I don't like Turkey. Stuffing is sick-nasty to me. My family has never sat around a table and enjoyed a dinner together for the holidays, and I can understand how people love to do this, but it's just something we don't do. Maybe that's why every single Thanksgiving I make it a promise to myself to look up some more information of what actually happened back in the day.
I completely understand that most people celebrate Thanksgiving not because they think about the Pilgrams and "Indians", but because of celebrating our families and what we are thankful for. I don't mean to be a downer, but do you realize that children in elementary school are taught blatent lies about what actually happened? YOU were taught those sames lies. Go ahead and read this article if you'd like some "real truth" as they say. :)
By the way, there are a number of people, blessings, and things that I am thankful for in my life. I hope you all had a great day off with your families, I know I did. I pretty much slept on the couch at my Mom's alllll day. It was beautiful!
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Native Blood: The Myth of Thanksgiving
http://revcom.us/a/firstvol/883/thank.htm
Every schoolchild in the U.S. has been taught that the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony invited the local Indians to a major harvest feast after surviving their first bitter year in New England. But the real history of Thanksgiving is a story of the murder of indigenous people and the theft of their land by European colonialists--and of the ruthless ways of capitalism.
* * * * *
In mid-winter 1620 the English ship Mayflower landed on the North American coast, delivering 102 Puritan exiles. The original Native people of this stretch of shoreline had already been killed off. In 1614 a British expedition had landed there. When they left they took 24 Indians as slaves and left smallpox behind. Three years of plague wiped out between 90 and 96 percent of the inhabitants of the coast, destroying most villages completely.
The Puritans landed and built their colony called "the Plymouth Plantation" near the deserted ruins of the Indian village of Pawtuxet. They ate from abandoned cornfields grown wild. Only one Pawtuxet named Squanto had survived--he had spent the last years as a slave to the English and Spanish in Europe. Squanto spoke the colonists' language and taught them how to plant corn and how to catch fish until the first harvest. Squanto also helped the colonists negotiate a peace treaty with the nearby Wampanoag tribe, led by the chief Massasoit.
These were very lucky breaks for the colonists. The first Virginia settlement had been wiped out before they could establish themselves. Thanks to the good will of the Wampanoag, the Puritans not only survived their first year but had an alliance with the Wampanoags that would give them almost two decades of peace.
John Winthrop, a founder of the Massahusetts Bay colony considered this wave of illness and death to be a divine miracle. He wrote to a friend in England, "But for the natives in these parts, God hath so pursued them, as for 300 miles space the greatest part of them are swept away by smallpox which still continues among them. So as God hath thereby cleared our title to this place, those who remain in these parts, being in all not 50, have put themselves under our protection."
The deadly impact of European diseases and the good will of the Wampanoag allowed the Puritans to survive their first year.
In celebration of their good fortune, the colony's governor, William Bradford, declared a three-day feast of thanksgiving after that first harvest of 1621.
How the Puritans Stole the Land
But the peace that produced the Thanksgiving Feast of 1621 meant that the Puritans would have 15 years to establish a firm foothold on the coast. Until 1629 there were no more than 300 Puritans in New England, scattered in small and isolated settlements. But their survival inspired a wave of Puritan invasion that soon established growing Massachusetts towns north of Plymouth: Boston and Salem. For 10 years, boatloads of new settlers came.
And as the number of Europeans increased, they proved not nearly so generous as the Wampanoags.
On arrival, the Puritans discussed "who legally owns all this land." They had to decide this, not just because of Anglo-Saxon traditions, but because their particular way of farming was based on individual--not communal or tribal--ownership. This debate over land ownership reveals that bourgeois "rule of law" does not mean "protect the rights of the masses of people."
Some Puritans argued that the land belonged to the Indians. These forces were excommunicated and expelled. Massachusetts Governor Winthrop declared the Indians had not "subdued" the land, and therefore all uncultivated lands should, according to English Common Law, be considered "public domain." This meant they belonged to the king. In short, the colonists decided they did not need to consult the Indians when they seized new lands, they only had to consult the representative of the crown (meaning the local governor).
The Puritans embraced a line from Psalms 2:8. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Since then, European settler states have similarly declared god their real estate agent: from the Boers seizing South Africa to the Zionists seizing Palestine.
The European immigrants took land and enslaved Indians to help them farm it. By 1637 there were about 2,000 British settlers. They pushed out from the coast and decided to remove the inhabitants.
The Birth of
"The American Way of War"
In the Connecticut Valley, the powerful Pequot tribe had not entered an alliance with the British (as had the Narragansett, the Wampanoag, and the Massachusetts peoples). At first they were far from the centers of colonization. Then, in 1633, the British stole the land where the city of Hartford now sits--land which the Pequot had recently conquered from another tribe. That same year two British slave raiders were killed. The colonists demanded that the Indians who killed the slavers be turned over. The Pequot refused.
The Puritan preachers said, from Romans 13:2, "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." The colonial governments gathered an armed force of 240 under the command of John Mason. They were joined by a thousand Narragansett warriors. The historian Francis Jennings writes: "Mason proposed to avoid attacking Pequot warriors which would have overtaxed his unseasoned, unreliable troops. Battle, as such, was not his purpose. Battle is only one of the ways to destroy an enemy's will to fight. Massacre can accomplish the same end with less risk, and Mason had determined that massacre would be his objective."
The colonist army surrounded a fortified Pequot village on the Mystic River. At sunrise, as the inhabitants slept, the Puritan soldiers set the village on fire.
William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, wrote: "Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire...horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them."
Mason himself wrote: "It may be demanded...Should not Christians have more mercy and compassion? But...sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents.... We had sufficient light from the word of God for our proceedings."
Three hundred and fifty years later the Puritan phrase "a shining city on the hill" became a favorite quote of Ronald Reagan's speechwriters.
Discovering the
Profits of Slavery
This so-called "Pequot war" was a one-sided murder and slaving expedition. Over 180 captives were taken. After consulting the bible again, in Leviticus 24:44, the colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Only 500 Pequot remained alive and free. In 1975 the official number of Pequot living in Connecticut was 21.
Some of the war captives were given to the Narragansett and Massachusetts allies of the British. Even before the arrival of Europeans, Native peoples of North America had widely practiced taking war captives from other tribes as hostages and slaves.
The remaining captives were sold to British plantation colonies in the West Indies to be worked to death in a new form of slavery that served the emerging capitalist world market. And with that, the merchants of Boston made a historic discovery: the profits they made from the sale of human beings virtually paid for the cost of seizing them.
One account says that enslaving Indians quickly became a "mania with speculators." These early merchant capitalists of Massachusetts started to make genocide pay for itself. The slave trade, first in captured Indians and soon in kidnapped Africans, quickly became a backbone of New England merchant capitalism.
Thanksgiving in the
Manhattan Colony
In 1641 the Dutch governor Kieft of Manhattan offered the first "scalp bounty"--his government paid money for the scalp of each Indian brought to them. A couple years later, Kieft ordered the massacre of the Wappingers, a friendly tribe. Eighty were killed and their severed heads were kicked like soccer balls down the streets of Manhattan. One captive was castrated, skinned alive and forced to eat his own flesh while the Dutch governor watched and laughed. Then Kieft hired the notorious Underhill who had commanded in the Pequot war to carry out a similar massacre near Stamford, Connecticut. The village was set fire, and 500 Indian residents were put to the sword.
A day of thanksgiving was proclaimed in the churches of Manhattan. As we will see, the European colonists declared Thanksgiving Days to celebrate mass murder more often than they did for harvest and friendship.
The Conquest of New England
By the 1670s there were about 30,000 to 40,000 white inhabitants in the United New England Colonies--6,000 to 8,000 able to bear arms. With the Pequot destroyed, the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonists turned on the Wampanoag, the tribe that had saved them in 1620 and probably joined them for the original Thanksgiving Day.
In 1675 a Christian Wampanoag was killed while spying for the Puritans. The Plymouth authorities arrested and executed three Wampanoag without consulting the tribal chief, King Philip.
