New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Democrats must unite behind a presidential nominee soon and end the "bloodletting" that can doom the party's chances of capturing the White House.
"Maybe after the remaining primaries," which conclude June 3, Democrats should "come together and look at who's ahead when it comes to delegates, when it comes to the popular vote, the number of states," Richardson told Fox News Sunday. "I just feel the time has come to come together behind a candidate."
Richardson, a former presidential candidate who served in Bill Clinton's administration as energy secretary and U.N. ambassador, endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on Friday. - Bloomberg News
Richardson endorsing Obama is a huge deal for three important reasons:
1. He is a superdelegate and superdelegates will decide the nomination.
2. His experience in foreign and energy policy brings gravitas to Obama's campaign.
3. His Hispanic heritage and popularity should help Obama with Latino voters (a demographic he desperately needs to improve upon).
One can infer, by Richardson's statements, he disapproved of the style and tone of the Clinton campaign. He cited the Obama healing speech on race as the motivating factor for endorsing Obama.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Campaign 2008
Well, as one of my friends stated, the Clinton machine and Republicans are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Obama.
First, Geraldine Ferraro, re-interjected race into the campaign dialogue, by stating:
If (Barrack) Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color), he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.
Observation I: It may help him with some black voters but being a black man (part Kenyan African) with a name Barrack Hussein Obama is probably more of a liability than asset.
Observation II: Ms. Ferraro, a virtually unknown congresswoman from New York, in 1984 was named Walter Mondale's running mate - becoming the first woman on the presidential ticket of a major political party. Did gender play a major role? Did Ms. Ferraro think she was the affirmative action candidate as she suggests about Obama?
By The Way: Ms Ferraro, in 1988 you said virtually the same about the reason Jesse Jackson was running - because he was black. You also claim that you are only telling the truth and are only being attacked because you are white. Funny, I have never heard you only tell the truth about George W. Bush - that is to say; as a self-acclaimed poor student who was accepted into Harvard and Yale because of daddy (can you say Affirmative Action) he benefited from his white status.
Well, to me the whole thing reeks of dirty politics. First, Ferraro, amid a blue collar state primary yells, Obama is an affirmative action candidate; fully aware it may negatively taint Obama as benefiting not from merit but only because he is black. The calculation is that blue collar, white America men would resent the perceived "unfair" advantage bestowed upon Obama.
Lastly, Hillary Clinton can appear to stay above the fray by asking Ferraro to resign and denouncing her comments; however, mission accomplished.
There is a wing of the Democratic Party that is ecstatic that an African American is on the verge of making history. Likewise, there is a wing of the Democratic Party that is ecstatic a woman is on the verge of making history. This narrative that began as a win-win scenario is now creating mistrust and division among the rank and file.
This benefits the Republicans.
Posted by healthysouls at 3:09 PM 0 comments
First, Geraldine Ferraro, re-interjected race into the campaign dialogue, by stating:
If (Barrack) Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color), he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.
Observation I: It may help him with some black voters but being a black man (part Kenyan African) with a name Barrack Hussein Obama is probably more of a liability than asset.
Observation II: Ms. Ferraro, a virtually unknown congresswoman from New York, in 1984 was named Walter Mondale's running mate - becoming the first woman on the presidential ticket of a major political party. Did gender play a major role? Did Ms. Ferraro think she was the affirmative action candidate as she suggests about Obama?
By The Way: Ms Ferraro, in 1988 you said virtually the same about the reason Jesse Jackson was running - because he was black. You also claim that you are only telling the truth and are only being attacked because you are white. Funny, I have never heard you only tell the truth about George W. Bush - that is to say; as a self-acclaimed poor student who was accepted into Harvard and Yale because of daddy (can you say Affirmative Action) he benefited from his white status.
Well, to me the whole thing reeks of dirty politics. First, Ferraro, amid a blue collar state primary yells, Obama is an affirmative action candidate; fully aware it may negatively taint Obama as benefiting not from merit but only because he is black. The calculation is that blue collar, white America men would resent the perceived "unfair" advantage bestowed upon Obama.
Lastly, Hillary Clinton can appear to stay above the fray by asking Ferraro to resign and denouncing her comments; however, mission accomplished.
There is a wing of the Democratic Party that is ecstatic that an African American is on the verge of making history. Likewise, there is a wing of the Democratic Party that is ecstatic a woman is on the verge of making history. This narrative that began as a win-win scenario is now creating mistrust and division among the rank and file.
This benefits the Republicans.
Posted by healthysouls at 3:09 PM 0 comments
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Diabetes Alert: 20 Reasons to Exercise
I love straight to the point concise lists ... especially on writers-block Saturday. I found this particular list on ediets.com. This entire web site is dedicated to helping people with diabetes live a fullfilling and healthier life.
