Open Happy Thanksgiving Thread

Hope you had a bit of a fall feast in your corner of the world. Why not tell us all about it.

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May the Great Pumpkin Bring You Much Candy

see more dog and puppy pictures

Boo!

open thread- what are you up to this all hallows eve weekend?

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Tuesday Open Thread

I'm home sick.

The kids have been working on getting my belongings packed and the home and yard clean so I can put the house on the market. Another two-three weeks and we'll be ready.

Once my house sells (which I expect to happen fairly quickly as I'm pricing the house to sell) I'm moving from this big 2500+ family home with front and back yard on a quiet residential street in a good neighborhood five walking minutes from the elementary school, the park, and the swimming and tennis club, to a one bedroom apartment within a block or so of my office, or a nice quiet one or two bedroom within a block or so of a major bicycling trail within five miles of my office. The point being to make it easy to get to work, by bicycle, by electric scooter, by hobbling using my cane, or by car when I drive without having to get stuck on the freeways or in major intersection traffic. Also if gas jumps back up to $4-6/gallon, I don't want to be hosed again, no pun intended.

Once the real estate market finishes collapsing, say in another 18 months, I might buy a small home or condo, at the very bottom of the market, one that is a "distressed" property at a very good price, and then have my kids or other family fix it up. But for now once I move, I'm just going to rent at the lowest possible price I can, and wait while the market continues to collapse.

Maggie's home sick.

MB's working on a major post; it's in the editing phase.

Sara wrote What Religious Progressives Bring To The Party last week. Totally kicks ass.

And if you want to see a bunch of we GNB Bloggers, make sure you're at NETROOTS NATION, August 13-16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It too shall kick ass. *smiles*

Starting to get light outside. Birdies are beginning to chirp. Chirp birdies, chirp.

Open thread. Have fun.

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Friday Open Thread

Friday, thank the Gods.

Been visiting doctors most of the week. More -- lots more -- the next month. Nothing major wrong, as far as they can tell so far. They're trying to make certain that is really the case, and that this one issue isn't a pointer at something serious. So far, so good. Some of the tests, however, hurt.

Kindle 2 is out. Anyone?

I know I'm running late on the Oscar contest results. So sorry. The results will come out this weekend. I already have the book at home, waiting to ship to the winner.

Presidential politics? The economy? Housing market?

Weekend plans? Weather? Anyone get clobbered by the east-coast storm? It's kind of nice out here in Seattle.

Sushi. I've had sushi for lunch and dinner at least three times this week. I love salmon/avocado rolls. And salmon, both raw and seared. We have a little sushi joint near my office which has plates which circle round and round with just two to three pieces on a plate. Each plate is colored and different colors means different prices. This way you rarely have to wait and you don't eat more than you want. And if they don't have what you want, you just ask and they'll make it for you on the spot and put it on the correct colored plate. Two days ago I had 16 plates worth, however five of them were pastries for desert. Heh.

Yes, I know blogging has been a bit slow for a while. We'll start to pick things up again in the weeks to come. We're not going anywhere.

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Obama: President's Address to Congress

The White House - Blog Post - The President's Address (photos, video, full remarks.)
(The White House link also has wide image and a button for full screen mode.)

Address to Joint Session of Congress
President Barack Obama
House Chamber, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
February 24, 2009

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
(en español)

Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States:

I’ve come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here.

I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven’t been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has – a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It’s the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It’s the job you thought you’d retire from but now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that’s now hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this:

We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.

Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities – as a government or as a people. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we’ll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament.

The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.

In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.

Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about tonight.

It’s an agenda that begins with jobs.

As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President’s Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government – I don’t. Not because I’m not mindful of the massive debt we’ve inherited – I am. I called for action because the failure to do so would have cost more jobs and caused more hardships. In fact, a failure to act would have worsened our long-term deficit by assuring weak economic growth for years. That’s why I pushed for quick action. And tonight, I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.

Over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90% of these jobs will be in the private sector – jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit.

Because of this plan, there are teachers who can now keep their jobs and educate our kids. Health care professionals can continue caring for our sick. There are 57 police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make.

Because of this plan, 95% of the working households in America will receive a tax cut – a tax cut that you will see in your paychecks beginning on April 1st.

Because of this plan, families who are struggling to pay tuition costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for all four years of college. And Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits and continued health care coverage to help them weather this storm.

I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will work. I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we’ve all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get it right.

That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort – because nobody messes with Joe. I have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent.

So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our financial system.

I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly affects you and your family’s well-being. You should also know that the money you’ve deposited in banks across the country is safe; your insurance is secure; and you can rely on the continued operation of our financial system. That is not the source of concern.

The concern is that if we do not re-start lending in this country, our recovery will be choked off before it even begins.

You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The ability to get a loan is how you finance the purchase of everything from a home to a car to a college education; how stores stock their shelves, farms buy equipment, and businesses make payroll.

