Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy...History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."- Martin Luther King Jr

Since Friday, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has escalated to previously unimaginable levels.

Over the past five days, Gaza has been completely shut off from the rest of the world due to an Israeli - and Egyptian-enforced - closure of all border crossings. By Sunday, approximately 800,000 Gazans were left without electricity as Gaza’s only power plant ran out of fuel.

Many of the hospitals and medical clinics were also left with dwindling medical supplies and little to no fuel to power generators. As a result, approximately 75 Palestinians have already died from the closure, and a number of patients in intensive care units have died as their emergency life support equipment cannot function without electricity. Many hospitals are forced to choose which equipment to keep running: dialysis machines, neonatal units, or heart and oxygen machines.


Israeli peace groups have braced dipping temperates and rain-sodden grounds at the Erez border crossing to try to get food aid through to Palestinians in Gaza [EPA]

The Israeli military has prevented an aid convoy organised by Israeli human rights organisations, peace activists, and former military personnel, from reaching needy families in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Since Saturday, Israeli groups have braved dipping temperatures and the unusually rain-sodden grounds of the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, hoping that Israeli authorities would allow five tonnes of food through.

"We just thought that the blockade of Gaza is wrong, that starving people and preventing them from having basic human rights like food, fuel and water is not the solution," said Rachel Aharoni, 17, from Tel Aviv.

Israel Bars Aid Convoy to Gaza

MUST IT TAKE GAS CHAMBERS TO DECLARE THE EVENTS IN GAZA A HOLOCAUST?

World's Largest Pool - San Alfonso del Mar

This South American resort of San Alfonso del Mar in Chile, has made the Guinness World Records as being the world's largest swimming pool. The pool is equivalent in size to 6,000 standard domestic pools.


And yes that is a sail boat sailing IN the pool!

http://www.sanalfonso.cl/

Confrontation - 1 Giant Leap

Man is the only animal that blushes, or needs too - Mark Twain

Even though our people are living and adapting into this lifestyle, it's very important that we keep our dreaming alive for our young ones our children's identity - Australian Aborginal

Hidden Faces of Africa

beautiful!

Music Makes You Happy - 1 Giant Leap

Music is,to me proof of the existence of God. It is extraordinarily full of magic , and in tought times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference - Kurt Vonnegut

"From sound, everything physical has come" - Scientist Philosopher

Yo Mama Bin Barack

American media's new past time - say or print nasty racist, gender bashing things about Obama and Hiliary - or anyone else for that matter. Then come back and state you really didn't mean to hurt anyone. Ask for forgiveness, then say you were sooooo wrong in saying or printing what you did. But the whole point is getting these ugly messages out.

Have the wealthy gotten so rich off the subprime mortgage, insider stock market trading, and betting the euro against the dollar - they have nothing better to do than bash race and gender? And this was the week I was trying to devote to blogging about diversity and respect of other cultures *smch* . . . just a traveler

The Hampton's is a wealthy community located on the Eastern seaboard. Just like the nasty article in Investor's Business Daily, these uppity cowards don't even have the nerve to pin their names to their racists articles . . . just a traveler

LOW TIDINGS - The Independent
Why I Should Be Our Next President - By Yo Mama Bin Barack

My name is YoMama Bin Barack, and I want to be your next president so together we can begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.

My opponents say I live in a dream world. That may well be true, for I believe in the dream of Doctor Martin Luther King, the dream that all men are created equal.

His words resonate in my very being: "Some day, you too can be a black man who makes a difference in this country, and you too can be called 'Doctor' even though you are not a doctor of any kind." I believe that, and someday I hope people will call me Doctor YoMama. In fact, I hope someday people will call me President Doctor YoMama (but please don't call me Luther, I hate that name).

I was telling this very thing to my wife AliBama the other night while we were in bed, umm, praying. I said, "AliBama, I want to be your next president so together we can begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."

And she said, "YoMama, then why don't you cut out the president shit and get a real job and make some freakin' money?" But I explained I have plenty of money, because bleeding heart liberal Democrats from all across this vast country of ours have felt it in their hearts to send a contribution to my campaign so I can begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today and also because I need to buy my little daughter Bama Slamma a PlayStation so she will get off my back.

Why do I think I am the best candidate for the job? Look at my resume – it speaks for itself.

