lexidiem Blog and Journals

Me love you long time...

Received the following message from an apparent admirer here on Buzznet on Tuesday, 8/11/2009. Have had a number of messages from spammers and scammers over the years, especially to my Yahoo account, but this is the first of its type that I've personally received here. Some of you may be quite familiar with messages of this type, but to those who aren't, this one may prove to be a bit enlightening. The name has been changed for security reasons, but the rest is as I received it. Read on...
  

From Ms. Chachi Ahantal,
  
It is my pleasure to write you after going through your profile i decided to contact you to help me out of my problem, however is not mandatory nor will i in any manner compel you to honour against your will, but first Iet me introduce myself to you.
  
My name is Ms. Chachi Ahantal, Am 24 years of age, I am a student of high school before I lost my parents in a car accident last year, so I have been out from school and been looking for a sincere person that I will trust and love.
  
I am the only child of my late parents and that has made me to run away from our family house because my uncles are after my life to take away my inheritance which my late father left for me in a Bank here in Cote D'Ivoire. My entire dream is to find somebody that I can trust with my future life and inheritance and also who will be able to invest it wisely in any lucrative business.
   
Nobody knows about the inheritance which worth $15.7 million dollars in Cash deposited in a Bank here with my name as the next of kin. And I want you to also keep it very confidential till we can be able to transfer this money from the Bank here to your country and I will fly to join you immediately for future plans of continue my education once a join you in your country.
  
I have to trust somebody to save my future and that is why I am trusting you now I want you to understand my critical situation and give me the love and assistance that I need, so that I will have a better life and also enjoy my inheritance with you. I will tell you more about myself as soon as I hear back from you, your interest to assist me and also build more trust to be able to have a better understanding. Please do reply me back through my private email address for my security reason 
  
chachi-ahantal at yahoo dot com
  
I look forward for your urgent response; thank you and God bless you.
  
Best regard
Ms. Chachi Ahantal
  

Well, that was certainly a fascinating proposal.
  
She says, "I have been out from school and been looking for a sincere person that I will trust and love." Well, isn't that what we all look for? Suddenly I'm reminded of the infamous me love you long time video clip from Stanley Kubrick's classic film Full Metal Jacket. But she goes on to explain about her evil uncles who are after her life to take away her inheritance, and now it's beginning to sound like an old black & white serial melodrama from The Perils of Pauline.
  
But then it gets interesting, as in this economy, "$15.7 million dollars in Cash" in any currency is nothing to sneeze at, as I'm sure that you'll agree.  And her plea for "the love and assistance" that she needs" along with her offer to enjoy her inheritance with me could be a tempting tidbit, even if it was only a portion of that money. Then again, one must realize that these scams are e-mailed by the thousands each day, so who know just how many others received this message yesterday.
 
This young lady does have a profile here on Buzznet, along with a photo posted, as you can see here, as long as it's left up. Maybe she's looking for this to be her new home on the 'Net. In any case, I'll obviously pass on her most generous offer and leave it open to others who may be more inclined to take her up on her proposition.  
 
Or maybe I'll just pass her message on to the fine folks at Ebola Monkey Man. They'll know exactly what to do.
 
 

jargontalk  lexidiem  scam

To me — absurdity is the only reality.
~ Frank Zappa

The legendary Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was a prolific American composer, musician, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than thirty years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrete works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than sixty albums he released with the band Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. 
  
But he was also a philosopher, and is today perhaps one of the most widely quoted musicians of the 20th century. He was also a keen observer of the absurd in much of what he saw in the world, and wasn't afraid to speak what was on his mind. Here are some of his best thoughts and reflections: 

On Parenting:

• The first thing you have to do if you want to raise nice kids, is you have to talk to them like they are people instead of talking to them like they're property.
  ~ Appearance on the Howard Stern Show (1987)
    
• Parents have more to do with making their children weird than TV or rock and roll records. The only other thing that makes them weirder than TV and parents is religion and drugs.
  ~ Zappa & Occhiogrosso: The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989)
     
• The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents — because they have a tame child-creature in their house.
  ~ Interview with Ben Watson, Mojo Magazine ( 1993)

On Politics:

• When God created Republicans, he gave up on everything else.
  ~ Appearance on Thicke of the Night (1984)
    