As Mao Tsetung says: "Where there is oppression there is resistance." The Wampanoag went to war.
The Indians applied some military lessons they had learned: they waged a guerrilla war which overran isolated European settlements and were often able to inflict casualties on the Puritan soldiers. The colonists again attacked and massacred the main Indian populations.
When this war ended, 600 European men, one-eleventh of the adult men of the New England Colonies, had been killed in battle. Hundreds of homes and 13 settlements had been wiped out. But the colonists won.
In their victory, the settlers launched an all-out genocide against the remaining Native people. The Massachusetts government offered 20 shillings bounty for every Indian scalp, and 40 shillings for every prisoner who could be sold into slavery. Soldiers were allowed to enslave any Indian woman or child under 14 they could capture. The "Praying Indians" who had converted to Christianity and fought on the side of the European troops were accused of shooting into the treetops during battles with "hostiles." They were enslaved or killed. Other "peaceful" Indians of Dartmouth and Dover were invited to negotiate or seek refuge at trading posts--and were sold onto slave ships.
It is not known how many Indians were sold into slavery, but in this campaign, 500 enslaved Indians were shipped from Plymouth alone. Of the 12,000 Indians in the surrounding tribes, probably about half died from battle, massacre and starvation.
After King Philip's War, there were almost no Indians left free in the northern British colonies. A colonist wrote from Manhattan's New York colony: "There is now but few Indians upon the island and those few no ways hurtful. It is to be admired how strangely they have decreased by the hand of God, since the English first settled in these parts."
In Massachusetts, the colonists declared a "day of public thanksgiving" in 1676, saying, "there now scarce remains a name or family of them [the Indians] but are either slain, captivated or fled."
Fifty-five years after the original Thanksgiving Day, the Puritans had destroyed the generous Wampanoag and all other neighboring tribes. The Wampanoag chief King Philip was beheaded. His head was stuck on a pole in Plymouth, where the skull still hung on display 24 years later.
The descendants of these Native peoples are found wherever the Puritan merchant capitalists found markets for slaves: the West Indies, the Azures, Algiers, Spain and England. The grandson of Massasoit, the Pilgrim's original protector, was sold into slavery in Bermuda.
Runaways and Rebels
But even the destruction of Indian tribal life and the enslavement of survivors brought no peace. Indians continued to resist in every available way. Their oppressors lived in terror of a revolt. And they searched for ways to end the resistance. The historian MacLeod writes: "The first `reservations' were designed for the `wild' Irish of Ulster in 1609. And the first Indian reservation agent in America, Gookin of Massachusetts, like many other American immigrants had seen service in Ireland under Cromwell."
The enslaved Indians refused to work and ran away. The Massachusetts government tried to control runaways by marking enslaved Indians: brands were burnt into their skin, and symbols were tattooed into their foreheads and cheeks.
A Massachusetts law of 1695 gave colonists permission to kill Indians at will, declaring it was "lawful for any person, whether English or Indian, that shall find any Indians traveling or skulking in any of the towns or roads (within specified limits), to command them under their guard and examination, or to kill them as they may or can."
The northern colonists enacted more and more laws for controlling the people. A law in Albany forbade any African or Indian slave from driving a cart within the city. Curfews were set up; Africans and Indians were forbidden to have evening get-togethers. On Block Island, Indians were given 10 lashes for being out after nine o'clock. In 1692 Massachusetts made it a serious crime for any white person to marry an African, an Indian or a mulatto. In 1706 they tried to stop the importation of Indian slaves from other colonies, fearing a slave revolt.
Celebrate?
Looking at this history raises a question: Why should anyone celebrate the survival of the earliest Puritans with a Thanksgiving Day? Certainly the Native peoples of those times had no reason to celebrate.
A little known fact: Squanto, the so-called "hero" of the original Thanksgiving Day, was executed by the Indians for his treacheries.
But the ruling powers of the United States organized people to celebrate Thanksgiving Day because it is in their interest. That's why they created it. The first national celebration of Thanksgiving was called for by George Washington. And the celebration was made a regular legal holiday later by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war (right as he sent troops to suppress the Sioux of Minnesota).
Washington and Lincoln were two presidents deeply involved in trying to forge a unified bourgeois nation-state out of the European settlers in the United States. And the Thanksgiving story was a useful myth in their efforts at U.S. nation-building. It celebrates the "bounty of the American way of life," while covering up the brutal nature of this society.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Fun time survery from Jason/Cory
1. I used to absolutely hate the color orange. I love it now. Even more than loving orange, I love the fact that I was able to find beauty in something I used to hate. I took that as a major sign of growing up.
2.I love at least something from every single genre of music. Whether it be the style, the lingo, the music itself, I promise you that there is something I love about every single genre. It makes me mad when people say they hate rap or country. I am not the biggest fan of gangster rap or new country music, but I absolutely love Ludacris and the Beastie Boys, and I am a Johnny Cash fanatic. So many people don't realize how precious music is, and I can't stand music "racists."
3. I have an affinity for the girly, and feathers and gemstones and adundant in my world. Kelly says she refuses to wear anything that involves feathers in my wedding. To the contrary...I really believe every girl should own a feather boa. Put it on and see how it makes you feel! But also, I have always and will always be one of the guys, even though I'm the girliest girl on the planet. My sense of humor is so much more guyish than girly, and I grew up with brothers. I love it though. Just try to remember once in awhile that I actually am a chick.
4. I'm looking for the kind of relationship that doesn't end. Also you have to be able to look at me and say something like "tree" and then we both burst into laughter.
5. I cannot stand, mentally or phsyically, when people scrape their forks across their teeth while they eat. It makes me cringe and want to throw up and I actually have before.
6. For too long I tried to label myself as an actor or singer; I wasn't good enough, I wasn't as good as ______________, etc etc. I was frustrated because I wasn't feeling fulfilled anymore. Now I know that the label of actor, or musician, or dancer, or painter, or writer, or designer wasn't enough. I'm an ARTIST in every sense you can think of. I find beauty in places that people overlook. I know I'm an artist, and now I know that I do it for the right reasons, and I have never felt more expressive and free.
7. When I've decided to settle down, I would like to live in a house by the water. If I stay here, I want to have a cottage to go to, and if I leave I'd like to live in CT or MA on the coast somewhere.
8. To me, the most attractive quality physically in a person is the way that they laugh. Laughter is key, always. Non physical qualities would be someone who is smart and funny, but is subtle and humble about it.
9. Soda is my vice. I try to break it, but it sticks around. I'm pretty sure that some percentage of my blood is made of coca cola, and my favorite part about going to the movies is getting Sierra Mist. (Don't ask, I'm weird)
10. Elizabeth Park in the summer is my absolute favorite place in the world.
11. I recently got my wisdom teeth out and found out that anthestia makes me cry uncontrollably. Surprise surprise, I cry over EVERYTHING.
12. Please put pepperoni and mushroom on my pizza. My Starbucks order is a No fat, no sugar vanilla latte. Just call it a Venti skinny latte and we're good to go. :)
13. I almost always sit in the half lotus position. ("indian style"...what a nasty term.) It doesn't matter where I am...I'll sit this way at a booth in a resturant or even a barstool, if I can manage it. I also prefer sitting on the floor to sitting on chairs usually. I don't really know why.
14. This one's gonna sound mean, and I'm sorry. At this point in my life, I can't be around theater people when they talk theater. It makes my skin crawl. I can do a show, I can hang out with people that do theater, but when it gets into that heated discussion and lets all show everyone how well we sing...I just start boiling. I've found that there is such a difference in people who sing from their hearts and those that sing from their egos. Singing together with a group of people can be such a beautiful moment, but everyone's got to be singing together from their heart...not from their ego. If you understand this statement, you're probably a theater person that I get along with very well. :)
15. I absolutely adore my little brother. I think he is such a strong, smart, caring, funny and well rounded man. Although we butt heads sometimes, we are definitely a part of eachother. And it shows.
