Gen Plus » Presidential Election 2008

“The Moment”

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:56:05 +0000

Mixed into the excitement of today’s inauguration, were two technological items of note that may have gotten swept a bit under the carpet. The first is the launch of Barack Obama’s Presidential website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ Obama’s team have created the first dynamic Presidential website with a tone very much in keeping with the tone Obama set throughout his campaign for the Presidency. If you click on the site, you’ll see, right at the top right corner an email sign-up. His team plans to continue the powerful email communication strategy that won him the hearts of America. As well, there is a sense of transparency, lots of video and tons of info. I’m signed up. You should, too.

Second on the technical side is the amazing interactive 3D photo of “The Moment” — the moment of the swearing in. Attendees were encouraged to email in their pictures to CNN, from their perspective at the inaugural celebration. The result is an astounding bit of online technology developed by Microsoft Live Labs, called “Photosynth”– a truly interactive, 360 degree, multi-dimensional, multi-moment , virtual collage. When you first click on the picture, you think you are just zooming in, however, each “zoom” is another picture. I was fascinated by the close-ups of the Obama’s — pictures grabbed several moments and you can see, expression-by-expression “the moment”, even seeing Ted Kennedy smiling behind Obama. Apparently, many other photos will be added over the next few days, but even at this stage it is astounding. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/inauguration/themoment/

Blogging Boomers Carnival celebrates #100

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:42:23 +0000

When the moon is in the 7th house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars…

It may not be THAT aligned, but I find it rather appealing that our Blogging Boomers Carnival celebrates our 100th carnival episode on a national holiday (MLK) and the day before the most historic presidential inauguration in the US. Does it mean anything??? At all?? I doubt it. But coincidence? I don’t think so…

It gives me great pleasure to direct your attention and your clicks to The Boomer Chronicles for this week’s 100th installment of Blogging Boomers Carnival, hosted at one of our carnival founder’s (Rhea Becker) sites!

When Wes Hein and Rhea Becker, both exceptional writers, asked me to join their Carnival a few years ago, I remembered thinking, “Huh?” I had no idea what a Blog Carnival was, what it was for and I seriously doubted we’d be at it more than a few weeks. I didn’t know either Wes or Rhea, but had “met” Rhea online through her blog and found her writing very appealing.

A Blog Carnival, for inquiring minds who want to know, is an online round up of blog posts by a specific group of bloggers (in our case Boomers) that makes the rounds by being hosted on a different blog each week (or day or month, depending upon the schedule your group decides upon.) When we started, there really were no social networks, except for My Space and a fledgling LinkedIn. So we kind of started our own. Each week, for the past 100 weeks, we stayed on track and on schedule (thanks to Wes and Rhea’s tenacity and good organizational skills!) and shared our views on all things Boomer. As a result, the Carnival has become quite well known among Boomer circles. We aren’t all the original members, but I am delighted to have been part of the first round.

There are some weeks, where, as a blogger, you sometimes feel a bit discouraged. Perhaps no one has emailed you anything exciting for a few days. Or the news is just really bad (like, oh, let’s say, our economy falling through the floor). Or people are afraid or too quick to move on to take the time to comment (yes, we LIVE for comments). But having our Carnival deadline is always the kick in the pants to inspire some sort of blogging frenzy on those rare occasions that blogger’s block kicks in.

Thank you for following our blogs. You have no idea what your support means to each of us. I hope we’ll continue for another 100 carnivals and I’ll do my best to keep you engaged (with my witty reparte, insightful commentary, ground-breaking analysis…LOL)!

Watch Obama’s inauguration live and online!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:23:25 +0000

Do you have to be at the office or on the road tomorrow? Don’t despair — if you have access to the internet, you can watch this historic inauguration live and online at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/live/ Plus CNN has partnered with Facebook, so if you sign up, you’ll be able to join millions of other by logging in and sharing your reactions and status for this historic moment.

This is really exciting.

