This is a national discussion group. Please help me keep it relevant by keeping the focus of the blog on women's opinions about the issues.
Please do not use this blog to advertise your local events. This group is spread around the entire country, so your time would be better spent organizing in your local or regional groups.
Thanks.
WASHINGTON – It was a family affair for President Barack Obama at the Oregon State-George Washington University basketball game Saturday.
Brother-in-law Craig Robinson is the Oregon State coach. And the president brought along first lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and mother-in-law Marian Robinson.
The family sat courtside in the half-full Smith Center, munching on popcorn as Oregon State (2-3) handed George Washington its first loss after four victories.
After leading comfortably for much of the game, OSU survived a late rally by GWU to win 64-57 in front of a boisterous crowd.
Naturally, the Obamas were intensely interested in the outcome. Obama and Mrs. Robinson clapped when OSU scored. Mrs. Obama smiled and clapped, too.
Obama, an avid basketball fan who likes to play the game himself as often as he can, spent the past two days out of public view, enjoying Thanksgiving at the White House with family and friends. After the game, the president returned to the White House.
President Barack Obama waves as he attends a college basketball game between George Washington University and Oregon State with his family in Washington, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009.
11/27/09 by Ben Markus - NPR
Hawaii wants out of the national health care overhaul because it already has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country, thanks to its 35-year-old employer mandate system. Hawaii's congressional delegation inserted language into both House and Senate health care bills that provides explicit protection for the landmark Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974. It's apparently the only state looking for such an exemption from major health care overhaul.
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
Some people in Hawaii are watching the national health care debate with a been there/done that attitude. Hawaii has one of the country's lowest percentages of uninsured residents and passed its own health care redesign 35 years ago.
From Hawaii Public Radio, Ben Markus reports.
BEN MARKUS: Longtime Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercrombie wants to be clear: Hawaii is not trying to exempt itself from efforts to overhaul health care. But...
Representative NEIL ABERCROMBIE (Democrat, Hawaii): Should the happy circumstance take place that the national bill is better than ours, offers more benefits and is more reasonably priced and available than ours, why, then of course we'll rescind ours.
MARKUS: Hawaii was the first state to attempt universal coverage. It did it by instituting an employer mandate. In other words, all businesses big and small must provide health insurance for employees who work more than 20 hours a week. These days, only about eight percent of Hawaii's population is uninsured. That's half the national average and way ahead of states like Texas with 25 percent uninsured.
Congressman Abercrombie is joined in the fight by the rest of the state's long-term and subsequently powerful delegation. They've inserted explicit language protecting Hawaii's system in both the House and Senate versions of national health care overhaul.
Dr. GINNY PRESSLER (Executive, Hawaii Pacific Health): I certainly wouldn't want to question that wisdom.
MARKUS: That's Ginny Pressler. She's a high-ranking hospital executive and an advocate for Hawaii's uninsured. Pressler has been an influential voice in the Hawaii health care debate for many years. She says there's a lot worth protecting.
Dr. PRESSLER: We do have good health care and access to health care and the lowest cost per enrolling in Medicare anywhere in the nation. And again for our commercial payers, we have the second lowest premiums anywhere in the nation.
MARKUS: Still, Pressler says Hawaii's not immune to the growing cost of health care, a burden that forces some companies to find ways around the mandate.
MARKUS: Here at the Waikiki Health Center, it's a busy morning. The center caters to low-income and homeless patients. Through this recession it's seen a tenfold increase in workload as the newly jobless lose their employer provided insurance.
Waiting in line is Jason Samson(ph). He was recently laid off from a local detail shop. To get treatment, he must first sit down with Gari Gorman(ph), an eligibility coordinator. Samson tells her that despite working full time, he didn't get insurance.
Ms. GARI GORMAN (Eligibility Coordinator, Waikiki Health Center): Okay, so they never offered any kind of health insurance at all.
Mr. JASON SAMSON: They told me after 30 days that I would be getting in, but I never got no health card, insurance card, anything like that. And they never took it out of none of my paychecks.
MARKUS: The health center says they see a lot of this - companies withholding insurance against state law. They also hear of employers scaling back hours to avoid the mandate.
Sam Slom is a small businessman and a Republican state senator. He says the mandate has put Hawaii companies who follow the rules at a disadvantage, probably forcing some out of business altogether.
Senator SAM SLOM (Republican, Hawaii): And, you know, anecdotally you can tell stories about that. But somebody says, well, show me. Show me where it actually happened and it's really hard to do.
