I just read that this $700 billion bailout, that according to USAToday did actually pass, will be $100 billion dollars more than what the US has spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined for the last 7 years.
O.K. I tried, but I do have a little opinion. Can you blame me?
I never again want to hear republicans complaining about "tax & spend" democrats. Or talk about how welfare and social services are bad because people should be responsible for themselves and not rely on government handouts.
Go ahead....let's pass the biggest (and most expensive) example of socialist economic policy this country has ever seen.
And a big shout out to Russia and China for the loan to fund it!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On Being Uncool......
A couple of nights ago, I could not fall asleep, and while flipping channels, I came across Almost Famous. I always loved that movie. Cameron Crowe's best work by far. I had forgot how many big stars were in that movie when they, themselves were "Almost Famous" if you will.
Phillip Seymor Hoffman
Kate Hudson
Jimmy Fallon
Anna Paquin
Jason Lee
Well, one of my favorite scenes is the conversation between the the main kid, and his mentor, the DJ. They are discussing how they will never be real friends with the rock stars, nor should they try, because are just uncool. They might know everything there is to know about bands and music, but unfortunately, they are just really uncool. It is a touching convo.
It has led me in the last couple of days to evaluate just how uncool I am. Especially because of my current program. And I don't even have the music knowledge to fall back on!
I am in San Diego right now at the super hip Hard Rock Hotel. It is very very cool.....
*Sleek and Modern
*Rooftop pool with sassy beds instead of sunchairs
*Loud Music piped in everywhere, and they have a DJ in the lobby on Saturdays
*the super hot club that has been featured on MTV
*All the employees wear all black, and are all good looking (some are tattooed, pierced, and very alternative, but I can't honestly say that any are ugly)
Oh, and they use music terms for everything...
*They call the hotel operator "ground control" and when you call, they say "You are on the air"
*The convention assists are called Roadies.
Everyone who works here has the name of their favorite band or singer on their nametag. I have enjoyed checking everybody's out. A few were obvious and generic...the metal lookin' bellman with Guns n Roses. The 18 year old popster girl at the desk with The Pussycat Dolls. The mid thirties Front Office manager with The Beatles. Others were more obscure.....our convention contact had two nametags and he said he switched them according to his mood (Rusted Root or Panic at the Disco)
Funny Story....and the first one discussing my true uncoolness.....
When I checked into the hotel a few days ago, the girl (about 20) asked me what kind of music I liked. Thinking that was a strange and random question, I stared blankly at her for a second. Now I am going to transcript form....
Girl at Desk: We ask everyone what kind of music they like, because we have it pumped in to the room for when you walk in.
Uncool me: Oh, that's fun. Well, my favorite singer is Tom Jones.
Girl at Desk: Who?
Uncool me: Tom Jones. you know..."It's not Unusual"
Girl at Desk: What kind of music is that?
Uncool me: It's 60s British pop.
Girl at Desk: (Pause) That 's not one of the music categories we have.
Uncool me: Oh okay...you want a category. How about 80s?
Girl at Desk: (long staring and clearly annoyed with me pause) How about Classic rock? Will that work?
You know, the more I think about this, the more reasons why I am just an uncool traveler surface in my mind. to list a few...
1. The suitcase I am using right now is so torn up, its hilar. Its a duffel style, bright red, humungoid bag, and all the straps have broken, so I just cut them off. Both zippers are broken, so everytime I open and close it, I have to attach a paperclip. Also, its not even really my suitcase. I borrowed it from a friend awhile ago when I had lost luggage with the airline, but still had to leave on a trip the next day. It was such a great bag as far as how much it held, that I asked if I could buy it from her (she very nicely said i could just have it! Rockin' friend) . I have been trying to replace it for about 3 months, but I just can't find one exactly like it, or one I like better. I guess I will use it until that moment when I am picking up my baggage after a flight, and I see my stuff coming on the belt one item at a time!
2. I have a set airport outfit. I wear the same thing everytime (both ways) for about 2 months or until I get a stain on it or rip it. Then I switch to a different outfit and do the same thing. It has occurred to me, that since I was usually at the St. Louis twice a week, the workers there who I see a lot must think I only have one outfit. Not really sure why I do this, but it has become a habit.
3. I go to museums by myself and I read all the stuff...like the posted background explanations and crap like that. I never realized how obsessive I was about this until I went to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis one time with a friend, and she got very mad at me for taking so long at each display. I also love museum gift shops. They always have great books, and funky souvenirs. Best museum gift shops I have been to: The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia & the Shop at Versailles outside of Paris. Actually, 3 way tie - I have to add the gift shop at the American Museum of D-Day in Normandy, France.
4. I like to go to fancy, trendy, often expensive restaurants by myself with an Us Weekly, and only order water, an appetizer, and a dessert.
This blog has gotten really rambling, so I will end here. I'm uncool, and it really shows when I travel, and usually in life too. I accept it.....
Oh....I do have to add one post script -
I went to Moonstone last night. It's the super sassy rooftop club at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was interesting...full of young beatiful girls in not very much clothing, and a lot of cheesy looking guys. So, I don't know how this came into my mind, but I was seeing all the really trendy, probably very pricey, and defintiely "Now" outfits. For some reason, I starting thinking, and mentally counting, the number of items that were on my body at that moment (clothes, jewerly, skibs, etc) that had come from Target. Let's just say that list was longer than I personally would consider cool....
Phillip Seymor Hoffman
Kate Hudson
Jimmy Fallon
Anna Paquin
Jason Lee
Well, one of my favorite scenes is the conversation between the the main kid, and his mentor, the DJ. They are discussing how they will never be real friends with the rock stars, nor should they try, because are just uncool. They might know everything there is to know about bands and music, but unfortunately, they are just really uncool. It is a touching convo.
It has led me in the last couple of days to evaluate just how uncool I am. Especially because of my current program. And I don't even have the music knowledge to fall back on!
I am in San Diego right now at the super hip Hard Rock Hotel. It is very very cool.....
*Sleek and Modern
*Rooftop pool with sassy beds instead of sunchairs
*Loud Music piped in everywhere, and they have a DJ in the lobby on Saturdays
*the super hot club that has been featured on MTV
*All the employees wear all black, and are all good looking (some are tattooed, pierced, and very alternative, but I can't honestly say that any are ugly)
Oh, and they use music terms for everything...
*They call the hotel operator "ground control" and when you call, they say "You are on the air"
*The convention assists are called Roadies.
Everyone who works here has the name of their favorite band or singer on their nametag. I have enjoyed checking everybody's out. A few were obvious and generic...the metal lookin' bellman with Guns n Roses. The 18 year old popster girl at the desk with The Pussycat Dolls. The mid thirties Front Office manager with The Beatles. Others were more obscure.....our convention contact had two nametags and he said he switched them according to his mood (Rusted Root or Panic at the Disco)
Funny Story....and the first one discussing my true uncoolness.....