Educational background: Doctorate

Military background: I was the first black troop leader of the Boy Scouts Troop 43 in my home state of Illinois. Well, that's not quite true, because they didn't let black kids in the Boy Scouts, so I lied and said I was Hawaiian, which I kind of am, sort of. You see, part of my strategy of becoming our first black president is to deny I am black unless I am campaigning in Harlem. The truth is, I don't know many black people, but my advisors have drafted a strategy to reel in the black vote:

1) Call everyone "Brother." Blacks, I am told, do this, even if their real brothers are mostly in jail.

2) Talk Jive. Brothers want to hear jive. During my speech I told the crowd "We be, you know, sick of whitey supressin' and congestin' so, you know, we won't denigrate or sophisticate but emulate and populate, you know, the system is, like, broken, y'all!"

I have no idea what that means. The black folk loved it, though, so they all vowed to vote for me. The New York Times covered it, but they are so afraid of saying something racist they twisted my words around and reported:

"Yesterday in Harlem YoMama articulated his vision of a new America, an America with less congestion, a country free of drug use, a world without segregation or racism where citizens emulate the lives of great Americans like YoMama, John F. Kennedy and Doctor Martin Luther King."

So you see, there is my strategy. I get the black vote, I get the white vote, and then I go after the female vote by attacking that bitch Hillary for being the Nasty Witch from Hell.

Anyhow, girls think I'm cute. I'm kind of like Will Smith, except he's got those Dumbo ears and mine are normal. So, for the next six months, I am going to fly all over the country, and every place I speak I am going to tell the people:

"As Americans, we can take enormous pride in the fact that courage has been inspired by our own struggle for freedom, by the tradition of democratic law secured by our forefathers and enshrined in our Constitution. It is a tradition that says all men are created equal under the law and that no one is above it."

To be honest, I have no idea what that means. If you analyze it carefully, it really doesn't mean anything. But it sounds like something a president or a doctor would say. I can make that speech every day and no matter how many times I do the stupid newspapers will report it differently. They will make me sound like the smart, young, new voice of America, because most editors out there figure anything is better than having a cow like Hillary Clinton snorking around the White House making weasel deals again.

Ultimately, if she gets too close, one of my New York advisors has advised me to, "Bitch slap that ho." White women, I am told, like that. (Black women, on the other hand, do not. I tried that once on AliBama and she beat the living shit out of me.)

Of course, I also have to contend with John Edwards. My strategy is to ignore him until he actually manages to win a primary. Since he's, like, zero for 43 so far, that should be the end of him. You see, Mr. Edwards hasn't figured out that to win an election some people have to actually vote for you. (If he does make a run at me, I might consider bitch slapping him, as he is somewhat of a Pretty Boy if you get my jist.)

In closing, I humbly ask for your vote on Election Day, even if I did hang around the school yard and smoke pot when I was getting my Doctorate in Blackstuff. And, oh, by the way, I am in the process of finding out how I can also call myself "Reverend." I have a call in to Al Sharpton.

Thanks Thanks for visiting The Independent

The above link is still "live" as of this posting, and I copied every world. Now the Got Cha - I'm Soooo Sorry game begins. Co-owner Rick Murphy has offered an apology after receiving soooooo many e-mails and calls. *smch*

"Apology" - By Rick Murphy
Our Low Tidings "humor" column that appeared in last week's issue of The Independent that was supposed to satirically address the increasing hostility between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was ill conceived and offensive. The Independent, a multicultural employer with a 13-year history of diversity, apologizes for this lapse of judgment. The column has been removed from our website and a complete apology will be printed in next week's issue.

Actually, the apology he sent to those who sent e-mails critical of the article sound soooooooo much more heartfelt. *smch*

I wanted to personally respond to you as co-publisher and co-owner of The Independent. Our "Low Tidings" humor column was way off the mark and we sincerely apologize for this shoddy attempt at satire. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive us -- we are a multicultural employer (our highest paid employee happens to be a man of color) and this crude attempt at humor was obviously offensive and in retrospect should never have been printed. We have pulled it from the Internet and an apology will be posted.
Rick Murphy

Money and Cheap Labor - 1 Giant Leap

1 Giant Leap - Money

"the meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights"

1 Giant Leap is a collaborative dvd project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe to celebrate diversity of musicians, story-tellers, authors, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers from many different cultures.




www.1giantleap.tv - www.1giantleap.com

Masks - 1 Giant Leap

One Giant Leap - Masks Part 1

many of us do not take time to really consider the roles we play, and the masks we all put on for the world. are we afraid to show the world who we really are? just a traveler

"There will be a time to put a on face to meet the faces that you meet" - T.S. Elliott

"It's you who define which "I" you think of when you say , "I" - Ram Dass

1 Giant Leap is a collaborative dvd project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe to celebrate diversity of musicians, story-tellers,authors, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers from many different cultures.

