Check out these a good diet images:
HackDiet March 2009
Image by Alex Farran
Good start. Only a year to go at this rate!
For some people, this is nectar of the gods
Image by Nefi
I hadn’t seen this on sale in the UK before, so when I saw a bottle today I just had to snatch it up. Aaaah, takes me back. Er, to January.
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Some cool recipes for good health images:
Chocolate Coconut Pudding & Wheat Grass Smoothie
Image by Barry Gourmet and Raw
Serves 3 takes 20 to 30 minutes to make 2 recipes because we are dealing with 2 whole coconuts.
Barrys Virgin Coconut Chocolate Pudding & Wheat Grass Smoothie: "Original Earth Recipe"
Introduction: I was shopping in Phuket Town when I got a call from my friend that wanted to see me at my house on short notice , and this is nothing new for me as everyone that knows me will be in for a treat as I enjoy serving my Gourmet Raw Food Recipes even in the most challenging of circumstances. I was on the other side of the island so I knew that I only had 1 half hour at best to come up with something by time I got home with the groceries.
Of course driving home my mind was buzzing with all kinds of ideas for a quick healthy and delicious RAW PLANT BASED presentation but what?
My Thai Earth kitchen has 2 glass blenders ready to go, and I knew that I would have to wing it, or add lib it ,with out writing anything down , until next time. Thats what I like about playing with whole raw foods it can be fun and spontaneous and very tropical.Simple to make and ho so tasty and healthy.
Ingredients of Barrys Virgin Coconut Chocolate Pudding:
2 Coconuts fresh and whole right off the tree or from the market
1 level cup Cashew Nuts
2 medium size Bananas
A good table spoon of White Sesame Seed Butter
On the side some desiccated coconut granules
One whole Lime or Half a Lemmon
½ Cup of savory greens like Olive Leaf, Sweet Basil, or Mint. ( I like Olive Leaf for the natural lemony flavor)
Ingredients for the Chocolate Syrup and Topping:
1 Table spoon of 100% Dark whole Chocolate powder
1 level teaspoon of Raw unfiltered Honey
On stand by some ground Cinnamon Powder
On stand by your glass bottle of Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil centrifugally extracted.
Your favorite fresh whole fruits? I chose fresh strawberries for the photo.
Ingredients for Barrys Tropical Wheat Grass Smoothie:
The same 2 whole fresh coconuts
2 Mandarine Oranges
I inch thick slab of fresh whole Pineapple skinned.
Fresh cut Whole Wheat Grass. Just make an OK sign with your thumb and forefinger together .That would be about the correct amount of Wheat Grass loosely formed around your joined thumb and forefinger.
OK !! with all the ingredients at the ready, with your 2 glass blenders and if you only have one that is ok too , just have a same size glass jug near by. Our 2 cutting boards , a mixing bowl, and lots of excitement in anticipation of our 2 quests on the way here.
Method:
First and foremost ,take those 2 intimidating and formidable thick hauled coconuts . Mine where fresh off my garden tree , but yours will most likely be from the market and nicely trimmed and naked as a Jay bird, ready for cutting, they are both good.
The kind of Knife you need for this job is a 2 pound in weight rectangle shaped blade of a knife with a wooden or metal handle. Every South East Asian House hold will have one , or you can buy one at any Asian Food Market or hardware store.
For leverage over the coconut out side on the patio floor , I firmly grasp it to the ground and start to make a series of 45 degree cuts away from me , across the end part of the coconut ,as I turn the worlds largest seed around, slicing off the skin. Then what looks like a small volcano shape at the end of the coconut start making circular cuts using the bottom edge of your knife away from your body. The top will eventually come lose and you will see the crater that you created from all your work . Do the same thing with the 2nd coconut as well ,then when your done bring them into the kitchen. Pore all your coconut water into one blender and return the 2 coconuts back to your patio. This time with your knife holding the coconut firmly to the floor cut down across the top of the crater and again down the middle in a straight line on both sides of the crater and you will know when you can split the 2 halves in 2 parts.
Return all 4 halves to your second glass blender ,and with a pointed metal spoon knife , you can now carve out the sweet coconut meat in layers .Place them on your chopping block and cut them smaller and place them in your second blender or same size glass jar.
OK for the body of the pudding we add to the 2nd blender or glass jar the following Cup of whole cashew nut crushed first on the cutting board to make a smoother paste.
Add your 2 medium bananas sliced.
