Get On Board!

If you go to http://www.change.gov, you can enter your e-mail address at the upper right corner and be part of President-Elect Barack Obama's transition to the White House.

You can find out what is going on and even apply for a job.

In an AP article this morning, it is stated that Peter Daou who ran Internet Operations for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign said that her campaign's Web outreach was limited by the fact that older people and lower-income people--demographic groups most supportive of the former first lady--weren't using the Internet for communications. 

It is indicated that Barack Obama will have to find ways to reach these people.

Now, I am a senior and Hubby & I and many of my friends definitely use the Internet for communicating every day! 

I can understand the comment about lower-income people and some seniors not using the internet.

I want to encourage everyone to go to this website and learn exactly what is being done to make changes before January 20th so if there is a crisis, President Barack Obama will be ready to act. 

For anyone who is discouraged over the results of the election, you need to get over that and move on. Many of us have contributed over the years to the Negro College Fund and have been encouraging African-Americans to become educated.

Well, Barack Obama is educated and so is his wife. He thinks extremely quickly and well on his feet, and has a sense of humor about his background. He knows who he is and where he came from. He has no misconceptions or delusions about that.

By using the Internet, he collected his campaign money - $5 by $5 and had money left over to buy time at the beginning of the World Series! You gotta love this!

If you are a senior and are reading this, then you already have computer smarts. Keep working at this and upgrade to DSL, if you have not already. (Everything is quicker and easier with DSL.) Encourage your senior friends to learn how to navigate the Internet. Some are already communicating via e-mail to family.  There are courses targeted to seniors at community colleges but perhaps it is time for retirement communities to have their own courses and help centers. 

We are in tough times that will require more than the fundamental wits used in the 30s such as having a back-up of canned goods in the  cupboards. (In hurricane country, we have those cans ready anyway!)

We need to speak up and write letters and be part of the government. We need a lot more than a few bandages to fix the economy this time!

The CEOs and executives who have - and apparently still are - lived live to the fullest extent at the expense of their stockholders need to be held accountable. If you read accounts of how these people are living and the property they own, you can see that limits must be imposed.

I think the bonus and packages (for entering and leaving a company) these people have been receiving are obscene. Surely some of you reading this agree with me, so I will go one step further and say what follows. If you have any investments such as stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds, then in reality you are "the boss" of the company where the CEO and other executives work. So, you do have a say. Write a letter to the company! If you are near where their annual meeting is held, attend it! Many companies now have meetings online - go there!

I hear sometimes about the American Way and control over companies would not be the American Way. 

Well, when companies ask the American Government to bail them out - or simply put, "Give us some money, we are out of money", then it becomes the American Way to tell them, 

You will have to pull your act together or you will be out of business!" (Think about a teenager going to his parents for some more money and you have the idea!)

I will not go any further, because I usually stay away from writing things to get people upset, but let me wind this down by saying:

Do you want the "American Way" (lots of freedom to make all of us broke) or do you want a good life where you have enough money to pay your bills, including a fine education for your children and their children so you can retire in peace and not have to watch the business channel on an hourly basis?

www.change.gov

Would You Like to Try Out Your New Chair?

Say what you want about President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, but they are among the most hospitable people to ever inhabit the White House. 

President-Elect, Barack Obama will be visiting - with his wife Michelle and their two daughters -  today and they will find this out for themselves.

I sort of envision George W. asking Barack if he would like to try out his new chair. He likes to make people feel at home! 

Even as bad as George W's approval rating is these days, I imagine most people would accept an invitation to the White House or to the ranch!

Laura has always thought through carefully plans for visitors and has a wonderful way for imagining how the other person would be comfortable.

Hopefully, we will see some pictures today of the Obamas' visit because George and Laura will make them feel like royalty! You can count on that!

Southern Methodist University (SMU) will be the site of George W's Library and so the younger Bushes will be making their home in Dallas-Ft. Worth/the Metroplex. I have only stayed in Ft. Worth once and have been through Dallas a few times. It is a very stylish area and they will be able to have a beautiful home there.  Think Neiman-Marcus and you are on track.

The Bushes Senior (George H.W. & Barbara) live in Houston and his library is at Texas A & M in Bryan/College Station. I have often commented on them being at the Houston Astros games in owner Drayton McLane's box.

Many of you know that George W. was one of the owners of the Texas Rangers, based in Arlington, near Dallas.  The family loves baseball! In a book about her, Laura explains that she likes baseball so much because it is a "social" experience. You can watch the game and still have a conversation with the person next to you.

For several months now, I have thought about George W. marking off the days on this calendar till they get back to the ranch in Crawford, Texas. Perhaps not every son is cut out to be in the "family business" as Prince Charles of England likes to call it!

The First Dog?

The other day I wrote about what breed of dog the Obama First Family might be choosing! Listening to Barack Obama's press conference today, I want to give you the choice from those breeds mentioned the other day. The Bichon Frise is the breed from those I mentioned that is good for people with allergies.  This was stipulated by Mr. Obama today and he says it is the number one topic of interest at his website.

