Adorable 3 Year Old’s Bedtime Prayer

I don’t mind receiving emails with these types of videos with children in them, although the amen corner was a little loud and seemed to be throwing her off during her prayer. 

 She is too cute and the way she ends the prayer is too funny.

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Sinbad – The Comedian

My husband took me to see Sinbad in concert last Saturday, December 6, 2008 for my birthday gift (my birthday is December 10th) and I still laugh when I am reminded of some of the jokes he told.    I have never been to a comedy concert and I do not watch too many of today’s so-called comedians because the majority of them use too much profanity, tell sexually explicit jokes, or make fun of audience members in order to get laughs.  In other words, they are NOT funny.

I have always been a fan of Sinbad’s because he is very funny and he does not use vulgarities during his stand-up routine.  On Saturday night, Sinbad talked for two hours straight and I did not hear him use one word of profanity nor did he use any vulgarities.  My husband is convinced that he said at least one word of profanity, but since he could not tell me what it was, I am standing by my statement.

During the two hours of his routine, there were not 5 minutes of that time that we were not laughing, most of the time wiping tears from our eyes because we were laughing so hard.  Most of his jokes were about his personal experiences and his family and near the end of the evening, he started taking questions from the audience and made jokes that related to the questions asked. 

After the concert ended, Sinbad was nice enough to hang around and greet the audience members who had walked up to the stage to shake his hand and take pictures with him.  He was very nice because he mentioned that he recently had knee surgery and he walked with a slight limp during his routine.  Nevertheless, he still reached down to shake hands and even helped a few people get onto the stage so that they could take pictures with him.  This had to be painful and as we waited for the crowd to exit the theatre, we watched him doing this and some of the facial expressions indicated that he might have been in a little pain.  He is such a great guy for doing that. 

The only bad thing I can say is that I was really upset that we were not able to purchase any CDs of his stand-up after the concert ended.  I searched online the following day (unsuccessfully) for contact information for him because I have a proposition for him:  if at all possible, please enlist one or two people who would be willing to record your concerts and sell them to those in attendance either immediately following the concert or online at a later date.  I thought about this on Sunday morning because each Sunday after service, we wait an additional 15 to 20 minutes after service ends in order to get a CD of the sermon/message that we heard that day.  Surely, the equipment used to make CDs so quickly comes in a “portable form” and would be easy for a non-technical person to operate to accomplish this.

Sinbad, my brother, I would be more than happy to take this challenge the next time you are in Houston, Austin, or Dallas because I know at least 10 people who would have loved to receive a recording of Saturday night’s concert as a gift and I would love to have been able to give it to them.  I am a strong believer in the scripture that says a merry heart (laughter) does good like a medicine,  and we all received a very hearty dose of  both last Saturday night.   Thanks for all of the laughs!!

Earl Stafford – I Don’t Know Him, But I Think I Love Him

I have not been able to figure out how to post the video directly to this blog, so I will just post the article here and I will post a link to the video.   Of course, there are going to be a LOT of people who think they know a better way that Mr. Stafford could spend his $1 million (which is probalby why he kept this quiet for months before it received media attention), but if I was financially able to do a fraction of something like this, I would do it in a heartbeat. 

Click here for a link to the article on abcnews.com that includes a two-minute video.

Down on Their Luck to Be VIPs at Obama Ball

Businessman Earl Stafford Buys $1 Million Hotel Package for 300 Unexpected Guests

By WONBO WOO and LAUREN SHER

Dec. 4, 2008—

 

Based on the charitable efforts of a Virginia businessman, it looks like an unexpected group will have some of the hottest tickets in town when President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated Jan. 20.

“We’re hoping those who had no expectations of being a part of this to have one of the best seats, one of the best views of Washington,” said Earl Stafford, 60, founder of a technology company in Centreville, Va.

Despite intense demand surrounding the inauguration, Stafford managed to book 300 rooms for three nights at the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Ave. as part of a $1 million “build your own ball” package the hotel recently advertised.

He did it in hopes of bringing less-fortunate groups into the democratic process, “those who are marginalized, those who are terminally ill, our wounded veterans and because we don’t want to exclude our young people, we’ll also have a 300-person youth ball,” he said.

At least a third of Stafford’s guests will be from underprivileged communities — wounded soldiers, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, and Hurricane Katrina victims. The rest will be people from foundations, volunteers and charitable organizations that Stafford is hoping to encourage for their philanthropic work.

The hotel’s $1 million package also comes with $200,000 worth of food and exclusive use of the hotel’s 12th floor balcony with great views of the inaugural parade.

Despite the hefty price tag, many organizations were eager to book the deal.

“I’ve never had to run anywhere with $1 million,” Stafford said, laughing.

Inaugurations are times for parades and parties to salute a new president. With 10 or 12 inaugural balls this year, the lavish events to celebrate Obama’s arrival are in high demand.

By most estimates, the inauguration of the 44th president will be the biggest in history. District officials are preparing for a crowd of up to 4 million people — only a fraction of whom will be able to attend the events.

