President Obama also noted that the United States is “determined to act” and has put climate at the top of the diplomatic agenda with countries across regions, from China and India to Brazil and Mexico. U.S. leader at the summit agree that security and stability of every nation are at stake with Obama recognizing that it’ll be difficult to reach a climate change agreement. However, because developed nations have caused much of the global warming damage, Obama says that we also have a responsibility to fight the effects.

*VOA News

Post from: Blisstree

Obama: climate change may be irreversible

They are wondering if it’s truly education or is it mind control of our youth?  Some claim it’s an opportunity to start molding young minds with Obama’s socialist agenda.  Obama spokesmen says it’s purely an educational event, with the President talking about the value of an education.

Parents have expressed the desire, if their children’s school views the speech, that youngsters have the choice of watching or not. Many parents also are wondering why it isn’t broadcast in the evening when parents can determine whether their youngsters watch it.  Or they can discuss the event as a family.  Why is it being broadcast during the school day when parents may not have the opportunity to see and hear it?

The White House web site also has published lesson plans and ideas for teaching about Obama, the presidency and education.  There are questions to ask, projects to undertake, and discussion possibilities.  Some feel these plans have an Obama related agenda, while others consider them to be purely an extension of information about the presidency.

How do you see this event? Do you want your children to watch…or not?  Do you want them to have a choice of watching or having a study hall or reading time.  Do you want many before and after activities utilizing the lesson plans?

(Image: sxc.hu)

Post from: Blisstree

Obama – Education or Mind Control of Youth?

Image: The Wagner/Junker Agency

Actually it’s an amazing room. The 22,000 square foot suite in the Forum Tower offers spectacular views of the strips and an exterior patio with its own private pool. During his recent stay, President Obama had a workout at the hotel’s Qua Baths and Spa.

If you haven’t stayed at Caesars Palace before, it’s an amazing experience. Conveniently located near the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, it is world renowned for its luxury and opulence. Caesars Palace has six different types of rooms and suites for all types of visitors. The Forum Tower deluxe rooms feature two LCD TVs, workspace for business travelers, a large walk-in shower and some of the most comfortable beds in Nevada.

Caesars Palace has recently added new deluxe rooms that capture the elegance and royalty of Ancient Rome. Heavy spenders can stay at the Palaces’ special penthouse suites which feature grand pianos, Roman sculptures and sports amenities like table tennis and billiard tables. Honeymooners can check into one of Caesars Palace’s fantasy suites for a romantic escape. These suites specialize in soothing the senses. They feature special spa bath tubs, intimate bedroom designs and special dining and lounge areas.

Caesars Palace features a state-of-the-art 129,000 square foot casino. Visitors can test their luck at any of the casino’s table games, slot machines and poker rooms. The Palace also has a special sports room with a Race & Sports Book. Be sure to ask about their special Total Rewards program.

Image: Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace has a very active events calendar. This summer is jam-packed with concerts and shows including Bette Midler’s “The Showgirl Must Go On,” Cher, and the hilarious Jerry Seinfeld. Caesars Palace also has some of the best dining in Las Vegas. With over 13 restaurants and nightclubs, visitors can satiate almost every appetite and desire. Be sure to check out Payard Patisserie & Bistro to try Pastry Chef Francois Payard’s award-winning chocolates and pastries.

And of course, don’t miss out on the Forum Shops, this luxurious mall which is attached to the hotel and casino offers amazing architecture, fine dining and of course upscale shopping. The Forum Shops are a must-see experience, even if you are just window shopping.

Post from: Blisstree

President Obama at Caesars Palace

We left the party and sent the kids to bed last night when we were sure of the election outcome.

Obviously, I’m thrilled that my children will have a fundamental mood in the country, and from their leaders, be one of optimism rather than fear.

Forget fear people. It will do nothing to empower anyone.

I’m going to soak it in today. Optimism and hope taste a hell of a lot better than fear and anger as an American Sentiment.

My daughter is as thrilled to wake to a world of Barack Obama even though her friends’ parents tell them that “Obama is a baby-killing Muslim and will likely be killed because he’s black.”

More about how I spoke to her about those fears on Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me.

Yet, I spent 13 hours yesterday with a wide grin on my face hoping that not everyone in my East Texas town feels this fear-driven.

My Republican Election Judge informed me that “he doesn’t think women should have the right to vote – we’re not ’stake-holders,’ you see.”