• I have four children, and I want them to grow up in a country that has a working first amendment.
  ~ Appearance on CBS Morning News (1985)
    
• The biggest threat to America today is not communism. It's moving America toward a fascist theocracy, and everything that's happened during the Reagan administration is steering us right down that pipe ... When you have a government that prefers a certain moral code derived from a certain religion and that moral code turns into legislation to suit one certain religious point of view, and if that code happens to be very, very right wing, almost toward Attila the Hun...
  ~ Appearance on Crossfire (1986)  

On Scientology:

• Scientology, how about that? You hold on to the tin cans and then this guy asks you a bunch of questions, and if you pay enough money you get to join the master race. How's that for a religion? 
  ~ To a concert audience at the Rockpile, Toronto (1969)

On Rock Journalism:

• Being interviewed is one of the most abnormal things that you can do to somebody else. It's two steps removed from the inquisition.
  ~ Interview on the UK's Channel 4 (6/1/1983)
        
• The rock and roll business is pretty absurd, but the world of serious music is much worse.
  ~ Interview on London Plus (1984)
    
• 
    
• Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, in order to provide articles for people who can't read.
  ~ Interview with Ben Watson, Mojo Magazine (1993)

On Music: 

• I'll tell you what classical music is — for those of you who don't know. Classical music is this music that was written by a bunch of dead people a long time ago. And it's formula music, the same as top forty music is formula music. In order to have a piece be classical, it has to conform to academic standards that were the current norms of that day and age... I think that people are entitled to be amused, and entertained. If they see deviations from this classical norm, it's probably good for their mental health.
  ~ Television interview (1983)
    
• I'm probably more famous for sitting on the toilet than for anything else that I do.
  ~ Interview on Nationwide (1983)
     
• A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.
  ~ Zappa & Occhiogrosso: The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989)

On Life:

• Remember there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over.
  ~ Lyrics to the song Dumb All Over on the album You Are What You Is. (1981)
     
• The most important thing to do in your life, is to not interfere with somebody else's life.
  ~ Appearance on the Howard Stern Show (1987) 
    
• Take the Kama Sutra. How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the bible. Who wins? 
  ~ A&E Biography
    
• It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice – there are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.
  ~ Zappa & Occhiogrosso: The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989)

On Stupidity:

• Let's not be too rough on our own ignorance, it's what makes America great! 
  ~ Appearance on The Tonight Show (1988)
    
• Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.
  ~ Zappa & Occhiogrosso: The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989)

On Music Censorship:

For years Frank Zappa was clearly worried about open musical exploration, artistic integrity, and free speech. He released his ambitious ''Joe's Garage'' in 1979, which questioned what would happen if music were illegal. Six years later, the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) recommended voluntary album labeling. Joined by John Denver, and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Zappa went before the U.S. Congress and accused a Senate committee of fostering censorship. The PMRC had been co-founded by Tipper Gore, wife of Sen. Al Gore. Mrs. Gore's group had compiled a list of what they determined to be the worst offenders in music, dubbing them the "Filthy Fifteen."
  
It was Prince's "Darling Nikki" that set Tipper off on her crusade when she bought the artist's 'Purple Rain' album for her 11-year-old daughter and discovered (much to her horror) that the lyrics were about a teenaged girl masturbating. Zappa became Tipper's most open critic, calling her a "cultural terrorist" and branded the PMRC ''a group of bored Washington housewives'' who wanted to ''housebreak all composers and performers because of the lyrics of a few.'' 

At the hearing, he said, "the PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes on the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years." He later celebrated the event in ''Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention,'' which included 12-minutes of audio excerpts from the hearing.

**********

In the years that followed, Zappa continued to explore various levels of musical expression. In 1982, he released "Valley Girl" on his own Barking Pumpkins label as a satire of California's shopping mall culture, which he correectly saw becoming a trend that he felt would follow for years... as it did. The recording reached #32 in the Billboard Hot 100, and featured his then 14-year-old daughter, Moon Unit.

Frank Zappa died as a result of prostate cancer on December 4th, 1993, a few days short of his 53rd birthday. He was probably the most changeable and audacious American composer of his generation. He was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1994, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, the first (and to date only) artist to be inducted into both.
 
 

Far from ordinary or commonplace...
  