But Stafford’s guests will get the VIP treatment.

On top of the $1 million purchase, Stafford has set aside another $600,000 for two more inaugural balls at the hotel and is even ready to provide tuxedos and ball gowns for his guests.

“We believe that it is important for us to include those who are less fortunate, because, like Barack Obama, we, too, believe in the American dream,” Stafford said.

 

Bringing Marginalized to D.C. Center

Stafford said the event has evolved beyond his “wildest dreams.”

“When organizations and companies hear about our attempt to do good, they’re asking, ‘How can we do good, be part of this, make dreams come true for the underprivileged?’” he said.

His wife, Amanda, added, “We’re hoping that our feeble effort to do good in America would be contagious and that other people and other organizations would look and say, ‘Well, you know, things might be a little tough for us, but we can still give.’”

But some wonder why anyone would give so much to strangers.

Stafford, the son of a Baptist minister, said, “Someone once said if the Lord be your partner, make your plans large.”

“When you seek to bless others, then you’re blessed,” Stafford added.

He said he is encouraging other groups to focus on the people he is inviting — not his charitable gesture.

Stafford’s wife said that knowing they’ve made a difference in the lives of others is reward enough.

“To see the look in someone’s eyes who never dreamed that they could have this opportunity — just looking to see someone happy and to know that we’ve made a difference in someone’s life,” she said. “I will be just looking for those happy faces.”

 Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

Click here for a link to an interview with him on my favorite NPR show, “Tell Me More.”

Secrets of the 2008 Campaign – NEWSWEEK’s Special Election Project

I have only read Chapter One of this Newsweek “article,” but I wanted to share links to it because what I have read so far is very interesting, funny, enlightening and entertaining.  Newsweek was granted behind the scenes access to both campaigns, but they had to agree not to report/print the things that are mentioned in this series until after the election.  (Apparently, Newsweek has done this for several years now, but this the the first time I have been interested in reading their report.)  Among the other revelations from the special project:

• The Obama campaign was provided with reports from the Secret Service showing a sharp and disturbing increase in threats to Obama in September and early October, at the same time that many crowds at Palin rallies became more frenzied. Michelle Obama was shaken by the vituperative crowds and the hot rhetoric from the GOP candidates. “Why would they try to make people hate us?” Michelle asked a top campaign aide.
• On the Sunday night before the last debate, McCain’s core group of advisers—Steve Schmidt, Rick Davis, adman Fred Davis, strategist Greg Strimple, pollster Bill McInturff and strategy director Sarah Simmons—met to decide whether to tell McCain that the race was effectively over, that he no longer had a chance to win. The consensus in the room was no, not yet, not while he still had “a pulse.”
• Palin launched her attack on Obama’s association with William Ayers, the former Weather Underground bomber, before the campaign had finalized a plan to raise the issue. McCain’s advisers were working on a strategy that they hoped to unveil the following week, but McCain had not signed off on it, and top adviser Mark Salter was resisting.
• Obama was never inclined to choose Sen. Hillary Clinton as his running mate, not so much because she had been his sometime bitter rival on the campaign trail, but because of her husband. Still, as Hillary’s name came up in veep discussions, and Obama’s advisers gave all the reasons why she should be kept off the ticket, Obama would stop and ask, “Are we sure?” He needed to be convinced one more time that the Clintons would do more harm than good. McCain, on the other hand, was relieved to face Sen. Joe Biden as the veep choice, and not Hillary Clinton, whom the McCain camp had truly feared.
• On the night she officially lost the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton enjoyed a long and friendly phone conversation with McCain. Clinton was actually on better terms with McCain than she was with Obama. Clinton and McCain had downed shots together on Senate junkets; they regarded each other as grizzled veterans of the political wars and shared a certain disdain for Obama as flashy and callow.
• At the GOP convention in St. Paul, Palin was completely unfazed by the boys’ club fraternity she had just joined. One night, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to her hotel room to brief her. After a minute, Palin sailed into the room wearing nothing but a towel, with another on her wet hair. She told them to chat with her laconic husband, Todd. “I’ll be just a minute,” she said.
• The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, “I don’t consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that's green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global warming because I f—ing changed light bulbs in my house. It’s because of something collective’.”

Here are links to each of the seven chapters:

Chapter 1 – Barack Obama – How He Did It

Chapter 2 – John McCain – Back from the Dead?

Chapter 3 – The Long Clinton-Obama Siege

Chapter 4 – Going into Battle: McCain Camp Retools, Targets Obama

Chapter 5 – Center Stage – Conventions:  Obama Seats the Clintons, McCain Gambles on Palin

Chapter 6 – Battling It Out in the Great Debates

Chapter 7 – The Final Days

Ron Clark Academy Kids Respond to Obama Victory

These kids are awesome and so inspiring!!  What a visionary that Ron Clark fellow must be!! 

(Note:  You might need a tissue or two by the time you get to the end.)