When I checked into the hotel a few days ago, the girl (about 20) asked me what kind of music I liked. Thinking that was a strange and random question, I stared blankly at her for a second. Now I am going to transcript form....
Girl at Desk: We ask everyone what kind of music they like, because we have it pumped in to the room for when you walk in.
Uncool me: Oh, that's fun. Well, my favorite singer is Tom Jones.
Girl at Desk: Who?
Uncool me: Tom Jones. you know..."It's not Unusual"
Girl at Desk: What kind of music is that?
Uncool me: It's 60s British pop.
Girl at Desk: (Pause) That 's not one of the music categories we have.
Uncool me: Oh okay...you want a category. How about 80s?
Girl at Desk: (long staring and clearly annoyed with me pause) How about Classic rock? Will that work?
You know, the more I think about this, the more reasons why I am just an uncool traveler surface in my mind. to list a few...
1. The suitcase I am using right now is so torn up, its hilar. Its a duffel style, bright red, humungoid bag, and all the straps have broken, so I just cut them off. Both zippers are broken, so everytime I open and close it, I have to attach a paperclip. Also, its not even really my suitcase. I borrowed it from a friend awhile ago when I had lost luggage with the airline, but still had to leave on a trip the next day. It was such a great bag as far as how much it held, that I asked if I could buy it from her (she very nicely said i could just have it! Rockin' friend) . I have been trying to replace it for about 3 months, but I just can't find one exactly like it, or one I like better. I guess I will use it until that moment when I am picking up my baggage after a flight, and I see my stuff coming on the belt one item at a time!
2. I have a set airport outfit. I wear the same thing everytime (both ways) for about 2 months or until I get a stain on it or rip it. Then I switch to a different outfit and do the same thing. It has occurred to me, that since I was usually at the St. Louis twice a week, the workers there who I see a lot must think I only have one outfit. Not really sure why I do this, but it has become a habit.
3. I go to museums by myself and I read all the stuff...like the posted background explanations and crap like that. I never realized how obsessive I was about this until I went to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis one time with a friend, and she got very mad at me for taking so long at each display. I also love museum gift shops. They always have great books, and funky souvenirs. Best museum gift shops I have been to: The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia & the Shop at Versailles outside of Paris. Actually, 3 way tie - I have to add the gift shop at the American Museum of D-Day in Normandy, France.
4. I like to go to fancy, trendy, often expensive restaurants by myself with an Us Weekly, and only order water, an appetizer, and a dessert.
This blog has gotten really rambling, so I will end here. I'm uncool, and it really shows when I travel, and usually in life too. I accept it.....
Oh....I do have to add one post script -
I went to Moonstone last night. It's the super sassy rooftop club at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was interesting...full of young beatiful girls in not very much clothing, and a lot of cheesy looking guys. So, I don't know how this came into my mind, but I was seeing all the really trendy, probably very pricey, and defintiely "Now" outfits. For some reason, I starting thinking, and mentally counting, the number of items that were on my body at that moment (clothes, jewerly, skibs, etc) that had come from Target. Let's just say that list was longer than I personally would consider cool....
Friday, September 26, 2008
Combining Two of my Favorite Topics.....College Football & Politics
Big kudos to the website http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com
Read this article that they posted today. Hilar! Especially the bit about Notre Dame. HeHe.
(And to USC fans out there.....tough loss, my friends. Oh how the mighty fall sometimes.)
FEDS CALL FOR 38 POINT BAILOUT OF USC
WASHINGTON, DC (AP) –Doubts over the proposal to bail out the USC Trojan football program continue to slow the progress of the bill through Congress. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers object to portions of the package, and are asking for more time to allow for further debate on the issue.
“I am ashamed it is taking this long to protect the American economy from a clear and dire threat,” said California Senator Barbara Boxer. The sponsor of the bill, Boxer says the bill would prevent American sports consumers’ already plummeting productivity from “cratering” by saving them the trouble of learning new teams’ names, uniforms, and style of play.
“For years, we have relied on the cornerstones of our sports economy like USC, the New York Yankees, and Bret Favre to help us keep our sports world clear, simple, and easy for the layperson to digest. They have served us well, and we owe them help in return when they struggle.”
The plan would award USC 38 points to be retroactively added to the score of the USC/Oregon State game played this past Thursday night, erasing a 27-21 victory by the Beavers and allowing USC to maintain their status as America’s most powerful and prestigious football team.
“This is a travesty of logic and a misuse of the American political system like I’ve never seen,” said Georgia representative Saxby Chambliss. “Instead of using the power of Congress to change the outcome of football games, maybe we should focus on keeping America safer, and they should focus on finding themselves a KNOWSHON MORENO OR TWO GO DAWGS AS HELL SIC’ ‘EM!”
Chambliss then made barking noise for two minutes straight to no one in particular.
The proposal is the second such bailout package proposed in the history of the United States Congress. The first, the King-Davie bill, was proposed by New York representative Peter T. King to award Notre Dame points to overcome all but three losses suffered during the Bob Davie era at Notre Dame. The bill made it out of uncompetitive voting in the House of Representatives, but was blown out in a landslide vote in the Senate.
Negotiations will continue into the night and throughout the weekend…
Read this article that they posted today. Hilar! Especially the bit about Notre Dame. HeHe.
(And to USC fans out there.....tough loss, my friends. Oh how the mighty fall sometimes.)
FEDS CALL FOR 38 POINT BAILOUT OF USC
WASHINGTON, DC (AP) –Doubts over the proposal to bail out the USC Trojan football program continue to slow the progress of the bill through Congress. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers object to portions of the package, and are asking for more time to allow for further debate on the issue.
“I am ashamed it is taking this long to protect the American economy from a clear and dire threat,” said California Senator Barbara Boxer. The sponsor of the bill, Boxer says the bill would prevent American sports consumers’ already plummeting productivity from “cratering” by saving them the trouble of learning new teams’ names, uniforms, and style of play.
“For years, we have relied on the cornerstones of our sports economy like USC, the New York Yankees, and Bret Favre to help us keep our sports world clear, simple, and easy for the layperson to digest. They have served us well, and we owe them help in return when they struggle.”
The plan would award USC 38 points to be retroactively added to the score of the USC/Oregon State game played this past Thursday night, erasing a 27-21 victory by the Beavers and allowing USC to maintain their status as America’s most powerful and prestigious football team.
“This is a travesty of logic and a misuse of the American political system like I’ve never seen,” said Georgia representative Saxby Chambliss. “Instead of using the power of Congress to change the outcome of football games, maybe we should focus on keeping America safer, and they should focus on finding themselves a KNOWSHON MORENO OR TWO GO DAWGS AS HELL SIC’ ‘EM!”
Chambliss then made barking noise for two minutes straight to no one in particular.
