Obama Is In It To Win It

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is laying out his plan to lead the country into an era of change after what he called eight years of failed policies.

Obama was greeted by tens of thousands of cheering supporters chanting "yes we can."

He emphasized his humble roots and the example of his grandparents' service to the nation and their family.

"I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine," he said. "These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as president of the United States."

He brushed aside critiques from his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, accusing him of being out of touch.

"It's not because John McCain doesn't care. it's because John McCain doesn't get it," he said of economic problems facing the country.

Point by point, he compared McCain's policies on the Iraq war, the economy, offshore drilling and health care, accusing him of pursuing the same policies as the Bush administration.

"Next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third," Obama said. "On November 4, we must stand up and say, 'eight is enough.' "

My response:

Let the haters say what they will, but Barack brought it tonight. I am impressed. The two things that impressed me the most is his plan to cut taxes and his plan to push Univeral healthcare. Now, I know my fellow Republicans have a problem with that but on that issue they can kick rocks. If they have ever been without health insurance and really needed it they'd switch parties faster than O.J. will jump on a white woman.

But, I know what it's like to be sick and have to grin and bear it. I know what it's like to watch your child suffer for two days because you are thinking to yourself, "I can't afford to take her to the ER just for them to tell me she has a stomach flu." So for two days I just kept giving my daughter gatorade and anti nausea medicine thinking she would get over it. But when I came home and found her in a coma, I had no choice but to go to the ER. I still thought it was a stomach flu -- a real bad one. When I got to the hospital, the doctor and the chaplain were waiting on me. They told me my child may not make it through the night. She didn't have a stomach flu. She had diabetes. My child almost died because I was worried about an emergency room bill. If I had taken her earlier she would not have gone into such a crisis. Normal blood sugar is around 120 to 140. Hers was 1200. Prayer is what kept her alive.

So, yeah, I'm a Republican, but on this one...I'm with Barack and the Dixiecrats... I mean the Democrats. And if these Republicans tick me off I'm switchin' parties -- again.

Say That!

"If 'activists' would spend less time makin[g] demands of government and more time demanding that 'the people' do the simple things needed for uplift — finishing high school, postponing parenthood and entering the job market, even if it's at minimum wage, and staying in it — those income statistics would rise dramatically. Unfortunately, our energy is still concentrated on outside forces rather than those within." — oldschoolfool, Booker Rising reader, responding to Black America's statistics in the just-released U.S. Census report about income, poverty, and health insurance

Sherraye Speaks: On Bill Clinton's DNC Speech

I cheered when Kendrick Meek introduced him. I forgot I was mad at him. Then I saw the look on Michelle Obama’s face and I remembered. Oh, yeah, we mad at him. But dang it, it’s hard to stay mad at one of the greatest President’s in the history of our country. Despite how badly he behaved over the last few months. I still love him. And so now, I’m not angry at him anymore…I’m hurt. I would have expected a lot of the things he said to come out of some other politician’s mouth, but not his.

Michelle is smiling now and I’m so glad because I want this Obama/Clinton rift to heal. I want to love the Clinton’s again. I want Hillary to be President (in 2012) and I want her husband’s legacy to remain intact. I’m hanging on every word. I want him to make it right. Much like a woman who has been betrayed by her man. We just beg them to say something that will make it easier to do what we want to do any way. We want to forgive them because we love them. That’s how I feel about the Clinton’s right now. I want to forgive them because they have meant so much to African Americans over the years. I want to go back to a time when I was enamored by them and in awe of them. Back to a time when we knew they were on our side.

“Come on, Bill!” I’m thinking right now.

“Say something that makes me love you again. Say something that makes me believe in you again.”

He’s saying all the right things, but despite the claps and smiles, Michelle is looking like she ain’t buyin’ it. And frankly, I hate to say it, but I’m not either. His words seem forced, contrived, rehearsed. You know, like when he looked in the camera and adamantly declared,

“I did not have sex with that woman.”

