Obama's New Hampshire countdown begins

People who are anti-establishment and who are not insiders or

who are not a part of the status quo, are looking toward U.S.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) and his campaign to lead them and the

rest of the country.
These are the Believers Obama speaks of in his campaign--except

they aren't really a part of his campaign--yet. They are the

so-called fence riders, independents, disillusioned Republicans

or youth.
They seem to have been waiting for a man like Obama to show up

and lead them into a new century and a civilized, more refined

America.

The free Obama rally held Saturday morning at
Nashua High School, in northern New Hampshire, was filled to

capacity and in overflow sections. Many people wanted to see for them

selves the crowd and hear the message of hope Obama has been

delivering across the country.
Parents who have older children who are Obama supporters, are

now becoming Obama supporters themselves.
One C-Span caller said Obama is energizing the youth. She

admitted that she graduated high school in 1968 and is ready

for the excitement of her youth that presidential candidates

exuded.
Many who spoke to C-Span reporters Saturday at the rally,

expressed that they either never attended a political rally or

felt they had no real choice among candidates or wanted to get

a taste of Obama just in case their Republican candidate didn't

make the cut.
Words like truthful, logical, trustworthy, wisdom and

inspiring have been used by callers in New Hampshire to

describe Obama as a person and as a presidential candidate.
These people believe he is a candidate of change.
Explaining to the crowd that he moved to Chicago after college

to work for a group of churches in a South Side grassroots

movement, he admitted he was used to long hours and low pay.

That job paid him $12,000 a year and carfare.
He worked with the program for three years setting up job

training and other social service programs.

All eyes are now on Obama if all eyes weren't on him already.
The momentum of winning the Iowa Democratic Caucuses seem to

swing right into play in New Hampshire on Friday night before a

frenzied crowd at the 100 Club Dinner and Saturday morning at

the high school.

He encouraged them to vote and to vote for him. He promised to

be persuasive.
He asked of the undecided in the crowd to show their hands. He

pointed out to his campaign workers there were a lot of them.
"I'm putting you on warning. We are coming after you today,"
the charmer said with a smile.

He spoke of the Iowa win to the crowd. He spoke before a sea of

people at the high school about having three days to prove

himself to them and to change America.
Many of the signs expressed love and he expressed that love

right back.
His whole campaign seemed to be based on love--for America.
"We have a chance to come together as Democrat, Republican and

Independent... and say we are one people. The time has come to

move beyond the anger. It's time to move beyond tearing

opponents down and instead bring the country together.
He said he is about healing fractures in the country
but is he only an anomaly? A spectacle?
Has he obtained superstar status and in the minds of voters

and thus stands on a pedestal?
No, because after his speech Friday and again Saturday at the

high school, he descended the platform, came from behind the

podium and walked amongst his people.
Those with signs of support, the undecided, those with camera

phones poised to snap photo pressed against him as he and shook

hands and greeted the people. He answered questions, had copies

of his book waved at him for an autograph. Boom mikes and

television cameras were thrust into his face. He looked to be

at home there in that environment among the regular people like

him who have not quite given up hope--those who still believe.
It puts one in mind of Biblical stories where Jesus is

described as pressing through the crowds--the throngs of people

who would show up to here his voice. Obama is a draw, a magnet

and many people are sticking to him.
I heard a man holler out, voice resonating with hope, "Barack

we're all betting on you man. We're all betting on you," as the

end of the event played out on C-span.

During his speech he basically said vote for honesty,
believe in action instead of talk, believe in the American

Dream again where everyone in the country really gets a chance

at success and the common man doesn't suffer from basic needs

going unmet--like in undeveloped countries.
"I know what it's like to see a loved one suffer," he said.
Obama told the story of his mom, who while sick with cancer and

dying in a hospital bed, was still reading insurance papers to

see if her treatment would be covered. He said she had just

gotten a new job and wanted to know if she was covered. He said

she spent the last few years of her life reading insurance

papers. She died at the age of 53 never, getting to see her

grandchildren.
He capitalized on his boldness in front of automakers in

Detroit.
"That's what people are looking for -- an honest assessment of

choices we have to make. America is back and we are ready to

lead once again. I will not hesitate to strike against those

who mean us harm but I will bring troops home," he said.