16. Being fabulous and having good self esteem is important, but I think that being humble is the best quality one can possess. There is a saying that goes around my fraternity alot (APO, a community service co ed fraternity) that goes, "If you've done your job right, no one will know that you've done anything at all." I don't believe this is correct at absolutely all times, but I think that it's something more people should think about.
I am tagging:
Courtney - I need to know everything about her
Nina - People don't take enough time to learn things about her
Davey - Same as Nina
Emily Porter - She's interesting as can be
Marni - Cuz he was just here and I'm thinkin' of him!
Dave Bechard - cuz he won't do it. :)
2.I love at least something from every single genre of music. Whether it be the style, the lingo, the music itself, I promise you that there is something I love about every single genre. It makes me mad when people say they hate rap or country. I am not the biggest fan of gangster rap or new country music, but I absolutely love Ludacris and the Beastie Boys, and I am a Johnny Cash fanatic. So many people don't realize how precious music is, and I can't stand music "racists."
3. I have an affinity for the girly, and feathers and gemstones and adundant in my world. Kelly says she refuses to wear anything that involves feathers in my wedding. To the contrary...I really believe every girl should own a feather boa. Put it on and see how it makes you feel! But also, I have always and will always be one of the guys, even though I'm the girliest girl on the planet. My sense of humor is so much more guyish than girly, and I grew up with brothers. I love it though. Just try to remember once in awhile that I actually am a chick.
4. I'm looking for the kind of relationship that doesn't end. Also you have to be able to look at me and say something like "tree" and then we both burst into laughter.
5. I cannot stand, mentally or phsyically, when people scrape their forks across their teeth while they eat. It makes me cringe and want to throw up and I actually have before.
6. For too long I tried to label myself as an actor or singer; I wasn't good enough, I wasn't as good as ______________, etc etc. I was frustrated because I wasn't feeling fulfilled anymore. Now I know that the label of actor, or musician, or dancer, or painter, or writer, or designer wasn't enough. I'm an ARTIST in every sense you can think of. I find beauty in places that people overlook. I know I'm an artist, and now I know that I do it for the right reasons, and I have never felt more expressive and free.
7. When I've decided to settle down, I would like to live in a house by the water. If I stay here, I want to have a cottage to go to, and if I leave I'd like to live in CT or MA on the coast somewhere.
8. To me, the most attractive quality physically in a person is the way that they laugh. Laughter is key, always. Non physical qualities would be someone who is smart and funny, but is subtle and humble about it.
9. Soda is my vice. I try to break it, but it sticks around. I'm pretty sure that some percentage of my blood is made of coca cola, and my favorite part about going to the movies is getting Sierra Mist. (Don't ask, I'm weird)
10. Elizabeth Park in the summer is my absolute favorite place in the world.
11. I recently got my wisdom teeth out and found out that anthestia makes me cry uncontrollably. Surprise surprise, I cry over EVERYTHING.
12. Please put pepperoni and mushroom on my pizza. My Starbucks order is a No fat, no sugar vanilla latte. Just call it a Venti skinny latte and we're good to go. :)
13. I almost always sit in the half lotus position. ("indian style"...what a nasty term.) It doesn't matter where I am...I'll sit this way at a booth in a resturant or even a barstool, if I can manage it. I also prefer sitting on the floor to sitting on chairs usually. I don't really know why.
14. This one's gonna sound mean, and I'm sorry. At this point in my life, I can't be around theater people when they talk theater. It makes my skin crawl. I can do a show, I can hang out with people that do theater, but when it gets into that heated discussion and lets all show everyone how well we sing...I just start boiling. I've found that there is such a difference in people who sing from their hearts and those that sing from their egos. Singing together with a group of people can be such a beautiful moment, but everyone's got to be singing together from their heart...not from their ego. If you understand this statement, you're probably a theater person that I get along with very well. :)
15. I absolutely adore my little brother. I think he is such a strong, smart, caring, funny and well rounded man. Although we butt heads sometimes, we are definitely a part of eachother. And it shows.
16. Being fabulous and having good self esteem is important, but I think that being humble is the best quality one can possess. There is a saying that goes around my fraternity alot (APO, a community service co ed fraternity) that goes, "If you've done your job right, no one will know that you've done anything at all." I don't believe this is correct at absolutely all times, but I think that it's something more people should think about.
I am tagging:
Courtney - I need to know everything about her
Nina - People don't take enough time to learn things about her
Davey - Same as Nina
Emily Porter - She's interesting as can be
Marni - Cuz he was just here and I'm thinkin' of him!
Dave Bechard - cuz he won't do it. :)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Karmakarmakarmakarmakarmachameleonnnnnnnn
THIS IS AN ARTICLE RE: KARMA
SOME OF YOU NEED TO CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF, AS THEY SAY.
A public service announcement, from Bridgette Wahla.
_________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/reincarnation/karma_emogensen.htm
We are Karma Chameleons. While on Earth, you are living in the worlds of reincarnation and karma. Believe it or not, karma begins & ends with love. Karma begins to propel you as Soul on a personal journey through the universe. Karma ends when you have perfected yourself in your ability to love.
So What is Karma? As Soul you are eternal. You have past, present, and future lives. To grow in love, joy, and awareness, you reincarnate into a series of physical bodies to experience different existences. You have been or will be both sexes and all races, religions, and ethnic types throughout many lifetimes
Karma Defined: Karma means that "as you sow, so also shall you reap" in this and other lifetimes until you understand the complete consequences of all your actions. Karma is the principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, total cosmic justice and personal responsibility.
The 4 Different "Flavors" of Karma:
There are 4 different types of karma that you are always working on: ·
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Sanchita Karma: the accumulated result of all your actions from all your past lifetimes. This is your total cosmic debt. Every moment of every day either you are adding to it or you are reducing this cosmic debt.
*
Prarabdha Karma: the portion of your "sanchita" karma being worked on in the present life. If you work down your agreed upon debt in this lifetime, then more past debts surface to be worked on.
*
Agami Karma: the portion of actions in the present life that add to your "sanchita" karma. If you fail to work off your debt, then more debts are added to "sanchita" karma and are sent to future lives.
*
Kriyamana Karma: daily, instant karma created in this life that is worked off immediately. These are debts that are created and worked off - ie. you do wrong, you get caught and you spend time in jail
"Resistance is Futile": As Soul, you experience a constant cycle of births and deaths into a series of bodies until you have learned all the spiritual lessons that the totality of all experiences have to teach you. Until you have learned, you will find that "resistance" to the rules of karma is "futile".
The Rules of Karma Governing Life on Earth
#1: KARMA TEACHES BY EXPERIENCE AND NOT TO PUNISH
Although it may often "feel" like punishment, the purpose of karma is to teach not to punish. Often the way we learn "the best" is to endure the same type of suffering that we have inflicted on others. For example, I remember little of my life as a City Commander in ancient Constantinople where I killed many without mercy, often with little justification. Yet, I remember vividly the life where I repaid that karma by being slaughtered by an Indian during the Martin's Hundred massacre. Believe me, I learned the lesson of mercy in the final terrifying moments of the massacre.
#2: WE ARE ALL HERE TO LEARN LESSONS TAUGHT BY KARMA
We are all here to learn lessons as "spiritual beings in human form". These lessons are designed to help us grow into greater levels of love, joy, and awareness. They teach us to "choose love at every moment", to "forgive everyone, everything", and to "live happy". Where we do not choose love, show forgiveness, teach tolerance, or display compassion, karma intervenes to put us back on the path of these lessons. Quite simply, the only way to achieve a state of karmic balance is to be love.
#3: WE "FORGET" ABOUT KARMA TO SEE IF WE HAVE LEARNED
Before we came, we agreed to put ourself in the path of all that is we needed to learn. Once we got here, we agreed to "forget" this. The purpose of "forgetting" is to keep us from being overwhelmed by the totality of our past while making sure that we have really learned our lessons. For example, having been a General in many lifetimes, I tended to treat others in a domineering manner. In this life, I put myself into my situations where humility would have served me better than being "the dictatorial General". Only when I overcame this "problem" and learned my lesson did I understand why I had put myself into those karmic places.