First became aware of Company of Thieves when they made their television debut on Carson Daly's show earlier this year, when they performed "Oscar Wilde", and I was immediately fascinated by the explosive performance by singer Genevieve Schatz. Then saw them Philadelphia's NBC affiliate, where they performed "Pressure" which was a bit more toned down, but still made this viewer take notice of the upbeat sound of this group. 
  
Ordinary Riches is the debut album from  Company of Thieves, an indie rock trio based in Chicago. Genevieve Schatz does the vocals, backed up by guitarist Marc Walloch and drummer Mike Ortiz. The most noticeable quality of this album is that it doesn't sound like a debut offering. There's not a track where the trio doesn't sound like they're quite polished, and really have their act together. After listening to the album it's quite apparent that Company of Thieves is not the stereotypical "girl singer with a backing band" type of group. The songs were all composed by Genevieve Schatz and Mark Walloch, and it's good to hear such good, originally material being performed so well. 
  
They won the New York Songwriter's Circle contest in 2007 for "Oscar Wilde," and it will probably be known as their signature song for some time to come. The album was initially released almost two years ago, and it's getting quite a bit of attention since it's been re-released on the Wind-Up Records label. 
  
Genevieve's voice is outstanding, and she has a wide variety of vocal styles that seem to express many different emotions. She always sounds pitch perfect and she sings full out. Her expressions range from buoyant confidence to almost haunting. For this listener, she seemed to be able to express the same upbeat optimism as found in Regina Spektor's Begin To Hope album, especially as heard in Regina's "Better" track. Yet there's also a small bit of Fiona Apple's occasional anxiety, perhaps even a bit of true angst, as found on the latter's Extraordinary Machine. Listen to Genevieve's voice and lyrics in "Pressure" and see what I mean. I've posted their new song "Oscar Wilde" here in my videos. 
  
There's not a bad or even mediocre song to be found on this offering from the group. The beginning track is "Old Letters" and the final is "New Letters." Between these two are a series of excellent songs that seem to make up the contents of a most interesting vocal book. All three musicians perform as a cohesive, polished unit, perhaps due to the excellent production, engineering and mixing by Sean O'Keefe. 
  

  
I have the CD version of this album, and the liner as not only all of the lyrics, but some interesting photographs that are credited to Wallo Villacorta, with the band photographs done by Ray Lego. 
  
The liner closes with the following quote: 

Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. 
~ Oscar Wilde 

That sounds quite appropriate for this excellent debut re-release on the Wind-up Records label, and this listener must admit to be quite taken by Genevieve Schatz's amazing voice. I'll be following Company of Thieves to see what they come up with next. The group is currently on tour, so look out for them.
  
Technorati tags: company of thieves, ordinary riches, oscar wilde, genevieve schatz, indie, lexidiem, jargontalk, buzznet 
  
 

 
It's Black Friday.
  
You're off of work today, so you get up a little late. Still in your pajamas, you take a few minutes preparing your coffee, as you want to enjoy it today. You grab a quick bite to eat, take a cup of your fresh coffee and head to the couch, where you turn the television on... and that's when you see it, it's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. This was also the day that you swore you would avoid, fighting the crowds, frequenting the busy stores and malls.
  
You hear the announcer explain how the term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. Two people are now talking about the economy, and how the term has been used more recently by the media in reference to the beginning of that period in which retailers are " in the black" (i.e., turning a profit). And then they break to all of the sale ads.
  
You just can't resist. You put down that home-brew coffee, get into some clothes and hustle down to Target (or Wal-Mart or Kmart if you like), where you can join all the rest of the Black Friday bargain shoppers and see all of the things that everyone has already picked through and left in shambles. You can stop by the fast food section and get another cup of coffee to make up for the one you left, noticing that it looks rather like weak tea and has a distinctive odor that's definitely not that of fresh brewed coffee.
  
So you join all of the other Black Friday bargain shoppers, with your expectations of finding anything worthwhile diminishing by the minute. Within the first thirty minutes in the store, you've been bumped by four shopping carts, nearly slipped in the aisle once as you were trying to avoid some strange green liquid as it spread across the aisle, shoved by two kids who were running and shooting Nerf guns at each other, and narrowly escaped the flying projectiles from a barfing baby.
  


