Posts with the tag Hawaii

Organizing for America - Hawai'i Volunteers

Ria from Aiea, HI — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:40:15 EST

The OFA-Hawaii HQ was buzzing in the afternoon with volunteers making phone calls to constituents and asking them to contact their respective Senators. All of the volunteers were very ecstatic to learn how to use the Neighber-to-Neighbor tool on My.BarackObama.com.

Bonnie W., a volunteer who is a new fan of My.BarackObama’s phonebanking tool, was excited to learn that the Senate just voted to begin debate on comprehensive health reform. “It’s fantastic. It’s wonderful that the Senate can move forward on the bill. Volunteering for this cause and to hear that we are one step closer to health care reform makes me hopeful that we are seeing the change that we’ve been looking for.”

One of our new volunteers, Lulu, loves to speak with potential volunteers. You can hear the excitement in her voice when she invites people to our next health care phone-banking event and holiday party. Her energy comes from the people she talks to. She says, “I hear their feedback and they say they’re interested in volunteering! I can sense they care and believe in what Organizing for America is doing.” She plans on continuing her volunteer work with OFA- Hawaii, “I’m a talkative person and I can talk on the phone all day!”

Join us on Friday, December 4, 2009 to contact constituents for health care reform: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcfts

Click For Obama

Click For Obama — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:24:53 EDT

Click For Obama is asking all Obama supporters to help us raise funds by clicking on our website sponsors. Just click, visit the site, and click out. We can raise $100,000 dollars for the month of November 09.

Times are tough and money is tight, but if you Click For Obama we can generate funds without having to pay one penny.

Click here then click around the sites links. Tell your friends and make this link viral.

Thank you,

Click For Obama Team

Our first announcement

Worship from Aiea, HI — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:36:38 EDT

How do you post a blog?

Ghent Film Festival, IEBA Honors Chubby Checker, Content and Communications World, Viennale 2009, ShowEast, Highlight October Media and Entertainment Industry Networking Events

Paul — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:41:50 EDT

MIPCOM, in Cannes through October 9, is the global content event for creating, co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content across all platforms, that provides the key decision-makers in the TV, film, digital and audiovisual content, production and distribution industry with a market conference and networking forum to discover future trends and trade content rights on a global level. The New School Office of Career Development in conjunction with The Office of Alumni Relations, New School for Drama, New School for Jazz and Contemporary Studies, Mannes College and others, presents "Careers in Performing Arts," an Alumni Panel and networking event, at its campus in Greenwich Village, on October 6. The Ghent Film Festival (Flanders International Film Festival-Ghent) in Ghent, first established in 1974 as a student's festival, is now recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (IFFPA) as a competitive festival primarily geared towards the "impact of music on film". The festival organizes film music concerts, giving composers of film scores a platform to showcase from. The official CD Release Party for Kyoko Oyobe (www.myspace.com/kyokooyobe) Jazz Trio, recorded live at Smalls Jazz Club, happens October 8 in New York, and features Kyoko Oyobe, piano Michael O'Brien, bass Clifford Barbaro, drums, Saul Rubin, guitar. A subsequent jazz recital happens at Fat Cat Jazz Club, in Greenwich Village, on October 15.

The Chicago International Film Festival, October 8-21, will have an opening night cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres, and after the festival starts you can listen to experienced film composers, musicians, and directors break down the process of finding collaborators, sourcing new and existing music, and producing the perfect harmony between sound and image at the panel "Score! Music on Film". ` International Entertainment Buyers Association, founded in 1970 as a non-profit trade organization for talent buyers, concert promoters, agents, managers, artists and other related entertainment professionals, starts its 2009 conference in Downtown Nashville, October 11-13. Among slated events IEBA will honor the iconic Chubby Checker who had the number 1 song of the sixties, “The Twist,” which topped the charts at number1 twice. Content and Communications World is the fall conference and exhibition for media and communications technology, opening in New York for two days on October 14. CCW features three events in one location – HD World, SATCON, and IP Media Expo. The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) was started with a mandate for the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film, and at this year's event in Honolulu will host an all day event to honor award winning TV program LOST, which is shot on the island of Oahu with the Vision in Film Award. BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2009, October 15-17 in Las Vegas, is for any Blogger, Podcaster, Vlogger, Internet TV or Radio Broadcaster, Social Media expert or producer of any other form of new media content to attend and extend their expertise with strategies, tools and techniques.

Film, Stage and ShowBiz Expo happens this year in Los Angeles for one day, on October 17. On site at the Expo, Disney Theatrical Group and Telsey + Company will be holding casting calls for major Broadway musical productions. During this year's 2009 Digital Hollywood Fall, October 19-22 in Santa Monica, some special events will include: Executive Round Table and Cocktail Event; VIP Content Rights Dinner; Digital Hollywood Finance Dinner; a VIP Breakfast Briefing; and End-of-Day Poolside Reception. During Vienna based Viennale 2009, running October 22 through November 4, directors and actors will join the celebratory opening in the Gartenbaukino, with a number of other film guests, such as Tilda Swinton, to whom the Viennale dedicates a Tribute this year. The festival will close with the Austrian premier of the latest film of the brothers Ethan and Joel Coen: A Serious Man. Cinema exhibition professionals come to Nielsen Film Group's ShowEast in Orlando, October 26-29, for film screenings of major studio and independent feature films slated for holiday release, as well as product reel presentations, special events with Hollywood actors, educational seminars and to find the latest products, services and technologies at the trade show. The Urban Individualists (www.theurbanindividualists.org) close out their year of art showcases with two shows in the month, first with a Brooklyn opening October 23 of 'Heaven and Hell', showing works exploring theological themes by male members of the collective, including Paul Deo (www.myspace.com/pauldeo). They open again on October 31 in Manhattan's upper west side with 'Masquerade - False Faces' a multimedia exhibition which includes masks and other art works. Both events feature live music, poetry readings, refreshments, and are free and open to the public.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events" page at actorschecklist.com/news.html. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion, as well as on The Actor's Checklist podcast blog at actorschecklist.com/loudblog. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/actorschecklist. This month on the video news summary you will again see a dynamic array of artists in performance of film and music. Last month featured German pop (with a little hip hop) performer, Lando van Herzog (www.lando-van-herzog.com); Urban Rap artist Guerilla X (www.guerrillax.exploretalent.com) in his new film, 'Kiss of a Bullet'; comedy in the form of parody rap skits from Filmhawk (www.myspace.com/filmhawkcomedy). These videos are now available on the Free Home Video Showcase at http://www.actorschecklist.com/video which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration. The Actor's Checklist is proud announce the return of the photo gallery which you can visit at http://actorschecklist.com/coppermine to upload valuable head shots or other photos of your choice, create profiles, and use your pictures or others found on the gallery as ecards which you can email to friends and associates with messages.

UNITED AGAINST RACISM

WEBMASTER — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:46:34 EDT

Hi Friend

There is a new group that just started on Facebook that I thought Organizing for America members may be interested in joining. Please see United Against Racism -

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/354956/80588439?m=9dc74a6e

United Against Racism

posted by David Apperson

"The Mont Blanc"

James — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:37:02 EDT

The elevator was too slow in descending twenty floors to the tower lobby. Peter Sweeney thought another bad thought about the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. But his complaint about the Otis elevators was secondary to the livid anger he felt about the fifty dollar charge which was going to be levied against him for departing his room two hours after checkout. Paying six hundred dollars a night, per room, and he had three, was no small deal over the course of a week. The writer's convention had been a wonderful success, but that did little to lesson his anger. The doors opened and he hit the lobby, walking fast to where the concierge desk was located. An ebullient Japanese woman was on duty. She was a terribly cute butterball of a little thing, who Sweeney liked, but that did not deter him.

"They're charging me a fifty dollar late checkout fee for staying in my room until my flight's ready on Tuesday," he began. The woman, who's name tag read Malani, looked up from her sitting position across the desk with wide open eyes of surprise. "This is not fair and I want that charge waived!" Sweeney demanded, his uncommon emotion causing the young woman to blink and nod her head in agreement.

"I will call the management," she declared, reaching for the telephone. "i will speak to my manager, and even his manager, if necessary. I will get the charge waived. I completely agree and apologize. You are a very valuable guest and I will get this changed."

Sweeney deflated. He had nothing more to add, so he turned abruptly and went back to the elevators. Up in his room he changed into his best aloha shirt and long pants. He was to keynote the conference in half an hour. He rolled ideas around in his mind on how to begin his hour long talk. Nothing came to his mind. Once dressed, and properly adjusted using his full length mirror, he returned to the slow Otis machines. He was calmer on the way down, certain that Malani would take care of the idiotic late charge and put that problem to rest.

This time Peter approached the concierge desk more gently, more like his old affable self. He smiled at Malani. She got up from the desk and came around to meet him. Then she began to cry. Great tears coursed down her beautiful Asian cheeks. Then she began to sob as she talked.

"I could not get the charges waived. My manager said no, so I called his manager, who also said no. He said I would lose my job if I brought up the subject again. I am so very very sorry that I have failed you."

Sweeney stood rooted to the spot, unable to take the scene in fully at first. The woman cried on, tears falling down onto the front of her pink uniform. Unconsciously, he moved forward and hugged the sobbing woman.

"Its okay. Fifty dollars does not mean that much to me. I have plenty of money. I don't know what I was thinking." Slowly he released Malani, then stepped back.

"Really, its okay?" the woman said, her voice husky from crying.

Sweeney nodded, smiling a smile he did not feel. He felt more like crying, but turned to retrace his steps to the elevators instead. The Otis cage did not seem so slow on the way up to floor twenty. Once in his room he sat at the end of his bed to think. The incident effected him deeply. He was not the kind of man who brought hotel staff to tears. He hated such people. What had he done? He stared at the dresser before him. Atop the dresser sat the distinctive box of new Alexandre Dumas pen, made by the Mont Blanc Company. It had cost him eight hundred dollars, and that was on Ebay. He intended to give it to the Pulitzer Prize Winner who would be attending his keynote speech. He hoped to win his way into the man's heart, or at least get his attention.

Peter stood up. He approached the dresser. Then he moved quickly, grabbing the box and heading back to the lobby while checking his watch. He had only ten minutes to get to the Monarch Room to deliver his speech. The elevators seemed running in molasses until opening, once again, at the lobby level. He walked quickly back to the desk where Malani sat. She looked up with a return of trepidation in her expression. But Sweeney smiled, and then held out the box.

"Please accept this gift from me. I do appreciate you, your service, and what you tried to do on my behalf."

Malani arose, stepped around the desk and took the box into both hands. She opened it. A small sound escaped her lips. Then she stared up into Sweeney's eyes with a look of shocked adoration. She closed the box as she bent into a deep bow. Her hands, however, came up with box held up in front of her.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I will live up to the value of this gift."

Sweeney walked away, his heart lifting, the smile on his face turning into a real smile. The crowd applauded as he entered the Monarch Room, his introduction already provided. He took the extended microphone and stepped onto the stage. He looked out over the expectant faces of the new budding authors.

"Thank you," he said, "I will live up to the value of this gift." As he spoke he realized that a small Japanese woman working behind the concierge counter at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel had changed his life.

http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com

http://www.themastodons.co

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

Letter to OSHA

VERNON BALMER JR. — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:55:31 EDT

November 7, 2005
Richard E. Fairfax, Director
Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP)
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

Dear Sir,

For the past two years at every step in this long railroad, from my initial complaint filed at the EEOC, and subsequent to that, the HCRC; the United States Commission on Civil Rights; the Department of Justice; and finally through no effort of my own, having it wind up at the Regional OSHA offices in San Francisco, I have steadily maintai ned that I submitted a written complaint at the state HIOSH offices, here in Honolulu.

I was told that much of what I sent to the DOJ had been sent to the San Francisco OSHA offices .. Evidently this written HIOSH complaint was not among the papers.

Imagine my surprise when I got this letter from Mr. Traenkner, informing me that I should not have made this a verbal complaint. I retrieved the copy of the written complaint, made for me while at the HIOSH offices, just to convince myself that those in power are the ones mistaken, and now I believe with my whole being, they are in actuality, deceitful and dishonest, practiced at covering up embarrassing incidents, and downright criminal.

I am making a request to you for a review by your national offices, where hopefully someone unbiased, with integrity, will do the right thing. There was a Ms. Hirai in San Francisco that said she could see the discrimination in this matter. Too bad it was not she that conducted the investigation.

I only hope it is coincidence that there is a Hirai here in Honolulu that is a lawyer and involved in the real estate business, and a lawyer formerly in the firm representing my former employer.

Throughout this situation there have been relationships, I have noticed in my opposition, which include professional, academic and familial. It has long been my suspicion that those ensconced in the cronyism here in Hawaii have at each step facilitated the lack of effort in this matter. I am now sure of what I have long suspected. This cover-up goes much further than what happens here in Hawaii.

Sincerely,
Vernon Balmer Jr.
yinsay@aol.com
Honolulu, Hawaii

Broken, by God!

James — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:12:35 EDT

Thomas Corinthian Martin made his way through the throngs of Waikiki tourists, all of whom resembled over weight and badly attired lemmings, drifting through paradise with no purpose, other than the accumulation of more local junk. Oahu. Outside of beaches, bars and crowded surfing holes, not really much to do. And he had his wife with him. The magnificent Mary. Five years of splendid marriage, wild sex and intellectual abandon. It was not supposed to be that way, he knew. Many friends and even family had shared their own tales of marital bliss...or the lack of them. Finding Mary at an obscure Northern Wisconsin college had been an act of wonderful serendipity. They had dated for three years, then married as war loomed. The war had been a singular disaster, and the hospital experience after even worse. But magnificent Mary had made it all worthwhile.

Thomas wandered down Kalakaua, Waikiki's main drag. He walked inside the acre known as the International Marketplace. If you wanted a custom Zippo lighter, or a lousy piece of jade, then the IMP was for you. Otherwise it was a bazaar of push cart 'carnies' all yelling for attention. Huge non-Hawaiian birds cawed loudly everywhere. You could have your picture take with one of them for twenty bucks, and maybe lose an ear.

He made his way back over to the grand entrance to the Moana Hotel. The place was magnificent. Had always been magnificent. Thomas had gone to school at St. Augustine, a Catholic elementary school run by the Maryknolls right down the street. The rebuilt church, which was the cornerstone of the school, remained an icon of meaningful culture isolated among the commercial nightmare of the rest of the strip.

The Maryknolls were gone. Gone to other assignments across the world. There was a convent for some of the nuns on the Windward side of the Island. He'd called and asked if he and his wife could visit. The answer had been a surprising, and warm, affirmative. Visiting the convent would be like going back in time, he had thought. Mary was a Catholic, as well. Her parents were old country Irish Catholic, but raised in Chicago. Visiting the convent would be good material to discuss the next time they were all together. That Thomas was a sort of fractured atheist had not escaped their notice.

The Moana had the rental car ready. Mary was there, in all her radiant beauty. They drove fast. The convertible Mustang only went fast, except when there were traffic backups. But there were none. The convent was austere, not looking like a convent at all when they arrived. It looked like a well maintained storage facility, but it did have a nice front foyer. Thomas seated Mary, then perused the list of nuns in residence. He only recognized one. Sister Gregoria. His dreaded fourth grade teacher. She had been an artist with wood fortified erasers. She could hit a student in the temple at forty feet with unerring accuracy, and she had carried a magazine of them fed up her left sleeve. Her use of the metal edged ruler was also a thing of creative beauty. He looked down at his scarred knuckles, as he pushed the button on the black panel. She would have to do. He smiled over at his wife, again thanking the God he didn't believe in for her existence in his life.

A female voice came out of the panel. Sister Gregoria was on her way. Her arrival was much more expressive than the facility deserved. A woman of about forty, wearing the great black robe of a Maryknoll nun swept around a corner nearby. The woman was radiant and smiling grandly. She extended her right hand as she advanced to meet them. Mary rose up to take it.