Too much to say and not enough time…

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:37:43 +0000

Apparently, along with many of you, I’ve got a heck of a lot on my mind lately. There are so many things I want to share — reviews of new movies coming up (a little bit of escapism never hurt anyone), much, much more on the auto industry, perspective on the economy, new technologies — but there will be NOTHING more exciting this coming week, than watching the inauguration of the Unites States of America’s first black president. On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 starting at 11:30 am, Barack Obama will take his place in history. I want to see Barack’s face the first moment he is called, “Mr. President”. I want to hear the words he will first say and cry my first emotional tears of relief that he will be in place to lead a hopeful charge for our futures.

Just as I remember exactly where I was on 9/11, the worst day in the history of the US, I will remember exactly where I am, on possibly, the best day in US history.

Mishpocha in Anchorage

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 06:40:03 +0000

Ah, nothing amuses me more than another snippet having to do with Sarah Palin. And, this weekend, again, she doesn’t disappoint. If you haven’t picked up on this one, yet, the mother of Levi Johnston (who impregnated Palin’s daughter, Bristol) , has been arrested on drug charges. Wasilla has the unfortunate reputation as a meth hotbed, so, it does stand to reason that someone in Palin’s extended family (mishpocha) might have that connection. Not sure which is more distracting…shoes getting thrown at President Bush, or Sherry Johnston out on bond while Bristol gives birth.

What a Turkey!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Just when I breathed a sigh of relief that Sarah Palin had temporarily fallen off the media radar, I have been able to lose my appetite, once again, with her Turkey pardon interview. Good gosh. Sarah. Stop giving interviews. If you haven’t seen it or heard about it yet, Palin pardons a turkey while a turkey slaughterer stands in the background grinning at the cameras while doing his job…slaughtering turkeys. Crikeys. Don’t know how I’m going to eat my Thanksgiving dinner this year. Well, at least I can give thanks she didn’t get into office.

It’s disturbing to watch any animal get slaughtered, so if you have a weak stomach, don’t watch the video (and DEFINITELY not for kids younger than about 17 or 18), but if you can handle it, the woman is more than just gaffe-prone…she’s utterly clueless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8

That one is The One.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:43:00 +0000

America has spoken. Barack Obama, President -elect has broken racial barriers, voter turnout records, and shown the world that he, and his spectacular team, is capable of re-energerizing the nation. Tears in my eyes, my mother’s eyes, and my daughter’s eyes, as along with millions of Americans and countless viewers around the world, we witnessed history being made.

Congratulations Barack Obama. Looking forward to getting to know you.

Today is the Election. Go Vote.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:30:00 +0000

I spent a few hours yesterday at the Obama/Biden campaign offices for the San Fernando Valley, volunteering my time and my cell phone minutes to join hundreds of other people in calling eligible voters to remind them to get out and vote. Never thought I’d take part in a political campaign in any way, and yet, there I was, going through training and making calls with other interested valley dwellers! Surprisingly, it was a lot of fun and whether those I reached were voting for McCain or Obama, they were mostly planning on exercising their right and getting out to vote.

So…forget the polls. Forget the pundits. Forget the past two years (if you can). Today is the day that counts. Exercise your right to vote and do so today. Will there be long lines? Possibly. Might you have to wait a bit? Possibly. I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited in line for a popular movie, to get into an exclusive club, and to buy concert tickets. Today is a bit more important.

Projected numbers don’t mean anything. What matters today is that your vote, the vote that belongs to you, gets cast and is counted. So, go on. Get out and vote.

Which is scarier? Halloween or Nov. 4th?

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:48:00 +0000

What an odd Halloween this year. I’ve been planning on posting several times this week, but my heart was just not into blogging and I couldn’t really figure out why. Well, now that Halloween has come and gone, I think I’ve got it. I’m a bit depressed. Just like the rest of you. No matter the outcome of the election on Tuesday (and I’m very pro-Barack, if you didn’t know), we are in a mess in this country. All talk is swinging to the fears that college grads won’t find work and my heart is, as always, all consumed with all the Boomers and 50 Plussers who, with the greatest of spirit and skills, will not be able to get a foot in any employers door.