But bravely you weather it all, and continue your quest. And then you find that one single item that somehow doesn't have a torn box or look like it was trampled by earlier shoppers. Smiling, you take it and head to the register, though you're aware that there's sure to be a line. 
  
There are lines at each register, and as fortune would have it, you get caught behind one of those shoppers with a full cart who also has two screaming and drooling infants with her, and then you hear her profane remarks about how badly everything sucks as she unloads her cart and smacks her kids. And as you wait for the cashier ( a trainee, as luck would have it) ring up the items very slowly, you would feel a sense of light at the end of the tunnel as the shopper's last couple items go into the bags as she curses at her kids. 
  
Then, just when relief is in sight, the shopper presents the cashier with her credit card, and there is a pause of a minute or so... and all of her purchases are declined. In a burst of profanity, the shopper whips out another credit card and the cashier helps her with it, because the line behind all of you is really growing now. The noises behind you sound like the buzzing of a distant hornet's nest that has been poked and is beginning to swarm. But what happens next is almost predictable at this point: that credit card is declined as well.
  
Of course now the shopper begins to loudly berate the credit card company, the store, and the "incompetence" of the cashier, with rude expletives bursting forth in rapid succession, and variations of the term "suck" seems to make up about every fifth work. Alternatives of another "-uck" term are used at an increasing rate, and "duck" is not the term. About then the trainee cashier bursts into tears, and the people behind you begin to yell at both the rude shopper with her screaming kids and the poor cashier, who is now really sobbing... and you're caught there, squeezed as if in a vice, right there in the middle of all this pandemonium. 
  
Poof!
  
You wake up and blink, startled to see that you're still there in your pajamas, and that you had just dozed off for a moment. So you take a sip of your home-brew coffee, smiling gratefully that it was all a nightmare, albeit a real one that many are going through at that precise moment. 
  
You get up and turn on your computer, smiling as you go to that familiar Amazon.com bookmark. Yes, Black Friday shopping is a lot more fun here!
 

Today, November 10th, our illustrious United States Marine Corps celebrates its 233rd birthday (1775-2008). I'm taking this time to wish all of my fellow Marines -- present, former, retired and those who have answered their final roll call -- a happy birthday... and Semper Fi.

As we celebrate the 233rd birthday of the Corps, please keep in mind that many of our young Marines, men and women, are serving in overseas locations, and some in harm's way. Please keep these Leathernecks in your thoughts and prayers.

On Tuesday, November 11th, we will honor all of our veterans. No matter which branch of service, we are all brothers and sisters in arms, and serve our country and service with pride, no matter the sacrifice. Bless all of our young men and women in harm's way and all veterans who have served their country with honor. 

History of the US Marines

On November 10th, 1775, the US Marine Corps was founded by the Continental Congress at Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Since that date Marines have been in uninterrupted service to our country for 233 years and have distinguished themselves "in every clime and place" in such far off lands and on distant remote beaches "from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli", in France at Belleau Wood, on the infamous Iwo Jima and throughout the Pacific islands, at Inchon and the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, at Khe Sanh and Hue City in Vietnam, and now throughout Iraq in such outposts as Fallujah and the Anbar Province, and in Afghanistan.

Marines historically have heroically, without hesitation, answered our country's call never faltering in their dedication. "Semper Fidelis" ("Always Faithful") is our motto and "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" our creed.

On this special day, I raise a toast to those Marines, past and present, who have risked their lives for their country and I will especially never forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice; their memory bolsters my faith in our youth, our steadfast values, and our blessed nation.


Famous Marines you may know...
 
Many famous Americans, such as the composer John Philip Sousa who directed the United States Marine Band for 13 years, have served in the Marine Corps. Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, is a Marine. In politics, Democrat pundit James Carville, Secretary of the Navy and U.S. Senator Jim Webb, Senator Zell Miller and military analysts Anthony Zinni, Joseph Hoar and Bernard E. Trainor are Marines. 
 
Donald P. Bellisario the creator of Quantum Leap, Magnum P.I., JAG and N.C.I.S. is a veteran Marine. Baseball Hall of Fame members Tom Seaver, Ted Williams, Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente, Eddie Collins, and Bill Veeck all served in the Marines. Professional boxer Barney Ross served in the Marines, and so did former heavyweight champions Gene Tunney, Ken Norton & Leon Spinks. Football coach Vince Dooley served as well. 
 
