Obama's Acceptance Speech 8-28-08

Hello everyone!

We had a party for a historic day in United States history at our home.
I wanted to simply share with you a you tube video and the transcripts from Barack Obama's speech.

God Bless,
Xtine



Barack Obama.com

For More info.


OBAMA: Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you, everybody.

To -- to Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin, and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation, with profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for presidency of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

Let me -- let me express -- let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest, a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

(APPLAUSE)

To President Clinton, to President Bill Clinton, who made last night the case for change as only he can make it...

(APPLAUSE)

... to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service...

(APPLAUSE)

... and to the next vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.

To the love of my life, our next first lady, Michelle Obama...

(APPLAUSE)

... and to Malia and Sasha, I love you so much, and I am so proud of you.

(APPLAUSE)

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story, of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

It is that promise that's always set this country apart, that through hard work and sacrifice each of us can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams, as well. That's why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women -- students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments, a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit cards, bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.

(APPLAUSE)

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

(APPLAUSE)

This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

We're a better country than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment that he's worked on for 20 years and watch as it's shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty...

(APPLAUSE)

... that sits...

(APPLAUSE)

... that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

(APPLAUSE)

Tonight, tonight, I say to the people of America, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land: Enough. This moment...

(APPLAUSE)

This moment, this moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.

Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

And we are here -- we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight.

(APPLAUSE)

On November 4th, on November 4th, we must stand up and say: Eight is enough.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, now, let me -- let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and our respect.

(APPLAUSE)

And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time.

Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but, really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time?

(APPLAUSE)

I don't know about you, but I am not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.

(APPLAUSE)

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives -- on health care, and education, and the economy -- Senator McCain has been anything but independent.

He said that our economy has made great progress under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

And when one of his chief advisers, the man who wrote his economic plan, was talking about the anxieties that Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a mental recession and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

(AUDIENCE BOOS) A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made.

Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third, or fourth, or fifth tour of duty.

These are not whiners. They work hard, and they give back, and they keep going without complaint. These are the Americans I know.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans; I just think he doesn't know.

(LAUGHTER)

Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under $5 million a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies, but not one penny of tax relief to more than 100 million Americans?

OBAMA: How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

It's not because John McCain doesn't care; it's because John McCain doesn't get it.

(APPLAUSE)

For over two decades -- for over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy: Give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else.

In Washington, they call this the "Ownership Society," but what it really means is that you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck, you're on your own. No health care? The market will fix it. You're on your own. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don't have boots. You are on your own.

(APPLAUSE)

Well, it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

You see, you see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage, whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma.

We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president...

(APPLAUSE)

... when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of go down $2,000, like it has under George Bush. (APPLAUSE)

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off and look after a sick kid without losing her job, an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great, a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

Because, in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the G.I. Bill.

In the face of that young student, who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree, who once turned to food stamps, but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

(APPLAUSE)

When I -- when I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business or making her way in the world, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman.

She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight and that tonight is her night, as well.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine.

(APPLAUSE)

These are my heroes; theirs are the stories that shaped my life. And it is on behalf of them that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

What -- what is that American promise? It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have obligations to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, to look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours -- ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves: protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools, and new roads, and science, and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America, the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation, the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now.

(APPLAUSE)

So -- so let me -- let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president.

(APPLAUSE)

Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

(APPLAUSE)

I'll eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

(APPLAUSE)

I will -- listen now -- I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

(APPLAUSE)

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

(APPLAUSE)

We will do this. Washington -- Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years. And, by the way, John McCain has been there for 26 of them.

(LAUGHTER)

And in that time, he has said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil than we had on the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution, not even close.

(APPLAUSE)

As president, as president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.

(APPLAUSE)

I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.

OBAMA: And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy -- wind power, and solar power (OTCBB:SOPW) , and the next generation of biofuels -- an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.

(APPLAUSE)

America, now is not the time for small plans. Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy.

You know, Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance.

(APPLAUSE)

I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries, and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability.

And we will keep our promise to every young American: If you commit to serving your community or our country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

(APPLAUSE)

Now -- now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.

(APPLAUSE)

If you have health care -- if you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.

(APPLAUSE)

And -- and as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

(APPLAUSE)

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their job and caring for a sick child or an ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses, and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have the exact same opportunities as your sons.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime: by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow.

But I will also go through the federal budget line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less, because we cannot meet 21st-century challenges with a 20th-century bureaucracy.

(APPLAUSE)

And, Democrats, Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our intellectual and moral strength.

Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient.

(APPLAUSE)

Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents, that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework, that fathers must take more responsibility to provide love and guidance to their children.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility, that's the essence of America's promise. And just as we keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad.

If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

(APPLAUSE)

For -- for while -- while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats that we face.

When John McCain said we could just muddle through in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights.

You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives.

(APPLAUSE)

And today, today, as my call for a timeframe to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learned that Iraq has $79 billion in surplus while we are wallowing in deficit, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That's not the judgment we need; that won't keep America safe. We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

(APPLAUSE)

You don't defeat -- you don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in 80 countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances.

If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice, but that is not the change that America needs.

(APPLAUSE)

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe.

The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

(APPLAUSE)

As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

(APPLAUSE)

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts, but I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.

I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease.

And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

(APPLAUSE)

These -- these are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes, because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and each other's patriotism.

(APPLAUSE)

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain.

The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and independents, but they have fought together, and bled together, and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a red America or a blue America; they have served the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

So I've got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.

(APPLAUSE)

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices. And Democrats, as well as Republicans, will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past, for part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose, and that's what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.

(APPLAUSE)

The -- the reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.

(APPLAUSE)

I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in a hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, passions may fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers.

But this, too, is part of America's promise, the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.


I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer, and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values.

And that's to be expected, because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare voters.

(APPLAUSE)

If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.

And you know what? It's worked before, because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me; it's about you.

(APPLAUSE)

It's about you.

(APPLAUSE)

For 18 long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said, "Enough," to the politics of the past. You understand that, in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same, old politics with the same, old players and expect a different result.

You have shown what history teaches us, that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.

(APPLAUSE)

Change happens -- change happens because the American people demand it, because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

America, this is one of those moments.

I believe that, as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming, because I've seen it, because I've lived it.

Because I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work.

I've seen it in Washington, where we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans, and keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists.