Masks Part 1




Masks Part 2



www.1giantleap.tv - www.1giantleap.com

Life is Like Braided Hair

Things that make us cool,Things that make us whack,
Things that make us mad - Things we wish we never had done
But they're just the things that make us real
Not the maps to guide where we go from here
The road twists and braids our hair - Until we all get there


"Braided Hair" music video - "1 Giant Leap"

1 Giant Leap is a collaborative dvd project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe to celebrate diversity of musicians, story-tellers,
authors, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers from many different cultures.



www.1giantleap.tv - www.1giantleap.com

1 Giant Leap - Unity in Diversity - Music

Exploing the Unity in the Diversity', blending different styles of music. Michael Stipe sings "The Way You Dream" with Asha Bhosle from India. just a traveler

1 Giant Leap is a collaborative dvd project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe to celebrate diversity of musicians, story-tellers,
authors, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers from many different cultures.



View Previous Video - 1 Giant Leap - My Culture

www.1giantleap.tv - www.1giantleap.com

1 Giant Leap - My Culture

i'm on a theme this week - global diversity. what if we all - or most of us - could take that 1 Giant Leap? just a traveler

One Giant Leap - Maxi Jazz & Robbie Wiliams - My Culture

I am the sum total of my ancestors - I carry their DNA. We are the representatives of a long line of people, and we carry them around everywhere - a long line of people that go back to the beginning of time - when we meet, they meet.

1 Giant Leap is a collaborative dvd project for the 21st century, which fuses music, words, sounds, rhythms and images from over 25 locations in 20 countries around the globe to celebrate diversity of musicians,story-tellers,authors, filmmakers, artists, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers from many different cultures.



View 1st Video - Unity in Diversity


www.1giantleap.tv - www.1giantleap.com

Political Practice Of Caging Outlawed

Washington Post investigative reporter Bob Woodward does not know what "caging" means. Well don't feel bad Bob, I didn't know, and I bet most people don't either. The term "caging" most recently gained attention in the U.S. attorney scandal. What is "caging" you ask, well read on and be enlightened - just a traveler

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) yesterday introduced the Caging Prohibition Act of 2008, which would outlaw the practice of voter caging.

Homeless Veterans

Approximately "10% to 20% of Marines and soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq may have suffered" traumatic brain injury. Yet according to an Army task force study released yesterday, there are "major gaps" in identifying and treating the injury that "were created by a lack of coordination and policy-driven approaches."

And almost 200,000 are homeless - just a traveler


195,000 Veterans Homeless

Grammy Awards In Flight Concert

kind of a cool idea - just a traveler . . .

Five-time Grammy winner John Legend will perform an acoustic in-flight concert onboard.

Delta Air Lines' new Grammy-branded aircraft for lucky music fans will fly from New York to Los Angeles for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

As the Official Airline of the awards, Delta is partnering with The Recording Academy to host the performance.

Passengers will receive a boarding pass for Delta's "Grammy Flight," which departs New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 7 en route to Los Angeles International Airport.

For complete contest rules and regulations, visit www.cbs.com.

For more information, visit www.delta.com.

A Spade and The Hoe - A Limbaugh Parody

It's no secret Russ Limbaugh hates Hiliary Clinton, and he also likes to "joke" around about Barack Obama - but in a friendly games of "spades" *wink*































Spadework - a common term among political figures and the media
Spade - Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a Black person
Hoe - Not the garden variety in this particular parody
The Garden - Clinton Corruption

Hiliary stated that her opponent had not done his spadework, which as stated above is a common term used in political circles.
And Russ was only so happy to run with it . . . just a traveler

January 14 edition of his radio program, Limbaugh declared: "For all of her (Clinton's) BS about being a victim and piling on, Obama is holding his own against both of them (Bill and Hillary Clinton), doing more than his share of the "spadework," maybe even gaining ground at the moment, using not only the "spade", ladies and gentlemen.