The proposal is the second such bailout package proposed in the history of the United States Congress. The first, the King-Davie bill, was proposed by New York representative Peter T. King to award Notre Dame points to overcome all but three losses suffered during the Bob Davie era at Notre Dame. The bill made it out of uncompetitive voting in the House of Representatives, but was blown out in a landslide vote in the Senate.
Negotiations will continue into the night and throughout the weekend…
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Word on the Street...
O.K. The talk in blogworld is that something big is going to do down in the next few days that involves Sarah Palin.
I heard this first from my favorite blogger...then checked some other links, and a lot of people are talking about it (whatever it is)
The conspiracy theorists out there are also saying that is why McCain said today that he wants to reschedule the Presidential debate for next week when the VP debate was supposed to be, and cancel the VP debate altogether.
I don't know what this "big thing" is, but I am getting the impression it has to do with one of her children, and is going to be as epic as the Edwards thing!
I am so curious........
I heard this first from my favorite blogger...then checked some other links, and a lot of people are talking about it (whatever it is)
The conspiracy theorists out there are also saying that is why McCain said today that he wants to reschedule the Presidential debate for next week when the VP debate was supposed to be, and cancel the VP debate altogether.
I don't know what this "big thing" is, but I am getting the impression it has to do with one of her children, and is going to be as epic as the Edwards thing!
I am so curious........
Quickie: Political Deja Vu.....
President Bush is trying to scare the American people into quickly and blindly accepting an expensive, far fetched plan of his that is based on questionable data, and has only a slight chance of actually fixing the situation.
When have we heard this before? And how did that work for us?
P.S. on another political note....McCain thinks he need to suspend his campaign, and skip the debate in order to assist with Wall Street bailout? Seriously?
Obama was right with his comment on this earlier tonight. McCain needs to learn to multitask. That's what Presidents do.
When have we heard this before? And how did that work for us?
P.S. on another political note....McCain thinks he need to suspend his campaign, and skip the debate in order to assist with Wall Street bailout? Seriously?
Obama was right with his comment on this earlier tonight. McCain needs to learn to multitask. That's what Presidents do.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Super Quickie on the Emmys Last Night.....
1. Josh Groban's TV theme montage was the only real highlight of the entire telecast. I didn't want it to end.
2. Eva Longoria's eggo is preggo. Nice try hiding it with the the big weird bow. And trying to detract the attention from the future spawn with the super short skirt. That was definitely not a food baby. (Random Juno reference)
3. Note to presenters & winners: Enough with the thinly veiled political statements. No one cares. Pick one...actor or politician.
4. NPH was robbed. Does Ari Gold really deserve a third emmy? Especially after the train wreck that was last season on Entourage. Barney is quite possibly the funniest, most refreshing character on TV right now. Give Doogie his props.
5. Loved the "smoky eyes" makeup look on everyone. File that under: looks good on other people, but if I tried it, people would think I experimenting with my Halloween makeup.
6. Heidi Klum is an idiot. Why do they let her speak?
7. Kyra Sedgewick looked gorgeous. And Kevin Bacon looked like an anorexic version of the weird gay brother in Wedding Crashers with that spiky hair, and all black look. And what was with the orange tan?
8. Julia Louis-Dreyfus looked good, but she had a weird pudge thing kickin' it in that strange dress gap just below her chest.
9. The women of Wisteria Lane looked AMAZING. Not one fashion blunder in the group. Well, maybe Eva with the dress, and her hair was a little flat. But she's knocked up, so I'm going to give her a little leeway. Those ladies prove that you can be fabulous in your 40s.
10. When did Betty White get so old?
11. Mary Tyler Moore should have been wearing a dress with sleeves. Her boney arms were scaring me a little.
12. Brook Sheild's entire look reminded me just how classic and timeless she is. Too bad, I don't really like her show.
13. Laura Linney looked the prettiest I have ever seen her. I usually think she looks a little off, and there is something wrong with her forehead.
14. Tina Fey is so talented, and I'm glad it was recognized many times last night.
15. I guess I should actually start watching Mad Men. I'm curious what all the hype is about.
16. Was it just me or did Tom Hanks hairline look really strange. Also, what was up with the frames on those glasses?
That's all I got.
Overall....I moderately enjoyed the show. At least they didn't do that stupid stage in the round thing they tried last year!
2. Eva Longoria's eggo is preggo. Nice try hiding it with the the big weird bow. And trying to detract the attention from the future spawn with the super short skirt. That was definitely not a food baby. (Random Juno reference)
3. Note to presenters & winners: Enough with the thinly veiled political statements. No one cares. Pick one...actor or politician.
4. NPH was robbed. Does Ari Gold really deserve a third emmy? Especially after the train wreck that was last season on Entourage. Barney is quite possibly the funniest, most refreshing character on TV right now. Give Doogie his props.
5. Loved the "smoky eyes" makeup look on everyone. File that under: looks good on other people, but if I tried it, people would think I experimenting with my Halloween makeup.
6. Heidi Klum is an idiot. Why do they let her speak?
7. Kyra Sedgewick looked gorgeous. And Kevin Bacon looked like an anorexic version of the weird gay brother in Wedding Crashers with that spiky hair, and all black look. And what was with the orange tan?
8. Julia Louis-Dreyfus looked good, but she had a weird pudge thing kickin' it in that strange dress gap just below her chest.
9. The women of Wisteria Lane looked AMAZING. Not one fashion blunder in the group. Well, maybe Eva with the dress, and her hair was a little flat. But she's knocked up, so I'm going to give her a little leeway. Those ladies prove that you can be fabulous in your 40s.
10. When did Betty White get so old?
11. Mary Tyler Moore should have been wearing a dress with sleeves. Her boney arms were scaring me a little.
12. Brook Sheild's entire look reminded me just how classic and timeless she is. Too bad, I don't really like her show.
13. Laura Linney looked the prettiest I have ever seen her. I usually think she looks a little off, and there is something wrong with her forehead.
14. Tina Fey is so talented, and I'm glad it was recognized many times last night.
15. I guess I should actually start watching Mad Men. I'm curious what all the hype is about.
16. Was it just me or did Tom Hanks hairline look really strange. Also, what was up with the frames on those glasses?
That's all I got.
Overall....I moderately enjoyed the show. At least they didn't do that stupid stage in the round thing they tried last year!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Island of Capri (Part 1)
The last stop on my Greek-Italian Cruise was Capri. And it was by far the best! I fell in love with the island.
We arrived there at about 11:00 AM, but the lead up to the island was part of what made it so awesome. That whole area in the Med Sea that we were sailing around was so beautiful. There are dramatic cliffs, amazing rock islands, and (I must mention this, because I am not always a nature person) some of the most awesome private yachts around. There was this one that was absolutely huge, and we got the pleasure of watching a helicopter land on it, and some very beautiful Eurotrash looking couples get off. I didn't recognize anyone....I was desperately hoping it would be some famous American or even Davie & Vicki Beckham or someone like that, but alas, even through the binoculars I borrowed from the yacht purser, I did not have a celebrity spotting.
