Whitney Houston: Thank you for all you gave us

Which are your favorite Whitney Houston's songs? The playlist below contains some of my favorite ones. Some such as "One Moment in Time," "Step by Step," "The Greatest Love Of All," and " I Didn't Know My Own Strength" encourage and inspire me to keep on keeping on. Others such as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" just make you want to get up and dance! So many beautiful, powerful, inspiring songs. Rest in peace, Whitney. The gift of you, your voice, your uplifting songs and lyrics will remain with us for years to come. Thank you.

The Week's Best Late-Night Jokes

Late night show hosts deserve every penny they get. They make us laugh at the most horrendous goings ons... and sometimes, laugh is all you can do. On his 6/25/10 blog at About.com, Daniel Kurtzman has compiled a great list of this past week's best late-night jokes. Some of my favorites are:

McChrystal's clearly been hitting that sweet Afghani heroin. Because you would have to be higher than Keith Richards to criticize your commander-in-chief at a time of war in front of a reporter from Rolling Stone. —Stephen Colbert

"Because of the success of 'Toy Story 3,' Pixar is now rushing ahead with its plans to do a sequel to one of its most popular movies, presented by BP. It's BP presents 'Try Finding Nemo Now.'" —Jay Leno 

"The state legislature in California is considering a bill that would allow electronic advertisements on license plates. Is that wise? I really don't need anything else to distract me while I'm texting." —Craig Ferguson 

Political humor or political satire is very much what wikipedia describes it as,

a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly forbidden. --/Wikipedia's definition of political satire.

Growing up in Cuba I remember the way we shared political jokes with each other. We shared them in hushed tones when in public and we laughed and laughed afterward in the privacy of our home.

What's your take on political humor?  I'd love to hear about it.

Xerox Technology to Fuel Espresso Book Machine

I've been tracking, on and off, the development of the Espresso Book Machine and am totally fascinated by it. Back in 2006 we posted an article about it to the CCF website and today we found a press release from the Xerox Corporation announcing that Xerox technology is to fuel the Espresso Book Machine. Even more promising for what has been termed "the ATM for books," is the fact that Xerox's worldwide agreement with On Demand Books includes global marketing and sales support.

Xerox and On Demand Books will jointly market and sell, on a worldwide basis, the Xerox 4112 Copier/Printer together with the Espresso Book Machine -- a fully integrated solution that prints, binds and trims books with full color covers on demand in retail locations and libraries.The Espresso Book Machine can produce paperbacks in variable combinations of trim sizes between 4.5" x 5.0" and 8.25" x 10.5" for a production cost less than one cent per page.

This technology should be able to help us get our hands on out of print books and it should also help small publishers, as they won't be forced to keep large inventory of titles on hand.

I am an author, editor, and bookseller and don't see the Espresso Book Machine and related technologies, whether they be amazon.com's Kindle, etc, as threats. Instead, I see them as enlarging the reservoirs from which readers worldwide can more easily satisfy their thirst. What do you think?

Kindle for PC: Another reason to adore your Kindle

Just when I thought the Kindle world couldn't get any better, it did! Amazon.com now offers Kindle for PC, with the Mac version on its way. This means that every single book or document I've ever downloaded to my Kindle I can now download and read on my PC, my laptop, or my notebook.

Honestly, it's just awesome to be able to do this. If I don't have my Kindle with me I still can keep reading where I left off by going to my Notebook and launching the Kindle for PC application from there. All my documents and books are available, even the archived ones. And my notes and bookmarks that I made while reading my various books or documents in my Kindle also show up. Is this ever cool or what?!?

If you already own a Kindle, you can start using the Kindle for PC application right away. If you've yet to purchase one, you may want to consider going global! Yes, the latest generation of the Kindle Wireless Reading Device is not only wireless, like the other versions are, but it's Global Wireless!

Up to now you had to be within the USA in order to be able to download books or documents to your Kindle. Not anymore. With the Global Wireless version of the Kindle it works anywhere else in the world you find yourself in. Probably tourist or business travelers will find the global wireless useful. We've found yet another group of folks who will be able to use the global version of the Kindle: our deployed military men and women. This is just what our friend has done. Her son has been called back into active duty and he's taking with him the global wireless Kindle.