"Oh Mary, it is so good to finally meet you," the nun said. Thomas stood next to his wife and stared at the nun stupidly. He had come to see his fourth grade teacher. He had not let anyone know who he was, much less who Mary might be. The nun turned to him. He took her firm warm hand in his own.

"And you, Shadow, what are you doing here?" Thomas was dumbfounded, once more. He had not been called Shadow since his early elementary school days. His brother had been a big deal at the school. Thomas had gone everywhere with him. So he'd been given the nickname of 'Shadow.' His brother's shadow. He shook her hand. He was numb, trying to take it all in.

"Ah, this is my wife," He finally got out.

Sister Gregoria's eyes went back and forth between Mary and Thomas several times. "Extraordinary," she finally said, before sitting down.

"Why did you come?" she said, her voice near that of a whisper.

"I brought Mary to see the place and see if there were any of my old teachers left. How do you know her?" Thomas inquired.

He could not fathom that there was any plausible answer to his question. He had been in the fourth grade with Sister Gregoria. He had not returned to the island during the intervening years. Thomas had met Mary at a small obscure college in Northern Wisconsin. There just was no possibility that Sister Gregoria could know her.

Sister Gregoria sat silently for a full minute, before she spoke.

"That's not why you came here," she said. He just looked at her, not able to think of anything to say to that.

"You came here because of God. Mary is the daughter of my best friend. I went to high school with her mother. Since that time we've corresponded weekly by letters. While you were in fourth grade here, I was writing and receiving letters from her Mother. There is no coincidence that can explain this. This is not a one in a million circumstance. This is God, and He's sending you a message."

"Ah, I, I, ah, don't know what to say," He responded. Mary spoke for him.

"You're Sarah Fogarty, aren't you?" The nun nodded, with a tearful smile.

That he had been attending elementary school taught by the best friend of his future wife's mother, who had been writing letters to one another while he was in those classes, was just too much for him to take in. He could not have gone to that small college and have run into Mary by accident. How could that fit into his carefully constructed system of physics and logic? It could not. There were two thousand colleges in the United States. Thomas could have gone to any number of them. Mary as well. There were two thousand students at the college he did choose, and He could have taken up with over a thousand of other females there. He had met his future wife by accident. She had been the only one, among a table of five young women, who was shorter than he was. So, after asking the others, and having them stand and laugh at him, she danced. The rest is a history of serendipity. At least I had believed that.

Thomas sat down. His life was changed. Sister Gregoria was talking. His wife was talking. But he was thinking. His well grounded, vaunted, and much-buffered belief system in 'no-belief-in-God' was shattered. Sister Sarah was right. Not even the wildest odds maker could calculate the probability of what had happened. the odds were up there with the number of atoms in the whole universe. But what God? And why? And why him? Why Mary? Why Sister Sarah? Why any of it?

Thomas went out into the night, following his return from the Windward side. Sister Gregoria would not leave his mind. The International Market Place beckoned. Maybe he would buy a custom Zippo, even though he didn't smoke, or maybe some fake jade beads. If nothing was real then everything was real in this new world where physics and the sciences only allowed for surface explanations. Reality was cloaked, only small edges occasionally sticking out to cut and dismember comfortable belief systems.

The End.

I don't have any obvious answers. I have only the statement of outrageous serendipity to consider, as I have over the years. I am broken by God. Not to be fixed. I am lost in a vortex of swirling reality mixed with winds and currents I understand not at all. I am worse than a lousy Catholic. I am everything about the wavering doubting-Thomases whom the God of the Bible would vomit from his mouth and Kingdom. But then, although I cannot but believe in God (He made sure of that) I can't find any organized collection of men and women who believe in what this God has to be, that I can make sense of or get along with. And this God is one wild creature indeed. I don't believe He can be contained, or well described, by the documents of the Bible, purported to be His word. And so I run alone, in single harness, unaware of where I am going or what I am taking along with me.

Sister Gregoria (Sarah Fogarty) died today. Like Kennedy. With Kennedy. I look like Kennedy. I used to have to sign autographs for Japanese tourists in Hawaii, I look so much like him. What the hell does that mean? What does any of this mean? I am broken by God.

http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com

http://www.themastodons.com

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

Community Organizer Introductory Meeting

Ria from Aiea, HI — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:19:44 EDT

July 06, 2009

Aloha,

Thank you for all your hard work and leadership over the past several months. We want to take the opportunity to invite you to an important training on Friday, July 10, 2009. We’re holding our first Community Organizer introductory meeting in Hawaii, and we want you to be part of this exciting new program.

You know that grassroots activism is essential to bringing about change. We helped President Obama win Hawai'i due to the strength of our grassroots support. Now, the challenge is even greater. As the President said on Election Night, his victory alone was not the change we sought; it only gave us the opportunity to bring about the changes we so desperately need. To make those changes, we know that we must build a strong volunteer organization across our state. To build that organization, we need you to take a leadership role. That is why I’m asking you to sign on as a Community Organizer for Organizing For America.

You don’t have to look far to see what’s at stake. The cost of health care is skyrocketing, our planet is in peril, and we have inherited the economic downturn in over 60 years. Hawai'i is on the front line of enacting comprehensive health care reform this year, creating a clean energy economy, and building a quality education system from preschool to graduate school. The President has committed to making these changes a reality, but he is going to need your leadership. As a Community Organizer, you will have a vital role in Organizing For America’s success.

Please join us for the Community Organizer training to learn more about Organizing for America’s strategies for recruiting and training new activists and building strong neighborhood teams. Be part of this exciting new program starting Friday, July 10, 2009 at 6:30PM at Hawaii Democratic Party of Hawai'i HQ, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. Ste D26, Honolulu HI 96814. We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Ria Baldevia

State Director

"AND THEN THERE WERE NUN...."

James — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:49:58 EDT

I read the New York Times this day and was not surprised. On the left side, all the way down the front page, they began a story about protesting Catholic Nuns. There are about sixty thousand of them left out there in the world. At one time there were many many more than that. They, apparently, do not wear the revealing (and respect demanding) habits of the past. I kind of knew that from somewhere, but it hit home with this article. The substance of the article was about how the leadership of the Catholic Church (read Pope Ratso) is opposing the Nuns because they have kind of gotten together to argue against a few idiotic things still supported by the Roman Catholics of Rome. They oppose, for example, the required celibacy of priests. The Pope is still big on this malformed and unsuccessful doctrine. And it is not, or at least I do not think so, that the sixty thousand remaining nuns are simply horny and want all those priests for their own. No, I am afraid that the nun's logic is more factually grounded (however fun it might be to think otherwise). It seems that, over time, the celibacy thing just has not worked at all. Priests have been out there screwing just about any human they could get their hands on for many many years. The Catholic Church is currently paying out billions in reparations because of the failure of celibacy among its priests. It seems that the pent up sexuality of these guys has led them to exploit young boys under their care. But the payouts have not fazed Ratso. He contends that celibacy works and must be kept in place. All priests must be male and they must not have sex. The male only thing is another piece of studied stupidity that the nuns oppose.

I was raised a Catholic and went to Catholic schools all the way up through my undergraduate degree in college. My elementary school nuns were the most noteworthy of my teachers. It was Hawaii right after the big war. The nuns at St. Augustine Elementary School, just off Waikiki, had just returned from surviving the entirety of WWII in Japanes prison camps. Those nuns were in no mood to take any garbage from elementary school children. Later, I was to train and then serve in the United States Marine Corps. The Corps had nothing on those nuns. My D.I., SSgt. Baines, could not have gone one round with Sister Michael Marie (a.k.a. Sister Joseph Louis), much less the dreaded Sister Gregoria (called the 'Flying Black Axe' for reasons unknown).

I am a writer today because of those nuns. I miss their disciplined learning techniques. Techniques no longer applied to school children anywhere. I learned the ABC's, how to decline a sentence, phonics, and the Chicago Style Manual of English. I learned them by trial and error, and the studied application of attentive pro-active pain. Those nuns did not have to strike often. They used a form of willful psychology and parental support no longer existent within the confines of our culture. I learned to speak in front of groups and to overcome embarrassment and failure. I got a C Plus in English at the end of 5th grade. And I still write very regularly to Sister Michael Marie and Sister Gregoria. In fact, when my book was recently published, I sent Sister Michael Marie a copy of the book (lovingly inscribed) and a copy of my fifth grade report card. I high-lighted the C Plus I received in English with a yellow marker, to point out the error of her conclusion. That was a month ago. I got a letter yesterday. She sent me the report card back with a note stuck to it. "You have improved" it said, and there was B Plus written in red over the crossed out C Plus. She also noted a few grammatical errors in the final production hard-cover novel! I suppose that is why I, and my publisher's editors, did not get an A.

The Catholic Church has not supported nuns in any way for fifty years. The older ones live in near poverty under poor conditions in run-down care facilities. The few younger ones do not even get habits to wear. They are allowed to work for the Church for free and get by as best they can. It is a shame. The value those women provided to millions of children across the world goes unrewarded and barely even thanked. Yes, they did it for the love of God, but come on! The Catholic Church is run by men. By White old men living in splendor inside stone chateaus. They are just like human leaders everywhere on earth. There is no difference, and there is about the same level of compassion exercised and exhibited toward those whom worked to put and keep them there, as exists in the civilian world outside.

I loved those nuns and tried my heart out for them. I did that because I knew, down inside, near the bottom of my little well of souls, they wanted the best for me. I really believed that they wanted me to succeed and enjoy life, and a good measure of bliss. They wanted me to be successful, simply because, well, in their prayerful and hallowed way, they loved me. They loved God above all, and then all the children in their charge. They still do. Their belief in me, and my belief in them, sustains me to this day.

The numbers of nuns are dwindling rapidly, as the older ones die off and no new ones come aboard. This is part of the design of the Catholic Church. I do not know why. Maybe, like most male leaders everywhere, Ratso and his Italian Mafia fear women. I just don't know. But I lament their passing. They have been a force for good and love out here, across the surface of this troubled earth. Those nuns left now deserve honors and a great retirement. The young ones, the few, deserve our endearing support...financially and emotionally, because it is good for us all. I am not much of a Catholic anymore, but I know a good thing when I experience it. I love those nuns, and you should too.

http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com

http://www.themastodons.com

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

Hawaii Election Blog

WEBMASTER — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:34:35 EDT

As President Obama recently related to me regarding local service; "Now is our time to work together, reaffirm our enduring spirit, and choose our better history."

It is our responsibility as Americans to vote, and vote we must. And now is the time to prepare for the next election. I invite all citizens of Hawaii to post a message on the Hawaii Election Blog.

Hawaii Election Blog
hawaii-election.blogspot.com

AUcbay

Ucan from Waterford, MI — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:37:43 EDT

Jauasavj ajc

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BARACK OBAMA FIRST 100 DAYS

WEBMASTER — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:23:01 EDT

During the first 100 days of the Obama presidency we have seen outstanding leadership in tackling the many issues facing our great nation. And it seems that overwhelming poll numbers indicate that America agrees with President Obama. see THE WHITE HOUSE

The question remains; What can we as fellow Americans do to help our neighbors and countrymen? Included are nine things you can do to help the President celebrate his first 100 Days in office:

1. Donate unused suits to the Salvation Army
2. Donate time to Americorps
3. Donate toys for children at Toys for Tots
4. Donate blood at the Red Cross
5. Donate a can of food each week to a Local Shelter or Food Pantry
6. Donate money to Save the Children
7. Donate time at local a Veterans Hospital
8. Donate an hour a day to your Child
9. Donate to the Make a Wish Foundation

Participation is greatly appreciated. What you do for the least of our brethren, you do for yourself -
http://donate.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxWJh

Barack Obama First 100 Days posted by David Apperson

Yabseah

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The OBAMA Generation

Monika — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:58:34 EST

Generation "O" Main Blog & Unique "O" Wear/Gear @ Generation O on Zazzle

Hi, I'm new here...wish I had found this site sooner, but better late than never.

Looking for possible ways to get more involved in the process of making our world a better place alongside people in my community...ya know, to get in where I fit in.

Still learning my way around this site...

Read y'all later,

Monika

Homeless, Due To A Conspiracy To Violate Civil Rights, Obstruct Justice And Harass

VERNON BALMER JR. — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:28:35 EST

I am submitting this to various individuals, agencies, and institutions, in hopes that it will get to someone that can and will do something to bring justice to this matter.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL SPEECH

WEBMASTER — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:39:36 EST

Presidential Inaugural Address Delivered by President Barack Obama on 20 Jan 2009

My fellow citizens -
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
President Barack Obama

Presidential Inaugural Speech - A message for all people
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxHqT

source: David Apperson, webmaster

Feed The Homeless on King's Day Waiikiki!!!

Victoria Shabazz — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:14:53 EST

Let's join together and feed the homeless on Dr. King's Day, Wooo Hooo!!!

Obama is not eligible to be President

TimeToTellTheTruth.net from Monroe, LA — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:07:28 EST

Obama's father was not a U.S. Citizen, therefore Obama is not a "natural born Citizen" as required by the constitution. Congress needs to contest the Electoral Votes and name a President as the 20th Amendment allows. The U.S. Supreme Court should get involved if on January 8, 2009 Congress does not uphold their oath to defend the constitution.

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

HAWAIIAN INAUGURAL MESSAGE

WEBMASTER — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:51:31 EST

Hawaiians for Obama - Barack Obama Groups

December 7, 2008

President Elect Barack Hussein Obama
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE WHITE HOUSE
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President Elect:

On behalf of all Hawaiians everywhere, we send you our warmest and most heartfelt congratulations on your election as President of the United States of America. Mere words cannot begin to convey the joy, the optimism and the intense sense of pride we collectively felt at the moment your victory was announced. Although most of us could not be with you in Grant Park on November 4th, our spirits soared as we listened to you humbly accept the honor and the responsibility of serving as the 44th President of our nation.

From the moment you stepped into the public forum, we recognized in you the true embodiment of the Spirit of Aloha. The nation remarked on your strength of character, your quiet intellect, your wisdom and your spirit of peace. The media called you unflappable. We saw in you the trait most needed to guide us and lead us as one people through difficult yet promising times, He po`i na kai uli, kai ko`o, `a`ohe hina pûkoa. (Though the sea be rough and deep, the coral rock remains standing - You are the one who remains calm in the storm).

We have for so long yearned to share with the world the Spirit of Aloha. Most of us never dreamt it would be possible. In you, however, we know that spirit was nurtured and will now serve you and our nation well as you represent us on a global stage. We are proud and we are joyful. For us, you are so much more than the President-Elect, you are Mai Ka Lani Mai (Heaven sent). You are Hawai‛i’s native son. You are our ohana.

No matter what the future holds for you, for all of us, you will always have the support of your ohana. Our spirits are entwined with your spirit, your joys are our joys, your successes are our successes and when trials come remember, with ohana, your trials too are our trials.

`A`ohe pu`u ki`eki`e ke ho`â`o `ia e pi`i

(No cliff is so tall that it cannot be scaled - No problem is insurmountable when one works hard to solve it)

Aloha and mahalo nui loa for the sacrifices you have chosen to make for all of us, Hawaiians for Obama,

Gerald W Ashton
David Apperson
Teresa Arcangel
María Julianna Auzenne
Elizabeth Balao
Victoria Bates
Gail Breakey
Teresa Burkert
Jeri Lynn Endo
Rebecca Estrada
Carolyn Golojuch
Lisa Holmes
Johnny Huckaby
Bruce Juselis
Kelvin Kinte
Carole Kuwahara
Arni Maddox
Anita Di Mauro
Samuel Mitchell
Jeff McKnight
Nedra McKnight
Daryl Muromoto
Lisa Rey
Gerry Jayte Tavares
Bonnie Walker
Aroha Walsh
Eliza Walsh
Makana Walsh
Michael Walsh

Email hawaiiansforobama@barackobama.com

PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM

WEBMASTER — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:06:01 EST

Obama-Biden PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM is giving all people a voice in the administration -

The PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM is doing a great job. Thank the Almighty Creator that this is a new day in the history of this great nation.

