shave ice & gelato

I originally planned to post some pictures from my field trip today, but it was canceled due to all the rain we have been having and now I am home sick with no original thoughts...

So instead, I decided to do a post about Super Tuesday. I found this interesting interactive map on the BBC website showing all of the states involved in Super Tuesday.

The first thing I noticed when looking at the map was that Hawaii seemed to be missing.

That alone was not surprising to me as I still see maps of the US with Hawaii and Alaska missing, but on this map, Alaska was part of the map. After looking a little closer, I found Hawaii...above Alaska! It is bad enough when maps show Alaska and Hawaii next to Southern California or by Mexico, but this map could really confuse those who have geography issues.

I still have not forgotten a comment a friend from high school made to me one summer, when back in Massachusetts for a visit, after living in Hawaii for about 10 years. She asked me how Hawaii could be such a warm state if it was located right next to Alaska! After my initial shock, I proceeded to give her a little geography lesson. The the light bulb finally went on and she understood. I then wondered how many other people in the world thought Alaska and Hawaii were located right next to each other.

Back to Super Tuesday. I found this BBC site quite interesting and informative. Check it out if you have some free time. You can either click on one of the states on the map or you can click on one of the states listed in the little scrolling box and the delegate information for that state will show up in the larger box.

So, if you live in a Super Tuesday state, don't forget to get out there and vote!

Without getting too political, here is a screen shot of one of the widgets on my Mac:

349 days, 20 hours, 37 minutes & 45 seconds until Bush is gone...give or take a few minutes to upload the image and then get this posted. Still too many days if you ask me. Link to the Bush's Last Day website.

The Hawaii Democratic caucus will take place tonight. I wasn't even aware that caucuses took place in Hawaii before this year. The Democratic presidential nominee has always seemed to have been determined before our scheduled caucus took place in past years.

We also (in my opinion) have never had a voice during past presidential primaries and past presidential elections. The election has always been determined before Hawaii's polls were closed. Even during the Bush/Gore election, our electorates did not count because we don't have enough of them to make a difference either way, even when there was a "so called tie".

During most elections, the President has been declared (by the media) by noontime here in Hawaii and since I am not a "morning person", I usually do my voting in the afternoon, again not that my vote would have counted if I voted in the morning.

Because of this, I have always been frustrated with the election process BUT this year is a historic year for Hawaii. This will be the first time that Hawai'i will actually have a voice in helping to select a presidential nominee. I feel pretty excited about being able to be a part of this process. It is the first time in a long time that I have felt a little hope about the future of our country. For more on being able to be a part of the process, check out Teachick's Persnickety Tutu blog on the subject of using our voices to vote to make a change.

I am writing this quickly to try to remember everything. I am also pretty tired after not much sleep last night and a long night tonight and so I apologize for any grammar and spelling errors. Also, make sure to read my previous post before reading this post to get all the info in the correct order.

WOW, this was quite a night! I arrived at my voting site at 6 pm, 30 minutes before voter registration and sign in was scheduled to begin. There was already a huge line. I was lucky to get the last parking spot in the parking lot.

There were two lines, the shorter line for people already registered as Democrats and the longer one, where I stood for those not yet officially registered as Democrats. Obviously, you already had to be registered to vote to participate. I started to laugh to myself about Jill's "circus comment" (see comments from previous post). Besides the lack of organization with the possibility of people in the crowd getting upset, the only thing close to a "circus" was the one interesting woman with purple hair. Purple sweater, shirt, skirt, and hair!

As mentioned earlier, the Democratic Hawaii caucus turnout has never exceeded 5,000 people. Party officials printed 17,000 ballots. A record 37,182 people voted last night. The turnout was incredible! It was definitely a historic occasion that I am very proud to have been a part of.

I am too tired to think of anything else to write about today, so I will instead post a couple of photos with a link to the Star Bulletin, one of the local papers, where the photos are from and where you can read more info on the Hawaii vote.

The line at one of the voting sites (not my site):

Inside where the voting took place:

One more thing I wanted to add and then I will be done talking about the caucus. I asked quite a few of the "official people" last night what exactly a caucus was and how it was different than a primary. The best explanation I was given was that the Hawaii Democratic caucus was like a mini primary. We still cast ballots and vote for a candidate, but Obama or Clinton buttons, shirts, signs, etc. can be displayed inside the voting area and it is a little more informal. We did not raise hands like some caucus states did for a vote. We also did not vote privately in a little booth. It was something in between the two.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny
of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores
and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballots;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

We know the battle ahead will be long,
but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!
(We want change! We want change! We want change...)