But credit has stopped flowing the way it should. Too many bad loans from the housing crisis have made their way onto the books of too many banks. With so much debt and so little confidence, these banks are now fearful of lending out any more money to households, to businesses, or to each other. When there is no lending, families can’t afford to buy homes or cars. So businesses are forced to make layoffs. Our economy suffers even more, and credit dries up even further.

That is why this administration is moving swiftly and aggressively to break this destructive cycle, restore confidence, and re-start lending.

We will do so in several ways. First, we are creating a new lending fund that represents the largest effort ever to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small business loans to the consumers and entrepreneurs who keep this economy running.

Second, we have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and re-finance their mortgages. It’s a plan that won’t help speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with declining home values – Americans who will now be able to take advantage of the lower interest rates that this plan has already helped bring about. In fact, the average family who re-finances today can save nearly $2000 per year on their mortgage.

Third, we will act with the full force of the federal government to ensure that the major banks that Americans depend on have enough confidence and enough money to lend even in more difficult times. And when we learn that a major bank has serious problems, we will hold accountable those responsible, force the necessary adjustments, provide the support to clean up their balance sheets, and assure the continuity of a strong, viable institution that can serve our people and our economy.

I understand that on any given day, Wall Street may be more comforted by an approach that gives banks bailouts with no strings attached, and that holds nobody accountable for their reckless decisions. But such an approach won’t solve the problem. And our goal is to quicken the day when we re-start lending to the American people and American business and end this crisis once and for all.

I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over.

Still, this plan will require significant resources from the federal government – and yes, probably more than we’ve already set aside. But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen.

I understand that when the last administration asked this Congress to provide assistance for struggling banks, Democrats and Republicans alike were infuriated by the mismanagement and results that followed. So were the American taxpayers. So was I.

So I know how unpopular it is to be seen as helping banks right now, especially when everyone is suffering in part from their bad decisions. I promise you – I get it.

But I also know that in a time of crisis, we cannot afford to govern out of anger, or yield to the politics of the moment. My job – our job – is to solve the problem. Our job is to govern with a sense of responsibility. I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can’t pay its workers or the family that has saved and still can’t get a mortgage.

That’s what this is about. It’s not about helping banks – it’s about helping people. Because when credit is available again, that young family can finally buy a new home. And then some company will hire workers to build it. And then those workers will have money to spend, and if they can get a loan too, maybe they’ll finally buy that car, or open their own business. Investors will return to the market, and American families will see their retirement secured once more. Slowly, but surely, confidence will return, and our economy will recover.

So I ask this Congress to join me in doing whatever proves necessary. Because we cannot consign our nation to an open-ended recession. And to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system. It is time to put in place tough, new common-sense rules of the road so that our financial market rewards drive and innovation, and punishes short-cuts and abuse.

The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we’re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. But the only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world. The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.

In the next few days, I will submit a budget to Congress. So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America – as a blueprint for our future.

My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited – a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession.

Given these realities, everyone in this chamber – Democrats and Republicans – will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.

But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.

For history tells a different story. History reminds us that at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world.

In each case, government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.

We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don’t need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education.

It begins with energy.

We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries made in Korea.

Well I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It is time for America to lead again.

Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We have also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history – an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology.

We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills.

But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.

As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.

None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward.

For that same reason, we must also address the crushing cost of health care.

This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is one of the major reasons why small businesses close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And it’s one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget.

Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold.

Already, we have done more to advance the cause of health care reform in the last thirty days than we have in the last decade. When it was days old, this Congress passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for eleven million American children whose parents work full-time. Our recovery plan will invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives. It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time. And it makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control.

This budget builds on these reforms. It includes an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform – a down-payment on the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for every American. It’s a commitment that’s paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And it’s a step we must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come.

Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how to achieve reform, and that is why I’m bringing together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week.

I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.

The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.

In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite.

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish.

This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.

Already, we have made an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life. We have made college affordable for nearly seven million more students. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children’s progress.

But we know that our schools don’t just need more resources. They need more reform. That is why this budget creates new incentives for teacher performance; pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We’ll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools.

It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education. And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country – Senator Edward Kennedy.

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home.

There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay. With the deficit we inherited, the cost of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must meet, it has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers, we do what it takes to bring this deficit down.

I’m proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities.

Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we’re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion dollars in savings over the next decade.

In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use. We will root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.

In order to save our children from a future of debt, we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. But let me perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut – that’s right, a tax cut – for 95% of working families. And these checks are on the way.

To preserve our long-term fiscal health, we must also address the growing costs in Medicare and Social Security. Comprehensive health care reform is the best way to strengthen Medicare for years to come. And we must also begin a conversation on how to do the same for Social Security, while creating tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans.