WEBMASTER - DESIGNERS AND DEVELOPERS

WEBMASTER — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:14:56 EST

President Barack Obama

Internet Webmasters, Designers and Developers

If you are an independent webmaster, designer or developer and have linked a business, personal, or political website or blog to your barack obama posts or other barackobama.com web pages and would like to be recognized for your efforts let me know.

Mail your contact and other pertinent information to:

David Apperson, Webmaster
10336 Loch Lomond Rd PMB 105
Middletown CA 95461

or email contact information to yofast@gmail.com

Hawaiian Black History

2D — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:09:30 EST

I recently learned that the history of African-Americans in Hawaii is long and distinguished. African sailors visited the islands as early as circa 1776 and some made Hawaii their home as early as 1794.

One was Anthony D. Allen originally from Schenectady, New York. He settled in Honolulu in 1810. Being one of a handful of African-Americans living on Oahu, he was one of the first land owners in Honolulu. He was given six acres of land by the local high priest to keep and pass on to his children. Land ownership then would have to required approval by the king at the time - Kamehameha the Great. In fact it was because Allen was employed and admired by King Kamehameha himself.

Learn more about Allen's interesting life here and here and here.

What I find interesting is that when Barry Obama lived with his grandparents, he used to play basketball on the courts at Washington Middle School across the street from their apartment building. The land he lived and played basketball on was once owned and developed by Anthony D. Allen the former slave from New York.

OBAMA FOR HAWAII

WEBMASTER — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:34:52 EST

Aiea * Barbers Point * Ewa Beach * Hanalei * Hilo * Honolulu * Kahului * Kailua * Kona * Kamuela * Kaneohe * Kapaa * Keaau * Keauhou * Kihei * Koloa * Kula * Lahaina * Lihue * Makawao * Mililani * Pearl City * Wahiawa * Waialua * Waianae * Wailuku * Waipahu

Hawaii * Hawaii Bible Study * Obama for Hawaii * State of Hawaii

Aloha & Mahalo, My Friends!

Ms_CongenialityHI — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:49:06 EST

I did a bit of sign waving with another dozen volunteers, made reminder calls in the afternoon, but others had done such a great job with GOTV efforts, just about everyone we reached tonight had already voted. Someone brought champagne for all, but we dare not jinx the outcome by celebrating victory prematurely, so a toast was said in gratitude and memory of Barack's Tutu (grandmother).

On to the watch party and celebration, which was packed full of supporters. A heartfelt letter from Barack's sister, Maya (who has been caring for their grandmother in these last few days) was read. I think the longest line this Election Day was the buffet, but it was ono (real good)!

99% of the Hawai`i count is in now, and we've made our staff's goal to bring in the largest percentage of Obama/Biden votes... 72%!

My favorite personal experiences of the campaign... on a Sunday afternoon of sign waving, seeing a car come around the median in a U-turn (heading to McDonald's) full of tutus (grandmas) all vigorously waving back at us after seeing our Obama-Biden signs. Registering a student to vote who was turning 18 on Election Day... and shaking hands with both our State Senators for the first time tonight!

Mahalo (thank you) to all campaign staff and supporters for making my HOPE a REALITY!

IMUA (go forward)!

Madelyn Payne Dunham

Khaidji — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:18:47 EST

Kahlil Gibran once wrote that our children are not our children but rather, on loan to us by the almighty. It is for us to pass on to them the virtues of life and what ever they become, would be the fruits of our labor. Sometimes this responsibility is past on to our parents, our children’s grandparents. When our fruit is an American President then our labors are immeasurable. One such quiet hero who tried to just do the right thing without seeking special rewards for their efforts was Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham

Madelyn Payne Dunham

Maya like Barack called her “Toot” too

A version of the Hawaiian word for grandmother tutu

Devoted her life to raising her grandson

Ensured he made use of a good education

Life was difficult on her but you’d never know

Young Barack toured with her before settling in Chicago

New car and new dress she put off unselfishly

Poured everything she had into raising young Barry

And when word of her death came it was a blow

Yesterday we lost someone the world ought to know

Not just a grandmother but she was the cornerstone

Encourage Barack to take chances and think on his own

Didn’t let him shy away from hard work

Used her strengths and taught him never to shirk

Now the fruits of her labors are ours to reap

Her sweat and toil will take us through a quantum leap

Americans all benefit from her extraordinary accomplishment

Madelyn Payne Dunham helped develop the 44th President

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

Obama and Me (An Epiphany)

Ricky Fico — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:25:39 EST

Barack Obama came from Hawaii to Chicago to begin his life while I was leaving Chicago for Hawaii to end mine.

Epiphany

It was September 11 when God Himself, came down and saved me. It was a drastic measure, but one necessary to prevent me from walking into the mighty Pacific without looking back. It was my way, the only way.

Oh, beautiful Kauai, my heaven on earth! It would be there where I'd take my last glass of wine, my final shot of scotch and my last breath. I had planned it so well, I thought. I had booked a flight from Chicago to arrive Kauai on September 12, 1992 - the day before my final birthday - September 13. I wanted to perform my "dead man walking" on my birthday. You all know the story, "Leaving Las Vegas," right?

That is the movie where the character played by Nicolas Cage goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. Well, I was "Leaving Kauai" and why, you may ask. Because I had grown tired of witnessing all the pain and suffering in this world, the cruelty, the disregard for each other. Also, I had enough of my own struggles, the constant battles fighting my alcoholism, the harsh memories of finding my father dead after he had died about three days before I had gone to visit him. I also had enough of the past, my past where every turn seemed to take me to another dead end.

But something happened, something so powerful that I was stopped from performing my final dance upon the shorelines of Kauai. I must believe, this time, it took God Himself to stop me.

On the evening of September 11, 1992, the night before my flight I was sitting in Tony's Tavern, saying my goodbyes, downing my scotch when suddenly the news broke. A Special Report on the television: "A fierce hurricane had hit Kauai head on." Half drunk, I thought maybe I was not really hearing right. I got up off my stool, moved closer to the television. Through the smoke and the haze I focused on it as much as my half-drunkenness would allow. Projected to me on the blurry screen were the twisted palm trees, the over-turned homes, the upended boats. I recognized what once was the idyllic shoreline of Poipu, now in twisted disarray. I cried, cried some more. Now what am I going to do? All ports would surely be closed now, I thought.

I immediately went to the phone booth and called United Airlines. It was confirmed. My flight tomorrow to Kauai was canceled. Now what? I went back to my stool, and with tears running down my cheeks, I faced the truth. I was probably better off alive.

I took the last gulp of my drink and left the tavern and walked to the neighborhood park, where I sat and thought and cried. I asked myself over and over, Why? How could this possibly have happened? Why was I stopped from going to Kauai to kill myself? Am I really better off alive?

*******************************************************

This was a new beginning. I was reborn and finally I was able to quit the drinking, and with a new zest for life, I began the process of healing.

For the next year I had sat down every morning and relived my life through writing. I relived the pain, the tears, the sometime laughter and put it all down, black on white. It was my catharsis. Finally, I was freed from the chains that had bound me all my adult life. And I was finally able to forgive. Hurricane Iniki, I am sorry for your destruction. But I am forever grateful to you for saving my life . . .

And then, September 11, 2001, now living in Las Vegas, I was intent on celebrating the anniversary of my rebirth. I hopped in my car and was on my way to breakfast when the news broke through the song I was listening to, "Silent Lucidity." At first, I thought it was a practical joke, reminding me of that old Orson Welle's Halloween prank, the one broadcast on the radio: "We're being invaded by Martians" which ultimately caused pandemonium and mass hysteria throughout the land.

I quickly turned to another radio station. Same thing. This can’t be happening, there’s no way. This has to be some kind of cruel joke. Another Station: "Both World Trade Center Buildings are on fire!" I kept driving, my heart pounding, the palms of my hands gripping the steering wheel, trying desperately to retain control. "A passenger jet had slammed into the Pentagon." No, this can’t be real!

I turned on another station. "News just in from Pennsylvania - a plane had crashed in a field." What the hell is going on? Is this the end of the world? I arrived at the restaurant, and with my own two eyes, witnessed on their television, the horrific events. I really had not the stomach for egg omelets or pancakes. Not now. "Miss Waitress, just bring me a large glass of cranberry juice."

I sat and slowly drank the juice, tears falling down my cheeks. Patrons all around, also staring intently at the television in disbelief, their own faces reddened from sadness. I knew I had to get home. Pass McCarran International airport I drove. There was not a plane in the sky, neither coming in nor taking off. All was quiet now except the beating of my heart. Many questions arose and struck hard at my conscience but still I drove on, aiming for home.

Coincidence? See also Hurricane Fico

Note: I truly believe Barack Obama's commitment to the middle class, and yes, the disenfranchised and those who suffered injustices. On this level, I can relate to him very much. I know that he truly cares and he has been in touch with "real" people throughout his entire life - from the streets of Indonesia to the streets of Chicago. Me? From the streets of Chicago to the streets of Thailand and beyond. And I, too, know firsthand the injustices, the inequalities and understand the sometime disappointment of the hard-working whose rug had been taken away from under them. Oh, I know!

One Voice

It takes just one voice – the voice within,
And one choice, for a new day to begin
We are together; they say no man an island
Oh, how I’ve always known this truth
And it is the mountain that keeps me climbin’
…climbin’ since the days of my youth
It takes just one voice – the voice within
my eyes getting moist, my face with a grin

Ricky J. Fico

Addendum:

It's not socialism, it's not at all communism, it's realism. Simple at that!

As Barack Obama has iterated throughout this campaign, it is not about hand-outs. It's about providing opportunity. Those who worked all their lives, on the front lines - in the steel mills, the auto factories - those jobs were lost and at the same time, in the name of profits and stockholders equity, the fatter got fatter - bigger houses, more houses, while the hard-working were reduced to losing their homes, their dreams.

So simple! Reduce the taxes of the multi-millionaire Corporate CEO who laid off thousands of dedicated, hard-working Americans, only to manufacture in low wage countries, all in the name of increasing the bottom line - padding the pockets of the wealthiest.

I've seen those with calloused hands and broken dreams, now living in squalor and not because they are lazy or don't want to work, because they do, but the jobs that they worked all their lives are gone, long gone and their house taken away. At the same time the CEO has just bought his 5th house - a little 10,000 square foot cabin in Aspen.

Give me a frickin' break! It's time!

Oh, and a good thing too, that the richest man in the world has endorsed Obama - the down-to-earth and practical Warren Buffet. Says a lot right there. Oh, and guess what - he's leaving the majority of his wealth to the Bill Gates Foundation - to help millions of people around the world. Practical use of the monies that were earned in a capitalistic countrysuch as the United States. What's that called - redistributing the wealth? You betcha. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, redistributing the wealth. Too bad, Palin didn't pick up on that. She could have used that fact in her stump speeches!

The richest man in the world and he still drives his own car and lives in the same house he bought in the 50's. Building up his nest, what a practical man. He has no need to prove how big a man he is with 20 homes and a fleet of million dollar automobiles. Smart man is he! A wise man. No wonder he has endorsed Obama. "Birds of a feather flock together."

Ah, so simple.

Bill Gates, Warren Buffet -Geniuses! Not only geniuses but geniuses with souls. That is what I look at!

Now, it's time to look in the rear-view mirror and see where I am at again, been too busy as of late. Oh, yeah, I am in Chicago-- the middle of the universe.

Blessings, Ricky J. Fico

Your "Toot"

Kris — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:42:25 EST

Please let me express my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family as you deal with the loss of your grandmother "Toot' in Hawaii. I am sure the rest of the country will join me in this sentiment. If only she could have made it one more day to see her boy change the course of history and become the next POTUS. I am very sorry for your loss and wish you the best as we head into the final day of the election. MAKE TOOT PROUD!

Our Next President? God, I Hope So.

Cindy in Salt Lake — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:20:37 EDT

Obama took a walk through his old Hawaiian neighborhood today.

They need our help on the mainland!

Lynn Rasmussen — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:59:51 EDT

I'm back from volunteering for 6 weeks in very Republican Ashland, Ohio, a small town in the central Ohio, The weekend before I left, 280,000 doors were knocked in Ohio by Obama volunteers.

I called people and knocked on doors, handed out yard signs, signed up and trained volunteers, emptied the trash and vacuumed, spoke to groups and manned the fair booth, entered data on everything, made posters and calendars and signup sheets and taped them to the walls of the campaign headquarters. I met farmers and business owners, retired factory workers and union organizers, working parents and college kids, rich and poor, educated and not, country clubbers and old hippies. Except for two very cynical alcoholics, every person took his or her vote seriously.

On my first day in Ohio, an 18-year-old English kid, Kit Taylor, trained me and then helped me reorganize the field office. I worked under the direction of a 24-year-old field organizer, Phillip Sorenson, who replaced the original field organizer about 10 days after I arrived. He doesn't let anyone stand around and chat about politics for too long without putting a cell phone and a calling list in their hands. His boss, Shira Miller, 23, oversees a 6 county area.

My husband joined us for two weeks. He called, went door to door and even entered data. It shook people up, seeing a guy who looks and sounds like a Republican, wearing his Obama pins around town. He was good. He kept it simple by just asking, "4 more years?"

On my first experiences canvassing, of the 20% of the people who were home, most were undecided or voting for McCain. Two weeks ago, our lists had been culled of Obama and McCain supporters. I talked with one McCain voter, 2 Obama voters, and the rest undecided. Last weekend, things had changed. One was for McCain but had always been for McCain. He had just been working and out of town when we canvassed. Eight people had decided to vote Obama, 2 were still undecided.

We can't stop now. The polls are in Barack's favor but the undecided voters are still too large of a percentage. A NY Times article pointed out that 20% of each candidates' supporters are "soft." They could change their minds in the voting booth. Barack was ahead 7 points in New Hampshire in the primaries and lost.

I left knowing that the Obama people in Ashland, people I now love, are enthusiastic, trained, and organized. But in the last week of the campaign their Get Out the Vote effort is all door-to-door canvassing. They depend upon out-of-state people to make calls. We have to help them!

Indianapolis

Khaidji — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:21:34 EDT

With just 12 days to go Barack Obama made a quick stop in Indianapolis, Indiana and then hurried off to Honolulu, Hawaii to be at his ailing grandmother’s side. The ever so dutiful Barack said he didn’t want to repeat history as was with his mother and not be there. With polls threatening to go down in his absence he feels his obligations to the lady who raised him from his early teens.

Indianapolis

I see the trip home as a show of dependability

Noble devotions and unquestionable loyalty

Dedication to what’s right and unselfish

I see his going home as the people ultimate wish

Americans have been asked to, repeatedly

Notice the man vying for this Presidency

And ask yourselves who really is Obama

Palling around with questionable folk who hate America

Obama is a Muslim and refuses the wear our flag

Loves the poor he says but for who does his tail wag

I know it all nasty talk, this trip speaks his soul

So when they ask who’s Obama, I’ll say I’ve already been told

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

Obama to Leave Trail & Visit Ailing Grandmother in Hawaii

Stephanie Williams — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:05:03 EDT

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will leave the campaign trail to go to Hawaii this week to visit the ailing grandmother who helped raise him, an aide said on Monday.

"Recently his grandmother has become ill and in the last few weeks her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious," said Obama aide Robert Gibbs.

Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who will be 86 on Sunday, helped raise him along with his mother, Ann Dunham, and his grandfather, Stanley Dunham.

Gibbs would not discuss the nature of her illness.

Maya for Change!

Cara — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:17:47 EDT

Thursday night I attended the final Oahu rally featuring Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. The atmosphere brought me back to the February Hawaii Democratic Caucuses. I saw so many familiar faces and many people I didn’t know. As I looked around the Kailua High School Cafeteria it was wall to wall with a diverse group of people, old, young, families, military and those like me who arrived alone and wanted to be part of this event and part of this wave of change.