But when he finishes with the "spade" in the "garden" of corruption planted by the Clintons, he turns to the"hoe" - and so the "spadework" and his expertise, using a "hoe". He's faring well."

Later in this same radio program, responding to a "popular demand" replay from his listeners, Limbaugh repeated the opening monologue in which he used the term "spade" two more times.

LIMBAUGH: OK. By popular demand -- also getting requests to repeat what I just did. I can't. It'll be on the website, folks, and don't -- it's a theme I'm gonna continue carrying throughout the year, so sit tight.

We are gonna replay the opening show monologue when we come back here from the break at the top of the hour. If you missed it, you're gonna hear it. If you heard it, you're gonna like hearing it again.
_____________________________
Now we know the game by now. Take something relevant - put a twist on it, send out code words, or have someone else do it for you. When called on it - let's see it's either(1) a heart felt apology (2) an "unintended" slip up (3) the blame game, which starts the process all over again, or (4) completely avoid the situation and let your opponent respond.

But how far are we willing to let this go? Let's face it, we are not one big happy family, although we say we aspire to be. This kind of thinking and behavior has a price - and this country can't afford to pay - especially in one of the most important elections this country faces.

Some of you who read this may think this is harmless fun. Well I'm not going to try to change your mind, but for sure there are Americans who know what time it is. These are the people who are losing their homes, jobs, and the soldiers at war. Millions are sick, and can't even get decent health care while people are playing games. And it won't be so funny when this dollar finally takes the last nose dive on the global market. Most Americans missed this coming during the past few years - getting sucked into too many B.S. games and diversions.

The news media continues to feed this race and gender bashing for laughs and ratings - and let's throw the politicians, their friends and supporters in this too.

But if CHANGE is truly what we want, then we have to put a stop to getting caught up in things that only serve the interest of those whose only goal is taking our money, and giving us little to nothing - oh but we do have lots of hurtful gossip, along with an odd habit of tearing people down. Yeah, see if that puts food on the table, gas in the tank, and keeps a roof over your head.

Read about media distortions at Media Matters

Top 10 Things to Know About iPods

listening to my "Nano", i ran across this article today. Apple has me hooked - i luv my Nano! - just a traveler.

1. This format is completely incompatible with any other digital music technology.

2. Apple charges users for technical support.

3. It is very fragile - dropping it just once can cause damage to the product and it cracks easily.

4. Once 15,000 songs are on an individual’s iPod, Apple will not permit the user to transfer them to another computer or any other device, otherwise it will be considered copyright infringement. *smch*

5. The battery’s capacity decreases by approximately 20% after charging it about 400 times.

6. A person’s hearing may be damaged by constant/excessive use of the insert earphones that comes along with the iPod.

7. It’s possible that as soon as an iPod is purchased, a new model is set for release the next day.

8. Theft of the iPod is becoming common crime.

9. Apple charges extra fees for items that once used to come along with products (chargers, cords that hook up the iPod to the TV, etc.)

10. Once you start using one, you’re stuck for life.

According to WorldStart.com

Find the Top Ten Things on Everything

The Power of One

i am inspired today by the "power of one" - each of us are so powerful, yet we have no clue . . . just a traveler

"If the average person realized the power he wields over his life and destiny, he would live in a perpetual state of wonder and thanksgiving." -- Earl Nightingale

"Power tires only those who do not have it." -- Giulio Andreotti

"Power is so characteristically calm, that calmness in itself has the aspect of strength." -- Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton


"The power of one is above all things the power to believe in yourself. Often well beyond any latent ability previously demonstrated. The mind is the athlete, The body is simply the means it uses." -- Bryce Courtenay

Happy Birthday MLK

it's good to get back on a positive note - and give respect to where it's due - just a traveler . . .

King directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people, and delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

He was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became a world figure for peace.

Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

Bob Johnson Is A Disgrace

The founder of BET, Bob Johnson really took this political campaign to a new low yesterday. It amazes me that the first female candidate for U.S. President would allow a man whose network portrays negative, sterotypical images of women would have this man - of all people - stand next to her.

Does she really think the majority of the Black community has any respect for Bob Johnson?