Six astronauts, including Senator John Glenn, Charles F. Bolden, Jr., "Story" Musgrave, and Fred Haise, are Marine aviators. Several have succeeded in the entertainment industry, including Drew Carey, actors Steve McQueen, Tyrone Power, Don Adams, Gene Hackman, Harvey Keitel, Lee Marvin and talk show host Steve Wilkos.

Reggae musician Orville Burrell (Shaggy), former Ramones member Christopher Joseph Ward (C. J. Ramone), and classic rock singers the Everly Brothers all served in the Corps. 

R. Lee Ermey and (surprisingly to some) comedian Jonathan Winters were both Marine drill instructors prior to their renown. Oliver North is a veteran Marine, implicated in covert military actions not specifically authorized by Congress. Smedley Butler received two Medal of Honor awards and spoke out against war profiteers once he retired in War is a Racket. And these are just a few of a much larger list.


Once a Marine, Always a Marine...

The philosophy of "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" has led to the objection to the use of the term "former Marine" or "ex-Marine," leading to a myriad of forms of address for those no longer on active duty:

• Veteran Marine can refer to anyone who has been discharged from the Corps.
• Prior-service Marine is also appropriate.
• Retired Marine refers to those who have completed twenty or more years of service and formally retired.
• Sir or Ma'am is appropriate out of respect.
• Jarhead is only appropriate between Marines as a term of comradeship.

According to one of the "Commandant's White letters" from Commandant Alfred M. Gray, Jr., referring to a Marine by their last earned rank is appropriate.


Birthday Celebration
 
Traditionally, the first piece of Birthday cake is presented to the oldest Marine present and the second piece to the youngest Marine present. When and where this tradition began remains unknown. Some records indicate this practice, and others vary it depending on the dignitaries present at the ball. First pieces of cake have been presented to newlyweds, the Secretary of the Navy, governors, and others, but generally speaking, the first pieces of cake go to the oldest and youngest Marines at the ball.
  
At present, celebrations of the Marine Corps Birthday differ at posts and stations throughout the Corps. All commemorations include the reading of Marine Corps Order No. 47, and the Commandant's message to those assembled. Most commands sponsor a Birthday Ball of some sort, complete with pageant and cake ceremony as prescribed in the Marine Corps Manual.
 
Like the Corps itself, the Birthday Ball developed from simple origins to become the polished, professional function that all Marines commemorate on 10 November around the world.
  
Happy Birthday, Marines... Semper Fi. 
 

The term "Seagull Manager" dates back to the late '80s, and was used in an article by Michael Madison, who used it to describe a particular management approach of interacting with employees, of only dealing with them when a problem arises, making quick-fire decisions about things, then leaving and letting others have to deal with all of the mess left behind. But is was Ken Blanchard who really quantified the term in his 1999 book , Leadership and the One Minute Manager



where he said something like: "Seagull managers fly in, make a lot of noise, dump on everyone, then fly out."

Read this line those years ago, and for awhile enjoyed the guilty pleasure of quoting it when dealing with issues as a middle manager. And if you've never dealt with Seagull Management yourself, then just think of Donald Trump  in his NBC reality show, The Apprentice, where he walked in and so often uttered his now-famous line "This one's easy for me... you're fired."

That's 'seagull management.'

When I saw a blurb in print about the forthcoming release of Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results it was interesting, and more so because the author was Travis Bradberry, Ph.D., and his management seminars have become famous. Have I attended one of them? No, but I have suggested them to others, then looked over the material they brought back. And Dr. Bradberry's book looks like it was tailor-made for his seminars.

It's not a difficult read, and as you make your way through the pages, following the adventures of Charlie, a seagull manager, you'll pick up a number of good, solid middle-management pointers. It's an easy-to-follow narrative, and has an often humorous story line. Dr. Bradberry shows us the three crucial qualities of leadership that help us deal with seagull managers in the workplace. And if you're really lucky, you might even see yourself as a "Charlie the Seagull Manager," and be able to identify areas worthy of self-improvement.

