May 31, 2008

Do You Think Anything Has Changed Since Then?

I found this video after my last post. It's all about how Barack Obama "was just abiding by the rules," when he eliminated Alice Palmer from the ballot in 1996.

To Be Or Not To Be...Counted


I'm sitting here watching, and listening to the delegate debate, and I'm afraid that there are quite a few not-so-happy- campers, and right now, uncounted Super Delegate, Donna Brazille, is saying, "my mama always taught me to play by the rules." For some reason, that reminded me of something that I read, recently, concerning Senator Obama, and how he "played by the rules" in his initial bid for political office. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The day after New Year's 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city's South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama's four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.Fresh from his work as a civil rights lawyer and head of a voter registration project that expanded access to the ballot box, Obama launched his first campaign for the Illinois Senate saying he wanted to empower disenfranchised citizens.But in that initial bid for political office, Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer."

After reading this, and watching the debate, I'm wondering how one could trust anything to be fair when it comes to how a candidate gets into office, whether locally, State, or as President of the United States. It seems that there is just too much underhanded maneuvering going on by too many ambitious, over-zealous, individuals to be fair.

What's going on now, is turning out to be a real war..but then, there is an old saying which says, "All's fair in love, and war." There may not be much love going on, but I guess they can justify what they do as being fair.

Read the rest of this very informative article:

Obama knows his way around a ballot -- Civil Rights, Brooklyn (King's, New York), David Jackson -- chicagotribune.com

May 29, 2008

Just Words?

Have you read any good books, lately? May I suggest a couple that have some pretty enlightening information in them? I wouldn't suggest going out and buying them--the author is probably already pretty well-set--but they are available at your local library.

The books I am suggesting are, "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity Of Hope" by Barack Obama. I find it fascinating how much you can find out about a person in his written word--especially when his words are directed toward one particular group of people, or maybe, those who have the same ideology, whomever they may be.

Who knew, when he wrote them, that they would be read by such a diverse group, many of whom feel quite resentful at the philosophy of a man well on his way to becoming the President, and leader of our country?

Here are a few quotes from the two books:

Dreams From My Father

"The person who made me proudest of all, though, was [half brother] Roy .. He converted to Islam."

"never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself.."

"The emotion between the races could never be pure..... the other race would always remain just that: menacing, alien, and apart."

"There were enough of us on campus to constitute a tribe, and when it came to hanging out many of us chose to function like a tribe, staying close together, traveling in packs.

"It remained necessary to prove which side you were on,to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names"

"I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race."

"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

"That hate hadn't gone away," he wrote, blaming "white people — some cruel, some ignorant, sometimes a single face, sometimes just a faceless image of a system claiming power over our lives."

The Audacity Of Hope

"Lolo (Obama's step father) followed a brand of Islam ...."I looked to Lolo for guidance."

"We are no longer just a Christian nation," "We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers."

"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

After reading the words, and sensing the passion found in his books, one has to wonder if he will be President of all the People...or just a chosen group, or groups. After all, his words speak for themselves.


"Where ambition can cover its enterprises, even to the person himself, under the appearance of principle, it is the most incurable and inflexible of passions."
~David Hume 1711-1776
Scottish Philosopher, Historian

May 28, 2008

Sizing Up The Candidates



In view of all the prevaricating going on during this Presidential Campaign, I thought this classification of lies could be helpful in sizing up the candidates...I'm just sayin'.

Types of lies

The various types of lies include the following:

Bold-faced lie
A bold-faced (or barefaced/bald-faced) lie is a lie that is told when it is obvious to all concerned that it is a lie. For example, a child who has chocolate all over his face and denies that he has not eaten the last piece of chocolate cake, is a bold-faced liar. The adjective "bold-faced" indicates that no attempt has been made to hide the fact that it is a lie.

Lying by omission
Lying by omission is when an important fact is omitted, deliberately leaving another person with a misconception. This includes failures to correct pre-existing misconceptions. One may by careful speaking contrive to give correct but only partial answers to questions, thus never actually lying.

Lie-to-children
A lie-to-children is an expression, or more specifically a euphemism, that describes a lie told to make an adult subject, acceptable to children. The most common example is "The stork brought you." or hiding honesty and truth e.g. I will tell you when you are a little bit older.

