The Republicans spent the last 3 days degrading, belittling and mocking the accomplishments of Senator Obama. They offered no ways to fix health care, create jobs, improve education or do anything but continue the failed policies of the last 8 years. Oh wait -- I forgot! They offered us a position on oil, "Drill Baby Drill". How thoughtful.

When they weren't mocking Obama with a sarcastic tongue --which reminds me of the Bush smear tactics-- they inspired fear. They told us the Republicans are the party who loves the USA and that the Democrats will not keep us safe. Which message do you prefer, hope or fear? I'll go with hope for a change.

They continued to lie about Senator Obama's record. They said he has no 'real accomplishments'. Here are a few:
1. Obama helped reform the death penalty in Illinois 2. Obama helped pass bipartisan legislation in Illinois that gave health care coverage to 154,000 citizens, 70,000 of which were children 3. Through bipartisan efforts Obama helped pass the Earned Income Tax Credit, giving over 100 million in tax-cuts to families across Illinois 4. Being a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Obama fought to help Illinois veterans receive disability pay 5. Obama played a critical role in passing the strongest Ethics legislation that has emerged from the US Congress.

They also said Obama will raise taxes, when in reality he would cut taxes for over 90% of Americans. Do Republicans love to lie?

The Republicans praised John McCain for being a maverick, putting his country first, having experience and being a solider. Well I've got news for you, America needs more than a solider. Furthermore, if he was a 'maverick' why did he pick a vice presidential candidate that rallies to the Republican base? If he puts his country first, why did he pick an inexperienced vice presidential candidate, who could potentially become President considering McCain's history of cancer and age? I'll tell you why: McCain picked who he thought would win him votes, not what would be best for our country.

Granted, McCain does have experience -- voting with George Bush 90% of the time. Experience doesn't count if it's on the wrong side of the issues.

Instead of experience, let's focus on judgement. Obama had the good judgement to oppose the Iraq War from the beginning, to push for a withdrawal of our troops (which is now, finally, echoed by the Bush Administration) and by his insistence to focus on Afghanistan, where the true threats to our nation reside. The only good judgment McCain has is on the troop surge. But that issue would not have been an issue if Obama had been commander-in-chief and not gone to Iraq in the first place. Good judgement from our commander-in-chief, from day one, is what we need for our country and that is exactly what Obama offers and McCain doesn't.

Now lets get to 20-month Governor, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin who has even less experience than Barack Obama and Joe Biden. She preaches family values and abstinence-only education, but has a pregnant daughter. She slashed funding by more than 50% for special needs children in Alaska, but says those with special needs will have a friend in the White House. She left the town she was mayor 20 million dollars in debt. She is against abortion (ie: against women) and is under investigation for abuse of power. Yet she has the audacity to belittle and mock Obama being a community organizer early in his life. She's a sarcastic, condescending, belittling, joke. Simple as that.

Republicans can blame the media for 'unfair' treatment of Sarah Pailn, but that's a scapegoat. The media is just doing their job. Republicans, including Sarah Palin, told Hillary Clinton to stop "whining" about the media being "sexist". They said if she can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I guess they want it both ways!

The bottom line is, you have solutions or smears. You have hope or fear. You have more of the same or change.

Obama-Biden '08!

FORWARD THROUGH E-MAIL ETC. TO ANYONE YOU'D LIKE!

I've had several videos disappear from my profile and my anti-jihad community (aholyspirited1).  These were videos exposing the idiocy of Islamic scripture, like advocating child molesting, murder, and abuse of women.  Has anyone else had any trouble with these types of videos dissappearing?  Are YouTube and Photobucket becoming politically correct and dhimmi entities?  When I search with the keywords 'Muslim molest' I don't get anything anymore.  When I do a search for jihad videos all I get is pro-Islam and anti-America crap.

McCain's first response to Obama's nomination speech:

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America.

Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations.

How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done.

I'm John McCain and I approved this message."

This was emailed to the media and accompanied by a national media buy to run a commercial of this statement.

Obama's first response to McCain's nomination speech:

"Tonight, John McCain said that his party was elected to change Washington, but that they let Washington change them. He's right. He admonished the 'old, do-nothing crowd' in Washington, but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for twenty-six years, opposing solutions on health care, energy, and education. He talked about bipartisanship, but didn't mention that he's been a Bush partisan 90% of the time, that he's run a Karl Rove campaign, and that he wants to continue this President's disastrous economic and foreign policies for another four years. With John McCain, it's more of the same.

That's not the change Americans need. Barack Obama has taken on the special interests and the lobbyists in Illinois and in Washington, and he's won. As President, he'll cut taxes for 95% of all working families, provide affordable health care to every American, end the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and eliminate the oil we import from the Middle East in ten years."