It's also nice that the newest version of the Kindle is smaller, it's 8"x5.3"x0.36", so it's smaller than the Kindle-2, which was smaller than the Kindle-1. I could go on about how much I love my Kindle-2 but I'd rather hear from you! Write back and let me know how you like yours. Or let me know if you have any questions about these units.

If you end up purchasing a Kindle or any of its accessories from the links on my blog a portion of the purchase price will come back to CCF, the educational nonprofit I manage. Just know that I wouldn't be singing the Kindle's praises if I did not totally believe in them. At our home we have already purchased two of these units and a third one is on its way.

Women, Mothers, Families and Health Care Reform

I happened upon this video clip where First Lady Michelle Obama talks about health care reform from the point of view of women, mothers, and families. I connected with her words because that's the way I've been filtering the news on the subject. Every time I listen to a news report on the status of health care reform I always think of my children, my husband, myself, my sisters, i.e., my family.

The news is often about what Democrats or Republicans are or are not doing about reform, so I've kept from writing my thoughts on the subject. But Michelle's words touched me. She states that, "I want to focus my attention on where policy and people intersect." I connected with her words. That's where my heart is.

The video also has cancer survivor Roxi Griffin talking about her personal journey, from dealing with copays of $27,000 to now facing copays of over $100,000. In her case, the high copay keeps her from getting screenings. I think it would keep me from getting them as well. Griffin tells us that, "people need to realize this is not a political issue. To me it is a moral issue. And people need to stop and think about the ramifications it has on families when they are not able to take care of their medical needs." I agree.

Watching the video I was shocked to hear Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, say that, "insurance companies are allowed by law to charge women more than men. Sometimes significantly more." Sebelius goes on to say that, "too often insurance benefits don't cover the benefits that women need...at every point along the way, women are being discriminated upon by insurance companies."

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about what is going on? Do you agree with Griffin that this is a moral and not just a political issue? I'd love to hear from you.

Barack Obama: We are what we learn

On September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama gave a speech directly to America's students.

He spoke from Wakefield High School, Arlington, VA, as students tuned in from all across America, from kindergarten to 12th grade. I was moved as I listened to the speech, not by the inspiring stories nor the encouraging words but, rather, by the freedom his words embodied. He called students to set their own goals and go for them.

I cried when he said to the students that, "no one has written your destiny for you, because here in America you write your own destiny, you make your own future." I cried because I remember being in 6th grade in Cuba and looking around the classroom knowing what each of my classmates was going to be when they grew up not because they were writing their own destinies, but because the teacher had just finished telling them what they were going to do with the rest of their lives. They had no choice. It had been decided for them.

Here's the video and the transcript of the President's speech:


President Obama's words echoed what I believe to be true. There's no limit as to what each of us can do when we set our minds on it. Here are some of the highlights of his speech:

• Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have the responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
• No matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.
• You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to train for it, and work for it, and learn for it...The future of America depends on you.
• If you quit on school, you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
• 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, none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.
• There's no excuse for not trying. Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one has written your destiny for you, because here in America you write your own destiny, you make your own future.
• Today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book...But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
• The truth is, being successful is hard...And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try it.
• Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you...No one is born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength.
• And even when you struggle, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country. The story of America...is about people...who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
• So today I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution gonna be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make?
• I expect all of you to get serious this year...I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down. Don't let your family down or your country down and most of all, don't let yourself down. Make us all proud.

In America students get to write their own destiny. In Cuba the communist government gets to write it for them. In the USA not only are we what we learn, we each get to choose what we learn in order to be who we want to be. As I listened to President Obama's speech I thanked God for the privilege of living in the good old U.S. of A.

GOP members should be more than rabble-rousers

In order to have our voices heard, there is a difference between energizing citizens to get involved and inciting mobs to riot. Obama and his team did the former during this past presidential campaign. GOP members, to their shame, are doing the latter at health care reform town hall meetings. Even worse, they're relishing their actions.

