Strawberry Mountain

Hillary You Knocked It Out of The Park Last Night

This is rather long, but if you missed it last night, it's worth a watch or even two!

On Fire for Barack Obama

I've spent the evening watching the Democratic Convention on CSPAN.  One of the reasons I wanted to watch it tonight specifically was that Montana's own Governor Schweitzer was the speaker right before Hillary Clinton.

All I can say is wow Hillary.  I have always adored her.  Tonight she knocked it out of the park.  She did what she needed to do in the most graceful and eloquent way.  She was talking directly to her supporters, telling them they must vote for Barack Obama to win this election.  I hope they were listening.

I know when it came to the primary's, I really had a hard time deciding who to vote for, Hillary or Barack?  Honestly, I was leaning toward Hillary because of her passion for universal health care.  In the end, I went with Barack, because I felt that he had the best shot of actually winning the election.  I liked him then, I still really like him.  But Hillary blew me away tonight. 

I can't compare them, I don't want to.  I want to believe that we as a party can unite for the greater good, and win this election.  It is so vital we win.  I haven't felt this excited about an election since I was in college.

I remember sitting in my living room, on the floor, with the wood paneled walls and the wood stove, watching the election results when Bill Clinton won the first of his two terms.  The excitement and relief I felt was so huge.  I feel that excitement again watching Barack Obama.  I feel he is our great hope to pull our country back from the abyss.  We cannot afford John McCain.  Heck, even John McCain's on friends do not want him to win the election.  They know he is a hot head, we do not need a hot head trying to end the war in Iraq.

Barack Obama's 2004 Keynote Speech

This is worth re-visiting. 

Michelle Obama

10 Things You Should Know About McCain

(Borrowed from the "MOVEON.ORG Website)

10 things to know about McCain

Pass this on to a friend »

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.

Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

Click here to tell us how many people you can pass it on to—and to see our progress nationally:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.¹
2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."²
3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.³
   
4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."⁴
5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.⁵
6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.⁶
7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."⁷
8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.⁸
9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."⁹
10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.¹⁰

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/

---

Sources:
1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home

7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/

8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251

9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/

10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/

Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.2 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

It's All In Your Head

Get To Work!

You Tell Em' John!

Making Progress!

We've come a long way baby!

50 Years of Me!

This is too much fun!

Why You Shouldn't Take your Husband To Walmart

I received this email...again....I've gotten it many times before, and it always sends me into a fit of giggles...so here you go, enjoy

Subject:Don't Take Husband To Wal-Mart

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women - - she loved to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart.

Dear Mrs. Samsel,
Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store.We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Samsel are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1.June 15:
Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2:
Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7:
Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19:
Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

5. August 4:
Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

6. August 14:
Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15:
Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. August 23:
When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. September 4:
Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10:
While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3:My Favorite
Darted around the store, suspiciously, while loudly humming the Mission Impossible' theme ..

12. October 6:
In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18:
Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME!

14. October 21:
When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least...

15. October 23:
Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Regards,

Tom Richards
Wal-Mart Manager

Ruthie Foster...

A friend of mine recently got to see Ruthie live, she said she about died in the aisle.  She turned me on to this Youtube video.

Don't You Mind People Grinnin' in Your Face

Fruits of My Labor

Eco-Footprint

I'm afraid I didn't do so hot.  Check this site out, it's very cool.

Eco-Footprint

Also check out The Breathing Earth

2008 OLYMPICS

I was discussing this with a friend of mine this morning, about whether I was going to watch the Olympics which begin on August 8, 2008.  I had thought I might.  I really am not happy about it being in China, but still, it's the Olympics.

There are so very many human rights violations stemming from China, it's hard to know where to even start.  Our athletes do deserve to be supported.  It all sounds reasonable until you really look at the underlying issues at hand.

The biggest one that I can think of off the top of my head, is the support the Chinese government has given to Sudan regarding the war in Darfur.  China has time and time again, supplied arms, even though there is a UN arms embargo on Darfur.  Upwards of 300,000 people have died due to the genocide in Darfur, and it is suspected that another two million people have fled their homes. 

China has told Sudan not to use it's military equipment in Darfur.  They believe this makes them less culpable and that they are then obeying the UN arms embargo, even though they know that Sudan will use those weapons in Darfur.

If you do even a basic "google" on Darfur, you will see so many articles to support what I am saying.  I think I am actually going to take the formal position to NOT watch the Olympics this year.

There are so many other human rights violations from China, I just can't support anything they do.  So folks, do your home work.  Read up on the issues behind the farce that has become the Olympics.

Here are a few articles to peruse if you are interested:

China is Fueling the War in Darfur from the BBC

2008 Olympics Gilded with Less Than Goldfrom Augusta KS Daily Gazette

Oil for China, Guns for Darfur from Business Week

China's Deadly Darfur Games from Salon Magazine

Save Darfur

Toy Exodus

I've been swearing to myself for weeks I'd get in the play room, and get rid of toys.  The playroom was filled with baby toys, broken toys, no longer loved toys, etc....

Along with that, there were the very much loved and beloved toys that the kids were not able to get too.

I made up my mind today that I was going to get this one thing done.  I did. 

The kids very favorite toys by far at this point are their Magna Tiles.  I wish so badly that I could afford to buy them another 100 piece set.  My mom got these for the kids for Christmas, and they are by far the favorite item.  Only problem is, we don't have enough and they fight over them terribly.  Maybe I'll be able to figure out how to get another new set one of these days.

I promised Brian that if he let me get rid of the baby toys, I would buy him some big boy Lego's since Leslie is finally old enough I don't have to worry about her anymore.

I got out my old book cases that have been living in the shed, and finally got the kids book collection back down.  They were so bad for awhile about ripping books up, that I put them all away.  So for now, we are trying it out.  I also made space for all their coloring books and crayons.

The train table they have has a cover, which makes this table a great art table, or building table in addition to the train table.  All in all, I'm much happier with it.  I think it will be a great deal easier to keep clean because we have gotten rid of 2 full bins of toys, and two bags of trash/broken toys.

I think I'm going to start hitting the thrift stores up on the hunt for new books for them.

They are both happily up in their play room right now, and I'm happily down in the living room not watching Dora.

Leslie has been in panties all day, and so far has had only one accident.  I think I'm ready to start trying her out at school in panties.  We are so close to being PT'ed, that I am getting anxious and really don't even want to buy one more pack of pull-ups.

She has been telling me all weekend when Brian does something to her, that "her feelings are hurt".  Brian told her today that her behavior was not "respectful.  I nearly rolled off the couch when he said that.

We had a great thunder and lightening storm last night, it was really nice because it cooled the air off so much.  We were unable to have our campfire though, we are going to try tonight.