Why Exercise? 20 Reasons!
By Michael Stefano
eDiets Contributor
Friday, February, 29, 2008
RSS With all we now know about the benefits of exercise, it's hard to believe more Americans don't work out. It's the closest thing yet to the fountain of youth, and truly the only way to change the appearance, shape and strength of your body.
In addition, the health benefits associated with an intelligently orchestrated strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training program can add quality years to your life.
Everyone exercises for different reasons. But no matter your initial motivation,you still get all the benefits. Below is a list of 20 reasons why you should work out. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you'll have enough reason to beginan exercise program and take steps to take care of yourself.
Regular exercise can...
Help you lose weight, especially fat
Improve your physical appearance
Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance
Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain
Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work
Improve fitness levels, or your body's ability to use oxygen
Provide protection against injury
Improve your balance and coordination
Increase bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis
Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure
Lower Body Mass Index (BMI) -- your fat-to-height ratio
Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), raises good cholesterol (HDL)
Enhance sexual desire and performance
Reduce heart disease risk and stroke
Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer
Increase insulin sensitivity -- prevents Type 2 diabetes
Reduce your level of anxiety and help you manage stress
Improve function of the immune system
Improve your self-esteem and restore confidence
Help you sleep better, relax and improve mood
Why Exercise? 20 Reasons!
By Michael Stefano
eDiets Contributor
Friday, February, 29, 2008
RSS With all we now know about the benefits of exercise, it's hard to believe more Americans don't work out. It's the closest thing yet to the fountain of youth, and truly the only way to change the appearance, shape and strength of your body.
In addition, the health benefits associated with an intelligently orchestrated strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training program can add quality years to your life.
Everyone exercises for different reasons. But no matter your initial motivation,you still get all the benefits. Below is a list of 20 reasons why you should work out. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you'll have enough reason to beginan exercise program and take steps to take care of yourself.
Regular exercise can...
Help you lose weight, especially fat
Improve your physical appearance
Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance
Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain
Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work
Improve fitness levels, or your body's ability to use oxygen
Provide protection against injury
Improve your balance and coordination
Increase bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis
Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure
Lower Body Mass Index (BMI) -- your fat-to-height ratio
Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), raises good cholesterol (HDL)
Enhance sexual desire and performance
Reduce heart disease risk and stroke
Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer
Increase insulin sensitivity -- prevents Type 2 diabetes
Reduce your level of anxiety and help you manage stress
Improve function of the immune system
Improve your self-esteem and restore confidence
Help you sleep better, relax and improve mood
Top Ten Things Successful People Do
I found this on a web site named, All Tips and Tricks. I plan to save a copy of this in my wallet.
1. Hard work. Successful people work very hard and they are keen on practicing or rehearsing things until they come out perfect. Their outcome is only the tip of the iceberg; it is only that 10% that people see. The rest of 90% is preparation and hard work.
2. Focus. When they do something, the rest of the world disappears until they stop. All their attention and all their resources work together for a common goal, to complete the current task they are on. Many times, they forget even to eat or sleep, because they are so absorbed into their action. They just don’t let themselves become overwhelmed by “non-urgent” issues. They are keen on prioritizing.
3. Passion. They like what they do or they do what they like. Either way you put it, they enjoy their work, they are so passionate about it, that hard work is a pleasure and a must for them. Do you think that Beethoven could have written any of his works without passion? Or Van Gogh would have been able to paint so astonishing if passion was not there? Of course not!
4. Curiosity. Successful people want to know. They want to learn. The questions they most frequently ask are not “What? When? Who?” but rather “Why? Or How?” The best way to repeat a successful action is to know why was it successful, what was that little trigger that generated attraction and recognition.
5. Empathy. Have you noticed how many people like successful guy? It’s because of their way with others, their way of establishing rapport. Highly successful people are empathic and often it happens despite their solitude, many people like them and feel good around them. That is because of their high level of emotional intelligence, because of their abilities to listen and learn from the world.
6. Responsibility. They are fully responsible of their acts. When something happens, they don’t waste time to search for who’s to blame, they rather move on to finding what needs to be done next. They don’t complain and they don’t look for pity.
7. Self-improvement. Successful people work on themselves, they change with the times, they learn from the past. Look at Madonna: how many times did she completely revamp her style? Too many times. Each time when she felt the need to shift to something new she was able to update her profile. The result: she was appreciated every time by her fans and she’s still tops after so many years.
8. Humor. They appreciate humor, they live in this spirit, they do serious things with relaxation and joy, they don’t rush or get hurried just to see things done.
9. Creativity. Successful people think out of the box. They search for new ways of doing things, when they don’t find something very comfortable, they try to adjust it to serve them better. Going with the flock is definitely not their way of life.