#4: KARMA IS IMPERSONAL, LOGICAL, AND PREDICTABLE
Karma gives you the opportunity at every moment to become open to greater levels of love and compassion. It operates impersonally: applying to everyone, all the time, no exceptions. It is very logical: what you sow is what you reap in exact and precise measure. Karma is as predictable as the laws of gravity: what is done to you is the net result of what you have done to others.
#5: KARMA IS PERFECTLY FAIR AND CREATES TOTAL JUSTICE
For example, there are no "innocent" people in prison, they are there for a reason. If they appear "innocent" in this life, it is because they were "guilty" in a past life and "got away with it". The "innocent" feel "cheated" now because they cannot see the cause of this life was the effect of a past life when they were "guilty".
#6: KARMA MAKES US LINK OUR ACTIONS WITH THEIR RESULTS
The cause of this life is always the effect of a past life(s). The goal of karma is to ensure that we link our actions (the cause) with their results (the effect). "It is the loving God which helps each Soul develop it's highest spiritual potential through experience." It is our experience which teaches us the Law of Love.
#7: KARMA TEACHES US TOTALLY RESPONSIBILITY
The goal of karma is to give you all the experiences that you need to evolve into greater levels of love, joy, awareness, and responsibility. Karma teaches that you are totally responsible for the circumstances of your life. Karma is like "training wheels". They keep you on the straight and narrow until you have mastered your vehicle and can ride freely on your own.
#8: KARMA TEACHES US LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ALL
"See that you are at the center of the universe... Accept all things as being part of you... When you perceive that an act done to another is done to yourself... you understand the great truth." Tolerance opens the door to compassion and love.
#9: KARMA DRIVES US TO WHOLENESS AND UNITY WITH LIFE
Karma drives us from oneness to wholeness to unity with life. Karma forces us to look beyond ourselves (oneness) so that we can see ourselves as we truly are (wholeness or Self Realization). Once we truly understand ourselves, we can see our divinity (God Realization) and our unity with all life.
#10: KARMA DRIVES US TO SERVICE AND THEN TO LOVE
Karma drives us to service. Service - co-workership with God - is the ulitmate expression of love. Love means service: service is your choice. Once you accept total responsibility for your life, you see yourself as Soul in service to life. Once you do, you become a fully realized co-worker with God.
#11: UNDERSTANDING KARMA IS THE KEY TO HARMONY
"Belief in karma ought to make the life pure, strong, serene, and glad. Only our own deeds can hinder us; only our own will can fetter us. Once let us recognize this truth, and our liberation has struck. Nature cannot enslave the Soul that by wisdom has gained power and uses both in love."
#12: FOR ANY QUESTION, LOVE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER
Karma shows us that for any question love is the answer. "Love is our birthplace, our final refuge, and our reason for being. If we recognize that compassion and love are the ultimate destination of our journey, the heart of the universe responds."
SOME OF YOU NEED TO CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF, AS THEY SAY.
A public service announcement, from Bridgette Wahla.
_________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/reincarnation/karma_emogensen.htm
We are Karma Chameleons. While on Earth, you are living in the worlds of reincarnation and karma. Believe it or not, karma begins & ends with love. Karma begins to propel you as Soul on a personal journey through the universe. Karma ends when you have perfected yourself in your ability to love.
So What is Karma? As Soul you are eternal. You have past, present, and future lives. To grow in love, joy, and awareness, you reincarnate into a series of physical bodies to experience different existences. You have been or will be both sexes and all races, religions, and ethnic types throughout many lifetimes
Karma Defined: Karma means that "as you sow, so also shall you reap" in this and other lifetimes until you understand the complete consequences of all your actions. Karma is the principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, total cosmic justice and personal responsibility.
The 4 Different "Flavors" of Karma:
There are 4 different types of karma that you are always working on: ·
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Sanchita Karma: the accumulated result of all your actions from all your past lifetimes. This is your total cosmic debt. Every moment of every day either you are adding to it or you are reducing this cosmic debt.
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Prarabdha Karma: the portion of your "sanchita" karma being worked on in the present life. If you work down your agreed upon debt in this lifetime, then more past debts surface to be worked on.
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Agami Karma: the portion of actions in the present life that add to your "sanchita" karma. If you fail to work off your debt, then more debts are added to "sanchita" karma and are sent to future lives.
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Kriyamana Karma: daily, instant karma created in this life that is worked off immediately. These are debts that are created and worked off - ie. you do wrong, you get caught and you spend time in jail
"Resistance is Futile": As Soul, you experience a constant cycle of births and deaths into a series of bodies until you have learned all the spiritual lessons that the totality of all experiences have to teach you. Until you have learned, you will find that "resistance" to the rules of karma is "futile".
The Rules of Karma Governing Life on Earth
#1: KARMA TEACHES BY EXPERIENCE AND NOT TO PUNISH
Although it may often "feel" like punishment, the purpose of karma is to teach not to punish. Often the way we learn "the best" is to endure the same type of suffering that we have inflicted on others. For example, I remember little of my life as a City Commander in ancient Constantinople where I killed many without mercy, often with little justification. Yet, I remember vividly the life where I repaid that karma by being slaughtered by an Indian during the Martin's Hundred massacre. Believe me, I learned the lesson of mercy in the final terrifying moments of the massacre.
#2: WE ARE ALL HERE TO LEARN LESSONS TAUGHT BY KARMA
We are all here to learn lessons as "spiritual beings in human form". These lessons are designed to help us grow into greater levels of love, joy, and awareness. They teach us to "choose love at every moment", to "forgive everyone, everything", and to "live happy". Where we do not choose love, show forgiveness, teach tolerance, or display compassion, karma intervenes to put us back on the path of these lessons. Quite simply, the only way to achieve a state of karmic balance is to be love.
#3: WE "FORGET" ABOUT KARMA TO SEE IF WE HAVE LEARNED
Before we came, we agreed to put ourself in the path of all that is we needed to learn. Once we got here, we agreed to "forget" this. The purpose of "forgetting" is to keep us from being overwhelmed by the totality of our past while making sure that we have really learned our lessons. For example, having been a General in many lifetimes, I tended to treat others in a domineering manner. In this life, I put myself into my situations where humility would have served me better than being "the dictatorial General". Only when I overcame this "problem" and learned my lesson did I understand why I had put myself into those karmic places.
#4: KARMA IS IMPERSONAL, LOGICAL, AND PREDICTABLE
Karma gives you the opportunity at every moment to become open to greater levels of love and compassion. It operates impersonally: applying to everyone, all the time, no exceptions. It is very logical: what you sow is what you reap in exact and precise measure. Karma is as predictable as the laws of gravity: what is done to you is the net result of what you have done to others.
#5: KARMA IS PERFECTLY FAIR AND CREATES TOTAL JUSTICE
For example, there are no "innocent" people in prison, they are there for a reason. If they appear "innocent" in this life, it is because they were "guilty" in a past life and "got away with it". The "innocent" feel "cheated" now because they cannot see the cause of this life was the effect of a past life when they were "guilty".
#6: KARMA MAKES US LINK OUR ACTIONS WITH THEIR RESULTS
The cause of this life is always the effect of a past life(s). The goal of karma is to ensure that we link our actions (the cause) with their results (the effect). "It is the loving God which helps each Soul develop it's highest spiritual potential through experience." It is our experience which teaches us the Law of Love.
#7: KARMA TEACHES US TOTALLY RESPONSIBILITY
The goal of karma is to give you all the experiences that you need to evolve into greater levels of love, joy, awareness, and responsibility. Karma teaches that you are totally responsible for the circumstances of your life. Karma is like "training wheels". They keep you on the straight and narrow until you have mastered your vehicle and can ride freely on your own.
#8: KARMA TEACHES US LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ALL
"See that you are at the center of the universe... Accept all things as being part of you... When you perceive that an act done to another is done to yourself... you understand the great truth." Tolerance opens the door to compassion and love.