Andy Winer, Hawaii’s State Director for the Obama Campaign asked the crowd of over 500 Obama supporters to become further engaged and take our enthusiastic support to the next level this election.

Andy asked – “Can Hawaii be the state that has the largest percent of victory for Barack Obama on November 4th? Can we give Barack 90%?” This was followed by an enthusiastic “Yes we can!”

Andy further questioned - “Can we work to help elect and support progressive leaders on all levels of government and embrace down ballot races?” The crowd cheered “Yes we can!”

Andy then challenged - “Can we reach out to friends and families in swing states and share our message of aloha about Barack – states like NV and CO?” Once again, “Yes we can” cheered supporters.

The most emotional part of the evening was when Maya, who spoke without any notes, pulled out a letter from her brother. Barack’s message reminded us that “our destiny is not written for us – but by us and that we must bring about the change we need.” The letter went on to talk about change, to keep our promise and make healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans. Change to end this war responsibly in Iraq and brings our troops home. Change to have quality education available to all families. And change in our economy to restore fairness so all Americans can prosper.

Maya went on to explain how she will be leaving Hawaii soon and heading to the mainland for a multi-state campaign trip for her brother. A trip she and her family will be doing together in an RV – an Obama road trip she laughed. Maya urged the crowd to stay engaged and to make it a priority to vote for Barack November 4th. For me and thousands of others, the Obama movement has been about personally connecting to this message of change. It takes me back to standing in line with my neighbors at the Democratic Caucuses, where we all felt that first glimmer of change within our selves. The change to stand up and fight for a change in leadership, a change in direction and that change is Barack Obama.

self-sustainability sustains economic crisis, right?

Maui — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:16:56 EDT

in response to an article in the Star Bulletin about local democrats on the current economic crisis:
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20080925_Isle_Democrats_weigh_in_on_crisis.html

[QUOTE who="Rufus"] Doom & gloom, Hawaii needs to get back to the basics. Agriculture, farmming, being more selfsufficient. If managed right we can be the only state in the union that can sustain on its own. Use each island to create our own ecosystem. Produce grown on Molokai, pigs and fruits on Maui, cattle from the big island, poultry and coffee from Kauai, Oahu "whatever we can manufacture. "Quit depending on the outside $$$$$". When times are tough, get your hands dirty and work. "Like the old days"..... [/QUOTE]

Right on cuz! Back to basics. Remember and learn from our ancestors. Keep It Simple Stupid. Food, water, clothing, shelter, ENERGY. Many of us have been living beyond our means at the expense of less prosperous Americans and world citizens in general. Our country's priorities have been misplaced for too long and our current woes are a direct result. We cannot use short cuts to keep taking and taking and taking and taking because eventually there's nothing left to take, no matter where we get it from or how cheap it is. Nothing is infinite, especially the Fed's balance sheet, even though that is exactly what former Federal Reserve Governor Wayne Angell said on CNBC:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26762760

"I am very comfortable with the Feds actions, he says on Fast Money. “The most important thing to remember is the Fed’s balance sheet is not finite. It’s infinite. It can expand.”

This is exactly the sort of mentality that has thrown Zimbabwe into an inflation rate of well over 10 MILLION percent. If we learn one thing from Zimbabwe it should be that printing more money is not a realistic solution to any economic crisis. Besides, any person with a bit of common sense knows that you usually get what you pay for. Real growth will take time, energy and a righteous effort. A shotgun wedding approach to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression will only take us one place: I don't want to jinx us but you know it's not a good place.

What we really need to ask ourselves is: 'What is truly important?' and 'What steps do we need to take to address what is MOST important?' One step at a time. Prioritize. Back to basics. It's really not as complicated as yellow journalists at FOX News will have you believe.

Hawai'i has a significant opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons by working hard to become a world leader in self-sustainability practices. We live on some of the most isolated islands on the planet so necessity may yet again be the mother of invention. After all, you cannot eat a stock, bond or treasury note. Hmmm, $700 Billion would help a lot of everyday Americans to become self-sustainable...If it was my money, that's where I would want it to go. Oh wait, it is my money. And your's....Make sure it is spent wisely. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Right on bruddah Rufus! E kupa'a i ka pono.

Voice.. A Strong Tool!

Nestor Agbayani Jr. — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:13:15 EDT

A few months ago, I attended a luncheon with several of the most influential leaders of the Hawaii community. These leaders discussed the chracteristics, the personalities, and the actions of a good leader. Open-mindedness, time management skills, sincerity, trusthworthy, and enthusiasm ranked among the top. They further noted how numerous members of the Hawaii community possessed these skills. Unfortunately, the community lacks the most important skill. Voice.

I am a high school student in Honolulu, and am currently taking an Advance Placement class on the History of the United States. One of the class's major projects this year is to volunteer at a political campaign, and write a reflection on the experience: feelings, thoughts. Basically, the good and the bad stuffs.

I was very excited about the project. But, as I started to search for Barack Obama campaign events that provide volunteer opportunities, I was quite dismayed at how uninvolved the community is. I searched, and searched, and searched, and searched, and nothing. I found nothing.

When I came across this website, I thought I finally found hope-- awesome webpage design, teen-friendly interface, social networking-- what else can you ask for? But, as I search for events that are going on at my community (96818, 50 miles radius), the curtains were once again shut as the search only came up with 12 results.

What is going on Hawaii? Sen. Barack Obama is from our land! He is a member of our community, our ohana! We should be the one in front of the battle lines, campaigning, fundraising, painting our bodies with blue and red like the crazy football fans (only if necessary--sounds fun though). But instead, we do nothing!

I write this blog not just to vent out, but to raise the Hawaii awareness of how UNAWARE we are. How UNINVOLVED we are. How we LACK, and NEED VOICE.

It's not too late. We have each other, and Sen. Barack Obama on our side.

Let's go Hawaii, Let's go OBAMA!

Why I'm campaigning for Obama!

Marianne — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:34:15 EDT

Why I campaign for Obama?

First of all, too put it mildly, I was really dissappointed that Bush won the last TWO times! But that's neither here nor there. That's not why I'm campaigning for Obama.

And then, Sarah Palin? Seriously? What were you thinking, John McCain? I think Sarah Palin was a symbol for the republicans to get excited about. They saw the crowds Obama was gathering and they felt left out. So this gave them a venue to play too, but I believe her 15 minutes of fame are up. The more she lies and gets called on it, the more facts that come out about her, the more she's proving to be Bush in a skirt. She's petty, vengeful, heartless, secretive, evasive, uneducated, her cabinet in Alaska consists of her inner loyal circle since high school and family. I can go on and on, but she's not worth my breath. She's an insult to me as a woman and a mother. She's not my leader. Not MY president. And with McCain at 72 with Melanoma, I don't want her waiting in the wings.

Finally, Why I'm actively involved in the election this year like never before, campaigning for Barack, knocking on doors, going to meetings, wearing my pin, and talking to everyone who might be undecided? Because I see greatness in Barack Obama, and I can't do nothing. I'm reading his first Memoir, Dreams from my Father, to get it straight from the horse's mouth, in the mindset of when he was just coming out of Harvard... before any publicly elected office. He lived a fascinating life. I've been constantly doing research, looking up everything I can and cross-referencing. Thorough research is important so I can speak intelligently and don't hurt the credibility of the campaign. There's a lot of mis-information out there. I may have inadvertently passed on wrong information that I have found in my searches, but it's a process.

The more I learn about Obama the more respect I have for him. It seems his whole life, in all his struggles, in all his experiences, and his education, he's been unknowingly groomed to be a great leader. He is INSISTENT about having people in his circle who span the ideological spectrum so he can hear and see all sides. When he was professor of Law at the University of Chicago for 12 years, he was known to have standing-room only debates in his class. He invited the discussions to be completely open and the debates got hot, but that's how he approaches decisions. Out of that, and in the midst of seeming chaos, he has a talent for empathy and focus that calms the herds. He thinks on his feet and his mind is razor sharp.

One thing that I've noticed from this book, is how he dealt with being half white and half black. He grew up in a white household, mostly in Hawaii, four years in Indonesia. His father, who was from Kenya, left when Barack was two. His father's name was also Barack. The book is fascinating. Anyway, from about 10 years old, after he moved back to Hawaii, he was starting to see how black people were treated differently in America and he was trying to find out why and what it meant to be a black American. This was also the age when his father came to visit for a month. Basically he was exposed to a variety of different cultures and world views growing up, and the black/white issue in America was another cultural curiosity in which he was immersed. As time went on, the more people he spoke to and became friends with, while he put himself in their shoes, it still wasn't him. He still had to decide who HE was. So he was outside looking in at the same time as being in it. He became a student of sociology. He questioned and analyzed everything about the black-American psyche. He dissected it until there was nothing left. Then he was able to communicate all those questions and conclusions so well, that for the first time in my life I've gotten a whole new understanding of the black American culture myself. I'm not done with the book yet, right now I'm where he went to Kenya for the first time after his father's death and he met so much of his family. Another immersion, a home coming to a place he had never been. Fascinating!

Now, this skill of his. to immerse himself in different world views, empathize with people, analyze objectively, communicate, and focus. That's what I want in the white house.

And I can't sit back and be a bystander on this election. I have to do something.

Marianne

Barack Obama vs. Sarah Palin

mathpol — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:38:18 EDT

Obama
Palin

Is Hawaii really part of America?
Is Alaska really part of America?

Charismatic star power when speaking
Ditto

Sometimes sounds like an egg-head
Sounds like a ditto-head

Opponents try to paint spouse as not patriotic (“Proud“ statement)
Ditto (Alaska Independence Party)

Opposes more drilling for oil in Alaska
Asked churchgoers to pray for a natural gas pipeline in Alaska

His former church pastor doesn’t always watch his tongue
In her church they speak in tongues

Has somewhat rigid position on abortion
Has extremely rigid position on abortion

Believes in faith-based initiatives
Practices faith-based politics

Magnificent Beach Party Yesterday

Victoria Shabazz — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:58:24 EDT

Woo Hoo, Praise God of Heaven, we simply had a Magnificent time yesterday at Barack Obama's Hawaiian Time for a Change Democratic Convention Party 2008, Queen's Beach, Waikiki, Hawaii!!! Surprisingly, many of the people who RSVP'd didn't show up, but as stated so adamantly/assuredly in The Holy Bible, "God always has a ram in the bush;" meaning, he will always provide us w/ what/whomever we need, indeed, w/o a doubt.

Boonieland and VP-ville

Gil Keith-Agaran — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:00:56 EDT

At a local nonprofit fundraiser tonight in Wailea, Maui, I ran into a friend who has attended a number of Democratic National Conventions. My wife is a delegate and I'm an alternate.

In Denver, the Hawaii delegation has been assigned to the Marriott South Park Meadows hotel in Littleton, Colorado. One Hawaii delegate figured out based on the light rail schedule that we'll be about 50 minutes away from the Pepsi Center where the Convention evening activities will take place.

My friend the DNC veteran commented that Hawaii is always in the "boonies." We might be the birthplace of the party's nominee but in the hierarchy of things political, the islands' delegation doesn't command center stage. She wonders, however, about the placement of Arkansas in the same quarters -- I suppose Kremlinologists speculate that the Razorbacks got favorable housing during the Clinton years but now end up in the same place as four electoral vote Hawaii. Delaware, the home of another possible Vice-Presidential nominee, is the third state in our billet so I would rather think it's just the luck of the draw. But then my buddies think I'm an idealist. . . .

If Hillary Rodham Clinton or Joe Biden is picked, the opening reception Sunday night at South Park Meadows may be a little more memorable than expected. Both HRC and JB are expected to speak to the HI, AK and DE delegations at one of the breakfast meetings next week.

I would guess that Hawaii's delegation includes the largest proportion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including our Senior U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who is heading up our delegation, junior U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, former Governor John Waihee, Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann, State Senator Colleen Hanabusa, State Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Edmond Arquero, Donna Hoshide, Al Lewis, State Party Vice Chair Kari Luna, Dayton Nakanelua, Jadine Nielsen, Stephanie Ohigashi, Caroline Sinaivaiana, and Jennifer Tsuji. That's sixteen of the twenty-nine delegates. In addition, alternates Melody Aduja, Lono Lyman and me are also AAPIs.

We leave for Denver on Saturday night on a direct flight from Kahului with a couple of others from Maui.

Obama Hawaiian Beach Party

Victoria Shabazz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:35:14 EDT

Aloha and mahalo for supporting the new Change Movement, inspired by Senator Barack Obama

and others. I, cordially, invite you, family and friends to unite in celebration of the upcoming

Democratic Convention.

My event: Barack Obama's Hawaiian Time for a Change Democratic Convention Party 2008

will take place on Tuesday, August 26, 11:00a.m. to 3:00 PM, at Queen's Beach, Waikiki, Hawaii

on the corner of Kapahulu, Queen's Beach, Waikiki, Hawaii.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Victoria

Obama Bridge Project catches on in the USA

Meredith — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:42:26 EDT

The Obama Bridge Project arrived in Hawaii, just as Barack returned to his home-state for a holiday.

While he was resting on Oahu, on Kauai over 100 Americans--residents and tourists--gathered at one of the island's most historic bridges, Hanalei, for a giant photo op.

To see the final pix, visit our Flikr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23556339@N05/

[Somebody tell me how to embed photos on this blog !!] :-/

The Hawaii group has posted over 50 pix of their event on Bridges for Obama Yahoo site in the Kauai Photo Album:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/obamasbridges/

Local radio & TV covered the story--plus an article with color photo made the front page of the newspaper, which reportedly was handed to Barack Obama with his breakfast the next day.

http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?s=8829758

Aloha, Barack--happy birthday from Hawaii!

Hawaii isn't the first state to do their own Obama Bridge Shoot--Minnesota and California also have done photos but none approaching the scale of Kauai.

Bravo Kauai for Obama OBAMA committee!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/KauaiforObama

One of the organizers wrote:

We're very pleased with many things about our event. We attracted many media persons, got a radio interview and a TV photo. We had over 100 attendees which is great considering our tiny population here on Kauai....We hung out for about an hour, got lots of attention from honking cars, and walkers and river kayakers. It was really, really fun.

Please join the grassroots initiative--wherever you live!

Lets see Obama Bridge shoots from the Golden Gate to the Brooklyn Bridge!

It's a great way to energize Obama groups, attract new members, create media buzz.

Yes, we span!

BTW, Hamilton, Canada has a bridge shoot set for tomorrow! This will be Canada's 4th bridge shoot.If you have friends in Hamilton, tell them to contact Ken Sherman: k_e_sherman@yahoo.ca.

Still no news from the convention team about whether they will use the photos in Denver or not.

Meredith Wheeler

Obama Bridge Project
Yes, we SPAN!

Now on 5 continents, 37 nations, 76 bridges.

Couple of irritations

Lucy Edwards — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:31:55 EDT

One, I can't believe Obama is a celebrity because he takes off his shirt to go swimming! I think they are all just jealous because he looks SO good with his shirt off.

Two, Obama "fatigue" and the "they are all the same" canard. Of course everyone is hearing a lot about Obama. The Rethuglicans have him all over their website and all of the "McCain" ads are about Obama. And I was really distress to hear one of my fellow workers say she was tired of the campaign, that they were all the same, nasty politics. Where in the world is she getting the idea that Obama is nasty? I think he is very restrained, and I am very proud of the campaign's ability to refrain from hitting McCain on the value issues, where he is very vulnerable. And I don't just mean sex.

What planet are you living on, Barack?

Simon Gornick — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:09:08 EDT

Get real dude.

First that crazy triumphalist speech in front of 200,000 Germans (not Americans, Germans), and then a vacation in Hawaii. Who's running this show. After the Berlin disaster you go on vacation. Of course you deserve it, but knowing what old Steve Schmidt (he just holds the phone with Karl on the other end of the line) has got in store for you, why open yourself up to these attacks.