If you're a middle manager, get this book. Once you've finished with it, think if you want to loan it to your boss, or maybe buy copies for some who report to you. You might like it and you might not, but this reader found it to be an engaging and worthy read.

You might want to also consider a couple of Dr. Bradberry's other books  The Personality Code or   The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book  to add your own management or leadership library.

In truth, I didn't like this book at first, and was thinking "been-there-done-that" in the first thirty or so pages. I found Charlie to be irritating, but as the parable continued, found myself warming to it and to the seagulls and the other critters. In the end had to admit that it was a better book than I had first thought.

OK, enough of my squawking... it's an easy 5-star read.

Go to Amazon.com and vote on Jargontalk’s review.

I saw a candle of hope lit in Chicago tonight, and heard the words flow forth:
 
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
 
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
 
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
 
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
 
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
 
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.
 
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
 
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
 
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
 
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
 
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
 
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
 
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
 
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
 
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
 
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
 
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends, and though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
 
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
 
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
 
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
 
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
 
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.
 
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can.
 
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.
 
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.
 
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes, we can.
 
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes, we can.
 
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
 
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
 
Yes, we can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
~ President-elect Barack Obama, in Chicago, November 4th, 2008
 

(Photo courtesy of Obama for America)
 
Barack Obama's discourse has to be one of the best speeches I've ever witnessed. I parallel his words with those of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's that were delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963. Dr. King's words were a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement, and President-elect Obama's words may well define a new beginning for our great country.
 
"Yes, we can!" And yes, we will.

 

As a Conservative, I'm voting for...
  
... the one man who has the necessary character to do the job, to take on the responsibilities of the office of the 44th President of the United States. As an American citizen, I would like to say that voters should pay less attention to a candidate's party and more to what they are saying and doing. Our first president, George Washington, warned against political parties and I see a lot of people strictly voting a certain way like lemmings, because that is the way their party chooses.
  
I'm a Conservative...
  
I'm a veteran, and having served proudly as a US Marine in the service of my country, I'm voting for the man who has a record of standing up for veterans and their rights, and a man who makes no excuses about where he stands on those issues. I'm voting for the man who will restore our nation's sacred trust with my fellow veterans, who is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits my fellow veterans and I deserve. I'm voting for the man who will help returning service members, who will will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.
  
I'm a Conservative...
  
I'm voting for the man who will protect the openness of the 'Net, and understands its power as a medium of free speech. I'm voting for the man who strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.
 
I'm a Conservative...
 
I'm voting for the man who understands real family values, who will restore work-family balance to our nation, who will double funding for after-school programs. I'm voting for the man who will expand the Family Medical Leave Act, and will encourage flexible work schedules.
  
I'm a Conservative...
 
As a Conservative, I defend your right to get out and vote on November 4th. It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent, you owe it to yourself, your family and your country to vote your conscience. Whether your leanings are Liberal, Conservative or towards Libertarian, don't allow your judgment to be clouded by ideology or partisanship. Instead, make the choice that is right for your country. 
  
Despite all of its its problems and crises, the United States of America is the most powerful and best country in the world. America has always been a beacon of hope and opportunity, but for some time now, its light has been dimmed somewhat. It's up to you, my fellow American voters, to make the right choice on November 4th. Get out and vote: vote for change, vote for hope, vote for a better America and vote for a better world for all of us and for our children.
 
I'm a Conservative...
 
As a true Conservative, I have one clear choice, and that choice is Barack Obama. 
 
There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind, heart or soul that in Barack Obama, there's a real opportunity to turn the best country in the world into an even better country. Opportunities like these don't come around every four or eight years; they present themselves once every several hundred years. 
  
I respect the opinions of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, political satirist and author Christopher Buckley ( son of the late William F. Buckley Jr.) and Alison Goldwater Ross (the granddaughter of the late Senator Barry Goldwater). All of these people are Republicans and true Conservatives, and each of them has endorsed Barack Obama and not John McCain. 
 
Candidly speaking, neither Barack Obama nor John McCain has real experience that's applicable to being President of the United States, with the exception that both of them have run large, multimillion-dollar political campaigns. The main difference is that John McCain's has been disorganized, quite confused and quite ineffective. On the other hand, Barack Obama has run a smooth operation, and done it with little of the commotion and mindless cacophony that so often shows in these campaigns. And Obama looked directly at McCain during the debates, though that simple mark of respect was rarely returned.
  