Finally, because we’re also suffering from a deficit of trust, I am committed to restoring a sense of honesty and accountability to our budget. That is why this budget looks ahead ten years and accounts for spending that was left out under the old rules – and for the first time, that includes the full cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. For seven years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide its price.

We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war.

And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away.

As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support. To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have earned.

To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture.

In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand.

To seek progress toward a secure and lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to sustain our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber threats to crushing poverty – we will strengthen old alliances, forge new ones, and use all elements of our national power.

And to respond to an economic crisis that is global in scope, we are working with the nations of the G-20 to restore confidence in our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across the globe. For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s.

As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us – watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead.

Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege – one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill.

I know that it is easy to lose sight of this truth – to become cynical and doubtful; consumed with the petty and the trivial.

But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.

I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn’t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ''I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn't feel right getting the money myself."

I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community – how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. "The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity."

And I think about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina – a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters."

We are not quitters.

These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity.

Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are equal to the task before us.

I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.

And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, "something worthy to be remembered." Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

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T-Mobile Commercial

Huffington Post

Telecom giant, T-Mobile, chose this location in the UK as the backdrop for a new advertisement, filmed during rush hour. It took 8 weeks of planning, 8 sound tracks of 60s thru 90s music, 10,000 people who auditioned, 400 people chosen, 10 hidden cameras, and a terminal full of unsuspecting commuters...

Public Reaction

Would you have danced?

Watched?

Or run for your train which you can't miss?

What are you doing today, hmmm?

When was the last time you danced? Why? With whom?

Dance for at least 10 seconds. Report back...

There's more...

At Last

(LOLObama created by little gator, not to be confused with The Littlest Gator)

At Last

When was the last time you felt like grown-ups were in charge of the country?

When did you last trust authority? I'm not talking about Questioning Authority -- for me and my cohort, at least, that's still a daily practice of rationality. But trust?

For me, it was when I voted for Bill Clinton as President, Ann Richards as Governor, and Glen Maxey (an out gay male liberal) as my District Representative all on the same day, back in 1990. It was the first time in my life I'd voted for people I trusted who WON. I was 35 years old.

I trusted Bill about as much as I trust Barack now -- that is, with reservations about their clear stance to the right of center. My expectations are similar. But oh, what a relief those expectations are, in comparison.

A good life, and access to happiness, I believe comes from allowing myself to feel all the emotions as they come along. Grief, fear, anger, and despair, feel 'em and let 'em wash through. And joy, relief, security, connection -- feel that just as deeply. I'm going to spend the day letting myself Feel.

Plus maybe Chicago-style deep-dish pizza for dinner.

There's more...

Almost At The End of This Row to Hoe

(The "Hoe Family" at Boggy Creek urban organic farm in Austin, Texas; from left to right are Half-Moon, Little Half-Moon, Scuffle, Circle, Azadón, Poor Hoe, and Chopper Hoe)

Almost At The End of This Row to Hoe

Hey, ya'll, here's my first open thread.

It's been a GNB doctor day. I'm personally okay but others have been Seeking Medical Attention, which does rather distract one from posting. I myself have been writing my heart out, but not things I can share with you (yet). Yep, that's a teaser.

The local news here in Austin is making a lot of the fact that it's getting down to freezing every night and may go down into the 20s in a day or two. Yet we remain drier than Cheney's cup of humanity. I know that's simply not newsworthy to most of the country, and I guess it's the child-of-farmers in me who likes to actually talk about the weather, so tell me how it's going in your neck of the climate-changing world.

Yesterday I cut up a Vidalia and caramelized it with excessive quantities of garlic and crushed peppercorns in unsalted butter. I added an entire bunch of winter spinach (that dark green which screams vitamins) and let that wilt away to threads, then added a roux and sharp white cheddar. I've been using this to top whole grain pastas, mashed potatoes, and rice. Still have one serving left. Winter comfort food.

It's one week until our long national nightmare is over, as Letterman would say. Are you waiting on pins and needles, or are you too burnt to feel any hope? It seems like almost everybody out there is going through the motions. Good Morning America did an extended segment on whether Michelle Obama should wear a one-strap dress. Yeah, that's the issue we all need to be focusing on, all right.

I keep thinking about a line from an old song we sang when I was young, about a beloved hound dog named Blue:
Well, Old Blue died, and he died mighty hard
Dug little holes all around the yard

This is a perfect description of the mental deterioration dogs undergo when they slowly die of distemper. It also fits what Republicans and capitalist users-and-drainers are currently experiencing, as the end approaches. They are dyin' mighty hard.

Well, now that I've finished my other Big Project (another teaser), I can come back later and write about other questions. But for now, have at it, companeros/as.

There's more...

Car Repair

Starter for 1999-2003 Mitsubishi.

“I've got the Car Shop Blues...”