Anyone interested in finding out what breed of dog is most suitable for their family should go to the American Kennel Club website. 

Some of you know that I was deeply immersed in the Purebred Dog Fancy for more than 18 years. I bred and showed Shih Tzu and have also owned Boxer, Lhasa Apso and Scottish Terriers. 

Of course, I have no idea what breed the Obamas will pick but I still am trying to keep my mind focused on light and happy things as I hope you are too.

http://www.akc.org

New President and New Trends!

Today was a day to clear all the magazines and catalogs from the coffee table and put them in recycle which goes out tonight. Tomorrow is a day to clean the carpet, dust and vacuum. 

It’s time to get away from the TV, tidy up and move on with living. 

Down here, we have the Thanksgiving banner flying and decoration on the door. 

Did you forget your To Do List? You should have one, so put pen to paper and make one to get yourself back on track! 

Looks like things will be a little different and we all want to be ready so let’s get our house in order! History has been made and we will want to be part of it! 

We noticed that Barack Obama always looks neat and tidy. So, watch for new fashion trends. I’m serious about that! Barack Obama’s collar on his white shirt was so stiff, so perfect the other night, I was kind of wondering if the starch was hurting his neck! If you believe at all in Dress for Success, then we will be having some pretty plain outfits for the men. Mr. Obama dresses crisp and plain. 

Some people didn’t like Michelle Obama’s dress the other night. That’s good. “Let’s give them something to talk about!” I saw splashes of red on it but I didn’t see anything wrong with it. She always looks neat and tidy as do their girls. So, I think we will see a trend toward more tidy dressing. 

Now, if we are going to look for an event, let’s look for the puppy that the Obama’s have promised their daughters to take to the White House! 

Did you know there have been dogs in the White House during just about every administration? I should not hazard a guess on the breed they will chose! I like Retrievers for families or possibly a Boxer. Hmmm . . . a Boxer would be very good for the Obama family . . . 

Hubby feels perhaps a Saluki would go good. (Hubby is originally from Southern Illinois and the mascot for Southern Illinois University is the Saluki.) 

I should tell you that I have a feeling for the Bichon Frise as well. 

So, there is something different for you to talk about today. 

Have a fine day and don’t buy anything too fussy for your hubby for Christmas!

Joe The Plumber - Joe Six Pack - Joe Politician

I seem to recall politicians in the past at least trying to get a grasp on some real people and even in recent years, they have talked about “Ed Kowazak and his family of St. Paul, Minnesota.” They would go on to tell you about how Ed had recently lost his job because a mill had closed down, or something the audience could relate to.

Well, Sarah Palin took to talking about Joe Six-Pack and last night both Messrs Obama and McCain were apparently talking about Joe the Plumber in Ohio. (Sorry, we were at a meeting and got back about 20 minutes into the debate.)

If you have been following the story, you know that Joe’s name is not even Joe! Today, we find out that maybe Joe the Plumber isn’t exactly even a plumber!

That’s really too bad, you know. I could have introduced them to our plumber, Mike Stephenson, who has a fleet of pink trucks (because it’s his wife’s favorite color). Of course, he bought the company from Mr. Hill who just recently retired so it is called Hill Plumbing. And he really is a plumber! And he’s friendly, his prices are fair and he cleans up before he leaves.

I am not so sure we like being referred to as Joe Six-Pack! That would be Mr. Joe, the Voting Public, to you, Ms. Palin.

Do these politicians not even have people on staff to go out there and find out a little bit about people who might be interested in voting for them? Do they not think to invite these people to sit with their wives in the audience? Not too creative, Joe Politician!

Getting The Vote Out!

Well, now those of us with dual citizenship and dual affinities have two elections to watch! Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has dissolved Parliament and called an Election. 

Back in pre-historic times when I worked on elections in Toronto’s affluent North End, we pounded the pavement with low tech methods designed to get the vote out. This was in the early 60s. 

Let me explain briefly how we did that. 

First, each “canvasser” was handed a (paper) voting list, some campaign pamphlets and a couple of pencils. Each list probably covered two square city blocks. (North Toronto has “city blocks” – nice squares of established two and three storey homes on approximately 40 to 50 foot lots.) 

Each of us went up and down the sidewalks, walking up the paths and knocking on the front door of each house. 

Now, when I knocked on the door, I was ready. When the person opened the door, I said, 

“Hello, I am working for John Doe, your Progressive-Conservative candidate.” I handed the householder the piece of literature and stayed quiet to observe the other person’s reaction. 

There were three possible reactions: 

“I am not interested.” (Take that as maybe, uncommitted or not voting.) 

“I am voting Liberal. (Take that as a “NO”.) 

“Ah, yes, I really like that guy and I am going to vote for him! (Take that as a “YES”.) 