Think about the other guy before you make a decision like that. They have you in their sights as presumptious and smug. You go on a well earned vacation and it reinforces that to people who can't afford their gas. The fact that McCain's people are for the most part responsible for that is beside the point. Think!

Stop with the deaf ear, and fire your campaign team. This is getting silly.

Barack on Vacation

Liz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:18:11 EDT

Barack began his vacation in Hawaii today. After a campaign rally, he's going to visit his 85-year old grandmother whom he hasn't seen for 19 months. She helped in raising him and did a very good job as we all see. Can you imagine how proud his grandmother must be? He also says he's going to spend time with his family. "Those little girls need a little love," Obama said. "And so does Michelle...." What a devoted man! That's one of the things that I admire about him.

I hope he is able to get some much needed rest and he comes back stronger and Fired Up for the convention. I just wonder how much rest the press will allow him to have. Regardless, I can't wait to hear his convention speech.

Kauai Bridges for Obama shoot Aug. 10th

Meredith — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:54:49 EDT

Do you have friends on the Hawaiian island of Kauai?

If so, please alert them to the Bridges for Obama photo shoot taking place Sunday, August 10th at 4pm

at the historic Hanalei Bridge.

The Bridges for Obama project initially began life last March as a way for Americans living abroad to show their support for the Obama campaign.

Over 75 bridges around the planet have been photographed with Obama supporters on 5 continents and 36 nations.

I am THRILLED that Americans back home in the United States are picking up on the concept!

A group in Minnesota were the first; then Obama supporters in Ojai, California did a bridge photo.

Now a group in Hawaii (the state where Barack Obama was BORN) are organizing a shoot.

Please SUPPORT them by telling any friends or relatives in Hawaii about it!

When can we expect to see the Golden Gate and Brooklyn Bridge?

So COME ON grassroots organizers!

Make it happen!

We have a TIPS sheet with guidance on how to get a good photo.

We have a sample press release.

Here's how the Democrat in Hawaii are advertising their Obama Bridge shoot:

SUNDAY AUGUST 10, 2008 4:00 P.M.

Bridges for OBAMA –A PHOTO EVENT

Hanalei Bridge Project

Bridges signify change or the desire for change, they bring community together, span the gap, bringing hope and two sides into one conversation.

This Photo Opportunity will feature BARACK OBAMA supporters and the historic Hanalei Bridge. Our Kauai photo will be part of a montage of more than 75 worldwide photographs of OBAMA Bridge events at the Denver Democratic Convention in August.

What to Bring: Aloha Wear-LEIS, Kayaks, step ladders, step stools, inner-tubes, kids, bikes, Trucks, Hawaiian & American flags, friends, family, neighbors, hand-made OBAMA signs! We’ll provide one large Banner and the rally signs! Photo must be completed no later than 4:30 pm. Come early to sign photo release form & register to VOTE! Car pool please! Limited parking!

Read More- Go on-line to Yahoo Groups and search for the discussion group for OBAMA Bridges, BarackObama.com, www.kauaidemocrats.org, www.hawaiidemocrats.org, www.hawaiiforobama.org, youtubeObama Bridges.

A donation of $3.00 per family and/or canned goods for the Food Bank of Kauai is requested

-----

The organizer, Bevin Parker-Evans, sent me this message, which really delighted me:

Not only are the photos circulating in the USA, but those of us here in Hawaii and other small towns across the USA have begun to be inspired by your project. We'll send you a photo when we get it after August 10th.

Thank you for the grass roots inspiration!

Bevin Parker-Evans

songaid2@yahoo.com
Hanalei, Kauai Hawaii
Home of West meets East-International Portal
Home to Native son Barack Obama

English Language Only Version of OBAMA GLOBAL!

! 1st ObamaGlobal� aka - OBAMA GLOBAL� — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:52:54 EDT

Please Feel Free to Post Your Global OBAMA Input HERE 24/7 365 ncluding Holidays!

U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka Endorses Obama

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:06:54 EDT

Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka endorsed Barack Obama today, saying he has great hope Obama will achieve "more tolerance and understanding, an appreciation for common goals and interests, rather than an emphasis on our differences."

Obama is "the antidote we need to cure Washington of the uninspired, partisan politics that has plagued our country far too long," the Senator added.

Hawaii Superdelegate - Dolly Strazar Endorses Obama

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:34:40 EDT

"It is time to pull together behind a single candidate who has the backing of a growing number of Americans," Dolly Strazar said, in endorsing Barack Obama for President.

"It excites me, however, to enter active campaigning for a son of Hawaii who learned the lessons of "getting along" that so dominate the values of the people of the fiftieth state," Strazar added.

Strazar, a DNC member and superdelegate, is the 279th superdelegate to endorse Obama.

Obama now needs 152 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

Carole

The Story of Barack Obama's Mother

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:58:37 EDT

This is a story that will give you more hints about the noble character of our candidate...

"Free" Hybrid Batteries- any advice on making State proposals?

John Messerly — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:26:07 EDT

I am a retired engineering manager knowlegable about politics at executive levels in a corporate setting, but don't understand how things work out here in the real world of public sector politics. I am asking for advice on how to present a business plan associated with energy independence in my state of Hawaii. The plan requires state legislation. I understand the problem that folks in public office may have with crackpots coming in with their brilliant ideas, and admitedly it is possible that I am in that category.

The basic idea of the proposal is that we can leverage the price differential between cost of gasoline and the cost of electricity to finance the cost of automotive batteries and the higher cost of alternative power generation. This battery cost is substantial- adding anywhere from $8K to $36K to the price of the car. However, since these automotive batteries have a planned life of 10 years, there cost can be successfully recovered through a surcharge on the electricity used to charge the vehicle. So as far as the consumer is concerned, the battery is "free".

Though this scheme is revenue neutral and in the economic interest of all the commercial players, it requires government policy to initiate as will become clear from the description.

Colored pencils.

John Messerly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:38:26 EDT

This is a long response to a note posted by Bard of Wilmette. My response ran way past 400 words so it is easier to just post it here. Please refer to his note here to understand the context of the response.

How about an alternate small joke- "I used to call them colored pencils, but one day I got this really bad knot in my stomach and I realized that I really should be calling them african american pencils. But then Bill (friend in office who is black) asked me why I called them that and I confessed my moral quandary. So then he throws his arm around my shoulder and tells me- "you know, sometimes pencils of color really are colored." Then he told me to lay off the cafeteria's burritos- they are bad for the digestion.

Ok- so I am no great extemporaneous joke teller either- I was doing a tortured variation of the Freud joke about phalluses.

In my church, our main pastor is a Portuguese-Japanese fellow and he regularly makes jokes about Portuguese people and the personal failings of his second command pastor who is Chinese. He does it to indirectly confront and provide a continual escape valve for simmering tribalism that crops up as a regular part of our lives. I won't provide Hawaii as some sort of shining city on a hill, but it's melting pot appearance suggests to outsiders that the human weakness to allow oneself to drift off into herd behaviors towards outsiders has somehow been erased forever from the genetic blueprint.

It hasn't and like the cliché about liberty- it's an ongoing battle. The way the struggle is addressed here is through humor. Your version of the joke reminded me that Barack referred to "off color" jokes that "Gramps" told as a way to fit in- from his background I would bet he would make the formulation you did.

I am a recovering mainland person, so I will only take a stab at a critique of your joke from the Hawaiian perspective. You would get a big aloha hug from a native because they'd probably size you up as a ham fisted guy liberal white guy from a previous generation whose heart is in the right place just like Gramps. But they'd toss your hair up a bit as friendly for using the "They" construction. You get points because out of honesty and conscientiousness you want to bring up the racial issue in some way. Like Barack points out it needs to be talked about so you talk indirectly about these ridiculous sensitivities, but where you wind up in the ditch is by opening up an appearance of the US-THEM thing. Jokes invite people to spelunk the subtext, so they are looking hard at each word. You have to have a bullet proof choice of words when discussing race in a general audience, and woe to you if you introduce your grandmother as a typical, everyday person compressed into a clause of a sentence about race. So if it is in the barber shop, you let your hair down and it's not like you are on air where one clumsy turn of phrase might get a one way ticket to you-tube crucifixion. Everyone in professional life knows it's not a great career move to drive off the well worn paths and so we don't. But uttering the "They" jokes in the barbershop is the way the stupid herd cycle works.

So we use self-effacement and commonly do it in a broad audience like a church or company meeting. The brunt of the joke is our own race, and we poke fun at stereotypes of us as a service to those who harbor the resentments upon which those stereotypes are formed. It's not comfortable, because the jokes can go south. There is huge resentment here about rich white guys from the mainland coming to the island and making it hard for locals to deal with the inflated cost of housing, the traffic, diluting the cultural aloha identity- loving hawaii to death.

I haven't made that joke about myself yet. It's tough. We have haole jokes that white guys tell about themselves, but they are almost always extremely awkward with a general audience. If folks don't trust your sincerity of your commitment to do something about the inequity, they suspect you may be attempting to douse yourself with the perfume of self effacement- suggesting that you believe the audience will be too stupid to notice the stink. You will get a smile as everyone always, but if you can't tell that the smile is forced, you may leave them with even greater resentment- because you risk being seen as a Haole aping aloha, reducing hawaiian approaches to civility as some sort of bathroom air freshener.

Anyway- you write excellently so it makes me think you are working on a book or something about this Obama phenomenon. But even if you are just a regular joe supporter and you happen to come to Honolulu on vacation, drop me a line. I'm serious. You need to look at Hawaii to understand how Hawaii got Barack ahead of the multicultural curve- How it both got him not just beyond the generational mindset of his grandparents, but showed him that even more sophisticated societies are still populated with imperfect people tempted by the sloth of herding instincts. I'd be happy to introduce you to a broad range of Hawaiians- pick your race, or the combination, and you can form your own opinions about this balance they have here. It's like a look into the future of what American might grow to become- not a Blade runner kind of dark multiculturalism, where society has devolved into a state where there is only pidginned communication between races whose grudging acceptance of each other is driven solely by economic necessity. Instead, Hawaii is a place loosely based on the style of living aloha- (agape if you are into church talk.)

I don't claim to know Obama, but I am positive that if you have some deep interest in his attitudes about race you have to spend as much time looking at Honolulu as you do Chicago's south side.

So think about it and really- drop by. You seem like a clever guy. It would be fun. Birdalone- you come too. We can do the Don Ho/ Walter Wanderly thing sipping Blue Hawaii's while we talk about Obama's revolution in the way politics works- political swarming/ how we have to move past these yelling in the closet blogs and do the wikipolitics collaborative thing. Or we can talk about getting energy independence on the front burner. My kids may force some unexpected punctuation to the interchanges, but changing diapers gives me more time to thing about snappy comebacks to things other folks say.

Obama’s Brother in China

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:26:28 EDT

If elected, Obama would be the first genuinely 21st-century leader...

By ROGER COHEN

Published: March 17, 2008

A Free-Spirited Wanderer Who Set Obama's Path

Sherry — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:13:59 EDT

I wouldn't worry about what kind of influence Pastor Wright's comments have on Obama after you read about his amazing mother in the link below. I am certain that she has had a much greater impact on him. If Hillary can claim experience from living in the White House, then I would assume that Obama could claim experience from living with his mother. It was written by Janny Scott and posted in the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Free Spirited wanderer set Obama's path

Mary from Vermont — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:09:17 EDT

This is a really nice article on Obama's mom, Stanley, from the NY Post.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23623222/

"the white woman from Kansas: Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro"

Taube — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:15:32 EDT

This article should make all women honor this pathfinder for all of us who followed: Barack's mother.

From the 03 14 08 New York Times article about Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro. 'The Long Run: A Free-Spirited Wanderer Who Set Obama’s Path ' By Janny Scott

" Kansas was merely a way station in her childhood, wheeling westward in the slipstream of her furniture-salesman father. In Hawaii, she married an African student at age 18. Then she married an Indonesian, moved to Jakarta, became an anthropologist, wrote an 800-page dissertation on peasant blacksmithing in Java, worked for the Ford Foundation, championed women’s work and helped bring microcredit to the world’s poor."...

...“She was not particularly concerned about what society would say about working women, single women, women marrying outside their culture, women who were fearless and who dreamed big.”...

Read at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

BARACK OBAMA - ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

WEBMASTER — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:23:04 EST

BARACK IS A UNIVERSAL WORD MEANING TO BRING A BLESSING.

ACCORDING TO HOSEA 4:6 WITH A VISION WE HAVE THE ETERNAL RIGHT TO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE and HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE.

In 1999, the Federal Communications Law Journal revealed how Bill and Hillary Clinton were put in a compromising position. see PLAYING THE NAME GAME - A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE / page 411

In this digital age we need courage, leadership and true vision. Obama has shown such in the proper use of political blogging. It is my belief that the message of HOPE spoken by Obama is a God given word and that the vision must not slip from the grasp of the American people or the other nations, peoples and tongues that support Barack Obama around the world.

This is a day the Lord has made. Barak Obama is on his way to the THE WHITE HOUSE . . . .

and I am humbly honored to finish this message with the closing remarks of the world famous CIVIL RIGHTS leader, DR MARTIN LUTHER KING, born 15 JAN 1929, who proclaimed to the world at the LINCOLN MEMORIAL on 28 AUG 1963 in his famous freedom speech:

I HAVE A DREAM

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

THAT DAY IS HERE - YOU ARE FREE

UPDATE: OBAMA MAKES HISTORY as FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT and YES HE DID

HONOR PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1861-1865

Voices from Iraq

Champ25 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:25:48 EST

I am originally from Gulfport, MS and will definitely be doing an absentee ballot. I just wanted to say to the group all the way from Hawaii and later Iraq to keep on keeping on and speak for the people who can't. Now is the time for change. Not everyone will have a voice in this election and it's so vital that every voice gets heard. Last, the message I'm am urging as far as military personnel is that we know what we enlisted for, we know what our job asks. All we want is the correct reason and the best strategies when we deploy. Honestly, I don't know why I'm going into combat. Iraqi Freedom, Al-Queda, oil, I really don't know anymore but as a soldier I don't get a chance to ask that question I just complete missions and follow orders. So, when you do go out and volunteer your time take advantage of it and don't let our fallen comrades voices be lost. Thank You Gulf Coast. Obama 08.

Barack Obama-MAHALO AMERICA video campaign ad

Aloha Warrior — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:37:28 EST

VISIT: "Barack Obama-MAHALO AMERICA" video campaign ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWa2VwROj6M

Every Child Left Behind

Vic — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:03:06 EST

I have been a teacher in Hawaii for 12 years. I sought this profession because my heart is in educating children and building a better society. As a dedicated English teacher, I designed my own curriculum and scored in the top 5 percent for the entire state. Some years my classes took first place in Hawaii State Assessment test, the annual test used to measure the NCLB goals. I transferred to the school in my neighborhood at the request of several parents. The school was heading toward restructuring because the scores were so low. I came in and implemented my program. In the first year, scores doubled. That same year, more than 50% of the teachers left the school...afraid of restructuring. Restructuring came, and I found that the very teachers that led the school into restructuring had left...and now I was the only one around to be restructured! I was then forced to attend workshops and told to implement the America's Choice program, a program that was inferior in many respects to my own! I had an uphill battle that continues to this day. My professional opinion doesn't seem to matter, nor my educational track record. To make matters worse, in order to fund restructuring and pay for the program, teacher positions were eliminated, including the BAND TEACHER. We had just raised over TWO MILLION dollars to pay for a state of the art bandroom and instuments, and two years later, the band teacher is eliminated! Reading and Math classes are now 90 minutes long, meaning that TWO electives have to be eliminated to make time on the master schedule. My position is that it makes sense to track students from grade to grade and make sure they are making progress, but to take a snapshot of the same grade each year, with different students, is a flawed assessment at best. Furthermore, only failing teachers should be restructured, not schools. The summer before restructuring is to commense, all the bad teachers, principals, and even good people, jump ship. You never address the problem. You only punish the innocent, and in my case, those who have the best track record in the state! I'm being restructured, when my scores have, every single year, outperformed almost all others. Furthermore, no one has ever asked me what my secret is. No memo of congrats from administrators or superintendents. It is a machine. It is illogical. And my kids aren't getting science, social studies, PE, music, art, or anything else to make them a well-rounded human being. We aren't machines. And there's more to life than reading and math. Without the arts, the human won't function properly. You need to stimulate the soul, spirit AND mind. Creativety unleashes a powerful potion that stimulates learning and wanting to know more about the universe, the world, society, and your place in it all. When we kill the soul, we kill the person. We are WAY off track in education. It is time to treat teachers like professionals and let THEM teach, design curriculum, and assess student progress.