He said he is not running because of a long held ambition or

because he thinks its his turn but because of--quoting the Rev.

Dr. Martin Luther King--the fierce urgency of now.

"This isn't about me. It's about you and saying we can do

better than we've been doing," he said.
But how to go about change? Turn the hear up on the

Republicans?
No, he said it's best to engage with opponents and figure out a

comparable solution--the lawyer in him talking--about negotiating

a good deal.
On both sides, there have been casualties, so bringing all who

feel disenfranchised together is a good strategy.
"We don't need more heat--we need more light."
Obama's grandfather fought in General Patton's Army, he said,

during his speeches and his grandmother stayed home with the

baby and later worked on an assembly line making bombs.
He talked about being raised by a single mother and those World

War II era grandparents--making him a bridge of generations.
He talked about not having much by way of luxuries but having

an education and hope--something that his nay sayers say have

made him idealistic and in the words of some of his opponents

-- unelectable.
"I should not be standing here ..and there is no other country

on earth where I could be standing here, so yes, I believe in

hope," he said.
However, the going is going to get tough and Obama is nowhere

near the end.
"I know it's going to be tough...but there has never been

meaningful change in this country unless somebody somewhere

stood up (for what is right). That's how the colonists threw

off the evil empire...slaves became free."

A great day for the Senator from Illinois

"Hope is what led me here today--with a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas--and a story that could only happen in the United States of America. Hope is the bedrock of a nation...we are ready to believe again."--U.S. Senator Barack Obama

I watched the speech on CNN.

During his speech and after making history by winning the Iowa Caucuses,

Jr. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), said, "they said this day would never come."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"They said our sights were set too high--that this country was

too divided, disillusioned to come together on a common

purpose...but this night you have done what the cynics said we

couldn't do."

IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICS, NO BLACK MAN HAS EVER WON THE IOWA CAUCUSES.

"In lines that stretched around schools and churches we came

together to say we are one nation one people and our time for

change has come," Obama said during his speech.

He said he feels his campaign win will end bitterness and

divisions in Washington.

"We are choosing hope over fear and choosing unity over

division and sending a powerful message that change is coming

to America."

The crowd chanted, "USA, USA!" in the background.

As pointed out by CNN commentator and Chicago radio talk show host, Roland Martin,

(WVON 1690 AM)there was truly a rainbow coalition standing behind Obama.

He reached out to New Hampshire and asked for the same as in Iowa.

The crowd cheered, "Obama! Obama! Obama!" during parts of his speech.

He is the great unifier, seems like.

His message is apparently working.

This is news people. Wake up.

The Senator from Illinois has been recognized--finally.

My son scampered down the stairs a minute ago and looked to see

what I was watching. It was CNN coverage of the Iowa Caucuses.

He didn't say much but he heard. He's only nine but I too have

that child-like excitement of the unthinkable.

In all of every living person's life there has never been a

black American president nor has an African American won the

Iowa Caucus.

People across this country are hurting. Illegal aliens are

moving back to Mexico. The dollar is weak.

Barack Obama will be the next American president.

Our nation's first Black President of the United States.

His campaign is based on Change and we are looking for him to

bring it.

I have faith in my country right now.

I feel so much pride right now for my country. I feel good

saying my country--finally. I no longer feel pushed aside.

Obama won Iowa (38 percent) over Hillary Clinton (29 percent)

and John Edwards (30 percent)

Mike Huckabee won the Republican caucus and the pundits say he

will make a formidable candidate.

Can this country handle have an African American for president?

I think so because politics is politics and people are people

and there are certain things that must be done by whomever wins

the presidency. The job will always be the same. It's a hard

job being president as well as first lady but this win in Iowa

will bring out the truth in everyone you know. Watch and listen

and learn from these things that are happening now. It will be

then that you know where you stand among your crowd, co-workers

friends and family.

