Hats Off to Senator Hillary Clinton - Great Speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC)

Hillary aced it.

Excellent speech. Classy. Poignant.

Senator Clinton had the right words for her die-hard supporters via a loving, heartfelt thank you, while expertly directing them to move beyond personalities to the real issues. "Were you in this only for me?", she asked the crowd. She also complimented her husband and herself by highlighting the fact that Obama can do this - why? - well, because it has already been done before, during the Bill and Hill years. Clinton was very bullish about Michelle Obama - and Michelle's great opening night speech - and about Senator Biden and his wife Jill.

Clinton also incorporated the right amount of content on key issues - she had good messages on universal health care, the war in Iraq and women's rights.

The Senator was chockful of wonderful quotables: "No way, No how, No McCain." "Keep going, if you want a taste of freedom, keep going. I have seen it. Keep going." "We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Think about your children and grandchildren on election day."

My LOL moment of the speech was when Hillary defined herself as a proud mother, proud American, proud NY Senator, proud supporter of Barack Obama....a proud everything except for a proud wife!

Much respect to Senator Hillary Clinton. Great unifying message. Well done. Well done.

Obama Picks Harshest Critic as Running Mate - Welcome Sen. Joe Biden!

And he has chosen...

It's not Hillary. Not Evan. Not Tim. Joe got the #2 spot.



The Obama campaign announced that Senator Joe Biden from Delaware has been selected as his running mate. Joe beat the other contenders, NY Sen. Hillary Clinton, Indiana Sen. Evan Byah and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

Joe brings major credentials to Obama's run for Presidency. The Senator - 65 - was elected to the senate in 1972, is currently serving his sixth term and wears the proud title of Delaware's longest-serving senator. Not only that, but he has a reputation as one of the best on foreign policy and currently heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Biden recently returned from a two-day trip to the Republic of Georgia after the invasion by Russian troops.

Not a bad resume, Biden. Actually pretty good...and definitely throws a punch at the McCain campaign's argument that Obama is weak on foreign policy. It also helps that Biden has strongly criticized Obama in the past. I think it adds credibility to the Obama ticket, because if a critic as strong as Biden has now deemed it worthy to join Obama and - in himself - addresses Obama's perceived gaps, that certainly erases some of the concerns persons have voiced about Obama's inexperience.

Here's what Joe has said about Obama:

In a debate during the democratic primary contest:

*Who among us is going to be able on day one to step in an end the war? Who among us understands what to do about Pakistan? Who among us is going to pick up the phone and immediately interface with Putin and tell him to lay off Georgia because Saakashvili is in real trouble. Who among us knows what they're doing? I have 35 years of experience"

During another debate, when moderator George Stephanopoulos referred to some of Biden's comments on Obama, Biden reconfirmed them:

* "You were asked, 'Is he ready?' You said, 'I think he can be ready, but right now, I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training,'" Stephanopoulos said. "I think I stand by that statement," Biden replied.

However, Senator Biden was quick to note in July that Obama's wisdom was better than McCain's war record. Biden said, "But 20 years of experience that has not been very solid in terms of projecting what was going to happen just doesn't make you a better commander-in-chief. We don't need as a commander-in-chief a war hero. John's a war hero. We need someone with some wisdom."

Of course the GOP will be digging up the dirt on Biden (as Obama's camp will do when McCain announces his running mate). But for now this is what Ben Porritt, McCain's campaign spokesman, had to say: "There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing -- that Barack Obama is not ready to be president."

Again, I think it strengthens Obama's campaign that a former critic, and a very experienced and respected foreign policy veteran, has accepted Obama's offer to join as running mate.

What do you think about the Obama-Biden ticket?