This was emailed to the media as McCain was leaving the stage.

It always amazes me how failure to serve the people whom elected you gets people re-elected. Granted some could agrue that on a national level, but the results on a local level are far more clearly the fault of the far fewer leaders. Here in Obama's own district, the district that gave him his first elected position, the district that he most likely promised to improve their lives many years before he was able to promise the same to the whole of the USA and the World.... here that have seen NO improvement and only failed Obama's promises.

I understand how political leaders whom fail their voters get re-elected... they blame everyone else outside there district for their failures to help those with in their district. But when you get down to the basic facts the people whom trusted Obama to improve theirs lives have been let down. Obama did succeed in only two main things, getting millions of dollars to Rezco and getting a million dollar home for his family and comfortable positions for his wife in Hospitals and on Company boards.

Still his people suffer and still they vote for the one whom does not help.

And how has Obama's life changed?
( Read more... )

I'm 19 and about to graduate with my AA in Psychology from a community college. My real goal is to join the military at the end of next summer, but my back up plan is to go ahead and get my BA in Psychology. If I go ahead and get my BA, I will most likely get my MA, and possibly my PsyD. So I suppose I'm only a psychology student as a back up plan, though I'll probably use my G.I. Bill to complete my psychology studies even if I do join the military.

So my questions are these: At what level are you doing internships? And what scholarships have you found for psychology students? I live in Florida, if there are any state scholarships anyone from Florida has found.

Thanks, in advance.

Im a psych student, always thought I'd go into counselling but ive just had my first experience in Industrial Psychology.

Work has been pissing me off to no end with 2 hr shifts, no 10 minute breaks and not rostering me on for next week. They dont provide tea and coffee either.

A phone call with industrial relations says:

Tea and coffee is just a nice thing businesses usually do, but is tax dedeuctable so why not unless u arent giving them tea breaks?

4 hrs work - Workers are legally required to take a 10min break (Workplace Relations Act, 1996).

Part Time Contract - Legally required to give at least 12 hours per week (Workplace Relations Act, 1996).

2 hour shifts? - Legally required to pay for 3 hours (Retail Industry Award).

thank you industrail relations!
PH: 1300 363 264
Next stop will be Work Cover to file a complaint about the bully tactics being used
PH: 1300 362 128
and if I get fired for speaking up I contact the ARIC
PH: 1300 799 675.

Those phone numbers are all Australia wide.

So, this has been very satisfying. I think I'd really like to liberate groups of people like this. Much more intrinsically rewarding than making money off of people who are sick?

Just a thought guys ;)

-Adam

It was moving, especially as he spoke about his POW experience

McCain looks perpetually uncomfortable in a suit

The crowd chanting "USA USA USA" got old quick

Code Pink made themselves look like petulant jackasses

He came across as a candidate that could change Washington politics

I like mavericks, but not Maverick from Top Gun. He was a prick

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-abramoff5-2008sep05,0,2600935.story

Huvelle said Abramoff had "corrupted the political process and deprived the public of the honest services" of officials in the executive and legislative branches.

So, considering John McCain's ties to Abramoff:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/25/mccain-withheld-controver_n_88304.html
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/22/03626/1126/185/572396
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011980630

etc, etc, ad nauseum...

what, if any, effect will this have? Is this on the level of Keating, or is it on the level of Palin's long-standing involvement with Steven's pork? Or are those the same? Or is this a non-issue?

We cheeky Republicans and our nonbiodegradable traditional balloon drop.

What did the Demos drop, again? Was it shredded, recycled copies of the constitution?

Tue Sep 02 2008 17:22:17 ET

New York, N.Y. - Vanity Fair names Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin to the No. 1 position on the New Establishment: The Vanity Fair 100 for the first time. After eight years as Russia's president, Putin is still at the height of his power. He saw his approval ratings top 80 percent, thanks to an economy revived through energy profits; cashing in on Russia's natural resources has enabled Putin to pay off the nation's foreign debt [give Israel the finger for fake IMF money ... lol], rebuild its military, restore its pride, and re-assert itself in world affairs. All of which has made it easier for him to get away with his antipathy for free speech and other civil liberties. He controls the media and imprisons or exiles his enemies [this is probably lies by the American media], and has all but installed his longtime prot'g and former campaign manager, Dmitri Medvedev, as Russia's new president through a reportedly rigged March election.

The Vanity Fair 100 represents a global, movable band of thinkers, owners, creators, and buyers who are the tastemakers, trendsetters, opinion formers and agenda creators in the worlds of politics, entertainment, media, business, technology, and fashion. Entry into the ranks of the V.F. 100 is based on a number of factors: wealth and influence, as well as such intangibles as vision, philanthropy, and the x factor.