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We've been asked to pause for a reality check.
We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. We want change!
(We want change! I want change! We want change! I want change...)

The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA;
we will remember that there is something happening in America;
that we are not as divided as our politics suggests;
that we are one people;
we are one nation;
and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.

Edited to add: I know many of you may be thinking, is this going to turn into a political blog? I promise to not post more than one post a week (I am thinking Sundays) and you can always ignore these posts if you want, but I would urge you to at least consider what I am posting.

I also want to share two excellent blog posts, both that articulate the same concerns
I have much better than I ever could:

pssst, republicans: comfortable has no place in politics ~ bleeding espresso

Sarah Palin ~ Casey, Italy and Other Good Stuff

Even though Dirt Dogs is mainly a Red Sox site, I think you will all enjoy this entry called Funeral for a Friend? After clicking on the link, scroll down to the third entry.

If you don't follow football, the funeral is for Tom Brady, the quarterback for the Patriots. He was hurt last Sunday and is now out for the season.

I know. I said not more than once a week, but one could 'technically' call this a football entry :)

Rob Caldwell, a reporter for WCHS, a local television station in Maine interviewed Senator McCain via satellite from Arlington, Virginia last Wednesday morning. In this interview, Senator McCain was repeatedly asked about Gov. Sarah Palin's qualifications for the vice presidency.

One of the questions in the interview:
Reporter's question: "What experience does she (Gov. Palin) have in the field of national security?"

Sen. McCain's answer: "Energy. She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America."

Sen. McCain goes on to say (regarding the experience Gov. Palin has in the field of national security): "She happens to also represent a uh the governor of a state that is right next to Russia...She understands Russia"

I tried to embed the video into this blog, but I could not figure how to make it wait for you to click on "play" to watch the video and did not want it to automatically start playing every time you opened my blog. Instead I am providing the link.

CLICK HERE to watch the McCain video.

Even though the video's length is 8 minutes and 15 seconds, it is a video I believe every person considering voting for Senator McCain should watch. This interview not only demonstrates Governor Palin's lack of experience and knowledge, it demonstrates Senator McCain's poor judgement, irresponsibility, and his desire to win at all costs. If Senator McCain was honest in saying that he wants the best for this country, then how can he in good conscience choose Governor Palin as his Vice President?

I also found this interesting YouTube video - Senator McCain's thoughts (last year) regarding the qualifications of mayors and governors on national security experience:

Here are more links with examples of Senator McCain's "winning at all costs philosophy" - here and here and here.

For more on Senator McCain, check out my previous post, "the reformed maverick".

November 4th is fast approaching. Our country is in trouble. We have been through eight years of horrible leadership. This election is not to be taken lightly. We need to take a good look at the issues and vote wisely. This is not an American Idol contest. The choice we make will impact the future of our country, the future of our children.

McCain and Palin talk about being mavericks. They say they are reformers. They say they will clean up Washington. McCain has been part of Washington for 26 years. McCain has voted with Bush 90% of the time. McCain and Palin say they will give more tax cuts to the rich and to the oil companies. McCain says the fundamentals of our economy are strong. If that is true, why are people losing their jobs, losing their houses, and why are so many without health care.

In the Contingencies magazine, September/October 2008 issue, McCain said: "Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

Deregulation went so well with the banking industry, why not have the health care industry follow this model? And while we are at it, the idea both Bush and McCain have regarding privatizing Social Security (investing in the market) is yet another grand idea. What's next?

We can’t forget Palin. One of her big claims is how open and honest she is. Palin says she has nothing to hide. That was until she decided to no longer be open and honest about the bipartisan ethics investigation on her possible abuse of power while in office. Palin is getting a lot more criticism these days by the people of Alaska on this issue. Palin continues to talk about honesty and yet continues to lie about the bridge to nowhere.

McCain believes “Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.” In other words, McCain plans to overturn Roe v Wade and take away a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Palin is even against abortion in cases of rape and incest. While Palin was mayor, the town of Wasilla charged rape victims for their own medical exams!

Both McCain and Palin are also against federal funding of birth control and sex education. Once when asked if McCain believed if contraceptives helped stop the spread of HIV? He replied after a long pause, "You’ve stumped me."

Does any of this sound like change? Can this country take four more years of more of the same? What exactly will McCain and Palin be reforming besides continuing to put this country in jeopardy and taking away more rights?