And I've seen it in this campaign, in the young people who voted for the first time and the young at heart, those who got involved again after a very long time; in the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did.

(APPLAUSE)

I've seen it -- I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day, even though they can't afford it, than see their friends lose their jobs; in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb; in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.

You know, this country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit, that American promise, that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night and a promise that you make to yours, a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west, a promise that led workers to picket lines and women to reach for the ballot.

(APPLAUSE) And it is that promise that, 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

(APPLAUSE)

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustrations of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead -- people of every creed and color, from every walk of life -- is that, in America, our destiny is inextricably linked, that together our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back...

(APPLAUSE)

... not with so much work to be done; not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for; not with an economy to fix, and cities to rebuild, and farms to save; not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend.

America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone.

At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise, that American promise, and in the words of scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

*Source for transcripts:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28text-obama.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

CQ Transcriptions


YOU TUBE VIDEO of Obama's Acceptance Speech
Denver, Colorado
August 28,2008

Popular Votes, Electoral College Votes, Convention Schedule, Do Dems have a chance to win?

A somewhat random thought blog
from Xtine on the Nevada Political scene

Popular Vote, Electoral Vote, Convention information



In the upcoming weeks Colorado and Minnesota will host
the Democratic Convention and the Republican Convention.


The Democratic convention will be held Monday, August 25th through Thursday, August 28th, 2008 in Denver,Colorado.

The Republican Convention will be held from September 1st through September 5th Minneapolis,Minnesota.


According to the Democratic conventions web site,
there will be media coverage from 130 countries at the Democratic Convention.
They expect 75,000 attendees.
The Republican convention expects 45,000 attendees.

just a "factoid" I found humorous:

# of friends McCain has on MySpace: 63,552 (as of 8-18-08)

# of friends Obama has on MySpace: 451,966 (as of 8-18-08)

Even with Michigan and Florida's delegates being given only half their 'weight' in delegate voting rights,
there will be 4,235 democrat votes cast at their convention.

there will be 15,000 members of the press, over 5,000 delegates and staff, and 50,000 guests at the convention on Thurs.
a total of 75,000 in Invesco Field aka Mile High arena.

21,000 volunteers


live streaming on both the rep. and dems web sites:

Dem Con.

and

GOP Con.

Obama has recently passed the 2 millionth individual donor milestone.

McCain gets money from lobbyists.
(like Oil companies which have declared/ admitted to record profits)


Obama is earning more donations from our troops.


According to

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Obama has 275 committed electoral votes
and
McCain has 250 electoral votes

there are 13 ties.
total of 538 electoral votes.

they say it's not the popular vote but the electoral votes that count.
or so the Supreme Courts of the USA upheld in the 2000 year elections when
Al Gore won the popular vote but
President Bush won the electoral votes.


In 2008 Republicans have 23 seats up for stake, Democrats have 12 seats up.

2008's swing states:


Virgina is a truly tied state and has 13 electoral votes.

Mt has 3 E.V's (electoral votes)
N.D 3
S.D 3
Co 9
IN 11
OH 20
VA 13
NC 15
FL 27
Del 3
New Hamp 4
and
NV 5


*one more? I see on the web site "Electoral Vote.com" that there are 13 ties. Perhaps
I've overlooked a state.
Like I said, some of this blog post is random thoughts.:)

officially it will take 270 electoral votes

to win the pres.

the popular vote stands 45% for Obama and
42% for McCain, according to the latest polls.

there are a total of


538 electoral votes.

Who and What are electoral votes?

your Representatives(the House that is) and SENATORS (plus three for Wash. D.C)

100 Senators, 435 Representatives (+3 for Wash. D.c)




Why are some states "swing" states?
Because of the senatorial and house of representative jobs up for grabs in those states with the most "undecided" voters.


Which states have the most electoral votes?
55 CAl., 31 NY, 21 PA, 34 TX, 27 FL, 17 MI, 15 GA, 21 IL. (in somewhat random order)
Co 9, 10 MN (the convention states)
and
10 AZ, 11 WA (Sen. McCain's state and the "high tech" state)

Why do they say that NV might help elect the next pres?

Because even with only 5 electoral votes(2 Senators plus three Representatives from the House) they might very well be democratic votes
because there are two Democrats (Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Dist. 1 and Senator Reid, D), plus Dina Titus,D, is running for Dist. 3 and Jill Derby,D, is running for Dist. 2.
If there is a 'clean sweep' with the seats in Nev's house being Democrats
and you pair that with the Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Congresswoman/ Representative Berkley and viola! (4 of 5 Ev's or Electoral Votes go for Barack Obama)

Nevada counts for something more than it has since it was "Battle Born."


That is why the popular vote is so important!
Your votes in your states elections help
determine how the electoral votes go.

Get out there. Get-Out-The-Vote or GOTV as we volunteers say.


Some tight races in the states:

Virginia former Governor Mark Warner, D, running for Senator will speak at the DNC on Tues. Aug. 26th.

Mr. Warner, who made over $200,000,000 in the cell phone industry is financing his own campaign.

So much for the saying there aren't any self-made successful wealthy democrats!


In Minnesota there is a 'tie" so far (according to the polls) Comedian Al Franken vs. Norm Coleman is a tight race.

I loved reading at least one of Al Franken's books and watched him for years on Saturday Night Live.
People in Minn. elected a wrestler Govenor so why the heck not elect a comedian?


In Mississippi Ronnie Musgrove D, vs. Roger Wicker, R is considered tight so I can't figure out why they
say that Mississippi's not one of the 'swing' states in 2008. Perhaps it's still going to be a strong Republican state?

Cousins Mark and Tom Udall are both running for office this year, but in two different states.
Mark Udall, (D) is running in Colorado and his cousin Tom is running in New Mexico.

They say that New Mexico is truly a 'swing' state from the way it changes from a Republican dominate state to Democratic one.



Guest Speakers at The Democratic National Convention
2008:

MONDAY, August 25

Michelle Obama,House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Craig Robinson.

There will be a tribute to Mass. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who's a huge Obama supporter and is bravely (& sadly)fighting cancer.


TUESDAY, Aug. 26

Mark Warner,who's running for the Senate in VA, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton,will speak on the anniversary of Women's Right to Vote.

Other speakers include Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and former Transportation Secretary Federico Pena.

WEDNESDAY, August 27

Obama's vice presidential choice will make a speech.