I chuckled and politely informed him that “He probably didn’t own enough property to have the right to vote if we’re going on original Founding Fathers’ sentiments and everyone who pays taxes is a stake-holder and that includes everyone, even women and blacks.”

But, every now and then I’d see a voter registration card marked Democrat and I’d take hope.

And at the end of the day my fondness for Texans grew as I saw that nearly 1/2 of my fellow citizens chose light and healing and future over darkness and fearful anger and past.

We didn’t turn completely blue but, we are at least a deep shade of Purple.

Of course, We’re still stuck with the wholly unenlightened Republican DinkWads John Corynn and Ralph Hall here in Texas – we’re sorry America.

Then I read this quote from, “The people have spoken. We hear the people and now it’s time to come behind our president,” Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told “The Early Show” on CBS on Wednesday. “The Senate is going to have to work things out in a bipartisan way, and I think the test is going to be right there.”

I hope to see Republican women reinvent their party over the next 8 years. Maybe Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Sarah Palin will lead the way to that.

I was thrilled to see that four the Emily’s List candidates I sent money to won their races. Democrats have a clear majority and if Republicans like Kay Bailey act in a spirit of compromise rather than fear (or fear of not being reelected in 2 years – either way is fine).

I’ll keep this strategy in mind in 2 years when more representatives come up for election. We have vested interest in our representatives in other states and our chances to win may be better elsewhere. Some states, some people, are just more resistant to change – any kind of change – even good change.

Oh and bring on the affordable health insurance!

Heal the racial divide!

This man will be a healing force in the American Psyche.

Big Wide Grins and Sighs of Relief all around.

Photo Source: President-Elect Barack Obama with me at the Texas Democratic Convention courtesy Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me.

Post from: Blisstree

President-elect Barack Obama

What are you doing here?

GO VOTE!

Photo Source: Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me

Post from: Blisstree

What Are You Doing Here?

Tomorrow is Election Day.

I’m the Alternate Election Judge in my precinct. I’m can’t wear campaign paraphernalia – but, I will be wearing dog tags bearing the name of a real woman who never had the right to vote. This has been a banner year for women – all women – and I salute both parties and all people for the participation of women we’ve seen in 2008.

Let there NEVER, EVER be another election without the female half of this country being represented on a Presidential Ticket. That’s my fervent prayer.

I’ll be at my polling place to make sure the Republican Election Judge doesn’t cheat or harass Barack Obama voters. He’ll be there to make sure that I, the Democratic Election Judge doesn’t cheat or harass John McCain voters.

It’s going to be a very, very long day and I’m super-excited.

My husband and I participate in election judging every election we can. We both do it if we’ve got a grandma to watch the two kiddos for 12 hours. This year we don’t.

After the election we’re going to the Democratic Headquarters for Pizza and News.

We’re feeling optimistic enough to bring champagne. If polls are to be believed at all then Barack Obama is going to win.

But, anything could happen. It’s hard to determine what will happen.

Personally, the human nature of this election has been a little disappointing for me.

The racism and sexism and blatant and intentional ignorance isn’t in our country’s best interest.

I’m praying for a landslide because being on the fence as we have for the last 8 years – where half the country loathes and disrespects the sitting President hasn’t been good for us. Having a president who openly disregards and disrespects half the country’s interests and ideas has been detrimental to our citizen moral.

The best thing that could ever happen tomorrow is to have a solid Congress that sits with the President – at least for 2 years. Nothing can ever get done if we’re a 50/50 country at war with each other. Then both sides become cynical and blame the other.

The party who wins tomorrow better do it with grace and proceed with rapid action.

The party who loses tomorrow better do it with grace and lick their wounds in a quiet support of the winners. That’s the American way. A peaceful transition of power.

We consent to and support the outcome (even if it’s not the one we wanted) – that’s our process.

We need to move to the middle people. We need to make some compromises with each other or there will not be peace in our country. There will be anger in our country.

Choose one way or the other America.

Make it a crystal clear choice and make it a consistent one.

Vote your conscience.

Marrianne Williamson had a lovely prayer for both candidates and all voters and a peaceful and loving election on her daily devotional today.

Oh, and if you want to experience a Patriotic High there will be plenty of volunteer opportunities tomorrow. Help an elderly person vote, take a neighbor, call your party’s headquarters and volunteer to make phone calls.