Shame on GOP members for cheering and applauding Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri when he said that, "Different people from Washington, D.C. have come back to their districts and had town hall meetings and they almost got lynched." [from the transcript of the Rachel Maddow show on 8/6/09]. Does this Republican congressman and his audience understand what it is they're saying and applauding? How can Republicans be for disrupting the democratic process of a town hall meeting? Senator John McCain, to his credit, has come out against this type of behavior.

Rachel Maddow said on her August 6th show that, "Public figures have two options when political circumstances reach a point that's somewhere between extreme rhetoric and physical violence. You can condone the threats and then risk being seen as complicit to whatever comes next, or you can step up and be an adult, try to do something to restore civility."

My hope is that Republicans will do just that. That they'll energize GOP members not just to be active participants in the national health care reform conversation but to encourage them to do it constructively. We are better than what's being shown of us on national TV these days. We can and should be coherent in our ideas, our questions, our concerns.

Perhaps the problem lies in the reality that everyday Republicans are not necessarily the ones showing up and disrupting the town hall meetings. In the following clip, Rachel Maddow talks with Chris Hayes, of The Nation, and they comment on the disruptive behavior being shown by Republicans at these meetings. As the clips log-line states, in this clip you'll see Maddow reviewing the history of fake conservative protests.


According to this clip, the current rabble-rousers do not represent the best and highest the Republican party has to offer. It might be good for everyday Republicans to join the national conversation and bring their thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns to the meetings, rather than allow counter-productive self-serving parties to send their hand-picked representatives to speak on their behalf.

Happy Birthday to Prez Obama despite the birthers

Today is President Obama's birthday. Our 44th president turns 48 today. I find myself singing "Happy Birthday, Prez Obama" and silently wishing him many more birthdays to come. At the same time I have to wonder about the folks Eugene Robinson talks about in his article on The Washington Post, "The Berserk 'Birthers'." The article is about people who still believe that President Obama was not born in the USA and, therefore, is not elegible to be President.

It's easy to want to dismiss the Birthers as some lunatic fringe. The problem with doing this is that, in his article, Robinson tells us that according to Research 2000, "28 percent of Republicans actually think that Obama was not born in the United States and a separate 30 percent are 'not sure'." That's 58% of GOP members. Wow. I've been a GOP member all my life. Lately I've been calling myself "a thinking Republican," in an effort to distance myself from what is surely becoming a lunatic segment in the GOP. How in the world could 58% of Republicans not be sure of Obama's birthplace?



On the Morning Joe video clip above, Robinson says that, "Trying to analyze the "birther" phenomenon would mean taking it seriously, and taking it seriously would be like arguing about the color of unicorns. About all that can be said is that a bunch of lost, confused and frightened people have decided to seek refuge in conspiratorial make-believe. I hope they're harmless. And I hope they seek help."

I agree with Robinson. In Spanish we have a saying that summarizes things and declares the subject is closed, in the same way a period at the end of a sentence closes that thought, that sentence. "Punto y aparte," is what we say, "Period. End of discussion." And after listening to Robinson on Morning Joe, and reading his Washington Post article, punto y aparte is what I say to the whole birthers phenomenon.

On a separate note...and not to take anything away from the seriousness of Robinson's writing...we all know unicorns are white. Don't we? :-)

All i wanna say is that, They don't really care about us Iranians

It's not just a few people but thousands upon thousands who are protesting the results of the Iranian elections. And now with Michael Jackson's death, Iran has dropped off of the news cycle...and here in the USA it seems as if all the news is talking about is Michael Jackson. So it's fitting to put one of his songs to showcase the plight of the Iranian people.

Fabricated Memoir Sparks Anger, Sadness

Re: News of Fabricated Holocaust Memoir Sparks Anger, Sadness

How does the saying go? Oh yeah! "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." And good intentions is what Herman Rosenblat and his wife had when they told a tall tale to those in the publishing world. The AP article quotes Rosenblat as saying, "I wanted to bring happiness to people...I brought hope to a lot of people. My motivation was to make good in this world." So, the Rosenblats stretched the truth to fit their good intentions.

According to the AP article, "Rosenblat's believers included not only his agent and his publisher, but also TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey, film producers, journalists, family members and strangers who ignored, or did not know about, the warnings from scholars that his story did not make sense."

