under the reckless guidance and administration of the 109th and 110th Congress, and the Bush Administration. We have endured through two questionable elections that went unchallenged which led us into a historic financial World Crisis, and an awakening.

Our Trusted News Media abandoned us, spinning confusion and deception which divided us and pitted neighbor against neighbor, State against State. They eliminated the purity of the White which has ever-bound the Red and the Blue together as one, raising walls between Republican and Democrat neighbors that must now be torn down.

The world couldn’t see that we Americans lived under a shadow of fear and neglect through the Media’s caustic webs. The world couldn’t know that we were under a Domestic Assault by corporate interests, until the world’s populations discovered we were all victims of a government sanctioned unbridled greed.

But the corporate interests that disrupted the world’s Global Economy got too reckless. Wall Street executives and Bankers rushed too quickly to cash in on the people’s suffering, and boldly entered into a Contract with an angry Nation. Then they promised “transparency” and reneged on the agreement only months into the transaction.

When our Federal Government failed us, our State and local Government Officials and Boards of Directors failed to protect us too. They ignored the pleas of the people and the Experts that didn’t agree with their own personal Experts. They demonstrated a consistency of putting their own personal prosperity above their own people’s welfare, our fearless leaders fearlessly hiding behind the Privilege of their elected offices.

Out of the gloom came Barack Obama, who had the audacity to speak of Hope in the face of the growing despair. And the prominent Politicians and the News personalities laughed at him. But the whispers of hope would not be drowned out by the laughter.

We saw the hope in a mother’s eyes, in our First Lady Michelle Obama, the image of strength, intelligence and grace. We witnessed the resurrection of a dream in the eyes of our people, and saw the light of hope cast back the shadow of fear hanging over us.

We were told if we dared to believe in Change, Barack could take us all the way to the White House, and hope flourished into new-found friendships and a new awareness of unity, determination and civic duty. Against all the odds, in the face of this enormous crisis, we won the election and took our Country back. Now President Barack Obama is in Washington, and with him is the good will of the American People.

We have our President and Team Obama but, there is so much work to be done. The last eight years have been traumatic, and cries for Justice against the transgressions by the Rogue Bush Administration and their pals are growing. We need not worry, there is nowhere for them to go.

We told President Obama that we would trust him, and at the first difficult decision he was faced with, in regards to the Bush investigations, he has already been criticized. We all feel the anger, we all feel betrayed but, we have to give the Obama Administration the ability to make those decisions if they are to have a chance to succeed.

We need to stay focused on the Change, on restoring the damage our Country has suffered. Team Obama cannot stand alone against our corrupted Congress. We must use the Call to Service to work swiftly and challenge any obstacles who try to keep us from moving forward.

We need to continue organizing and get to those who have yet to get involved. Our President needs us to stand by him, and behind those Public Servants who are standing with us. All across this Country there are many Public Servants who have been blocked by partisanship who need our help too. We have more friends in Government than it appears.

We can’t lose sight that there are many Americans still suffering at the hands of corporate interests. There are homeless families that need us, and our precious World War II generation has been tragically abandoned. Thousands are barely hanging on to their homes while the Mortgage companies are refusing to help them.

We are involved in two wars, and our Soldiers and their Commanders have been disastrously neglected. Our wounded Soldiers continue to be neglected as well by an antiquated system. It’s long past time to Show them that their Country is behind them.

We Americans have been through times like this before. These are indeed bad times but, we have endured through the misery of the Status Quo until it shattered itself and exposed the big Conspiracy to be nothing more than a self-perceived Ruling Class, and their utter contempt for their own people. Well, they don’t need to love us. They just need to serve us.

We have also seen from the World’s reaction to the election of President Obama, that it wasn’t America that the world hated. Our global friends and neighbors remember who we are and want Americans to succeed. And from the world we have learned that what makes our Country great isn’t uniquely an American thing. It is a shared human quest that lives among all people. A quest that believes there must be a place in the world where hope and dreams and prosperity can be the birthright of all people, and that one day, that birthright can belong to them and exist within their Home Countries.

We now find ourselves in a new age of technologies that is initiating a New World Culture, in which the world’s populations have a shared interaction and a voice. There is a free exchange of ideas and culture that is redefining the established Media bias of distrust between Nations. With the new technologies we are organizing, and we are also re-establishing Journalism in a new tradition, one that can be trusted by the people, a New Age interactive Journalism that can be easily sourced and verified.

The Global Markets have also opened up opportunities that have yet to be explored in developing new Industries and re-establishing the old. The middle executives have been discarded by the top executives into the melting pot. New networks of entrepreneurs from around the world are free to spawn a new era of growth, while the old Icons of Business blunder their way to ruin. And the corporations who take care of their workers will be favored above the rest by consumers.

The Chronicles of History are no longer the providence of conquering powers or Media historians. In this age, the Chronicles of History are the providence of technology, owned by none and belonging to all. It is continually being recorded by the witnesses of our time by the most unprecedented intercommunication in human history. The story of our time is being recorded every minute of every day, amidst the multitudes of posts on Web Forums and Feature sites, in text messages and in personal Blogs. History is being recorded by you.

The Representatives of Government may write their hundreds of books to shape their own Legacies. And the world will respond with their hundreds of millions of unique perspectives for the future Historians to study in retrospect.

P. G. Rose

History

Robert Strunk — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:22:10 EST

Only 1 more day before history is made. President-Elect Obama will soon be President Obama. Has a nice ring to it after suffering through the worst 8 years in my lifetime, or my parent for that matter. I can't wait to watch the swearing in, I only wish I could be there. I am so glad to have had a chance to work on a great campaign and meet some new friends. Now I look forward to working even harder to help make the changes needed in government. Thanks, "President-Elect" Obama for giving us all hope again. We can now walk with our heads held high as we move into the future. Hope doesn't seem that important until you have none.

They Also Serve Who Write

LDSNavyMom — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:40:41 EST

I googled my name out of curiosity, and found my other blogs. I was pleased to see the connection between this site, and another site dear to my heart. I recently joined Navy for Moms, an online community for Navy Moms. I feel like it's a good way for me to support the troops.

I believe in the power of the pen, or in this day and age, the age of technology, the power of the internet. The internet, though often abused and used for evil purposes, can be a wonderful tool for worthy causes. It is a wonderful way to communicate with others, even others clear across the world. It can be a way to increase understanding among people.

When people get involved in online communities, and start sharing things dear to one's heart, such as family photos, pictures of sacred places, interests and beliefs, we soon learn that, no matter what country or background we are from, we are more alike than we thought. It becomes evident, to the honest heart, that we are all brothers and sisters, of one humanity, children of a loving and benevolent God. With that mind set, we begin to really care about this planet Earth, and the people on it. We find ourselves wanting to make life better for all of us, in whatever way we can, using the talents we have been blessed with.

I'd like to think that those of us who are passionate about blogging, using our love for the written word, and our talent for putting our thoughts on paper, or on Internet sites, are also serving worthy causes, as much as those who are actually on the front lines, serving as volunteers in hospitals, homeless shelters, or relief organizations. I believe we are, by sharing words of encouragement, telling others about worthy causes, and bringing the light of truth and hope into the hearts and minds of those living in the darkness of despair.

Wake-Up From the 8-year Hypnotic Trance and Become an Activist

Dr. Gita Elgin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:16:10 EST

Wake-Up From the 8-year Hypnotic Trance and Become an Activist.

National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The trauma of 9/11 --repeated 1000 times on TV -- stunned us and then permeated our consciousness with confusion, fear and anger. We, as a nation, developed PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Need to heal, betrayed instead.

We needed a healer to help us heal. Instead, we got a traitor, whom we had, by mistake, voted into office (though not by popular vote). He used our tragedy to achieve his own ends.

Bush, Cheney, and company -- betrayed us, and everything we stood for. Guided by greed, using a well-engineered method of lies and rush -- thus preventing us from really thinking through, lest we wake up -- they led us into an endless, uncalled for war. 4000+ deaths later of our young men and women, 40,000 wounded, untold numbers of emotionally wounded (evident in the PTSD rate, divorces, suicides and homicides) and the millions of Iraqi men, women and children dead and wounded,we have little to show for the billions spent on a war that caused so much suffering and never should have been. Yes, Cheney and Bush enriched themselves and their cronies at the expense of everyone else. Since that was their goal, "Mission Accomplished." They should be grateful to Karl Rove for his social-engineering skills and to the GOP for abetting all this.

They did it again.

Since their method of lies and rush worked so well, they used it again, this time to invade our privacy with the "Patriot Act."

And again.