I went to the Democratic National Committee site and saw an

article on how Mike Huckabee wouldn't be a good choice for

president.

I didn't see a word about Obama's win.

He took the 17-29 vote, said the best political team on

television, (CNN).

Well, maybe that is the way it goes, so I went to the GOP site

(Grand Old Party=Republican National Committee) and saw a map

asking me to find out how bad my state was at voter fraud. I

passed on the offer.

A blog post said today was "Test day for Clinton."

I hope some black newspapers out there are watching the news

and writing--like I am.

(Hint: If you will not be publishing tomorrow (Friday) then use

a second or third day lede because the story will be OLD by the

time it hits the streets in your town)

Take the hint please.

Now, when O.J. Simpson does anything everyone writes about it.

How could there be not a word on the blogs about Obama?

A quick search of "Obama" on Yahoo! returned mild manner

headlines like "Obama, Huckabee win Iowa" etc.

USA returned a headline of "Edwards, Clinton vie for second

place." At least Obama's name was mentioned in the lede.

They also had a pull out box "Close-Up Barack Obama,"

as they did for all of the front runners in the campaign.

Yawn.

Congressman Pete Visclosky holds Town Forums

Congressman Pete Visclosky announced he will be holding 24 Town Forums throughout Indiana’s First Congressional District during the month of January. Each year Visclosky holds forums throughout the region to hear directly from constituents and provide an update on the issues facing Congress and Northwest Indiana.



Congressman Visclosky addresses the Unites Steelworkers rally. Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, looks on as Visclosky makes his remarks. (6/26/06)


“There are many important issues facing this country and Northwest Indiana right now, including rising gas and energy prices, creating good-paying jobs, working to make high-quality healthcare more accessible, and establishing a responsible timetable for redeploying our troops from Iraq. As the New Year and the new session of Congress begin, I want to hear directly from the people of Northwest Indiana on the issues that matter most to them,” Visclosky said in a press release.

Just like in the past years, a local middle or high school student will have the opportunity to introduce Congressman Visclosky in his or her community and lead the forum in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thursday Jan. 10
6 p.m., Gary Wildermuth Library, 501 S. Lake St., Gary. Introduction by Tremaine Tillotson, Dunbar-Pulaski Middle School

Friday, Jan. 11
6:30 p.m., Merrillville Town Hall, 7820 Broadway, Merrillville

Saturday, Jan. 12
9 a.m., Gary Public Safety Center, 1st Floor Community Room, 535 Polk St., Gary. Introduction by Oliver Thornton, Tolleston Middle

11 a.m., East Chicago Public Library, 2401 E. Columbus Drive, East Chicago. Introduction by Tatiana Brito, Block Junior High

3 p.m., Hammond Main Library, 564 State St. Introduction by Calvin Sanders,Eggers Middle.

In December Visclosky announced that he secured $12 million for Northwest Indiana for a wide-range of programs including educational programs, disaster preparedness, and transportation projects throughout Northwest Indiana.
The funding is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Bill (HR 2764), which has passed the House and Senate, and is expected to be signed into law by the President.
This funding is in addition to the over $58 million in energy and water infrastructure projects and $4.6 million in crime prevention funding, also in HR 2764.

IUN
Also included in the legislation is $931,000 for a range of educational initiatives in Northwest Indiana, including after-school programs for K-12 students, funding for an urban academy geared for college bound students, and support for Indiana University Northwest’s (IUN) Health Research Institute.

Specifically, the Indiana University School of Medicine in Gary will receive $502,000 for facilities and equipment at the newly formed Northwest Indiana Health Research Institute, which advances new knowledge and information about the health and care of urban populations.

YWCA
Visclosky also secured $191,000 for after school and summer programs at the YWCA of Gary. The Gary YWCA will offer an after school and summer program, called Kids Café, designed to provide a safe haven for children and prevent them from engaging in risky behavior. The program aims to serve youth throughout Northwest Indiana.

Purdue Calumet Urban Academy

Visclosky also secured $238,000 for to help fund the Hammond Purdue Calumet urban academy focused on technology and science with a college-bound curriculum.