*********

Quick Stats on Biden (courtesy of CNN)

*Candidate status: Dropped out January 3, 2008

*Filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC on January 31, 2007

*States won: None

*Current job: U.S. senator from Delaware

*Birth date: November 20, 1942; Scranton, Pennsylvania

*Family: Married Jill Tracy Jacobs (1977-present); Neila Hunter (1966-1972, died). Children: Joseph "Beau"; Robert; Amy (1971-1972); Ashley (1981). Five grandchildren

*Religion: Roman Catholic

*Education: University of Delaware, B.A., 1965; Syracuse University, J.D., 1968

*Campaign Web site: http://www.joebiden.com/

Jamaica's Men Relay Team Wins Gold in 4x100m Final

Another day, and there are some more medals for Jamaica in the Olympics!

Congratulations to our 4x100m men's relay team: Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell. The men won gold and broke the world record with a time of 37.10 seconds. Bolt ran the third leg of the relay and passed the baton to Asafa who took it home for the team gold. I am so happy Asafa got his first gold!

Apparently Bolt kept running after he passed the baton to Asafa and ended up beating one of the team's competing in the race. LOL!

Congrats also to Trinidad and Tobago who won the silver in 38.06 seconds and Japan who took the bronze in 38.15 seconds.

LOL Read of the Day: Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps

I really enjoyed reading the following article by Tim Dahlberg for the Associated Press entitled "First Phelps, then Bolt in Olympic greatness". Please see below:

----------------------------

BEIJING -- First the fastest man in the water. Now the fastest man on Earth.

The Chinese are having themselves quite the Olympics.

Michael Phelps gave us something we'll probably never see again. Usain Bolt followed with something we had to see to believe.

He ran like Secretariat on two legs, blew away the field like Tiger Woods playing in a club championship.

It looked easy because it was. His fellow sprinters looked befuddled because they were.

No one was ever supposed to be this fast. No one was ever supposed to be this good. A few days earlier Bolt clowned around on his way to a world record in the 100, toying with the other runners as if asking them why they had even bothered.

For his encore, he kept running all the way to the finish line to smash a world record in the 200 that had stood the test of time.

He did it while Phelps was jetting off to London, his eight gold medals safely stored and his place in this Olympics assured. These were always Phelps' games, at least as far as NBC and its American audience were concerned, but Bolt reminded us that television doesn't always dictate who is the star of the games.

The numbers can be debated, and they certainly will in the rural Jamaican parish that grows yams and sprinters. Two gold medals (with a possible third still to come in the 400 relay) against eight hardly seems a fair fight, but this was dominance as utter on land as it was in the pool.

Bolt did what no one thought possible, not only winning the races that define human speed but setting world records in both. He was so far ahead in both races that he could have turned around and run backward the last 30 meters and still won.

Then he did something Phelps always looked uncomfortable doing.

He celebrated.

Not just a little wave to the crowd, quick hug to a teammate kind of celebration.

A real celebration.

Bolt kissed the track and draped himself in the Jamaican flag. He danced and preened, showed everyone his golden spikes, and watched himself on the giant video screen at the end of the stadium.

He might still be dancing had they not needed to clear the track for Melaine Walker to add to Jamaica's track treasures with a gold medal of her own in the 400 hurdles.

We watched last week as Phelps gave his mother flowers after all of his wins, a nice touch that NBC wasn't shy about showing. Bolt gave his country -- and a sport that was badly in need of a boost -- an even bigger present with his startling run into history.

"He's a bad mamma-jamma," said silver medalist Shawn Crawford. "The guy came out and made this the best Olympics of my lifetime."

Actually, what Bolt did was wrap a bow around these games as almost certainly the best Olympics of anyone's lifetime. What else could they be when a man in the water did such astonishing things the first week and a man on the track did equally astonishing things the second.

Phelps started it all by thrilling everyone in his relentless -- and ultimately successful -- bid to break a 36-year-old record held by Mark Spitz.

And Bolt? All he did was bring down Superman.

"He's Superman 2," said Michael Johnson, who got his nickname after shocking the world with the 19.32 he ran in the 1996 Olympics.

No he's not. He's so good he deserves a nickname of his own.