Image Source: www.barackobama.com

Post from: Blisstree

Patriotic High – VOTE!

Joe the Plumber sits on Joe Six Pack.

John McCain and Sarah Palin’s depiction of the American man:

Drowning his anxiety in beer every night, after being knee deep in shit all day long.

(Of course this is most excellent if you happen to be in the beer industry like the McCain’s.)

Image Source: Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me

Post from: Blisstree

2 American Joes

What We Could Have Done with the Money: 50 Ways to Spend the Trillion Dollars We’ve Spent on Iraq, by Rob Simpson looks like it’s worth reading.

For only $9.95 you could buy a book that examines how short sighted your government has been by going to war with Iraq.

I myself have just been thinking – we could have developed all the energy technology we need right now over the last 6 years of the war, if we were only willing to spend the money here instead of fighting Iraqis for their oil (and don’t pretend our international “security” policy isn’t about oil – wake up and smell the petroleum people).

This guy literally worked out the math for 50 alternatives: pave the streets with gold, literally; paying off the entire country’s credit card debt; give everyone on earth an iPod; take all the Iraqi’s to a baseball game; pay for every high school kid’s college education making us more globally competitive; rebuilding the entire city of New Orleans; rectifying Social Security and Medicare.

I’m in the mood for long term strategy and smart thinking and better financial priorities.

To make myself feel powerful I spend my $1 Trillion on the cool online shopping spree and I was able to literally change the world. For the better.

I rebuilt levies in New Orleans, fed a lot of starving children until they were 18, conserved natural habitats and forests, fed the hungry all over America, bought goats for families, empowered 1,000 business women all over the world, provided health care for many.

I voted for Barack Obama last week!

Cause John McCain seems to think doing all those kind and generous things for people makes “the big scary government too big – but big fat expensive violent wars in Iraq do not.” I just don’t happen to agree.

Think. People. Think.

Post from: Blisstree

What Would YOU Do with $1 Trillion?

In our collection we have a Talking Bill Clinton Barbie, Rosie the Riveter Action Figure, A giant Bobble Head of George Bush – he’s not supposed to say stupid things, but he does quote himself so it’s a freaking riot.

It’s not uncommon to see Bill Clinton hanging out with Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray in the Pink Bug I got at a garage sale.

I TOLD my husband we shouldn’t let the kids play with them. They are collectors items. Now Bill Clinton has no feet.

So when we gave way the bobble heads of Barack Obama and John McCain for Blogtoberfest I was really excited to find out about Jail Break Toys.

They have writers like William Shakespeare and Virginia Wolfe . Seriously, get a Dorothy Parker and I’ll snap that up.

Frued and Einstein and Beethoven.

They have a lot of not-so-great world leaders too like Lenin and Mao Zedong.

But, also some good ones like Gandhi.

They even had a do it yourself Obama - you can paint it yourself. There’s a home schooling/craft project. Ha!

Check out Jail House Toys. You’ll find some groovy stocking stuffers for the politico, nerd, or geek you love.

Post from: Blisstree

Jail Break Toys

By 11 comments Trench Reynolds from My Crime Space won our Blogtoberfest Debate.

I hope he enjoys it because in real life the polls say his candidate is going to lose.

In case you’re getting all “ha ha ha we’re going to win” about Obama’s sure win let me just tell you: There is no sure win.

* Donate the money.

Polls are like the stock market – one minute they’re up 700 points and the next they are down 700 points. Oh and while you’re thinking about the stock market reflect on John McCain’s platform of Market Worship.

There is only one true God and it ain’t The Market driven only by short-term profit.

Deregulation, John McCain’s favorite economic policy, means they can turn your hard earned money into junk bonds and the only person walking away poorer will be you.

Not John McCain, not your real estate broker, not The Market, not the guy who’s trading your 401K without rules, regulations or taxes – just you.

(Not even Joe the Plumber who doesn’t have any money in real life and who thinks buying health insurance is a “penalty for success.” Whatever.)

Anywho .. . Terra Heck won a really cool Barack Obama Bobble Head from Jail Break Toys.com.

Don’t forget to vote and consider the consequences before you do.

Make sure you visit Blog Fabulous often next week. You could be the next Blogtoberfest Prize winner.

Post from: Blisstree

My Crime Space Won Debate