Since fear of another 9/11 -- the cause or our PTSD -- had been such an effective excuse to make us go to war, and then forced us to surrender our privacy (like it is practiced in the Communist Republic of China) they decided to use it again, to trash our constitution even, and allow our "leaders" to become war criminals "legally." They withheld prisoners of war without charges, or access to legal proceedings, and instituted torture as a way to get "confessions" they wanted. In the process, they endangered the lives of our soldiers, who might be treated the same way when captured. But who cares,after all they are expendable. That is their attitude. Proof of this is the lack and deficient medical and psychological carethey and their heroic families get when they return home.

Re-traumatizing us with fear of 9/11 no longer works, but lies, greed, fear and rush still work.

Now the game is up and 9/11 can no longer be used as an excuse to instill more fear --and re-traumatize us -- but don't worry, the same methods -- lies, greed, fear and rush --still work. With the economic meltdown caused by the Bush administration's abysmal mismanagement, that in itself can now be an excuse. So, let us rush a "stimulus package" to those that caused the problem in the first place, even to those who don't need it, like Bank of America. The lie: the banks would lend the money to people who were upside down in their mortgages (which is just about everyone now due to the decrease in house prices) and those in danger of foreclosure.

The truth.

The truth is: they gave OUR money to the banks without any stipulation requiring them to lend it. So, we are just like before, only close to a trillion more in debt, and the money cannot even be accounted for. We are "owned" in large part by the Communist Republic of China right now, our major lender, and our children and grand-children will be paying this "wonderful inheritance" we are leaving them. What was the money used for? Well, Bank of America bought a bank in China. How does that help us? It doesn't. It may help China, but who cares, in the bailout package we also bailed out European banks. After all, you want to share the give-away while people are asleep in their trance state.

The Bush Legacy: not over yet, until it's over.

We let Bush and his cronies destroy our country: our economy, our environment, our healthcare system, our privacy (while trashing our constitution), our reputation, our peace, and our peace of mind..as we slept beatifically, in a trance, thinking there was nothing we could do about it. But deep inside the despair was mounting -- neighborhoods emptying, families destroyed, no jobs, no money for food or gas, let alone healthcare -- and people were finally able to do the unthinkable: elect a black President. That is the only thing we should be grateful to Bush for: he was so bad, that people were able to forgo their prejudices and racial barriers in order to bring hope back into their lives. But until the new president takes office, Bush is busily putting the finishing touches on his legacy: nailing America's coffin. Osama bin Laden should be very grateful to him.

What we have overcome: "Projection" = what you don't like about yourself, you put it on others.

This is a major accomplishment. Let me explain why: we like and identify with "people who are like us." Those who are"not like us" are "the other" and we can project on them all our negative qualities and traits, for the most part unconsciously. They become "our shadow," so to speak and carry all our garbage for us. This is the cause of racial prejudice. To elect a black President meant we had to see past the color of his skin, into his Self. And when we do that once as a nation, we have a way to do it again and again.

Projection leads to objectification: others become objects.

If this is all that 9/11 taught us, maybe it was worth it. Because this same mechanism is involved in spousal abuse, child abuse, rape, and war. We see our brothers and sisters -- of different gender, age, nationalities, ethnicities, languages, customs, even belief systems-- as "the other," the extreme of which is "the enemy." Then we can kill them. It teaches us to look within ourselves and OWN our projections.

The Bush lesson.

They say we get the leaders we deserve. In Bush we got the prime example of someone who did to us --the American people -- what we often unconsciously do to others. He objectified us, while identifying with a small, select group of people whom he enriched and protected. So now you know how it feels. Let us learn our lesson. Why did we like Obama? he seems to have the opposite traits: be able to "hear" and "see" everyone and include them in his "tent." We will see.

Wake up from the trance.

But electing a black President is just a metaphor, a stand-in, for our psychological healing. We really need to wake up from the trance we have been in for so long. We need to be in touch with our Real Self -- our soul -- determine what is right from that perspective, feel the peace that comes from atunement, and ACT, humbly asking God to guide our steps. As we act, let us help each other heal and elect representatives who will also be awake.

Tomorrow you have the opportunity to "meet and greet" your delegates. Be aware of who they are before you vote, so you can help create an aware country
I'll see you for breakfast on Sunday, Jan 11th in Escondido. Look for the invitation on Carla May's blog.

And to summarize and simplify:
9/11 caused national PTSD.
Bush/Cheney were guided by greed and arrogance (feeling they were "above the law").
They ignored intelligence warnings before 9/11.
They had planned to invade Iraq before 9/11
9/11 gave them the excuse to do so.
They used fear and rush to get what they wanted: war, invasion of privacy, trash of the Constitution, torture, finally wasteful "stimulus package" for the rich.
Each of these events could have caused re-traumatization because they were based on fear.
This most unpatriotic administration objectified and pilfered our country to the point where we elected a black president.
In the process we woke up to hope, when we re-owned our projections.
This is not enough. We need to heal completely and elect accountable representatives. (I.e.: see Bill Moyer's program on how our representatives found a way to hide the earmarks so no one knows who is getting our money)... and don't let another "stimulus package" go the way of the first. Use it to help people avoid foreclosure, refinance their loans, and get jobs, and FORCE BANKS TO LEND with all the money they got from us.
Note: Sorry for the length of this blog. It is my first one ever and my son Dio told me they were supposed to be shorter. I hope it was useful to you and you will join us tomorrow for breakfast. God bless you always!

"Fire Rainbow Obama" - The Painting Celebrating Obama

Synthia from Los Angeles, CA — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:12:28 EST

http://www.synthiasaintjames.com/gallery.html"Fire Rainbow Obama" celebrates Obama as a special gift to all the people of the world. A president that gives us all hope. Therefore I chose a fire rainbow to symbolize him. A fire rainbow is a phenomenon rarely seen or experienced. The rainbow also is biblical promise of hope for good and some of us will also think of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In an astrological sense Obama is also a fire sign, a Leo. The people looking up at the rainbow (Obama's spirit) are from all walks of life and from all around the world. Never before have I seen the world embrace a United States President with such joyful hope and pride.

My stimulus package idea

Deeply Concerned — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:39:32 EST

I read something on this website tonight, it hit home for me. "build a movement for change from the ground up" My sentiments exactly, I have a very innocent and simply stated stimulus package that does just that, builds from the gound up, giving us a chance to make the difference. Let the big guys wait and see how we spend our money. Let them work for us, instead of us working for them.

The questions most asked of me so I want to ask you

Women-Eye For Change — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:09:58 EST

Is Barack Obama another Martin Luther King, Jr?

What would Dr. King say about the election of Obama?
Is the election of Obama as the first African-American president of the United States mean that Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled?
Did I ever think an African-American would become president of the United States 40 years after the death of Dr. King?
Does Obama's election indicate that racism for all practical purposes no longer exist in America?
Will Obama's election have any impact upon the number of African-American men incarcerated of the high percentage of out of wedlock births within the African-American community?

OBAMA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

WEBMASTER — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:11:18 EST

Presidential Inaugural Committee and The Advertising Council Launch a New Public Service Advertising Campaign Highlighting President-elect Obama's Call to Service

President-elect Obama asking Americans to "Step Forward" and Volunteer in their Communities

Washington, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) and The Advertising Council launched today a new public service advertising (PSA) campaign aimed at summoning a new spirit of service in America. The television ad "Step Forward" and radio PSA "Chapter" feature President-elect Obama urging Americans to log on to USAService.org to find ways to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country. Nearly 6,000 volunteer projects and opportunities across the country are listed on USAService.org.

President-elect Obama's and Vice President-elect Biden's "Renew America Together" initiative, calling on Americans of all ages to participate in community service, begins on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 19th, to honor the legacy of a man who lived his life in service to others. On the eve of the Inauguration, thousands of community service events will take place in Washington and all across the country.

"President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, has a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. We've launched USAService.org to connect volunteer organizations with Americans in their community and make it easier to serve on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and beyond," said Josh Earnest, PIC Communications Director.

The Ad Council is distributing the new television and radio PSAs to stations throughout the country this week. Per the Ad Council's model, the PSAs will run and air in donated advertising time and space.

"We are delighted to join President-elect Obama and the Presidential Inaugural Committee for this poignant campaign that will inspire Americans to serve their communities and their country," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of the Ad Council. "Media companies have committed to support these new PSAs and I believe this critical effort will encourage Americans to answer President-elect Obama's call to service."

Several media companies have committed to support the PSAs in donated time and space. These media companies include: CBS Television and Radio; NBC Universal; CNN and the Turner Networks (including TNT and TBS); FOX Networks; Clear Channel Radio, Comcast Spotlight and Entercom Radio. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) will promote the television spots to their members and donate a satellite feed during the week of January 26 for the distribution to the cable industry. Additionally, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is donating a satellite feed for distribution of the radio and television spots to the broadcasting industry this week.

