(I am not a Robot)

A great scene from Julie Bosman's Times story today:

"The University of Florida in Gainesville is home to one of the country’s largest McCain student groups, with more than 1,000 members. Some of its volunteers stand for nine hours a day in a central campus plaza, pitching to students and selling T-shirts, their only source of campaign money.

The Obama group on campus, though, has hired a shuttle bus to drive Obama-supporting students to an early voting site 20 minutes away.

“Obviously, we don’t have the resources for that kind of thing,” said Joshua Simmons, 20, the chairman of Gators for McCain. “Right now, we’re just making sure that students know that this organization does exist, and that there are students out there who support McCain.”

As if to punctuate his point, Mr. Simmons was stopped midsentence while walking through campus recently and talking on his cellphone.

“What is that, a robot?” he said, exhaling noisily. “The Obama campaign has a robot set up in the plaza. It’s holding a sign that says ‘Powered by hope.’ Which I don’t think is entirely accurate.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/politics/29youth.html

WOW....the first comment on this week's OT.

I think it fitting to think of Derek's child, Alicia, and send our prayer for her speedy recovery...

Alicia and Derek...our hearts are with you....ruth

oh, I guess I wasn't first after all.....:)

Hey Everyone
Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts for Alicia. She is one special kid.
I think I need to make something clear though. Alicia is not my biological child. She is one of our students. Because of our close work with gifted kids, my wife and I refer to them as our children. I have helped raise Alicia since she was four and she is as much a part of me as a biological daughter. She has had many challenges over the years and has stayed strong through them all. I know she will make it through this.

She had a better night last night. They did another surgery to reattach her diaphragm and some more repair on her liver. Things keep showing up that need to be fixed.

I fell asleep last night picturing her dancing again.

much love and peace Alicia.

papa D

Yo Derek

I remember reading your comments sharing stories about your children.

Best wishes to Alicia.

Thank you Ruth
I don't often bring such things here to IB but there is something special about Alicia. She has fought through some very tough challenges in her life and has never expected any special treatment. Even now. Sometimes people need some extra love and support. I know everyone here have a powerful love in there hearts.

I didn't write about this sooner because I know how strong Alicia is but I feel she needs some extra love.

derek

Thanks Irvine

derek

She is one of those rare people that can step onto a stage and instantly capture everyone in the audience. She can fill a theater with her presence and move you to your very soul. Then off stage you would never know. She's as much of a goof ball as me.

Yo, I'm just rambling on because I'm thinking about her so much right now.

Thanks again everyone

derek

dear Derek,
thank you for your stories of Alicia, and the talent and spirit she has.
your love and care will help her to heal,
~ Kate

and derek,
I love dance and one of my favorites has been the Joffrey Ballet, and Twyla Tharp's dance company.
~ Kate

“Yo, I'm just rambling on because I'm thinking about her so much right now.”

Keep on rambling, Derek, we are all with you.

Yes Derek I was going to say something on the other open thread, but I, well, I just could not word it right.

My prayers ARE with you and Alicia brother.

Peace

About five years ago while in class she fell out of a leap and bruised her brain stem. She could barely walk for months and could not see to the left. Her whole boy would shake but she still took class. This started the problem with her hip. Her left hip.
When she was 6 she shattered her elbow. After a few surgeries she was dancing with a cast and a big smile.

After she was hit the gang members scattered. Only Alicia was hit. She said, "If I was hit in order that no one else was, then I'm cool with that." She has already forgiven the shooter and is greatful no one else was hurt.

Hi Kate
I never expected to be in the world of dance. It has been such a reward. We have kids, many who are no longer kids, dancing singing and acting all over the world. Some have worked with Joffrey and Twyla and many others. There is something very powerful about dance. The connection of emotions during a concert can be overwhelming.
If today was my last day on earth, I could say that I have been rewarded more than my share of joy and love because of our kids. I have been richly blessed to have the honor of working with so many gifted and loving children. They keep me way young at heart.

love and peace

as the kids call me, papa D

Thanks Craig
It's great to have a place with such amazing people.

derek

Hi Papa D :)

Derek you're doing a wonderful job here.

In about 15 minutes time there will be a big meditation all over the world, organized by Deepak Chopra.

I learnt this from Intent.com and I will participate.