The first plan of action upon our anchor just a few hundred feet from Capri, was a boat tour around the island. It was very cool. These little, wooden, completely open air boats came right up to the yacht and we loaded up. I lucked out in that, since I was in charge of this activity, I got everyone on the boats (each one held about 20 people) and then I was left with the last boat with only 8. So, our group had plenty of room to move around, very carefully because those of us in the front of the boat got splashed a few times, and snap pics, and just enjoy the scenery.
Our guide on the boat's name was Paulo. He was so typical Italian, it actual made me giggle a little. He was on the shorter side, a little pudgy, extremely dark skinned, had crazy afro-esque dark curly hair, talked very loud, used his hands when speaking, and was wearing a bright turquoise polo shirt, white linen pants, and very European looking suede shoes with the male version of the pointy toe. We were instant friends.
So, we load the little wooden boat, and start our journey. Being the conscientious travel director that I am, I, of course, asked Paulo where the life jackets were on the boat, and his response to me was...
"No need...no need...we have a great driver!"
And we are off. The ride was perfect. It was beautiful weather, albeit a little overcast. But, that actually made everything look even more impressive, because I snapped some great pics of the mountains and hills encircled by clouds. The ride made for a lovely breeze, and Paulo's commentary was priceless.
The island is pretty much all mountains, hills and cliffs. Breathtaking. I was trying to decide what the landscape reminded me of, but all I could come up with was that it resembled (on a much bigger, more awesome, and more exaggerated scale) the cliffs in Northern California around the 17 mile drive of Monterey & Peeble Beach.
There were all these gorgeous mansions hidden throughout the cliffs also. But, unlike a lot of other popular vacation home spots...they were so scattered that they actually fit into the landscape, instead of ruining it.
Another thing I noticed was the number of not just private yachts, but also just speed boats of all sizes anchored around the island. There were people swimming off the boats, and just relaxing in general on the decks. Paulo said that taking a personal boat or a rented boat with a driver out for the day is very popular because (and I did not realize this until it was mentioned) Capri has no beaches! It is all cliffs, and rocks. So, if you want to swim in the ocean, you have to do so from a boat.
This was another moment for me, when I was forced to consider that I was working, and not on vacation. Because, if I had been there on my own, I probably would have ditched the land part of the tour, gone straight to the dock, rented a boat and captain, and spent the rest of the afternoon doing cannonballs while it was anchored next to this picturesque island. It looked so refreshing, and fun!
As our tour around Capri continued, we saw some of the famous sites. Like the cliff that Emperor Tiberius used to throw slaves, and women who disappointed him to their death in Roman times. We saw the copper statue of the mermaid that is perched upon one of the rocks. And we also got to take the boat into some of the caves that line the cliffs of the Isle. Very cool.
One cave in particular had all this bright bright blue corral growing inside of it, and it was gorgeous. Seeing the blue corral mix with the reflections on the jewel like shades of the water swishing around was a memorable moment for me.
My favorite part of the boat ride was, of course, the little rock islands and the arches. There are all these small islands that just look like huge rocks in the water. The most famous of these, the Italian call the Faraglioni Rocks. They are awesome, and you can take the boats right up to them for photos and such. Then, the coolest part was when we boated under the famous Arch. It was just a little higher than the boat, you couldn't touch the ceiling despite my standing up and trying, but it was gorgeous, and the tradition associated with the arch is very sweet.
Paulo said that when going under the arch, the Italians believe that since it is so beautiful and romantic, you have to kiss someone. Well, we went under the arch, and all the couples on the boat kissed each other. The other TD kissed Paulo, the boat driver was too busy steering, and I, of course, sat there and stared into space.
I did decide that this arch is the new place where I want to be proposed to, if that day ever comes! it just seemed like such an amorous and awe-inspiring setting.
O. K. I am going to end this here, because it has gotten really long. There will be a part 2, and that will describe after the boat tour ended, and I actually explored the island.
Stay Tuned............
We arrived there at about 11:00 AM, but the lead up to the island was part of what made it so awesome. That whole area in the Med Sea that we were sailing around was so beautiful. There are dramatic cliffs, amazing rock islands, and (I must mention this, because I am not always a nature person) some of the most awesome private yachts around. There was this one that was absolutely huge, and we got the pleasure of watching a helicopter land on it, and some very beautiful Eurotrash looking couples get off. I didn't recognize anyone....I was desperately hoping it would be some famous American or even Davie & Vicki Beckham or someone like that, but alas, even through the binoculars I borrowed from the yacht purser, I did not have a celebrity spotting.
The first plan of action upon our anchor just a few hundred feet from Capri, was a boat tour around the island. It was very cool. These little, wooden, completely open air boats came right up to the yacht and we loaded up. I lucked out in that, since I was in charge of this activity, I got everyone on the boats (each one held about 20 people) and then I was left with the last boat with only 8. So, our group had plenty of room to move around, very carefully because those of us in the front of the boat got splashed a few times, and snap pics, and just enjoy the scenery.
Our guide on the boat's name was Paulo. He was so typical Italian, it actual made me giggle a little. He was on the shorter side, a little pudgy, extremely dark skinned, had crazy afro-esque dark curly hair, talked very loud, used his hands when speaking, and was wearing a bright turquoise polo shirt, white linen pants, and very European looking suede shoes with the male version of the pointy toe. We were instant friends.
So, we load the little wooden boat, and start our journey. Being the conscientious travel director that I am, I, of course, asked Paulo where the life jackets were on the boat, and his response to me was...
"No need...no need...we have a great driver!"
And we are off. The ride was perfect. It was beautiful weather, albeit a little overcast. But, that actually made everything look even more impressive, because I snapped some great pics of the mountains and hills encircled by clouds. The ride made for a lovely breeze, and Paulo's commentary was priceless.
The island is pretty much all mountains, hills and cliffs. Breathtaking. I was trying to decide what the landscape reminded me of, but all I could come up with was that it resembled (on a much bigger, more awesome, and more exaggerated scale) the cliffs in Northern California around the 17 mile drive of Monterey & Peeble Beach.
There were all these gorgeous mansions hidden throughout the cliffs also. But, unlike a lot of other popular vacation home spots...they were so scattered that they actually fit into the landscape, instead of ruining it.
Another thing I noticed was the number of not just private yachts, but also just speed boats of all sizes anchored around the island. There were people swimming off the boats, and just relaxing in general on the decks. Paulo said that taking a personal boat or a rented boat with a driver out for the day is very popular because (and I did not realize this until it was mentioned) Capri has no beaches! It is all cliffs, and rocks. So, if you want to swim in the ocean, you have to do so from a boat.