Add your table spoon of White Sesame Seed Butter.
Squeeze a whole lime or half a Lemon juice into the blender. (After tasting you may want to add more?)
Add your savory fresh green herbs of Olive Leaf, Mint , or Sweet Basil or if you like you can make a combination of the herbs to add variety which is a good thing.
Add a little bit of your coconut water from the other blender as you blend all the ingredients into a smooth consistent paste. Pour and spoon the paste into 3 cups until ¾ full then place them in the freezer for firming.
Method for the Chocolate Syrup and Fruit topping:
In a mixing bowl add your 1 tablespoon of 100% Dark Chocolate powder.
Add 1 level teaspoon of Raw unfiltered Honey
Slowly add your Coconut Oil and mixing and tasting until you have the consistency that you like then sprinkle in some ground cinnamon powder,mix and taste.
When all is well , then pour the chocolate liquid over each cup of pudding until covered.
Put back into the freezer for firming.
Method for your Wheat Grass Smoothie:
Just dice up all the ingredients and but them in the first blender with all the coconut water.
2 Mandarine Oranges
I inch thick slab of fresh whole Pineapple skinned.
Fresh cut Whole Wheat Grass. Just make an OK sign with your thumb and forefinger together .That would be about the correct amount of Wheat Grass loosely formed around your joined thumb and forefinger.
Then with your scissors , like giving some one a close hair cut , just finely cut the ends of the wheat grass into your blender and stir everything up with a wooden spoon. A metal spoon dulls the blender blades.
Blend at different speeds to get all the wheat grass liquidized and pour into your 3 glasses.
Note: For a wonderful taste if you live in South East Asia , Mangostein fruit is also excellent in this smoothie ,with or with out the Pineapple. I add 2 or 3 sometimes with the seeds and of course peels composted.
TIP:The Mangostien and Pineapple are great fruits to use for masking the strong pungent taste of the pure Wheat Grass Juice.
Next take out your firmed up Desert Pudding from the freezer and add some topping of the same paste over top of the chocolate.Then top it with your favorite fruit and sprinkle some desiccated coconut over top and your done.
My door bell range and I was just in time to serve my Virgin Coconut Chocolate Puddings & Wheat Grass Smoothies to my 2 guests.
“For more than 30 years I have quietly practiced and researched Dietary Nutrition and Food
Science, not because I wanted to ,because I had to.”
Barry Gourmet & Raw
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A few nice good for you food images I found:
You are in my heart always…
Image by Thai Jasmine (Smile..smile…Smile..)
You are near or far apart…
I will keep you in my heart always…
SMILE…SMILE..SMILE…SMILE…HAPPY…HAPPY….HAPPY 
!
These lovely bears make me smile by their lovely expression again. They were waiting for delicious food such as banana from the visitors. Hope you like them !
Wish you all the best. Have a lovely week. Take good care. Keep on smiling, my dear friends !
***NO INVITES PLEASE***…Thanks so much for your visits and also for any comments and faves. I appreciate for all. All your words are nice awards for me. Thank you..thank you …
Whipped cream for you?
Image by jdiggans
As if the chocolate weren’t enough, you’re provided an excess of rich whipped cream to stir into the beverage. This went to good use.
laptop_lunchbox 2007.02.06.2
Image by amanky
tonight was the first night of a 6pm bible-study… officially not enough time for me to get home (after work) and be at all productive. So I decided to double pack food/meals for Tuesdays… we’ll see how it goes!
This also helps me from entirely munching on non-good-for-you goodies at the study!
Note: this is the first sighting/usage of my newly (huge eBay lot) acquired Whimsical set/s.
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A few nice fast food good for you images I found:
“Beware of a misfit occupation. . . . Consider carefully your natural bent, whether for business or a profession.” ~ Marshall Field.
Image by eyewash
BLOGED: 24 February 2009: www.counterspinyc.blogspot.com/
New Yorkers Protest the US0 BILLION (US TRILLION) Wall Street BAILOUT: Wall Street, NYC – September 25, 2008
Phototgrapher: a. golden, eyewash design – c. 2008.
Friends,
The richest 400 Americans — that’s right, just four-hundred people — own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans COMBINED! 400 of the wealthiest Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is .6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly 0 billion — the same amount that they were demanding We give to them for the "bailout." Why don’t they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They’d still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!