In Barack Obama, we will have a president that is as normal, ordinary and human as all of us. He won't forget about what real life is like for all of us as individuals and as a nation.
  

Gosh... I don't even know where to begin...

I disappeared from here over 6 months ago. Our internet wasnt' working for a few weeks, so I kinda just stopped coming here. Ever since we got our internet connection back I've been thinking about logging on. I have no idea why I haven't done it earlier, but today when I was biking home I suddenly remembere buzznet and all the great people around here! I decided to log on, and here I am! I hope you haven't forgotten me, at least I haven't forgotten about you my friends!

Too much has been going on in my life over the past 6-8 months for me to write about here, but I have changed. Not just my appearance (but for those of you who knew me around here, that wouldn't be a surprise^^), but my mind also. I don't know if I've grown or not, I'm still exactly the same person, but I think about things differently. I still have my horses which I ride almost every day, don't worry about that^^

If I wrote down everything, or even a part of, what has happened and what I am thinking of, this journal would be endless! So if anyone still remembers me: WRITE TO ME!=)) I've missed you my buzznet friends, the loveliest and most colorful bunch of people I've ever met on the internet! I've also missed posting to QOTD, but now I'm back! Just think of my absence as a long journey or something!

And to you, my closest friends here on buzznet, I want to give a biiiiig cyber-hug!

Bizzareland: I've missed you JJ, my fellow AFI fan and probably my best friend here on buzznet!

=)

nluvw42: I've missed you and talking to you about this and that!=)

pungiy: I've missed you and your awesome pics my Danish girl! =)

hungoverandunder: I've missed you and your sweet and smart comments, Michael! =)

anapinkf: I've missed you, you beautiful, funny and sweet girl! =)

woaini: I've missed talking to you about everything, and just the lovely comments you always give! =)

kiastar67:  I've missed you and chatting about culture and horses with you! =)

masha3000: I've missed you my fellow BHG fan and talking with you about music! =)

lexidiem: I've missed you John! Such a kind and smart man, who ALWAYS knows what to say! =)

jennybean: I've missed you Jen, my big sister! =)

starsaftersunset: I've missed you and discussing our happy and not so joyous experiences with you! =9

seb: I've missed you, your art and your incredible humor! =)

HUGE hugs to you and to everyone else I had contact with here on Buzznet! I hope you all still hang around here, 'cause I'm looking forward to sharing almost everything with you guys again!

With Love from Finland, Jenni

Scientology Takes Another Life

Family blames Scientology for daughter's death

You've probably seen those signs for a "free stress tests" or "free personality test" on the street or in a shopping mall somewhere, and maybe you were even tempted to take one of them. For those who are unfamiliar with them, the Church of Scientology gives people free 'e-meter' tests to show that their personalities are ' broken' and can only be fixed by the Church. 

The Norwegian press, including the tabloid Verdens Gang, has reported that Kaja Bordevich Ballo, daughter of Norwegian Parliament member Olav Gunnar Ballo, reportedly took her own life (English translation here) after scoring poorly on a Scientology personality test. There is some uncertainty as to the validity of the report, but the results of the test were time-stamped just hours before Kaja’s death. The family blames the Church of Scientology (Co$) for her death. They waited two weeks and decided to go public with the story, after the test results and a suicide note were discovered.

The personality test, also called the Oxford Capacity Analysis (OCA), or American Personality Analysis, is offered free by the Co$ and comprises an integral part of their recruitment efforts. The test however, has been extensively criticized as it almost exclusively yields negative results. 

Kaja Ballo was a 20-year-old student at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis located in Nice, France, and according to family and friends she was in good humor, had many friends and was enjoying her French studies. But on March 28, 2008, she was invited into a storefront Scientology center near the student housing complex where she lived, where she took the Scientology personality test. 

A few hours later she reportedly killed herself by jumping from the window of her dormitory. 

Her friends and roommates claim she was in good spirits and showed no signs of a mental break down or depression prior to taking the test. The test was stamped and dated by the Church just hours prior to her suicide, and said that she was "unbalanced, withdrawn and destabilized."

A fellow student claimed on national television that she "changed" after the meeting and the receipt of results of a controversial personality test she was given by the Scientologists. 