Script for "Step Forward":

President-elect Obama VO:

America's greatness was not crafted in skyscrapers alone...

But on the ground by those who could see what needed to be done.

Volunteers who in service stepped forward...
Onto the dust of the moon, a levee in the heartland, the marble steps of a dream.

You may ask yourself: "Where's my moon, my levee, my dream?"

Well, it's here...with you.

President-elect Obama: Step forward. Help renew America at USAService.org.

The Advertising Council - The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

source: http://women.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFrr

A sense of community

Tina Marie from Houston, TX — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:56:58 EST

I have just returned from a meeting that was organized by the Move On Organization and although it did not happen due to some technical glitches in the registration system, the group met outside an office building on a cold day in Houston. The feeling amidst the group felt hopeful as we called those who we thought could get us into the building. And as we realized that particular meeting was not taking place in the form that we had anticipated, another did. We interacted with the proverbial, Plan B. We had our meeting outdoors, in the cold and the wind, which for Houstonians is no small matter.

Although we felt a slight disappointment at not having our originally called meeting, we shared our hopes, intention, willingness and ability to participate. The overall energy was of hope, action and community unlike I have felt from my fellow citizens in a while. We spoke of a knowing that change is coming, having faith in our human experience to expect more from government and from ourselves than we have in the past.

I am excited about where we are and what we are accomplishing. I am proud of our new President for being willing to upset the apple cart this early in his term. I am joyful at the extremely talented and purposeful people Barack is surrounding himself with in his cabinet.

Change comes slowly at times but it does come and each step forward is a step toward the change we want in our world.

God Bless you all,
Your fellow American,
Tina Marie Jones
www.tinamarie.com

What Obama's inauguration means to me!

mrcsmitty — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:40:31 EST

This inauguration to me means that we have hope for an Honest Government ! That ideas and Facts will be real and not just based on what the highest bidder wants to be fact. That trampling our "lesser" citizens to fill certain pockets with wealth by lies and greed will stop! That ruining our great planet with petroleum products and chemicals only because of bias studies and greed will come to an end! That thousands of Law Enforcement and Border Guards can stop losing their lives over lies and greed! That thousands of Innocent-Honest-Hard Working Americans won't have their Lives and Families ruined by unfair laws funded by lies and greed! That America will be what our Founding Fathers intended it to be, FREE! That our Economy can Flourish with Savings from our bias War on our own people if it were to stop! That Millions of Jobs can be created and sick could have natural relief! That we can end our current failed wars on our people and stop the injustice! That prohibition on our rights will end! That prohibition will end! I know we can do it! YES WE CAN!!! We can be back to an America that's government is OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people and not OVER the people! YES WE CAN!!!

Ignorant Conservatives Slander Obama Supporters, imply Inauguration Riot

Alfred from Boston, MA — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:34:09 EST

Some kid posted an article today implying an inauguration riot and a take-over of Washington DC on his small-time blog. He cites Hope-supporters greed and faatacism as the reason, calling us the cult of hope. Disgusting slander if anything.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1898-Boston-Independent-Examiner~y2009m1d1-The-Obama-time-bomb

I'm not suprised, but the underhanded remarks are ridiculous. If anything, the conseravtives will cause the problms that day.

Sacred Cow #5 - Eating Away At Self-worth

Rheanni — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:04:44 EST

Have you ever decided not to do something because you've imagined that what you have to offer doesn't fit in with the common definition of what is acceptable?

Somehow I doubt that you and I are the only ones who have had that experience. So I have decided to go after a very special herd of Sacred Cows.

These bovines sneak around behind the scenes supporting the premise that our worth and value is determined by something outside of us.

They eat away at our good ideas, intentions and hopes for the future.

Economic Sacred Cow Tipping

Rheanni — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:42:16 EST

The Status Quo is like a Hydra and during the elections several of its heads were cut off. It has taken a blow by those who have woken up to what’s going on and started to speak out against it.

Unfortunately, the Hydra is able to grow back its heads and the grab for power and economic resources continues.

A vision of hope and freedom has visited us before countless times in the history books of our planet, only to have the sovereignty of the people violently squelched or put back to sleep in a bed of apathy. Will we let that happen again?

Our collective history has deep roots that can make it seem as though the obstacles are insurmountable and that we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.

However, I have an idea that could take the juice out of those roots. What if we changed our mindset and took money out of the picture for a moment?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Choices (Caribbean Woman) Intercessor — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:51:22 EST

Merry christmas to the First Family elect and to all the peoples of the United states of America, God bless each and everyone with Love,Joy,Peace and Happiness throughout this wonderful season, as we still continue to live in hope for a brighter,better and prosperous future.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

A Christmas Gift for You

Lauralyn — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:54:15 EST

I wrote, "Marley's Ghost Knew 'The Secret." for a magazine called ORACLE 20-20 Dec. issue. You can read it online (free, no subscription or registration hoops to jump through) by clicking on their weblink: www.oracle2020.com/magazine/2008/1208/bellamy

May the spirit of Christmas fill you with renewed hope, deeper love and greater peace!

Lauralyn

YES WE CAN (CHANGE OUR DESTINY) PROJECT - NEW VIDEO!

Steve Sulkin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:00:16 EST

There have been many "Yes We Can" songs and videos out there and most have not risen to the quality of will.i.am

But this NEW VIDEO, see link below to "Yes We Can (Change our Destiny)", has that same potential to inspire millions to act, to be involved, to re-engage.

Read on and help this video get to the inaugural to be played via videotape or live. I want no fame or fortune. I just want to make a difference and I know this song and video can. You'll see when you watch it.

The “Yes We Can (Change our Destiny) Project” was created to help ensure that the collective energy of 10’s of millions of people who were inspired by President Elect Barack Obama will be re-kindled on inauguration day to even greater heights (because our world needs us now more then ever).

Watch the Video and help Change Our Destiny. Be inspired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwspAagg8uw&feature=channel_page

Inspire millions more by passing this video on. Make it go viral. Help it be played at the inaugural.

This video is the output of a singularly special experience created on a single day in Chicago by a group of people who are as talented as they are inspired.

Inspiration is the most powerful force in the world. You can help re-ignite it. We’ve seen that simple actions multiplied by millions can create real change. Your one simple action of sending this video to everyone you know, and they in turn sending it to everyone they know, will once again, inspire millions.

As President Elect Obama said on November 4th at Grant Park, we have an opportunity to put our hands “on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope for a better day.”

Join the movement. Send the video to everyone you know and ask them to do the same.

Yes We Can.

Change our Destiny.

---

The Yes We Can Change Our Destiny song and video was written, produced, directed and performed by Steven Miles Sulkin and with nearly 40 of Chicago’s and the nation’s top musicians, filmmakers and engineers. It was recorded (interestingly, though accidentally) on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th, 2008 at The Chicago Recording Company and written on November 2nd, 2008. It is our hope (but a hope that can only be possible with your help) that this song will be played live or via video at the inaugural, so as to re-inspire 10’s of millions that “Yes We Can” wasn’t about winning an election, it was about winning back our world and shaping a new destiny.

(note: The President Elect Barack Obama footage from Grant Park is legally and fully licensed from a stock footage source).

Peace,

Steven Miles Sulkin

Change

Emma — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:49:31 EST

I attended a funereal today. A close friend of the family died unexpectedly last month from cancer. I had known him all my life, but never really knew him. We’d meet at various festive occasions, share pleasantries, exchange brief updates on our lives and always part with a warm embrace. That’s what I remember the most about him, his great, big hugs. He was a man with a big heart and in church today there was no doubt he had been, and always will be, deeply loved by many.

I sat there in church, watching his wife of some forty years struggle to hold the turmoil of emotions in check while the sun made a rare appearance in the darkest days of the year. I’m not a religious person and while the priest went on about Christian things, I pondered the meaning of change.

Change can probably mean a billion things and more. If you search Google for the word Change you actually get over a billion results. Change can be welcomed, when life is hard and suddenly gets easier. It can also be cursed when a good life turns into pain and suffering. We change as human beings, as life runs its course. We change as a race through the eons and call it evolution.

Change is the thing that happens when atoms merge and create the building blocks of our existence. Change is what happens when our cells slowly decay and we finally draw our last breath. Change is what happens when cells mutate into cancerous tumors and ends our life too soon. But Change is also what happens when the sperm leaves the comfort of its origin, finds an egg and life begins anew.

It’s amazing how much meaning there can be in one single word.

Change is not something we can ever avoid. It will come in one form or another. The only thing we can do is humbly and bravely endeavor to shift this change in a direction we feel is good and right.