After lunch at the diner yesterday afternoon, the ignition turned over once.

Then... Nothing.

Had my car towed (AAA) to the repair shop at the top of the East Hill. Turns out my mechanic went out of business six to eight months ago, so I'm using the Goodyear shop. It appears to just be the starter, however when we got there it was too late to put it in the shop and tell for sure. A starter is about $150 on the Internet, so figure they'll charge me $175 plus (again, guessing) an hour's labor.

The real test will be if the Goodyear shop charges me for a new oil filter. See, you don't have to change the oil filter when you change the starter. It's possible to simply cover over the filter, thus keeping debris out while working. If instead Goodyear charges me for a new oil filter without asking first, it speaks to sloppiness or a willingness to run up the bill. (And no, I don't want them to do a lube and oil, thank you, nor have I given them permission to do anything other than fix the starter.)

We shall see. It's a question of trust. And honesty.

Before this car I had an Acura Legend which I absolutely loved, the most favorite car I've owned, ever. Which I drove into the ground I loved it so much. Simply could not accept it was long past its prime. Ended up with over 400,000 miles and still on the original engine (I got it at 171k.) The car still sits in my carport, one (perhaps two) tires flat. And the battery dead of course. It was the brakes which died. Completely. The final drive I coasted into the driveway very slowly, dragging my feet. Seriously.

The car in the shop now is a Mitsubishi (a 2000) which I've had two years, maybe three? My oldest, Avian, was dating the youngest son of one of Puget Sound's better car dealers. The father did me a real solid, putting me in a car which hasn't needed any repairs beyond routine maintenance since I drove it home.

This spring I'm selling my home in the suburbs and moving to Bellevue. (With all the kids off to college or moved out, I don't need this huge place anymore. I can get an apartment in Bellevue with an extra bedroom for when a kid wants to stay. That will be easy for a cleaning service to handle, and Bellevue is more central to my life now.) Shortly after I move it'll be time to sell this used car and buy another. Quite possibly through the same dealer seeing as how he did such a wonderful job last time. I'm planning on taking my time and letting him find me another Acura, hopefully a used Legend.

Thursday afternoon AAA showed up promptly, packaged my car for towing quickly, and hauled the car and me up to Goodyear rapidly. First-rate professionals. It was inside the four mile limit on the AAA Basic membership. Of course, there's also the 100 mile towing of the AAA Plus membership, which has saved my ass MANY times over the years. What I love about AAA is it's valid for the PERSON, not the car, so you can help the people you're with when they get in trouble (or when you're in a car which gets in trouble.) Other than condoms, birth control pills, two or three Plan B packs and a cell phone, a AAA Plus associate membership card (off of your membership) is one of the major gifts on the Mandatory list for a college-age daughter headed off to school. (All of the above except the birth control pills will be on my son's list.)

Now the question is, will Goodyear have the job done in time for me to get to my appointment with my hair stylist at 3:15 this afternoon. Or should I call at 8 am and reschedule for early next week. I need to have my hair done before my flight to New York City Wednesday night. Also, I have dry cleaning I was going to take in today which now I'm worried about getting done. Decisions, decisions.

Plus now I've been up all night, so I need to sleep. And eat, but I can't drive down to the diner and get breakfast, 'cause my car is in the shop. Grrrr.

Good morning everyone. It's Friday!

Open Thread on anything in this Post.

There's more...

Saturday Open Thread

Hungry....

Stayed up all night reading a book.

Now must go eat. Then sleep.

What's your weekend story?

Book?

Food?

The news says it may rain/snow AGAIN.

Yesterday I watched someone walk the top of a construction crane, in the snow, 150 feet above the ground, all the way to the very end in a 30 mile an hour wind, climb UP onto the wire, and change the little flag.

Also yesterday evening I had sushi. Yummy delicious fishes.

There's more...

Open Thread

Biggest Stories of 2008?

New Years Eve plans?

Biggest Stories of the upcoming 2009?

Maggie still needs subscriptions please. We'll get back to full posts soon.
(I've been not feeling great, so not been posting.)

What do you think the best GNB stories were? (Our list will go up soon.)

Open Thread. Have fun.

There's more...

Sunday Open Thread

Belgian Waffles With Strawberries. New Year's Day, 2006.

I can haz waffle?

Am hungry. Hungry hungry hungry.

May wake up Kyle and her girlfriends, head to the diner and eat EVERYTHING.

What's your food situation like, hmmmm?

Weather?

Music?

DVDs? (Watching John McClain DIE HARDER. No one dies harder than John McClain.)

There's more...

Open Thread (+ Maggie)

Whadja get?

Whadja give?

Tasty food?

Gifts to return. (Doesn't anyone know who I am?)

Gifts to cherish. (Perfect. My _____ knows me so well!)

Today my biggest problem is ________.

