h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Permalink to text of Obama's "More Perfect Union" speech:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/18/text-of-obamas-speech-a-more-perfect-union/?mod=WSJBlog

Video link, for those who can and would like to view it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo


Most of you know, since I've been quite vocal, that Obama has all the support I can give him. He's done wonderful things during the time I've been among his constituency- he's my Senator, and he's been instrumental in helping pass important legislation.

BravoI hope Obama wins the race for the Democrats and becomes President.

And so say all of us here! I don't normally get involved in USAnian politics, but i reckon this is a special case.

Yay!!! Abbi sighting!!!! I will send you an email *if* my aged Beast allows me to do so; it's still the same zendevil address, but it may be easiest for you to email me first, so i can try & store your address in its failing memory; it really is having problems

Yeah, the nutrition stuff is rather a crisis right now, 11 days to go, but i am determined not to go "cap in hand" to Red Cross, i didn't do their last "tin rattling" because the supermarket they wanted to to rattle was too far away to walk to. I'd rather live on pride & a few lentils; Yoda has enough food but the may run out, which worries me greatly; the "walkable to" supermarket only stocks big packs of the stuff, i don't have enough to buy that & don't know any other goldfish owners here. If all else fails; i'll phone the Animals Feeling guy & ask if he can drop me some in when he next passes by & reimburse him next month.

Bernie is coming here tomorrow evening, she does voluntary work for her local food distribution centre, she will probably arrive with a box of goodies! Then we're going on to a meeting to discuss "Rights of the Handicapped" with the newly elected mayor; that should be interesting (plus there are always free nibbles at these things!...unfortunately, most of them contain dead animals!)

zdt

psychocandy, thanks for those links. It is interesting to hear an opinion from someone that knows his work first hand. I looked at some comments on YouTube that weren't too complimentary.

I must admit this US election interests me more than any since Kennedy. I often wonder what sort of President he would have made if he had been given longer, and whether he would have lived up to expectations.

Websailor

You're welcome- as it anyone who will find the linked info of interest.

Lifting something I posted to another thread: Obama was key in orchestrating videotaped police questioning and confessions in the state of Illinois. Cook county- which contains Chicago and numerous outlying suburbs- has historically had very serious problems with corruption amongst its police departments. Videotaping interrogations meant that police were less likely to beat confessions out of suspects- a measure that protects not only the accused, but the honest police officers, too.

Obama has also assisted in passing an Earned Income Credit (an additional tax deduction available to working poor parents), and campaign finance legislation reform. Regarding his own campaign financing- the Obama campaign states that Obama has received donations from over 1 million different contributers, and that 94% of those people gave less than $200.


In regards to his position on the abortion issue, in an email reply I received from Obama a while back, he describes himself as "someone who views the choice of whether to have an abortion as a deeply personal one that should be left to a woman, her family, her doctor and her conscience".

I know many people express concern about his "lack of experience", but I think he's proven himself in office, even if he's served for less time than other candidates. Time in office isn't necessarily indicative of ability to do the job well- look at Dubya and Reagan for example.

I read his biog. and I have to say I was impressed. He has packed a lot of good stuff in to his life and as you say experience hasn't exactly proved beneficial in the past.

Websailor

Meanwhile, our little President Bling & his shiny happy new wifey have been snuggling up with the Queen & co in UK, apparently the UK President managed to get lost en route to the dining table!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7316401.stm

zdt

Well he would wouldn't he? Did you see his kissing pix? Why does the appearance of a lanky broad on the scene send everyone in to a frenzy

Websailor

Dunno, i ask myself this every time the Banky Lords go into a frenzy when i appear.

Meanwhile; i am off to a Political meeting too, with the newly erected bunch here, to help form a Committee for Handicap issues. The first item on my agenda is going to be "accessibility for all"; at the moment, this place is becoming more & more impossible unless you drive a car.