This was another moment for me, when I was forced to consider that I was working, and not on vacation. Because, if I had been there on my own, I probably would have ditched the land part of the tour, gone straight to the dock, rented a boat and captain, and spent the rest of the afternoon doing cannonballs while it was anchored next to this picturesque island. It looked so refreshing, and fun!
As our tour around Capri continued, we saw some of the famous sites. Like the cliff that Emperor Tiberius used to throw slaves, and women who disappointed him to their death in Roman times. We saw the copper statue of the mermaid that is perched upon one of the rocks. And we also got to take the boat into some of the caves that line the cliffs of the Isle. Very cool.
One cave in particular had all this bright bright blue corral growing inside of it, and it was gorgeous. Seeing the blue corral mix with the reflections on the jewel like shades of the water swishing around was a memorable moment for me.
My favorite part of the boat ride was, of course, the little rock islands and the arches. There are all these small islands that just look like huge rocks in the water. The most famous of these, the Italian call the Faraglioni Rocks. They are awesome, and you can take the boats right up to them for photos and such. Then, the coolest part was when we boated under the famous Arch. It was just a little higher than the boat, you couldn't touch the ceiling despite my standing up and trying, but it was gorgeous, and the tradition associated with the arch is very sweet.
Paulo said that when going under the arch, the Italians believe that since it is so beautiful and romantic, you have to kiss someone. Well, we went under the arch, and all the couples on the boat kissed each other. The other TD kissed Paulo, the boat driver was too busy steering, and I, of course, sat there and stared into space.
I did decide that this arch is the new place where I want to be proposed to, if that day ever comes! it just seemed like such an amorous and awe-inspiring setting.
O. K. I am going to end this here, because it has gotten really long. There will be a part 2, and that will describe after the boat tour ended, and I actually explored the island.
Stay Tuned............
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Clearly, I Don't Understand Corporate America
So, this will be a quickie....
I won't say the name of the company for employment reasons, but one of the (many) failed companies in the news lately, that the government is bailing out, used to be one of my best clients at work.
Said company took AMAZING, very expensive trips. Examples:
1. Baltic Sea Cruise to Russia; Sweden; Copenhagen & Estonia on a very pricey cruise line
2. Trip to Germany & the Czech Republic
3. High end business meeting at the Bellagio in Las Vegas
4. Trip to Barcelona, Spain
These above mentioned trips were in the last 2 years alone, and only the ones that I was lucky enough to work. There was a lot of other incentive travel with this company and its subsideraries that I didn't go on!
O.K. The ignorance part.....
Explain to me, a lowly citizen with, admittedly, no real grasp on the inner workings on the American corporate economic ways, how said company is now in need of a MAJOR governmental buyout. And if this financial failure has been looming, why were they still spending millions and millions of dollars on incentive trips for their employees?
Just wondering.....
I won't say the name of the company for employment reasons, but one of the (many) failed companies in the news lately, that the government is bailing out, used to be one of my best clients at work.
Said company took AMAZING, very expensive trips. Examples:
1. Baltic Sea Cruise to Russia; Sweden; Copenhagen & Estonia on a very pricey cruise line
2. Trip to Germany & the Czech Republic
3. High end business meeting at the Bellagio in Las Vegas
4. Trip to Barcelona, Spain
These above mentioned trips were in the last 2 years alone, and only the ones that I was lucky enough to work. There was a lot of other incentive travel with this company and its subsideraries that I didn't go on!
O.K. The ignorance part.....
Explain to me, a lowly citizen with, admittedly, no real grasp on the inner workings on the American corporate economic ways, how said company is now in need of a MAJOR governmental buyout. And if this financial failure has been looming, why were they still spending millions and millions of dollars on incentive trips for their employees?
Just wondering.....
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Quote of the Day
Since I am still reveling in my Greco-Italian Cruise, I thought a quote from a famous Greek would be appropriate.
"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."
-Plato
Circa 400 BC
A man ahead of his time.
"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."
-Plato
Circa 400 BC
A man ahead of his time.
Under the Tuscan Sun...or the Positano Sun
Under the Tuscan Sun
I love that movie. I have loved that movie since the first time I saw it in the theater years ago, and I love it a little bit more every time I see it.
I’ll be honest, it’s not really the best movie ever made or anything, but I have always thought that there was something about it that just struck me. It took me a couple of viewings to put my finger on what that trigger was, but it was like light shining in when I figured out the one message, in that film, that put it on my list of favs.
The idea that you can fall in love with a place so much and so quickly that you just can’t leave.
Now, despite my vast portfolio of travel, that feeling hasn’t happen to me yet. I’ve gotten close…..(Argentina & Ireland) but I have never been unable to actually board a plane. Now I am going to talk about a city I went to today. I DO NOT WANT TO MOVE THERE OR ANYTHING, BUT…….it reminded me of the movie since a few scenes were filmed in the village.
So here goes…
My Lovely Excursion to the Picturesque Town of Positano, Italy
Now, it was not the town that Francis (Diane Lane in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun) bought the villa in. When Francis meets the hottie Italian Marcello in Rome, Positano is the town he is from, and takes her to. It is also the scene of the crime, for the heartbreaking part where she goes to visit Marcello and he is with another woman.
For those of you unfamiliar, Positano is located about 45 minutes outside of Sorrento, Italy. It is a part of Italy’s celebrated Amalfi Coast. Its claim to fame, if you will, is that it is basically a pedestrian city that is built entirely into a cliff. The streets wind around, and from a distance, it looks like all these houses are stacked on top of each other, when in reality there is a narrow sidewalk and staircases between levels. It really is breathtaking to see.
The road to get there is also breathtaking, but in another way…..you hold your breath the whole time because it is so scary! There is a tiny road that connects Positano to Sorrento, where our yacht was anchored. This road looks like it should be one lane one way, but of course, the Italians treat like a freeway just passing whenever they feel like it around the curves. I love how the fact that you honk when you cross to the other side of the road when you are rounding a corner. And that is supposed to be enough of a warning. I super enjoyed how our driver was honking on every curve, but I never saw anyone actually stop and pull over when we heard a honk from another car. Intriguing.
Anyway, the town itself was very pleasant. It has become the new refuge of the rich and famous. Mainly because they made an ordinance a few years ago that you could not build anything else in the town….just remodel existing buildings. So, of course that has driven the prices up, and all the Eurotrash “just HAD to have a place there” Then, it lead to any property that was not absolutely gorgeous get resold and restored. However, we were told that there are still quite a few very stubborn families that own homes there, and are just fine with their dilapidated villas with clothing on the hangline outside being next to some snotty French or Spanish movie star’s place. Its gives the village a lot of character.