Now, if the person wanted to chat about the PC candidate, of course, I stayed and probably told them where the next rally would be. I probably showed the telephone number on the brochure so they could phone, offering support for candidate in a more industrious way. 

After the householder closed the door and I had walked down the steps and down the path to the sidewalk, I marked my Voter’s List with the appropriate “uncommitted”, definite “NO’ or definite “YES”. 

After doing the canvass, the Voter’s Lists were turned in and someone else at Party Headquarters would make a copy (probably manually) on another Voters List of my comments. A worker would look up the telephone numbers, note them beside the possible PC voters’ names, and the Voter’s Lists were kept for Election Day. 

On Election Day, we had workers who were there, marking off who had voted. We were right there. I have to tell you that we did not know who they voted for but if it was someone we had shown as likely to vote PC, which was a plus! 

Now, about 2:00 to 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, we had more workers ready to “get the vote out”. We would look at the people who had been assessed as voting PC and if some had not yet voted, we telephoned them. 

“This is Mary from Mr. Doe’s office and we notice you have not yet voted! Could we give you a ride to your polling place?” 

For most people this was really just a reminder, and the response was generally that when hubby came home, they were going to vote together. 

Some people, especially seniors, indicated that they would be happy to be picked up and driven to the polling station where they would vote (hopefully for our candidate.) 

Then, there was my Aunt Helen. I’m pretty sure she was a staunch Liberal. She would tell me the next day that she had voted and indicated she had been driven to the poll. When I would ask her who drove her to vote, she would answer, 

“The party with the most handsome drivers, of course!” 

You gotta love that answer. However, it also shows that the system may not have been flawless! 

My point is that all the campaigning and all the opinion polls will not determine who gets voted in. The bottom line is getting the people to vote. That means absentee ballots for those away at school, early voting for those in retirement communities and those who know they will be away. We also must get young people now eligible to vote to register and reminding them to actually get out to vote! 

Barack Obama has a history of getting young people and new citizens registered. He has done this in the past and is doing it now! So, it behooves Mr. McCain’s people to do the same thing. 

Getting the Vote Out – That is how to be elected President of the United States!

Not Much to Talk About?

Well, yesterday it was Hurricane Gustav. That was newsworthy and hurricanes tend to pre-empt other news. Especially, meteorologists get that crazed look in their eyes! This is what they live for! Junior reporters doing live remotes get their breaks (hoping to follow in Dan Rather’s footsteps)! When Gustav turned out to be gentler than expected (thank goodness), the media was left with virtually nothing to talk about today.

From first thing this morning, every network has done major features on Gov. Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy. Well, welcome to the real world, all of you!

Many families today – make that huge numbers of families -have to cope with unwed pregnancies and child-rearing of another generation of children. Many of these mothers do not marry the fathers. It is so much of a common thing, and many of us have been touched by this. Yes, it is not right, but it is fact. It’s life today. (Remember, we are no longer looking at the Cleavers as your average family: most mothers work outside the home. This is not the 50s.)

Concerning the coming Presidential Election and the non-stop coverage: let me make a couple of comments and put forth an idea.

The Presidency of the United States is without a doubt the worst job a person could apply for. I mean it! If you get to live out your term, you will come out of possibly an eight-year stint with grey or white hair, plenty of wrinkles and a furrowed brow. You will have a few less friends and influence than you had going in. Your pay will be rather low by today’s standards for top executives but you do get secret service protection for the rest of your life. (Just what everyone wants: someone tailing them to the supermarket or department store.)

As for being Vice President, well, that is a job where you pretty much stay in the background, unless of course, your President dies in office. Sometimes you would become well-enough known to run for President yourself. Of course, that could put you in the situation for as long as 16 years! Whoa!

So, perhaps a few people of enormous credentials have noticed that this just might not be the job they want.

So, when we have a few good people – true patriots who indeed are willing to sacrifice to serve their country – well, what happens?

Let me count some of the ways we knocked off some of the people willing to run. We said they were: too Mormon, too old, too Hispanic, not Hispanic enough, too Libertarian, too show biz, too female, too Black, or perhaps not Black enough . . .

So, shall we set up Gov. Palin as too human?

Some people need to sit back and think about what it would be like to have one of us in the White House. Because, it looks to me as though some of these people are indeed, one of us!

Granted, John McCain is NOT one of us. Not too many of us have gone through the sacrifices this man has, all in the name of love of country. In an era of longevity, he should not be considered old, but of course, he might have a little more money than most of us.

Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle are pretty ordinary people in a country built on immigrants and working people trying to provide quality education and good starts for their children.

Joe Biden has suffered some of the painful events others of us have suffered: widowed with young children to raise and severe afflictions and illness to overcome.

So, perhaps we have something we have not had in the past! Perhaps we can finally elect an individual who can relate to ordinary folks, who are, after all, the employers of the President of the United States of America.

So, as an employer, why not just listen and see who you would like to elect. Because, this time, you have the chance to elect one of us!

Now, is there something else you’d like to talk about?