ALOHA!

Last Night's Thoughts

Ms_CongenialityHI — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:25:36 EST

After reading the news and checking my emails, I was bothered by some of the dismissive comments floating around regarding Hawai`i's voters, regarding the assumption that Hawai`i voters would support anyone who was connected to the state. For over a year, I've witnessed the entire campaign team working long and hard to educate themselves and garner the trust and support to win the popular vote in Hawai`i. Here are some of my thoughts in a note I sent to a supporter discussion group last night:

-----

Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:51:48 -0500

Subject: Hawai`i's Vote

Aloha everyone!

IMHO, Hawai`i residents of all origins are wise enough and cautious enough to scrutinize anyone who attempts to link themselves too quickly to this very special place we live in. Hawai`i's issues are too deep and hard for anyone to take the future of our country lightly. We have a huge number of deployed military, poor schools, high cost of living and homelessness, to name a few. After taking a good hard look at the man, we know he will see beyond the sandy beaches and golf courses to help us overcome the problems we face together.I am very proud to be living and raising my family in a community "...where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character..." as so overwhelmingly demonstrated by the embrace of Barack Obama in these islands. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKavUtIQt-8 Mahalo for your hard work and continued support for the campaign!

Obama's decisive victory in Hawaii is really a victory for us.

Mike — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:31:28 EST

"This is unbelievable".

What a fantastic turnout for the primaries. I have never seen so many mobilized and motivated people. I was awstruck at how many people were standing in line at Kalama Intermediate school. The line went from the cafeteria up and around and out to the main road. Unreal. This election is really about change. I think people turned out (76 percent for Obama)because he's such an exciting candidate, and of course also for the old guard's choice Hillary, and the fact that if we don't vote this election cycle, we're facing another 4 years of GW Bush policy in the White House. If that doesn't scare you into voting, what will?

Hopefully the momentum keeps up all the way to November and far beyond.

Barack Obama's Winning Streak Hits 10

Matthew Negrete — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:38:50 EST

Yesterday, Barack Obama has furthered the momentum by reaching 10-state winning streak. Barack Obama has won the states of Hawaii and Wisconsin. Here is the breakdown of the February 19 elections from the CNN Election Center.

The victory speech can be viewed in Sam Graham-Felsen's Obama's victory speech in Houston.

Thank you to Barack Obama and everyone who have made this happen.

Below are two comments made by Campaign spokesman Bill Burton and the text of the victory speech:

Obama Crushed Clinton in Hawaii

rberlind — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:05:30 EST

In addition to beating Clinton in Wisconsin by a large margin, Obama also crushed her in Hawaii where he got 76% of the vote to her 24%. This result has probably been overshadowed by Wisconsin because of the timezone difference. Hawaii is another caucus state, so what this result probably tells us is that the Obama campaign had better organization again and was able to turn out more votes. The Clinton campaign is just not competitive in these caucus states. The reason for this is that they did not set up ground operations in any of these states before Super Tuesday because they were over-confident and thought they would lock up the nomination before then. It’s been all downhill since then because they can’t make up for lost time.

Obama and Clinton are like Aesop’s tortoise and hare. Clinton took a quick lead but then decided to take a snooze in the middle of the race, during which Obama slowly crawled past her until he was far ahead. She’s way too far behind now to catch him. If only she had read Chelsea more fairy tales or paid attention when she did read them.

Obama win sets stage for showdown

! ! Leonel Picun — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:11 EST

BE ALERT!!!!!!!!!!
Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8596.html
Obama win sets stage for showdown
By: Ben Smith
Feb 20, 2008 12:01 AM EST

Obama beat Clinton among men and nearly tied her among women, winning in every income bracket, and among white voters and black. Photo: APSAVEDigg del.icio.usTechnoratireddit SHARECOMMENT PRINTEMAILRECOMMEND
Senator Barack Obama picked up steam with ninth straight victory in Wisconsin, beating Senator Hillary Clinton in a state where she had no clear excuse for defeat, and leaving her no leeway at all for further major losses.

His win sets the stage for showdowns in Texas and Ohio on March 4, two states Clinton's supporters acknowledge she must win.

The timing of the two candidates' evening speeches indicated that both are readying for a bruising two weeks. In a small breakdown of political etiquette, Clinton stepped to the podium in Youngstown, Ohio, soon after polls closed in Wisconsin, to open what her campaign billed as a major new front against Obama. And Obama began his own speech in the middle of hers, causing cable networks to interrupt her talk and cut to his.

"The American people have spoken out and they are saying we need to move in a new direction," he told an overflow crowd at the 18,500 seat Toyota Center in Houston. "We have a unique moment that we have to seize."

Clinton's speech broke little new ground after a month of largely ineffective attacks on her rival.

Wisc. exit polls spell trouble for Clinton
Obama turns tables on Clinton
In presidential campaign, life imitates TV
She said she would be "a president who relies not just on words but on work." And she questioned Obama's readiness to lead the American military.

"One of us is ready to be commander in chief in a dangerous world," she said.

Those have been the themes of Clinton's steady assault since her defeat last month in Iowa jarred her onto offense. But she also launched a new attack on Obama in the days before her Wisconsin defeat: Her chief spokesman, Howard Wolfson, charged Obama with "plagiarism" for using whole phrases from a political ally, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

"Both Deval Patrick and Senator Obama have the same consultant and adviser, who is apparently putting words in both of their mouths," she said, referring to consultant David Axelrod in an interview with the Honolulu CBS affiliate. "And I think that's a serious question to be raised because, obviously, we're asking the people of Hawaii to hire us for the toughest job in the world."

Her campaign's focus on the question was an attempt to attack Obama on what is perhaps his greatest strength - a perception of authenticity and freshness that has eluded Clinton.

Obama's aides said they viewed the Wisconsin win as a specific rejection of Clinton's attacks.

Axelrod called Obama's strength among late-deciding voters "a repudiation of the negative campaign we saw in Wisconsin."

Clinton's campaign, however, is unlikely to back down. She needs to stop Obama's momentum now, and Wolfson rejected Axelrod's contention.

"They predicted they would win two weeks ago," he said. "They did. On to Ohio and Texas."

The results in Wisconsin, like those in Virginia, suggest that the next two states are an uncertain firewall for Clinton. Wisconsin has only half the African-American population of Ohio, and shares some of its characteristics, with a large white working class, and broad disenchantment with trade and globalization.

And Obama won a broad mandate in Wisconsin, according to exit polls.

He won among every age group of voters, except those over 60. He tied Clinton among voters who had only a high school education. He beat her among men and nearly tied her among women, winning in every income bracket, and among white voters and black.

It was African-Americans who, again, widened his margin by giving him the vast bulk of their support. He won 90 percent of the black vote, according to exit polls, which found that African-Americans made up 8 percent of primary voters - up from 6 percent in the 2004 presidential primaries. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that some polling places in that city ran out of ballots because of unexpectedly high turnout.

Obama's frontrunner status was solidified in the moments after polls closed when John McCain, declared the Republican victor, attacked him as "inexperienced" and his words as "empty" — without even mentioning Clinton. And after Obama interrupted Clinton's speech - which mixed attacks on Obama's allegedly empty rhetoric with her own policy proposals - he gave a comfortable, loose, and policy-heavy speech of his own, breaking little ground and running an unusually long time, about 45 minutes.

"We have lift-off," he told the Houston crowd.

Kenneth P. Vogel and Carrie Budoff Brown contributed to this report.

MSNBC: Why Obama Won

Michael Kotyk — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:06:20 EST

From MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell and Adam Verdugo
Obama chalked up his ninth straight victory and won in this predominantly white state with a strong showing across a broad spectrum of voters and by eating into Hillary Clinton's base of support. He nearly tied her among women, won on all of the issues and won every income level. He also won the white vote under-60.

Homestate Advantage Talking Points

Gerry Filippatos — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:09:08 EST

You want to know about someone ... ask his or her neighbors. Barack won his childhood home state of Hawaii by 52% (76% to 22%) and he won his adult home state of Illinois by 32% (65% to 32%). Illinois, which Hillary lost by 32%, also has the distinction of being her childhood home state, where she grew up through high school. Moreover Hillary's combined margin of victory in her two adult home states -- New York and Arkansas -- is only 30.5%. She won New York by only 17% (57% to 40%) and Arkansas, where she was first lady of the state for 12 years, by 44% (70% to 26%) Thus, Hillary's combined average margin of victory for her home states (9.7%) pales in comparison to Barack's (42%).

Obamamentum

DoctorTodd — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:04:14 EST

Who'd have guessed a 17-point victory (with 80% precincts reporting). Obama has now won ten straight (assuming the near-certain win in Hawai'i)...now that's Obamamentum.

Wisconsin is demographically similar to Ohio...I had counted Ohio out, but now it suddenly seems in play.

Hillary's campaign spokepeople are starting to sound like ol' Baghdad Bob: "Victory is just around the corner..."

And the latest polls in Texas show Obama pulling nearly even; major Texas papers (Dallas, Austin, Houston) are endorsing Obama.

Another telling sign: McCain has gone on the Obamattack...and Obama's campaign is giving right back at him. McCain and the Republicans clearly have decided they know their opponent.

It's not over, but the fat lady has warmed up her voice and is walking onto the stage.

Onward to March 4th!

We ARE The Super Delegates !! Spread The Word

RE Ausetkmt — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:19:28 EST

Obama leading Clinton as contests get underway WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- As Democrats hold contests Tuesday in Wisconsin, Hawaii and Washington state, Hillary Clinton could use a dose of Barack Obama's favorite thing: hope. According to a nationwide poll of likely Democratic primary voters, the New York senator is lagging Obama by 4 percentage points. Despite that margin, cited by the Rasmussen Reports poll, Clinton still could pull off an upset in Wisconsin, some political pundits said. See full story. Meanwhile, Republican frontrunner John McCain may mock Obama's oft-repeated use of the word "hope" in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, but the Rasmussen daily presidential tracking poll suggests McCain will need to draw on his own optimism. Monday's daily poll shows Obama leading the Arizona senator 46% to 43% in a hypothetical showdown of the two. And in a face-off with McCain, Clinton lags by 7 percentage points. Wisconsin is the last primary leading up to the March 4 contests in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. Democrats will hold caucuses in Hawaii on Tuesday, where Obama was raised as a child and is expected to win handily. Washington also plans to finish off its selection process by holding primaries as a follow-up to the Feb. 9 caucuses. Obama and Clinton are duking it out a day after Clinton rolled out an economic blueprint that contained ideas including a 90-day moratorium on subprime-mortgage foreclosures, ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and providing universal health care. Clinton has talked about many of the proposals in detail since launching her campaign for the nomination. Read Clinton's plan.

Robert Schroeder is a reporter for MarketWatch in Washington.

Family, Friends and Loved Ones Please Don't Ignore the Super Delegate Issue.
It's not our silence that will empower us now.

Please Please Please - Pass This On.

Repost to News and Discussion Groups to Enable
the Facts To Be Known. Tell Your Church; Your Co-Workers.

The Super Delegates are US. Folks in Michigan and Florida.
Please Each One, Take the responsibility and Teach One.

A Luta Continua, it's time for a Change.
Vote Obama in 08'

~RE

~RE Ausetkmt
Realities Groups // BadGalsRadio.com // Trenchtones Records

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: Our votes aren't divided. Will Black reps ignore them? Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:56:28 PST From: James & Van, ColorOfChange.org PAC <no-reply@colorofchange.org> To: RE Ausetkmt
Voters should decide elections, not politicians.

Tell the CBC to support our vote, not undermine it.

Dear Re,

Voters in places like Atlanta,1 Brooklyn,2 St. Louis,3 and Inglewood4 have made it clear who their choice is for president: Barack Obama. So why are some members of the Congressional Black Caucus threatening to use their power as "superdelegates" to undermine their vote and nominate Hillary Clinton?5

Voters should decide elections--not politicians. And members of the Congressional Black Caucus should amplify the political voice of their constituents, not silence it. Join us in demanding that the CBC to listen to the voters. Tell them to vote with the people, not against them:

http://colorofchange.org/superd/?id=2365-436031

Voters in almost all the districts represented by the CBC have chosen Obama, helping him win more delegates than Clinton. But only some delegates vote based on the results of primaries. A fifth of the delegates that will vote at the convention -- and decide the nomination -- are "superdelegates" that can technically vote however they like, regardless of what the voters say.6 These superdelegates are members of Congress, senators, governors and Democratic party insiders. In a contest this close, they have the power to overturn the will of voters, and decide the outcome.

Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr.,7 John Conyers,8 Eleanor Holmes-Norton,9 and others have called for superdelegates to listen to the voices of those they claim to represent, but we need to convince their colleagues to do the same. At least 11 Black members of Congress might cast their superdelegate vote for Clinton, even though their districts voted for Obama. Many endorsed Clinton, typically before any voting had taken place. But even after their constituents showed an overwhelming preference for Obama, most are refusing to say what they'll do as superdelegates.10

In 2000 and 2004, CBC members stood up to defend the rights of Black voters that had been disenfranchised. It would be a disgrace for its members to now undermine the votes of the Black people they represent. Rarely have Black voters across the country been so unified behind a particular candidate. If CBC members vote against their constituents, it will diminish the power of Black voters in a historic election that could result in our country's first Black president.

It will take courage and conviction for CBC members to break with back-room politics and stand up for democracy. But we must demand it. Please join us:

http://colorofchange.org/superd/?id=2365-436031

Thank You and Peace,

-- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, Mervyn, Andre, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
February 19th, 2008

P.S. Here's what Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D.C.'s Congressional Delegate) had to say about her role as a superdelegate:

As a super delegate, I decided I had to speak up now to separate myself from the idea that is afoot for the first time that super delegates, especially those who have not announced their choice, could or should decide our nominee under some circumstances. The notion that a candidate who has not earned delegates could become the Democratic nominee for president is at odds with the democratic principles of our party reforms. Super delegates were never intended to allow the return of smoked-filled room, behind the scenes selection of our candidate. I have carried a banner for a democracy of the District of Columbia too long to depart from principles of democracy within my own party.11

Here's Donna Brazile (a strategist who ran Al Gore's campaign and has a position with the DNC):

If 795 of my colleagues [the other superdelegates] decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party. I feel very strongly about this.12

References:

1. Huckabee, Obama Celebrate Wins In Georgia, WSB-TV, 2-7-2008
http://www.wsbtv.com/politics/15212406/detail.html

2. New York Primary Results, USAToday.com
http://content.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/results.aspx?sp=NY

3. Election Summary Report, City of Saint Louis
http://www.stlelections.com/results/results-1.htm

4. California Primary Results, USAToday.com
http://content.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/results.aspx?sp=CA

5. Black lawmakers backing Obama press colleagues to heed voters, The Hill, 2-16-08
http://tinyurl.com/383bu4

6. "Superdelegate," Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate

7. "The delicate superdelegate predicament," Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., Op-ed in the New York Times, 2-12-08
http://tinyurl.com/3c666q

8. See reference 5.

9. "Deciding Between Two Good Friends, Norton Chooses Obama," Hotline On Call, 2-12-08
http://tinyurl.com/2hcnbq

10. See reference 5.

11. See reference 9.

12. "Democrats dreading a drawn-out, costly battle for nomination," CNN.com, 2-8-08
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/07/dem.delegates/

Clinton hopes to end Obama surge in Wisconsin 02-18-2008, 18h21 MADISON, Wisconsin (AFP)

White House hopeful Hillary Clinton clashed with rival Barack Obama in Wisconsin Monday as she sought to regain momentum in the Democratic nomination race after a string of defeats.