SUBSCRIBE TO MAGGIE:
$200, $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, or some combination.

Still got a ways to go. Subscriptions are what is needed please.

Weather? Snow all over the ground here.

I risk getting stuck driving out my driveway. Bleah.

Time to motor. OPEN THREAD. Have fun....

There's more...

Christmas Eve Open Thread

Magnificat
Claudio Monteverdi

I sang this as a boy. This section is a small part of a 40-50 minute work for 8 part vocal, four solo voices, and orchestra.

This particular Monteverdi Magnificat (he wrote more than one) is THE most beautiful piece of long-form choral music I have sung. I cherish every precious memory of our rehearsals, our major performances in the Music Center, and the performances before smaller (500 person) groups.

The Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus (I was in the Touring Group 72-73) performed the Monteverdi in joint concert with the Tucson Symphony, special guests St. Philips in the Hills Mens Chorus (the Monteverdi) and the Tucson Opera Chorus (the Orff) in front of thousands of people several nights in a row (full houses and standing ovations every night) in the Tucson Music Center. The Monteverdi was the opening number for the first half. We did Carl Orff's Carmina Burana for the second half.

I was already turning bad by this point. (I was thirteen with a stunning first alto choral voice.) We spent 90 days on the road that winter/spring, performing in four countries and 30-35 states, including the U.S. Capital, Queen Elizabeth Hall, plus recording and filming specials for both CBS and the BBC.

We returned from Touring May 18. My voice changed literally the same day. It had been breaking for days. My birthday was two days later, and that was that. I graduated from the Choir a month later and was done. I went bad within weeks as my only remaining social control was gone (other than church, which really only existed as a place to get laid.) I didn't start to get better for years, after I was already in the Army.

The Monteverdi is one of the pieces of music which stuck with me all the way through the ugly years, through the Army, and remains with me decades later. This performance isn't near the best section, but it's such an obscure work of Monteverdi that I can't find a performance any place.

I have a full score (choral version only, plus rehearsal piano) on the bookshelf not five feet from my bed. Sometimes I take it down and sing the first alto part. Baritone. Or second tenor. Whatever strikes my fancy.

• What MUSIC do you love so deeply it calls to you across the years?
• What instrument are you musically?
• Which composer clearly was inspired by the Gods?
• What is your favorite hymn or church music ever?
• And as always, weather, food, family?
• It's Christmas Eve... what are you doing?
  
• How is Santa doing?
• Your favorite gifts?
  

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Obama: Weekly Address

High-resolution, mp4 format available here.

Weekly Address from the President-elect - December 17, 2008

It's the SCIENCE TEAM rollout.

Once again, he shoots, he scores.

These selections are all about competence.

Rock and fracking roll.

P.S. Check out the President-elect in high-resolution video. SUPER intense.

Change.gov - The Office of the President-elect

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama
Science Team Rollout Radio Address
Friday, December 17, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

Over the past few weeks, Vice President-Elect Biden and I have announced some of the leaders who will advise us as we seek to meet America's twenty-first century challenges, from strengthening our security, to rebuilding our economy, to preserving our planet for our children and grandchildren. Today, I am pleased to announce members of my science and technology team whose work will be critical to these efforts.

Whether it's the science to slow global warming; the technology to protect our troops and confront bioterror and weapons of mass destruction; the research to find life-saving cures; or the innovations to remake our industries and create twenty-first century jobs -- today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation. It is time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America's place as the world leader in science and technology.

Right now, in labs, classrooms and companies across America, our leading minds are hard at work chasing the next big idea, on the cusp of breakthroughs that could revolutionize our lives. But history tells us that they cannot do it alone. From landing on the moon, to sequencing the human genome, to inventing the Internet, America has been the first to cross that new frontier because we had leaders who paved the way: leaders like President Kennedy, who inspired us to push the boundaries of the known world and achieve the impossible; leaders who not only invested in our scientists, but who respected the integrity of the scientific process.

Because the truth is that promoting science isn't just about providing resources -- it's about protecting free and open inquiry. It's about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It's about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it's inconvenient -- especially when it's inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the United States -- and I could not have a better team to guide me in this work.

Dr. John Holdren has agreed to serve as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. John is a professor and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, as well as President and Director of the Woods Hole Research Center. A physicist renowned for his work on climate and energy, he's received numerous honors and awards for his contributions and has been one of the most passionate and persistent voices of our time about the growing threat of climate change. I look forward to his wise counsel in the years ahead.

John will also serve as a Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology -- or PCAST -- as will Dr. Harold Varmus and Dr. Eric Lander. Together, they will work to remake PCAST into a vigorous external advisory council that will shape my thinking on the scientific aspects of my policy priorities.

Dr. Varmus is no stranger to this work. He is not just a path-breaking scientist, having won a Nobel Prize for his research on the causes of cancer -- he also served as Director of the National Institutes of Health during the Clinton Administration. I am grateful he has answered the call to serve once again.