#9: KARMA DRIVES US TO WHOLENESS AND UNITY WITH LIFE
Karma drives us from oneness to wholeness to unity with life. Karma forces us to look beyond ourselves (oneness) so that we can see ourselves as we truly are (wholeness or Self Realization). Once we truly understand ourselves, we can see our divinity (God Realization) and our unity with all life.
#10: KARMA DRIVES US TO SERVICE AND THEN TO LOVE
Karma drives us to service. Service - co-workership with God - is the ulitmate expression of love. Love means service: service is your choice. Once you accept total responsibility for your life, you see yourself as Soul in service to life. Once you do, you become a fully realized co-worker with God.
#11: UNDERSTANDING KARMA IS THE KEY TO HARMONY
"Belief in karma ought to make the life pure, strong, serene, and glad. Only our own deeds can hinder us; only our own will can fetter us. Once let us recognize this truth, and our liberation has struck. Nature cannot enslave the Soul that by wisdom has gained power and uses both in love."
#12: FOR ANY QUESTION, LOVE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER
Karma shows us that for any question love is the answer. "Love is our birthplace, our final refuge, and our reason for being. If we recognize that compassion and love are the ultimate destination of our journey, the heart of the universe responds."
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
So whyyyy, don't I have a boyfriendddd, FUCK! It SUCKS to be meeeeeeeeeee
Why Am I Still Single?
New research says there's a reason you're single--and meant to stay that way.
By Kristine Gasbarre
http://www.wetv.com/relationships/why-am-i-still-single.html
I was on the phone with my friend Beth, a 31-year-old international sales exec at a major Hollywood film studio.
"I can't believe a four-year relationship could end with us living on two separate coasts," she said, "But he was traveling so much and I finally just told him, 'This is not what I signed up for when I got involved with you.' So, we're officially separated."
She sighed. I sighed.
"Anyway enough about me, what about you, Italian girl? I thought they worshiped American women in the land of pasta and love, why are you still single?"
If I had a euro for every time I wondered that: Why am I still single. It's a question more than half of American women ask themselves, according to a report the New York Times put out in early 2007. This data includes women who live apart from their significant others, but all independent variables aside it's a figure that's rocketed significantly in the last couple decades.
Even as those 57.5 million of us gather round cozy wine bars with our girlfriends, enjoy Bridget Jones nights in sweats on the couch, or pack four different guys into one week (yep, it happens), we're likely to be puzzled over what we may be doing wrong: "That one wearing three carats with the husband more loyal than a black lab-what does she know that I don't?"-or if we actually need partners, as tradition (and Mom) seems to imply.
Jean Twenge is a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled-and More Miserable-Than Ever Before (Free Press, 2007) and co-author of the upcoming Narcissism Epidemic with W. Keith Campbell.
Based on recent research she has conducted to learn about current attitudes toward relationships, Twenge confirms, "There is in fact a massive cultural shift at work here." She says the number of women who are romantically uninvolved is a result of one major factor: our culture tells us we don't need relationships.
Call it the "singular-single syndrome": We have it. Twenge recently conducted a study of 200 student participants at San Diego State, and 90% of them answered the questionnaire stating they live by grand individualistic philosophies like, "You shouldn't ever need anyone else to make you feel complete" and "You have to make yourself happy."
Based on this study and a handful of others Twenge has conducted in the last few years, she concludes that today's young adults feel they need to be completely self-sufficient in their happiness.
The fact is, young American adults view deep emotional involvement with others as weakness and dependence. It's not just that our culture accepts and accommodates the single lifestyle now-it's that it actually disparages the individual who isn't focused solely on her own personal advancement.
The ubiquitous teachings from our capitalist culture media, Boomer-generation parents who toiled to teach us the importance of pursuing personal goals, and teachers in an increasingly survival-of-the-very-fittest education system-all these emphasize the individual and her goals, not her need for involvement with others.
Twenge also said that a study she's currently conducting with W. Keith Campbell leads to the conclusion that narcissism in America is higher than it's ever been before, and by definition of considering themselves more important than the people they associate with, narcissistic people make terrible relationship partners.
Twenge blames this spike in narcissism on societal teachings like those aforementioned but also feels that purported social networking devices like MySpace and Facebook are less a method of connecting with others than a means of shameless self-promotion giving the individual limitless opportunity to think about themselves and advertise why other people should want to know them.
Some users even employ social networking sites out of romantic malice, attempting to provoke jealousy or track the whereabouts of an ex. And for some couples, being on each other's friend lists is a topic more taboo than first-date sex. "No way would I add (my new girlfriend) to my page," says Kevin, 30, an engineer near Pittsburgh. "I think she's pissed about it but if it ends, it will be too awkward if we're able to keep tabs on each other."
Any way you slice it, we're all looking out for Number One. Here's the trouble: the more time we spend thinking about ourselves, formulating clever responses to friends' online comments about us, posting our most attractive photos, and "pimping our profiles" to leave impressions on our contacts, the less time we spend actually interacting with and caring about others.
Even the word "friend" has transformed from an endeared noun used to describe an intimate, trusted companion to a verb that implies a quick click of the mouse. "Listen, I gotta run, it was nice to meet you. Remember to friend me tomorrow." We lack the basic fundamental of all relationships - spending time together - and personal eye-to-eye contact continues to grow more rare.
Chris Morett is a sociology professor specializing in family and marriage at Fordham University in New York City. Morett echoes this cultural emphasis on the individual.
He says our communities and peer groups have broken down significantly in the last decade, and our consumer culture promises the singular single that you can "Have it your way." Thus young Americans are less willing to compromise their own desires than ever before, and Morett goes so far as saying that the American dating process has become similar to other means of shopping for a product.
Because women don't need marriage for the economic stability and source of identity the institution provided decades ago (because the majority of American women nowadays were not raised simply to be wives but to value personal advancement by self-sufficient means, and women are economically independent deriving their identity from their work and other societal roles, not just from being a wife) marriage is not a necessity but a choice.
So when a woman dates a man and he doesn't possess all the "features" she requires, she briefly deliberates and continues shopping (Is passionate about his work, check. Loves to travel, check. Forgot to ask how my meeting went, uh-oh. Completely unacceptable.) No longer does a woman need a man or a marriage; now she wants a soulmate, a partner to share her interests and values and who provides passion and support and fun. She desires a man who won't require her to sacrifice her identity or every aspect of the single lifestyle she's come to enjoy.
But until we meet him, the solution to the single person's isolation may be simple: shut the lid on our laptops, and get over ourselves-you don't have to do it all on your own. We'll only find the comfort to our singles' loneliness by spending time in the physical presence of people we love. If we want love, we have to love. We have to open our hearts to connecting again.
______________________________________________________________________________
I found this article interesting and informative, and also a bit sad. I really do feel that this generation has made personal contact extremely impersonal, but I hope we can learn to balance those two worlds.
I certainly don't feel like it was a bad thing that I was told my entire life that I can be an independently happy person, and I think I am happy even though I am usually bummed about remaining one of this countries seemingly forever single women.
I am constantly working on bettering myself so I can be the right person at the right time when I meet that right person. Therapy has taught me so much about the idea of being "single" or "together" and has taught me that we're all actually completely single. Single is not a dirty word.
It seems that there's an epidemic of hookups happening right now...love is in the air, as they say. Why does this never happen for me? Is it because I know I can be happy on my own? What about the fact that I WANT to be with someone else? I don't understand. I'm not trying to be emo, but why is this so hard for me?!? There's gotta be someone out there for a someone like me.
New research says there's a reason you're single--and meant to stay that way.
By Kristine Gasbarre
http://www.wetv.com/relationships/why-am-i-still-single.html
I was on the phone with my friend Beth, a 31-year-old international sales exec at a major Hollywood film studio.
"I can't believe a four-year relationship could end with us living on two separate coasts," she said, "But he was traveling so much and I finally just told him, 'This is not what I signed up for when I got involved with you.' So, we're officially separated."
She sighed. I sighed.
"Anyway enough about me, what about you, Italian girl? I thought they worshiped American women in the land of pasta and love, why are you still single?"