"My name is Lightning Bolt, not Flash Gordon," Bolt said.

On this sultry night in the Bird's Nest, the Lightning Bolt struck quickly, with Bolt coming out of the turn with a big lead on his way to a 19.30 that will stand until the next time he wants to beat it. While other runners pump their fists and grind down the track, the 6-foot-5 Bolt seems to glide above it as if he's wearing a cape of his own.

He runs for fun and he runs for glory. Then he runs for a microphone to tell the world all about it.

"I blew my mind," Bolt said. "I blew the world's mind."

Yes he did, because the world didn't see this coming. While Phelps was a known commodity after winning six golds in Athens, Bolt was untested on the biggest stage and had to talk his coach into letting him enter the 100 as well as run his favorite 200.

He ran both so fast that the whispers were beginning before Bolt even draped himself in the flag. That's the way things are in track, where three of the last five Olympic 100 winners eventually tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and where startling times are greeted with suspicion.

But Bolt has been tested four times in the past few weeks, three of them blood tests, and come up clean. His coaches insist it's raw talent and hard work that makes him so fast, and we might just have to accept that he's a freak of nature.

It's not fair to question Bolt, and it wouldn't be fair to question what makes Phelps go so fast.

Just sit back and appreciate the magical moments two great athletes gave us when it mattered the most.

Jamaica Got Gold, Jamaica Tied for Silver...But U(SA) were Technically Fourth. What to do??

P.S. Thanks Chrissy Jackson for the photo shopped version. Black, green and gold all the way!

Jamaica does it again...Gold and Bronze in the Women's 200m Final!! I feel good...nahnahnahnaha...so good...so good (sung like James Brown)

Another day, some more Olympic medals for Jamaica.

Is it possible to burst with pride? I hope I don't find out...but I am getting really close.

Our very own Veronica Campbell-Brown won gold in the women's 200m final in Beijing. Veronica - 26 -ran her personal best at 21.74 seconds. Thank you, Veronica. We are very proud of you.

Veronica was thrilled about her victory. She had this to say: "I am very happy. It's great to come out and defend my gold medal. It's been great to see Jamaica get a clean sweep of the sprints. Now I have to concentrate on the relays." That's right Veronica, stay focused!

Wait! We aren't done yet.

Not to be left out, Kerron Stewart, fresh off of her silver victory in the 100m final, got bronze in the 200m with her time of 22.00 seconds. Congrats, Kerron!

Now many have been wondering, how can such a small island nation dominate the world stage in such a phenomenal manner. Well, our Jamaican Track and Field Authorities have said it is because Jamaica is now "looking after its own" and refusing to let Jamaica's best young athletes be poached by U.S. colleges and naturalised in the U.S. Asafa is a great example of this strategy. He did not accept the many offers to move to the U.S. and instead remained in Jamaica and was coached by Jamaicans. According to the Australian Herald Sun, this has "helped stimulate passion about the sport in Jamaica with young prospective runners seeing their heroes stay at home and then dominate the world - this year like never before." Thank God for wisdom!

OK, back to our latest medal winners - Veronica and Kerron. Ladies, let me know when I can join you in the victory dance! Nuh Linga? Gully Creepa? Or as my friend Donald says, maybe an old school Bogle? I hope to partake in our soon-to-be (please Senor Bruce G!!) National Holiday to honour our team's mind-blowing performance in the 2008 Olympics.

Proud to be....every time.

Happy Birthday, Usain Bolt!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, dear USAIN

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!!!

Congrats on making Jamaica so proud...and oh, also congrats on your 2 Gold medals.

How does it feel to be the fastest man in the world, Usain??

God is fabulous.

Proud to be a Jamaican...every time

Looks Like Bruce Golding Heard Us - National Holiday for Jamaica May Soon Be A Reality to Celebrate Olympic Victories!

We have all been clamoring for a National Holiday to celebrate our historic Olympic wins...and now it seems that our Prime Minister may heed the call.