I went to meet my fiend Bernie outside the Cathedral, we struggled back here in driving rain, carrying heavy bags along a pavement approximately 1 ft wide, full of potholes, the alternative was to walk in the road, which was full of lunatic drivers picking up their lunatic teenagers in 4WD gas guzzlers. Most of these kids live within walking distance of the school.

zdt

hey terri, long time no squeak! I am impressed by all your activities, I must have a little lie down on your behalf!

Hiya Milla! Sounds like a wonderful idea & exactly what i'd actually prefer to be doing right now, but these things have to be done at a certain time!

Garrgh, i've also got raging sinusitis (allergy stuff; season change, humidity etc) & look & feel like a hibernating ham(p)ster...ah well, i suppose it may prove i can have some understanding of what it's like *not* to be 100% fit!

I've been invited to some sort of other thing on 27 April & more or less ordered to "bring your guitar & be prepered to sing please"...lord knows what this is; but i'm apparently going to be transported there by Diego, the Spanish guy who seems keen on me at the last Green meeting. Should be interesting!

I reckon i made a good decision to get involved in local politics; if nothing else, i get to enlarge my social life by meeting people i know right away think along similar lines, the language stuff we just work around...i might even end up getting some students. It's certainly a better idea than bumping into people in a bar, usually they are & assume i'm on the lookout for Mr Right, which i'm not. (I very much doubt he exists, it's more likely exists in my opinion!)

How do the rest of "you lot" go about social life stuff?

zdt

No social life as such, I go to work...take G to his stuff....and then quietly get drunk or read a book or try and do both in the evening before I pass out.

Quite sad really.

Occasionally I get on the innernet...

Most of my social life involves the occasional dinner and movie night- at our place, at someone else's place, or out and about- with a couple of friends from work or some of K's friends (now counted among my friends), or visiting with various family members from time to time. I'm not antisocial, but I'm perfectly happy staying at home with a DVD or a book or what have you. Especially on weeknights, when I'm already tired from work.

It's OK ladies - I DO exist!

Jab

Hiya Jab! Good to know you exist; that's really a very positive step towards any sort of social life i reckon!

My social life is becoming increasingly bizarre. I spent last night secretly cleaning someones bathroom while the 3 lads watched football. I did get lots of & admiration for this...'Twas a Plot; the guy is a mutual fiend, who is very depressed & if the first thing that happens when you get up is a filthy bathroom, you are quite likely to give up & go back to bed!

Oooh, & i actually Got taken Out for a Drink in Public. This hasn't happened for a very long time. Plus told "Wow, you are beautiful!" which most definitely hasn't happened for an extremely long time.

Ye gods, the power of a bit of make up maybe? Next week i plan to emerge as Claudia Schiffer. (I am rather more inclined towards Being Johnny Depp actually, tall ships, bandanas & dreadlocks are much more my style)

Meanwhile, i am getting heavily into Morning Glories now that my Sweet Peas seem to be doing well. The Prim are coming to an end & Pansies are lurking unhappily on the windowledge. I feel Geraniums approaching...

Amazing: Someone deposited a strange blue Thing outside my door, some sort of metal structure, which i've now hung loads of plants from. I'm taking over the street...but since the locals seem to love it; why not?

Are any of "you lot" into gardening stuff? (I don't have a garden, i just kidnap the tiny space outside my windows)

zdt

I've missed you, glad to see so many things happening in your life!
Squeak more tonight p'raps?

We don't have a garden at our place, but we do have a small backyard with a reasonably well-maintained lawn, a nice cherry tree, and some shrubbery. The front yard has lawn and a couple small bushes, but no actual flower bed. No worries- I don't expect anyone has the time to maintain a flower bed, and as for a garden, I think the backyard gets too much shade to successfully grow many vegetables.

I absolutely hate yard and gardening work anyway.

Nice to hear you had a fun time out, and that someone was good enough to treat you, instead of milking it the other way around.

Cogito ergo sum, Matey. Some Frog said that. (In English: je pense donc je suis).

Le vrai Jab

Et - as Sartre once a dit (in English: parled): Jardins, dont'cha just hate 'em?


Anything that is bon enough for Jean-Paul is bon enough for me.

That was a massage form Terri.

Le Jab

....for Terri!