Of course, they are not going to do that — at least not voluntarily. George W. Bush was handed a 7 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not HIS, he did what the rich prefer to do — spend it and never look back. Now we have a .5 trillion debt that will take seven generations from which to recover. Why — on –earth – did — our — "representatives" — give — these — robber — barons — $ US850 BILLION — of – OUR — money?
Last week, proposed my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, were predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps. Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: THERE…IS…NO…FREE… LUNCH ~ PERIOD! And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there should have been NO HANDOUTS FROM US TO YOU! Last Friday, after voting AGAINST this BAILOUT, in an unprecedented turn of events, the House FLIP-FLOPPED their "No" Vote & said "Yes", in a rush version of a "bailout" bill vote. IN SPITE OF THE PEOPLE’S OVERWHELMING DISAPPROVAL OF THIS BAILOUT BILL… IN SPITE OF MILLIONS OF CALLS FROM THE PEOPLE CRASHING WASHINGTON "representatives’" PHONE LINES…IN SPITE OF CRASHING OUR POLITICIAN’S WEBSITES…IN SPITE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PROTESTING AROUND THE COUNTRY… THEY VOTED FOR THIS BAILOUT! The People first succeeded on Monday with the House, but failed do it with the Senate and then THE HOUSE TURNED ON US TOO!
It is clear, though, we cannot simply continue protesting without proposing exactly what it is we think THESE IDIOTS should/’ve do/one. So, after consulting with a number of people smarter than Phil Gramm, here’s the proposal, now known as "Mike’s Rescue Plan." (From Michael Moore’s Bailout Plan) It has 10 simple, straightforward points. They are that you DIDN’T, BUT SHOULD’VE:
1. APPOINTED A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money was expended, Congress should have committed, by resolution, to CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE ANYONE who had ANYTHING to do with the attempted SACKING OF OUR ECONOMY. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse should have and MUST GO TO JAIL! This Congress SHOULD HAVE called for a Special Prosecutor who would vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in future. (I like Elliot Spitzer ~ so, he played a little hanky-panky…Wall Street hates him & this is a GOOD thing.)
2. THE RICH SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT! They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than ,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class should have to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.
If they truly needed the 0 billion they say they needed, well, here is an easy way they could have raised it:
a) Every couple makeing over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over 0,000 a year should pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It’s the Senator Sanders plan. He’s like Colonel Sanders, only he’s out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich would have still been paying less income tax than when Carter was president. That would have raise a total of 0 billion.
b) Like nearly every other democracy, they should have charged a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This would have raised more than 0 billion in a year.
c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders should have forgone receiving a dividend check for ONE quarter and instead this money would have gone the treasury to help pay for the bullsh*t bailout.
d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raised the corporate income tax BACK to the levels of the 1950s, this would give us an extra 0 billion.
All of this combined should have been enough to end the calamity. The rich would have gotten to keep their mansions and their servants and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") would’ve have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools…
3. YOU SHOULD HAVE BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME! There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So, instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, they should have paid down each of these mortgages by 0,000. They should have forced the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner could pay on its current value. To insure that this help wouldn’t go to speculators and those who tried to making money by flipping houses, the bailout should have only been for people’s primary residences. And, in return for the 0K pay-down on the existing mortgage, the government would have gotten to share in the holding of the mortgage so it could get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is 0 billion, not 0 BILLION.
And let’s set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want: a home to call their own. But, during the Bush years, millions of the People lost the decent paying jobs they had. SIX MILLION fell into poverty! SEVEN MILLION lost their health insurance! And, every one of them saw their real wages go DOWN by ,000! Those who DARE look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ASHAMED.! We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home they own.
4. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STIPULATION THAT IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GOT ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that’s how it’s done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back — with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk — and necessary for the good of the country — then you can get a loan, but WE SHOULD OWN YOU. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.
5. ALL REGULATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD! This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the hen-house. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here’s what Sen.Phil Gramm, McCain’s chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:
"In the 1930s … it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."
FOR THIS NOT TO REOCCUR, This BILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPEALED! Bill Clinton could have helped by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they were done with that, they should have restored the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" should have had enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.
6. IF IT’S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT’S TOO BIG TO EXIST! Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No ONE or TWO companies should EVER have this kind of power! The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can’t happen when you have hundreds — thousands — of institutions where people have their money. When we have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we DON’T FACE A NATIONAL DISASTER! If we have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can’t call all the shots (I know… What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a STRONG and "FREE" press!). Laws Should have been enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the GIANT FALLS and DIES. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that NO ONE understands. If you can’t explain it in two sentences, you shouldn’t be taking anyone’s money!