I began following Obama because I needed to change my life. I was stagnating, obsessing about all negative things and needed something positive to shift my focus. I used him to try to change my life to the better and it worked. I feel free now, free to do what I always wanted to do. Politics was never my passion, writing fictional stories are. That’s what I can concentrate on now, that’s the freedom Obama gave me.

But regrettably I need to let some things go. I can no longer spend weeks on one single posting here. I have to move on. I will continue to stay updated on Obama’s progress, but the journey he’s on is the journey of the citizens of the United States. This journey will undoubtedly affect us all profoundly but in truth, as much as I wish I could help, I have to accept the fact that there is nothing I can do. And today I was reminded of just how short and fragile life is and I how important it is for each of us to experience our own journey as fully as possible while we still can.

I can never fully express the gratitude I feel for the privilege of sharing thoughts, dreams and fears with everyone on this site. It really did change my life. I will keep blogging now and then but not the way I did. I have stories to write, characters to create and other galaxies to explore! But none of that could have been possible if Barack Obama hadn’t stood up and said “Change is possible in America”. For a while there I had almost given up…

Bigotry

Dunstan Christopher — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:50:39 EST

You gotta give em hope. Barack, these are the words of Harvey Milk. Barack, how can Rick Warren, a bigot who believes that I do not deserve the same right to marry my partner as he does or as you do... Barack, how can this man give the invocation on the proudest day in our collective history? How can this be, Barack? You were supposed to give us hope. Instead you've given us hate. How could you? How could you?

Its A New Dawn

Ron Booth Adams County Colorado — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:54:44 EST

In a few hours here in Adams County we will have our 'Change is Coming' house meeting. It looks more as if it will be as much a community gathering as anything, with 60 attendees signed up.

While making coffee and watching the sun come up it occurs to me just how much the sunrise looks just as it did on election day November 4th. Full of excitement, full of hope and full of possibilities for the future.

There can be no doubt that indeed we are standing on the threshold of a new era for our nation and for the world.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

HELP THE “YES WE CAN (CHANGE OUR DESTINY)” PROJECT

Steve Sulkin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:15:31 EST

PLEASE HELP THE “YES WE CAN (CHANGE OUR DESTINY)” PROJECT

Please visit, rate and support the YouTube link at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubuLF4ZrTFg&feature=channel_page

Others have already begun to take this song and add pictures and inspiration, see this link below as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0UWZ7uO6SA&feature=channel_page

I hope you take a moment to read this blog to understand a very important project I’m working on that I need everyone’s help with.

Here’s some background…

When I left Grant Park after President Elect Obama’s victory, I was carrying with me a “victory” song that I wrote (I’m a video producer, head of a family owned production company based in Chicago and am a pianist / professional musician).

But as I walked up Michigan Avenue on the way back to the Obama Headquarters hotel at the Hyatt, the “Yes We Did” signs caused me concern, as I’m sure it caused many people concern. Because we know all too well that the real journey still lies before us. And that if we don’t inspire the electorate again, we cannot change our world (and our world I fear is on a precipice in great need of our collective help).

So I put away my victory song, as I did not want to infer to anyone that our mission was somehow complete.

Over the next few weeks I became even more deeply concerned that all the potential energy that was harnessed by Mr. Obama would be lost forever and most of it never rekindled.

I’m a 53 year-old cancer survivor and father of four beautiful children. My wife and I endured the loss of eight babies in utero as we tried to make our family. My father lived through the holocaust in WWII in Poland. I give you these examples to tell you that I know something about both joy and suffering. But I also know that if people band together, that we can, through hope mixed with hard work and powered by inspiration, dig our way out of even the worst circumstances.

So I vowed to do my part for our country and our world by re-writing my “victory” song so as to turn it into a forward looking piece entitled

“Yes We Can (Change our Destiny)”

I got together 30 of the country’s best musicians, arrangers, director’s of photography, lighting designers, engineers and more, and on December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day (interestingly enough) spent 17 straight grueling hours laying down the music tracks and filming the production at CRC (Chicago Recording Company). At 5am, we all rolled out of there tired, but inspired.

What came out of that session surprised even me. It was as though (and I don’t mean to sound too “out there”) I was a participant in my own writing, as though inspiration was writing for me. For example, I do not typically write gospel inspired music, it is not my background. But a Pop / Gospel inspirational piece poured out of me. It’s possibly the best work I’ve ever done. I’ve sent the audio tracks to thousands who were immediately inspired beyond words. It still inspires me each time I listen to it (and typically I can't even look at whatever I created for about a year)! It’s amazingly uplifting and I believe it has the potential of inspiring millions, causing them to understand that we must all help our society by staying passionately involved. Will.i.am inspired millions of people to vote. He's a famous guy and that helped his cause. I'm not a famous guy. I'm just a guy, but I want to inspire millions of people to do something even more difficult, to keep their passion alive over the long term.

If you would like an advance copy of the song as an MP3 simply email me at Steve.Sulkin@MBMProductions.com.

Please forward the MP3, forward my passion, my words, and if you like the song and you agree with my ideas, your passion as well, to everyone you know, and implore them to do the same. This is the only way this will get out there.

On December 19th, 2008, the video will be complete and I’ll then send you a link to it. I would like to ask you simply to email that link to everyone you know, to ignite the fire that is within all of us and ask them to do the same.

In closing, I would like to say that I’m sure there are still 10’s of thousands, if not 100’s of thousands of people who care and are working hard for the common good of man. But I fear only a small percentage of the involvement of what we saw prior to the election is currently taking place.

President Elect Barack Obama is relying on all of us to come out of the woodwork again. I suspect that a "what you can do for your country" type speech is what the President elect will give on January 20th. I want to help in my small way by getting this song out there to inspire us to ask not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country (and our world) as the President I grew up with, when I was just five years old, so many years ago, inspired me to realize. Barack Obama has now brought that President (and more) back for me. I'm lucky enough, to once again, take part in a great moment in history.

Join Me In Helping to Change our Destiny,

Steven Miles Sulkin

Songwriter, pianist, film producer and newly self-discovered political activist

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing"

My Vision for Change

Andrew Matthew — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:16:48 EST

United as Americans, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results and Americans can SOAR to new heights through transformation, unity, and hope.

Foreclosure prevention workshop

Neldra from Dayton, OH — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:13:43 EST

Helping Hands Community Outreach Center provides a much-needed boost to Trotwood and surrounding area homeowners in danger of foreclosure.

Trotwood, OH – There are over 7,541 families at risk of loosing their homes in Montgomery County and surrounding areas. Helping Hands provides free foreclosure mitigation, homeowner’s education, social and human services referrals, counseling services to families who are in the foreclosure process. If you know someone who are at risk of losing their home, has missed one or more mortgage payments, or need information on foreclosure prevention and education please have them call 1-888-578-2358 in Ohio. Call 268-6066 within the local Dayton area.

Helping Hands will work one on one with each family to help understand their financial situation, develop a budget, an action plan and to work with lenders on their behalf. Helping Hands is an affiliate of Mission Peace National Corporation an intermediary partner across 15 states.

Do you know of someone who could utilize our services or have a dream of owning their own home? If so please attend our Foreclosure Education Workshop on December 13, 2008 and speak with banks, Ohio State Treasures Office, HUD certified counselors, financial institution, DPL, and a host of different speakers.

Who: Helping Hands COC

What: Foreclosure Education Prevention Workshop

When: December 13, 2008

Where: VA Medical Center - Bldg. 305– Auditorium Time: 10 AM—4 PM

Cost: Free

For more information about Helping Hands Community Outreach Center’s foreclosure prevention efforts, please contact Joseph Munson or Chameka Gilmore at 937-268-6066.

Still Fired up and Ready to Go!

Jacki C. — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:21:13 EST

We still have a lot of work to do. The quest for Change has only begun, it didn't end on November 4th but became the real beginning.

Barack and our Congressmen and women, State and local officials need our help and input. We need to remain active on all levels. The need to communicate with our elected officials is very important and is something we can do. Email, write letters or call your State and Federal Senators and Representatives and let them know how you feel about issues you have concern over.

We will be facing a bumpy road ahead. I don't need to tell you that the economy has tanked and that there could be some very rough road ahead for all, not just here in the United States but throughout the World. We will all need to work together to help everyone weather the storm.

Barack gave me the power and the hope that I can make a difference and that is true for all of us.

Barack has shown me the value of being proactive instead of reactive.

We are the change we have been waiting for and we need to keep on the path towards that change.