MARKUS: It's hard to do because the employer mandate as he sees it is just one of many onerous mandates, taxes and regulations in Hawaii.
(Soundbite of restaurant)
MARKUS: Other businesses see the mandate as a benefit. At Murphy's Bar and Grill in downtown Honolulu, owner Don Murphy says he provides health insurance not just for individual employees, but in some cases their whole family.
Mr. DON MURPHY (Owner, Murphy's Bar and Grill): So, you know, you want to help them out. I mean, you know, when you do that, hopefully they stay. And, you know, I've got - god, I don't know - my average employee has probably been here over 10 years. So I've got a couple guys that have been with me since I opened: 22 years.
MARKUS: Though he readily admits the rising cost of that benefit is eating into the bottom line.
Jerry Russo, a health economist at the University of Hawaii, doesn't discount the mandate's impact on businesses. In the face of skyrocketing insurance premiums, he says Hawaii employers are unable to drop coverage.
Professor JERRY RUSSO (Chairman, Economics Department, University of Hawaii): And we've seen that on the U.S. mainland that a lot of employers have dropped coverage. Whereas in Hawaii it's continued to be stable. Now, that may have been a hardship for the employers. We don't really know.
MARKUS: Whether or not the mandate is a hardship on businesses, Russo believes it's quite amazing that a system designed 35 years ago still provides widespread coverage today. And it looks like that system may continue for decades to come - protection for Hawaii's employer mandate is still alive in both the House and Senate versions of health care overhaul.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/nov/132439.htm
The US President will be making a one-day stopover during the first part of the UN climate conference in the Danish capital where he is expected to announce an American emissions reduction target of 17 percent.
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=2709
11/27/09 By Geoff Ziezulewicz, Stars and Stripes, Mideast edition
COMBAT OUTPOST CHARKH, Afghanistan – In most ways, Thanksgiving Day started out just like every day for the men of Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment.
First Platoon greeted the sunny yet brisk morning air with a patrol through a local bazaar.
"It’s Thanksgiving," 1st Lt. Kevin Cory said to his men as they got ready to push out. "We’re thankful that it’s 9 a.m. and we’re cold."
Second platoon, to the bafflement of other soldiers, spent much of the day digging battle trenches for a class they were about to teach the Afghan National Army.
Like any other day, hot water for showers was in short supply; troops grumbled about a variety of things and made jokes about just how stoned on hashish their Afghan counterparts actually were.
Still, Cpl. Jason Huft of Clovis, N.M., had been preparing the holiday chow since the day before. And as the air warmed, T-bones sizzled on a grill fashioned out of a metal barrel.
Life isn’t easy at Combat Outpost Charkh in Logar province.
The showers are jury-rigged affairs. There’s no heat and wooden outhouses.
But despite this rough deployment and the longing that comes with being so close to going home, Thanksgiving came to COP Charkh.
Company commander Capt. Jason Wingeart pulled guard duty before serving chow with the other officers. At a base where most meals are basic, lukewarm affairs, soldiers dug into turkey, steak, ham, shrimp, macaroni and cheese and other holiday staples. It was the first time some had felt full in a long time.
"That was good as (expletive)," one soldier said to another after eating.
And despite the rough conditions, the soldiers said they had a lot to be thankful for. Mainly each other, and that they were all going home. Though there have been many injuries, the company has only lost one soldier in Charkh.
"I’m thankful that all my buddies are still alive and that I get to spend (Thanksgiving) with the guys to the left and right of me who watch my back every day," said 1st Platoon’s Spc. William Brown of Milwaukee. "And I’m thankful I’m leaving in two weeks."
"I’m thankful I didn’t get shot at today," said Pfc. Don Garab of Walkerton, Ind., of 3rd Platoon. "And for a good cigar."
"I’m thankful I’m not digging that foxhole anymore," said Spc. John McDermott, one of the unfortunate 2nd Platoon guys tasked with that most un-festive of duties.
"I’m thankful for ‘A cog’ scopes, M203’s and HEDP," 2nd Platoon’s Sgt. David Lloyd said, military-speak for his rifle scope, grenade launcher and ammunition. "They’ve saved our ass a lot."
Even Afghan army captain and battle-hardened ex-Mujahedeen fighter Capt. Raz Mohammad got a plate, eagerly digging into a mix of steak, greens and pie.
"It’s really good," he said between mouthfuls. "Everything I like."
Despite the grim conditions at COP Charkh, Sgt. Daniel Barsi of Utica, Ill., was thankful for his health and the security of America.