7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD EVER BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How We have allowed this to happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it’s only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an OUTRAGE! We have created the mess we’re in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. THIS HAS TO STOP! Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be FIRED before the company receives ANY help.
8. CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE STRENGTHENED THE FDIC AND MADE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE’S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct to propose expanding FDIC protection of people’s savings in their banks to 0,000. But, this same sort of government insurance must be given to our NEVER have to worry about whether or not the money they’ve put away for their old age will be there. This should have meant strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees’ funds — or perhaps it means the companies should have been forced to turn over those funds and their management to the government? People’s private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it’s time to consider not having one’s retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market??? Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about becoming destitute.
9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off your TVs! We are NOT in the Second Great Depression. The sky is NOT falling, Chicken Little! Pundits and politicians have lied to us so FAST and FURIOUS it’s hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I wrote to and repeated what I heard on the news last week, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that was true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the ’80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn’t go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into their Jacuzzis before they slip into their million thread-count sheets to drift off to a peaceful, Vodka tonic and Ambien-induced slumber.
As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan last week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. I was even pre-approved for a USK personal loan. Yes, life has gone on with little-or-no-change (other than the whopping 6.1% unemployment rate, but that happened last month). Not a single person lost any of his/her monies in bank, or a treasury note, or in a CD. And, the perhaps the most amazing thing is that the American public FINALLY didn’t buy the scare campaign. The citizens didn’t blink, instead telling Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn’t the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say ‘Saddam has the bomb’ so many times before the people realize you’re a lying sack of shit. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can’t take it any longer. The WORLD is fed up & I don’t blame them.
10. THEY SHOULD HAVE CREATED A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE’S BANK." Since they’re really itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don’t We give it to ourselves? Now that We own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a People’s bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And, now that we own AIG – the country’s largest insurance company – let’s take the next step and PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EVERYONE. MEDICARE FOR ALL! It will SAVE us SO MUCH MONEY in the LONG RUN (not to mention bring peace of mind to all). And, America won’t be 12th on the life expectancy list! We’ll be able to have a longer lifespan, enjoying our government-protected pension and will live to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused this much misery are let out of prison so that We can help re-acclimate them to plain old ordinary, civilian life — a life with ONE nice home and ONE gas-free car invented with help from the People’s Bank.
P.S. Call your Senators NOW !!! —> www.visi.com/juan/congress/
Since they voted against passing the extension of unemployment benefits and skipped out to "campaign" to us to be re-elected…call them and tell them you will vote for the other "guy" if they don’t get their act together!
—————————————————–
UPDATE: THE PEOPLE HAVE VOTED! A HISTORIC MOMENT: NOVEMBER 4th 2008!
——> THE Historic ELECTION <——
"A work in PROGRESS."
Nov. 4th, 2008.
A great American leader once said, "As individual fingers We can be easily broken. But TOGETHER We make a mighty fist." These words too were spoken by a minority leader. He was the venerable Chief Sitting Bull. No, Barack Obama’s not the first American minority to speak eloquently and he most certainly won’t be the last. Though, in the end, this election wasn’t even close !!! The world watched as, "YES WE CAN!" turned into, "YES WE DID!" as it now ushers in, "YES WE MUST!" time is NOW!
What WE do with this moment shall define US, forthright. America has now elected a man with a background of partial African – American descent as President elect. A new leader with roots from Kenya to Kansas (with a step-father from Indonesia), will be working in conjunction with a vice-Presidential of Anglo-European roots. This is something in which citizens of ALL races – both here and the world ’round – have loudly REJOICED. Why talk about race? Is race important? You bet! Because – like it or not – race has dominated and governed Our daily lives for thousands of years. After all: "To know where We’re going, We must first know where We’ve been".
We’ve come a LONG Way baby! What was once "acceptable" in 1965 is no longer in 2008 and THANKFULLY.
This is a changing of the guard. Especially since forty-percent of America’s population is considered to be a "minority". Only four generations removed, the repression of African slaves by Anglo Saxons caused hundreds of thousands of brothers to kill brothers in a viscous and bloody battle that changed the fundamental principals of this Constitutional Republic from rhetoric to reality. This too was a significant changing of the guard.