"I believe Kaja would have been alive today if she had not gone to the Scientologists," says friend and fellow student Henrik Møinichen, 19, to Dagbladet.

"The information about the Scientology test has been made public through the priest's speech at the memorial service. I can confirm that. Due to the recency of her death, I don't wish to elaborate on or comment on other matters now," said Olav Ballo in a statement to the press.

The Church, which is located only meters from Kaja's dormitory, states that their test results had shown Ballo was "depressed, irresponsible, hyper-critical and lacking in harmony." They also state that it is "unfair to blame Scientology" for Ballo's death and that the test had nothing to do with it. Kaja left behind a note telling her family she was sorry for not "being good for anything."

The incident has generated criticism against the Co$ from friends, family members and politicians. Inga Marte Thorkildsen, one of the members of Norway's Parliament, told the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet that "All indications are that the Scientologist sect has played a direct role in Kaja's choice to take her own life."

Her uncle, Heljar Ballo, said, "We can only relate the facts, that she was doing well in France, was happy and had many good friends, and that she took this test." He confirmed that his niece had suffered a serious eating disorder when she was thirteen years old, and had received both professional help and help from family and friends.

Matthias Fosse, information chief for the Co$ in Norway, rejected any links connection between Scientology and Ballo's suicide, and denied that the personality test was "dangerous", saying "millions" of people have taken it. He claimed no one lured Ballo into taking the test, and that he was told she'd walked on her own into the Scientologists' locale in Nice. He also pointed to Ballo's earlier eating disorder and suggested that she had a history of psychiatric problems.

This is amazing in concept to this writer, since the Church of Scientology has been publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to both psychiatry and psychology since the foundation of Scientology in 1952. It offers itself as an alternative to psychiatry, which Scientologists believe to be a barbaric and corrupt profession.

Kaja's uncle claimed she had fully recovered from problems that she had as a young teen seven years ago. Her father (below) blasted Co$ information chief Fosse's remarks, telling newspaper VG that the Scientologists were tarnishing his daughter's memory and showing utter disregard for her private medical history.

Psychologist Rudy Myrvang said a test like the one administered by the Scientologists is not constructive, and rather aimed "at breaking you down, and then they'll offer to build you up again." It's a recruitment tool, he said, and a means of generating future income for the church.

A Co$ critic, Andreas Heldal-Lund agreed, claiming the Scientologists viewed people like Kaja as "'raw meat from the street.' You're told you're worth nothing."

The Co$ has removed the OCA test from it's website at www.scientology.org/ocanor.htm although main site is functioning normally. 

Heljar Ballo said his family had opted to go public with Kaja's suicide in an effort to shed light on what happened. He said the family "had confidence" in the French police, and their investigation. Kaja's father, the Norwegian MP, has also hired a lawyer to pursue the matter.

Kaja was buried at Grefsen Church in Oslo on Friday, April 11th. A large group of nearly 500 friends followed her to the grave. Many were also in support during a memorial held in the Stortinget (Norway's Parliament) the same afternoon.

French police have asked Scientologists in Nice in for questioning.

How many more times are we going to see needless deaths that seem to be related to this cult? Remember Shawn Lonsdale, whose one-man crusade against Scientology made him an enemy of the church, and was found dead at his home an apparent suicide just a couple of months ago? Have we forgotten another vibrant young woman by the name of Lisa McPherson?

Sources:

• Police probe suicide linked to Scientologists. Aftenposten April 15th (English)
• Family blames Scientology for daughter's death. Wikinews April 15th
• SV-toppen Olav Gunnar Ballos datter Kaja ble bare 20 år. Dagbladet April 15th (Norwegian)
• Tok sitt liv etter test hos scientologer. Verdens Gang April 15th (Norwegian)
• Scientology blamed in high-profile suicide. United Press International, April 16th
• L'Eglise de la scientologie... suicide de Kaja Gunnar Ballo. Bakchich April 16th (French)
• Lærere bør advare elevene mot Scientologikirken. NRK Nyheter April 17th (Norwegian)
• Innkalt til politi-avhør. Verdens Gang April 17th (Norwegian)
• Kaja, 20 ans, se suicide à Nice... scientologie. April 17th (French, English translation)

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