Vanessa: Unplugged!

Meek, Greene Debate Sets Tone for Florida Politics 2010 [VIDEO]

This is a wild and crazy year in politics throughout the United States and I have jumped in the frying pan with several folks on a local level here in Miami but I am not the subject of this post. You must and I mean must check out one of the hottest races around which is the Florida U.S. Senate race.

Scrappy rivals surprised Gov. Charlie Crist, an early sure winner as the Republican nominee and Congressman Kendrick Meek, the early Democrat nominee. Former Florida Speaker of the House Marco Rubio gained so much momentum in the GOP race that Crist is now running as an Independent. Meek, poised to become the first black U.S. Senator from Florida, now faces strong competition from wealthy businessman Jeff Greene.

Meek and Greene recently sat down for a debate in Palm Beach County. If that debate is any indication of how the rest of this race will be run; get ready for fireworks. As a side note, political newcomer, Rick Scott has shocked the Republican power base by moving ahead of political veteran Bill McCollum in the GOP race for Florida Governor.

To add to the mayhem, Democrat Alex Sink finds herself in a race with the namesake of a very popular former Florida governor, Lawton Chiles. Insert deep sigh here.

The ascendency of Scott and Greene beg at least two questions: Are voters so dissatisfied with career politicians that they will elect newcomers? Are political seats being “bought” by wealthy newcomers? Think on that.

Transformation through Education [VIDEO]

Here's a video from the TED site. I love visiting that site. The videos and talks are so thought-provoking and informative; I highly recommend it.

This particular video is about educating the poor in India. It would seem that many of the principles mentioned in the video could be incorporated in our public education curriculum. I'm not an educator but I highly suspect that effective teachers are already putting these principles into practice.

The word "Parikrma" implies a full revolution, a complete path around -- and Shukla Bose's Parikrma Humanity Foundation offers literally that to kids in poor urban areas around Bangalore. Parikrma's four Schools of Hope teach the full, standard Indian curriculum to children who might not otherwise see the inside of a classroom, with impressive results. Equally important, the schools build an "end-to-end" environment that supports learning -- offering lunch every day, health-care and family support. Beyond these schools, Parikrma has inaugurated several afterschool programs and has plans for setting up a central teacher-training hub.

Bose left behind a corporate career in 1992 to found Parikrma with a small group of friends. The nonprofit holds itself to formal business goals and strict accountability, and has developed some clever fundraising and marketing campaigns. As Bose puts it, the goal of Parikrma is to help build a better India by tapping its greatest strength: the vitality and potential of its people.

"Education of children is at the core of our aim to transform poor communities into self-sustaining, contributing communities. " ~ Shukla Bose

 

Website: Parikrma Humanity Foundation

President Obama's New Year's Message [VIDEO]

President Obama's Afghanistan and Pakistan Strategy [VIDEO] [POLL]

Here is President Obama's strategy on the rapid deployment of U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Do you agree with the President's decision?

Online Surveys & Market Research

The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Remarks of President Barack Obama -- As Prepared for Delivery
United States Military Academy at West Point
December 1, 2009

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan – the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here – at West Point – where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

Stairs or Escalator?

This is a really cool experiment set in Odenplan, Stockholm. How do you think people would react in let’s say…New York City? Are folks in the U.S. too jaded to see the fun in simple things like walking?

Is Rep. Virginia Foxx serious? [VIDEO]

It is more than a stretch to proclaim the Democrats’ health care bill a greater threat to Americans than terrorists. Has it gotten that bad for the GOP that injecting such fear is perceived as a viable means of persuading the public to support opposition to the Dems' bill? This is a new low in partisan politics.

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Protect Insurance Companies [VIDEO]

Obama, why?

I love this video because it so puts the country’s current state of affairs in proper perspective. Okay, so it’s satire but it’s true. When we stop electing folks who sell out the rest of us we don’t have most of the problems we’re dealing with now.

 

 

President Obama's Message for America's Students [VIDEO]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZZ6GrzWkw0

Defending the Indefensible: Prejudging President Obama’s Back-to-School Speech [VIDEO]

The propaganda of President Obama’s speech is deafening. You can read it in its entirety by going to the White House website but I’d like to share some of the egregious statements made by this nation’s leader.

“Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. “

How dare the President discuss personal responsibility to our little darlings. Hmmm…shame on him.

Here’s more:

“Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.”

And there he goes actually praising our children, letting them know that each of them is special. How dare he?! The President’s speech goes on and on which such mind-controlling rhetoric.

The political leaders and parents who have taken to the airwaves with vicious attacks against the President and his message will likely find a way to continue trash him although his message his positive and uplifting.

Here’s my favorite excerpt from the President’s speech:

“But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying. 

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.” 

In a nation where the high school dropout rate is abysmal at best, the uproar over President Obama’s speech is a tremendous waste of time and energy. The most vocal opponents of the President’s speech are likely people who just oppose the President. Period. End of story. Insert any issue President Obama proposes and the story will be the same.

 

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Jaycee Lee Dugard Free [VIDEO]

It is a miracle that Jaycee Lee Dugard is still alive after being abducted nearly 20 years ago. I can only imagine how her mother and stepfather feel learning that she is not dead. Her stepfather, a perennial suspect until her re-emergtence, her stepfather was the last one to see her --- except for her abductor--- until now. 

What that young woman and her children have endured these years remains to be revealed. What we already know is almost unbearable. What I don't understand is why Robert Garrido and his wife Nancy are entitled to a trial.

I pray that Jaycee will get the help she needs to overcome the abuse she has endured over the years; one can only imagine the horrors. Jaycee's ordeal also serves as a reminder of the reality of miracles and the power of prayer.