White lie
A white lie would cause no discord if it were uncovered and offers some benefit to the liar or the hearer, or both. White lies are often used to avoid offense, such as telling someone that you think that their new outfit looks good when you actually think that it is actually a horrible excuse for an outfit. In this case, the lie is told to avoid the harmful implications and realistic implications of the truth. As a concept, it is largely defined by local custom and cannot be clearly separated from regular lies with any authority. As such the term may have differing meanings in different cultures. Lies which are harmless but told for no reason are generally not called white lies.

Noble lie
A lie that would normally cause discord if it were uncovered, but that offers some benefit to the liar and perhaps assist in an orderly society and thus potentially gives some benefit to others also. It is often told to maintain law, order and safety. A noble lie usually has the effect of helping an elite maintain power.

Emergency lie
Emergency lie is a different kind of white lie, which is employed when the truth may not be told because, for example, harm to a third party would come of it. An example of such an emergency lie would be a neighbor lying to an enraged husband about the whereabouts of his unfaithful wife, because said husband might reasonably be expected to inflict physical violence should he encounter his wife in person.

Perjury
Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. Perjury is a crime because the witness has sworn to tell the truth and, for the credibility of the court, witness testimony must be relied on as being truthful.

Bluffing
Bluffing is an act of deception that is not usually seen as immoral because it takes place in the context of a game where this kind of deception is consented to in advance by the players. For instance, a gambler who deceives other players into thinking he has different cards than he really does, or an athlete who indicates he will move left and then actually dodges right, are not considered to be lying. In these situations, deception is accepted as a tactic and even expected.

Misleading
Misleading is when a person tells a statement that isn't an outright lie, but still has the purpose of making someone believe in an untruth.

Dissembling
"Dissemble" is a polite term for lying, though some might consider it to refer to being merely misleading. It is most commonly considered to be an euphemism for lying.

Exaggeration
Exaggeration is when the most fundamental aspect(s) of a statement is true, but the degree to which it is true is not correct.

Jocose lies
Jocose lies are lies which are meant in jest and are usually understood as such by all present parties. Sarcasm can be one example of this. A more elaborate example can be seen in storytelling traditions which are present in some places, where the humour comes from the storyteller's insistence that he or she is telling the absolute truth despite all evidence to the contrary (ie. tall tale). There is debate about whether these are "real lies", with different philosophers holding different views (see below).

Bragging
Bragging is a kind of lie in which a person tells something about himself or anything, which is not true, in an effort to build up a reputation, such as saying "I own a billion dollar car and house," in which they actually don't.

I found this at Wikipedia.

May 27, 2008

Americans Liberated Auschwitz, Obama Claims

Soviet troops enter the concentration camp Auchwitz-Birkenau and rescue the people found there on January 27, 1945.

You do notice that the caption with the photo says SOVIET TROOPS, right?

Are you as flabbergasted as I am about how Obama keeps getting pass, after pass, on the things he says? It seems not to matter whether it is an out-and-out-lie, or whether he just "misspoke," he is excused, in one way, or another.. so when I saw the following post on a blog that tells it like it is, I asked my friend Donald Douglas, of American Power, for permission to cross-post.

Thanks, Donald!

I'm trying to get some work done today, tabulating final course grades, for example, and working on the summer syllabus, but this story's just too good not to share with readers. Purple Avenger reports that Barack Obama, in trying to pump up of family's miltary credentials, claimed that his uncle was part of the liberation armies the freed the Auschwitz concentration camp:

In one of his more egregious and easily demonstrated lies, made even more so by the day he decided to let it loose on, Obama has rewritten WWII history such that the allies liberated Auschwitz.

...Obama also spoke about his uncle, who was part of the American brigade that helped to liberate Auschwitz...

Auschwitz of course is in Poland. It was liberated by the Red Army on Jan 27 1945. Poland, on most maps is usually placed to the east of Germany, although we may need to investigate the geography textbooks the Messiah used as a child...

The Allies were wrapping up the battle of the bulge in late January of 1945 -- the Rhine crossings were still well into the future when Auschwitz was liberated. The first, the Remagen railway bridge which was discovered intact, was crossed on March 7 1945.