It could be exciting to see the reaction of the media and the public to the Democratic candidate for Vice Pres. persona and plans this year. It might be more important than ever in helping the undecided to decide how they will vote.
In previous elections it's been a time for people to weigh in on their perceived ability to step in the role and if they would have conflicts with the Pres.

THURSDAY, August 28

Barack Obama accepts the nomination.

Remember when Barack Obama gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in
2004?
I cried my eyes out! I remember what he said "Help is on the way."

Senator Obama I believed you and am still waiting.
It's our time now and Thursday, August 28th is the beginning of real "Help on-the-way."


Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will also speak on Thursday.

Now before you go thinking that this is a 'Rock Concert' or a coronation of
Obama at the convention because there will be 75,000 people in attendance,
please read a bit about 10 special people who were invited as guests.
These people entered a contest to be considered to be guests at the convention.
These people are so fired up about the Campaign for Change and/or fed up with
the way things have gone over the past 8 years, or maybe they're ready for a new beginning, which is what Barack Obama offers.

Here's a glimpse of the type of people who will be in the crowd:


Barb Sackman of Fallon, Montana
Barb is a teacher living in Fallon, Montana, a town of 150. She lives on her family's wheat and cattle farm, and rising fuel prices are making it hard to get by. She hopes Barack's plan for alternative bio-fuels will help the struggling economy in rural Montana. Barb volunteers for her church, sits on a hospital board, and organizes community events in Fallon. Barb says Barack "genuinely cares about the problems of people like me. We appreciate his continued trips to Montana to let us know that we are not forgotten." She will attend the convention with her husband.

Lenny Julius of Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Lenny is a retired naval officer who believes the Iraq War was a serious strategic mistake. He says that in 2000 he looked forward to seeing John McCain, a fellow shipmate, in the Oval Office, having known and served with him in Vietnam -- but no more. "Senator McCain has become a strong supporter of the Bush policies -- policies which have led to disaster both at home and abroad." He was won over by Barack's communication skills, leadership abilities, and intelligence. Lenny is an auto parts manager at AutoZone in Emerald Isle, a heavily Republican town where he says there are many "closet Barack supporters." Lenny remembers staying up late when he was young to watch John F. Kennedy accept the nomination at the last truly open convention in 1960. He will come to the convention this year with his wife.

Anne Rector of Indianapolis, Indiana
Anne is a retired budget analyst for the federal government. She says the first time she saw Barack at the 2004 convention, she thought, "This is Everyman. He is Kansan and he is Kenyan; he is African and he is Anglo-American; he is common sense and he is eloquence; he is dynamic and he is down to earth." Anne is an active volunteer for the campaign, as well as for a local animal protection group. She hosts a weekly local radio program named Art and Review, in which she reads to the blind. Anne strongly believes in the protection of our civil liberties. She will attend with a friend and fellow campaign supporter.

James T. Fondriest of Massillon, Ohio
James, a 22-year-old law student and graduate of Ohio State University, never thought he would vote for anyone other than a Republican. An active Bush-Cheney supporter in 2004, he became disillusioned with his state party and Republicans' handling of Iraq, health care, and education. "Barack Obama has inspired me to believe in politics again and, most importantly, the power of the ordinary citizen," he writes. "Although I still identify as a Republican and still stand for some conservative values, I finally feel like America has found a leader it can look up to and trust." Leading up to the Ohio primary, James made over 500 "Buckeyes for Obama" T-shirts and donated the profits to the campaign. He plans to bring his father with him to the convention.

John Volkmar of Boulder, Colorado
John served in the U.S. Army for 10 years. He says his two tours in Iraq with the 10th Special Forces Group opened his eyes to "the link between our country's lack of an effective energy policy and our flawed foreign policy." John believes changing this relationship is an essential step towards ensuring that our government works for the interest of the American people instead of special interest groups. He is now pursuing an MBA and hopes to work in the alternative energy industry. He is coming to Denver with his wife.

Marsha Shearer of Orlando, Florida
Marsha is a retired elementary school principal. She has phone banked and canvassed for Obama in Florida, and has been a supporter since even before Barack made the decision to run. Marsha believes that both the Iraq War and America's dependence on oil are negatively affecting the health of our economy. She supports Barack because he is not a typical politician. "He represents something above and beyond," she says. "I haven't felt so energized since McCarthy, trying to end the Vietnam War." She will bring her college-age granddaughter to the convention.

Trinace Johnson of Richmond, Virginia
Trinace is a single mother and disabled veteran who served overseas for the Iraq War. She currently works for the U.S. Army as a public affairs specialist. She has voted since the age of 18, but this is the first time she has actively been involved with a political campaign. Trinace is inspired by Senator Obama's message of change and his plans to address all of the issues that she cares deeply about: veterans' support, education, stopping the war, tax breaks for the middle class, gas prices and health care. Trinace became motivated to get involved when her neighborhood ran out of ballots in the primaries, and is determined to ensure access to voting in this election. "I wish I could be there in Denver," she wrote to Backstage with Barack. "I would love to be a part of this historical event. [It's] so long overdue." Trinace will attend the convention with her sister.

Eric Melder of Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Eric is a 59-year-old married father of three sons and a grandparent to seven grandchildren. A retired YMCA director, he has worked at Diakon Wilderness Center for the past 13 years counseling young men with drug, alcohol, and family problems. "The boys call me 'E-rock' and I do all I can to make a difference in their lives," writes Eric. A self-proclaimed "values voter" and evangelical Christian, Eric switched his allegiance from Mike Huckabee to Barack, convinced by Barack's ability to lead and build coalitions. Eric is bringing Anthony, a former student at the Wilderness Center, who overcame immense hardships, including an absent father and a drug-addicted mother, to ultimately become Program Director of the Center. "Barack needs to meet him," Eric says.

Holly Miowak Stebing of Anchorage, Alaska
Holly, a 20-year-old Alaska Native Inupiaq, is spending her summer break from Stanford University at the First Alaskans Organization interviewing native elders about their experiences with segregation. Holly is passionate about improving health care access for Native Americans, and protecting Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling. The 2008 presidential election is Holly's first as a voter. She says: "This was the first campaign I felt I needed to support. I don't have a lot of money, but I donate what I can because I believe in [Barack]." She will attend the convention with her mother who is the first Native American woman to pass the Alaska bar.

Kayla Whitaker of West Fargo, North Dakota
Kayla is a 20-year-old student and evangelical Christian who credits Barack for her new found interest in the political process. "As a Christian, I have seen it repeated that evangelical Christians are 'required' to vote Republican. When I heard Barack's 'Call to Renewal' speech, I was surprised... This is change I can believe in and many other young, evangelical Christians can believe in, too. For the first time in my life, I got hooked on politics." She now plans to register to vote so that she can cast her ballot for Barack in November. Among Kayla's top concerns are health care, teacher pay, and the environment. In an effort to convince her mom to become involved in politics, she is bringing her to Denver.


These people have stories that deserve to be addressed, respected, and they deserve recognition.

You can get involved by voting, or volunteering. Perhaps you have some extra money or something of value that your local Campaign for Change office needs.

You can start by visiting the web site and signing up for email updates:

Barack Obama









source: info. about Democratic Convention schedule:

Writing by Jeff Mason and Andy Sullivan; editing by David Wiessler

http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/14/news/OUKWD-UK-USA-POLITICS-DEMOCRATS-CONVENTION.php


Source:

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Source:

Http://www.demconvention.com

Source:

http://www.barackobama.com

Grand Opening Nevada State Headquarters of Barack Obama Campaign For Change

U.S. Senator Harry Reid
Senator Reid's Web site


"Today with our efforts we have registered 600 new voters and by the end of the day we'll have helped to register 1,000 new voters." Senator Harry Reid.


Shelley Berkley's web site

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley


"Belive me after the Democratic National Convention, the opposing party will hit us with every below-the-belt tactic." Congresswoman Berkley






Nevada State Director for Senator Barack Obama's Campaign For Change
(US Presidency Campaign 2008), Terrence Tolbert


"I'm calling myself the Nevada State Director for Change." Terrence Tolbert

Barack Obama's web site







Miss Nevada 2008

"I'm here to support all the Democratic candidates in Nevada." Miss Nevada 2008



I'd like to start this article by helping to spread truth and facts about
many of the controversies that have been spread on the web, in emails, on TV commercials, heard from radio personalities and word-of-mouth about Senator Barack Obama. These rumors and the truth listed below come directly from Barack Obama's web site. The 'mudslinging' has only just begun in this political season. If it's true what Congresswoman Shelley Berkley said today during the grand opening of the Nevada State headquarters of The Barack Obama Campaign for Change, that after the conventions are held, the presidential campaign will get ugly and people need to be prepared with the truth, I'm here blogging the truth in hopes that others will be informed.

With regards to the numerous rumors about Senator Barack Obama, here's the current list:

1)
Rumor:
Barack Obama does not display a flag on his campaign plane

Details about the rumor:
Since Barack Obama renovated his campaign plane in July 2008, there has been a false rumor that the new exterior did not include an American flag on the outside of the plane.

Truth:
Barack Obama’s campaign plane does, in fact, display the American flag on the outside fuselage of the plane.


2)
SMEAR: John McCain is attacking Barack Obama for not visiting wounded troops
John McCain, his spokesmen, and his TV ads have all been politicizing our heroes overseas by making the false claim that Barack Obama snubbed wounded troops by not visiting them on his foreign trip.

Truth:
Barack Obama’s campaign canceled an originally private visit (no media) to wounded troops in Germany to avoid politicizing our soldiers during his campaign-funded trip in Germany.
3)
SMEAR: Barack Obama didn't take time for the troops.
Conservative blogs, referencing an inaccurate email from abroad, have been spreading the rumor that Barack Obama gave troops the cold shoulder on his foreign trip.

Truth:
Barack Obama spent time throughout his foreign trip visiting with and thanking our troops.
4)
SMEAR: Michelle Obama isn't proud of her country.
Michelle Obama's comments about her pride in her country have been taken out of context, again, by both the Tennessee and Washington State Republican parties in paid advertisements attacking Michelle.

Truth:
Michelle Obama loves the United States and the opportunities it has given her. Even Laura Bush has defended her comments – watch the video.
(on Barack Obama's web site)


5)
SMEAR: An email claims that Barack Obama wants to tax your home, IRA, & even your water.
A rapidly spreading email is tricking thousands—if not millions—of Americans with outrageous lies and misrepresentations about Barack Obama's tax policies.

Truth:
The independent group, Factcheck.org, concludes that the smear email about Barack Obama and taxes is “a pack of lies.”

6)
SMEAR: Michelle Obama Says “Whitey” On a Tape
Michelle Obama is a successful attorney, a loving mother, and a respectful person. But Rush Limbaugh and his fellow right-wing attack-dogs have been spreading baseless rumors about a non-existent video tape showing Michelle Obama using a racial epithet.

Truth:
The tape that Rush and others are spreading rumors about doesn't exist.
7)
SMEAR: Barack Obama can't produce his birth certificate
Truth:
Barack Obama was born in America, and his story could only happen here. But some smear-mongers claim he can't produce his birth certificate and that he is not a natural-born citizen.

and furthermore,
Barack Obama has made his birth certificate public and it can be seen here.
Barack Obama
8)
SMEAR: Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim

Truth:
Barack is a committed Christian who was sworn into the Senate on his family bible, but unscrupulous right-wing operatives are repeating the lie that he was raised a Muslim. These assertions are completely false and designed to play into the worst kind of stereotypes.

Truth:
Senator Obama is a committed Christian. He has never been Muslim, and was not raised in that faith.

9)
SMEAR: Obama's Books Contain Racially Incendiary Remarks
Barack believes in racial reconciliation based on our mutual responsibility to ourselves and each other. But a recent email forward quotes alterations, deliberate manipulations, and an outright fabrication of Obama's words on race and religion as fact.

Truth:
Recent viral emails quote Barack Obama's books out of context

10)
SMEAR: Barack Obama Won't Say the Pledge of Allegiance & He Won't Put His Hand Over His Heart
Truth:
Barack Obama's grandfather, a WWII veteran, taught him the Pledge of Allegiance and inspired his strong love of this country. There's even video of Barack honoring the flag, but people who want to tear him down claim he refuses to put his hand over his heart or say the Pledge.

Truth:
Barack Obama loves his flag and his country. Watch a video of Barack leading The Pledge of Allegiance in the United States Senate, with his hand over his heart.

That is ten of the hot rumors and the truth!


For anyone interested in more information about Senator Obama's Campaign for Change
or to register to vote, or volunteer, they can contact their closest (of the ten)campaign office.

They are located here:


Nevada Campaign for Change Offices
State HQ
3376 S. Eastern Ave.
Suite 115
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 466 7988

Central Las Vegas
1210 S. Valley View Rd.
Suite 114
Las Vegas, NV
(702)737-8683


Southeast Las Vegas
3711 E. Sunset Rd.
Suites C-4 through C-6
Las Vegas, NV


North Las Vegas
4060 N. Martin L King Blvd.
Suite 101B
North Las Vegas, NV


Carson City
709 E. Robinson St.
Carson City, NV


Douglas County
1662 Hwy 395
Minden, NV


Elko
445 5th St.
Elko, NV


Pahrump
2050 N Highway 160
Suite 200
Pahrump, NV

Reno
141 E. Pueblo St.
Suite B
Reno, NV

Nevadans can count on statewide Obama support on Nevada's web site
with the Campaign for Change:Nevada.BarackObama.com


People can help man the phone banks, go knocking on doors, put up a voter registration section in their business, make donations of so many types.

The main thing that brought me to become a volunteer and avid supporter of Barack Obama is the friendly invitation and sense of inclusion that the other volunteers gave to me. So I hope to impart this to you the reader of my blog the same thing; individually collectively we can change the world.:)

You can sign up for updates from Barack Obama on your cell phone.
You simply text your state or zip code to: O-B-A-M-A which in numeral form is
62262 and viola! you're in the loop. Rumor has it people who are registered on the text lines will be first to know who's the VP nominee.




For more information about Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, District 1 Nevada,
Please refer to:
Berkley's site


For information on Dina Titus, who is running for Congressional District 3,
please visit:
Dina Titus


To find out more about your local government (in USA),
please visit:
Gov Track.us


For more info. about Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, please visit:
Senator Reid's Web Site

With only a 'simple majority' of Democrats in the Senate and only a slight majority in the House of Representatives in the House since the 2006 elections many politicians have found themselves unable to honor the promises that their campaigns made. The public has given Congress a lower approval rating than of President Bush. Perhaps that is because President Bush has used his right to Veto just about anything that the Democrats have brought to him.

Many democrats belive it's time to make sure that the supporters of democratic platforms need to vote democratic across the board to have a very stong majority in
both the house and the Senate and with the help of a democratic president that many of their ideals can be realized and many US citizens will be helped.

It's nice to see firsthand politicians giving rousing verbal support of other candidates like I witnessed today. Congresswoman Berkley sung the praises of Senator Reid and also made friendly gestures towards the other democratic candidates for congress Dina Titus, who is running for district 3,and Jill Derby, who's running for District 2, in addition to Senator Barack Obama's campaign for Presidency.



For more information about Jill Derby,candidate for District 2, visit her web site:
Jill Derby


If you care about health care, Earned-income-credit, a credit card bill of rights, raising the minimum wage, women's rights to choose,expansion of the family medical leave, portable health care insurance, helping Iraq refugees, restoring the international image of the United States, reforming government (i.e. no Political Action / National Lobby money), and keeping nuclear waste out of Nevada (Yucca Mt.), you'll agree to at least consider to vote for Senator Barack Obama this November.

The last day to register to vote in the presidential election in Nevada
is October 4th,2008.

I learned today that Senator Obama and Senator Reid helped the situation in Darfur, Sudan by awarding the African Union's peacekeeping mission $20,000,000.


"Nevadans may very well be the ones who elect our next president." Congresswoman Shelley Berkley

Nevada for Barack Obama. Wear your Obama shirts proudly and vote Barack Obama in 2008!

Respect, Peace and Light
Xtine on the Nevada political scene

Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Saturday's in Las Vegas Club Rain in The Palms

(photo from Perfecto Las Vegas)

Clubbing in Las Vegas 2008


By Xtine aka Christine A. Justice



Clubbing in Las Vegas will change Labor Day Weekend 2008.
For at least five years we've been told that a major world-class top ten(or top twenty)
dj/ producer/ label owner will set up shop/ residency/ club promotion in sin city.

Rain at the Palms will have Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto parties beginning Sat. Aug. 30th. Perfecto is the name of the label "Oakey" started. Paul will dj many of the Saturday nights(a reported commitment of at least 26 Sat. nights annually). Rain's management has announced that the Planet Perfecto ® party will host other internationally acclaimed dj's to 'man-the-decks' while he's away.

Once the hottest club in town, Rain has seen the fierce competition of forty new clubs opening during the past few years and the rise of the most powerful force:


Hip Hop fans.



Make no mistake I love me some hip hop. I've been a fan since The Sugar Hill Gang
came out with the 12" 'Rapper's Delite' back in 1980.
I'm aware that Paul Oakenfold was instrumental in signing Salt n Pepa and DJ Jazzy Jeff (& the Fresh Prince aka Will Smith).


I just love E.D.M(Electronic Dance Music) a tiny bit more. Culturally speaking, the dj's who spin EDM and their fans are in love with life, music, humanity, are open minded about most types of music and love to dance.
Their love of music tends to be insatiable. When they follow a dj/ producer they tend to buy their mixers, their remixes of other people's music, their original material, go to hear and see them spin other people's music and become their 'friends on myspace, facebook, etc.'


Hip hop fans, on-the-other-hand know ALL the lyrics to every song and know who's featured in their favorite artists videos and songs(You know how long those "featuring" lists can be)! Hip hop fans buy everything their favorite artists are selling: alcohol, clothing, handbags,their protege's music, their jewelry, they storm their web sites,support their charities, their everything!


For fans of electronic music in Las Vegas people have been forced to go on "off nights" or wait for major holiday weekends and pay at least double of what fans in other cities pay. That is because "Vegas is Vegas". Vegas has smaller venues than in Los Angeles, for example. Vegas has had to cater to the convention and wedding crowd. Bear in-mind that in Las Vegas there are only 2 mill. permanent residents
which get outnumbered by the monthly visitors (average 3 mill. visitors per month). Those visitors come from everywhere. Vegas is tourist by nature. Many tourists want familiarity.


Hip hop comes with plenty of videos and lyrics. Electronic music does not.


That might change after Perfecto with host DJ/ Producer/ Label owner/
Paul Oakenfold begins at Rain in The Palms on Saturday, August 30th.
All access passes for Rain, Ghostbar, Playboy & Moon
are $100. Tickets for Rain are $40.
Some people may be able to get on the guest list.
*Local ladies are sometimes admitted free.



For more info. about Saturday nights @ Rain,
please visit the web site:



Perfecto Vegas

My thinking is there will be plenty of promotion/ marketing surrounding electronic music on Saturday nights in Las Vegas. People will get to know the labels and web sites that sell Electronic Music.They will seek out radio stations like the laptop radio station Vibe Radio 94.5 FM. They'll support Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights with electronic music not because they've been the only nights to have electronic music for a while but because they will be the more accessible evenings with less crowds. Fans will come on the weekends from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for world class dj's on Saturday nights and not just on the major holiday weekends.




Of course, there will still be the lion's share to be had by the clubs that play hip hop. I'm just happy to have more than one choice on my weekends!

In other sin city clubland news:

Labor Day Weekend will be a huge blowout, as usual. I know blah, blah... Las Vegas is a clubbing destination especially during the major holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Here's a sample list of some of the clubs and the talent booked:

• 
  Paul Oakenfold (as mentioned above) Saturday, Aug. 30th
  Perfecto Las Vegas kick-off
  $40 to $100
  
  
  
• 
  Paul Van Dyk Sunday, August 31st
  tickets for all 14 MGM Grand events Labor Day weekend $350 @
  Want Tickets
  
  
  phone # USA 1. 866. 926. 8499
  all 14 events include Studio 54, Tabu & Wet Republic pool parties.
  
  
  in addition to Paul Van Dyk, BT, Serge Devant,Roger Sanchez, The Crystal Method, Sharam of Deep Dish,Matt Darey, Cedric Gervais, Kaskade, Deadmau5, DJ Kiss, DJ Five, Funky Bad Chad, (I may not have the complete list. For set times, please refer to venue management)
  
• 
  Club Rubber's Pimp N Ho will be Sunday, Aug. 31st with:
  Felix da Housecat, Filo & Peri, Eric Cubeechee, 4Strings, Beej, The Funkler, and Danny Love (maybe in somewhat random order)
  Pre-sale tickets are $65.00
  People are encouraged to dress up as Pimps and Ho's.
  seriously:)
  
  
• 
  @ Tao Erick Morillo performs
  pre-sale-front-of-line tickets are : $30.00
  
• 
  Perry Mann's Strippers & Hustlers Ball
  August 30 & 31
  The Orleans Arena
  The Vegas Ball
  $20,000 cash prizes for strippers
  The Genitorturers, Host Gilby Clarke, D'Amato and
  Girls, Girls, Girls will perform
  
  
  
  
• 
  For four years Sally Steele has printed a magazine dedicated to Rock in Las Vegas.
  That publication is called Vegas Rocks!
  
  Here's a few bands who will perform during Labor Day weekend, according to
  Vegas Rocks' Concert Calendar:
  
  3 Doors Down, Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th
  Hinder, also Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th
  Staind, Mandalay Bay, Friday, Aug. 29th
  
  KISS performs at The Pearl Theatre in The Palms
  Friday, Aug 29th
  
  Ice Cube performs at The House Of Blues
  Mandalay Bay Sat. Aug. 30th
  
  The Tubes featuring Fee Waybill performs at Santa Fe Station on Sat. Aug. 30th
  
  Air Supply performs at The Orleans Fri. Sat. and Sunday Aug. 29th -31st
  
  
• 
  
  Comedians are always coming to Las Vegas and Labor Day Weekend offers these performers:
  Bill Engvall at T.I on Fri. Aug. 29,
  Lewis Black in the Mirage Sat. Aug. 30th, and Sun. Aug. 31st,
  David Spade @ Planet Hollywood Sat. and Sunday
  
  
• 
  Miss Joy, a very good friend of ours and the number one female dj in Las Vegas
  has a very special birthday party on Aug. 28th at Hawaiian Tropic in Planet Hollywood.
  She also dj's at Rumjungle on Wednesday evenings and at the new club Rockhouse in addition to other clubs in Vegas.
  To find out more about Miss Joy's gigs, please check out her MySpace page:
  
  
  DJ Miss Joy
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  DJ Lalka
  Is a dj originally from upstate NY who has spun his way around town in sin city since 2006. Now on Friday nights during happy hour downtown
  @ Downtown Cocktail Room
  111 Las Vegas Blvd. from 5 PM till 10:30 PM.
  The party is called Speak EZ with DJ's Lalka and Andy.
  phone 702.880.DOWN (bottle service available)
  
  Here's a link for DJ Lalka's Summer 2008 Deep House mix
  
  DJ Lalka Deep House Free, 60 minutes of Deep House
  
  
• 
  
  Bad Boy Bill and DJ Riz are spinning at Jet (in the Mirage) Sunday, Aug. 31st.
  Call 702. 693.8300
  
  
  

List to be updated with more info. such as the new club Rockhouse and clubs like Krave's lineups for the holiday weekend.



Feel free to make a comment for other dates that have been overlooked.



Respect, Peace and Light
Xtine on the sin city scene

Senator Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas for Senator Barack Obama Rally

Despite recent controversy put forth by numerous media outlets
about a possible rift between Senators Clinton and Obama,
former First Lady and current Senator Hillary Clinton will be in the Las Vegas valley on Friday, August 8th, 2008 for a rally for Senator Barack Obama's Campaign for Change.

I'll be sure to attend this event as I want to support anyone who supports Obama's campaign, especially Senator Clinton. Because she's a woman. Because they ran such a close race. Because she's here supporting a unified Democratic party.


Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Clark County is now open
in the Hermosa Plaza on Eastern Road just south of Desert Inn Road.
The tireless volunteers and hard working staff have a small 'wish list'
of items. If anyone has some of these items for loan or donation
they can count them as donations to the Obama Campaign for Change:

• 
  Printer
  
• 
  Refrigerator
  
• 
  Coffee Pot
  
• 
  Tacks/ Push pins
  
• 
  Hand soap
  
• 
  Tissues
  
• 
  Business Cards
  

There are many new branches open for Barack Obama which have opened in the past few weeks. Many people are a tiny bit confused when they try to go to the Obama office they went to during the caucus in January, but those offices have closed.
The new offices are located in various strip malls throughout the valley.

Here's the rest of the scoop about this Friday's rally;
Senator Hillary Clinton will be in Las Vegas for an Obama rally at Green Valley High School on Friday, August 8th, 2008.
Doors open 11 AM. The program/ rally begins @ 12:15 PM

Tickets are mandatory to attend the rally but are completely FREE of charge.


Green Valley High School
460 Arroyo Grande Boulevard
Henderson

You can call Matt 702. 466.7988

to make arrangements to come by the office for tickets.

Or if you simply wish to learn more about
Senator Barack Obama's Campaign for Change

The office is located

@ 3376 S. Eastern Las Vegas NV 89121

Suite 115 for the "southern branch"
(the headquarters is in the suite next door)

The southeast corner of Eastern and Desert Inn
just south of the CVS pharmacy.

*Items can be dropped off with Matt as requested above in this post.

Anyone interested in more information or to get involved in volunteering is invited and encouraged.

You can visit the official web site for Senator Barack Obama's
Campaign for Change here:
Barack Obama



Respect, Peace and Light
Xtine on the Las Vegas political scene

Sly & The Family Stone Las Vegas show (FREE)

Sly & The Family Stone
Las Vegas concert


One of my all time favorite bands will perform in
Las Vegas for
free

Saturday, August 23
Moonlight Concert Series: Family Stone Project
Clark County Amphitheater
500 South Grand Central Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89106


Free - Concert
begins at 8 p.m.


Original Founding members, Rock & Roll Hall of fame inductees, and R&B Pioneer Award Winners Jerry Martini(sax) and Cynthia Robinson(trumpet); The First inter-racial / inter-gender horn section in Rock & Roll history bring you the hits of Sly & The Family Stone.

Featuring the Powerful Voices of Robert Brookins and Trina Johnson on vocals bringing you the message of peace, love, and social consciousness through musical harmony with some of the funkiest players of all time. Players like Nate Wingfield on the Guitar, drummer Frank Klepacki keeping the beat, and Musical Director Blaise Sison on bass adding the proper pocket to the raw Family Stone sound.





While Sly himself won't be performing in this line-up there will be original members
and there will be a lot of seasoned talent performing the songs that we've all come to know and love. With the economy being what it is these days a free concert will hit a sweet spot in many people's pocketbook right about now!


One of our friends DJ Reset has a song that he produced "Thank You Rhythm Nation 1814" a mash-up of Sly & The Family Stone and Janet Jackson on Sly & The Family Stone's "Different Strokes By Different Folks".

Different Strokes By Different Folks

Sly & The Family Stone
on Amazon


1. Dance To The Music - Will.I.Am
2. Everyday People - Maroon 5
3. Star - Roots
4. Runnin' Away - Big Boi
5. Family Affair - Joss Stone
6. (You Caught Me) Smilin' - Big Boi
7. If You Want Me To Stay - Devin Lima
8. I Get High On You - The Wylde Bunch
9. Love City - Moby
10. You Can Make It If You Try - John Mayer
11. Sing A Simple Song - Isaac Hayes
12. I Want To Take You Higher - Steven Tyler
13. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey - Martin Luther
14. Thank You Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson

Here's a Spring Widget for Sly & The Family Stone with updates
about the band:

Get this widget!

Visit the Widget Gallery

Their official web site is here: Sly Stone Music

When I die I want Sly & The Family Stone's music to be played at my funeral.
"Dane To The Music" is my number one favorite song in my all-time Top 100 list of songs.

An acquaintance Vaughn Thomas, of The Nevada Film Library once mentioned in an email that he was one of the promoters for Sly & The Family Stone's first live Las Vegas performance.
It's amazing how many people perk up when there's even a mention of Sly & The Family Stone.

Some of my favorite songs of theirs include:
"Family Affair", "If You Want Me To Stay", "Hot Fun in The Summertime", "Dance To The Music", & "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)."


I was only slightly surprised to learn that Sly's family was originally from Texas, like myself, and then from the Bay Area, (again like myself) and Sly started out as a radio dj (loved doing that as well). Also noteworthy from the numerous biographies on Sly; his ex-girlfriend Deborah, was Carlos Santana's wife for 34-years.






Also on Saturday an event for charity that includes food, wine, song and psychics:

Saturday, August 23, 2008.
World Market Center Las Vegas
World View on 16
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Hundreds of wines to sample, great food provided by Trader Vic's, live entertainment with local band Venus Rising, psychic readings with Las Vegas' own Mystic Mona and a fabulous silent auction.

Tickets will be sold at all area Lee's Discount Liquors and all area Green Valley Grocery Stores. You can also purchase tickets at Opportunity Village - 6300 W. Oakey Blvd. (Mon- Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm)


Tickets are $50 in advance, $75 at the door.
Must be 21 or older to attend this event.


For more information call (702) 259-3741

World Market Center Las Vegas is located at 495 S. Grand Central Parkway, in downtown Las Vegas
World View on 16 is in Building B

for more info. about this event, please visit:

2nd annual O Vino

for Opportunity Village in Las Vegas.


With hard economic times hitting the states in this recession, especially for Las Vegas(at least as far as the reports go) locals often find themselves like
kids with their noses pressed against the glass of the theatres only looking at what Las Vegas has to offer and not being able to
actually attend the spectacular entertainment events that sin city has to offer.
While looking around the www, I found a few web sites that offer people
who live here a discount or even free passage to several events about town.


For discounted and/ or free tickets to numerous events in Las Vegas for
locals, check out these sites:

Vegas 4 Locals

and

Show Tickets 4 Locals


One more thing on Saturday, August 23rd:
The 22nd annual Black and White Ball
@ The Palms

A benefit for AFAN.

The Black & White Party is held in the pool area. People dress up in fabulous costumes, enjoy food, drink and music
all proceeds will benefit people with HIV or AIDS.

Visit AFAN

or call 702. 382.2326 for more info.

Tickets are $50
Hang in there!
Respect, Peace and Light,

Xtine on the sin city scene

Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams MGM August 2,2008

* Photo "Still The Same" CD art and photo cover from Rod Stewart's official web site:


Rod Stewart

Hello visitors to Las Vegas, Las Vegans and Rod Stewart fans!

I've seen Rod Stewart in concert twice in my life; once as a wild teenager in Michigan in 1984 and most recently as a middle age woman this past weekend in sin city. 24 years has passed since I last saw Rod. I'm 24 years older. Rod's 24 years older. His new wife isn't even 24 yet, or so we're lead to believe! Just kidding!
Rod's wife, Penny Lancaster,(model-photographer and mother to their son Alastair b.2005) is at least slighly older than two-and-a-half decades.:)
I think age is a somewhat justifiable topic to discuss since Rod Stewart's age gets mentioned practically every time he's mentioned. Yes, Rod's in his sixties. But he's as lively and as hot as ever! I enjoyed his performance slightly more than in the 1980's. Rod's had more material since then. Some people say "oh the new stuff is silly cover songs."
Well "Still the Same" has got some great covers of rock songs from the 70's that Rod has made his own. His "Great American Songbook" CD's have sold more than any other ongoing series of music. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the US (1994) and in the UK(2006). He's got more confidence and there was more sentiment displayed with the visuals during some of the songs he performed than when I saw him in the 80's.
Despite throat problems a few years ago (thyroid cancer survivor since 2000) his voice is unaffected to my ears.
Despite his being in his sixth decade of life, I would compare his overall sexual energy to that of a man in his twenties. His persona comes across as a gentleman who is humble and appreciative of others.

I have loved Rod Stewart since I was a primary-school-age child.
The very first 45 record I bought with my allowance was Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" My mother laughed and smirked at the idea that I purchased that
sort of song with my allowance money. So when my friend and neighbor Francis called and said "I know it's last minute but I have an extra ticket for Rod Stewart tonight." It was off-to-the-closet-to-get-ready-in-a-hurry I went!

We arrived at MGM Grand arena about 8 PM, about half-way through the opening act.
Bryan Adams was the opening act and we were wishing we showed up on-time.
The stadium was filled with fans enjoying what Bryan and the boys in the band were playing.
Our group managed to catch about 45 minutes of Bryan's performance and enjoyed it.
One of my best friends' wedding song is from Bryan Adams "Everything I do.. I do it for you." You might remember it from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie with Kevin Costner. Bryan Adams has that type of voice that contains just the right amount of gravel and raspiness but yet it's still clear enough that when he belts out the notes you can hear the words he's singing. His music is rough enough to be considered a rock but sexy enough that he's also considered romantic. His voice is still cracklin.
His show was great. Bryan Adams is an award winning photographer in addition to the Grammy and music nominations. We caught "Summer of 69", "Everything I Do", "The Only Thing that Looks Good On Me Is You," "Cuts Like a Knife," "Run To You,", "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman," and "All For Love" a song Bryan did with Rod Stewart and Sting.
Bryan Adams has a new CD release "Bryan Adams 11." They performed a song from "Bryan Adams 11. I believe the song was titled "I thought I'd seen everything."
For more info. about Bryan, here's a link to the bands web site:


Bryan Adams.com




Bryan Adams will perform in New York's concert for Peace One on Sept. 9th and in London on Peace One day (Sept. 21st).
Peace One day is officially on Sept. 21st. One of this year's Cannes Film Festival's film darlings "The Day After Peace" by film maker and Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley is a documentary about the day's events of Peace One Day. Jude Law, Kofi Annan, Annie Lennox, The Dali Lama, Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller are featured in the documentary film. The Peace One Day is an international day of cease fire with life saving workshops and other performances surrounding the idea of at least one day of peace can possibly lead to more days of peace.
There is a web site with much more information about Peace One Day that you can refer to: Peace One Day.org



Back to the show....well the shows review that is...


Rod Stewart draws ladies in the audience from all age ranges and the women drag the men to see Rod as well. The MGM Grand theatre was packed full. The audience was singing along in their seats to a library full of Rod's songs (in somewhat random order. this list may not be complete.)


Rod Stewart MGM Grand Sat. Aug. 2nd 2008:


"Some Guys Have All the Luck," "Father & Son", "The Motown Song," "Young Turks," "The First Cut is The Deepest," "Maggie May," "You're in My Heart,"
"You're Still The Same," "It's A Heartache," "Loveshack- Rod's band and vocalists solo, "Forever Young," "Have I Told You Lately," "Downtown Train," "Hot Legs," "
Do You Think I'm Sexy?", "Rhythm Of My Heart," and another one or two that I can't remember or verify.
At any rate the show was outstanding in-my-humble-opinion.

Some of the visuals were sweet, some funny and some sentimental.
During "Father and Son" there were sweet memories of Rod's late father Robert and photos of his three sons. During "Forever Young" his youngest son, Alastair was frolicking with a soccer(football). For "The First Cut Is The Deepest" there were some illustrations splashed on the screens. Rod mentioned that he didn't mind if people took photographs of him so why should the security be so upset. And that he's going to drop trou (trousers) later so get your cameras ready! LOL! Rod was also gracious enough to thank the audience for spending their hard earned money to come to see him perform during this economic recession. That type of humor and humbleness is extremely endearing.

Many people say Rod's music has digressed since his old rocker days. Maybe that is the perception since many of the cover tunes aren't strictly rock. Or perhaps it's because there are now four females in Rod's band. And there are three lovely female vocalists accompanying Rod these days. All I know is that since the beginning of Rod's career he's always had a fondness of covering songs. His first album featured a cover of The Rolling Stones. I can remember "You Keep Me Hanging On"(Holland songwriter) back in the 70's. Practically everybody covered that song! The list could go on and on with the songs that Rod's covered that have been also used/covered by other artists. I'm sure if those critics gave it more thought they would agree that Rod's always had a way of covering other people's material out of admiration of their work and not as a gimmick or ploy to appease the masses.
While the crowd of an estimated 50,000 in Las Vegas this past Sat. night can't compete with the massive number of the world record of an estimated 3.5 million on New Year's Eve of 1994 on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janiero, Brazil that Rod Stewart performed to I must say that from what I witnessed Rod did make the majority of the crowd here stand up and applaud for someone who has earned their way into our rock n roll hall of fame's' worth of performances. Rod kicked around the soccer (football) to the crowd during "You're in My Heart" and there were people in the crowd waving the flag for Celtic F.C (football club) since the club is mentioned in the lyrics. I was wondering if there was a minor conflict of interest between Rod and Bryan Adams since Bryan's song "We're gonna win" is dedicated to Chelsea's F.C.
I'm sure those 'blokes' can put these trivial things behind them and manage to continue to tour together;) Us fans need our raspy-throated fixes you know!




Rod Stewart continues to tour in the states until late August and ends this leg of his tour with a show in Puerto Rico.

Respect, Peace and Light
Xtine on the sin city scene