Keeping my mother and Alicia especially in my prayers.

Love, Mieke

http://chopra.com/globalpeace

I made a mistake in global time, the meditation will start in about an hour from now :)

Mieke

i am disappointed CNN will not be joining the other networks in carrying 'bama's half hour closing comments to the nation this evening....shame on them...

Hey Papa D,

I guess my idea of you as a sweet, caring and gentle person was true. Alicia sounds like a brave soul and my blessings go out to her, and may she have a speedy recovery. Families like yours will always find a soft spot in the hearts of many. Many praises to you and your family.

Don't be scared!
You will be, maybe!
But I repeat, don't be scared

It's official
The total eclipse is about to begin
We are already in

See the dark-influence, right now in your eyes
This time, lower for better

Don't be scared
You have been fooled in the past
Fool-flamed at very high degree

Don't move
Feel me inside a moment

Your north will move
Your new-orientation could be modulated
Your south will follow

Inside this avoided-place of the past
You are, you are there now
Uncomfortably-darker

You are making the step
Inside cell-sharpened and organized
To see Synergic-Clarity taking shape

Force-claim it
It's yours...

Be born

it's all coming to climax...soon!

Brother Obama says on John Stewart, "I gotta take counseling to make sure my white half does not let me vote for myself".

Whoa damn!

Hi everyone! Hi Wingman!

Thank you all for the greetings the other day.

At the moment I am busy with a host of personal and professional undertakings and as such will not be posting here regularly as in the past. In addition, I have to compete with my infant son Filip (now three years old) for computer space.

He's has become quite an expert at playing kids games after less than a year online. His favorite shows are Barney, Tree House, Thomas the Train Engine, and Bob the Builder, and he’s having a ton of fun at it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the stimulating and stirring discussions many of us have had during the wonderful years spent here. I hope to resume soon. One of the hallmarks of a great forum is its inclusionary (as opposed to exclusionary) embrace. And IntentBlog has been a beacon of light in this regard.

I trust my ole pal Skep is well and still sharing his thought-provoking views here. Skep, in the not-too-distant future it is my hope that we can continue from where things ended nearly a year ago. I hope you and loved ones are well!

To Mieke and Derek, I’m sorry to learn of your personal tragedies. I wish you strength and peace during this trying time. Take care, all!

.

PBS has an online poll posted asking if Sarah Palin is
qualified. Apparently the right wing knew about this
in advance and are flooding the voting with YES votes.

The poll will be reported on PBS and picked up by
mainstream media. It can influence undecided voters
in swing states.

Please do two things -- takes 20 seconds.

1) Click on link and vote yourself.

Here's the link:
http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

2) Then send this to every single Obama-Biden voter
you know, and urge them to vote and pass it on.

The last thing we need is PBS saying their viewers
think Sarah Palin is qualified.

10/31 Daily Kos R2K Tracking Poll: Obama 51, McCain 45

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/31/71346/757/463/647384

Chris Bowers :: Obama Wins!!!

Barack Obama has won the 2008 Presidential Election.

Yes, you read that right. And no, I am not joking.
People will probably say that I am calling the election too early, which could depress turnout. People might say that I am taking too much for granted, which is especially bad for a committeeperson in West Philadelphia. People might say that I am simply being foolish, because there is time left and a lot can change in four days. For these people, I have five quick points (more in the extended entry).

Here is why this is over:

1. In order to win the election, all Barack Obama needs are the Kerry states, plus Colorado, Iowa and New Mexico. That adds up to 273 electoral votes.

2. Obama leads by at least 9.5% in every Kerry state and Iowa, according to both Pollster.com and Real Clear Politics. Also, my own numbers concur with those calculations.

3. This means that in order to win the election, all Obama has to do is hold onto states where he leads by 9.5% or more, and win both Colorado and New Mexico. These are both states where more than half of all voters will cast their ballots before Election Day (source). In other words, the elections in Colorado and New Mexico are already almost over, not just beginning. And these are the only two states he needs to win, other than the ones where he leads by double-digits.

