Obama: “Hey you, Old Man.”
Bush: “Yea, wazzup?”
Obama: “I’z da prezident! Fo’ Realz!”
Bush: “Daaaaamn!”

Today is a gloriously happy day. Barack Obama is breathing new life into the world. He is bringing change in the form of hope. Unapologetic hope. Hope will bring us up from the depths. Hope will bring us together. Hope transcends all. Hope will bring my life to a place I want it to be. Hope will push me forward. Hope will help me grow, to help me mature. Hope deep within me for our government and this man will bring me inner peace. Hope. I have to have hope that tomorrow will be a better day. I have to have hope in order to not give up. I have to push past depression, angst, emo, and sadness. I have to push past the dark veil of gray clouds and find light. I need to grow, I need to find my way, and I have hope.

Music can move more than mere words. During today’s inauguration ceremony I was lucky enough to have been able to sit at home and watch. I was happy, I was elated! But, what moved me to a tear was Aretha Franklin singing My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee. Her hat made me smile even more.

I lost it however when they played Air and Simple Gifts. As soon as the “Simple Gifts” melody was played on the clarinet I totally and completely lost it. I cried. Tears of joy, tears of happiness, tears of HOPE. Music leaves a deep and meaningful scar on our souls. More than any words could ever do to me. Those notes, that song, this day. Amazing!

I am hopeful that this new administration will offer real change to those that need it most. http://www.whitehouse.gov rolled out a new layout with beautiful formating and design. The Civil Rights section was of particular importance to me. Obama supports equal rights for all. Marriage or not, I would love to have Joseph and my relationship recognized by my own government. I have hope.

I have hope.

[transcript source | emphasis by me]

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 nation’s 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 nation’s 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 generation’s 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 doctor’s 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 won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t 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…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 America’s 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 can’t, 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 can’t, 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.

It’s a great feeling.

My first pass at the Oregon Measures. Any Oregonians on my F’List have an opinion? (PS, I really hate Bill Sizemore.) I’ve been listening to Think Outloud on OPB, as well as KLCC and such. I would really love some imput.

Measure 54: YES
 Standardizes voting eligibility for school board elections with other state and local elections
Measure 55: YES
 Change operative date of redistricting plans to allow affected legislators to finish term in original district
Measure 56: YES
 May And November property tax elections are to be decided by majority of voters voting in the relevant election (removes supermajority requirement established by Measure 47 in 1996.
Measure 57: YES
 Increases sentences for drug trafficking, theft against elderly, and specific repeat property and identity theft crimes, more.
Measure 58: NO!
 Requires english immersion for non-english speaking students
Measure 59: NO
 Makes federal income taxes fully deductible on state return
Measure 60: NO
 ”Teacher compensation must be based on classroom performance”
Measure 61: NO
 ”Mandatory sentences for drug dealers, identity thieves, burglars and car thieves”
Measure 62: NO
 ”15% of lottery profits for crime prevention, investigation and prosecution”
Measure 63: YES
 Allows minor improvements To property without building permit
Measure 64: YES
 Prohibits using taxpayer-funded resources to collect political funds
Measure 65: WAFFLE! – I’m not sure!!
 The “top-two” measure; creates open primaries. All voters would be able to vote in all state and local partisan elections, regardless of party affiliation.

In late July John McCain released an ad that likened Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. It was a very low blow, and probably did more harm to McCain than good. McCain is getting desperate because he has no chance in hell of being Commander-in-chief. See McCain’s ad next.

How can you possibly put Obama, Spears, and Hilton in the same sentence. That is beyond me. Well, recently, Paris Hilton (a staunch Republican, who supported John McCain) is pissed off. She released a video yesterday mocking that “white-haired dude.” She announces her candidacy for President, and releases her energy policy… which does, in fact, make sense.

I am quite amused. Though, I’m still confused as to why Paris is a Republican. Damned filthy rich people. Catch her ad below. Also, per unconfirmed sources she has pulled her support of John McCain, and is now not voting at all in November.