For the first time in the history of the country, the ancestors of these very same people who so passionately fought for slavery have now OVERWHELMINGLY voted for a minority leader. This too ushers in a new chapter in the history of America. This is a tremendous nod to those great American leaders before Us who risked everything so that We find ourselves at this precise moment in time. We must give thanks to these men and women who both tirelessly and unselfishly gave their lives to cross and to help shatter the racial, sexual and social boundaries imbued in the history of the United States of America.
It has now taken place. There’s a palpable renewed sense of HOPE for a better tomorrow – a HOPE that these same crippling boundaries shall finally once and for all be erased. Yet it is wise to also remember the adage, "Actions speak louder than words" and Our rhetoric must now be turned into action. The ability to truly rise above differences and to not just speak of doing so, tells much of Our long and continuous journey. If We remember the old North American Indian saying, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." We might just have a fighting chance.
The People have spoken! A record-setting 130 million Americans’ turned out to vote in Tuesday’s election, in which Barack Obama made history on a Democratic tidal wave of victory. Polling suggests voters came out in record numbers because of growing concerns over the economy, jobs, health care, energy, and the war in Iraq.
Clearly, the Obama administration and the new Democratic majority in Washington have a chance to make profound changes in Our lives – stretching from Wall Street to Main Street. Yes, this moment shows decency about human possibility and let’s face it, We could use just a little decency RIGHT NOW.
Perhaps more importantly, this moment speaks volumes as it’s an utter rejection of the right’s politics of fear and greed? It will now be decades before there’s another Republican majority in Congress. Never have the words, "Ask not what Your country can do for You, but what You can do for Your country," seemed more true for SO MANY. For, We-Are-Our-country. And We’re at a MAJOR crossroads. Where, oh where to begin?
OBAMA / BIDEN Campaign.
Here in New York, Working Families voters, members, affiliates, supporters and chapter leaders poured everything they had into critical campaigns that proved successful. Many are now understandably exhausted – though more than a little proud of what was accomplished. And, the results were terrific ~ if not downright Historic. For the first time since the mid-1930, the State Senate will NO LONGER be controlled by Republicans. It’s now in the hands of a Democratic Working Families majority! Just-take-one-moment-and-soak-this-in. MASSIVE Democratic majorities in BOTH the HOUSE and the SENATE!
Together, the W.F.P built a solid partnership with Senate Democrats, knocking on more than half a million doors for progressive CHANGE. And, in the end, "We the People" overwhelmingly responded. This is a MILESTONE. There’s now a renewed sense of real HOPE resonating from Washington, indeed, around the world. This is powerful. Because, without HOPE, there’s simply nothing to gain.
However, We must be careful not to fall prey to disillusionment. If illusions tear People asunder, then disillusion outright kills the human spirit. In other words, divided THEY conquer, united, WE stand. That this historic moment was ushered in during Native American Indian month is apropos. Because, We must not forget the very real foundations of this idealistic country and pay homage to the 500 plus year struggle of Our First Peoples’ for the basic rights afforded them in Our own Constitution. Obama’s victory is indeed a victory representing the multitudes. It is precisely because his success mirrors the masses, rather than a few wealthy, power-elite that this is so electrifying. A VERY palpable, "Finally!" was the expression heard ’round the world.
The world woke up WEDNESDAY with the real possibility of a very RARE OPPORTUNITY – the best in most Our lifetimes. This is a chance to truly transform America.
But, We mustn’t forget the VERY hard realities existing in this country. Just ask any woman…any "person of color"…or, any First Peoples living in this "great" land. For, as long as Native American Indians in Our country still live in policies of containment on reservations without the very basics, such as running water, electricity, or heat… as long as more than 75% of the prison population includes African-Americans, First and Taino Peoples …as long as We continue to allow Our tax dollars spent to be three times more for each of these prisoners per head than on Our own school childrens’ education…as long as American women continue to earn less than men for the SAME work…as long as We allow privately held corporations to exist without extreme MAJOR reform…as long as We continue to allow Our children to trample on foreign soil to kill and to be killed in "Our" names…as long as We sit idly by expecting or content to let others to "Do the right thing," for us… as long as We DON’T ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE TOGETHER in challenging and fighting for OUR OWN WELL-BEING for the betterment of future generations… as long as We choose to remain ignorant and in denial to Our faults…TRUE CHANGE can, and will NEVER HAPPEN.