"The way I see things, everything could always be worse."
Meanwhile, in Washington, President Barack Obama telephoned 10 U.S. servicemen and women stationed in war zones Thursday, to thank them for their service.
The White House says Obama called two servicemembers each in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. The servicemembers are stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Arabian Gulf.
Doug asked me "What do people in Hawaii have for Thanksgiving?" I said that I would post the answer on CITA.
The seven inhabited islands that make up the state of Hawaii has as of 2005, an estimated population of 1,275,194 people. In 2008 the Census Bureau the breakdown of the population is that Asian Americans made up 38.5%, White Americans made up 27.1%, Multiracial Americans made up 21.4%, Pacific Islander Americans made up 9.0%, African Americans made up 2.4%, and American Indians made up 0.2% of the population.
When the immigrant workers came to Hawaii to work on the plantations they brought their language, customs and foods. The islands are pretty small so everyone has to get along. People had to learn each other's languages to get things accomplished. Today all the languages and customs are so intertwined that it is easy to get mixed up as to which word or custom is from which group. Pidgin English is a mix up of languages; in a sentence you might have Hawaiian, Japanese and Filipino words used all together. The Hawaiian and Japanese languages use the same sounds, like the word Hawaiian "Hemo" means to remove and I grew up thinking that it was a Japanese word. Now I have learned that African languages also have words that use the same sounds as Japanese and Hawaiian.
Peopled shared each other's foods and customs and again it all became intertwined. A Thanksgiving feast might have Hawaiian poke (seasoned raw fish), Japanese maki sushi (rice rolls with a filling and wrapped in a sheet of dried seaweed), a roast turkey with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, Chinese chicken salad, Korean kim chi, pumpkin pie and Hawaii Haupia (coconut pudding).
Hawaii is a pretty cool place cultural-wise. Rarely do you have locals who exclude the customs of the others. Everybody celebrates most of the holidays because it gives them another reason to party. Everybody is Chinese on Chinese New Year eating noodles for long life, Irish on St. Patrick's Day eating corned beef, etc.
I think that is partly President Obama's take on race and culture.
Holiday service: First family hands out food
11/26/09 POLITICO
The first family celebrated Thanksgiving by handing out turkeys, pumpkin pies, vegetables, stuffing and other Thanksgiving groceries Wednesday afternoon at Martha’s Table, just a few miles from the White House. According to its website, “Martha’s Table’s mission is to help at-risk children, youth, families and individuals in our community improve their lives by providing educational programs, food, clothing, and enrichment opportunities." President Obama, First Lady Michelle, daughters Sasha, Malia and First Grandmother Marian Robinson were joined by about a dozen others, including Obama half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, her husband, Konrad Ng and their two daughters, Suhaila and Savita. Pool reports: ”Malia was wearing a vest over her top with a scarf around her neck; Mrs. Obama a grey top and a scrarf draped around her shoulders; Obama, his oft-seen black jacket and Mrs. Robinson, a dark top.”
President Barack Obama stands next to his mother-in-law Marian Robinson, right, his daughter, Sasha and first lady Michelle Obama as they packing food for Thanksgiving at Martha's Table. AP
This video says all I can think of.
http://www.youtube.com/user/divajc#p/u/14/28KppgdX4qc
Love and music,
Diva JC
In Celebration of the Pilgrims!!! Am so thankful for a adminstration that cares about that does what they say they are going to do with a sincere mind and heart!!!!
The White House- Office of the Press Secretary
November 25, 2009
Statement by the President on Native American Heritage Day
“Tomorrow, Americans everywhere will observe our National Day of Thanksgiving. It will be a time of celebration and reflection as we gather with family and friends to count our blessings and remember those less fortunate. But it will also be a time to remember how this holiday began– as a harvest celebration between European settlers and the American Indians who had been living and thriving on the continent for thousands of years.”
“That is why on Friday, I encourage every American to join me in observing Native American Heritage Day. My Administration is committed to strengthening the nation to nation relationship with tribal governments. But it is also important for all of us to understand the rich culture, tradition and history of Native Americans and their status today- and to appreciate the contributions that First Americans have made, and will continue to make to our Nation.”