Related news were also listed in today's Publishers Lunch, which talked about the repercussions of this fabricated tale in a children title. This 12/29/08 edition of Publishers Lunch tells us that, "Lerner Publishing Group, also duped into publishing Herman Rosenblat's fake Holocaust love story in the children's book ANGEL GIRL (released this September), is recalling the book. The company is "issuing refunds on all returned books" and "no longer offering the book for sale."

This is a financial hit to the publisher...at a time when publishers are having to watch the bottom line more than ever. And, by default, it's also a hit to authors everywhere wanting to get their manuscripts to press. Publishers Lunch quotes the author of the recalled Lerner Publication title as saying, "throughout the development of this book, the Rosenblats reviewed my manuscript and assured me of the authenticity of the details of their story. Unfortunately, I, like many others, am disappointed and upset to now learn of Herman's fabrications."

Regardless of who's to blame for yet another publishing misstep, with the Rosenblats being the primary culprits on this one, the result is the same and it's not a good one. The AP article is right when it states that, "Publishing, the most trusting of industries, has again been burned by a memoir that fact-checking might have prevented."

Whose responsibility is it to vet information sources prior to acquiring or publishing a manuscript? I always thought it was the author's responsibility. The literary agent and publisher can and probably should require backup research from the author. But must they now add the role of detective to their already overloaded job descriptions? What could the various gatekeepers within the publishing world have done to guarantee that what they were hearing from the Rosenblats was true information? Write back and let me know what you think.

Insult a man to sell a product

Is anyone as tired as I am of seeing commercials making fun of men in order to sell a product? The latest culprit in this trend is the priceless.com one where a guy gifts his girl with a box of tissues, a paper bag, and a trampoline. Then he opens the drapes and she sees the two matching cars. She faints and lands on the small trampoline he'd placed behind her, bounces right back up, hugs her guy...and smacks him upside the head.

Smacks him upside the head? Why? Because he teased her with smaller gifts while all along he was going to show her the cars he had bought? Every single time that commercial came up I switched channels. The guy in the commercial is the cutest thing ever. He absolutely does not deserve to be hit. His face expressions are, well, priceless! Here's a guy who knows his gal well enough to know how she is going to react when she sees the car he bought her. She was going to cry, so he'd given her tissues. She was going to hyperventilate, so he'd gifted her with a paper bag. She was also going to faint, so he'd purchased and placed a trampoline behind her.

This guy is a one-in-a-million type of guy! So the smack upside the head was not only out of place, it follows the trend of insulting a man in order to sell a product. I personally would like to see this type of advertising go away. It's insulting not just to men but to those of us who love and appreciate everything men do and stand for.

To their credit, priceless.com has come up with a second version of this commercial. Now, doesn't this second version get the point across just as well without insulting men? Here it is:


Kudos to priceless.com for coming up with this edited version of the commercial. I'd love to hear from others about this topic. What do you think about the idea that insulting men sells products?

Obama Wins: Get a copy of the New York Times or other newspapers for $5 to $10

While watching the news on 5 November 2008, I saw folks in long lines in front of the newspaper office of The New York Times, all wanting to buy a copy of today's issue. It dawned on me that, yes, today's copy, showing Obama as the country's President-elect, would be a keepsake. The first African-American president to be elected in the United States was a historic event, regardless of whether one had voted for him or McCain. So I drove around town looking for such copies with Barack Obama on the front page. I was only able to get a copy of the Denver Post and was told that all other papers were sold out first thing this morning. I purchased my copy of The Denver Post and thought I'd buy the other papers online.

I found an article by Peter Kafka, The Obama Aftermarket: $20 for a Copy of Today’s New York Times? and was actually willing to pay $20 for it but the eBay seller had sold all his copies. [Image Credit: specialkrb]

Not to be deterred, I called both newspapers and it turns out we could order the 5 November 2008 issue at the fair price of $4.95 (USA Today) and $5.75 (NYTimes) plus shipping. I'm not sure how long the papers will be taking orders but, for history's sake, I went ahead and ordered 5 copies from each newspaper for our family to treasure as keepsakes.