I was also going to also post a YouTube video of Johnson's latest movie Who's Your Caddy", but thought against it because "Google" might flag my blog for inappropriate sexual images. Yes Bob Johnson is a disgrace!

When I heard Johnson's speech at Hiliary's campaign ralley, I was shocked . . . Bob Johnson talking about "morality" - and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"? This has gone too far - just a traveler

Global Expeditions for High School Students

wish i had known about this when i was in high school because travel definitely opens your mind up to so many possibilities. heads up to those of you who are visting this page - pass this info along to a high school or their parents - just a traveler


This new program is geared towards high school students to combines education and adventure in some of the world’s most interesting places like Belize, the Caribbean, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galápagos, India, Iceland, Ireland, Mali, Peru, Spain and Tanzania. The program is usually three weeks long.

On each student expedition a National Geographic expert, a photographer, writer, researcher or explorer, joins the group for three to seven days of the trip.

All expeditions are headed by a team of college graduates pursuing careers in journalism, photography, filmmaking, science and other fields - and they have knowledge of the destination and a desire to share their love of travel with students.

For more information or to receive a copy of the 2008 National Geographic Student Expeditions catalog, call (877) 877-8759 or visit www.ngstudentexpeditions.com.

20 Trends Sweeping the Globe - In Pictures

forbes has an interesting article on global trends, along with pics. wanna find out what the newest global trends are - read this and head on over and find out - just a traveler

Korean pop stars fuse Latin and hip-hop sounds. A Muslim comic book gives Superman a run for his money. American gym rats learn to dance like Bollywood stars.

Welcome to the global zeitgeist.

The next big thing can come from anywhere, and once it bubbles up, easy communication means it can find fans around the world at a previously unthinkable pace.

As young people game, network and gossip with counterparts around the globe, what's big with Bangalore teens can suddenly pop up in a Boston high school. But speed of transmission isn't the only thing that's changed in global pop culture. New low-culture trends used to travel mostly from the West to the rest of the world.

Now, popular culture marches just as often in the opposite direction.

Japanese animation style infuses American cartoons, while Tokyo teens' fashion taste is imitated around the world. One of the U.S.'s newest fast-food franchises, Mr. Lee's, specializes in banh mi--Vietnamese sandwiches.

Read full article at Forbes

DC Altruism Still Under Attack

I posted this awhile ago, and reposting again.
Got an update today from one of my friends on MySpace, and the issue is currently in litigation. It is a slow process. However, they would be very grateful if we continued to send e-mails. So please, send some e-mails to D.C. city officials and help this worthy cause - just a traveler

What would make a retired federal worker with a master's degree end up housing the homeless and drug addicted? Well some people are like that - they see the best of the worst situations, and just jump in and make a difference.

Harold said, "One day I'm walking my dog and I saw this old carriage house and thought, why not use that?" he says. "First time in the door I had to walk through a snowdrift. A homeless man, covered in snow, was sleeping in it."

Against the wishes of some Capitol Hill residents who didn't want his homeless clients around, Gordon got a 10-year lease to rent the space from the city. With the help of donated labor and material, he turned the stable with grain troughs into offices. With grants and sweat, he has grown CAG into a successful drug-rehabilitation organization that has housed and trained and uplifted thousands in buildings around Capitol Hill.

If you agree that the CAG should be allowed to remain in the Carriage House then please send a message to Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, and the City Council.

It doesn't matter where you live or who you are. Please let them know that the eyes of the world are upon them. All it will cost is a few minutes of your time, and then count yourself as another person helping to make a difference.

For people using web based e-mail here is a list of those addresses:
mayor@dc.gov
vgray@dccouncil.us
callen@dccouncil.us
tshuford@dccouncil.us
lobrien@dccouncil.us
amaier@dccouncil.us
For more information, visit this site

We're IN A Recession

i'm so tired of hearing for so long that the U.S. MAY go into recession.

finally someone with some clout has the guts to just say the truth - we are IN a recession!

of course the headlines is in the UK paper - that's one of the reasons i read foreign papers - you would be surprised what the media keeps off it's front pages.

will any of the presidential candidates admit to this? don't hold your breath - just a traveler

The US has entered its first full-blown economic recession in 16 years, according to investment bank Merrill Lynch.

Merrill, itself one of Wall Street's biggest casualties of the sub-prime crisis, is the first major bank to declare that a recession in the world's biggest economy is now underway.