Though, like anything rare and unique, We must first take proper time to Honor…to give thanks to those before us who, without their dedication and sacrifice, made this moment possible. We must come together. Immediate formulation and a real plan to guard and to protect this moment with fierce determination is required. New leaders are needed and will emerge so We ensure moments like this become the norm, rather than a mere token fluke. If We HOPE to transform Tuesday’s results into a real break from the shipwreck of the most immediate last thirty years – We MUST start by realizing this election represents just that – a START. It’s Round One of Our LONG and CONTINUOUS struggle.
And, Round Two will be just as tough, if not more so. Staying the course can easily be forgotten when People are dying from inadequate health care; when they’ve found themselves on the streets for lack of shelter and as they grow ever more desperate due to lack of job opportunities. Just ask people of Native or African American descent. Or, one of Our homeless veterans living on America’s streets of plenty.
Yes, the house of cards has fallen HARD and FAST. And, President / V.P. elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden have inherited many seemingly insurmountable challenges. REAL CHANGE – not rhetoric – is what’s needed. And to get it, We MUST demand it. We MUST march and be watchdogs for the sake of the coming generations. Communication with Our politicians is a MUST. MOST importantly, We MUST stand TOGETHER and be willing to fight to protect what is right and what is good for the MANY, NOT the FEW.
UNITED We STAND, DIVIDED, We FALL.
A President Obama will need to be simultaneously supported AND pushed. His training as a community organizer gives one confidence that he’ll not only understand, but should also expect this dynamic. It’s imperative for us to mind the trusty, "Follow the money" strategy. Don’t forget, President elect Obama dually made history by raising the most unprecedented amount of campaign dollars in the HISTORY of U.S. Presidential elections. According to CNN, if annualized, the Obama campaign’s ad spending on the post-primary Presidential campaign would come to US0 million. This amount is only exceeded amongst large corporations such as Verizon and AT&T – both heavy sponsors of the Republican AND the Democratic national party conventions.
At the start of October, the Democratic National Committee announced it raised US.9 million with US.5 million sitting in the bank. The party raised money through joint fund-raising events with Obama and was able to use that money to assist his candidacy. These numbers were only possible because he opted out of the public financing system for the fall campaign. John McCain chose to participate in the system, which limited him to US million for the September / October stretch prior to the election. After initially promising to accept public financing if McCain did, Obama changed his mind after setting primary fund-raising records. In fact, by the time the primaries hit, Obama was raising as much as US million each and every day. The Obama / Biden campaign raised more than US0 million in September alone – a stunning and unprecedented eruption of political giving. This extraordinary fund-raising is bound to set a new standard in politics that could doom the current taxpayer-paid system set up in the 1970′s.
HOPEfully NOT.
The party presidential nominees – Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – together spent more than US BILLION, also an unprecedented figure. According to White House for Sale, a nonpartisan group that tracks political giving, Obama had 605 bundlers, or donors who collect money from friends and associates and bundle them together. Four years ago, Democrat John F. Kerry had 588 bundlers and, in 2000, Al Gore had none. McCain had 851 bundlers working for his campaign, compared to 557 who raised money for the Bush-Cheney re-election committee in 2004. George W. Bush is largely credited with institutionalizing the role of bundlers in 2000, when he recruited a then unprecedented 555 surrogate fundraisers.
Ask Yourselves: Who really benefits most from having donated to the Obama / Biden campaign?
President – elect Barack Obama & John McCain’s U.S. Presidential campaign funds details:
OBAMA:
Total:US0,767,963
Bundlers:605
LobbyistBundlers:17
MCCAIN:
Total: US2,525,058
Bundlers: 851
Lobbyist Bundlers: 77
See the Center for Responsive Politics Presidential campaign monies for a better perspective:
2008: Obama AND McCain – US.3 BILLION
(Obama: US0,767,963 million / McCain: US2,525,058 million)
2004: Bush AND Kerry – US.2 BILLION
2000: Gore AND Bush – US.56 MILLION
1996: Dole AND Clinton – US.82 MILLION
1992: Clinton AND Bush – US.24 MILLION
* TO SEARCH FOR MEGA-DONERS, CLICK here: www.whitehouseforsale.org/searchDonor.cfm?CandidateSelect… McCain&StateSelect=&SortOrder=Last_Name, First_Name, Middle_Name, Suffix.*
Democrats in Washington and will be under enormous pressure to "play it safe", even as everyone knows We need bold action and some kind of new, New Deal. And, if We allow the "play-it-safe" crowd to dominate, then Obama (and We) will not succeed. Make NO mistake: the corporate big-wigs and free-market fundamentalists see this for exactly what it is: THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME. They want nothing more than for the Democrats to disappoint, because then the HOPEfulness that Obama represents can be stuffed back in the bottle and cynicism can once again regain its place in Our national political culture.