The 44th President of the United States of America – Barack Obama

He didn’t just win……………

What a positive thing for our nation!!!  This encourages me and it says that the racists members of our society who notoriously vote against their best interests are in the minority because there is no way he could have won so convincingly without a large number of Caucasian Americans voting for him.  As far as race relations are concerned, we still have a long way to go in this country, but this one step truly confirms to me that hope does indeed spring eternal!!

President-Elect Barack Obama

You Can Vote However You Like

I thought this video was too cute.   It might be a little hard to understand everything they are saying, so the lyrics are posted below the video and were taken from the Ron Clark Academy’s website.

The Lyrics

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah
 
Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah
 
(McCain supporters)
McCain’s the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They’ll  fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might
 
(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama’s new, he’s younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He’ll bring a change, he’s got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq’s a shame
Four more years would be insane
 
Lower your Taxes – you know Obama Won’t
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS – You know McCain won’t!
Have enough experience – you know that they don’t
STOP GLOBAL WARMING – you know that you won’t
 
I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you’re going to have some drama
We need it
HE’LL BRING IT
He’ll be it
YOU’LL SEE IT
We’ll do it
GET TO IT
Let’s move it
DO IT!
 
Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah
 
Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah
 
I’m talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice
 
But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay
 
I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gone have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN’T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!
 
Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah
 
Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I Can Begin Again….and So Can You!!

One of my all-time favorite Larnelle Harris songs is, “I Can Begin Again.”  (The video and lyrics to this song are posted below.)  I recently discovered a new blog that has been very inspirational and I wanted to post an entry I read there today on my blog, as well as share it with a few family members and friends.  This entry immediately reminded me of Larnelle’s song and, hopefully, both will inspire you as much as they inspire me.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Sink or Swim – by Writer Dad

Sink or swim.  If you’re out in the middle of the ocean, those are your only two choices, right?  Head for shore, or wait and drown.  

Life isn’t much different.  

If we see something in our horizon, and we want that something, then it’s not enough to simply wait.  Providence is not often so kind.  It’s up to us to pump our arms and swim for it.  The chances of that special something bobbing beneath our nose before we’re snorting bubbles is, perhaps, only slightly better than the odds of winning the lottery.  

I loved my last job.  I loved the people I worked with, and enjoyed the surroundings of each of my days.  I was good at what I did, and I liked the way that success made me feel.  

So why did I leave?  

Because I was treading water.  Once I asked myself the hard questions, I couldn’t lie about the answers.  When I realized I was doing the dog paddle, I knew it was time to get out of Dodge.  

My new job is no different.  I love the children I teach, and the families they go home to.  But there’s a low ceiling above me, and four walls that I can only leave if I’m scurrying from point A to B and back again.  

Life is too short for so much restriction.  

It’s a new dawn we’re living.  Anyone with a reasonable amount of intelligence and good time management can carve a life for themselves that doesn’t have to conform to the standards set by the last several hundred years of the ruling elite.  And I’m not talking about those lucky souls endowed with some incredible skill.

I mean anyone who knows how to breathe.  

Too many people are perfectly content to simply survive rather than live.  Go to work, collect your check, buy the things you need (along with a mountain you don’t), refinance, buy some more, sweat when the economy buckles…

It’s not enough.  

If your life isn’t working, then change your behavior.  Go on a diet, it doesn’t have to be food.  Do without, go hungry.  Decide what you want out of life, and then figure out how to get it.  I know what I want, and I’ve given myself a year.  Every one of you can call me on it if I’m not living as I say by the time my shirt’s sticking to my back next Summer.  Scratch that, I doubt I’ll be wearing a shirt much of next Summer.  

Just think about it, whatever your situation.  If you’re out in the middle of the ocean, and you haven’t started to swim… start.  

I promise it’s not too late.  

I Can Begin Again – Larnelle Harris

 

Alone again in a crowded room
Cornered by the questions in my mind
It’s so hard to understand
How the life that I had planned
Stole my joy and left me far behind

Though all I have is lost it seems
In the shadow of a dream that used to be
I can look beyond the skies
Deep into the Father’s eyes
And see that there is hope for one like me

I can begin again
With the passion of a child
My heart has caught a vision
Of a life that’s still worthwhile

I can reach out again
Far beyond what I have done
Like a dreamer who’s awakened
To a life that’s yet to come
For new beginnings are not just for the young

I face the dawn of each brand new day
Free from all the doubt that gripped my past
For I’ve found in trusting Him
That everyday life starts again
As I look toward the things of life that last

I can begin again
With the passion of a child
My heart has caught a vision
Of a life that’s still worthwhile

I can reach out again
Far beyond what I have done
Like a dreamer who’s awakened
To a life that’s yet to come
For new beginnings are not just for the young

I can begin again
With the passion of a child
My heart has caught a vision
Of a life that’s still worthwhile

I can reach out again
Far beyond what I have done
Like a dreamer who’s awakened
To a life that’s yet to come
For new beginnings are not just for the young

New beginnings are not just for the young
New beginnings are not just for the young

Barack Obama – Democratic Nominee for President of the United States

He gives his acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Thursday, August 28, 2008 – the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech during the March on Washington.