My afternoon started with a glass of wine at the Hotel Sirenuse. They have a beautiful piazza that shoots out from the cliff. I will not even mention what that single glass of refreshing Italian white wine cost me, but it was well worth it to witness that view, which is probably the most beautiful possible looking down the mountain to the beach. I also enjoy that in Italy, when you order a drink at an upscale café, it is always accompanied with a small bowl of olives, and a small bowl of salted or candied nuts. Props to Richard from Cardiff, Wales who is part of the yacht crew, and who recommended I have a drink there. Even though I was forced to wander about like a lost American for about 30 minutes before I found the VERY hidden hotel entrance. I stole the drink menu to have as a memento.
Next, I decided to visit some of the shops that Positano is known for. Sandal shops are very popular. Of course, not just any kind of sandal shop…these have cobblers who measure your feet when you walk in, and made the sandals, flip-flops or clogs to your exact dimensions. After the measurement, you wonder around their shops and pick the leather or jeweled piece, color, and style that you want your sandal to be from a monstrous selection of everything from plain straps to choices with jewels or charms hanging off. Post-selection, you wait while the cobblers get to work hammering and stretching. The last step is the heel you want. The cobbler could do any height, and even put a wedge on the sole. It was really amazing to see the speed at which these cranky looking old guys worked. I decided not to have a pair made, but I did enjoy watching (and judging) the styles that I saw others pick out!
After exploring the walkways, unique villas, and galleries of the upper town, I strolled down to the beach area. It reminded me of a smaller Cannes, or Nice with the colored umbrellas of the beach clubs in perfect lines in the sand. But, unlike those cities, the beach only covered the crescent inlet, and there were only 2 umbrella colors. And that is where it looked like the beautiful people were spending their day. Then, unlike those cities, there was a fairly good sized public beach area, which I personally found very entertaining. There were all kinds of people on that part. It looked like locals, mixed with tourists, even backpackers just taking a rest. I also had to burst out laughing when I witnessed an older couple changing into their suits right on the sand, one at a time, while the other held a blanket over them folded so it looked like a tent. I really thought this was peculiar since there were free public changing rooms 100 ft from where they were standing!
O.K. I have to return to Under the Tuscan Sun again, because there is a quick scene in the movie where Francis is wearing her white dress, and walks on a stone pier where the water is crashing up by her feet. Well, I asked someone were that was filmed, and they directed me to the spot. I gotta tell ya, that had to be staged, because it is a lovely place where you walk on the pier, but the water is very calm there, with hardly even a ripple. I call BS on the producers…unless they happen to be filming during some kind of storm or something!
Now the last thing I did before my departure from Positano was totally geek out.
I decided to try and find, so I could photograph the balcony that Francis talks to Marcello from. Yeah…I’m that girl. All I knew was that it was a pink building with black railings. Can’t be hard, right? There were about a dozen pink buildings with black railings, so I spent an hour walking around, and taking pictures of all of them. Eventually I will rewatch the movie, and decide which pic is the right one.
So, it was a lovely day. I really enjoyed Positano, and would love to return to stay a night or two there.
Postnote:
I wrote this last week but was unable to post it until now. Also…stay tuned….I went to Capri the next day, and that blog is coming!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Champagne Dreams & Caviar Wishes
Here's a quick funny.....
Today was the 2nd day on my Greek & Italian yacht cruise. We were in the port of Itea, and had a very educational tour of the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. An awesome ancient Greek site to see.
Also today.....the activity director on the ship (sorry, yacht) decided to host a "Champagne & Caviar" Pool Party. True story.
I heard the announcement, and since I had a few minutes before I had to work for the day, I decided to wander to the pool and hot tub on Deck 3 and check it out.
What I witness was intriguing. It's 11:00 AM, and the yacht has an elaborate table set with flower arrangements and fancy silver buckets of ice and champagne. The attendents are in full dress ship uniform including white gloves. There is a multileveled, super fancy table of caviar and the accoutrements, if you will.
Then, I see about a couple dozen people in their fancy suits, hats, and sunglasses in the pool sipping thier crystal flutes of bubbly, and nibbling on their toast points of caviar. The waiters were standing at attention around the pool just wanting for someone's glass to get below halfway, so they could literally run over and refill. The guests just continue basking away on a pool deck, on a very pricey yacht cruise, in the Medeterrian Sea. Almost like this is the way they spend all of their Tuesdays.
It was really a site to be seen. So, that is what a few rich people were doing today. Makes you wonder what poor people were up to. Oh yeah.....we were walking up and down the very hot dock of the port sweating, swating off bees, and taping signs to the tour motorcoaches for the excursions this afternoon.
I love my job, and I am around a lot of glitz and glamour, but that does not mean I am truly part of it. A very humbling thought.
Today was the 2nd day on my Greek & Italian yacht cruise. We were in the port of Itea, and had a very educational tour of the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. An awesome ancient Greek site to see.
Also today.....the activity director on the ship (sorry, yacht) decided to host a "Champagne & Caviar" Pool Party. True story.
I heard the announcement, and since I had a few minutes before I had to work for the day, I decided to wander to the pool and hot tub on Deck 3 and check it out.
What I witness was intriguing. It's 11:00 AM, and the yacht has an elaborate table set with flower arrangements and fancy silver buckets of ice and champagne. The attendents are in full dress ship uniform including white gloves. There is a multileveled, super fancy table of caviar and the accoutrements, if you will.
Then, I see about a couple dozen people in their fancy suits, hats, and sunglasses in the pool sipping thier crystal flutes of bubbly, and nibbling on their toast points of caviar. The waiters were standing at attention around the pool just wanting for someone's glass to get below halfway, so they could literally run over and refill. The guests just continue basking away on a pool deck, on a very pricey yacht cruise, in the Medeterrian Sea. Almost like this is the way they spend all of their Tuesdays.
It was really a site to be seen. So, that is what a few rich people were doing today. Makes you wonder what poor people were up to. Oh yeah.....we were walking up and down the very hot dock of the port sweating, swating off bees, and taping signs to the tour motorcoaches for the excursions this afternoon.
I love my job, and I am around a lot of glitz and glamour, but that does not mean I am truly part of it. A very humbling thought.
Deja Vu in Greece......Sort Of.
I am at the beginning of a Greek and Italian island cruise for work. It is fantastic! I love these types of programs. We have chartered a very expensive, very small (only fits 100 people, but we are sailing with 70) yacht. There are more employees on this boat (sorry yacht…I keep getting corrected) than passageners. Awesome.
Well, the trip started in Athens,Greece and I got to fly into the city a few days beforehand, which rocked! I love Athens. It’s a great old city with a nice mix of ancient charm; modern pollution, scary streets with even scarier taxi drivers, and friendly, but crazy people.
I want to do a list of all the things that makes the city so interesting, but first, I have to tell a goofy story about what an idiot yours truly is. Enjoy.