About 25 years ago, I met a man on New's Years Eve. I made small talk and asked him if he had made his New Year's resolution. He looked at me and said, "I don't make resolutions, I make wishes instead." With that sentiment in mind, I will be making my annual New Year's wish like I have for the past 25 years.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Boxing Day and Happy New Year to all. (I apologize if I have left any of the special holidays out but I wish everyone a better year ahead.)

together we hope

maya escobar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:53:41 EST

Article from the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
'Hope' springs anew for Washington University grad students

November 19, 2008 -- Carianne Noga, a graduate student of art at Washington University, ties tags of hope onto a sculpture outside the University City Post-Office. Noga and fellow student Maya Escobar started soliciting people's hopes to place on the sculpture. (Christian Gooden/P-D) By Margaret Gillerman ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 11/29/2008

UNIVERSITY CITY — Georgia O'Keeffe found inspiration in the light and shapes of New Mexico.

Mary Cassatt found hers in mothers and children.

Maya Escobar and Carianne Noga, two graduate students at Washington University's Sam Fox School of Art and Design, found inspiration for their latest project from the long lines on Election Day at a Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop in the Loop.

There, on the sidewalk outside the shop, which was giving away scoops of ice cream to voters, the two women felt excitement and hope among voters. They said they found that same feeling across the street in the long line of voters waiting to vote at the Loop polling place.

"We wanted to continue that moment and not let it peak out," Noga said.

Before the polls closed, they had begun to create their "I hope…" project.

They first staked out a site: outside the University City Post Office at 561 Kingsland Avenue.

They then provided people with bright red tags and paint markers for them to write down their hopes for a better future.

The tags then are affixed to a permanent lattice wood sculpture already on site outside the Post Office.

"As difficult as it can be sometimes to voice our wishes and dreams, it can be strengthening," the artists say in explaining their mission. "We can be reminded of the rest of the world outside our own immediate concerns. In this period of great change and near infinite possibilities, it is time for us to voice our hopes."

While the project is for all people, Escobar said it holds special meaning for young people.

"This is our moment to make a difference for our communities," Escobar said. "We need to be aware — of our national situation, of the economy."

Many of the hopes expressed — most recorded anonymously — so far are noble and universal: "I hope for world peace" and "My hope is that hate is no longer."

Some of the hopes are personal. "I hope to not fear death," wrote one.

Others have a distinctly political bent: "I hope we get out of Iraq and don't go to war with Iran." And some are just fun, like the person hoping for "chocolate cake for dessert ..."

A University City police officer named Hope — Reginald Hope — shared with them his own hope: for safety for police officers. A fellow officer was killed while on duty near the Loop last month.

Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton gave his hope and "wishes for better health and greater prosperity for all."

The artists also are encouraging people to submit their hopes online at togetherwehope.com.

[click here for full story]

PLEASE VISIT HTTP://TOGETHERWEHOPE.COM AND SHARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Jill 4 Obama — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:37:45 EST

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live. --Jackie Windspear

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. --Estonian Proverb

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" --William A. Ward

O Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! -- William Shakespeare

Gratitude consists of being more aware of what you have, than what you don’t. –Unknown

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. --Cynthia Ozick

To know the value of generosity, it is necessary to have suffered from the cold indifference of others. --Eugene Cloutier

How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child's personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people. -- Sir John Templeton

Gratitude ... goes beyond the "mine" and "thine" and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. --Henri J. M. Nouwen

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. --Thornton Wilder

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it --William Arthur Ward

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. --Melody Beattie

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. -- Aesop Fables

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. --H.U. Westermayer

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? --George Canning

Some complain that roses have thorns—others rejoice that thorns have roses! --Unknown

Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world: It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. --William Law

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. --John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. --W.T. Purkiser

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. -- Cicero

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.

--President-Elect Barack Obama

OBAMA FOR KENTUCKY [ 1 ]

WEBMASTER — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:40:31 EST

Aberdeen * Adairville * Adolphus * Ages Brookside * Albany * Alexandria * Allegre * Allen * Allensville * Almo * Alpha * Alvaton * Anchorage * Annville * Argillite * Arjay * Arlington * Artemus * Ary * Ashcamp * Asher * Ashland * Athol * Auburn * Audobon Park * Augusta * Aurora * Austin * Auxier * Avawam * Bagdad * Bakerton * Bandana * Banner * Barbourville * Bardstown * Bardwell * Barlow * Baskett * Battletown * Baxter * Bays * Bear Branch * Beattyville * Beaumont * Beauty * Beaver * Beaver Dam * Bedford * Bee Spring * Beech Creek * Beech Grove * Beechmont * Belcher * Belfry * Bellefonte * Bellevue * Belton * Benham * Benton * Berea * Berry * Bethany * Bethelridge * Bethlehem * Betsy Layne * Beverly * Bevinsville * Big Clifty * Big Creek * Big Laurel * Big Sandy * Big Spring * Bighill * Bimble * Blackey * Blackford * Blaine * Bledsoe * Bloomfield * Blue River * Boaz * Bonnieville * Bonnyman * Booneville * Boons Camp * Boston * Bowen * Bowling Green * Bradfordsville * Brandenburg * Breeding * Bremen * Brodhead * Bromley * Bronston * Brooklyn * Brooks * Brooksville * Browder * Brownsville * Bruin * Bryants Store * Bryantsville * Buckhorn * Buckner * Buechel * Buffalo * Bulan * Burdine * Burgin * Burkesville * Burlington * Burna * Burnside * Bush * Busy * Butler * Bypro * Cadiz * Calhoun * California * Calvert City * Calvin * Camp Dix * Camp Springs * Campbellsburg * Campbellsville * Campton * Canada * Cane Valley * Caneyville * Canmer * Cannel City * Cannon * Carlisle * Carrie * Carrollton * Carter * Catlettsburg * Cave City * Cave Run Lake * Cawood * Cecilia * Center * Centertown * Central City * Cerulean * Chaplin * Chappell * Chavies * Cisco * Clarkson * Clay * Clay City * Clayhole * Clearfield * Cleaton * Clermont * Clifty * Clinton * Closplint * Cloverport

OBAMA FOR MAINE

WEBMASTER — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:37:52 EST

Abbot Village * Acton * Addison * Albion * Alfred * Alna * Andover * Anson * Appleton * Ashland * Athens * Atkinson * Auburn * Augusta * Aurora * Bailey Island * Bangor * Bar Harbor * Bar Mills * Bass Harbor * Bath * Bayville * Beals * Belfast * Belgrade * Belgrade Lakes * Benedicta * Benton * Bernard * Berwick * Bethel * Biddeford * Bingham * Birch Harbor * Birch Island * Blaine * Blue Hill * Blue Hill Falls * Boothbay * Boothbay Harbor * Bowdoinham * Bradford * Bradley * Bremen * Brewer * Bridgewater * Bridgton * Bristol * Brooklin * Brooks * Brooksville * Brookton * Brownfield * Brownville * Brunswick * Bryant Pond * Buckfield * Bucksport * Burlington * Burnham * Bustins Island * Buxton * Byron * Calais * Cambridge * Camden * Canaan * Canton * Cape Cottage * Cape Elizabeth * Cape Neddick * Cape Porpoise * Capitol Island * Caratunk * Cardville * Caribou * Carmel * Carrabassett Valley * Casco * Castine * Center Lovell * Chamberlain * Charleston * Charlotte * Chebeague Island * Chelsea * Cherryfield * China * Clayton Lake * Cliff Island * Clinton * Columbia Falls * Coopers Mills * Corea * Corinna * Cornish * Cornville * Costigan * Cranberry Isles * Crouseville * Cumberland * Cundys Harbor * Cushing * Cutler * Damariscotta * Danforth * Danville * Dayton * Deer Isle * Denmark * Dennysville * Detroit * Dexter * Dixfield * Dixmont * Dover Foxcroft * Dresden * Dryden * Durham * Eagle Lake * East Andover * East Baldwin * East Blue Hill * East Boothbay * East Corinth * East Dixfield * East Livermore * East Machias * East Millinocket * East Newport * East Orland * East Parsonfield * East Poland * East Sebago * East Stoneham * East Sullivan * East Vassalboro * East Waterboro * East Wilton * East Winthrop * Easton * Eastport * Eddington * Edgecomb * Eliot * Ellsworth * Embden * Estcourt * Station * Etna

THE BIG THREE

Nervie — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:46:48 EST

Improving the fuel economy and upgrading the practicality of efficient cars was a heavy discussion in the media today.

Japan formerly announced that it is in a recession. Greenland announced Saturday that it too is in a recession. This is the “R” word ladies and gentlemen. So in the meantime, many people are skeptical about the Big Three: Ford, GM and Chrysler.

Questioning the figures? Depending on whom you listen to more than 3,000,000 jobs will be lost which doesn’t include manufacturers and distributors of auto parts. These seems to be a great presentation by GM on YouTube.com Channel earnestly advocating for legislatures and voters to allow them the bailout loan.