4. In Colorado, about 60% of the vote is already in. According to the crosstabs of the three most recent polls in the state, Obama leads early voters by 15% (Rasmussen), 18% (Marist) and 17% (PPP). Even in the best case scenario for McCain, where he only trails by 15% among those who have already voted and only 55% of the vote is in, he still needs to win the remaining voters by 18.4% in order to eek out the state. And that is the best-case scenario. The worst case scenario for McCain--65% of the vote in and an 18% deficit among early voters--is that he needs to win the remaining voters by 33.5% in order to win the election.

5. That leaves New Mexico. In 2004, New Mexico had an even higher rate of early voting than Colorado (50.6% to 47.9%). Further, all polling aggregation sites show Obama's lead to be larger in New Mexico than in Colorado. While the recent dearth of polling in the Land of Enchantment means there are no early voting crosstabs, those two facts suggest the situation is even worse for McCain in New Mexico than in Colorado. At the very least, it isn't much better. *Update*: A new poll from PPP in New Mexico indicates that 56% of the vote is in, and Obama leads 64%-36% among those voters. If that is accurate, McCain would have to win the remaining voters by 35.7%.

So, unless Obama one of the following occurs:

*Obama blows a double-digit lead in either Iowa or one Kerry state

*McCain wins the minority of remaining voters in either Colorado or New Mexico by at least 20%
Then the election is over and Obama has won no matter what happens anywhere else.

If people wonder why Obama has recently campaigned in seemingly safe states like Iowa and Pennsylvania, this is why. The only possible way he can lose at this point is if he blows one of those states. In this situation, if I were making the decisions, I would have him campaign there, too.

This has me very, very excited. Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States. He is effectively ahead by double-digits right now, and leads like that don't disappear in four days. Obama wins!

http://tinyurl.com/6nadtc

Nate Silver of 538 has more:

"McCain's Mountain of a Problem:

Our model does not make any specific adjustments for early voting, but it is presenting a major problem for John McCain in three states in the Mountain West region, where Barack Obama has a huge fraction of his vote locked in.

In the wee hours of this morning, Public Policy Polling released data from Colorado and New Mexico. The toplines are strong for Obama, giving him leads of 10 and 17 points, respectively in those states. What's worse for McCain, however, is that PPP estimates that nearly two-thirds of Coloradans have already cast their ballots, as have 55-60 percent of New Mexicans, with large majorities of those votes going to Barack Obama. This is backed up to some extent by Michael McDonald's turnout statistics. In Colorado, the state had already processed approximately 1.3 million ballots as of Thursday, around 60 percent of the total 2004 turnout. In Bernalillo County (Albuquerque), New Mexico (statewide figures are not available), 145,000 ballots had been cast as of Wednesday, equaling 55 percent of 2004's total.

Should New Mexico and Colorado become safe Obama states, McCain's only realistic path to victory runs through Pennsylvania. Even if McCain were to win the Keystone, however -- say that Philadelphia remains in a collective stupor from the Phillies' win and that there is some sort of Bradley Effect in the Alleghanies -- Obama has a pretty decent firewall in the form of Virginia and Nevada, which had already achieved 53 percent of its 2004 voting totals as of Wednesday, and where Democrats have a 23-point edge in ballots cast so far in Las Vegas's Clark County (and perhaps more impressively, a 15-point advantage in Reno's Washoe County, a traditionally Republican area). The Kerry states less Pennsylvania, but plus Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Iowa and Virginia, total 270 electoral votes: an ugly, nail-biter of a win for Obama, but still one that would get him to 1600 Pennsylvania all the same."

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

The foundations of Fascism.

The foundations of fascism not only lie in our

respective cultures,

but also in our rootedness to succeed and

mutual mistrust over our differences,

which are nothing but the diversity of nature.

http://theadvaita.blogspot.com/

to post 26...

damn!

if u are gonna hike a steep hill to reach summit u need to be in great shape in more ways that one..and i don't like the chances of that dino from zona...that dude should be knocking at the doors of a seniors home and ask if they have vacancy...not trying to drop down and roll down that hill from exhaustion...and old age...

it's over ...except for a few blind, illiterate amigos...

evening all,

happy halloween......

everyone must be out trick or treatin....