I will be voting for Obama and Biden. I believe in their commitment to change. I have spent quite a bit of time on the Obama-Biden website. I like what they have to say. I believe in their ideas. I believe they have the country’s best interest at heart. The Obama-Biden issues page provides a summary of where they stand on many of the issues important to this country (scroll down to see each issue). Over the next few weeks, I will post videos of Obama discussing specifics on some of these issues.

Today, I leave you with a video of hopeful Americans from all walks of life who want real change…

I hope this will clear up the myth that Obama plans to raise everyone's taxes. Below is a chart from the Washington Post of the proposed tax hikes by both McCain (in red) and Obama (in blue). According to McCain's plan, the more money you make, the more of a tax cut you will be getting. That means that people making over over six hundred thousand dollars a year will be getting another 3.4% tax cut and people making over 2.87 MILLION dollars will be getting another 4.4% tax cut. No wonder why Donald Trump is endorsing McCain. It looks to me that Obama and is looking out for the middle class and is also looking at ways to tackle the 9 plus trillion dollars of debt from the Iraq war.

And for a more descriptive way of looking at the recent history of Democratic tax policies vs. Republican tax policies, Art & Barb recently posted this cartoon (not sure of the original source) on their blog. You can't get any clearer that this!

(*edited...added the cartoon Tuesday morning)

I'm voting for...

Click on the button for more (after clicking, scroll down below the
button to learn more about "That One").

And if you missed the debate, check out this 3 second clip...

I actually had hope that this election season would be different. McCain claimed that he would run an honorable campaign. McCain used to be (or so I have been told) a man of honor who loved his country. It seems to me that he has now sold his soul to win at any cost. He is now running one of the nastiest campaigns in recent history (or perhaps ever).

While our economy continues to collapse, the McCain campaign has resorted to inciting hatred and racism and possible violence. This is as low as it can get. It has been extremely disturbing to listen to what has been being said at the McCain and Palin rallies all week; both by the candidates and by the people at the rallies. How can McCain and Palin question Obama's character when they have allowed comments such as "kill him", "treason", "terrorist" "off with his head" to be shouted out at their rallies? Instead of doing anything, both McCain and Palin just stood there and allowed people to shout out these hateful and violent remarks.

After a week of these "hate rallies", McCain has finally stepped in today saying that Senator Obama "is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared about as President of the United States." McCain went on to say, "He's a decent, family man", and later said, "We will be respectful.” and he even said “I admire Senator Obama and his accomplishments."

In my opinion it is too little too late. Hopefully both McCain and Palin will realize the hatred and divisiveness that they have created. If they have any sense of decency left at all, they will do the right thing and stop the lies and smears and get back to the issues that the country cares about before violence erupts.

For more on this week's disturbing politics, check out McCain's Chilling Dance With the Dark Side.

McCain and Palin claim that Barack Obama doesn’t understand regular people and the issues they care about. I beg to differ. I am a regular person. My family and many of my friends and who support Obama are regular people. Obama understands the issues we care about. Then again, in McCain and Palin's eyes perhaps I am not a "regular person”. I am not a hockey mom and I am not Joe Six Pack. I don't even like beer. I have two masters’ degrees. I guess that would make me one of the "nasty elite". I also fall more on the liberal side of politics. Those in the McCain/Palin campaign just as those in the Bush/Cheney campaign and many on FOX news such as Hannity, O'Reilly, Ann Coulter have brainwashed this country into thinking that those that have more liberal ideas are "BAD people" and only those with conservative beliefs are "good people". How has the country allowed this to happen?

For my mental health, over a year ago, I started turning the station whenever Bush has appeared on my TV. This week, I have gone a step further. I have deleted from my TV programming the so called "fair and balanced" FOX news channel, which in my opinion has been an accomplice in spreading these lies and have contributed to the hatred and racism of this campaign.

I will be voting for Obama and Biden because they believe in unifying our country instead of dividing it. I will be voting for Obama and Biden because they believe in peace, respect, and honor. I will be voting for Obama and Biden because they have both proven to be intelligent candidates who understand regular people and the issues they care about.

A life-long Republican from Wisconsin who is voting for Obama:

I meant to do this on 99 more days, but missed that boat.
(sung to 99 more bottle of beer on the wall...)

97 more days of Bush/Cheney in office,
97 more days of Bush/Cheney.
Make sure to vote to keep their twins out,
Vote Obama and Biden for Hope and for Change.

I know, I know, I will never make it as a lyricist. It was the best
I could come up with. Anyone else have ideas for a verse?

If your state supports early voting...don't wait, VOTE!! It's easy!! I voted today!! First day for early voting in Hawaii. No lines. Five minutes and I was done. I didn't get a sticker like Annie did but I am saving my little slip of paper with my voting ballot number on it, hoping that it will be a very memorable souvenir representing the hard work so many have contributed to electing a president who will finally bring us the change this country needs.