So, I think I have to start on the airplane. When I got to the gate in Atlanta for my connection to Athens, I was already in a foul mood. First of all, my original flight on Delta (the bane of Airlines as far as cancelled flights out of the Lou is concerned) had cancelled and they had to reprotect me on an American flight. I had gotten a free upgrade from Delta for the STL to ATL portion, but on the American flight, it was a small plane with no first class (I know…whoo is me). Then, in Atlanta, I was supposed to have an exit row on the ATL to ATH flight.
Well, there had been an equipment change, and the newer plane had less exit row seats, so I got bumped into a suckass seat. Finally, after haggling with the gate agent, and playing the “siotic nerve” card, I at least got a bulkhead window on the two seat side, so I was a little happier.
It turned out that seat change led to another fun stranger moment. Don’t you just love great stranger moments? Sitting next to me was a pilot for Delta. He flies the smaller regional jets, and he jumped on this flight to go to Greece to visit friends and family. He was American, but very Greek origin.
We ended up talking for the entire 11 hour flight. Very interesting guy. It was funny that we both had a pretty good seat on the plane, but were mad about it. I, of course, wanted my exit row, and as a pilot, he would have gotten a 1st class seat, had it not been full.
So, we bitched about airline travel for awhile, talked about all the places we had been, had a sodoku speed contest with the games in the Delta magazine. We were having a great old time. We shared stories about adventures in drinking, talked college football, and all kinds of other crazy stuff.
It was one of those stranger encounters, where you know there is no love connection or anything (he was cute, but a little short and way to skinny for me) but the humorous conversations really helps pass the time! I will have to make a point to check out the pilots on all my small plane flights with Delta to see if it’s him from now on.
So, that now brings me to my arrival in Athens.
I had been talking to the other TDs on the layover, and while we were going through customs. I was saying that I loved Athens and that the hotel we were staying at, was the one I stayed at for 2 days 2 years ago, and that it was super cool. On that last trip, the hotel had been going through a renovation. It was still open, because the rooms were fine, but the lobby and front were behind this construction wall that had beautiful murals of Greece painted on them.
The one thing I remember from 2 years ago was the Presidential Suite. We had rented it for a cocktail party, and it had this GORGEOUS private infinity pool. It was on the 8th floor, and from the pool, you got the best view of the acropolis ever. So, when I arrived to Athens this time, I was telling my coworkers that we had to get the hotel to give us a tour of that suite.
So…me at the hotel this trip……
I was excited to see the lobby (since I had not before), and it was very classic and ornate. Then, when I got to my room….it looked completely different than I remembered, but that is not uncommon in these older european hotels. Commonly, all the rooms are very unique. Then, the next morning at breakfast, the breakfast room was on the 8th floor, like before, but it was totally redone. It had gone from a windowed room to completely open air restaurant, with a totally different set up. I really started to think that the renovations they had done were very extensive.
So…the kicker. I ask the hotel contact if I and the other TDs could go up and see the presidential suite. I told her I wanted them to see the pool….
She says “there is no private pool for the presidential suite.”
I was all “yes there is, I was here two years ago and we had a party in it.”
She was all “No, not here.”
I was all “Am I crazy?”
And then the realization….
She says “I think you were at the hotel next door. It has a rooftop pool for the presidential suite.”
Well, she was right. And I am an idiot.
.I had actually stayed at the hotel next door last time. It took me 2 days to realize that, and every sign that I got that I was at a different hotel was completely missed. It’s not even like the names of the hotels were similar. One was Hotel King Charles, and the other was Hotel Grand Beargne.
I was well made fun off by the other staff for that. Can’t blame me though…..it was under construction last time, and come on…..I stay in at least 40 different hotels a year….I can’t keep them all straight!
O.K. I promised you a list of interesting things about Athens (or Greece in general) and unfortunately I am now tired from writing the long story about how I am stupid.
So here are just two things. Deal.
1. The people are really fiery here. But not rude fiery like the Italians. They yell at each other, and it’s kind of funny, because 2 minutes later they are laughing. I was really entertained by the interactions of the hotel bellman, and the cab drivers for the a couple days. The bellman were yelling and banging on the cars of the taxis that were blocking the entrance, and then when the cars are moved, they walk up and shake their hands and chat. Hilar.
2. I don’t know what it is about Athens and dogs, but there are a lot wondering the streets. But not wild or stray dogs….dogs with collars, which look well fed. I guess there is no leash law in the city. I was really amused by this one fat lab who had decided that he was going to sleep by the door of the hotel. I asked the bellman about him, and they told me that particular dog comes by every day for a couple of hours and lies right by the door. Apparently the pooch gets little whiffs of cold air conditioning when people walk in and out of the lobby. It makes for a cool nap. I took a bunch of pictures of the doggy all spawled out. So adorable.
Today we were on the island of Hydra, which was very beautiful and scenic. I enjoyed a nice hike up the hilly coast. Very relaxing and serene. Tomorrow, we are off to Itea, and the sanctuary of Delphi. More to come……
Well, the trip started in Athens,Greece and I got to fly into the city a few days beforehand, which rocked! I love Athens. It’s a great old city with a nice mix of ancient charm; modern pollution, scary streets with even scarier taxi drivers, and friendly, but crazy people.
I want to do a list of all the things that makes the city so interesting, but first, I have to tell a goofy story about what an idiot yours truly is. Enjoy.
So, I think I have to start on the airplane. When I got to the gate in Atlanta for my connection to Athens, I was already in a foul mood. First of all, my original flight on Delta (the bane of Airlines as far as cancelled flights out of the Lou is concerned) had cancelled and they had to reprotect me on an American flight. I had gotten a free upgrade from Delta for the STL to ATL portion, but on the American flight, it was a small plane with no first class (I know…whoo is me). Then, in Atlanta, I was supposed to have an exit row on the ATL to ATH flight.
Well, there had been an equipment change, and the newer plane had less exit row seats, so I got bumped into a suckass seat. Finally, after haggling with the gate agent, and playing the “siotic nerve” card, I at least got a bulkhead window on the two seat side, so I was a little happier.
It turned out that seat change led to another fun stranger moment. Don’t you just love great stranger moments? Sitting next to me was a pilot for Delta. He flies the smaller regional jets, and he jumped on this flight to go to Greece to visit friends and family. He was American, but very Greek origin.
We ended up talking for the entire 11 hour flight. Very interesting guy. It was funny that we both had a pretty good seat on the plane, but were mad about it. I, of course, wanted my exit row, and as a pilot, he would have gotten a 1st class seat, had it not been full.
So, we bitched about airline travel for awhile, talked about all the places we had been, had a sodoku speed contest with the games in the Delta magazine. We were having a great old time. We shared stories about adventures in drinking, talked college football, and all kinds of other crazy stuff.
It was one of those stranger encounters, where you know there is no love connection or anything (he was cute, but a little short and way to skinny for me) but the humorous conversations really helps pass the time! I will have to make a point to check out the pilots on all my small plane flights with Delta to see if it’s him from now on.