Here's the information I found, in case you'd like to order your copies:

The New York Times: $5.75 + s/h
How to order Back Copies of The New York Times newspaper
Back Copies of The New York Times from the last 90 days can be ordered directly from the newspaper by calling 1-800-543-5380. I had to wait on the phone for almost 45 minutes but it's worth it to order the 11/5/08 copy of the paper at a reasonable price of $5.75 per copy sent to me Second Class mail.

U.S.A. Today: $4.95 + s/h
You may have to set up an account in order to order your copy but setting up the account is free.

• Go to: https://service.usatoday.com/welcome.jsp
• Click "Order Back Issues" on the left hand column
• Click "USA Today Previous Issues"
• Click "2008 Previous Issues"
• Click "November Previous Issues"
• Scroll down the page until you see "11/05/2008 Issue of USA TODAY" and select how many copies you'd like to order at $4.95 per copy.
  
• Click "Add to cart" and follow directions to check out.

The Washington Post: $9.95 + s/h
Washington Post Commemorative Edition Paper was available from cafepress.com for $9.95 plus S/H. Their webpage says the, "Commemorative Edition Paper includes front section and election section from the paper published 11/05/08."

Chicago Tribune: $10 includes s/h
The Chicago Tribune Store shows that, normally, back copies are $0.75 each. The 11/5/08 issue, however, could only be ordered for $10 a copy by calling their phone number, 312-222-3080.

Chicago Sun Times: $10 + s/h
[Nov 6, 2008, suntimes.com] "Barack Obama's overwhelming victory in Tuesday's election also led to an overwhelming demand for copies of the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of extra copies are being printed and will be available...by ordering online." Back issue online order form - $10 per copy

I would love to hear your comments on how folks were able to obtain copies of 11/5/08 newspapers from around the world announcing Obama's win. If you purchased copies yourself, tell us why you did so. Who did you purchase them for? Yourself? Others? Which paper did you get?

Help me find the real America

When I came to the USA, oh so many years ago, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Now, years later, I still feel the same. America! The United States of America. My parents and their six daughters, me being the oldest of the six girls, were finally in the USA and we were safe. It took three years for Castro's communist government to give us permission to leave Cuba. We then lived almost a year in Spain while our USA residency papers were processed and all eight of us received our green cards.

We've always been a strong Christian family. Our faith in God played no small part in keeping us safe and sane during the turbulent and terrifying years we lived in Cuba after Fidel brought communism to our homeland. It also held us together when we arrived in the USA with nothing to call our own except a dream and a hope that we'd arrived in the USA, the land of opportunity, the land where dreams come true for those who work hard and do not give up.

And America did not disappoint us. It allowed all eight of us the privilege to become naturalized citizens. Our parents worked 1-1/2 jobs each in order to build a future for their six daughters. With their help, all six of us worked our way through school and graduated from college. The years have gone by and both Mamá and Papá are now in heaven, along with one of my sisters. During all this time the one thing that remained constant in each of our lives was our deep faith in God and in the American dream. We were living proof that both existed, for they existed in our lives and in our hearts.

Therefore, it was with mixed feelings that I saw a Vice Presidential candidate spearheading the notion that, somehow, if we did not agree with her views, and voted for her ticket, we were not real Americans. What? I do not belong to the real America just because I may not vote for Palin/McCain? Have I been deluded all these years into thinking that the adopted country I love is not the real America? Which America is it that took our family in? Which America gave us a home when we had no home? I always thought it was just one America, one U.S.A., "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I myself am a registered Republican and it saddened me to see the GOP attempting to win an election by using divisive methods and rhetoric. Just like it was through young people talking to me that I first began to get to know Senator Barack Obama, it also was through watching the TV show that many a young person tells me they watch, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, that I came upon three segments that brought home the ridiculousness of someone saying there's more than one single United States of America.