If I had a euro for every time I wondered that: Why am I still single. It's a question more than half of American women ask themselves, according to a report the New York Times put out in early 2007. This data includes women who live apart from their significant others, but all independent variables aside it's a figure that's rocketed significantly in the last couple decades.
Even as those 57.5 million of us gather round cozy wine bars with our girlfriends, enjoy Bridget Jones nights in sweats on the couch, or pack four different guys into one week (yep, it happens), we're likely to be puzzled over what we may be doing wrong: "That one wearing three carats with the husband more loyal than a black lab-what does she know that I don't?"-or if we actually need partners, as tradition (and Mom) seems to imply.
Jean Twenge is a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled-and More Miserable-Than Ever Before (Free Press, 2007) and co-author of the upcoming Narcissism Epidemic with W. Keith Campbell.
Based on recent research she has conducted to learn about current attitudes toward relationships, Twenge confirms, "There is in fact a massive cultural shift at work here." She says the number of women who are romantically uninvolved is a result of one major factor: our culture tells us we don't need relationships.
Call it the "singular-single syndrome": We have it. Twenge recently conducted a study of 200 student participants at San Diego State, and 90% of them answered the questionnaire stating they live by grand individualistic philosophies like, "You shouldn't ever need anyone else to make you feel complete" and "You have to make yourself happy."
Based on this study and a handful of others Twenge has conducted in the last few years, she concludes that today's young adults feel they need to be completely self-sufficient in their happiness.
The fact is, young American adults view deep emotional involvement with others as weakness and dependence. It's not just that our culture accepts and accommodates the single lifestyle now-it's that it actually disparages the individual who isn't focused solely on her own personal advancement.
The ubiquitous teachings from our capitalist culture media, Boomer-generation parents who toiled to teach us the importance of pursuing personal goals, and teachers in an increasingly survival-of-the-very-fittest education system-all these emphasize the individual and her goals, not her need for involvement with others.
Twenge also said that a study she's currently conducting with W. Keith Campbell leads to the conclusion that narcissism in America is higher than it's ever been before, and by definition of considering themselves more important than the people they associate with, narcissistic people make terrible relationship partners.
Twenge blames this spike in narcissism on societal teachings like those aforementioned but also feels that purported social networking devices like MySpace and Facebook are less a method of connecting with others than a means of shameless self-promotion giving the individual limitless opportunity to think about themselves and advertise why other people should want to know them.
Some users even employ social networking sites out of romantic malice, attempting to provoke jealousy or track the whereabouts of an ex. And for some couples, being on each other's friend lists is a topic more taboo than first-date sex. "No way would I add (my new girlfriend) to my page," says Kevin, 30, an engineer near Pittsburgh. "I think she's pissed about it but if it ends, it will be too awkward if we're able to keep tabs on each other."
Any way you slice it, we're all looking out for Number One. Here's the trouble: the more time we spend thinking about ourselves, formulating clever responses to friends' online comments about us, posting our most attractive photos, and "pimping our profiles" to leave impressions on our contacts, the less time we spend actually interacting with and caring about others.
Even the word "friend" has transformed from an endeared noun used to describe an intimate, trusted companion to a verb that implies a quick click of the mouse. "Listen, I gotta run, it was nice to meet you. Remember to friend me tomorrow." We lack the basic fundamental of all relationships - spending time together - and personal eye-to-eye contact continues to grow more rare.
Chris Morett is a sociology professor specializing in family and marriage at Fordham University in New York City. Morett echoes this cultural emphasis on the individual.
He says our communities and peer groups have broken down significantly in the last decade, and our consumer culture promises the singular single that you can "Have it your way." Thus young Americans are less willing to compromise their own desires than ever before, and Morett goes so far as saying that the American dating process has become similar to other means of shopping for a product.
Because women don't need marriage for the economic stability and source of identity the institution provided decades ago (because the majority of American women nowadays were not raised simply to be wives but to value personal advancement by self-sufficient means, and women are economically independent deriving their identity from their work and other societal roles, not just from being a wife) marriage is not a necessity but a choice.
So when a woman dates a man and he doesn't possess all the "features" she requires, she briefly deliberates and continues shopping (Is passionate about his work, check. Loves to travel, check. Forgot to ask how my meeting went, uh-oh. Completely unacceptable.) No longer does a woman need a man or a marriage; now she wants a soulmate, a partner to share her interests and values and who provides passion and support and fun. She desires a man who won't require her to sacrifice her identity or every aspect of the single lifestyle she's come to enjoy.
But until we meet him, the solution to the single person's isolation may be simple: shut the lid on our laptops, and get over ourselves-you don't have to do it all on your own. We'll only find the comfort to our singles' loneliness by spending time in the physical presence of people we love. If we want love, we have to love. We have to open our hearts to connecting again.
______________________________________________________________________________
I found this article interesting and informative, and also a bit sad. I really do feel that this generation has made personal contact extremely impersonal, but I hope we can learn to balance those two worlds.
I certainly don't feel like it was a bad thing that I was told my entire life that I can be an independently happy person, and I think I am happy even though I am usually bummed about remaining one of this countries seemingly forever single women.
I am constantly working on bettering myself so I can be the right person at the right time when I meet that right person. Therapy has taught me so much about the idea of being "single" or "together" and has taught me that we're all actually completely single. Single is not a dirty word.
It seems that there's an epidemic of hookups happening right now...love is in the air, as they say. Why does this never happen for me? Is it because I know I can be happy on my own? What about the fact that I WANT to be with someone else? I don't understand. I'm not trying to be emo, but why is this so hard for me?!? There's gotta be someone out there for a someone like me.
JENGA
The APO pledge project went soooo well. I'm so happy with the work that these awesome kids have done!
We raised 30 dollars to donate to Toys for Tots and we raised 15 games to donate as well! We're happy with the result, and the best part is that we just had a total blast!
I personally love the end of this video when we figure out that there are face paints around. SO excited. Meagan is the frickin' light of my life!
This one's pretty awesome too...Jenga is not such a good game for a girl with anxiety issues, bwahaha!
I wish I would have gotten some video footage of that infamous game of Cranium. :)
Cheers to the Pledge Class of Fall 2008!
LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
We raised 30 dollars to donate to Toys for Tots and we raised 15 games to donate as well! We're happy with the result, and the best part is that we just had a total blast!
I personally love the end of this video when we figure out that there are face paints around. SO excited. Meagan is the frickin' light of my life!
This one's pretty awesome too...Jenga is not such a good game for a girl with anxiety issues, bwahaha!
I wish I would have gotten some video footage of that infamous game of Cranium. :)
Cheers to the Pledge Class of Fall 2008!
LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
BA BA BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, BA BA BAAAAAAAAABA!
Well, it's finally happened. We FINALLY got to go see the Twilight movie and it was a blast and a HALF!
I made my "Team Jasper" shirt, and we all wore our Cullen gear; we camped it out in line and had like the best time ever!
We went to Old Chicago for dinner, and then we were off to MJR in the great snow storm..
At this point we were talking about stuff, and got interrupted by the AWESOME *sarcasm* people across from us...
This was our tribute to BILLY and Margo! (We missed you Margo!) Also, this was after Courtney had the run in with the Team Jacob CRAZIES!
I sparklfied Emily and the girls, and Emily Becker joined the fun! We were getting ANTSY for sure!
YAYYYYYYY, we're finally in the theater! Everyone got in and we got really good seats. ALL WE COULD DO WAS WAIT!!!!
Here's Courtney and I driving home after the movie, and we recap what we loooooved about it. Also the snow was CRAZAY.
The movie was great, I totally loved it. There was alot more they could have done, alot of parts they could have done without, but overall I loooooved it.
I was so excited to get to go and see this at midnight; it's something I love so much, and so what if it's a guilty pleasure?! We've all got 'em!
I've already seen it again and I have plans to see it later this week, baahahaha. :)
I made my "Team Jasper" shirt, and we all wore our Cullen gear; we camped it out in line and had like the best time ever!
We went to Old Chicago for dinner, and then we were off to MJR in the great snow storm..
At this point we were talking about stuff, and got interrupted by the AWESOME *sarcasm* people across from us...