What do you think? Was John McCain’s ad uncalled for? Is Paris Hilton overreacting? Or are you voting for Obama, and find it funny that McCain keeps shooting himself in his wrinkly old-as-dirt can’t-use-a-computer calls-his-wife-an-expletive bush-loving oil-hungry foot?

sources: towleroad, towleroad, unconfirmed sources, justbeautifulmen

1. Sastre Wins Tour de France, Does anyone notice? The Tour is got a lot of ground to make up without Lance.
2. Beijing is hiding it’s mess! If your property isn’t pretty enough the government is coming through with a bulldozer and knocking it down. If you refuse to move, then a wall will be erected in front of your business to hide it from the tourists’ view.
   

   “A veil of green plastic netting”

   “surrounded by a 10-foot-tall brick wall”

   “the city razed the poor Tianqiao neighborhood and transformed it with shopping malls, wider streets and subdivisions…The wall did not go up easily…After a brief shoving match, a little demonstration unfolded…Mr. Song hung three Chinese flags from the trunks of trees — and three white flags emblazoned with the 2008 Olympic logo. A migrant worker climbed a ladder and stuck up a poster that said, “Need Human Rights!!!”

   Last Tuesday, Ms. Sun, 57, sat alone in the dining room of the restaurant, surrounded by her cats. Festive paper lanterns hung in the dining room, which smelled of cat litter and decay. It was 4 p.m., and Ms. Sun was still in her pajamas.

   “I don’t really want to oppose the government,” she said, breaking into tears. “For those of us who have lived through the Cultural Revolution, this life is like heaven.”

   The city has bullied her to leave. One night last year, a bulldozer slammed into the building. Neighbors are paid to keep watch over her, and they notify the police when she has guests. Ms. Sun said officials pressed her doctor into refusing to give her care.

   Her building is falling apart. The government, for the sake of appearances, has put up scaffolding with green netting around it. As the runners pass her home in August, it will be easy for spectators to miss the posters, begging for help, taped to the door.

   China makes me sad.

3. There was a funeral the other day in the Midtown offices of Hachette, the book publisher, to mourn the passing of what it called a “dear friend.”Do any of you still use, or even own cassette tapes?
4. McCain says he could support 16-month Iraq timetable. What a flip-flopping douche.
5. What if your boss used this search string to see if you were hireable:
   

   “[First name of a candidate]! and pre/2 [last name of a candidate] w/7 bush or gore or republican! or democrat! or charg! or accus! or criticiz! or blam! or defend! or iran contra or clinton or spotted owl or florida recount or sex! or controvers! or racis! or fraud! or investigat! or bankrupt! or layoff! or downsiz! or PNTR or NAFTA or outsourc! or indict! or enron or kerry or iraq or wmd! or arrest! or intox! or fired or sex! or racis! or intox! or slur! or arrest! or fired or controvers! or abortion! or gay! or homosexual! or gun! or firearm!”

   Well that’s what the Justice Department used. A non-political department has been deeply entrenched by Bush and the Republican agenda. What an utter failure! Our current administration is such a joke.

Are these Nike ads homophobic?

Let me know what you think.

In my opinion, yes, they are. They perpetuate the idea of male closeness as being something bad. Yes, I get that even if the athletes were gay, having sweaty balls slapped on your forehead wouldn’t be the most pleasant thing. However, the designer is exploiting the fact that many straight men in the sports world find it gross to even touch another man.

It may not be blatant homophobia, such as the Snickers ads. here & here. The second is pretty much gay-bashing.

The Nike ads are subtle jabs.

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and there isn’t much we can do about that. However, no more Nikes for me. Oh, wait… I’ve never purchased Nikes in my life. Crisis averted.

Blog Links regarding Nike ads: The Gay Recluse, Towle Road.

On another note, Here are some bullet links that aren’t related.
+ Comic about McCain.
+ Janet Jackson Boob has been Freed.
- 14% of LBGT will vote for McCain. What the FUCK!?
+ My new desktop at work. I might actually make my own like this. It’s a great idea.
+ Backyard Torch. WANT.
+ Pretty Fire Extinguisher. WANT.
- Just say NO to another Stimulus Check.