Michelle is still smiling and now it’s even wider and even brighter. Maybe it will be okay after all. Maybe.

Dang. I guess I still love you, Bill, but I’m sorry…I’m just not sure if I believe you…not yet. Make me believe.

Michelle Obama Rocked It

Michelle Obama took center stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, stressing her love for the nation and making her case for why her husband should be the next president.

I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president," she said of her husband, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Michelle Obama -- who could be the nation's first African-American first lady -- pushed a theme of unity in light of controversial comments she made on the campaign trail that resulted in speculation about her patriotism.

"All of us are driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do -- that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be," she said, closing the first night of the convention.

"That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope.

"And you see, that is why I love this country," she said to a standing ovation.

Read the rest here.

I Believe, Coach Bowden...I Believe!

nolesports.com Tallahassee, FL: "Bobby Bowden was giving a speech in front of approximately 1,400 people at the Civic Center on Friday, but the Florida State head coach might as well have been addressing every single Seminole fan in the country during the 57th annual FSU Kickoff Luncheon.

'You have got to give us a home field advantage,' Bowden emphatically told the crowd. 'We go out there to warm up, nobody's there. Get into the dadgum game and start making some noise. And get that other team intimidated. That's what we need.'

This statement elicited the second-biggest cheer of the entire afternoon."

The biggest came a few moments later as Bowden was quickly going through the Seminoles' schedule for the 2008 season.

"We've got Miami in Miami," he said. "They're about like us. We're both trying to fight our way back up. Right now, Florida is a little ahead of both of us. But folks, we're going to be back. We're going to be back."

Click on the link (above) to read the rest...

At Home With Hallema

Since Fay is on the way I have made plans to camp out on the couch, light up the fireplace, munch on some popcorn, sip on some wine (non-alcoholic of course) and snuggle up with my BFF Hallema. Well, not her, but her book. Tee hee.

I had to jump through hoops to get a copy of this book because they were sold out. Even the author couldn't get her hands on a copy for me.

She is a hot mess but I love her like a sister. We'll be on her book tour in the near future.

For more information on her upcoming book, check Hallema out by clicking the link.

Dix Is Not Done

Dix won the bronze today because of two disqualifications but he's still not done. He will be competing in the 4x100 meter relay for a chance at another medal.

Click the link to read the rest...

Obama, Watch Your Back!

Newsmax.com – Hillary's Campaign Against Obama Continues:

By: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann Article Font Size



"Every speech should contain a line [saying that] you were born in the middle of America to a middle class family in the middle of the last century."

On May 10, 2007, Time magazine reported that Hillary's stump speech included the lines: 'I was born into a middle class family in the middle of the country in the middle of the last century.'

After Penn's memos were released to the media this week, Hillary's people spread the word that she did not take Penn's advice. But it is evident that she did."

The strategy Penn recommended was ridiculous. He somehow thought that by stressing Hillary's normalcy, Obama's unusual name, race, origin, parents, and skin color would redound to his detriment. In fact, the exact opposite proved to be the case. It has been his very novelty that has underscored his appeal. Penn missed the point.

But the larger point in his memos is that Hillary sought, from the beginning of the 2008 campaign, to use race as an issue against Obama. Her early willingness to wrap herself in the flag and marginalize Obama as an outsider bespeaks her efforts to inject race into the campaign. As soon as Obama emerged as her chief opponent, Hillary and Bill Clinton tried to make the election about race and to contrast her American roots with Obama's otherness.

It would be a mistake to think that Hillary's campaign against Obama is over. She and Bill both realize that if McCain wins, she would be the likely Democratic nominee against him in 2012.

At the age of 76, McCain might make easy pickings. Hillary's argument to win the nomination would be simple: I told you so. Her warnings that Obama was unelectable would have proven to have been prescient, and Democrats are likely to feel chagrined that they rejected her in 2008.