This was our tribute to BILLY and Margo! (We missed you Margo!) Also, this was after Courtney had the run in with the Team Jacob CRAZIES!
I sparklfied Emily and the girls, and Emily Becker joined the fun! We were getting ANTSY for sure!
YAYYYYYYY, we're finally in the theater! Everyone got in and we got really good seats. ALL WE COULD DO WAS WAIT!!!!
Here's Courtney and I driving home after the movie, and we recap what we loooooved about it. Also the snow was CRAZAY.
The movie was great, I totally loved it. There was alot more they could have done, alot of parts they could have done without, but overall I loooooved it.
I was so excited to get to go and see this at midnight; it's something I love so much, and so what if it's a guilty pleasure?! We've all got 'em!
I've already seen it again and I have plans to see it later this week, baahahaha. :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Si, se puede!
Courtney told me about this and I had to find it.
It reminds me of that beautiful night I've yet to write about in here.
That's coming soon.
Monday, November 17, 2008
I may be crazy, little frayed around the ends
Last night was INSANE.
Here is the aftermath.
That's all I got to say 'bout that.
I look like shit in this video, but that makes it so much more real. :)
Here is the aftermath.
That's all I got to say 'bout that.
I look like shit in this video, but that makes it so much more real. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859323,00.html?cnn=yes
What Happens If You're on the Gay "Enemies List"
By Alison Stateman / Los Angeles Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Ever since a slim majority outlawed gay marriage in California, opponents have waged national protests and petitions, urging the judicial system to reconsider the results of the Nov. 4 referendum. (Proposition 8 overturned an earlier decision by the Supreme Court of California legalizing same-sex marriages.) While the court weighs whether or not to get back into the fray, the civil unrest ignited by the ban shows no sign of abating. A National Protest Against Prop 8 organized by JoinTheImpact.com is scheduled for this Saturday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opponents say donated more than $20 million to the Yes on 8 campaign, has already become a focus of protests, with demonstrators gathered around Mormon temples not only in California but across the country.
The Mormon Church is not the only group being singled out for criticism. African-Americans, 70% of whom voted yes on Proposition 8, according to a CNN exit poll, have become a target. According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice." (See the Top 10 ballot measures.)
In addition to protests, gay activists have begun publishing lists online exposing individuals and organizations who have donated money in support of Proposition 8. On AntiGayBlacklist.com, individuals who gave money toward Proposition 8 are publicized, with readers urged not to patronize their businesses or services. The list of donors was culled from data on ElectionTrack.com, which follows all contributions of over $1,000 and all contributions of over $100 given before October 17. Dentists, accountants, veterinarians and the like who gave a few thousand dollars to the cause are listed alongside major donors like the Container Supply Co., Inc. of Garden Grove, Calif., which gave $250,000. "Anyone who steps into a political fight aimed at taking away fundamental rights from fellow citizens opens themselves up to criticism," said Wolfson. "The First Amendment gives them the right of freedom of speech and to support political views, but people also have the right to criticize them."
Even before the passage of Proposition 8, Californians Against Hate compiled and published a "dishonor roll" of those individuals, along with their company affiliations, who gave $5,000 or more towards supporting the measure. Telephone numbers and Web sites were added along with commentary about some of the larger donors to public information obtained through the California Secretary of State's Office. "My goal was to make it socially unacceptable to give huge amounts of money to take away the rights of one particular group, a minority group," says Fred Karger, a retired political consultant and founder of Californians Against Hate. "I wanted to make the public aware of who these people are and how much they're giving and then they could make a decision as to whether or not they want to patronize their businesses."
The negative publicity is having effects on both companies and individuals. Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, whose $1,000 donation was listed on ElectionTrack, chose to resign from his post this week to protect the theater from public criticism. Karger says a "soft boycott" they started against Bolthouse Farms, which gave $100,000 to Proposition 8, was dropped after he reached a settlement with the company. Bolthouse Farms was to give an equal amount of money to gay political causes. The amount ultimately equaled $110,000.
Meanwhile, lists of donors to Proposition 8, once trumpeted on the Yes on 8 Web site, have been taken down to protect individuals from harassment. "It's really awful," says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Yes on Proposition 8. "No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights."
By Alison Stateman / Los Angeles Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Ever since a slim majority outlawed gay marriage in California, opponents have waged national protests and petitions, urging the judicial system to reconsider the results of the Nov. 4 referendum. (Proposition 8 overturned an earlier decision by the Supreme Court of California legalizing same-sex marriages.) While the court weighs whether or not to get back into the fray, the civil unrest ignited by the ban shows no sign of abating. A National Protest Against Prop 8 organized by JoinTheImpact.com is scheduled for this Saturday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opponents say donated more than $20 million to the Yes on 8 campaign, has already become a focus of protests, with demonstrators gathered around Mormon temples not only in California but across the country.
The Mormon Church is not the only group being singled out for criticism. African-Americans, 70% of whom voted yes on Proposition 8, according to a CNN exit poll, have become a target. According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice." (See the Top 10 ballot measures.)
In addition to protests, gay activists have begun publishing lists online exposing individuals and organizations who have donated money in support of Proposition 8. On AntiGayBlacklist.com, individuals who gave money toward Proposition 8 are publicized, with readers urged not to patronize their businesses or services. The list of donors was culled from data on ElectionTrack.com, which follows all contributions of over $1,000 and all contributions of over $100 given before October 17. Dentists, accountants, veterinarians and the like who gave a few thousand dollars to the cause are listed alongside major donors like the Container Supply Co., Inc. of Garden Grove, Calif., which gave $250,000. "Anyone who steps into a political fight aimed at taking away fundamental rights from fellow citizens opens themselves up to criticism," said Wolfson. "The First Amendment gives them the right of freedom of speech and to support political views, but people also have the right to criticize them."
Even before the passage of Proposition 8, Californians Against Hate compiled and published a "dishonor roll" of those individuals, along with their company affiliations, who gave $5,000 or more towards supporting the measure. Telephone numbers and Web sites were added along with commentary about some of the larger donors to public information obtained through the California Secretary of State's Office. "My goal was to make it socially unacceptable to give huge amounts of money to take away the rights of one particular group, a minority group," says Fred Karger, a retired political consultant and founder of Californians Against Hate. "I wanted to make the public aware of who these people are and how much they're giving and then they could make a decision as to whether or not they want to patronize their businesses."
The negative publicity is having effects on both companies and individuals. Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, whose $1,000 donation was listed on ElectionTrack, chose to resign from his post this week to protect the theater from public criticism. Karger says a "soft boycott" they started against Bolthouse Farms, which gave $100,000 to Proposition 8, was dropped after he reached a settlement with the company. Bolthouse Farms was to give an equal amount of money to gay political causes. The amount ultimately equaled $110,000.
Meanwhile, lists of donors to Proposition 8, once trumpeted on the Yes on 8 Web site, have been taken down to protect individuals from harassment. "It's really awful," says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Yes on Proposition 8. "No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights."
Saturday, November 15, 2008
I like my new bunny suit......
I'm sitting here doing two things
crocheting a scarf
and listening to Kimya Dawson
I feel like I'm in a time warp.
This was exactly me last year at this time.
This is what I did.
I take a look around, and see how much things have changed.
It's scary.
you don't have to end up with people who self destruct
go find a lover who will never leave
fear of abandonment, self hate, and discontent
will go away when you let yourself grieve
and forget about me, forget about me, forget about me
how could i ever forget? i could never forget
i will never forget
It's crazy to think how these songs mean such different things to me now.
Sadly, I relate a little more to the more sullen ones this fall.
Last fall was a fall of optimistic self improvement.
This fall....there isn't a choice. I'm a wreck of a person.