The V.F. 100 appears in the October issue of Vanity Fair, on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on September 3 and nationally on September 9.

THE VANITY FAIR 100:
2007 ranking in parentheses

1. Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister (new entry)
2. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. (1) <-- this crook controls most of the news media in America.
3. Sergey Brin (3), Larry Page (3), and Eric Schmidt (new entry), Google
4. Steve Jobs, Apple, Disney, and Pixar (2)
5. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway (5)
6. Jeff Bezos, Amazon (23)
7. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai (new entry)
8. Roman Abramovich, Millhouse Capital (30)
9. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, actors, activists (new entry)
10. Al Gore, eco-warrior (19)
( 11-100 )
Source: Drudge Report
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone has been following STORY and Casper's reports ... Putin is the man now. He's the only world leader forcibly standing up to the corrupt America government. I ♥ him and every Russian soldier fighting the crooked Georgian and US troops. I applause the America law enforcers and banking officials who are trying to bring the corruption to an end. Keep the faith ...

Take note ... Bill Gates and Donald Trump are NOT on the list.

Unofficial RNC convention thread...

feel free to post about whatever

here's what I think

1) Cindy McCain's video actually was pretty good I liked it and I think the volunteer work she's done is amazing... kinda like a community organizer!

2) Kinda creepy how they didn't mention that her dad left his wife just like McCain left his kids and wife who had been disfigured after a car accident. I mean what was he doing hitting on a young girl when he was married. They moved in together when he was still married

3) Cindy is cute, but she sounds funny

4) I bet her adopted daughter is annoyed about her adoption story being touted out in front of everyone every 5 minutes. She looked angry when Cindy was talking about her

5) How come the adopted daughter is always dressed in these uber bright colors and made to stick and stand out. Check out a picture of the whole family that was brought out on stage, everyone was dressed in dark black or blue besides Cindy and the adopted daughter. eh whatever

In the past, Coalition military operations against al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in Pakistan were limited to airstrikes/artillery attacks and pursuing fleeing operatives across the border from Afghanistan. The other day the first operation to target a town allegedly harboring al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan was conducted.

( Read more... )

Cross-posted to politicsforum and journal

 I was just wondering if I could get some feedback from those of you who are familiar with graduate schools offering a PsyD program. I would like to stay in the mid-west, but really any information about what to look for when choosing a school would be incredibly helpful. 
Thanks!

Seems Palin did not, in fact, cut special needs funding, but seriously increased it:

Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers have gone ahead with an overhaul of Alaska’s school funding system that supporters predict will provide much-needed financial help to rural schools and those serving students with disabilities.

...

A second part of the measure raises spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (emphasis added).

Let's talk about what the media and the left wing blogs have gotten wrong about Palin.

* Bristol being Trig's mom.

* Palin and Pat Buchanan (she actually served on Forbes's campaign).

* The vetting process.

* Budget cuts for teen mothers (there was no cut, it was just a smaller increase than requested).

* The "Bridge to Nowhere" (wasn't against the construction, was against the waste).

* Contraception (she's pro-contraception).

* Oil taxes.

* Being a member of the Alaskan Independence Party (she wasn't, not that it's a disqualifier).

And this is just what I've found so far. This is a ridiculously poor track record, and it's no wonder people have such conflicting views on her - most of the stuff they're reading isn't even true!

With a record like this, it's no wonder people believe that the media is trying to help Obama win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2NXcqWalDI



What do you think?

I found this on a Daily Kos blog and it made me smile. I added a few things to it.

After watching the malicious speeches last night mocking Senator Obama, and by proxy, cynically attacking all of us who support our local communities, I thought it would be prudent to educate the Republican Party on the historical role of community organizers. For a quick reminder, let's recap Giuliani's snark:

"He worked as a community organizer. (Laughter) What?...Barack Obama has never led anything, nothing, nada."

And Palin's vacuous follow-up:

"This world of threats and dangers, it's not just a community and it doesn't just need an organizer. (Laughter.)"

That these bastions of the GOP would denigrate the importance of community organizers on the same night their party nominates its first female vice presidential candidate shows an utter disrespect for the people of this country and a laughable ignorance of the power we wield. This is what community organizers do...

They change the world. Block by block, city by city, state by state, nation by nation...

So, GOP, meet community organizer Susan B. Anthony. She helped guarantee women's suffrage in the United States by giving public speeches and uniting with fellow advocates of change.


( Read more... )Why would the Republicans spend a whole night of their convention attacking ordinary people?