How will the Clintons undermine Obama? Not by any overt statement. In public, they will appear to be his biggest fans. Hillary does not dare incurr the wrath of Democratic voters by abandoning her party's nominee in the general election. But the Clintons will do what they do best: They will hog the spotlight. By speaking on Tuesday and Wednesday, this former first couple will spread themselves over the convention, usurping media, taking face time, and making the convention appear, for its first three days, as a Hillary Clinton gathering.

Remember how in 2004, Bill Clinton timed the release of his memoir "My Life" to coincide with the start of the John Kerry campaign. His swings through the nation, attracting lines and crowds at bookstores drew attention away from Kerry. His strategy of distraction culminated when he scheduled a book signing in Boston during the Democratic Convention, drawing mobs and pulling the spotlight away from Kerry.

By hogging the publicity at the Democratic Convention and by keeping the spotlight away from Obama, the Clintons are going to do all they can to stop the Democrat from getting a bounce from his Convention appearance. How will they hurt Obama down the road? Bill will make off-handed comments, seemingly mistakes. A lose cannon, he will appear to be undisciplined as he follows a game plan to undermine the candidate. Hillary will do her best to avoid campaigning for Obama and will undercut him in any way she can without getting caught.

Obama: Watch your back!

My response:
I absolutely agree with this assessment of the Clinton's and their plan to derail Obama's efforts. I sincerely hope that Barack supporters would come out in droves and vote for him. But regardless of the outcome of this election, Hillary Clinton has "torn her drawers" with me. And y'all know I was pulling for her. I thought Barack was stepping into the ring before his time and he should wait his turn. After all, the Clinton's had been our allies. Child please. As soon as the race got tight, THEY pulled the race card showing their true colors. If she had bowed out gracefully then she perhaps could have run again in 2016. But she didn't bow out gracefully and as far as I'm concerned, she has ruined her political career. Boo to her and her horny husband.

Dix Advances to 200 Meter Finals!

"FSU All-American sprinter Walter Dix advanced to Wednesday’s finals in the 200 meters at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Dix, seeking a second Olympic medal after winning bronze in Saturday’s 100 meters, finished third in his heat in the semifinals this morning."

A mere 0.14 separated the top four finishers in the heat, with all four moving on to the finals. Dix ran a 20.19, which was .02 behind former FSU sprinter Brian Dzinghai (20.17) of Zimbabwe.

The heat was won by Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles. He set a national record with a time of 20.11Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who set a world record in the 100 meters (9.69) on Saturday, won the other heat in a time of 20.09. Americans Shawn Crawford and Wallace Spearmon were right behind him.

Go to http://www.nolesports.com/ for local reaction to Dix’s quest for Olympic gold.


GO NOLES!!! OOOOH, OOOH, OOH, OOH...

Marcus Sims is "Singled Out"

Me with Marcus at the Ernie Sims Celebrity Weekend Silent Auction

'Nole coaches praise QBs, Sims for scrimmage Tallahassee Democrat: "Jimbo Fisher saw plenty from his review of Florida State football's first preseason scrimmage to address in Monday's practice. The offensive coordinator was encouraged by his group's first real test."

That included the work of his three quarterbacks — Drew Weatherford, Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson.
"For the most part, most of the decisions were pretty good," Fisher said. "We missed a couple and a couple of them we missed had a chance to be big plays. But for the most part it wasn't bad."
The offense scored one touchdown in the regular part of the scrimmage, but Fisher liked the group's fight. He also said FSU's young offensive line is making progress.
"The young guys are taking steps and doing things right and then you see the youth show up at times," Fisher said. "Back and forth. They did some good things for the first time (they) ever walk in that stadium and scrimmage. There weren't a lot of bust assignments."
Head coach Bobby Bowden pointed to the play of running back Marcus Sims after watching tape.
"Marcus Sims, I singled him out because he ran so good in that scrimmage Saturday," Bowden said. "I thought (Antone) Smith ran much better, too.

"There's some good things happening. We just got to get all the mistakes corrected."