Of course it goes without saying that the media has thus far failed to call the Messiah on this apparently obviously outrageous lie. Unless Obama's "uncle" was serving in the Red Army, its a pretty safe bet he was many hundreds of miles from Auschwitz on its day of liberation.

What's worse, an "obviously outrageous lie" or Obama's demonstrable ignorance on a crucible of 20th-century history?

The right blogosphere's all over this, and thank goodness!
When Barack Obama thinks that meeting with hostile foes "without preconditions" is good foreign policy, it's evident the lessons of history have been lost on the Illinois Senator:

How woefully ignorant is the Democratic front-runner on matters of national security, international relations and the intractable conflicts that have plagued [American foreign policy] for decades?
Dreadfully ignorant, it appears, as is becoming more clear by the day.

May 26, 2008

Why You Can Say I'm Proud To Be An American

My heartfelt gratitude to all the wonderful men and women who have made it possible for us to live in freedom..past and present

It is hard to imagine that there are still those who will scoff at the words, and the feelings conveyed in this video..that feel no pride in this great country of ours.

Freedom has never been free..it comes with a great price.

America has a lot of faults, but it is STILL the greatest country in the world!

May we never take it for granted.

May 24, 2008

Barack Visits 57 US States

He's visited 57 states so far, and still has 1 left to go..and he still hasn't visited Hawaii and Alaska because his staff would not allow it?

Wow..now, maybe all the Bush haters can stop bashing him for saying "nucular" instead of "nuclear."

Eloquent speech isn't everything..it helps to know what you're talking about, too...and being able to count is a plus.

May 18, 2008

Back When Gas Was 30 Cents A Gallon

Well..I doubt that we'll ever see gas for thirty cents a gallon, again.

This song is a real "tear-jerker' so you might as well go ahead and cry over the price of gas, now, too, while you're at it!

May 15, 2008

Senator Obama's Global Poverty Act


The United States Senate may vote any day on the stealth imposition of what could amount to an $845 BILLION United Nations style global tax on American citizens.

It's called the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), and it is being sponsored by none other than Senator Barack Obama.

Read all about here.

May 10, 2008

Mama..The Memory Of You




I know that this day will be a happy one for some, and for others it will bring sadness, as the moments of days gone by are forced to the surface of our memories.

Some of us have wonderful memories of our mothers, causing us to feel, at times a little melancholy, if they are no longer with us, but still happy to realize that we were blessed to have had them. Others, I am aware, were not so blessed, and their memories will only bring pain, and perhaps some anger and resentment, and for that I am so sorry, and my heart goes out to you.

My childhood was not ideal, and was rather deprived when compared with others, but I had the most loving, caring, sweetest woman on earth for a mother. She was humble, but had a way of making everyone else feel that they were the most important person around.

She was an encourager, and she never condemned anyone. She so easily forgave anyone who hurt her, or did her wrong in any way. She always saw the best in everyone, and I can honestly say that I never heard her gossip, or put anyone down, for any reason.

Life for her was not easy--it never was. She received much abuse in her lifetime, but it did not break her, nor cause her to give up on herself, or on life. She had a quiet faith in God, that was just...there. She didn't have to talk about it...you just knew.

Her latter years were filled with much suffering, and although many of you will not understand when I say that much good came out of her suffering, I have to say that it was so. She touched so many lives, without even knowing, and I know of some lives which were changed for the better, because of her.

So on this Mother's Day I want to pay tribute to my own Dear Mother, Sarah Hattie Mae, whose very name as I write it, causes my throat to constrict with the pain of missing her, and my tears to flow in happiness at the remembrance of her, and of all that she was.

Mama, today, yesterday, and forever, the memory of you is a priceless treasure... and you will always be my pretty girl.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10


The oil painting is "Lost in Thought" by Diji Scales.

May 09, 2008

I'm Feeling Persecuted, Here!

Well, folks...Blogger, or Google, or someone or some THING has done it to me again! When I tried to access my blog, I got a notice saying that my query resembled an automated program, and that in order to protect their clients, my request must be denied for now, and that they would give me back my access as soon as possible, and they apoligised for any convenience!

Sooo..how am I on here, now, you ask?