10. Flexibility. There is a saying that in an organization, the most flexible element always wins. It is true. Think no further than your workplace. Who are the colleagues you value most? Aren’t they the ones who are flexible, who can adjust themselves so much that they can understand your point of view? Yes, success comes with a large dose of flexibility, and this does not mean that such people do not have their own opinions. Not at all! It just means that they know how to listen and how to act to see things and actions going their way. They know how to spot opportunities and change them into more joy, satisfaction and success for themselves.
Now give it a thought and see what are your characteristics. Do you have something in common with highly successful people? If not, maybe it is time for a change, isn’t it?
1. Hard work. Successful people work very hard and they are keen on practicing or rehearsing things until they come out perfect. Their outcome is only the tip of the iceberg; it is only that 10% that people see. The rest of 90% is preparation and hard work.
2. Focus. When they do something, the rest of the world disappears until they stop. All their attention and all their resources work together for a common goal, to complete the current task they are on. Many times, they forget even to eat or sleep, because they are so absorbed into their action. They just don’t let themselves become overwhelmed by “non-urgent” issues. They are keen on prioritizing.
3. Passion. They like what they do or they do what they like. Either way you put it, they enjoy their work, they are so passionate about it, that hard work is a pleasure and a must for them. Do you think that Beethoven could have written any of his works without passion? Or Van Gogh would have been able to paint so astonishing if passion was not there? Of course not!
4. Curiosity. Successful people want to know. They want to learn. The questions they most frequently ask are not “What? When? Who?” but rather “Why? Or How?” The best way to repeat a successful action is to know why was it successful, what was that little trigger that generated attraction and recognition.
5. Empathy. Have you noticed how many people like successful guy? It’s because of their way with others, their way of establishing rapport. Highly successful people are empathic and often it happens despite their solitude, many people like them and feel good around them. That is because of their high level of emotional intelligence, because of their abilities to listen and learn from the world.
6. Responsibility. They are fully responsible of their acts. When something happens, they don’t waste time to search for who’s to blame, they rather move on to finding what needs to be done next. They don’t complain and they don’t look for pity.
7. Self-improvement. Successful people work on themselves, they change with the times, they learn from the past. Look at Madonna: how many times did she completely revamp her style? Too many times. Each time when she felt the need to shift to something new she was able to update her profile. The result: she was appreciated every time by her fans and she’s still tops after so many years.
8. Humor. They appreciate humor, they live in this spirit, they do serious things with relaxation and joy, they don’t rush or get hurried just to see things done.
9. Creativity. Successful people think out of the box. They search for new ways of doing things, when they don’t find something very comfortable, they try to adjust it to serve them better. Going with the flock is definitely not their way of life.
10. Flexibility. There is a saying that in an organization, the most flexible element always wins. It is true. Think no further than your workplace. Who are the colleagues you value most? Aren’t they the ones who are flexible, who can adjust themselves so much that they can understand your point of view? Yes, success comes with a large dose of flexibility, and this does not mean that such people do not have their own opinions. Not at all! It just means that they know how to listen and how to act to see things and actions going their way. They know how to spot opportunities and change them into more joy, satisfaction and success for themselves.
Now give it a thought and see what are your characteristics. Do you have something in common with highly successful people? If not, maybe it is time for a change, isn’t it?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Souls of Black Folks
In The Souls of Black Folks, WEB Dubois wrote the following about the duality of the psyche or consciousness of African Americans:
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness,
this sense of always looking at one's self
through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul
by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt
and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, — an
American, a Negro ; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled
strivings; two warring ideals in one dark
body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being
torn asunder.
The timeliness of those eloquent words is staggering because they still accurately describe the state of the black soul. First, since we are bombarded, day after day, with negative messages and images we have internalized anti-black racism like the rest of America. We see ourselves and our community through the eyes of those that despise us.
Our self-hatred manifests itself in those black faces that wreck havoc in our communities throughout America. The uneducated and neglected children that learn to terrorize, kill, loot, sell drugs are not only problematic; they are symptomatic of a community short on self-love.
There is self-hatred in the black middle and upper-class. They frequently treat blackness as a condition to escape rather than a culture to embrace and uplift; hence, far too often they have become disconnected and overly critical of the community. Our black middle and upper-class has yet to become the head attached to the body of the masses. They have yet to become the talented 10th envisioned by Dubois - a group of educated people whose actions set the course for the empowerment of their representative group.