Some economists exclaim that the financial and management model the Big Three were using isn’t going to work in today’s economic landscape. Automakers are hoping to borrow and to convince the American tax payer that their auto management and contractors will trickle down their financial success however economists are pointing out that automakers haven’t trickled down any success in the past decade. The big question is the billions and billions in the past haven’t turned the industry around, so why would anyone assume that they’ll do it this time?

Yes workers must be protected, but the tax payer needs to have a say as to whether or not a losing industry maximizes the delicate future by taking more chances that haven’t been paying off in more than a decade?

Personally, I would rather see the banking industry rewrite the mortgages to keep families in their homes. But this seems to be ignored.

Immediate after his election, Obama promised that he was going to review the economy and put the best minds in finance around him. November 6th, according to Sofia News Agency, Emanual Rahm, is the new Chief of Staff and will be joining Obama’s presidential staff in 2009. A little background on Rahm, he went on to serve as a senior adviser to the president from 1993 to 1998 - first as an assistant to the President for Political Affairs and then as Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy.” As a managing director of a large global investment corporation based out of Chicago, Rahm brings years of congressional experience and adds to the transition team members speaking directly to Paulsen. However Rahm is also known for a “no nonsense approach and tough negotiator”. Hopefully Paulsen and Bush Administration won’t make additional promises that put Obama can’t fulfill. Bush has us in a larger financial bind and is destroying American taxpayers’ strong hope and questioning Obama’s ability to “change” and create situations that can accelerate our investment in the future.

Carlos Gutierrez, the 35th Secretary of Commerce (of the Bush Administration) suggested that the $25 billion dollar energy program already passed could help the green vehicle manufacturers. There is only one glitch, he says, they would have to reword the contractual agreement of the programs” to apply to the BIG THREE, but if I remember correctly, that program was to help automakers retool and die.

It is only practical to question that there is a provision in the loan that the current management will be changed completely and not reshuffled around. One could only wish that true transparency is also required. The sustained borrowing to prompt up failed, non innovational companies, no matter who is running it, must be seriously reviewed and given to an arbitrator who will insist that a full range of plans is implemented before the money is loaned. Is it even possible to find someone who has a continual higher level of ethics and not the ones that some of the corporations utilize? I.e. playing games with the definition of “legal ethics” vs “technical ethics”. Unless it is more of Bush propaganda, go visit: http://www.commerce.gov/s/groups/public/@doc/@os/@opa/documents/content/prod01_007514.pdf

I believe that there may be a lot of fault to throw around, but this won’t help those employees who have families, mortgages, car notes, medical prescriptions, college tuition loans, utilities and daily expenses: They need answers now. I can only hope this is the priority in whatever decisions is being made and part of the hope. I have friends you believe the big three is a distraction for the $3 trillion that has been transferred by the Federal Reserve and no one seems to know where that money is going. Is it a symptom? I don’t know if you have been reading everything you can get your hands on, but what seemed even more conversational is the fact that the BIG THREE came to Washington in their separate private Lear jets with tin cups in their hands. How ironic you say … we’re in America where anything can happen. And their public relations directors? Maybe they were on vacation because this definitely isn’t good form.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m concerned about 3 to 4 million people loosing their jobs. I am also concerned about all the subsequent industries who depend on car making, distribution, selling and repairing. The industry won’t be viable as long as people can’t afford cars. The automakers CEO are paying themselves several bonuses and running for the hills before the year is out. Hopefully the Congress can convince the rest of us, before the Christmas season, that $25 billion is just a small focus and a drop in the bucket, and the real concern is who received the $3 trillion? A girl can only dream . . .

Introductionary Piece Dedicated to the Future.

T M — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:37:49 EST

I was encouraged today to actually post a few words. Encouraged that is by pressure from my family about the general hope I have for this country. We have a long road even now to travel upon, even though Obama has won the election - change will take time. So keeping this in mind, I have to look forward.

With the electrifying victory we must keep in mind that old wounds will take time to heal. And so saying, I present to you a short piece I wrote for someone special to me. After reviewing it, I decided it applies to our country and what I hope will happen in the future. So please enjoy this little piece that I'm going to call "The Ship."

Hope, Trust and Faith

Marcia--One who believes in Dreams! — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:07:32 EST

Trust and faith is what we need to have right now for the men, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, we elected to lead our country. We carried this hope and determination all through the primary and the general election. We must hold on to that and believe in this magnificent team, President-elect Obama and Vice-President elect Biden. These are troubling times and it's easy to become disenchanted, but this is the time we must forge on and be positive and help in every way we can to reclaim our country. Change is coming. Please continue to carry the banner of hope, trust and faith!

Elegant nature: Why election bliss went global

Angel Garet — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:37:20 EST

No matter for whom or if you voted, a new rung in the ladder of human evolution is beneath your feet. For Americans who have lived long enough, election night 2008 may have produced the first palpable change felt in forty years. The monumental sense of loss that seemed to last forever after the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King has suddenly waned, allowing us to reflect on how we changed during a time when changes were too insignificant to feel or we were too numb to feel them.

In the interim, and not by coincidence, science has observed in nature a self-correcting mechanism responsible for the evolution of all that we know. Breakthroughs in cell biology and fractal geometry and mathematics have revealed a universal pattern of branching toward balance and perfection in a nonlinear yet persistent manner. It is present in galaxies as well as the systems of every living thing, and it tells us we are born stewards of the planet, wired to be receptors and processors of nature’s input.

I want to thank my 50,000+ Readers for reading me here and at X~Ray!

Josie from Riverside, CA — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:07 EST

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MR. BIDEN

I have supported all I can

Now with the financial crisis, I wonder if it's all worth it (Sir/Mam). I live on SSI/SDI you try living on $850.00 per month and in Calilf. Oh yeah that was tried and some Congressman couldn't do it.

I donated what I could here. $5.00 not much, but I Prayed and God answered my Prayer. President Obama won :) and Mr. Joe Biden is the VP :) Couldn't be more thrilled.... for you.

I guess I'm writing Sir/Mam (don't know who is getting this), to share that I haven't voted in years. I just got to the point after my illness, then fighting for SSI/SDI for years (my money by the by that I worked for) that Government only cares for them self. Quite frankly I still believe the same. But I like Mr. Joe Biden, and then when Mr. Obama picked him as VP, I delved more into what Mr. Obama was about. Rather like the uplifting message. If you followed my Blog here or at X~Ray my Site, my Readers most likely Voted for Mr. Obama (all 50,000). After securing even International help from my Members and their Sites, you got Votes and I know it.

So my job is done. I now sit here listening to BIG Business getting bail outs. Sitting here wondering have you guys lost your ever lovin minds, to even consider throwing money to more mismanagement? I'm sure I've not long to live, never expected to bury most of my adopted Family. Never expected to run through my savings, be in debt, or be under so much stress that God has to work overtime to keep me in remission. As I watch Gov Jerk Face of CA., deny renter's credit, rob us of 1.25% of SDI, and again no real cost of living increase for SSI because the Government takes from that tooooooo.... I actually look forward to going Home with God. But you see I can't.

Somebody has to hang around, and watch you guys. Why? Because you seem to forget who got you into a job that pays good money. You seem to forget who loved your idea and supports your idea... that can be inclusive of all Americans if you just knock of the partisan BS. You seem to forget where YOU came from as well, and once upon a time YOU may have been broke, busted, and disgusted. So though I am grateful God Answered my hard work., I wonder what now?

What now for all of us who only had $5.00 or ten bucks to give? What now for us who are financially strapped? What now for those who gave the last ounce of faith that we had to give? Will Government really change? No, I really don't think so. Your gonna have to prove it to me and many others. As the TARPS fly around to (yet again the wealthy who can't manage their money or their lives) where is the relief for the truly financially concerned, the disabled, the workers who build the Market and is the true stimulants of the Market?

Who helps the persons who actually watch every dime? Who helps the persons that care where their money goes to, and why? I don't know, thank God that God hasn't closed His doors because truly that's all we have. Small but steady miracles. Miracles of friendship, miracles of love, miracles of care. Please Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden... don't forget.

With Love and Respect

Josie Williams aka Shade Law RScP

Founder of X~Ray Your Soul 1

http://xrayyoursoul1.wetpaint.com/

http://xrayyoursoul1at.ning.com/

We can pack up Readers and head back to our studies of Reverse NLP without Politics, (thank God).

http://xrayyoursoul1.wetpaint.com/page/Disturbance+In+The+Sand

Thanks for all of your support and links to my Political NLP and the Obama campain. I also want to thank all of my International Friends for carying the links at their Ning Sites to share with their Members and Readers :) I want to thank also my Admin Team at X~Ray for all of your support as well, espically Jodie of United In Spirit for her co-contributions to the Political NLPs. Oh READERS... NEW Stuff at X~Ray, please don't forget to Vote for the Site and check out Page two of THE BANNER EXCHANGE PROGRAM IS ON! NEW BANNERS! NEW MEMBERS!