Purdue University Calumet, with the support of the Civil City of Hammond, will create an urban academy as an alternative educational opportunity for Hammond residents.

The academy would begin as a middle school focused on technology and science with a college-bound curriculum, with the academy adding grade levels each year until it becomes a middle/high school.

The academy would serve approximately 90 students per grade, and parental involvement would be a prerequisite for application. Total Purdue Cal School of Technology funding is $9.15 million.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will receive $1.476 million for land acquisition. The funding for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore fits into Visclosky’s vision for investing in Lake Michigan to improve the area’s economic and recreational opportunities.
Also included in the legislation is $1.225 million to align 45th Street and Calumet Avenue in Munster. By allowing this east-west thoroughfare to be aligned, traffic congestion and train interruptions will be greatly reduced.
Visclosky also secured $196,000 for Rohrman Park in Schererville. This funding will be used for park expansion and improvements, including improvements to the athletic fields in the park.
Also included in the legislation is $817,000 for Valparaiso University to help purchase a dual-polarization detection Doppler weather radar system.

Transportaion
Visclosky was able to secure funding for several transportation infrastructure projects throughout the 1st Congressional District, including $4.9 million for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s (NICTD) efforts to continue to invest in commuter rail throughout Northwest Indiana, which was also supported by Senator Richard Lugar and Congressman Joe Donnelly.

Lake County Sheriff
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is set to receive $658,000 for two major and much needed technological upgrades. A majority of the funds will be for the Wireless Network Project, which will serve as the fundamental vehicle by which the Lake County Sheriff Department, Fire Department, EMA and EMS will establish an interoperable communication system, which was a regional recommendation of the Good Government Initiative. The funds will be used for the purchase of data sharing software and interoperable wireless communications devices.


“As the Sheriff’s Department continues our efforts to track down those who have committed crimes, it is crucial that we have access to high-quality equipment and technology that will assist in our efforts, and I thank Congressman Visclosky for his continued assistance,” said Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez.

The remainder of the $658,000 will be used to purchase digital photography equipment and software for the Lake County Sheriff’s Crime Lab, which was also a recommendation of the Good Government Initiative. According to the initiative, the current photography equipment in the lab is over 20 years old and current processing of photos is inefficient.

Local Police Divisions
Another law-enforcement tool that will receive funding, and is part of the Good Government Initiative is the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which will receive $376,000. In an effort to increase the safety of Northern Lake County Indiana, six police departments; Hammond, Gary, East Chicago, Whiting, Highland and Hobart, have agreed to create an integrated booking system that electronically captures, prints and transmits fingerprints and data. The implementation of this system will allow these departments to share their resources and to more efficiently identify and arrest criminals. The funds provided will be used to purchase and install the equipment in the six departments.


The Gary Police Department will receive $451,000 to complete Phase IV of the Shot Spotter Gunfire Detection System by purchasing additional sensors. The Gary Police Department will use the system to deal with gun-related crime, including a significant number that are directly related to drug trafficking and gang activity.

Juvenile Justice
Also included in the legislation is $94,000 for the “No Workshops No Jumpshots” Program. This program, which is based in Gary and is part of the Department of Justice’s Juvenile Justice Program, provides programming activities for youth between the ages of 13-18 years old. The goal of the “No Workshops No Jumpshots” program is to provide a positive, structured environment in which the participants work to improve academic achievement, social skills and emotional maturity.

HIDTA
Visclosky was also able to secure $3.022 million for the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Lake County’s HIDTA’s goal is to reduce illegal drug-trafficking and drug-related crime throughout the area. “Because so much of the crime in Northwest Indiana is related to drug activity, it is critical to invest in anti-drug programs like HIDTA,” said Visclosky.

Also included in this appropriations bill is $25.850 million for the nation-wide Bullet Proof Vest Partnership Program, which Congressman Visclosky authored in 1997. The program works with local law enforcement agencies throughout the country to provide funding for the purchase of bulletproof vests. The purpose of the program is to save the lives of law enforcement officers engaged in local crime-fighting activities.