On the Republican side, runaway front-runner John McCain won the endorsement of former president George Bush, a new backer who could help the maverick senator woo conservatives suspicious where his loyalties lie.

A win in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary could give Clinton's faltering campaign a much-needed shot in the arm before a major showdown on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, where a combined 334 delegates are at stake.

The Democratic rivals fired off television advertisements and campaigned across the Midwestern state in a tough fight for Wisconsin's 74 delegates with the latest poll showing Obama with a narrow five-point lead over Clinton.

Obama has taken a 1,302 to 1,235 delegate lead over Clinton after winning eight straight primaries and caucuses since February 9, according to independent poll-tracker RealClearPolitics.com. At least 2,025 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination.

The Illinois senator could make it 10 in a row Tuesday by capturing Wisconsin and the caucuses in Hawaii, the Pacific island state where he was born and which is holding caucuses on the same day.

But both camps acknowledged Monday that the Wisconsin primary would be close a race.

"We expect tomorrow will be competitive," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters.

The Clinton campaign was similarly cautious. "Obviously we're doing the best we can to do the best we can," her communications director, Howard Wolfson, told reporters.

But asked about the importance of Tuesday's primary, Wolfson said: "I do not subscribe to the momentum theory of American politics. ... Voters assess candidates based on who they think will be the best candidate."

With blue-collar workers considered a key voting bloc in Wisconsin, Clinton unveiled a 13-page "economic blueprint" to create new jobs, end the housing crisis and revive the manufacturing sector.

"We have a lot of work to do to take back our country because our economy is not working the way it needs to," Clinton told supporters at a town-hall-type meeting in Du Pere, Wisconsin.

"It's working for some. It's working for the wealthy and the well connected. It's worked quite well for them for the last seven years," she said in St. Norbert College, taking a swipe at President George W. Bush's policies.

While McCain secured the elder Bush's endorsement, Obama briefly strayed from the campaign trail Sunday to visit former Democratic rival John Edwards, who has yet to endorse anyone, in North Carolina.

The Democratic rivals would welcome an endorsement from Edwards, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee who ran a populist campaign promising to help the poor and America's middle class.

The rival campaigns also exchanged fire on Monday, accusing each other of borrowing lines from others.

The Clinton camp, which has charged that Obama's eloquent speeches mask a lack of substance, accused the Illinois senator of lifting words from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

"If you're going to talk about the value of words the words should be your own," Wolfson said.

The Obama campaign hit back by releasing several Clinton phrases that it said he had used first.

While the Democrats slugged it out, McCain picked up the elder Bush's endorsement, which could be crucial in his bid to woo conservatives.

"I believe now is the right time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it'll take for our values to carry the White House this fall," Bush told a news conference alongside McCain in Texas.

The current President Bush has yet to endorse anyone, but has said he would help McCain if he won the nomination.

McCain is almost assured to win the Republican nod, but former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has refused to step aside despite trailing by hundreds of delegates.

Hawaii & Wisconsin: It's Your Turn!

Riley Wilson — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:49:25 EST

Tonight, it's Hawaii and Wisconsin's turn to extend Obama's lead! I have a friend in Wisconsin who said she watched Bill Clinton speak, and after that, she supported Obama even more than ever!

Now is the time to tell friends and family to go out and let their voice be heard. Just like Clinton likes to boast "Talk is cheap" so let's show her that us young voters do more than just say we support Obama, but actually go out and support him with our votes!

Yes. We. Can.

Our Time is Now.

jgabriel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:39:13 EST

News that Spike Lee endorses Obama: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jFYfgkdbNsM2ZYjZBRqo1mBLUXWwD8UTCQVO0

Well, today's the big day. Hawaii and Wisconsin today. Of the two, I think Hillary has the best chance in Wisconsin, so we have to work hard to prevent her doing well there. Work the phones in Wisconsin, make sure Obama supporters get out and vote.

Remember, this is a Clinton we are dealing with. As we have seen with the charge of plagiarism (http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/18/obama.patrick/?iref=mpstoryview), Hillary will do anything to cast doubt in voters' minds. Even if she herself has "borrowed" words from other politicians! Besides, the article says Deval Patrick and Obama borrow from each other on a regular basis. Even Governor Patrick says it's no big deal.

The audacity of her - this is what she said recently: "If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own words. That's what I think."

She just makes me mad sometimes.

We are not a cult. We are for real. Don't tell me words don't matter, Hillary. You talk of solutions, of getting things done. I lived through your first go-round in the White House. I don't recall you getting anything of importance done. In fact, your health-care plan failed to catch on.

Barack Obama, whatever his faults, is a man of integrity. Judging by you and your husband, you don't know what the word means. After having someone for 8 years - Bush - who is not only intellectually incurious, but also morally bankrupt, don't you think we, the American people, deserve better? Don't we deserve better than your broken moral compass?

Go Obama! Let's win today in Hawaii and Wisconsin! Don't let up now!

Primary Plus

Many Hat Mom — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:46:26 EST

Today is the day for Wisconsin. I hope all of you Wisconsitites get out there between 7a and 8p to cast your vote... ideally for Obama, but if not, at least make your voice heard.

I will be performing two tasks this afternoon when I vote. I'll be letting my state, and the nation, know what my opinion is with regard to who I believe will be the best candidate for the future of America. In addition, I'll be considering the time a mini field trip for my teenage daughter.

Field trip, you ask? Correct. One of her subjects of study this year (we home school) is Government, and for class she has been following the Presidential process as it unfolds. So this afternoon, she will tag along with me to observe the actual voting process for our state.

If you have children, consider taking them along to observe as well. Mr. Obama has managed to spark a movement in this nation--a motivation that, as I eluded to in a previous blog entry, seems to have vanished over the years since the 1960s. I, for one, happen to feel its about time we all began voicing our thoughts again and standing up for things we believe in. We CAN make a difference!! What better way to engage our children and teach them that they DO have a voice, than taking them along with us to get a taste of how this process works.

"Vote like you OWN the place!!"

Primary Time - 2/19/08

Chris from Conway, AR — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:12:33 EST

It's shortly after 11:00 pm on Monday here in the Central time zone, but the next Primary Day has already reached our neighbors to the east. Pretty soon, voters in Wisconsin and Hawaii will have the power to influence the direction of this campaign of hope to put Barack Obama in the White House. I'm looking forward to watching the returns tomorrow and am saying an extra prayer tonight that the voters in both these states 1) participate most of all...we can't have a process if no one show up! and 2) that a good majority agree with us that Sen. Obama is the best decision for this country!

"To the polls, Batman!"

Will The Sweep Continue - Wisconsin & Hawaii

fredyt3 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:09:42 EST

Now is the time to make (keep) our message loud and clear. I project another sweep in Wisconsin and Hawaii tomorrow - leading up the the "big" showdown next Tuesday. What are your thoughts???

layed back in Hawaii

George W. Heath, R.N. — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:23:31 EST

The was a big diference in calling Wisconsin and Hawaii. Even the Republicans in Hawaii are layed back. From Wisconsin, I got phone slammed down the moment I mentioned Obama. In Hawaii, the Republican would simply say, "I am a Republican." which meant for me to ease out of the conversation. Maybe its 31 years of nursing but I do get the sub-text of a polite response. I try to be cordial in return. I would not make a good phone salesperson, a failure of my life.

I talked with a 66 year old man in Hawaii. He said that for the first time in his life, he went to the trouble of re-registering Democratic, from declined to state a party, just so he could go to the caucuses and vote for Obama. He said he went and canceled business meetings so he could do so. WOW!

Reminds me about the story of the chicken and pig when you sit down to a bacon and eggs breakfast. The chicken is dedicated but the pig is committed! :)

George W. Heath, R.N.

Remember The New Hampshire Polls!

Hussein The Hope Monger — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:31:34 EST

Some of the polls are shifting from the Clintons to favor Sen Obama. Don't believe them! Remember New Hampshire. The old school patronage machine delivered senior citizens in BUS LOADS to vote for Sen Clinton particularly in the concentrated urban areas like Manchester and Portsmouth.

Sen Obama will always be the underdog. It's an uphill battle against the Dem elite/establishment first and the special interests that control Clinton. We shouldn't kid ourselves; those same interests control many of the superdelegates.

Then in the fall, there will be another round of forces - Republican incumbency and entrenched special interests again.

There is the intergenerational aspect of this movement as well which will be more pronounced in the fall.

It's not over 'til the fat lady sings...

Yes, we can and
Yes, we WILL!!!

Tuesday, February 19th at 7:30 PM Wisconsin-Hawaii (WI-HI) Primary Election Night Results Watch Party at Jumbo's Restaurant, 7501 NW 7TH Ave, in Miami.

Dave Patlak — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:22:06 EST

Wisconsin-Hawaii (WI-HI) Primary Election Night Results Watch Party

Tuesday, February 19th at 7:30 PM

at Jumbo's Restaurant, 7501 NW 7TH Ave, in Miami.

Directions: Take I-95 EXIT #7 for NW 79th ST/SR-934 toward NW 81st ST.

Turn WEST at NW 81st ST. Turn left at NW 7th Ave/US-441.

Arrive at Jumbo's Restaurant, 7501 NW 7TH Ave, Miami, FL 33150-3398

Tel: (305) 751-1127

RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rpkg

Bloomberg.com: Barack has WI by 7 points on Clinton

Julie Hensley — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:19:30 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a_yDne3GtwgA&refer=politics&sa_campaign=search_engine/feedcast/google/Bloomberg_Politics/democratic_vote

Whoo Hoo... things look good in Hawaii too but not perfectly rosy and we can still be calling there NOW.

CALL HAWAII!!

Just In From Hawaii - Poll Information

Julie Hensley — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:37:45 EST

Hawaii Democratic Caucus Tracking PollFirst Response: 2/1/08 9:04 am HST
Last Response: 2/1/08 6:29 pm HST Number of Responses: 560. Margin of Error: ±4.1%
Barack Obama (274) 48.9% (±4.1%)Undecided (152) 27.1% (±3.7%)Hillary Clinton (134) 23.9% (±3.5%)

Looks quite good but room for work to be sure we get as many of those undecided as possible!

CALLING CALLING CALLING...!!! You can call NOW!

Call Friends and Relatives in Hawaii and Wisconsin

Clarise Mason — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:02:53 EST

I've just called many of my relatives and friends in Hawaii and Wisconsin. Truly this campaign

has many houses divided and you can make no assumptions as to how people you know, are voting. There are so many stories of folks not know what to do. Give a call of encouragement,

persuasion,information or just a thank you if the are for Obama.

So please

in addition to your phone banking please call people friends and family who know you personally.

Motivate Change for the Future

Many Hat Mom — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:29:48 EST

The future began for each of us before we were ever born. Its unfolding before our eyes at
this very moment, as we write, read, work, play and live our lives. What was your future
seven years ago? What is your future at this moment in time? What will be your future
long after you’re gone?

As a parent, my future will soon be fourteen, and her future is years in the making. My
hope is for a future that she can be a part of—one of health, happiness, freedom, and
peace. My hope… all of our hopes… rest within a future that begins now.

Together, we can change the outcomes of the past and direct them for the future. Together
we CAN!

If you didn’t participate in your state’s caucus or primary already, do so in November.
If your state has yet to have its turn before the convention, get in line and make your
voice heard. The time is now… the future has already started.

Hawaii ; Hello!

Julie Hensley — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:31:18 EST

I wanted to join your group because I've heard so little about Hawaii and I can't even find any polling. Senator Obama is doing pretty well in Wisconsin though I know we'll still be working hard all weekend. How are things in Hawaii? Should I make phone calls or put together a list of contacts for sending letters to the editors of your local papers? I know it seems short but virtually every paper I've looked for allows online submission and if we get it in this weekend it is beautifully poised to be in the Monday or Tuesday issue.

Please let me know...I'm taking the lack of discussion to be a good sign..but we know what they say about assume!

Lets pull together and take Wisconsin, Hawaii, Texas and Ohio.

Daniel — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:26:25 EST

Greetings Fellow Precinct Captains and Supporters,

We have come along way created a lot of momentum with our nationwide wins, Hurray! But there is still much work too do to win this Campaign for Barack Obama, our families, our future, our communities, our country and of course ourselves. Never have the stakes been higher. We need to win Hawaii, Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio these states and keep our momentum going. Please keep making phone calls to these states. Enlist your friends, families, colleagues and neighbors to spread the word and go to the phones and call voters in these upcoming states. Its fun its easy and it works to spread the word about Barack Obama's his vision, his plans to unite and revitalize this great country of ours.

People need to hear that this is not just talk this is a experienced effective Senator who united legislators in both the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate to get meaningful legislation passed. They need to hear that Barack is not just a politician he is a States person who has already stood up for issues that were unpopular and definitely not in his best political interest( such as the war in Iraq). Barack Obama stood up to try and prevent this misguided legislation from becoming law he stood up to protect our great country. He knew that the country and his state needed to hear why this war was a mistake, and why the Congress, both the House and Senate, of the United States needed to exercise their constitutional duties to declare war only when and if it was time to enter into actual combat. He expressed his convictions in a clear positive message reaching across the political spectrum he explained how it would damage us as a nation, and because of his sincerity and the clarity of his vision, the people of Illinois went on to vote him into the United States Senate.

We have the strongest, most brilliant candidate in Barack Obama who has presented a blue print to revitalize this country a blue print that leaves nobody behind, allows us to give our children and grand children the gift of a world class education. We have a candidate that will bring our service persons, the men and women that have served so faithfully in Iraq and other parts of the world. When they get home they will need help as they leave combat mission and rejoin civilian life they will need good jobs to support their families, education to better their lives, the lives of their families and their communities. There will be other challenges such as the hundreds of thousands of workers that provided support to the troops keeping the supplies of food, materials, and training and technical support to the Iraqi's. We have many challenges to overcome in order to take back this great country of ours and we only have one leader that can surmount the challenges and unite us all behind the causes that we face in our life and that person is Barack Obama.

There is something more about the Iraq war vote you should consider and please do not go negative by telling a voter this information it will be bad enough when John McCain presses this point if Senator Hillary Clinton is our candidate in the fall. This vote turned the House and Senate's constitutional war power duties to the President this is not his job. This President has expressed his belief he has the authority to attack other countries under this authorization. I am not suggesting that you go negative please please please don't! We do not need any mud slinging to win. I want us to keep in the back of our minds the urgency which we face in recapturing the White house. The Republican candidates are not going to be kind this fall and they are going to pull off the gloves, pull out all stops, and present every negative aspect that they can to split up and shake our voting base, damage the credibility of our Presidential candidate once chosen. They will attempt to energize the conservative base that they have so artfully been able to bring to the polls and vote with them every presidential cycle. They did this to Al Gore and John Kerry, Senator Clinton shares much of Senator Kerry's voting record which brought him down and cost us the White House 4 years ago.

We have put out to the voters of the Democratic Party the best slate of candidates that I can ever remember and it is breathtakingly refreshing that they are all such shining stars, but one star shines above them all and that is Barack Obama. Senator Obama is a person who eclipses all of them with wisdom that allows him to unite everybody across the political spectrum around the common problems that face all of us in our everyday life. Let's energize our base make the calls to take Wisconsin, Hawaii, Texas and Ohio.

Peace,

Daniel Lewis
lewis_daniel@dslextreme.com
323-564-5249

Lets take back America! If we all work together and believe in
ourselves. We can. We will.

Barack Obama has proved himself a worthy person to lead our nation
through his actions, deeds and EXPERIENCE!!!