I stopped over to Deepak's thread about god in the voting booths but then I realized there was an intimate conversation going on with our IB multiple persona....so I just tippy toed back out...shhhhhhh...don't want to interrupt...

oh, well, it was the most beautiful fall day in the northeast...exquisite fall day for all the little gobblins out and about....

there was a good article over at huffpo...about the election results being devastating for half the Nation and joyful for the other half....well I guess we Democarts are familiar with the big "D," been there, done that....I just hope the other side is, at least, half as classy as we were :))) in losing.....

yes, I am assuming the best...an Obama win....I am living dangerously....

trick or treat....ruth

yo dude...ette..

fyi...fear mongering is ole news...will not work this time even if some weird bin laden tape pops up before now and nov 4th!

i betcha u after tuesday u'll neva hear from that doodoo from 'laska again!

Palin says (she lied that is) that Obama will cut "defense" spending by a third: the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming, or, look there are some kids armed with twigs chanting passages from the Koran, bomb those children into itty bitty little pieces, ooo, whoops, we are already doing that, ummm,

What about those evil Chinese who own so much of our money . . .

Now there is a good reason for war!

Yeah . . .

Idiots

The clowns are knocking the door

Will you open it?

Everybody wants you
Everybody wants your love
I'd just like to make you mine all night

The night, this night, everybody calling
Calling for you
Can you hear?
Calling for your love

There, I was transported
Without moving a feet
I am still there and now

Flying as quick as snake on licked-floor
I was sniffing-wild in the dark
With blind-eyes-clarity
I knew I was on your traces...

Vote No to Proposition 8!

Second costliest campaign? Gay rights in Calif.

“Even the presidential candidates weighed in on Proposition 8: Sen. John McCain endorsed it and Sen. Barack Obama opposed it.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein oppose the measure, which critics say unfairly denies one group a basic right.

The founders of Google, Yahoo and Adobe Systems took out a newspaper ad Friday encouraging Silicon Valley residents to reject it.

If passed, it would overrule the state Supreme Court decision in May that said preventing gays from marrying was unlawful discrimination”.

People, this is a matter of separation of religious belief from that of government legislated law. Marriage may be held to be a religious precept in Islam, Judaism, and Chrisitanity, but government has no right to politically define “marriage” in these terms: this is the very definition of - freedom from others’ religious dictates -!

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

Amen

even the good people of zona have a ruff time voting for their dinosaur...it is now a toss up state...am gonna wager it is going barack blue...the ultimate rebuff of the decrepit ole dude.....

Dear poet jean
i love your poems
ice to water/water to ice
Wave of the sea
make me the Sea
double yo
anyone for a dip?

OK, so I'm laughing my socks off, almost, at the expense of Republicans. Gail Collins' column is just too funny. I think it's her good-natured, deadpan-comical irony that gets me, and the way she takes realities and finds pathos and humor in them at the same time. A sample:

"...The polls also suggest that Sarah Palin has, in two short months, managed to scare the pants off large portions of the population. Confidence seems to be plummeting not only in her own qualifications but in McCain’s overall ability to pick good assistants. These concerns were probably not allayed by the candidate’s promise to take Joe the Plumber to Washington with him.

"It also didn’t help when former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, a McCain supporter, was asked on NPR whether Palin would be ready on day one to step in if a crisis occurred.

"“Of course not,” Eagleburger responded.

"This was a particularly cruel blow since Eagleburger is not just one of the five former secretaries of state that the McCain campaign constantly cites as having endorsed the ticket. He is one of the four who McCain was actually able to remember during a recent interview on “Meet the Press.”..."

The whole thing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/opinion/01collins.html

(or click my name)

why is macinsane still sh.... in Penn? yo dude that is dem country!

and....poopy pantz...shut the &*^% up!

happy sunday all,

I just wanted to mention the fact that Americans across this Nation are standing in line to vote, early. These lines can have one waiting anywhere from one to 10 hours before you get to place your vote...truly remarkable, very partriotic, very socially responsible...in other words...great Amerians...no matter who their choice...that fact that they would go through such an inconvenience is great.

but the lines....I do not think I have ever waited more than 10 minutes to vote in all my times at the voting booths....

really, to make people wait this long is...simply put...UNAMERICAN....let us do something about this....what do we need to do to fix it?......

ya know...come to think of it...the first time I started to hear about probems with voting...from long lines to chads....it was the 2000 election when Bush stole that election....ya know we should have revolted....really...rather than let him get away with that....but you know us Democrats...always thinking about what is best for all of the Nation instead of just our political Party......no....it is time we take off the gloves....and get our voting process back on tract....

and ACORN.....paying people to register voters....what the F?........no....that is just asking for trouble...and it should be stopped NOW.
there will be no monies exchanged or other favors in order to register voters in this Nation....

and don't you homie repubs start blaming Barak Obama for Acorn...it isn't going to fly....

wow it is a bright sunny chilly morning this Nov 2....did you turn your clock back.....