This year, Halloween was odd. Very quiet on the streets, very subdued decorations. Pumpkins went moldy at the sellers because people didn’t have the spirit to carve this year. Very few kids on the streets and lots of homes very dark. On the bright side, it seemed that many people pulled others into their homes with parties. (A psychological circling of the wagons?)

And parents meeting other parents on the street talked politics, the insanely high electric and water bill we all got in our ‘hood, and the slowing of business all over. Not really about our kids, or holiday plans, or our own plans for the future.

On to Nov. 4th. A pivotal election. Obama is not the seasoned politician that McCain is, but Obama stirs hope AND can surround himself with an incredible pool of talent. After all I’ve seen, I’m convinced that he’ll make solid decisions. I’m not worried about his support of Israel for one major reason. He is going to go full steam ahead on alternative energy sources. And who is the leading country able to turn desert into arable land? Who harvests water from the saltiest of seas? Who has had to rely on invention and the use of alternative energy sources and leads the exploration in that area? Israel. Nuff said there.

I have great respect for McCain, but I think he is better as a contrarian than the leader of the country. I could never trust his “on-the-fly” decision-making in light of his selection of Sarah Palin (and I was on the fence for awhile about McCain vs. Obama having been a true Hillary supporter). But our country needs his ‘tude and I hope that if Obama wins he’ll hold a pivotal role in that administration.

But the other thing that really got me this week, and that I’ve not quite been able to put into words, was my daughter’s reaction to Obama’s politi-mercial earlier this week. My 8-year old has been very interested in this election because my mother and I are tireless in our channel flipping between CNN, MSNBC and FOX to see as many perspectives as possible. And my child has been subjected to this for a very long time. She watched the CNN interview with John McCain with us and then the Obama infomercial.

She didn’t understand all of the words, but she had a strong visceral reaction to both. The Obama infomercial was very well done. Slick, manipulative (ummm…not quite the right word…more like orchestrated and on point), and a very strong musical soundtrack. The music combined with Obama’s review of his mom’s situation struggling with cancer is what got to my child. She was sitting on the sofa, with our dog, Daisy, and started to cry. She asked me if I thought Daisy missed her mother. So the infomercial worked on an 8 year old.

After the two candidates were done, I asked her what she thought about each candidate. Her answer to me was based on two simple things — the warmth of their eyes and their perceived caring for people. Of McCain she thought his eyes looked angry (he’s a fighter, so that would be accurate) and that made her think he might not care as much for the people. Of Obama, she thought his eyes were warm and based on the infomercial, that he really cared for people and loved his mother.

So the polarization between the two camps isn’t lost, even on an 8-year old. McCain is a fighter. And his style is to push past our borders and keep the strength of the US boldly fighting abroad. Obama is looking at the internal hurt in our country and believes we need to fix some problems at home, fast and furious, before we compromise our position as world leaders.

I take counsel from my child. I’m not against McCain. I’m just for Obama.

3 discoveries on a Saturday morning.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Ronni Bennett, over at Time Goes By, one of the best elder blogs on the net (cutting commentary, says what others don’t want to say, fantastic finds, elder gems), found this wonderful Google offering and shares it. A great way to figure out ways to save money and lessen your carbon footprint at the same time! Plus additional tips for the energy conscious.

In the theme of less is more, Rhea Becker, at The Boomer Chronicles, discovers the joys of barter. Back in the 1980′s and 90′s, there were barter clubs. My mother, who was talented and a bit on cash-strapped side, took part in barter clubs with great success. As well, one summer we traded houses with a Parisian family and enjoyed their beautiful home and car for 3 weeks while they explored Canada and the US with our home as their base and our station wagon! It was a great adventure, a smashing success and no money changed hands.

And my last discovery of the morning is that my very unscientific voting poll on my blog (with only 9 days left til the election) is giving Barack Obama 69% of the vote with 28% going to John McCain. Just a few days ago the numbers were MUCH closer together and now the spread is growing. Is it possible that many of my readers lean Democrat? Yup. Is it possible that many of you don’t want to make your vote known? Yup. But I find it very interesting that the spread is increasingly so significantly the closer we get to the election.