Dr. Eric Lander is the Founding Director of the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard and was one of the driving forces behind mapping the human genome -- one of the greatest scientific achievements in history. I know he will be a powerful voice in my Administration as we seek to find the causes and cures of our most devastating diseases.

Finally, Dr. Jane Lubchenco has accepted my nomination as the Administrator of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is devoted to conserving our marine and coastal resources and monitoring our weather. An internationally known environmental scientist and ecologist and former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Jane has advised the President and Congress on scientific matters, and I am confident she will provide passionate and dedicated leadership at NOAA.

Working with these leaders, we will seek to draw on the power of science to both meet our challenges across the globe and revitalize our economy here at home. And I'll be speaking more after the New Year about how my Administration will engage leaders in the technology community and harness technology and innovation to create jobs, enhance America's competitiveness and advance our national priorities.

I am confident that if we recommit ourselves to discovery; if we support science education to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of peace and prosperity.

Thank you.

What do you think about the President-elect's commitment to science?

What about the President-elect's science team so far?

What still needs to happen?

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Two Buses Dangle Through Guardrail in Downtown Seattle

Two buses, which had 80 students combined, dangle 20-to-30 feet above I-5 after sliding down
snow and ice covered E. Thomas St. and crashing through the Melrose Ave. E. guardrail.
December 19, 2008. photo Dan DeDelong/SeattlePI.

Eighty Students Dangle Over I-5 Downtown Seattle Guardrail
Huge Winter Storm Sends TWO Buses SCREAMING Over Edge

Friday, two chartered Job Corp buses, between then packed with 80 student/workers just minutes away from their destination in Seattle for the holidays, went screaming down a snowy ice covered hill.

One bus bounced off another, and both went through the guardrail and dangled 20 to 30 feet over the busy downtown I-5 freeway.

SeattlePI

Packed with students ready for the holidays, two chartered buses headed downtown Friday on Seattle's icy, snowy streets.

Drivers had taken the buses -- weighing tens of thousands of pounds -- down East Thomas Street because it is part of a loop used by buses exiting northbound Interstate 5 onto Olive Way. They can't turn left where Olive crosses Denny Way.

Suddenly, "I was watching the cars drive below us," said Jesse Till, a 20-year-old passenger who was on the phone with his mother at the time.

The two Northwestern Trailways buses slid down the snow-covered cobblestones of East Thomas on Capitol Hill and smashed into each other, careening through a guardrail on Melrose Avenue East, 20 to 30 feet above Interstate 5.

Till's one thought: "I'm going to die."

Seattle police were investigating the accident Friday, but a report could take months to complete, department spokeswoman Renee Witt said.

Neither driver received a citation at the scene, she said, and "drivers were not aware of the icy conditions on East Thomas."

Passenger Rico Collins, 16, said the buses exited I-5 at Olive Way, taking a route westbound down East Thomas. The first bus hit the railing and the second apparently turned at the last moment striking it on the side instead of the rear.

"It almost pushed the first bus off," said Jessica Gilbertson, a 19-year-old from Burien who was on the second bus.

Students pulled emergency window latches and jumped out windows.

"I was just sitting in the back of the bus, and I didn't think anything like this would happen," said Collins, who was on the second bus.

Judi Milburn said she saw the accident as she was walking down Thomas.

Had the second bus not turned, it would have hit the first bus square-on from the rear and knocked it over the barrier, Milburn said.

Note that all of the eye witnesses are given equal authority, with the ones on the bus with the most dramatic quotes being quoted first. "If it bleeds, it leads."

Sure, we all want to get readers. I gave y'all some great headlines. Everyone wants readership. Still, the 19 year old who says "it almost pushed the first bus off" conflicts with Judi Milburn at the end of the piece (whom isn't technically quoted) who says it was the driver of the second bus whom (paraphrasing) saved everyone by turning and NOT hitting the first bus square-on; turning into the side of the bus. That driving head-on into the end of bus one would have resulted in a sudden stop with the wheels pointed in the direction of travel...transferring all of the second bus' energy into the first bus and knocking it ka-BOOM over and down onto Interstate-5.

I suspect Judi is right, and that the driver of bus two did an amazing job under tough circumstances, first reflexively (muscle memory/training memory) knowing what to do, and then (again, muscle memory/training memory) managing to get that huge bus to do the right thing while it was sliding down the hill, the adrenaline pumping, kids screaming. With seconds available at best, he/she GOT IT RIGHT.