I took the Polaroid down in my room
I'm pretty sure you have a new girlfriend
It's not as if I don't like you
It just makes me sad whenever I see it
'cause I like to be gone most of the time
And you like to be home most of the time
If I stay in one place I lose my mind
I'm a pretty impossible lady to be with
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended
I had a dream that I had to drive to Madison
To deliver a painting for some silly reason
I took a wrong turn and ended up in Michigan
Paul Baribeau took me to the giant tire swing
Gave me a push and he started singing
I sang along while I was swinging
The sound of our voices made us forget everything
That had ever hurt our feelings
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended
'€¦wouldn't be offended
Now I'm home for less than twenty-four hours
That's hardly time to take a shower
Hug my family and take your picture off the wall
Check my email write a song and make a few phone calls
Before it's time to leave again
I've got one hand on the steering wheel
One waving out the window
If I'm a spinster for the rest of my life
My arms will keep me warm on cold and lonely nights
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended.
crocheting a scarf
and listening to Kimya Dawson
I feel like I'm in a time warp.
This was exactly me last year at this time.
This is what I did.
I take a look around, and see how much things have changed.
It's scary.
you don't have to end up with people who self destruct
go find a lover who will never leave
fear of abandonment, self hate, and discontent
will go away when you let yourself grieve
and forget about me, forget about me, forget about me
how could i ever forget? i could never forget
i will never forget
It's crazy to think how these songs mean such different things to me now.
Sadly, I relate a little more to the more sullen ones this fall.
Last fall was a fall of optimistic self improvement.
This fall....there isn't a choice. I'm a wreck of a person.
I took the Polaroid down in my room
I'm pretty sure you have a new girlfriend
It's not as if I don't like you
It just makes me sad whenever I see it
'cause I like to be gone most of the time
And you like to be home most of the time
If I stay in one place I lose my mind
I'm a pretty impossible lady to be with
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended
I had a dream that I had to drive to Madison
To deliver a painting for some silly reason
I took a wrong turn and ended up in Michigan
Paul Baribeau took me to the giant tire swing
Gave me a push and he started singing
I sang along while I was swinging
The sound of our voices made us forget everything
That had ever hurt our feelings
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended
'€¦wouldn't be offended
Now I'm home for less than twenty-four hours
That's hardly time to take a shower
Hug my family and take your picture off the wall
Check my email write a song and make a few phone calls
Before it's time to leave again
I've got one hand on the steering wheel
One waving out the window
If I'm a spinster for the rest of my life
My arms will keep me warm on cold and lonely nights
Joey never met a bike that he didn't wanna ride
And I never met a Toby that I didn't like
Scotty liked all of the books that I recommended
Even if he didn't I wouldn't be offended.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Like, a BIG ASS rock!
I found this article profoundly interesting. A rock? Could that be the answer to all of the questions we've had about global warming? You're kidding me. A rock?! Seriously?
These are the things we "bleeding heart leftist liberals" discover and put into use in our world. A rock. It could all be solved by only a rock. :)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081107/sc_nm/us_climate_rocks;_ylt=Arch2XaHHCFwua.3rBPGa1us0NUE
Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.
When carbon dioxide comes in contact with the rock, peridotite, the gas is converted into solid minerals such as calcite.
Geologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist Juerg Matter said the naturally occurring process can be supercharged 1 million times to grow underground minerals that can permanently store 2 billion or more of the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide emitted by human activity every year.
Their study will appear in the November 11 edition of the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences.
Peridotite is the most common rock found in the Earth's mantle, or the layer directly below the crust. It also appears on the surface, particularly in Oman, which is conveniently close to a region that produces substantial amounts of carbon dioxide in the production of fossil fuels.
"To be near all that oil and gas infrastructure is not a bad thing," Matter said in an interview.
They also calculated the costs of mining the rock and bringing it directly to greenhouse gas emitting power plants, but determined it was too expensive.
The scientists, who are both at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York, say they could kick-start peridotite's carbon storage process by boring down and injecting it with heated water containing pressurized carbon dioxide. They have a preliminary patent filing for the technique.
They say 4 billion to 5 billion tons a year of the gas could be stored near Oman by using peridotite in parallel with another emerging technique developed by Columbia's Klaus Lackner that uses synthetic "trees" which suck carbon dioxide out of the air.
More research needs to be done before either technology could be used on a commercial scale.
Peridotite also occurs in the Pacific islands of Papua New Guinea and Caledonia, and along the coast of the Adriatic Sea and in smaller amounts in California.
Big greenhouse gas emitters like the United States, China and India, where abundant surface supplies of the rock are not found, would have to come up with other ways of storing or cutting emissions.
Rock storage would be safer and cheaper than other schemes, Matter said.
Many companies are hoping to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by siphoning off large amounts of carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and storing it underground.
That method could require thousands of miles of pipelines and nobody is sure whether the potentially dangerous gas would leak back out into the atmosphere in the future.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Eric Beech)
These are the things we "bleeding heart leftist liberals" discover and put into use in our world. A rock. It could all be solved by only a rock. :)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081107/sc_nm/us_climate_rocks;_ylt=Arch2XaHHCFwua.3rBPGa1us0NUE
Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.
When carbon dioxide comes in contact with the rock, peridotite, the gas is converted into solid minerals such as calcite.
Geologist Peter Kelemen and geochemist Juerg Matter said the naturally occurring process can be supercharged 1 million times to grow underground minerals that can permanently store 2 billion or more of the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide emitted by human activity every year.
Their study will appear in the November 11 edition of the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences.
Peridotite is the most common rock found in the Earth's mantle, or the layer directly below the crust. It also appears on the surface, particularly in Oman, which is conveniently close to a region that produces substantial amounts of carbon dioxide in the production of fossil fuels.
"To be near all that oil and gas infrastructure is not a bad thing," Matter said in an interview.
They also calculated the costs of mining the rock and bringing it directly to greenhouse gas emitting power plants, but determined it was too expensive.
The scientists, who are both at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York, say they could kick-start peridotite's carbon storage process by boring down and injecting it with heated water containing pressurized carbon dioxide. They have a preliminary patent filing for the technique.
They say 4 billion to 5 billion tons a year of the gas could be stored near Oman by using peridotite in parallel with another emerging technique developed by Columbia's Klaus Lackner that uses synthetic "trees" which suck carbon dioxide out of the air.
More research needs to be done before either technology could be used on a commercial scale.
Peridotite also occurs in the Pacific islands of Papua New Guinea and Caledonia, and along the coast of the Adriatic Sea and in smaller amounts in California.
Big greenhouse gas emitters like the United States, China and India, where abundant surface supplies of the rock are not found, would have to come up with other ways of storing or cutting emissions.
Rock storage would be safer and cheaper than other schemes, Matter said.
Many companies are hoping to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by siphoning off large amounts of carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and storing it underground.
That method could require thousands of miles of pipelines and nobody is sure whether the potentially dangerous gas would leak back out into the atmosphere in the future.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Eric Beech)
Wampaween!
I know these next couple of entries are going to seem silly and out of order, but I just haven't had much time to blog about all the things I have on my list to blog. :)
Halloween was fun. We went to the Wampaslayer/Second Guess Halloween party, and it was a blast. The band was great and we spent alot of time trying on each other's costumes!
I finally fulfilled my dream of being Bowie for Halloween!
On actual Halloween, we went to my parent's house and watched scary movies. OOH! AND GHOST HUNTERS LIVE! I thought it was phenomenal! We watched The Strangers and Black Sheep (no, not Chris Farley) which was probably the strangest and funniest thing I've ever seen. It was from New Zealand, so I was happy. :)
Halloween was fun. We went to the Wampaslayer/Second Guess Halloween party, and it was a blast. The band was great and we spent alot of time trying on each other's costumes!
I finally fulfilled my dream of being Bowie for Halloween!
On actual Halloween, we went to my parent's house and watched scary movies. OOH! AND GHOST HUNTERS LIVE! I thought it was phenomenal! We watched The Strangers and Black Sheep (no, not Chris Farley) which was probably the strangest and funniest thing I've ever seen. It was from New Zealand, so I was happy. :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The most beautiful words I've ever heard...
Obama:
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Watch Obama's speech in its entirety »
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House. (I almost died at this part!)
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. (I was absolutely DONE at this point. As I read this now, tears are welling up in my eyes)
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
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