Maureen Dowd has a good piece on John McCain this Sunday...wondering what went wrong with him and his campaign...

my take is this...the GOP knew that his chances were very slim going into the Republican Convention and so they decided to bring out the new generation of Republicans staring with their prize female...Sarah Palin....knowing, she was a long shot, but they had nothing to lose since they realized their loss this election already. But the thing about the republicans is that they are always on the BALL....and that they do not or will not mind giving up a battle to win eternity....so they said...Sarah is going to be our gail and we need to give her some air time...let the Nation get used to her great looks and, yes, we know, very annoying voice.....and she will grow on our very loyal Party supporters...and you can take that to the bank....and we can take her to 2012.....when, the Nation may be ready to dump the Dems, because we have left them an abyss filled to the brim with a quicksand of problems that Barak Obama will have to be hauling in bucket fulls day and night, to and from, the White House to the Senate day in and day out...it will just tire the sucker out for four years....then, we will bring back our gail Sarah.....and eternity will be ever closer in our sights....

that is why John McCain sacrified his presidental run, once again, for the good of this Party....he chose a pit-bull and she bit his head off and handed to to Tito the builder, and, he, in turn, handed it to Joe the plumber and I can't tell you what it did to it....let's just say....you might want to hold your nose.....

have a great day everyone, ruth

John McCain....took a hit for the Party...once again...thank John, all republicans thanks ya....especially our gail Sarah.....

the sad thing is ...she the one from 'laska thinks she's smart...when she can't even freakin' tell a 3rd grader what the role of VP is....after she's been asked the same question 4 times since july....eeeuuuhhhh!!!!!!.......

Hey Everyone
Alicia is doing better, still in critical condition but gaining some strength. Thanks for all the support.

And.......this carnival campaign is almost over. I'm dizzy from all the spinning. Get me off this crazy ride.

peace comes from peace

derek

derek

macane's bad judgments...

1...voted against Martin Luther King Junior holiday

2...crashed three planes ...in one case he did not know where the eject button was because he didn't see the need to read the manual...

3...voted for the iraq war and wants to stay there till the end of time...100 yrs?

4...picked a dumbell for vp....

5...tells us he represents change when he voted for bushnut 90% of the times...

yo dude...2 more days before we can bid u happy sunset...as u fade away into who was that nuisance?

and 2 more days to read the endless trash talk from three loyal, misguided amigos..

Quebec comedians shocked by global reaction to Sarah Palin prank.

MONTREAL - The Quebec comedians responsible for pranking Sarah Palin are getting the star treatment from the international media.

The duo known as "The Masked Avengers" is being interviewed by U.S. news networks one day after their prank call to the Republican vice-presidential nominee hit the Internet.

The Avengers - Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel - conned Palin into thinking she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081102/national/palin_prank_react

Thanks, Derek, for the news.

Hi Derek,

Good to read Alicia is doing better.

Keeping her in my prayers.

Love, Mieke

Hey Ed, you say, “Unless you truly meet me you cannot know what 'sucks' or 'God' means to me”.

Exactly my point. So why don’t you try and give us an idea, maybe some telepathic exchange will happen. We are on a blog where supernatural beings and omniscient deities are common and already know every outcome in advance. You can’t lose by trying.

You could also use Ruthie’s “straight talk express” rather than your own hazy, lazy “deep thought sedan”. Her political rants are fun to read and are well written at that. You don’t have to second-guess that lady and her political views but stay away from her poisoned fangs.

She told us a while back that her brain is wired for faith rather than reason, but she never told us how that was done. She seems to tell us that she found whatever she was looking for. The unfortunate thing about people who think they have found “it” is that they stop looking. They seem to know there is a God and that is that. But is that the way we should think in the twenty-first century?