Bus two's driver SHOULD be promoted; and will be lucky to keep driving. *smiles sadly*

We won't know the accident results for months; we'll never know if we can trust them. The results will be trustworthy only if the accident investigation crew doesn't turn political and stays relentlessly competent. I give it 30% odds. We're dealing with snow, which isn't something Seattle investigates frequently, thus doesn't really know what they're doing; kids, which freaks everyone out; and it's Seattle, which throbs with political influence, although admittedly not like Chicago, LA, Boston, San Francisco or New York City.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we manage to do okay with our corruption, evil and meanness (see the recent case of would-be Congresswoman Darcy Burner who was taken down because she got seriously involved in a fight which cost the publisher of the Seattle Times tens of millions of dollars directly, and kept him from making the Seattle Times a monopoly, which would have been worth hundreds of millions in money, plus much more in influence.) In spite of all this, as Frank Blethen and the woman-hating Dave Reichert's hit-job on Darcy Burner showed, for a town that rains seven months a year and exists wired to the gills on coffee in spite of our massive seasonal depression, Seattle is pretty fucking evil and corrupt.

Thus my concern about the forthcoming investigation.

Here is at least some of what I'd like to know...

Why didn't someone in the City of Seattle have that route blocked off? It isn't as if it's some huge mystery what route buses heading in to the bus terminal routinely take. And the bus terminal should have scouted the route and had the route blocked as well. Both the City and Greyhound were asleep at the switch.

I can't say for sure the first driver shouldn't have gone down the hill. I wasn't there so I don't know. The second driver for sure has less culpability than the first, as she/he was in train. Not to mention managing to keep enough control/steering to save the lives of the people in the first bus through not knocking them onto the Interstate.

Everyone else needs to answer questions.

Accidents happen. It's why they're called accidents.

Oh... directly below the accident location, on the OPPOSITE side of the Interstate, the night before (Thursday night) about 5:20 pm, I got off the Interstate into downtown Seattle.

Moments before I'd been heading south on I-5 at 40-50 mph in heavy snow and ice, moderate traffic. It was rush hour, but only moderate traffic 'cause of the roads being all snowy with ice underneath. Not to mention ALMOST NO ONE out here knows how to drive in the freaking snow. *shudders*

Suddenly ka-BAM and my car, with a SEMI and other cars all as far away from me as I can possibly get them, my car starts to go a bit wonky. Of course there's snow and ice everywhere, so what the hell, it could be I've hit a really bad patch. And there's a lot of noise. Not to take chances, I move over to the right and exit as I just told you, directly across from where the following day the two buses almost crash onto the Interstate.

Turns out someone lost a snowchain and it wrapped around my back left tire at 40-50 and DESTROYED my tire, as in, ripped the mother-fucker to shreds. Holes through the sidewall all the way around every 2-3 inches, ka-wham, ka-wham, ka-wham, ka-WHAM. Like someone took a two inch drill (with a severe wobble and sandpaper attached to the edges) and intentionally FUCKED with my tire. Plus my wheel isn't looking that great by this time, either.

I'm a gimp, so it isn't as if I can change the tire myself. I have trouble lifting more than about 10-15 pounds, let along pumping up a jack. I drove the flatted tire, by now on the wheel which isn't sparking as there's snow and ice on the street, looking for a service station. This being a major downtown, there isn't one. Finally I found a Firestone tire store. It being 5:40 pm, they were closed with not even someone doing the books, late. I drove on.

Eventually I found a self-service gas station and called a tow truck. What with a massive winter storm in progress, there wasn't any problem at all getting someone to me immediately. < / sarcasm > It only took 90 minutes and I considered myself lucky. The towing company charged me $100.00 to change my flat.

Does anyone know if they ripped me off, or is that normal? (I thought I had AAA. Turns out my card is expired. Bleah.)

The wheel itself was destroyed, so he threw the whole thing in the dumpster. Today (friday) when I bought a new tire and wheel, total cost was $181.xx, including installation. That was for a cheap tire. And I only had to wait 2 hours. But my full-sized spare is back in my trunk. I always have a full-sized spare. That little dinky spare is for people who don't drive through Arizona and California and up the side of Mt. Rainer. Mt. Baker. Mt. Lawson. Live, active volcanoes. Or out in the middle of real deserts or over mountain ranges where you actually DO pack a full kit and check your vehicle EVERY time before starting out, no kidding. I was trained young. I was trained well. I'm still alive and not everyone whom I grew up with even made it to 20. Some didn't make it till 15.

The winter storm is passed.

Late Saturday - early Sunday we're expecting a new winter storm...

GALE FORCE WINDS GUSTING TO 90 MPH. Six inches to two to three feet of snow. Trees down including major trees. EXTENDED power outages of one to two days in many areas, three days or more in others. That's at sea level. This according to local papers, radio, television.

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest. Joy.

Here's a quick video of the bus wreck.

And how's the weather in your world?

Kyle and I stocked up on canned foods. We're ready to sit out at home.

*smiles*

There's more...

Monday Open Thread

I've been home ill.

My youngest is home from college. Her semester finals are over.