Earlier this year, in addition to this funding for crime prevention, Visclosky announced he secured $800,000 for the Indiana National Guard’s Drug Demand Reduction Program, which will provide support to several drug-prevention programs for area students in Northwest Indiana.

Fortress SSH Server

In an effort to start a newspaper on line, I was told by a salesman and a consultant that it would have to be hosted on my on server. Anyone in the business of Internet anything will at some point need to consider a secure shell server for their business to keep hackers out of the mix.
I am still researching this subject because I will need an influx of capital by way of many advertisers and this SSH will not be optional--I'll have to have it in order to work.
One way to cut overhead is to have minimal office space and have writers work off-site. They would log in to the computer to submit and or edit stories. I will have a software intensive environment with the newspaper. Files will have to be backed up and I will need lots of memory for high-resolution photos and e-mail accounts. The list is endless and can be overwhelming at times.
Owning my own business will require me to learn more about things like a SSH Server.
I have found that to host a newspaper site that supports advertisers and subscribers submitting payments over the Internet in addition to a print edition published twice a week cannot be accomplished with my current set up because of the Internet traffic.
No, I am not an expert but by the time this plan becomes an actuality, I will be.

I am an editor for Topix.com

I am an editor for Topix.com as I mentioned before in a post.
What I get to do is edit news for my area, Gary, IN. It was free to sign up and I utilized the site anyway because I liked that I could get a variety of local news on one page. Also because I saw one of my friends was an editor, I, being the copycat that I am, decided to sign up too.
This is not a paid position but since I am up sitting at my computer reading news on line anyway, I might as well add some news to the page I'm looking at because who could know an area better than it's inhabitants?
I can also add stories that I write but so far I have only added a weather photo and caption.
Also, a blogger of note is Dwight Taylor. I don't think I know him personally but his blog, Uncensored Reality is informative and he can be heard on WLTH Radio quite often.

Learn to Play the Piano in 2008

Children and adults who want to learn how to play the piano should plan this new year to make good on that promise to themselves or their children. People who know how to play a musical instrument are considered to be more interesting and also of a higher intelligence that the average person.
Piano lessons & piano chords unfortunately, are in a world unknown to me.
I have friends who know how to play the piano and my mother is teaching herself chords on her organ but I don't know a note. This is a fact that saddens me but makes me want to learn.
I found a site recently--Playpiano.com--where they send out DVDs to you so that you may learn at your own pace. They even have a free newsletter they'll send you upon request.
The site is easy enough to navigate so that you can see how the DVD's can help you and so that you can read the testimonials from satisfied customers.

I listen to WLTH Radio 1370 AM

I am an avid listener to WLTH Radio. The hosts and hostess also known as the "Tri-City Connection" take callers from all over the Northwest Indiana area but the subject of the day is almost always Gary, Indiana.
This morning they touched on the city's murder rate and how bad some of the grocery stores are in terms of cleanliness.
The murder rate story may be found at Topix.com where I am an editor. I cannot help you with the source of the other story.

Bad Credit Auto Loans

People who use bad credit auto loans to get a car after experiencing financial problems also improve their credit score.
The more you pay on time on a loan, the better your credit will be. Credit reporting occurs at 30, 60 and 90 days--especially if you are late with a payment.
Being late with a payment is how consumers end up in a situation where they have to take bed credit auto loans. The interest is higher.
When I go to buy a car, I will probably have to obtain a bad credit auto loan. I hope the interest rates aren't too high.
The lower the interest rate the more car you can buy with the loan amount.

Clean the snow off of your property

Make sure you clean off your stoops, steps and sidewalks. People coming to your home do not want to stumble over ice and snow drifts trying to knock on your door.
Besides that, it is rude and lazy.
If you cannot do it yourself make sure you hire someone to do it.
The reason I am writing this post is because my father just yelled at me about not sweeping the snow off of my porch.
Other than that, I hope everyone had a happy New Year because I know I did.
I hope the rest of the year is just as good.