Rosenberg, well-respected on Wall Street, argues: "According to our analysis, this (recession) isn't even a forecast any more but is a present day reality."

Four key barometers used by the National Bureau of Economic Research, and all four of these barometers peaked around the November-December period:
1. Employment
2 Real personal income
3 Industrial production
4 Real sales activity in retail and manufacturing.

Full article at Telegraph UK - US recession is already here, warns Merrill

Polar Bears Get No Respect

personally i have always liked polar bears - evidently bush does not. but then this administration has done virtually nothing about climate change. doesn't this bear deserve to eat and live? - just a traveler

The Bush Administration will miss Wednesday's deadline to issue a final Endangered Species Act listing determination for the polar bear due to global warming, conservation groups announced their intent to go to court to enforce the deadline.

The administration was required by law to make its decision by Wednesday following its proposal one year ago, but announced Monday that it expects to "finalize the decision within the next month."

The Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace will begin legal action Wednesday with a formal notice to sue as required by the Endangered Species Act.

Polar bears live only in the Arctic and are dependent on sea ice for their essential needs.

In September 2007, scientists reported that the Arctic cap has lost 1 million square miles - an area six times the size of California.

The U.S. Geological Service predicts that two-thirds of the world's polar bear population will likely be extinct by 2050, including all polar bears within the United States.

Read full article at ENN

China Ice Festival Melting From Climate Change

Chinese scientists have warned that climate change is hurting the most famous draw in the northern city of Harbin - its annual ice sculpture contest.

Average annual temperatures in the city perched on the edge of Siberia hit 6.6 degrees Celsius (44 Fahrenheit) last year, the highest average since records began, and the ice sculptures are feeling the heat.

In the beginning of December 2002, ice lanterns in Harbin melted right after they were sculpted. What came out of the work was sweaty ice sculptures.

Read full article at ENN
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/28831

U.S. Presidential Candidate Travel Scorecard for 2008

The next U.S. President needs to be well traveled, and have some knowledge of the rest of the world. I ran across an interesting article over at World Hum blog on the presidential candidates travel habits -
just a traveler





- Which candidate is most likely to be identified as an American abroad
- Who served in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps
- Whose website specifically credits travel for informing his political views
- What travel guide best suits John McCain
- Where’s Hillary Clinton’s dream destination
- And you got to check out Obama and that cowboy hat!

Click here to read the article

Obama Winner in Iowa

have to admit i never thought he could beat hiliary - just a traveler

Obama wins Iowa with 37% - here's his full speech

Ten months ago, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., and began an unlikely journey to change America.

I did not run for the presidency to fulfill some long-held ambition or because I believed it was somehow owed to me. I chose to run in this election — at this moment — because of what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.” Because we are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our health care system is broken, our economy is out of balance, our education system fails too many of our children, and our retirement system is in tatters.

At this defining moment, we cannot wait any longer for universal health care. We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait for good jobs, and living wages, and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to halt global warming, and we cannot wait to end this war in Iraq.

I chose to run because I believed that the size of these challenges had outgrown the capacity of our broken and divided politics to solve them; because I believed that Americans of every political stripe were hungry for a new kind of politics, a politics that focused not just on how to win but why we should, a politics that focused on those values and ideals that we held in common as Americans; a politics that favored common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin.

Most of all, I believed in the power of the American people to be the real agents of change in this country — because we are not as divided as our politics suggests; because we are a decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations; and I was certain that if we could just mobilize our voices to challenge the special interests that dominate Washington and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there was no problem we couldn’t solve — no destiny we couldn’t fulfill.

Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated that faith. You’ve come out in the blistering heat and the bitter cold not just to cheer, but to challenge — to ask the tough questions; to lift the hood and kick the tires; to serve as one place in America where someone who hasn’t spent their life in the Washington spotlight can get a fair hearing.

You’ve earned the role you play in our democracy because no one takes it more seriously. And I believe that’s true this year more than ever because, like me, you feel that same sense of urgency.

All across this state, you’ve shared with me your stories. And all too often they’ve been stories of struggle and hardship.

I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses, and from those who still can’t afford their prescriptions because Congress refused to negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price.

I’ve met Maytag workers who labored all their lives only to see their jobs shipped overseas; who now compete with their teenagers for $7-an-hour jobs at Wal-Mart.