Here are some actual quotes on the subject "Thankful"
Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. Terry Lynn Taylor***Be thankful for the least gift, so shalt thou be meant to receive greater. Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471)***Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to a good conscience; for health is the second blessing that money cannot buy; therefore value it, and be thankful for it. Izaak Walton (1593 - 1683)***In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
11/24/09 ObamaFoodOrama.blogspot.com
A sustainable, regional, mostly vegetable menu--and curry gets a nod, in honor of India...At left, Mrs. Obama discusses protocol and petit fours in the State Dining Room this afternoon, with the members of her new girls' mentoring and leadership program, during the press preview event for tonight's State Dinner in honor of India. Mrs. Obama actually gave a very serious and moving speech, which will be posted later. As your intrepid blogger predicted, Mrs. Obama mixed her china patterns for this evening, and is using Eisenhower China and Clinton State China for the service plates, and George W. Bush State China for the dinner plates.Also as predicted, the china had meaning: President Eisenhower was the first president to visit India after it gained its independence. And both of the Clintons--Bill and Hillary--have been enormously useful to the Obamas and the administration. President Bush fostered a close relationship with India, too: He held a State dinner in Prime Minister Singh's honor in 2005.
No chefs at the menu preview...and no food, eitherThe ingredients for the State Dinner were sustainably sourced--and meant to represent American regional cuisine; there is no mention of the now-volatile word "organic" in any press guidance. The pears for the dessert were poached in honey from the White House beehive, and herbs and lettuces were harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden--which Ob Fo also predicted. Desserts, created by Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, will be garnished with mint and verbena from the Kitchen Garden, too. The wines, of course, are all American, as is standard White House practice. Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson helped Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford create the menu--but he wasn't present at the preview, nor was she. Nor were any of the dishes from the menu--save for a lone plate of Yosses's desserts. The preview event was a bit of a rugby scrum with so many journalists and photographers climbing over each other. But the menu is interesting--and more on that later, too.
For the State Dinner Menu: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2009/11/state-dinner-menu.html
**********************
Remarks by the First Lady at Indian State Dinner Press Preview
Photos: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Obama-hosts-first-State-Dinner-first-lady-Michelle-Obama-President-Barack-Obama-Gursharan-Kaur/ss/events/pl/112409statedinner/im:/091125/480/545afa31e497430ba7e54779764189a1/#photoViewer=/091125/480/f59cb9f7fcae481d924696773e4ef89d
President Obama In South Korea: The Luncheon Menu...And Other Fun Details
11/20/09 ObamaFoodOrama.blogspot.com
President Obama gains weight in Asia, and Mrs. Obama magically appears for lunch in South Korea
President Obama attended a closed-press luncheon in South Korea with President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok during his visit to Seoul on Nov. 19. But Korean media is reporting that First Lady Michelle Obama also attended the lunch at the Cheongwadae, the seat of government--although Mrs. Obama was in the US the entire time President Obama was in Asia. Perhaps local media enthusiasm is to be excused--there was a massive welcoming ceremony when President Obama arrived in Seoul, and during lunch, he was goofing around a little bit--which was captured in the photo, above, taken in the banquet room. President Lee had just presented President Obama with a taekwondo outfit, including an honorary black belt, as a memento of his visit; the President learned the martial art as a younger man. Lee also handed over a gift for Mrs. Obama: A book of Korean recipes, because everyone knows she's a cooking enthusiast, apparently.
The menu is below, verbatim, from Korean media--because it includes excellent "insidery" details, including the fact that President Obama gained wight on his trip. Actually, the reverse is true--so much so that during his trip, President Obama had to answer questions about weight loss from NBC and CBS, and explain that his weight fluctuates by five pounds. Here's the (possibly) fictitious Korean luncheon menu: Some of the notable dishes were sinseollo, bulgogi, marinated grilled beef; bibimbap, a rice dish with assorted vegetables and beef; japchae, glass noodles with assorted vegetables; and dubu-bugeotang, a dried pollack soup with tofu. Sinseollo, also known as Korean Royal Pot, is one of the most colorful Korean dishes, containing pan-fried beef, kimchi, shrimp pancakes, king trumpet mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms among other things. The dish was initially not considered due to possible complications while serving and eating, but the First Lady insisted, saying there's nothing like a good hot soup in a cold weather. A total of six basic side dishes (called banchan) accompanied the main dishes; kimchi, water kimchi, assorted spinach, tangpyeongchae (mung bean jelly mixed with vegetables and beef), jangjorim (beef boiled in soysauce with egg) and dashima-toegak (dried kelp fried). Obama, for his part, showed how comfortable he was with chopsticks and repeatedly complimented the dishes served as “delicious.” When he commented that he is gaining weight due to the many Asian delicacies he has enjoyed on this trip at previous summits in China, Japan and now in Korea – Lee assured him that Korean dishes are low in calories. Spinach was included as it is known to be the favorite side dish of US Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stevens. *****************
Gochujan (chili paste) is mixed with honey and vinegar to create the Korean Gochujang sauce that is a popular condiment that would accompany many of the dishes mentioned in the article.