Defensive line borrows Dawkins

Defensive line coach Odell Haggins already knew he would be without Budd Thacker, Paul Griffin and Justin Mincey, provided Mincey retained his academic eligibility, for the first three games. He's also been without Moses McCray for part of the preseason.

That has left Haggins with two healthy scholarship tackles in Emmanuel Dunbar and Kendrick Stewart during preseason camp.

To help that situation, freshman defensive end Everett Dawkins moved to the interior line on Monday.

"You need four (interior linemen) and we've got three with Moses," Bowden said. "Of course, he hasn't been able to get a lot of work which makes you think you better get somebody else in there, too."
Enter Dawkins, who played at high school powerhouse Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes.

"It's not a permanent thing," Haggins said. "He's just helping us out. He can play inside. He's strong. He can move.

"Put him in certain situations and he'll be OK. But we have to have some help in there."

FSU was without freshman running back Jermaine Thomas again on Monday. The freshman did not participate in Saturday's scrimmage.

"There's a little glitch in there that I feel like is going to work out OK," Bowden said.

The Seminoles continue to wait on word on Mincey and tight ends Charlie Graham and Matt Dunham.

Injury updates

Two FSU running backs are nursing injuries and are listed as day-to-day. Antone Smith has a bruised thigh and Ty Jones has a hip pointer.

Marcus Sims is definitely one of my favorite Noles. He is an extremely humble and genuinely nice guy. I credit his parents. I'm also looking forward to seeing him do great things this season. Look for #35 to do it big this year.

'Liar Loans' Spark New Wave of Defaults | theledger.com | The Ledger | Lakeland, FL

'Liar Loans' Spark New Wave of Defaults theledger.com The Ledger Lakeland, FL: "In the mortgage industry, they are called 'liar loans' - mortgages approved without requiring proof of the borrower's income or assets. The worst of them earn the nickname 'ninja loans,' short for 'no income, no job, and (no) assets.'"

The nation's struggling housing market, already awash in subprime foreclosures, is now getting hit with a second wave of losses as homeowners with liar loans default in record numbers. In some parts of the country, the loans are threatening to drag out the mortgage crisis for another two years.

"Those loans are going to perform very badly," said Thomas Lawler, a Virginia housing economist. "They're heavily concentrated in states where home prices are plummeting" such as California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona.

Many homeowners with liar loans are stuck. They can't refinance because housing prices in those markets have nose-dived, and lenders are now demanding full documentation of income and assets.
Losses on liar loans could total $100 billion, according to Moody's Economy.com. That's on top of the $400 billion in expected losses from subprime loans.

My response:
Well, what did they expect? That's what they get for being greedy, usurious, sharks. And I don't know why they expected anything less since they loaned money to umm....LIARS. Duh.

Update: Dix wins bronze medal

Dix is on the far left.

Walter Dix wins bronze medal in Beijing.

"He may not be the fastest man on the planet, but the Florida State All American won a bronze medal today in the 100 meters.

Dix posted a personal best 9.91 in the finals, good enough for third place.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won the race and set a world record with a time of 9.69. Richard Thompson, who competed for LSU and is running for Trinidad/Tobago in the Olympics, gets the silver medal with a personal-best time of 9.89.

Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, who posted a 9.91 time in the semifinals, finished fifth at 9.95.

In addition to Bolt’s world record, the other big news in the 100 meters was American Tyson Gay, the U.S. record holder, failing to get beyond the semifinals."

Dix Makes It To The 100 Meter SemiFinals

Walter Dix, FSU track supers star, raced considerably faster in Friday night's (Beijing time) quarterfinal heat, crossing the finish line in 10.08 to qualify for Saturday's semifinal amd final rounds.

The All-American from Florida State ran a 10.35-second 100 meters in Friday morning's (Beijing time) heat to advance to the next round.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt posted the best time of the day: 9.92.

Competition in Dix's best event, the 200 meters, begins on Sunday."

Go USA and Go NOLES!!!