With the nation watching, the Republicans mocked, dismissed, and actually laughed out loud at Americans who engage in community service and organizing.

Our convention was different. We gave the stage to everyday Americans who hunger for change and stepped up to make phone calls, knock on doors, and raise money in small amounts in their communities. You may have missed it, but we also showed the country a video with the faces and voices of those organizers, volunteers, and donors from every corner of the country.

With all the talk of how great Sarah Palin's speech was (and it was good at what it was meant to accomplish), there hasn't been much said about the ways it wasn't so good. It clearly rallied the republican base. The people in the arena with her loved the speech, and I imagine the people who still approve of GWB across the country loved it too. But even before all the post-speech hubbub, I wondered how it would play with people outside the repub base. First off, I doubt there will be many obama supporters swayed by her. She's too ideologically different, and obama supporters are, by and large, pretty well-entrenched in their support. So that leaves the undecideds - the moderates and the folks who don't really pay much attention until the step into the voting booth.

This does a good job of explaining my thoughts on the subject. The last line of the article sums it up well:
Ultimately, it's not that I don't think there aren't people who will find Palin's performance effective -- I just don't think there's much overlap between those people and the universe of persuadable voters.

Rallying the base was clearly necessary, but if it's at the cost of alienating moderates and people with serious Bush fatigue, Palin could still end up costing them votes. It's too early to tell if this will happen, but I think it's also too early to tell if she'll do anything more than whip up excitement among people who were likely to vote for McCain anyways. As one TV commentator put it (I'm paraphrasing): "It doesn't matter if the people voting for you are excited and happy if you only get 45% of the vote."

Barack Obama will finally be on Fox News tonight, at a time when he thinks he can steal some of the thunder from the RNC.  He'll be interviewed by soft baller O'Reilly but I'm sure he'll still have trouble answering questions.  He always does.  His followers say this is because he is thoughtful.  Moose crap, he's just slow.  He gives a good speech but he can't answer a question without stuttering.  When he's interviewed tonight pay attention to how many times he says "uh" and "you know" while he struggles to come up with an answer that he thinks will go over well. 

I wish I could say that I was surprised at the rhetoric that I heard last night, but I'm too old for that.  I will say that I was highly disappointed and offended.  As I former supporter (staunch, I might add) of John McCain, I have completely written him off as my candidate of choice.  I'd hoped that since he had been on the receiving end of these types of tactics, he'd want to steer clear.  But, I guess it's more important to win than to remember.

Gov. Palin's comments that diminished the importance of community organization and leadership was insulting.  Had it not been for a leader named Martin Luther King, I wouldn't have the many different friends and family that I have today.  Had it not been for community organizations, like Habitat for Humanities, many people would not have decent homes.  Someone else said it best - community organization is more of a calling than a job, and it's a 24/7 calling.  It requires tenancity, drive, leadership, and vision.  I wish I'd seen any of this last night.

I think it's time our leadership to cut ties with barbs, snipes and sound bites.  There are real problems in this country, and we all needed to have heard what they were proposing, not that they could sling mud like experts.  As a mother, of a special needs child nonetheless, I am always telling my daughter "no naming calling" and "use words that don't hurt."   It would be so refreshing to see our leadership to find ways to “agree to disagree” with dignity and integrity.

It was a tradition when I was growing up to watch both conventions.  I can't do that with my child.  The negative tone and words would require too much explanation.  It's time for a change and an end to this type of politicing.  The world is watching.  Our children are watching.  The future is watching and waiting.

Quotes Karl Rove as saying he is impressed with Sarah Palin being mayor of the second biggest town in Alaska.
Quotes Karl Rove as mocking Tim Kaine, who was an option for Obama's VP pick, as not being mayor of a big enough town and that it would be a purely political choice that shows Obama is not concerned first and foremost with the person best capable of being President of the United States.


Quotes Bill O saying teen pregnancy is a private matter that should not be judged in the case of Sarah Palin.
Quotes Bill O saying the pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears is the fault of the parents and that they don't have control over their daughter.


Quotes Fox News Dick Morris as saying the sexism in society is so deep because of the attacks on Sarah Palin.
Then shows him saying this about Hillary Clinton:
"What happens when the boys in the Middle East or the boys who run Russia start picking on ya?"
"This is what Hillary always does when she's under fire, she's retreats behind the apron strings."


Then at the end it shows Sarah Palin saying this about sexism and Hillary Clinton:
"You've got to know what you're getting into....any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism or a sharper microscope put on her...I think, man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, women in general, wanting to progress this country. I mean work harder, prove yourself to an even greater degree that you are capable...that you're going to be the best candidate."

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8uGenNjOAI