On the other hand, there exists a false understanding of blackness among too many of us. This has led to a misconception that “keeping it real” means rejection of all virtues perceived to be foreign or white. Education, mainstream ambition and, professional etiquette are labeled white virtues; therefore, those that practice them are called sell outs or Uncle Toms. Our kids are taught in songs, videos and playgrounds that real G’s don’t read and that one earns manhood stripes by going to prison or putting in work (crime).
As Dubois would suggest, the time for reconciliation is now! Reconciliation is nothing more than embracing who we were, who we are and who we can become. This self-love is the greatest gift we can pass on to the next generation (Remember the song the Greatest).
Why? Because, a people that loves self devotes energy, resources and talent to building schools, economies, communities and institutions that perpetuate survival, growth and excellence.
Join us in our journey. Peace.
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness,
this sense of always looking at one's self
through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul
by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt
and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, — an
American, a Negro ; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled
strivings; two warring ideals in one dark
body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being
torn asunder.
The timeliness of those eloquent words is staggering because they still accurately describe the state of the black soul. First, since we are bombarded, day after day, with negative messages and images we have internalized anti-black racism like the rest of America. We see ourselves and our community through the eyes of those that despise us.
Our self-hatred manifests itself in those black faces that wreck havoc in our communities throughout America. The uneducated and neglected children that learn to terrorize, kill, loot, sell drugs are not only problematic; they are symptomatic of a community short on self-love.
There is self-hatred in the black middle and upper-class. They frequently treat blackness as a condition to escape rather than a culture to embrace and uplift; hence, far too often they have become disconnected and overly critical of the community. Our black middle and upper-class has yet to become the head attached to the body of the masses. They have yet to become the talented 10th envisioned by Dubois - a group of educated people whose actions set the course for the empowerment of their representative group.
On the other hand, there exists a false understanding of blackness among too many of us. This has led to a misconception that “keeping it real” means rejection of all virtues perceived to be foreign or white. Education, mainstream ambition and, professional etiquette are labeled white virtues; therefore, those that practice them are called sell outs or Uncle Toms. Our kids are taught in songs, videos and playgrounds that real G’s don’t read and that one earns manhood stripes by going to prison or putting in work (crime).
As Dubois would suggest, the time for reconciliation is now! Reconciliation is nothing more than embracing who we were, who we are and who we can become. This self-love is the greatest gift we can pass on to the next generation (Remember the song the Greatest).
Why? Because, a people that loves self devotes energy, resources and talent to building schools, economies, communities and institutions that perpetuate survival, growth and excellence.
Join us in our journey. Peace.
Political Update - Democratic Primary
Well the two camps - Obama vs. Clinton - continue to slug it out after Hillary's astounding comeback last week in the large and important states of Texas and Ohio. In these wins it appears Hillary's desperate strategy (if Barack won these states, he would probably have wrapped up the nomination) to go nasty and negative was effective.
The 3AM ad was aired to place fear in voters' mind about Obama's experience and competence in dealing with a national crisis. The ad, which depicted children sleeping, asked the question, who would you want to answer 3am national emergency call; the inexperienced and untested Obama or the battle tested and experienced Clinton.
To further illustrate her point, Clinton has touted the battle readiness of McCain and herself in a manner which suggest republican John McCain is better prepared to be president than Obama.
Let's hope calmer heads prevail. We do not want the two excellent democratic candidates to destroy each other to the point they make it easy for another republican to win the White House.
I always have admired the Clintons. I even had a chance to briefly meet and speak with Hillary Clinton (Richmond 1992). I found her warm and engaging. I could proudly vote for Clinton or Obama. However, I find the win at any cost campaigning unstately and dangerous for the Democratic Party. In 1968, internal fighting gave us Richard Nixon. And, in 1980 the bitter campaign between Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter gave us 12 god awful years of Reagan/Bush. Let's not have, in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, deja vu all over again.
The 3AM ad was aired to place fear in voters' mind about Obama's experience and competence in dealing with a national crisis. The ad, which depicted children sleeping, asked the question, who would you want to answer 3am national emergency call; the inexperienced and untested Obama or the battle tested and experienced Clinton.
To further illustrate her point, Clinton has touted the battle readiness of McCain and herself in a manner which suggest republican John McCain is better prepared to be president than Obama.
Let's hope calmer heads prevail. We do not want the two excellent democratic candidates to destroy each other to the point they make it easy for another republican to win the White House.
I always have admired the Clintons. I even had a chance to briefly meet and speak with Hillary Clinton (Richmond 1992). I found her warm and engaging. I could proudly vote for Clinton or Obama. However, I find the win at any cost campaigning unstately and dangerous for the Democratic Party. In 1968, internal fighting gave us Richard Nixon. And, in 1980 the bitter campaign between Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter gave us 12 god awful years of Reagan/Bush. Let's not have, in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, deja vu all over again.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Quote of the Week
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
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