Shouldn’t believers, agnostics, atheists, scientists, gurus and priests etc. be able to explain why they think there is a God and what this God looks like and what he does? Whether he listens to prayers and monitors all our actions or why it is unlikely that s/he even exists. What would be wrong with a discussion about faith, belief and yes, even science.

Neuroscience suggests that some brains are incapable to believe without evidence and some others incapable of that deep, investigating thought into spirituality. Many great minds, past and present, simply concluded that, “ if by God one means the set of physical laws that govern the universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally unsatisfying . . . it does not make much sense to pray to the law of gravity.

Those minds also feel “that skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense”.

“After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with colour, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it?”

Have a good month, everyone.

http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-candles-in-the-dark

11/3 Daily Kos R2K Tracking Poll: Obama 51, McCain 45
by DemFromCT

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/3/7263/52418/718/650180

Thanks Ed and Mieke
It still amazes me how our bodies are so fragile and so resilient.
This stuff called life that holds our atoms together long enough to express our love for one another is mysterious and miraculous.

Alicia has gone a week now without complications. The light and life inside her refuses diminish. Thank you all for the extra support.

from my rowboat
i watch the light dance
it plays with my eyes
while my heart is filled

the future is held in the anticipation of this very moment
the past is the fruity after taste of a moment well savored
the present is a feast

derek

morning Derek,

great news as to Alicia's recovery process...here is to her gaining health and strength each and everyday......ruth

Dear Derek,

So good to read your words. Wonders are always in our worlds if we can let them happen.

Your words are really comforting.

My mother and father residing here in my heart, still nurturing me, nurturing love towards Alicia from the bottom of my heart :)

Love, Mieke

#48 'Hazy, lazy, deep thought sedan'

That's a good line :))

I did write that I don't 'live' that far from Dawkins. I'm more a holistic overseer! (Head Gardener)
If we truly met, Michel, without prejudice, I would feel I had much more chance of developing my 'thesis for you' than, here with one lazy typing finger and a metaphor or two ;)
These little boxes are awful flat. One definitely needs a bit of synchronistic resonance in the reader.

coming away from politics, what do you guys think of last week's Hitchens versus Wolpe debate?

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/hitchens-vs-rabbi-on-god/

Blue

I'm loops of blown glass
like something by Chihuly
translucent blue
with a sprinkle of sand

light slides
along my curves
before it breaks away

in the distance
where the light has gone
where your eyes have gone
my blue is sky

the blue breaks
I become a beach
washed by your sea

dear Derek

my warm thoughts for Alicia, and all those loving & caring for her.

love, h

I was singing and dancing
on dance floors black-lighted

A step and another
Always without knowing where I could land

My body, suddenly, was asking attention
All these cells were intending from nucleus-change

Non-resistance, I was in spontenious-acknowledge mode
I'll be honest with you
This time the mutation direction was unknown

Let's say, from belly-bottom
One sensor was talkative and so sweetly-trusted

Seeking it's way up
Feeling it's back presence
I knew it was rock-solid good...

Rediscover your originality
Sit in your launch-base

Close your eyes
Open your dark-clarity

We are going back in our space
The final frontier
An inner-place where no man has gone before...

#54 Dear Heath, Hitchens/Wolpe debate:-

Thank you for bringing them to my attention!

Now, I know I'm not supposed to take sides, but at least one of them is a moron ;)

It's the 'why' they are a moron that I find difficult, nay impossible, without putting a finger on myself, lol.

jean, you voodoo me. I was thinking of Star Trek in my post to Deepak about how our collective unconscious has already changed due to it. But he knows it.
Also, dancing is my envisionment and blue is my solicitation. Whoooaaa...

Has anyone seen Quick Draw McGraw lately? I hope you have his back, Ed. I've entertained the thought of becoming someone I'm not.

afternoon everyone,

just saw on the news that Barak Obama's grandmother has died. to think that her grandson is on the verge of being the next President of the United States and she will not be here to witness this is truly sad, mostly, for Barak...I am sure it is as it should be but it seems as though the timing just sucks.....it is like one of the most important forces responsible for guiding Barak to this particular place in his life has taken leave.....mission accomplished...

you did a grand job grandma.....your grandson is a fine man.....who, most likely, will be a very fine leader for his Nation.....

somehow I am quite sure this grandma is resting in peace.....ruth

#60
"Now hoooooold on thar, Baba Looey! I'll do the "thinnin'" around here, and doooon't you forget e-it!"