So, that now brings me to my arrival in Athens.
I had been talking to the other TDs on the layover, and while we were going through customs. I was saying that I loved Athens and that the hotel we were staying at, was the one I stayed at for 2 days 2 years ago, and that it was super cool. On that last trip, the hotel had been going through a renovation. It was still open, because the rooms were fine, but the lobby and front were behind this construction wall that had beautiful murals of Greece painted on them.
The one thing I remember from 2 years ago was the Presidential Suite. We had rented it for a cocktail party, and it had this GORGEOUS private infinity pool. It was on the 8th floor, and from the pool, you got the best view of the acropolis ever. So, when I arrived to Athens this time, I was telling my coworkers that we had to get the hotel to give us a tour of that suite.
So…me at the hotel this trip……
I was excited to see the lobby (since I had not before), and it was very classic and ornate. Then, when I got to my room….it looked completely different than I remembered, but that is not uncommon in these older european hotels. Commonly, all the rooms are very unique. Then, the next morning at breakfast, the breakfast room was on the 8th floor, like before, but it was totally redone. It had gone from a windowed room to completely open air restaurant, with a totally different set up. I really started to think that the renovations they had done were very extensive.
So…the kicker. I ask the hotel contact if I and the other TDs could go up and see the presidential suite. I told her I wanted them to see the pool….
She says “there is no private pool for the presidential suite.”
I was all “yes there is, I was here two years ago and we had a party in it.”
She was all “No, not here.”
I was all “Am I crazy?”
And then the realization….
She says “I think you were at the hotel next door. It has a rooftop pool for the presidential suite.”
Well, she was right. And I am an idiot.
.I had actually stayed at the hotel next door last time. It took me 2 days to realize that, and every sign that I got that I was at a different hotel was completely missed. It’s not even like the names of the hotels were similar. One was Hotel King Charles, and the other was Hotel Grand Beargne.
I was well made fun off by the other staff for that. Can’t blame me though…..it was under construction last time, and come on…..I stay in at least 40 different hotels a year….I can’t keep them all straight!
O.K. I promised you a list of interesting things about Athens (or Greece in general) and unfortunately I am now tired from writing the long story about how I am stupid.
So here are just two things. Deal.
1. The people are really fiery here. But not rude fiery like the Italians. They yell at each other, and it’s kind of funny, because 2 minutes later they are laughing. I was really entertained by the interactions of the hotel bellman, and the cab drivers for the a couple days. The bellman were yelling and banging on the cars of the taxis that were blocking the entrance, and then when the cars are moved, they walk up and shake their hands and chat. Hilar.
2. I don’t know what it is about Athens and dogs, but there are a lot wondering the streets. But not wild or stray dogs….dogs with collars, which look well fed. I guess there is no leash law in the city. I was really amused by this one fat lab who had decided that he was going to sleep by the door of the hotel. I asked the bellman about him, and they told me that particular dog comes by every day for a couple of hours and lies right by the door. Apparently the pooch gets little whiffs of cold air conditioning when people walk in and out of the lobby. It makes for a cool nap. I took a bunch of pictures of the doggy all spawled out. So adorable.
Today we were on the island of Hydra, which was very beautiful and scenic. I enjoyed a nice hike up the hilly coast. Very relaxing and serene. Tomorrow, we are off to Itea, and the sanctuary of Delphi. More to come……
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Whether You Like Him or Hate Him.....
You Have to Respect Him.
I am talking about Barack Obama. And yes, this post is about a week or so late. But, but the magic of tivo, I just watched his speech yesterday before I left for Greece.
Give me all the crap you want for this post, and I'll take it. But I haven't been more moved by a political speech since Micheal Douglas in "The American President". And that was not even real.
Obama hit it out of the park in Denver. There, I said it.
And for all the people that say he is nothing more that speeches...I would rather support someone is all speeches and ideas, then someone with actual actions that proved to be factors in jacking this county up.
At least Obama has the balls to admit that America has problems. Instead of celebrating the situation we are in, and vowing to continue.
And yeah, you could say that I have bought into the retheric. At least I am not buying into the lies, deceptions, and overstepping of the current administration and the promise of more of the same.
So, here it is, in its entirty, Obam's speech in Denver. Oh, and just try to compare him to Hitler. I love that one! "Hitler was a great speaker too".
The person who came up with that one was a real thinktank....
The Speech.....try not to jump up and cheer when you are finished reading (its hard!)......
To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;
With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.
Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.
To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.
Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.
That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.
We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.
These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.
This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.
This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.
We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.
Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because 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. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."
Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.
But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.
The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."
A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.
Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?
It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.
For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.
Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.
You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.
We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.
We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.
The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.
Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.
In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.
When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.
And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.
I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. 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.
What is that promise?
It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.
It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.
Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.
Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.
Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.
Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.
And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.
Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.
America, now is not the time for small plans.
Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.
Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.
Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.
Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.
And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.
Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.
And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.
Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise.
And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.
For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.
And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.
That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.
You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.
We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.
I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.
These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.
But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.
So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.
We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.
I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.
You make a big election about small things.
And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.
I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.
For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.
America, this is one of those moments.
I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.
And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.
I am talking about Barack Obama. And yes, this post is about a week or so late. But, but the magic of tivo, I just watched his speech yesterday before I left for Greece.
Give me all the crap you want for this post, and I'll take it. But I haven't been more moved by a political speech since Micheal Douglas in "The American President". And that was not even real.
Obama hit it out of the park in Denver. There, I said it.
And for all the people that say he is nothing more that speeches...I would rather support someone is all speeches and ideas, then someone with actual actions that proved to be factors in jacking this county up.
At least Obama has the balls to admit that America has problems. Instead of celebrating the situation we are in, and vowing to continue.
And yeah, you could say that I have bought into the retheric. At least I am not buying into the lies, deceptions, and overstepping of the current administration and the promise of more of the same.
So, here it is, in its entirty, Obam's speech in Denver. Oh, and just try to compare him to Hitler. I love that one! "Hitler was a great speaker too".
The person who came up with that one was a real thinktank....
The Speech.....try not to jump up and cheer when you are finished reading (its hard!)......
To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;
With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.
Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.
To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.
Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.
That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.
We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.
These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.
This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.
This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.
We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.
Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because 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. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."
Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.
But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.
The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."
A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.
Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?
It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.
For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.
Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.
You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.
We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.
We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.
The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.
Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.
In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.
When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.
And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.
I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. 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.
What is that promise?
It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.
It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.
Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.
Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.
Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.
Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.
And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.
Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.
America, now is not the time for small plans.
Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.
Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.
Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.
Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.
And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.
Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.
And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.
Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise.
And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.
For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.
And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.
That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.
You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.
We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.
I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.
These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.
But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.
So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.
We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.
I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.
You make a big election about small things.
And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.
I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.
For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.
America, this is one of those moments.
I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.
And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.
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