I’ve spoken with teachers who are working at doughnut shops after school just to make ends meet, who are still digging into their own pockets to pay for school supplies.

Just two weeks ago, I heard a young woman in Cedar Rapids who told me she only gets three hours of sleep because she works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister with cerebral palsy. She spoke not with self-pity but with determination, and wonders why the government isn’t doing more to help her afford the education that will allow her to live out her dreams.

I’ve spoken to veterans who talk with pride about what they’ve accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq, but who nevertheless think of those they’ve left behind and question the wisdom of our mission in Iraq; the mothers weeping in my arms over the memories of their sons; the disabled or homeless vets who wonder why their service has been forgotten.

And I’ve spoken to Americans in every corner of the state, patriots all, who wonder why we have allowed our standing in the world to decline so badly, so quickly. They know this has not made us safer. They know that we must never negotiate out of fear, but that we must never fear to negotiate with our enemies as well as our friends. They are ashamed of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and warrantless wiretaps and ambiguity on torture. They love their country and want its cherished values and ideals restored.

It is precisely because you’ve experienced these frustrations, and seen the cost of inaction in your own lives, that you understand why we can’t afford to settle for the same old politics. You know that we can’t afford to allow the insurance lobbyists to kill health care reform one more time, and the oil lobbyists to keep us addicted to fossil fuels because no one stood up and took their power away when they had the chance.

You know that we can’t afford four more years of the same divisive food fight in Washington that’s about scoring political points instead of solving problems; that’s about tearing your opponents down instead of lifting this country up.

We can’t afford the same politics of fear that tells Democrats that the only way to look tough on national security is to talk, act and vote like George Bush Republicans; that invokes 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a challenge that should unite all Americans to defeat our real enemies.

We can’t afford to be so worried about losing the next election that we lose the battles we owe to the next generation.

The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. And that’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high.

In this election, it is time to turn the page. In seven days, it is time to stand for change.

This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must be catching on, because in these last few weeks, everyone is talking about change.

But you can’t at once argue that you’re the master of a broken system in Washington and offer yourself as the person to change it. You can’t fall in line behind the conventional thinking on issues as profound as war and offer yourself as the leader who is best prepared to chart a new and better course for America.

The truth is, you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. I believe deeply in those words. But they are not mine. They were Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when Washington insiders questioned his readiness to lead.

My experience is rooted in the lives of the men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I fought for as an organizer when the local steel plant closed. It’s rooted in the lives of the people I stood up for as a civil rights lawyer when they were denied opportunity on the job or justice at the voting booth because of what they looked like or where they came from. It’s rooted in an understanding of how the world sees America that I gained from living, traveling and having family beyond our shores — an understanding that led me to oppose this war in Iraq from the start. It’s experience rooted in the real lives of real people, and it’s the kind of experience Washington needs right now.

There are others in this race who say that this kind of change sounds good, but that I’m not angry or confrontational enough to get it done.

Well, let me tell you something, Iowa. I don’t need any lectures on how to bring about change, because I haven’t just talked about it on the campaign trail. I’ve fought for change all my life.

I walked away from a job on Wall Street to bring job training to the jobless and after-school programs to kids on the streets of Chicago.

I turned down the big-money law firms to win justice for the powerless as a civil rights lawyer.

I took on the lobbyists in Illinois and brought Democrats and Republicans together to expand health care to 150,000 people and pass the first major campaign finance reform in 25 years; and I did the same thing in Washington when we passed the toughest lobbying reform since Watergate. I’m the only candidate in this race who hasn’t just talked about taking power away from lobbyists, I’ve actually done it. So if you want to know what kind of choices we’ll make as president, you should take a look at the choices we made when we had the chance to bring about change that wasn’t easy or convenient.

That’s the kind of change that’s more than just rhetoric — that’s change you can believe in.

It’s change that won’t just come from more anger at Washington or turning up the heat on Republicans. There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. And although the Republican operatives in Washington might not be interested in hearing what we have to say, I think Republican and independent voters outside of Washington are. That’s the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have in this election.

For the first time in a long time, we have the chance to build a new majority of not just Democrats, but independents and Republicans who’ve lost faith in their Washington leaders but want to believe again — who desperately want something new.