The Ruff & Reddy Show was more my time ;)

You can be Ruff and I'll be Reddy!

OMG! LOL!

in the first results..in Dixville, New Hamshire..

'bama 71.43%...maninsane 28.57%

it's a sure sign of how things will turn....

u hear that RL, SH, KR, amigos?

joe the fake was on LK saying he's afraid of 'bama's tax plan...

well...the joker don't have to worry too much about that...he's makin' 40ks a year...

and at that rate he'd have to work 4 years to pay for poopy's wardrove!

I tried 4 times last week to vote, but the lines were at least 2 hours long.
soooo...
I will vote tomorrow (actually a little later today) and
I will wait in line,
for my vote to be cast for ...

Barack Obama.

Stay tuned ;-)

hi kate!

hi Derek,
as I walked earlier this evening, I was watching a neat looking sky go from blue to black, feeling the cool air and trying to count the stars in sparkling numbers! I sent a prayer to Alicia, and for her healing. Your love and care comes shining through for her. Thanks for sharing the good news today.

dear Mieke,
I pray the day of honoring your Mom was very special, as she was a special force and role model for you and her grandchildren. Love and Blessings to you,
always,
~ Kate

hi there, D
I am tuning into CNN,
and I too saw Joe 'the plumber'
making a case for McCain

I think I will be staying up for a while,
17 hours to go ...
:-)

and Diablo,
what do you think
of Bay Buchanan
She is something!

The first results of this election

Dixville Notch, NH, gives us (per tradition) our first real results of the 2008 election:

Obama: 15
McCain: 6

In 2004:

Bush 19
Kerry 7

Good start, huh? Especially considering this little hamlet in the middle of nowhere (population 75) is quite Republican:

2000:

Bush 21
Gore 5

1996:

Dole 18
Clinton 8

1992:

Bush 15
Perot 8
Clinton 2

1988:

Bush 34
Dukakis 3

hey Diablo,
will you be watching CNN for the coverage?

Have you ever been to Manassas?
I grew up in Arlington - and
I have been many times to the battlefield there,
and
imagine ...
90 thousand people coming out
tonight
to hear Barack Obama!

I am so glad I went to see him speak two weeks ago. If elected he will never be as accessible as when he campaigned.

He is inspiring, and brings so much excitement and hope to his run for Presidency. Not to mention,(but I must :)
policies I believe which will help America recover from the 8 years of
BushCo.

kate...

bay is delusional and bummy...i mute the TV every time she spills her poo...

Hmmmm . . .

emperor...what sayeth u?

The US Presidential Election - An Announcement

A MESSAGE FROM HRH THE QUEEN ELIZABETH 11

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves properly, we hereby revoke,renounce and declare to be void and of no effect your so called declaration of independence.
(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary).

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories forming the Union or any part thereof (exceptfor Kansas, which she does not particularly fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate are hereby dissolved and disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
-----------------------
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
------------------------
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English.. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
-------------------
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
-----------------
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you cannot sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you are not ready to shoot grouse..
----------------------
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
----------------------
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
--------------------
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
-------------------
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
-------------------
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. Australian beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
---------------------
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
---------------------
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies)..
---------------------
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Australians first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

13. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the immediate collection of all tax monies due (backdated to 1776).
---------------
God Save the Queen!

Oh, I say, chappies......tea anyone?

HRH Lizzie

Hi Kate,

Am grateful to share with you and everyone those special feelings our whole family and friends felt during my mother's life celebration.

Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have woven her life story into a very moving happening. It was emotional, but it felt so good and we all are grateful for what she has meant in our lives. She now rests safely and peacefully in our hearts.

Am sure Barack Obama and his family will feel the same deep gratitude towards the great woman, Baracks Grandmother, who has played such a large role in his upbringing.

Thank you everyone, also on behalf of my family, for your expressed sympathy towards us here on IB. We all have experienced this as very comforting and to me it will always be a memory of friendship through life and death that are so closely connected together.

Good luck America today with the election. It will be an exciting day for you all.

Am closely watching this happening with you, as will many in the whole world.

Blessings and love from

Mieke

Hello everyone

Have been away for the past week and am just now catching up with IB.