WE Can’t Let This Happen!
Whether it’s revamping our health care system…implementing a new fair-based trade policy…creating a sound, realistic and well thought-out immigration plan…jobs programs…organizing rights in Washington, or campaign election reform, family leave or fair taxes, this election has set the stage for an ENTIRELY NEW social contract between the government and the People. This election opens up a real possibility – small, but real – that We could make genuine progress as a society, in terms of equality and freedom and true sustainability. In other words, the democracy We preach, but don’t teach. What comes next is up to US. And, We need to seriously ready OURSELVES.
In short, the real meaning of this election hasn’t yet been decided.
Overall, there’s a lot of work to do. It’s imperative that EVERYONE do his share – whether this means attending a neighborhood or union meeting, signing a petition, organizing or riding a bus to a demonstration, going on a lobby visit, making a financial contribution, or just talking to a stranger about the need and desirability of the common good.
Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E !
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Look Good Feel Great
This E-book Takes Readers Through A 10-step Process So They Can Quickly Lose All The Weight They Want And Most Importantly, Keep It Off Long Term. It Offers A Range Of Weight-loss Principles And Readers Simply Select The Principles That Suit Them.
Look Good Feel Great
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Check out these fast food good for you images:
When you’re pretty like me, you can jaywalk wherever you want
Image by Ed Yourdon
Note: this photo was published in an May 27, 2011 issue of Everyblock NYC zipcodes blog titled "10025."
Note: I chose this photo, among the 10 that I uploaded to Flickr on the evening of May 27th, as my "photo of the day." I think it’s a good picture, though not outstanding, because it emphasizes the simple, innocent beauty of a young woman. But mostly, it’s a reminder to me that it really does make a difference if you can get (physically) close to someone when you photograph them. In this case, it was relatively easy because (a) she wasn’t paying any attention to me at all, and (b) my intentions were disguised by the reticulating/swivel monitor on my Sony DSLR camera, which allowed me to give the appearance of looking down at the ground, while aiming the camera directly at her and letting her approach as closely as possible before pushing the shutter button.
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This is a continuation of a Flickr set that I started in the summer of 2009, and continued in 2010 (in this Flickr set) . As I noted in that earlier collection of photos, I still have many parts of New York City left to explore — but I’ve also realized that I don’t always have to go looking elsewhere for interesting photographs. Some of it is available just outside my front door.
I live on a street corner on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where there’s an express stop on the IRT subway line (with a new space-age subway station), as well as a crosstown bus stop, an entrance to the West Side Highway, and the usual range of banks, delis, grocery stores, fast-food shops, mobile-phone stores, drug-stores, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Subway, and other commercial enterprises. As a result, there are lots of interesting people moving past my apartment building, all day and all night long.
It’s easy to find an unobtrusive spot on the edge of the median strip separating the east side of Broadway from the west side; nobody pays any attention to me as they cross the street from east to west, and nobody even looks in my direction as they cross from north to south (or vice versa). In rainy weather, sometimes I huddle under an awning of the T-Mobile phone store on the corner, so I can take pictures of people under their umbrellas, without getting my camera and myself soaking wet…
So, these are some of the people I thought were photo-worthy during the past few weeks and month; I’ll add more to the collection as the year progresses … unless, of course, other parts of New York City turn out to be more compelling from time to time.
Clammy spaggy
Image by framboise
I like fast pasta. When you’ve just gotten home from work and you’re absolutely starving, the last thing you want to do is faff about making tea. I’m sure that’s why pasta caught on so fast in the UK. Took us/them a while to then get the hang of making *good* fast pasta, but it’s now all the rage too.
This one’s another off-the-back-of-the-pack recipe. But it’s pretty good even without tweaking. It’s meant for 6-8, but halving it gave two huuuungry people enough for a massive food-induced coma.
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 onion, chopped (eh, this chopping’s a faff, but necessary)
1 tinny of clams (they say to mince, I say keep whole)
8 oz drained and diced peeled plum tomatoes
seasoning
Saute the chopped garlic, shallots and onion over a low heat until tra(n)slucent*.Mix in the clams and tomatoes. Season if you so wish and cook for about 5 min.