Louisiana Cop Indicted, Faces 45 Years in Prison for Tasering Handcuffed Suspect to Death

If convicted, Officer Faces 45 Years in Prison for Tasering Handcuffed Suspect to Death: "former Winnfield, Louisiana policeman could face up to 45 years in jail if convicted on charges he killed a suspect by shocking him with a Taser.

The charges are in connection with the Jan. 17 death of Baron “Scooter” Pikes in Winnfield, a small town less than 40 miles from Jena, the scene last year of one of the nation’s largest modern day civil rights marches."

Pikes died after being shocked with a Taser nine times, according to his death certificate. His family and community activists in Winnfield have said they want the officer to be held accountable for Pikes’ death.

Wednesday's indictment came eight months after the incident.

Officers said they spotted Pikes and took him into custody on an outstanding warrant.

Witnesses have said that Pikes was handcuffed while he was being Tased. A coroner’s report said by the time he was zapped with the Taser for the eighth and ninth times, it is possible Pikes was already dead.

Walter Dix may not be the fastest but...

Covering FSU football and Seminoles sports at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL: "Walter Dix looks at the sprints differently from most of his competition.

'Sometimes, the fastest guy doesn't win,' he said at the U.S. track team's Olympic training camp.
'But definitely,' he said, 'the strongest guy always wins.'"

Nobody is coming to the Olympics saying Dix is faster than Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell or Usain Bolt. The numbers simply aren't there.

Stronger? Dix thinks that's possible. And if he's right, maybe he'll be wearing a medal or two when these games are over.

Although Gay has a chance at one individual sprint medal in Beijing, in the 100, Dix is the only American going for two. Dix begins the chase Friday morning (this evening EDT) in the 100-meter prelims. The 100 finals are Saturday evening (Saturday morning EDT).

Gay injured his hamstring at Olympic trials last month in Eugene, Ore., knocking himself out of the 200. Dix gutted his way through and finished in the top three in both events — eight heats over nine days.
Underdog or not, that made him the only American with the chance to become the first U.S. runner to win medals in both Olympic sprints since Carl Lewis in 1988.

"I know a lot of people aren't looking at me," Dix said. "The competitors who compete against me, I don't think they're overlooking me. But I think a lot of the media is hyping the competition. That allows me to maybe sneak in there and make things happen."

It might be a stretch to say Dix is sneaking in anywhere.

OK, so he's not Gay, Powell or Bolt, the 100-meter world record holder who's now saying he's 80 percent likely to go for the double Dix already has committed to.

But here's what Dix is: The 200-meter champion at last month's Olympic trials. Winner of six NCAA championships, including the last three in the 200. A grizzled veteran already at age 22 with lots of experience in winning big events that involve multiple heats. That is, by the way, what the Olympics are about, and also something Bolt — one of his main competitors — isn't nearly as experienced in.

"He's a marvelous competitor," said Dix's coach, Terry Long. "He has demonstrated he can go through that."

It was the love of competition, not money, that allowed Dix to fashion one of the more interesting "turning-pro" stories among this year's crop of Olympic athletes.

Nobody would have blamed him for leaving school after 2007, but with the chance to win a third straight national championship in the 200, and a chance to lead the Seminoles to their third straight team title, Dix decided to stick around, get his degree and see what would happen.

He got the championship, helped the Seminoles get another one, too, and with his degree secure, conventional wisdom had it that he would sign a quick endorsement deal and grab whatever cash he could when NCAAs were over in June.

He wasn't so quick to sign.

"I just flipped the script," he said. "I didn't sign, because I didn't plan on getting injured and I still had work to do. My thing was to make the team first. The opportunity to make the Olympic team comes around once in a lifetime, and that's what I did."

He made it twice, in fact, and as a double qualifier, he had little problem securing a deal with Nike and Oakley sunglasses. A better deal than if he'd jumped at the first offer.

"I made a good amount of money," he said, without divulging the details. "I'm eating."
Now, he can focus again on winning.

His personal best of 19.69 in the 200 is more impressive than his top time of 9.93 in the 100, but he concedes he likes the 100 better.