Mieke

My heartfelt condolences to you on your Mother's
passing. I know she will be in your heart always.
Blessings to you dear lady.

derek

Much love to Alicia and I wish her a speedy recovery to dance again. Much love to you.

Love
B

Am off to vote.

i hear poopy pantz went to 'laska to cast her vote...who cares!

well whoopy...u can stay there 'cause it wont be necessary for u to come back...maybe u can start planning ur next moose kill...dang!

Election Day prayer by Anna...

Daybreak....

Today America will have a new President
that goes without saying
it's election day,
in the year of our Lord, 2008.
We'll all walk the talk of the
one majority vote will have elected
for four years more
at least
unless the vote is hijacked
as it happened before,
Bless us O lord,
I pray we will not have taken
another step towards
the end of life on earth
without heaven.
without just reward
and salvation for one
and all.

The world is counting on us
to get it right and to stop
the insanity of might makes right.

Permanent Nightfall?

~A
_________________
"Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world." Shri Ramana Maharshi

morning all,

well, I do not know what I am happier about getting to finally vote for the next President or the fact that the campaign is over....finised...done...double done.....:))))

getting ready to go to my polling booth and pull the lever for the double lefty-liberal, marxist, socialist, terrorist friendly "that one" who is also known as the "unaccomplished" one....Barak Hussein Obama....I am going to go with a few folks who are the same "ilk" as myself.....

then we may wander over to a Starbucks for a free coffee....

yes, the day has arrived.....we can kiss Bush and Cheney goodbye....well, kiss is a bit extravagant more like....hey....don't let the door smack you in the behind on the way out.....but could ya get a move on?

off I go....ruth

I think Obama will win....but if he doesn't ....

whoa nelly!!! gonna be funny....gonna be laughing my ass off....

little chucky schumer feeling so cocky he's already promoting the fairness doctrine this morning.....

hmmmm....

hmmmmmmm....

hmmmmmmmmmm....

Flip the Switch

Can we flip the switch one day?
Can we one day wake not saying,
“what is in it for me”!?
Instead of “inherent” greed;
could we nurture in humankind a nature ruled
by the Golden Rule?

Instead of saying, “I want to go to Tahiti for two weeks”,
could we all individually think,
“how could I make this world better for you”.
Could we all gather in our city’s square
and resolve to make our community self-sufficient?
Could we resolve to freely share between D.C. & L.A.?

Can the plumber and electrician unify in labor?
Can the artist and the ditch-digger freely exchange?
Can society and the doctor reform the deadbeat,
by asking for community service instead of a fee?
Can the cosmetic surgeon unlearn breast implants
and instead learn to save lives with heart transplants?

Could we make our shared number one priority be to
give the best care possible to old and young alike?
Could this unify all of us in-between;
the ideal that health care can be available to all for free!?
For free could we get a cell phone in the hand of every
person in the world? Would we need to?

A flip of the switch, a blink of the eye;
could humanity change overnight?
Could bankers, lawyers, lenders, traders,
insurers, realtors, economic speculators,
etc., ad nauseam,
learn to fish, farm, and plant gardens!?

Instead of selling and buying guns and butter,
could we instead ensure all lands abundantly flow
with milk and honey?
Could we withdraw troops from over a hundred nations,
and let them build their own democracies!?
Will we one day dissolve national boundaries?

Can one person with one vote protect the minority?
Can we imagine a president-less democracy?
Can humanity achieve world peace in the 21st century?
I think so. What do you think? The day is coming,
mayhap one day soon, like the flip of a switch,
in the blink of an eye, like a thief in the night;

a day will come when everything will be alright.
Our earthbound consciousness has cybernetically
met above the clouds, and daily grows
this unearthly communion: humanity enlightened
alights upon this formerly dark world. A cosmic choir
comprising the world entire descends from the sky.

Heavenly words, the son of man, conquers worldly desires!
(Next blog: my theological justification for this belief!).

pax vobiscum

Dear Bonnie,

Thanks so much, love to you!

Just had a little fun on this site:

http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/

Lol, I was able myself to click everything blue, so Obama did win in every state :)

But same could be done the other way around: click everything red :)

Intuitively I went for Obama...

i dont remember the fairness doc but heard lots about it...

its time drug addict, lardass limpbag and his ditto-heads get a run for his money....