Photo from the front page of the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper (Steamboat, Colorado).
My aunt is 2nd from the left. How cool is that?

Barack the Vote!!!!
Obama/Biden '08

"Having hope means that one will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setbacks." Hope is "more than the sunny view that everything will turn out all right; it is believing you have the will and the way to accomplish your goals." ~ by Daniel Goleman
(Thanks for the quote Kim.)

One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world.
(I don't know the origin of this quote...found it on a YouTube video.)

VOTE!!

Obama/Biden '08

It has been inspiring seeing so many positive Obama videos and blog entries. I found this video through Annie's blog entry - Creative Campaigning. Make sure to check out Annie's post and all the great links, including a link to Kathy's blog entry on riding for change.

This video/song represents so much of why I am voting for Barack Obama. It is also a very catchy tune! After listening to it a couple of times, I downloaded the song (for free). If you would prefer to watch a larger version of the video below, click here for a QuickTime version.

VOTE FOR HOPE
by M.C. Yogi

chorus
Change begins when we believe / in a brighter day a better way to succeed / together we can make it better you and me / so we can be safe and prosperous and free

Ladies and gentleman beautiful intelligent / friends of all ages races and measurements / us citizens world wide residents / what ever your religion is or sexual preference / there’s no separateness one things connecting us / the planet we inhabit plus all the different elements / that’s the reason why we need a new president / someone who understands interconnectedness / and won’t go to war based on false evidence / who’s not addicted to oil and aggressiveness / who believes in global warming and he’ll fight pollution / instead of shredding and abusing our constitution / the candidate in 08 that we’ll be choosing / is Barack Obama cuz he’s gonna offer real solutions / lets get involved and offer all our contributions / vote for hope join the movement of the revolution

chorus
Change begins when we believe / in a brighter day a better way to succeed / together we can make it better you and me / so we can be safe and prosperous and free

I hold this truth to be self evident / it’s time for Barack Obama to become president / that’s why I’m calling to my nation and my generation / this is our moment no more waiting or procrastinating / we gotta make it happen; time for some action / it don’t matter if your black white asian latin / we gotta vote for hope; and steer clear of fear / regardless of the garbage they put in our ears / the talking head on the radio and television / spinning the facts treating us like we’re little children / but even with the propaganda they can’t stop us can they / cuz we know in our souls that we’re gonna stand up / & let our voices be heard word to the people / lets make sure this election is fair and equal / no more illegal war dying on a distant shore / and that’s the reason why Obama’s who we’re voting for / he can restore our reputation in the world / and that’s the reason why Obama’s who were voting for / so we can be prosperous free and feel secure / and that’s the reason why Obama’s who were voting for

chorus
Change begins when we believe / in a brighter day a better way to succeed / together we can make it better you and me / so we can be safe and prosperous and free

Obama/Biden '08

Kim's Halloween joke inspired me to post a joke. Here goes...

Shortest Blond Joke:

One blonde asks another:
"Which is further, London or the Moon?"..............

The other replies:
"HELLOOOOO, can you see London from here??!!"

A friend sent this joke to me a few years ago. When I read it the other day, my first thought was "being able to see Russia"... (you know the rest).

All you need to do, change a few words and it fits in perfectly with the Halloween theme under "scary"!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Can you believe it? Election day is only a day away. Some of you will probably be happy that my political blogging is almost over. I wasn't always successful in keeping it to one political post per week but at least I tried to keep it positive as much as possible.

For one of my last political posts, I decided on another inspiring video. I found this video by searching Bruce Springsteen.

Description: "After combing through thousands of images from the Obama '08 campaign, this video sums up the desire for change we so desperately need in this country. The song is by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band."

Obama/Biden '08

VOTE!!

It was a glorious day today!

I can't stay silent anymore.

Take a look at just where the US stands according to the World Health Organizations's ranking of the world's health systems.

Meanwhile, health care costs keep rising every year. Do we really want to keep things as they are?

And do we really care more about making sure private insurance companies continue to make billions of dollars while excluding anyone who costs too much to insure?

...or are we going to get serious about demanding a public health option?

A public health option will provide us with a choice and it will provide medical coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. It will bring costs down. With the competition it will provide, it will encourage private plans to do better. No one will be forced into the public health option. It will just be that.. an option.

Every American has a fundamental right to have decent, quality health care. Sign this petition. Call your congressmen. Demand a public health option before it is too late.