I want to pause and also thank the Domain Host of this Site for allowing me to write here. :) God Bless all of you. :) See ya on the next Level of Reverse NLP and Business with Spirit!

Into a White House Built by Black Slaves: Will Obama be the First "Freedom" Democrat?

John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:32:45 EST

Into a White House Built by Black Slaves

Will Obama be the First "Freedom" Democrat?

By ROBIN D. G. KELLEY

“Will Obama, the first black President in the history of the United States, realise Martin Luther King’s dream or Condoleezza Rice’s nightmare? The White House, which is now his house, was built by black slaves. I hope he won’t forget it, ever.”
— Eduardo Galeano, “Ojalá,” Página/12, November 6, 2008.

As the world savours Barack Obama’s ascent to the highest post in the United States, the same political pundits who impatiently insisted that we transcend race by not talking about it have made race the issue du jour. We’ve heard jubilant claims that Obama’s victory marks the final nail in the coffin of racism.

Unfortunately, these premature proclamations obscure what is most significant about this election: Obama’s politics of hope – his vision of uniting the nation around the creation of a caring, compassionate culture built from the “bottom up”– is actually rooted in the traditions of abolition-democracy, the ex-slaves’ post-emancipation Republicanism, and Obama’s own direct experience organising the black urban poor in Chicago..........

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.counterpunch.org/kelley11192008.html

PS. Senator Russ Feingold for Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (replacing Biden)

Poverty: Human Compassion Attending to Hunger

Rebekah — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:29:32 EST

How is our human compassion attending to hunger in the world?

Weeks ago, while walking on my usual old path, I looked up at the waxing Gibbous moon, stunned by its quiet lingering in an indigo sky, mixing in clouds with salmon colors after sunset. I have imagined this old path I use to walk my dog to be an old Roman path in ages past. Many have walked upon this small path of mine. It is a path born from the human ages, like the moon is born from ages past. It has a history. The hunger of poverty also has a history and she gazes at me, like the gibbous moon, waxing in need. Cars passed by, but all that related to me was the path, my old dog beside me, my thoughts and the moon.

Our earth is abundant and yet people are dying of starvation. Such extreme poverty is all too often due to selfish actions or inaction of mankind, greed and jealousy, which, if unchecked, become negative forces. Poverty can be based upon a condition of deprivation as well as fear. Extreme poverty is also when the necessities to sustain life are not available or provided. Humans require food and water, shelter from harsh elements and clothing for protection. These are only basic and common needs. Furthermore, poverty mirrors a lack of generosity in mankind, based on prejudice or an absence of understanding that we are all connected on earth. In the same way, the “survival of the fittest” attitude in self-centered part of the human ego- is partly responsible for the lack of caring for others’ suffering on earth.

Poverty on earth can be transformed into well being, if those in need are also empowered to create for themselves. This requires human giving, as well as perspective. It requires the gathering of nations to create hope and well being for all -not just a limited group of individuals or a single nation. It is not just when a person is alone- or in a collective- in a state of poverty, but it is also the reflection of how individuals and nations lead impoverished lives, lacking vision to reach out with constructive care to help end poverty to enable change and growth worldwide. To empower others, one must be empowered- with a perspective to empower, realizing that we are all connected on earth.

There are many practical methods and ways to help implement change, e.g. through micro loans and direct assistance at a level that is too small for commercial banks or major donor organizations such as the United Nations or the World Bank. Small loans and grants of often only a few hundred dollars or euros can be used by individuals to invest in sewing machines, drills, saws and other basic machines and agricultural tools to start their own small self-sustaining enterprises. Similarly, inexpensive computers, musical instruments, and school utensils are needed in local communities. Such basic tools could be provided to those who can use them for a livelihood. More schools can be built, teaching mothers and fathers, teaching children, teaching the arts, core therapies, sports, eco-friendly technology, and recycling (to name a few ideas). Wind power, water power and solar power can be used more widely. In many countries, more hospitals, beds, ambulances and basic tools and medicines are also needed. Wells need to be drilled, toilets, basic plumbing and buildings. More than anything, vision and hope are needed in a world where falling stock markets will most ultimately hurt those who already suffer in extreme poverty.

We look up when the full moon fills the night sky. Today the gibbous wanes geocentric. Mankind’s nightmare is a lack of vision and a fear that there is not enough on earth to share. Yet, the opposite is true. There is enough bounty on earth to feed the world. People have grown in individuality and lead deeply solitary lives often disconnected even from their own family. This breeds a further lack of faith in the fact that mankind is a human family at large.

Rebekah Alsterberg

OBAMA’S INAUGURATION POEM

Tom from Lenexa, KS — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:17:38 EST

Obama’s Inauguration Poem

Obama’s Inauguration Poem
FELLOW AMERICANS

FELLOW AMERICANS

Will we battle terrorism as it should be fought

Or run away and let evil doers chase us to our door?

Will we protect our freedom and system of life

As our fathers and grandfathers sacrificed before?

Will we secure our borders against illegal entry

Or let our economy and security be destroyed?

Will we finally stop runaway wasteful spending

By leaders who are self-serving and void?

Will we continue to pledge our help to the less fortunate

Who suffer from war, hunger and disease?

Will we preserve our heritage and our future

From those who wish to bring liberty to its knees?

Never be afraid to be proud of America

And march with the thankful, honorable and just.

Never surrender our freedom of choice

Standing firm for what we believe and trust.

Sometimes it’s hard to protect what is right

Sometimes we’re scorned as for others we fight.

Some of us are willing regardless of loss

To commit our soul to save the cross.

Evil prospers on greed and human hate

Always eager to destroy and defecate.

God’s grace descends on the souls of man

Cleansing the impure wherever He can.

As long as man has struggled on earth

Life has had its troubles from birth.

God’s seed of goodness has delayed man’s demise

Thank Heaven for his heroes the strong and the wise.

The Lord adores his heroes of yesterday

Just how numerous, only He could say.

God loves his soldiers who line up to serve

By standing against evil His grace they deserve.

God Bless America

By Tom Zart

Most Published Poet

On The Web

You can hear all of Tom Zart’s 324 poemsof love, war, faith and more 24-7 on web radio at http://internetvoicesradio.com/Arch-TomZart.htm Tom Zart ARCHIVES: Global
Special
Operations
101 http://www.globalspecialoperations.com/tomzart2.html

hope and stuff

Jon from Milwaukee, WI — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:00:29 EST

I know that Obama was the right decision. I know that the economy will turn around. I know that I will be better of than I am now 4 years from today. I know that I love my wife and kids. I know that everyone go through hardships and that they too will pass.

I hope that we will find a way to extract ourselves from Iraq with out letting the country go down in flames.

I hope that we will be able to understand what is occuring in Afganistan and allow that country to break from its warlike culture and that one of peace and properity will take hold.

I hope that the American culture changes the way it looks at teachers and educators of the world and offer them more respect and money.

I hope that the money that we have funneled into Iraq will be allocated for our kids and school system once this conflict is over

I hope that Obama will continue to follow in the footsteps of Lincoln and FDR

I hope that the American culture will continue to move forward and be more inclusive of everyone. From those with special needs to the gays who desire to receive common law marriage.

I hope that we continue to fend off terrorist attacks, while defending the constitution.

I hope that the Cubs win the World Series before I die (just once...okay maybe twice)

I hope that racial hatered goes by the way of the Dodo.

I hope that we continue to support alternative energy resources and cleaner and more efficient car no matter what the price of gas is at.

I hope all of our boys get home safely and that those who need help get the best care possible

HEALTH-INSURANCE

Cynthia from Geneva, FL — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:40:16 EST

How-many-AMERICANS-are-living-without-Health-Insurance-Coverage?

I-am-a-LICENSED-INSURANCE-AGENT-self-employed-and-cannot-afford-to-get-covered!

or-find-coverage-for-my-pre-existing-condition,FIBROMYALGIA.

The Beauty, and Strength of Hope

Dr. Daniel Schroeder Th.D. — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:25:03 EST

The following is an Op-Ed article that I wrote for my local newspaper, the News Herald, in Panama City Florida. It has been very well received, even in this Republican stronghold area:

Obama renews confidence in our government Comments 0 | Recommend 0 November 14, 2008 08:00:00 AM

The writer lives in Panama City and holds a doctorate in theology.

By DANIEL SCHROEDER

PANAMA CITY

As campaign 2008 closed with the gracious and thoughtful concession of Republican Sen. John McCain, the 44th president-elect, Barak Obama, took the stage to address all of America. As he spoke, one could sense that he was indeed speaking to each and every one of us, as a whole. He called us to stand together, to face down and solve some of the most serious problems that we have ever had to face as a united country.