While it’s gently gently pop-popping on the stove, get a pound of capellini in a pot of boililng roiling salted water**. 2 min will suffice. Maybe even less. Drain fast and whop the pasta into a serving bowl. Mix in the clam sauce and apply to face asap.
Bread to clean plate unnecessary when you have tongues.
*The "n" is optional, having been missed out of the original recipe.
**Obvs, get the water on the go as the faff of chopping garlic etc has started or you’ll be waiting all night.
breaking fast
Image by D’Arcy Norman
my entry for Alan’s "breakfast" 365photos theme of the week. A Friday Latte, pumpkin spice muffin, music cranked on the iPod, and news via the great iPod Google Reader client app Byline.
Patrick saw the photo before I’d uploaded it, and commented "why did you colour coordinate your coffee to your iPod?" – he forgot to mention the muffin. Breakfast theme colour: brown.
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Good For The Heart
Image by Caro Wallis
Hi, this is Caro… I’m afraid I’m not here right now to read your comments… I swore to myself I’d finish writing a chapter of my dissertation today, and it’s still not done. If you like you can leave your name, number (if you’re a cute, single guy) and comment after the beep and I promise I will get back to you as soon as I can. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow morning. Thanks, byeee! Oh yes, and I had beans on toast for lunch! Yummy! *Beeeeep*.
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How To Make Healthy Homemade Meals For Your Dog. Forget the brown stuff and join Barbara and her two dogs Lucky and Wawa for some Dog Gone Good recipes that your pets will love. Watch and learn how to make today’s recipe “Saint Bern-ardine Cuisine.” Today’s Recipe -Ground Sardines -Quinoa -Parsley -Flax Seed
Video Rating: 4 / 5
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What Makes a Good Celebration Cake?
Today, parties and events are not complete without a celebration cake. This has been the case for many years and it is not very common more than ever as there are now always lots of occasions to celebrate, making cakes one of the highlights of parties. Nowadays, you can hardly find a celebration where a cake is not present. It is always good to make a celebration cake that will be memorable.
Important occasions in life ought to be celebrated and taken seriously. There must be a proper celebration to mark that occasion and one of the best ways to do that is to have a celebration cake. Celebration cakes make essential component of any event and remain are always the center of attraction. Whether it is a public celebration or a private party, a properly decorated cake will certainly make the event special. You could also make a cake which is custom-made to the needs of the celebrant. A way to do this is getting it prepared in various shapes.
For instance, it is an excellent idea to prepare the birthday cake of a golf lover in the shape of a golf ball in a golf course. Similarly, the birthday cake of the piano fan could be prepared in the shape of a piano. In the case of girlfriends, married couple or lovers, you could have the celebration cake prepared in the shape of a heart, whereas a wedding could have a shape of the groom carrying the bride in his arms. Also, if the party is to celebrate a child’s second year birthday, you could have the celebration in the shape of the figure “2″.
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If the party is to celebrate the birthday if a basketball lover, you could also use the shape showing something like a football, soccer or basketball jersey, player or ball. There are many ingredients that you could have in your cake. You could prepare a celebration cake containing different types of cheese with all cheeses hand-dipped in an ivory wax, giving an elegant and beautiful thing.
Different ingredients could enable you to make chocolate with lemon drizzle, different fillings, coffee cakes with various layers, fruit cakes, sponge cakes and carrot cakes. You may also go further by making the celebration special through other ways, for example golden, ruby and silver anniversary cakes, logos and fashions for sports cakes, cartoon characters on children’s cakes and so on. You only need little creativity to be able to come out with good celebration cakes that your guests would love.
The ways through which a celebration cake could be enhanced is to add plenty of sweetener and cream, and to deck the cake using different shaped and colored cherries. Inserting the name of the celebrant on the cake is another excellent idea. Cupcakes could also be used for celebrations, and in many shapes.
Many variations of cupcakes are now very common and you could have the best time with your celebration. It is possible to get grand gourmet cupcakes or even simple chocolate cupcakes which fit a wedding, birthday or any event you are organizing. Although cupcakes are a favourite snack for lovers of cake, they are now being used in many parties as celebration cakes.
Cake in a Box is a Family run specialized cake maker business.
Please visit our website to view Birthday cakes, Wedding cakes, Cupcakes and all our other wonderful cake creations.
Article from articlesbase.com
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