Well, I kept going to other blogs, and kept getting the same message, and couldn't access them, either. I couldn't access Guyk's blog, but I could access Sweet Thing. Many others, too, were denied my perusal. Finally, I hit on Dazd's blog, and clicked on my blog from his blogroll, and was able to access it from there. The thing I am wondering now, is whether or not when I try to publish this, I will be locked out again. As I write this, I could very well be just talking to myself! I am trying to find humor in this, to keep from crying!

I have no idea how to handle this...there is no way that I know of, of contacting them. It's like a one-way deal..they can contact me, and I have to wait for their decision, whatever that may be.

They did suggest that I run a spyware and a virus check, which I had just finished doing, before trying to access my blog. I do that on a regular basis and there is never a virus or a spy, and only an occasional adware, which is eliminated, immediately.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would certainly appreciate hearing them!

If I don't post for awhile, or ever, you'll know why!

May 08, 2008

Candidates' Health Plans


Senator Obama's $65 billion-a-year plan makes insurance mandatory, but only for children. He wants family plans to cover kids up to age 25, and would create a national health insurance exchange to offer a range of plans and prices to small businesses and the uninsured. "If you change jobs, your insurance will go with you," Obama said. Obama would stop tax cuts for people making over $250,000 to pay for his plan.

Sen. Hillary Clinton wants mandatory health insurance for everyone. Her $110 billon-a-year plan would offer everyone the chance to purchase insurance, and a range of plans and prices to choose from. "It is not a government takeover of health care," Clinton said. "It is a public-private partnership that provides more choices." Insurers could not charge higher rates to people with health problems. Clinton would tax employer-paid health benefits for people making more than $250,000 a year. cbs2chicago.com - Clinton, Obama Health Care Plan Comparisons

McCain calls for:
Allowing people to buy health insurance nationwide instead of limiting them to in-state companies.
Permitting people to buy insurance through any organization or association they choose as well as through their employers or buying direct from an insurance company.
Providing tax credits of $2,500 to individuals and $5,000 to families as an incentive to buy health coverage.
Allowing veterans to use whatever provider they want, wherever they want by giving them an electronic health care card or through another method.
Supporting different methods of delivering care, including walk-in clinics in retail outlets across the country.
Developing routes for cheaper generic versions of drugs to enter the U.S. market, including allowing for safe importation of drugs.
Revamping Medicare payment systems to pay providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination without paying them for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
McCain health plan aims to give options - John McCain News- msnbc.com

May 06, 2008

Blacks More Impacted By Immigration?


An excerpt from blackvoicenews.com:

You better believe Black teens looking for summer jobs are feeling the impact of immigration," said Gomez. It's worrisome because Blacks are suffering more from the invasion than whites because they (generally) have fewer resources with which to run away from immigration."

"It's a very stressful and difficult dilemma. Sometimes you feel like you're straddling two nations, on one hand you strive for diversity, on the other you are forced to hire people who are best equipped to serve your core customer base. Sometimes that boils down to bilingual preferred," says fast food manager Kevin Ellis who is biracial (Latino/Black) speaks some Spanish and does everything from hire workers to taking customer's orders, cooking food, assembling sandwiches and handing orders to customers.

"I hate to sound so cynical," but the American workplace is turning Spanish very fast. That requires you to learn another language in high school. That's reality." said Ellis.

You can read the rest of this most interesting article here.

Maybe, it's just me, but I can't see how Blacks would be feeling the impact of immigration more than the rest of the population.

They have fewer resources with which to run away from immigration? You mean it is possible to do that? I think these folks need to get real--immigration is here, with all of its ramifications, like it or not.
Blacks more impacted? I really don't think we need another reason for blaming others, nor another guilt-trip placed on anyone.

Poor is poor, and it comes in all colors. As does discrimination. Period.

It is what it is.

What do you think?

May 05, 2008

Dirt Roads



What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.

There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.

People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.

Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!

People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.

Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mail box.

What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.

Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.

At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
~by Paul Harvey

My Blog is Locked

Well, folks, for some strange reason I have been flagged as a spammer, which has prevented my posting for several days.

That little verification box is still evident on here, so perhaps I am still locked out, but I will try, again.