I could feel my own years of cynicism beginning to melt under the warming glow and influence of the beauty and strength of hope. As a cynic, one waxes more and more so as one sees years of bought-and-paid-for political actions continue, while the voices of the American people themselves seem to never garner the attention of their "representatives." Institutional and industrial money would appear to have gained an unyielding grasp on the men and women inside the Beltway.

On the night of Nov. 4, however, the apparently fixed hold that they had was broken.

That hold was broken by young voters, old voters, voters of each racial group, by the rich and the poor. They were individuals who for the first time in many years were united again in the cause of changing the course of our country, a course that holds more to the foundational principles that she was initiated with. That is, "all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

President-elect Obama noted the vote of an African-American woman who had voted at the age of 106, and all of the things she had seen in her lifetime, both good and bad, and he wondered what kind of America would his children see, should they live to the same age. With that in mind, he clearly charged all Americans to rise up with a renewed spirit of service and sacrifice so that we can be the beginning of a new era of hope, diligence and unity, so that those alive 106 years from can say what a great time it must have been to be alive and be an American.

As a Christian, my trust is in my heavenly Father and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but as an American, I have renewed confidence in our government "of the people, by the people and for the people," and confidence that we can do anything that we choose to do. We should set lofty goals for our country, as we are a capable group. President Kennedy challenged us to put a person on the moon and return him safely, not because it was easy, "but because it is hard."

Can we find a solution to the ongoing energy crisis? Yes we can.

Can we find a way to provide for the common defense, and yet still make health care and education available to those that need and want it? Yes we can.

Can we find the method to allow for investing in our country's businesses, solidifying banks and the retirement accounts of our citizens? Yes we can.

It seems that we might just yet live out another phrase associated with the birth of this great country - e pluribus unum: from many, one. May it always be so.

The Audacity Of Barack Obama: An American Dream

Dr. Bamidele A. Ojo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:30:45 EST

The Audacity of An Ambition: The Political Economy of Obama’s Electoral Victory*

On November 4th, 2008, Americans went to the polls and made a statement to the rest of the world by electing Barack Obama the first African American to be the President of the United States of America. While there are many factors that contributed to this historic win, one single factor and issue which dominated the entire fall campaign was the economy. There is no doubt that when Americans realized on September the 15th, at the height of the financial meltdown, that there is a need for a bold decision to reverse the looming economic disaster, they did what came naturally to them and voted their pockets. The economic situation, the loss of real estate values and pension savings coupled with increasing rate of unemployment contributed in no means measure to the election of Barack Obama. In a free market environment and the world leading capitalist economy, the election was simply more about the economy. Barack Obama for months hammers on why the country was in economic stupor. From expensive wars overseas, to inept policies and perceived incompetence of the Republican administration, he was able to convince Americans to look beyond him and revisit their economic dire straits and ask themselves if they can afford another four more years of the same. That was a very convincing and we now know, successful sale. It worked because at any other time and with a different strategy, it might have been difficult for candidate Obama to close the deal. However there were other contributing factors as well. As President-elect Obama prepares to ascend the Presidential seat and the most powerful office in the world on January 20th 2009, we must also note that, although we may have seen his win as an historic achievement, we must nevertheless recognize that, he did it in a very unique way. First, Barack Obama stood on the shoulder of giants and this must not be lost on all of us. As a French analyst put it on Charlie Rose on the night of the election, “Rosa Park sat for Martin Luther King Jr to match, for Barack Obama to run and for America to fly”. We have just witnessed the culmination of a gradual and lengthy process of democratic consolidation on a path toward that perfect union. Obama ran as an American and his background is very much American in nature and his campaign led by David Axelrod and David Plouffe, were able to put together an excellent exercise, which reassured all Americans that , yes it can be done. Once they accepted the notion of Barack Obama as a competent American, his skin color remain just what it is and the dream’s “content of his character” became the issue. And once he was able to scale that hurdle, there was no doubt about America’s readiness to make history and elect him the next President. It has taken over 220 plus years for Americans to achieve this landmark but it is a signal to the rest of the world that, it can be done. If Obama could win in the United States of America surely, ethnic, racial or any differences any where in the world, becomes less of a determining factor if, and when a viable, competent and truly national candidate emerges in the future. Obama was not an African -American candidate, he was an American candidate for the Presidency. It took Reverend Wright for him to even address the race question and after that, it was never addressed again by his campaign. Barack Obama’s personality also contributed to his success at the polls. He is perceived as an intelligent, cool and dynamic individual. And by the time questions about Reverend Wright, Bill Ayers and others were raised, it fails to undermine his candidacy. This was because for months on end, he and his campaign were able to drum it into the American psychic, that candidate Obama is above them. Charismatic leadership, ability to communicate and to inspire and to raise people’s hope remains an important ingredient for leadership and Obama possess it all. He used it well and as we found out words do matter. Since that evening four years ago, at the democratic convention, when he introduced him self to America that: There is no red America and no blue America but a United States of America, he laid the foundation and the recipe for his success. The audacity to aspire, run and play on the tuff of the Republicans couple with buying into Howard Dean’s 50- state strategy worked perfectly well for his campaign. For several election cycles, democrats have always limited themselves to their blue states and then hope to win but this time Barack Obama went for all the marbles in all the states and it paid off. This was a winning strategy that will reshape the way Presidential politics will be played in the future. We also have new generation of voters. These new voters were not only the under 30s years of age, who were post racial in their world view but also new registrants who want to be part of history. These new voters came out in drove to cast their votes on the day of the election. When you combine this with the energy of the Barack Obama’s grass-root organization and mobilization, which doomed the Clinton machine earlier in the year, it was a tall order to expect the Republican Party to win. The Republicans also helped Obama by nominating their best candidate capable of winning this election cycle but fails to support him enthusiastically. This forced Senator McCain to gamble and play safe to rally the base, by selecting Governor Sarah Palin. The choice was palliative at best with little lasting effect. In fact about 19% of them voted for Barack Obama in the end. The choice of Palin combined with the newness of Obama on the national stage initially kept the race within reach, at least until the financial melt down. And then it was down hill from then. Obama also had the heavy financial advantage. The fact that he was able to raise over 160million dollars in the last month before the election alone makes the task even more difficult for McCain as it was for Mrs Clinton earlier during the primary. The effective use of the internet and the effect of the grass root fundraising capabilities help made it happened. The implication for the future is two fold: From now on, more and more Americans will able to support their candidates through small donations, the way millions supported Obama or we will see another campaign reforms which will force a limited financial options on the candidates for the most powerful office in the world. From the Republican enabling factor, with the financial meltdown, President Bush’s problems to Barack Obama‘s charisma, his campaign strategy, the financial advantage and the time for change, the election of Mr Obama became inevitable. Obama has a lot of people to thank too. From Booker T Washington to W E B.Dubois, to Martin Luther King Jr, to Rosa Park, To Malcolm X, to Louis Farrakhan (even if one disagrees with him, his mere existence helps one to appreciate the other alternative-Obama) and to Jesse Jackson. There are many others to thank as well, the list include those who have blazed trails in their respective professions such Cornel West, Louis Henry Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Tiger Wood, Wills Smith, Michael Jackson, Bob Johnson and thousand others. These people while excelling in their professions have proved somehow to America that, yes it can be done.. The next step is for all, to now dream of this possibility. From Women, to Hispanic Americans, to Asian American and Native American, from Americans in the remote towns of Maine to the suburbs of California, Americans can now hope and yes it can be done. And to all of us in Africa, Latin America and Asia and of course in Europe, we can do it and this world can surely be a better place if we can put our differences and aim beyond our fears and limitations. Democracy is also the winner because however long it may take, everybody wins in the end and that is why we must give kudos to Jesse Jackson for inspiring us to ”keep hope alive”.

*Bamidele A Ojo.PhD .Professor of Political Science .African Studies Program.School of Political & International Studies.Fairleigh Dickinson University. Nj.

** Watch out for: Obama and African Leadership: Time for Tough Love

(It is time for a responsible and accountable leadership on the continent of Africa and a for an American President to make that call which will no longer be seen as neo imperialist because a son of Africa is now the one making it.President Barack Obama should start calling these leaders to order. It is time for re-liberation of the African people. It is time to bring our two worlds and the rest of the world together. It is time for real American leadership that inspires all on behalf of all.

TOMORROW

Choices (Caribbean Woman) Intercessor — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:43:05 EST

"YESTERDAY IS ALREADY A DREAM, AND TOMORROW IS ONLY A VISION; BUT TODAY, WELL LIVE, MAKES EVERY YESTERDAY A DREAM OF HAPPINESS AND EVERY TOMORROW A VISION OF HOPE." (From: THE SANSKRIT)