So I watched the following three video clips from the Jon Stewart's The Daily Show and decided that, according to Governor Sarah Palin, I am NOT a real American. But the truth is that, regardless of what Governor Palin thinks, neither she nor anyone else can take the love and pride and honor I feel when I think of the USA, my adopted homeland, the country I feel indebted to...for it took me and my family in when we had to escape the totalitarian regime that overtook the land of our birth.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Quiz: Are You a Real American?
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Understanding Real America in Wasilla
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Pfriend or Pfoe?
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

What are your thoughts when it comes to rhetoric used by political candidates? Does negative campaigning work for you? Does it influence your choice of candidate when it comes time to vote?

100,000 attend Obama's Rally in Denver

I'm not a political person. I've never attended a political rally. I've never volunteered for political candidates. I've never donated to any political campaign, not even when I fill out my taxes every year and am asked whether I want to donate a few dollars. Now a Senator from Illinois has changed all this.

This morning I rolled out of bed at 5:30am, got dressed, and drove 73.5 miles to Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado, to attend the "Early Vote for Change Rally with Barack Obama." It was 7:20am when I arrived. The streets hadn't yet been closed to traffic and already several hundred people were in line. I knew there would be a four hour wait before Obama spoke so I'd come prepared with books to review and books on tape to listen to while I waited. Knowing my emotional nature, I'd also stuffed tissue paper in my backpack and was ready to be swept up in the emotions of the moment.

Four hours went by before Obama came to the podium and I neither read nor listened to any books during this time. There's something about standing shoulder to shoulder in the midst of a sea of people that buoys both the heart and the soul and time seems to pass by unnoticed. By the end of Obama's talk I had not used a single tissue. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, not of the emotional gushy type, but of the wonder-filled type.

I never dreamed I'd be one of 100,000+ people who gathered to listen to the person they hoped would be their next president. I'm guessing most people had already decided to vote for Obama. I wonder how many undecided went to the rally in order to see for themselves a bit more of what this candidate was all about. The sea of humanity that surrounded me was vibrant and hope-filled. They belonged to all different political parties. There were Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in the crowd. There were scholars, business people, students, home-makers, folks from all walks of life, from countless different ethnic backgrounds, and of all different ages. I saw tiny little babies, kindergarten and elementary school age kids, high school kids, college kids, older adults, senior citizens. Men and women, young and old, red and yellow, black and white, all together, all voting for hope and not fear, for tomorrow and not yesterday.

Following are photos and videos I took during the event, plus links to related news articles.

The Huffington Post reports that, "Obama Draws More Than 100,000 At Denver Rally." The article carries some great photos of the event, courtesy of Getty. The Associated Press states, "Police estimate the crowd for a rally by Sen. Barack Obama at well over 100,000. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson says the crowd Sunday spilled out of Civic Center Park to the State Capitol and onto surrounding streets as Obama visited Colorado nine days before the election." And KRDO.COM carried an AP press news article stating that, "Not since Pope John Paul II filled the park in 1993 have so many people turned out for an event in Denver's Civic Center Park."

Slide Show Photo Credits: I noted in the slide show the 14 photos taken by Usha Ramamurthy. The rest were taken by me.

Crowd's response as Obama is introduced. He looked at the 100,000 in attendance and joked, "Do you ever have small crowds in Denver?"


Obama's closing remarks as taped by the news media:


100,000 respond to Obama's closing remarks:


Related links:

• Barack does Denver, 100,000+, No Joke (Pictures)
• Obama Draws More Than 100,000 At Denver Rally (Photos)
• The Moment Obama Grabbed 100,000 Coloradoans
• Police: More than 100,000 watch Obama
  

---------------
Note: On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. There are high expectations riding on his presidency and he's going to need all the help, wisdom, and guidance he can get in order to meet those expectations. I'm wishing him well, same as I would have McCain had he won the elections. May God bless Obama, his family and his presidency and may God bless the United States of America.

Powell endorses Obama

General Colin Powell is a man I would have voted for had he run for president of the USA. Today this man I respect, a Republican like myself, endorsed Senator Obama. Watch the 7 min video if you missed it when it aired today on "Meet the Press". This is huge, that a respected and high-power Republican, a man of honor, a retired General, is endorsing Senator Obama. He didn't just say he's endorsing him but in the 7-min clip he says why he's doing so. As we approach election day here in the United States, what are your thoughts regarding General Powell's endorsement of Senator Obama? http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/powell-endorses-obama/