We can change the electoral math that’s been all about division and make it about addition — about building a coalition for change and progress that stretches through blue states and red states. That’s how I won some of the reddest, most Republican counties in Illinois. That’s why the polls show that I do best against the Republicans running for president — because we’re attracting more support from independents and Republicans than any other candidate. That’s how we’ll win in November and that’s how we’ll change this country over the next four years.

In the end, the argument we are having between the candidates in the last seven days is not just about the meaning of change. It’s about the meaning of hope. Some of my opponents appear scornful of the word; they think it speaks of naiveté, passivity and wishful thinking.

But that’s not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. Yes, the lobbyists will fight us. Yes, the Republican attack dogs will go after us in the general election. Yes, the problems of poverty and climate change and failing schools will resist easy repair. I know — I’ve been on the streets; I’ve been in the courts. I’ve watched legislation die because the powerful held sway and good intentions weren’t fortified by political will, and I’ve watched a nation get misled into war because no one had the judgment or the courage to ask the hard questions before we sent our troops to fight.

But I also know this. I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a president to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope — to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.

That’s the change we seek. And that’s the change you can stand for in seven days.

We’ve already beaten odds that the cynics said couldn’t be beaten. When we started 10 months ago, they said we couldn’t run a different kind of campaign.

They said we couldn’t compete without taking money from Washington lobbyists. But you proved them wrong when we raised more small donations from more Americans than any other campaign in history.

They said we couldn’t be successful if we didn’t have the full support of the establishment in Washington. But you proved them wrong when we built a grass-roots movement that could forever change the face of American politics.

They said we wouldn’t have a chance in this campaign unless we resorted to the same old negative attacks. But we resisted, even when we were written off, and ran a positive campaign that pointed out real differences and rejected the politics of slash and burn.

And now, in seven days, you have a chance once again to prove the cynics wrong. In seven days, what was improbable has the chance to beat what Washington said was inevitable. And that’s why in these last weeks, Washington is fighting back with everything it has — with attack ads and insults; with distractions and dishonesty; with millions of dollars from outside groups and undisclosed donors to try and block our path.

We’ve seen this script many times before. But I know that this time can be different.

Because I know that when the American people believe in something, it happens.

If you believe, then we can tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over.

If you believe, then we can stop making promises to America’s workers and start delivering — jobs that pay, health care that’s affordable, pensions you can count on, and a tax cut for working Americans instead of the companies who send their jobs overseas.

If you believe, we can offer a world-class education to every child, and pay our teachers more, and make college dreams a reality for every American.

If you believe, we can save this planet and end our dependence on foreign oil.

If you believe, we can end this war, close Guantanamo, restore our standing, renew our diplomacy and once again respect the Constitution of the United States of America.

That’s the future within our reach. That’s what hope is — that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state.

There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through.

This is the moment.

This is our time.

And if you will stand with me in seven days — if you will stand for change so that our children have the same chance that somebody gave us; if you’ll stand to keep the American dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for justice; if you’re ready to stop settling for what the cynics tell you you must accept, and finally reach for what you know is possible, then we will win this caucus, we will win this election, we will change the course of history, and the real journey — to heal a nation and repair the world — will have truly begun.

Thank you.




http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7577.html

Palazzo Opens Jay-Z's New 40/40 Nightclub

it was only a matter of time before hip hop went vegas . . . just a traveler





The 40/40 Club has opened in The Palazzo resort on Las Vegas' Strip.

The club is named after one of sport's most prestigious achievements -- 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season. It combines a multi-level ultra sports bar with a chic lounge under the direction of hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.

The 40/40 Club will feature an eclectic menu including The Picnic (fried deviled eggs and southern-fried chicken sticks), signature 40/40 burgers, and wings among other items.

The gold and platinum decor features sports memorabilia. Kenwood Vineyards sponsored the grand opening gala at 40/40 Club, an event that included the debut of the winery's VIP room -- the Kenwood Vineyards Lounge.

The $20 million 40/40 Club in Las Vegas is the third 40/40 location; the others are in New York and Atlantic City.

The multi-level venue features 85 plasma-screen televisions, five bars, leather couch seating, a dining area and five VIP rooms. The Palazzo is a 50-floor all-suites hotel situated adjacent to The Venetian and across the street from the Wynn Las Vegas.

r more information, visit www.the4040club.com or www.kenwoodvineyards.com.