Black Super Delegates Shift to OBAMA (ABC)

RE Ausetkmt — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:47:41 EST

This is interesting. Lets Hope that this causes Ohio and Texas to Pay Attention to Billary's Rhetorical Negatives; and Listen carefully to The Obama PLAN. It's Time For A Change !!!

G O ~ O B A M A !!!!!!

Black Superdelegates Shift to Obama John Lewis Switches From Clinton to Obama Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, told ABC News the racially-tinged way in which critics charge the Clintons conducted their campaign in South Carolina is driving black superdelegates into the arms of Sen. Barack Obama. (ABC News Photo Illustration) By JAKE TAPPER
WASHINGTON Feb. 15, 2008 Font Size

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Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., may have an added obstacle in her pursuit of the support of superdelegates — the party insiders and elected officials who compose roughly 20 percent of the total Democratic delegates, and who may ultimately choose the nominee.

Blog Obama, Clinton Shower Cash on Delegates

One prominent superdelegate who is also the highest-ranking black in Congress told ABC News that the racially tinged way in which critics say the Clintons conducted their campaign in South Carolina is driving black superdelegates into the arms of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill..
"The surge — if I may use that word — occurred in direct correlation to the way that campaign had been ratcheted up," said Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., the House Majority Whip who has not endorsed a candidate. "Those of us who live in the South especially, we know the code words when we hear them and we understand the tone. People felt some of that was going on and they reacted to it in a very bitter way."
Clyburn made his remarks as his colleague, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., switched from supporting Clinton to announcing that as a superdelegate he will vote for Obama.
"In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit," Lewis told The New York Times. "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."
Lewis also said he was influenced by the fact that his home state voted heavily for Obama. Clyburn told ABC News that he had heard from many black lawmakers who thought the Clintons played the race card. Clyburn said of particular offense was former President Clinton's comparison of Obama with the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Video Dissecting Party Primaries

"It was an attempt to isolate the ethnicity of the candidate," Clyburn said.

On Capitol Hill, the lobbying from both campaigns has taken on an emotional and dramatic air.

"It's pretty intense, especially in places where a lot of the unpledged superdelegates live and their districts went overwhelmingly the other way," said Clyburn. "I've seen a superdelegate driven to tears over this. It's a very emotional thing. People who have been waiting for years to vote for a woman or a black find themselves conflicted having to make a choice between the two at one time. That's very, very tough, especially on African-American women."

Luckily for Clinton, black voters are not as large a voting bloc in some of the must-win states in which she's campaigning, such as Texas, which has a sizable population of Latinos, and Ohio, which has many blue-collar workers — two groups that tend to favor Clinton and that have given her an edge in state polls.

Clinton has sharpened her message in pursuing these voters, attempting the political jujitsu of using her opponent's strength against him — in this case Obama's soaring oratory.

"Speeches don't put food on the table," she said in Warren, Ohio, Thursday morning at a General Motors plant. "Speeches don't fill up your tank, or fill your prescription, or do anything about that stack of bills that keeps you up at night."

Clinton said, "My opponent gives speeches. I offer solutions."

The former first lady just days ago was assailing Obama as untested, using as evidence the fact that Obama had never had a negative TV ad run against him. This week she remedied that complaint, launching an ad criticizing Obama for not agreeing to debate her in Wisconsin.

"Maybe he'd prefer to give speeches than have to answer questions," the ad states.

Obama responded in an ad, saying, "after 18 debates, with two more coming, Hillary says Barack Obama is ducking debates? It's the same old politics of phony charges and false attacks."

Neither candidate is leaving anything to chance. On Thursday, the Center for Responsive Politics released a study showing that Obama's and Clinton's campaign committees and political action committees had showered superdelegates with almost $900,000 in campaign cash. And as a weapon in the hotly pursued Hawaii primary Tuesday, Chelsea Clinton flew to the land of leis to glad-hand while island-hopping.

Andrew Miller, Susan Rucci and Eloise Harper contributed to this report

WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO Do IN OHIO AND TEXAS

LaShanda (GRAB A MOP!) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:32:12 EST

We know that in order to seal the deal, we have to win OH, TX, PA, WI, and Hawaii. So let's get to it! PEOPLE we cannot get relaxed. Pick up the phone! Donate! Talk to neighbors, family and friends! We cannot sit back and expect wins to come to us. We need to win let make it happen. Let's show the power of the people!

Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Al Gore endorsements

Dave — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:10:05 EST

Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Al Gore... where are the endorsements from these men? And, by their collective non-endorsements have they, in their silence, rejected the Clinton Machine? By March 3rd, an endorsement by any of those three men for either candidate will, without doubt, be rendered impotent for the T.O.P. firewall that the Clinton's are betting on!

A Richardson endorsement might cinch the Hispanic vote in Texas if he started now. But the man remains silent, watching as Hillary's numbers erode in that demographic. In 2 1/2 weeks, his endorement won't help Hillary a bit in the Lone Star State. I believe if we don't hear from him by Friday night, we won't at all... and I am going to perceive that as a rejection of the Clinton's.

Edwards wields the same power to help Hillary in Ohio with an endorement, but again, 2 1/2 weeks out, we aren't hearing from him. I am however, putting my money on John coming out for Barack before Sun (Feb-17). If, on the other hand, he doesn't come out and endorse either candidate, I will again perceive that as a rejection of the Clinton's.

Al Gore is a horse of another color, and I do believe he holds a small grudge against the Clinton's for the way they acted in the White House the first time, which many believe helped cause Gore's loss in his bid for President. I think Bill and Hillary could wait until the sun burns out, and they still won't get Gore's endorsement. I think Gore's choice is Barack, but I don't think he'll publicly endorse either.

Hawaii & Wisconsin, Let's make it 10 in a row!

Worried about Hawai'i

Virginia S. — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:18:57 EST

Is anyone else worried about Barack's chances in Hawai'i? I know it's a caucus state, and he was raised there, but this article points to potential issues. I know it's stupid/wrong to classify the electorate by "groups" (speaking as a Southern white woman), but the problem I'm worried about in the article is that people might resent him for his high school.

As a side note, my cousins go to his high school and my aunt is friends with his sister! :) But it's really true that people there judge you based on what high school you went to, so I'm worried that him going to the "rich school" might hurt him. Anyway, I'm sure I'll feel silly for worrying after the results get in, but I'm just so mistrustful of the Clintons and what they are prepared to do for victory. I'm just worried about dirty tricks they'll use to polarize the electorate.

Obama '08!

Obama powers into the lead, callling Billary on her words.

jgabriel — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:24:15 EST

Well, last night was a great night for the Obama campaign. As we all know, Barack scored convincing wins in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Next up, on Tuesday, February 19, are Hawaii (caucus, 29 delegates) and Wisconsin (primary, 92 delegates). If Barack can win these convincingly he will continue to build momentum. We absolutely cannot let up now. We cannot take our foot off of the Hillary campaign's throat. There's a saying I have been reading recently that goes something like, "Never count out the Clintons." As we saw in New Hampshire, it ain't over till it's over, so Barack will need all the support we can muster for him.

By the way, the New York Times has a clearly written guide to which primaries happen when - http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/primaries/democraticprimaries/index.html

One thing that I don't think Hillary has been called on enough in this campaign is her flip-flopping on the nature of Obama's campaign. She has been calling him unprepared, not ready for the job, etc. (by the way, Barack had a pretty good response to this on 60 Minutes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHe8N5hL0Wo).

Yet as her campaign has stumbled in recent days, I notice she has taken to calling herself the "underdog" and - even more outrageously - called Obama the "establishment" candidate. If that isn't the biggest bunch of baloney I've ever heard, haha. Here's Bill calling him that - http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-15-bill-clinton-nevada_N.htm.

Here's Hillary calling Obama the establishment: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/09/politics/fromtheroad/entry3812338.shtml

Wait a minute - I thought Obama hadn't been in Washington politics long enough. Now he's too "establishment"? Sounds like a desperate ploy to me. Certainly the Clintons are not above trying to use every advantage. Here they are attempting to twist the facts. If someone can explain how a candidate can be both inexperienced in the Washington establishment, and yet simultaneously be part of the Washington establishment, please let me know.

Call your friends in Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania. If we can get at least one of those states, I think it will put a serious dent in Billary's campaign.

The Hawaii Democratic Caucus

David Fry — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:14:40 EST

For those dedicated folks at the Democratic Party of Hawaii who are organizing the caucuses, it is a complicated process. They are planning more than 200 precinct meetings for the same night at 66 locations across the state. Although past events have drawn no more than a few thousand people, this event promises to be different. The excitement of the campaign, the heavy media coverage and Barack Obama's native-son status will draw thousands of new Democrats into the process.

For those of us who will attend - the process is much simpler. If you show up at the right location before 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 19, you will get to cast your vote for Barack Obama.

Barack's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, has created a short video to help explain the process. If it's your first caucus, please take a few minutes to watch this video.

Watch the Video

Invite a Friend to the Caucus

Hawaii Get Out the Caucus

Bill in HI — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:51:32 EST

Most people don't know that when it is 11PM in Chicago, it is only 6 PM in Honolulu and the sun has not yet set! And yes, some of us are walking around in short sleeves and shorts.

It has been exciting working in the Hawaii campaign. I have been phone banking for weeks now, but now it is getting far more interesting.

Hawaii is a caucus state, but it has a secret ballot. Historically caucus turn out has been low. Last time there was lots of interest and 4,000 turned out in a state with a population of 1.2 million.

DPOH web page has been changing daily! Current estimate is a turnout of 12,000 and 20 convention delegates are now to be decided.

There are 9 super delegates in Hawaii, and the congressional delegation seems evenly split.

People are being swayed by the Obama campaign philosophy.

This caucus does matter
Can I ask you to support Barack Obama?

Check back on Feb 20 for the Hawaii Caucus results It should be exciting.

Why Virginia Is So Crucial

Steve — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:18:50 EST

Most of the networks report that Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington are easy wins for Barack Obama. Louisiana because of his standing among blacks and southerners, and Washington and Nebraska because they are caucus states, with which Obama has proven to do quite well.

He may win Maine, as a caucus state. It has been reported that Washington D.C. will vote Obama. And ultimately, it has been reported that Maryland and Virginia are battleground states.

Why? Because Obama and Clinton are tied. Yes, Obama has more states. Yes, he has a higher amount of delegates. However, Hillary currently has more overall delegates when you count the currently committed superdelegates. I don't like it either, but at this point, we still have work to do.

After Virginia and Maryland come Hawaii, which Obama should have no issue winning, and later Ohio and Texas, two states that reportedly are currently for Hillary. Political pundits and cynics are saying that she might gain momentum if she wins Virginia and Maryland. And that is something that we cannot allow.

Let's show the nation that we, Virginia, and our 'neighbors to the north' in Maryland, are for Barack Obama. Let's show that we are for progress, not a return to the Bush and Clinton dynastic era. We are for a candidate that represents the American dream, a dream founded here in this very state.

Because if the situation stays tied, the future of America may be in the hands of the Democratic National Convention. Not the people, but the bureaucrats. They may well decide to count the delegates in Florida and Michigan, two states in which Obama did not get the chance to campaign because he was following the rules. In fact, his name was not even on the ballot in Michigan. Hillary did not withdraw her name, even though she committed to not participate. Hillary held a fundraiser in Florida, a place she vowed not to campaign. AND EVEN SO, in Michigan UNCOMMITTED won 40% of the votes.

But if the DNC decides to count those delegates, delegates that were unfairly won, simply to settle a tie, it could be a bad situation. Yes, there's a chance they will ask for a re-vote, but why bother?

Let's make the decision for them. How can we do this? We can vote for Barack Obama, win Virginia and Maryland for Obama, and show the nation that there is only ONE choice left in this race. We can show the DNC that they don't even have to worry about Florida and Michigan. We can show that we've already decided.

And can we do this?

YES WE CAN!

Honolulu coverage- MLK Obama supporters, Akaka bill

John Messerly — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:52:32 EST

The following is KITV channel 4's coverage of our presence at the Martin Luther King day parade last Saturday. They closely segwayed from coverage of us at the MLK parade to Obama's declared support for the Akaka bill. I recorded the 5 and 6 oclock broadcasts. I think it was shown on the late night broadcast, but I only recorded the first two.

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

(This site did not accept the standard Youtube embedding code- if anyone has workaround code please comment. Edits: cropped out commercial break, inserted longer parade coverage footage from 6 oclock broadcast.

OBAMA "THE ONE"

FATIMAH-SE^LAH — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:21:33 EST

I SINCERLY BELIEVE THAT HE HAS BEEN SENT BY THE LORD AND THE ANCESTORS TO GET READY AND PREPARE THE WORLD...FOR TIME IS SHORT...SO ANY AND ALL THAT BE OF RIGHTEOUS AND UPRIGHT SPIRIT TAKE HEED AND JOIN AND LIFT THIS MAN AND WHOSOEVER HE REPRESENTS UP WITH YOUR WHOLE AND ENTIRE SUPPORT...IF ONLY IN PRAYER...

Our Holiday Wish List

David Fry — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:38:40 EST

If you'd like to donate to the Obama campaign in a way that will benefit our organizing here in Hawaii, please consider making a bulk purchase of supplies for the campaign. We'll need T-shirts, signs, flyers and other materials for our volunteers and supporters at upcoming events and the Hawaii caucus.

Visit our Wish List page for more details.

Hawaii for Obama - Upcoming Events

David Fry — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:36:54 EST

Aloha Friends,

This Thursday we'll be filing papers to nominate Barack Obama as a candidate for President in Hawaii. We'll be gathering at the Democratic Party of Hawaii headquarters at 3 pm to file the papers, which will be followed by a brief press conference led by Brian Schatz.

We'd like to have at least 30 supporters attend, so please come and invite friends. We will have signs for supporters, but please wear an Obama '08 T-shirts if you have one.

More details RSVP

My Top Wish List of Gifts for Christmas

Ms CYPRAH — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:47:52 EST

For me every day is a gift, so no other gift is as important. However, there are 10 other top gifts which would make my life near perfection.

1. To be given the cure for my diabetes. Though I am very healthy otherwise, I have inherited diabetes from my mother and grandmother and sometimes it can be debilitating. It would be lovely to wake up one day and not have to worry about its stability and progress.

SFBO HAWAII WINTER INTERNSHIPS 2007-2008

rumi — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:45:35 EST

SFBO HAWAII WINTER INTERNSHIPS

DEC 17, 2007 - JAN 13, 2008

Gain practical experience, while spreading Obama's message of HOPE, ACTION and CHANGE. Available opportunities in:

-field work

-phone bank

-canvassing

-political campaign strategizing

If interested in this unique opportunity, please contact Hawaii SFBO Coordinator Ria Baldevia at rbaldevia@studentsforbarackobama.com or (808) 286-6386 ASAP.

Hawaii for Obama - November Updates

David Fry — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 19:41:01 EST

The Hawaii Democratic Caucus is less than 3 months away and we're gearing up for the big day. Here are a few updates from the Aloha State:

Leading in Iowa
Hawaii Caucus Plans
Phonebank Volunteers
15% Discount at the Obama Store

5 Weeks for Change

David Fry — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:42:01 EST

Volunteers Needed to Help Identify Obama Supporters

Through the end of 2007, Obama volunteers in Hawaii will be calling members of the Democratic Party to identify Barack Obama's supporters. By committing to help for two hours a week, you can be part of our efforts to build the Obama campaign in Hawaii.

We will be meeting together at an office downtown, enjoying refreshments and the time to meet other Obama supporters, and making calls to the friendly folks in the Democratic Party. We're asking supporters to commit to one shift a week for five weeks.

Obama Supporters attend OCC Conference

David Fry — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:40:14 EST

The Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii held a conference on Saturday with training sessions and discussions. The keynote lunch featured three former Democratic Governors of Hawaii on the stage with an extended Q&A. Here are some thoughts from the sessions: