Cross-posted from OH-16: John Boccieri for U. S. Congress:

Boccieri Applauds House Passage of Emergency Supplemental Bill
Legislation Also Addresses Veterans Benefits, Critical Domestic Issues

State Senator John Boccieri, candidate for Congress in Ohio's 16th District, today voiced his support for Thursday's passage legislation that supports our troops both abroad and here at home. The measure which passed the House provides funding for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and addresses critical military issues.

Senator Major John Boccieri said:

"We must give our support this legislation, which gives our troops the resources they need to be successful while focusing on pressing issues here at home. Even though we're giving our troops the necessary resources for their missions, we must find the will and the way to bring our troops home safely, honorably and soon."

Crossposted at Politicook.net.

Well, we have discussed the origin of visible light, its place in the electromagnetic spectrum, and some of the physiology of human vision. This installment will wrap up the visible part, and next we will consider the ultraviolet.

This time we will briefly consider the very different vision of most insects, compound vision, and finish up with a topic that almost everyone enjoys, fireworks.

Crossposted at Politicook.net.

We talked a bit about how visible light is generated and propagates last time, but this time I want to focus on the phenomenon of human vision.  This a obviously a narrow sliver of a large topic, but is so significant that it should be discussed.

Vision in general is the interaction of EMR with sensitive cells in an eye.  As I said about infrared, some reptiles "see" in the IR.  In future, I will discuss the idea that many insects "see" in the ultraviolet.

But this time, the focus will be on human vision, the mechanisms of it, and some observations about our pootie and canine friends.

With John McCain stating in his own peculiar version of "I Have a Dream", he emphasized that by 2013, in a John McCain Presidency, we would be welcoming home our troops from a "win in Iraq" (among other such fantasies).

The problem with this rosy scenario is that he has failed to include any substance to those "visions".

His "vision" goes on to reflect other equally optimistic scenarios such as the capture or death of Osama bin Laden, each of which lacks any details on how such would be acheieved.

(I apologize up front for the length of this diary but this information is VERY important to our future and cannot be taken lightly!)

Update: It has been mentioned on other sites that Americans are not focusing on Iraq as much as they are on the economy.  What they fail to realize is that the two are intricately intertwined.  We are currently spending $12 BILLION a MONTH (that we are borrowing from China to boot) and John McCain wants to escalate that.  That gives Iraq a direct impact on the US economy.

Last night I fiercely and succesfully avoided the temptation that is watching cable news for hours on end. Instead, I spent the night with my parents, eating a huge dinner of Eggplant and Rice and Beans. A wonderful dinner, and an all around good time with zero stress.

At one point, my father (a rather large swedish man) walked into the room and pointed out that he had just heard Hillary had crush Barack in West Virginia. My father is a die hard conservative, loved GWB early on. He is an evangelical Christian, and is opposed to McCain, and willing to vote Obama because of his "leadership skills". He does not like the Clintons.

Cross-posted from OH-16: John Boccieri for U.S. Congress

I love days like today...a blogger's dream! The campaign just pounded so much Mojo at me today I had turn it into a major round-up. It's a quite fitting run of "Mobilization" by our candidate, the Ohio State Senator Major John Boccieri</stong>. <stong>Boots on the ground! It's time to rock Ohio's 16th Congressional District out of the tired funk from "The Hillary, Barrack, McCain Diary Train". Get ready for the battle brewing here in Northeast Ohio!

Out of Headquarters...Ground Mobilization!

We progressive activists need to change ourselves as well as the world. Self-reformation can enhance both our personal quality of life and our political efforts.

In my investigations, including the Questionnaire of Self-Improvement, the most frequent self-improvement goal reported has been to become less judgmental and more understanding of others. Many progressive-minded individuals also say that activists, including themselves, need to be less arrogant and more humble, more joyous, better listeners, less competitive and more cooperative, less dominating and more democratic, less intellectual and more intelligent emotionally, less ideological and more accepting of various points of view, less obsessed with objective goals and more present in the here and now to the whole person (not just his or her "political" side), and better able to take care of themselves for the long haul.

These are only some of the many ways that we can better ourselves and grow supportive, activist communities dedicated to transforming our social system.

Some reasons why voters should choose Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Primary and in the Primaries after Pennsylvania.  

Check out this great interview with linguist George Lakoff (Metaphors We Live By, etc) in which he deconstructs the Obama campaign, and, in particular, Barack’s speech on race last month. It’s always nice to remember some of the things that make Barack’s mind so special -- and how he has the potential for refocusing and redefining some of our most basic ideas about the public sphere.

For example, in the following excerpt, Lakoff challenges conventional notions of what "bipartisanship" can mean. Some Obama critics have latched onto the word, concluding that it points to an Obama presidency selling out progressive values. While Obama does embrace the bipartisan label, Lakoff believes a more accurate word would be "biconceptualism," emphasizing a genuine empathy with adversaries – something that has been sorely missing over these past few decades. We’ve learned too well how to circle the wagons around the interest groups with which we’re aligned, leaving us impotent when it comes to finding common ground with our so-called enemies.

A BATTLE OF VISIONS

If the 2008 Election is a Battle of Visions, the Democrats will win....because many important Republicans are economically tied to things staying the same, or getting worse. McCain cannot attack the polluters, Big Oil, and other natural supporters the way a Democrat can. A Democrat can appeal to universal and common interests such as clean air, water and land, peace, interdependence, and so on.

As Jim Hunt, North Carolina's visionary ex-governor said: "A campaign should be about where we want to go, what we want to do, who we want to be." In other words, it should be visionary, and progressive. Not merely maintaining the status quo...which by now is about as rotten as it can get.

The question should be:

Who is the better visionary? Now that John Edwards has left the race, I don't see a clear standard bearer of useful visions. Much of Obama and Hillary's vision was once John Edwards' vision. Where are their visions now?

By responding to the comments/topics below or by posting your own comment/topic, you can join in a discussion of how the progressive movement might be more effective. I'll begin by posting comments/topics on:

*A Clear, Concise, Comprehensive Vision Statement
*Communicating from the Heart
*Overcoming Arrogance

Together, we might refine proposals for action that could help us move forward.

To follow up on the brave speech on race, here's the speech Obama should give next. Let's try to get past the minutia and keep an eye on the big picture. There is a real opportunity for change in tone here, even if the powers that be want to keep us mired in the past. Let's ask less "Where's the Beef?" and look more at the "Bun."

Among the great lessons of Western Civilization, there are few more universally ignored by progressive politicians than the lessons of marketing.  These lessons are followed with slavish devotion and to great success by conservatives, but progressives somehow believe that being right and holding the majority positions on nearly every issue should be enough to actually win votes.

Here at the end of 30 years of nearly unabated conservative hegemony, you'd think that progressives would have learned at least some of those lessons.  But you'd be wrong.

The metaphor here should not be lost in the translation to politics.  The metaphor for our current candidates is clear.  McCain is the old luxury sedan, with bad, bad transmission trouble: a real lemon.  Hillary is a great car, built to last and get the job done, but with no style.  Obama, is that once in a lifetime, affordable, luxury sport sedan with plenty of room for everyone that's built to last.

The Clinton team's new strategy of attacking Obama for making speeches is one that should give anyone pause.  Michael Seitzman has written an interesting blog dealing with this.  In it he says:

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.
Charles R. Swindoll (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)

Barack Obama Ebenezer speech Jan 20,2008

Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.
I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.
I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

I haven’t voted in years, I honestly don’t remember the last state or national election in which I voted (although I think it was Clinton in ‘92).  I am still registered, but only because I vote in local elections.  Even there I only vote on bond, tax and constitutional amendments. I've been pondering since before the primaries started why I have given up on the political process.  Follow me below the fold.

Let's be honest.  The entire history of the United States is built on racial hierarchy and discrimination.  In fact, as Michael Guerrero, the House of Representatives just decided on an exhibition to honor the African American slaves who built the Capitol building, brick by brick.  Racism is our national legacy — and increasingly our main export.

Witness the War in Iraq.