"It's what I started off with," he said.

The 100 will kick off the Olympics, with qualifying heats starting Aug. 15. He'll face Gay, Powell and, most likely, Bolt, in the marquee sprint of the Olympics.

But it won't be over when those medals are awarded.

If all goes to plan, he'll run not in four heats over the span of the games, the way most sprinters do these days, but in eight, the way only a special few do anymore.

Could he wind up with a medal or two?

"Hey, the sun came up today, didn't it?" said men's head coach Bubba Thornton. "Well, hey, that's called athletic sport. There's been a lot of picks in a lot of venues where the underdog won. And he's no underdog."

Well, maybe kind of an underdog. One that track fans will be seeing a lot of over the next few weeks.
"You watch a lot of people go out there and they run the rounds and they don't win but they still have the world record," Dix said. "To me, it has to do with toughness, both mentally and physically."

Clinton Rallies Planned for Convention

Clinton Rallies Planned for Convention: "Supporters of Hillary Clinton are planning a number of rallies at the Democratic national convention in Denver to express their disappointment with the party’s presidential primary process.
The Denver Group, formed by two Clinton backers, has filmed a TV commercial and scheduled a large reception in Denver for August 26.
Another pro-Clinton group, 18 Million Voices, is organizing a march on that day in Denver “and nationwide to support Sen. Clinton and advocate for women’s rights worldwide,” according to its Web site.

Some of the Denver Group’s goals are at odds with those of the Democratic Party, The Hill newspaper reports. It wants an open convention, with Hillary’s name placed in nomination, as well as a genuine roll call vote with Clinton as a legitimate candidate instead of what it calls a “coronation” of Barack Obama.
Clinton backers in Denver will hold signs reading, “Denounce Nobama’s Coronation,” according to the Denver Post."

Heidi Li Feldman, co-founder of the Denver Group, said her organization has raised up to $40,000 and bought six print ads in addition to the TV commercial.

One print ad showed a picture of Franklin D. Roosevelt and asked, “Would Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi have kept his name off the ballot?”

The ad pointed out that Roosevelt went into the 1932 Democratic convention short of the necessary delegates to sew up the nomination and won on the fourth ballot.

Marc Rubin, the other co-founder of the Denver Group, said there is “palpable anger” at the Democratic National Committee.

Hillary recently declared that Democrats must unite behind Obama and disclosed that she is in talks with the Obama camp and the DNC about her role and the role of her delegates, according to The Hill, which added:

“Clinton and many of her backers believe that, if there is a strategy of recognizing the New York senator’s delegates at the convention, it would be a cathartic experience and lead to a more unified Democratic Party.”

My response: This is why I am not a Democrat. That's all I will say for now until I get some more information.

FSU's Markus White has seizure, misses football practice | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat

FSU's Markus White has seizure, misses football practice tallahassee.com Tallahassee Democrat: "Florida State defensive end Markus White missed practice this morning after having an apparent seizure prior to practice."

The seizure was due to a pre-existing condition, according to FSU sports information officers. White takes medication for the condition, they said.
No more details are available at this time. According to federal rules, FSU officials aren’t allowed to comment on the specifics of a student-athlete’s medical condition.White is a junior college transfer from Butler (Kansas) Community College, where he was an All American.
He is expected to contend for a starting position.FSU is scheduled to have a second practice this evening. It isn’t known if White will be able to participate.Check back at www.nolesports.com for more details.

The "Redeem Team" brings the U.S. back

ESPN - 2008 Summer Olympics - Beijing, China - Basketball Recap - Greece vs United States of America: "It's official now. This is NOT Japan and the 2006 World Championships, not to mention Athens and the 2004 Olympics.
This is Beijing and the 2008 Olympics, and the U.S. is back in men's basketball.
These Americans, who looked so lost two years ago at the World Championship in Japan, appear to have found their Olympic way in China."

My response: I'm looking forward to the Olympics this year. I don't know but I feel excited. I think it's because Walter Dix is representing the 'Noles over there.