I'll have another post for you in about two hours.

Talk, talk. Talk.

Oh, and it snowed yesterday. It's REALLY cold outside. Brrr.

There's more...

Obama: Weekly Address

High-resolution, mp4 format available here.

Weekly Address from the President-elect - December 13, 2008

Housing.

In the middle of Saturday's address, President-elect Obama announced his nominee for Secretary of Housing.

This transition is moving more rapidly than any in modern times.

Personally, I am stunned with the competence of the people named so far.

If I had one beef it would be that too many of the senior staff come from the Ivy league.

I believe in competence no matter what school one went to. Hell, I believe in competence even for those who didn't graduate. Bill Gates and many of us senior computer geeks never finished a four-year institution... it simply wasn't required. What mattered was, could you hack or could you keep large enterprise systems up and running.

Generation X is about getting the job done, that being RIGHT is what matters, not your credentials. Hopefully there will be a few picks which demonstrate this clearly.

Change.gov - The Office of the President-elect

Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama
Radio Address on the Economy
December 13, 2008

Good morning.

Earlier this week, we learned that the number of Americans filing their first claim for unemployment insurance rose to a nearly 30-year high. This news reflects the pain that’s been rippling across our entire economy. Jobs are being cut. Wages are being slashed. Credit is tight and people can’t get loans. In cities and towns all across this country, families enter a holiday season with unease and uncertainty.

To end this economic crisis, we must end the mortgage crisis where it began. This all started when Americans took out mortgages they couldn’t afford. Some were reckless, aware of the risks they were accepting, but many were innocent, tricked by lenders out to make a quick buck. With banks creating securities they could not value, and regulators looking the other way, the problem began infecting the whole economy, leading to the crisis we’re now facing.

One in ten families who owns a home is now in some form of distress, the most ever recorded. This is deeply troubling. It not only shakes the foundation of our economy, but the foundation of the American Dream. There is nothing more fundamental than having a home to call your own. It’s not just a place to live or raise your children or return after a hard day’s work -- it’s the cornerstone of a family’s financial security.

To stem the rising tide of foreclosures and strengthen our economy, I’ve asked my economic team to develop a bold plan that will dramatically increase the number of families who can stay in their homes. But this plan will only work with a comprehensive, coordinated federal effort to make it a reality. We need every part of our government working together -- from the Treasury Department to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency that protects the money you’ve put in the bank. And few will be more essential to this effort than the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

From providing shelter to those displaced by Katrina to giving help to those facing the loss of a home to revitalizing our cities and communities, HUD’s role has never been more important. Since its founding, HUD has been dedicated to tearing down barriers in access to affordable housing -- in an effort to make America more equal and more just. Too often, these efforts have had mixed results.

That is why we cannot keep doing things the old Washington way. We cannot keep throwing money at the problem, hoping for a different result. We need to approach the old challenge of affordable housing with new energy, new ideas, and a new, efficient style of leadership. We need to understand that the old ways of looking at our cities just won’t do. That means promoting cities as the backbone of regional growth by not only solving the problems in our cities, but seizing the opportunities in our growing suburbs, exurbs, and metropolitan areas. No one knows this better than the outstanding public servant I am announcing today as our next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development -- Shaun Donovan.

As Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development in New York City, Shaun has led the effort to create the largest housing plan in the nation, helping hundreds of thousands of our citizens buy or rent their homes. Prior to joining Mayor Bloomberg’s administration, Shaun worked both in business, where he was responsible for affordable housing investments, and at one of our nation’s top universities, where he researched and wrote about housing issues. This appointment represents something of a homecoming for Shaun, who worked at HUD in the Clinton administration, leading an effort to help make housing affordable for nearly two million Americans. Trained as an architect, Shaun understands housing down to how homes are designed, built, and wired.

With experience that stretches from the public sector to the private sector to academia, Shaun will bring to this important post fresh thinking, unencumbered by old ideology and outdated ideas. He understands that we need to move past the stale arguments that say low-income Americans shouldn’t even try to own a home or that our mortgage crisis is due solely to a few greedy lenders. He knows that we can put the dream of owning a home within reach for more families, so long as we’re making loans in the right way, and so long as those who buy a home are prepared for the responsibilities of homeownership.

In the end, expanding access to affordable housing isn’t just about caring for the least fortunate among us and strengthening our middle class -- it’s about ending our housing mess, climbing out of our financial crisis, and putting our economy on the path to long-term growth and prosperity. And that is what Shaun and I will work to do together when I am President of the United States.

Thank you.

What do you think about this nominee?

What about the President-elect's economic proposals so far?

What still needs to happen?

There's more...

May the Force Be With You This Weekend

Open Thread...
what's up where you are?

There's more...

Holiday Preparations

Ready for the Holidays?

*smiles sweetly*

Open Thread on holiday preparations.

There's more...