I am so completely disgusted with some of the American People, the republican congress and senate, it took eight long years of Bush/Cheny and the republican rich insurance companys, Wallstreet to bring this great country to it's knees.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/20/weekly-address-traveling-abroad-our-economy-home
In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America's principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint efforts to combat climate change. And talks in-depth about the primary objective of his trip: engaging in new markets that hold tremendous potential to spur job creation here at home.
Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (128MB) | mp3 (4MB)
It's been awhile since I've been active here. Honestly, after working night and day to get President Obama elected, I thought I'd be able to rest on my laurels...or at least rest. But noooo, his critics started in on him immediately - as in Nov. 5, 2008 immediately. So I have been working unofficially by writing letters to editors, rounding up support for health care, explaining the bill drafts to friends and strangers, correcting the media, etc. But I want to organize my efforts and measure my results. So I'm back. I miss having reinforcements and knowing that I'm not in this fight alone. Most of all, I miss being around doers instead of talkers.I've been easing my way back into the swing of things by attending a few events per week. This past Wednesday, I attended the Northern CA Weekly Conference Call to see what our strategy is for getting health care passed. Last Thursday, I attended my first official Call for Health Care event. It was great! Much easier than Calling for Change :) Partly because we were calling from a list of people who have already claimed to support the President and/or the health care reform bill. Of the 30 calls I made, I spoke to about 10 people who were at home. They were all still on-board with reform and agreed to call their congressional representatives to let them know.
It's been awhile since I've been active here. Honestly, after working night and day to get President Obama elected, I thought I'd be able to rest on my laurels...or at least rest. But noooo, his critics started in on him immediately - as in Nov. 5, 2008 immediately. So I have been working unofficially by writing letters to editors, rounding up support for health care, explaining the bill drafts to friends and strangers, correcting the media, etc. But I want to organize my efforts and measure my results. So I'm back. I miss having reinforcements and knowing that I'm not in this fight alone. Most of all, I miss being around doers instead of talkers.
I've been easing my way back into the swing of things by attending a few events per week. This past Wednesday, I attended the Northern CA Weekly Conference Call to see what our strategy is for getting health care passed. Last Thursday, I attended my first official Call for Health Care event. It was great! Much easier than Calling for Change :) Partly because we were calling from a list of people who have already claimed to support the President and/or the health care reform bill. Of the 30 calls I made, I spoke to about 10 people who were at home. They were all still on-board with reform and agreed to call their congressional representatives to let them know.
One very memorable caller - an 80 year-old man - was so passionate about this issue! He told me a couple stories about falling through the "donut hole" - the gap between health insurance coverage. At the end of our call, he wanted to do more than call his representatives (again), though. He wanted to personally visit their offices so they could SEE just who is in need of new health care. I'm paraphrasing because he used more...colorful language. :) He signed up as a volunteer to help spread the word about health care. That was my last call of the night. I left on a high note to see an elderly person with that much fight in him, who is willing to use his *ahem* gift of gab in a productive way. It reminded me of my 86 year-old grandmother writing 80 postcards to send to people for Obama for America.It was a very encouraging first night back in the saddle, so to speak. I look forward to tomorrow's tabling event to inform shoppers about health care (we created a game to make the information exchange fun). Next week, I'm hosting a couple of events. We'll see if I still have my organizing touch. :) Let's get it done!
One very memorable caller - an 80 year-old man - was so passionate about this issue! He told me a couple stories about falling through the "donut hole" - the gap between health insurance coverage. At the end of our call, he wanted to do more than call his representatives (again), though. He wanted to personally visit their offices so they could SEE just who is in need of new health care. I'm paraphrasing because he used more...colorful language. :) He signed up as a volunteer to help spread the word about health care. That was my last call of the night. I left on a high note to see an elderly person with that much fight in him, who is willing to use his *ahem* gift of gab in a productive way. It reminded me of my 86 year-old grandmother writing 80 postcards to send to people for Obama for America.
It was a very encouraging first night back in the saddle, so to speak. I look forward to tomorrow's tabling event to inform shoppers about health care (we created a game to make the information exchange fun). Next week, I'm hosting a couple of events. We'll see if I still have my organizing touch. :) Let's get it done!