According to Reuters, Bruce Golding said he hoped to declare a national holiday after the Olympics to celebrate Jamaica's magnificent wins. Bruce also said that, “Usain Bolt is a super human being. The world has never seen anything like him."

Source: Yahoo! Sports

This is Wonderful Madness...Another Gold for Jamaica....Melaine Walker Breaks Record in 400m Hurdles!!

Wow!!

I don't know what to do with myself. Back-to-back gold medals for Jamaica.

Melaine Walker won the gold in the 400m Hurdles finals. Her time of 52.64 seconds is an Olympic record.

OK - Isn't it time for a National Holiday now???? Come on, Bruce!!!

I AM SO PROUD OF MY COUNTRY!!!! GOD IS GOOD!!!

YAYAYAYA!!!

Usain Bolt Wins Gold...AGAIN....in the 200m Finals

Congrats again, Usain!!

Bolt won gold in the 200m finals and broke the "unbreakable" world record with a run of 19.30 seconds.

Tomorrow is also Bolt's birthday. He will be 22. Happy Birthday, Usain. The crowd sang Bolt Happy Birthday in celebration today. How magnificent. Usain, you are making us so, so proud!!

Go Jamaica!! Proud to be...every time :)

Instant Gratification Sweetly Sucketh

I want it NOW!
Gimme MORE!
Entertain me, Feed me, Pamper me, Relax me, Reward me
X-me
You won't? It can't? Wait?
No!

She always tries to remind us of the promises, the better we have planned
And we block her out
Why won't she just shut up? Doesn't she know that we are on a mission to satisfy the want now and nothing will ruin our fun?
Me-now, Me-now, Me-now

Yes...in the moment...it feels...good
Admit it
And in the next, as the happy quickly transpires, that me is again left to clean up the mess
Admit it
Oh, how she wishes she were heard before the moment, so that she could strangle some sense into us
And makes us see that a little patience, a little faith, will lead us to a more permanent joy


Keri S. Smith

Does Opportunity Really Need To Smack You in the Face Before You Step Up and Take It?

LOL Sighting of the Day: Save the Planet T-Shirt

I saw a pretty cool t-shirt today - on the body of a teen male - it read:

Keep the World Clean. It's not Uranus.

Jamaica Did It Again - Our Women Won Gold, and TWO Silvers in the 100m Finals. I am tingling!!

Wow. Jamaica did it again.

Our women made history in the 100m final in Beijing. For the first time in Olympic history a country - Jamaica - has taken the first three positions in this event. Shelly-Ann Fraser (21) won gold in 10.78 seconds - her best time to date. Then, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart both tied for second place in 10.98 seconds. Both Sherone and Kerron collected silver medals.

Man, I always knew Jamaica was special. We have had so many greats over the years across sports, music, politics...everything. This is just more of the same. Thank you God.

Jamaica is now officially the world's fastest nation!! YES WE CAN!!



Proud to be a Jamaican...every time!!!

For more on Jamaica's wins in the Beijing Olympics see:
http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/08/usain-bolt-wins-gold-in-olympic-100m.html

Note: Jamaica has also achieved the first sweep of men's and women's 100m golds in any Olympics since 1988

Usain Bolt Wins Gold in the Olympic 100m Final in Beijing AND Sets a New World Record!!

Congrats, Usain Bolt!!

Usain won the 100m men's final in 9.69 seconds, beating his own world record. He more than left the other men in the dust.



Jamaica has much to be proud of here. We had 3 athletes competing in the finals: Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater. All 3 train in Jamaica with Jamaican coaches. Also, kudos to the Caribbean in general - as a region we had six men competing in the 100m finals. Congrats to Richard Thompson from Trinidad and Tobago who came in 2nd!

Very impressive Jamaica and the Caribbean...but, back to Usain...because who could really take their eyes off of his awe-inspiring performance? As the BBC commentators said, "how can you even talk about the people who were second and third when you've just seen something like that...the greatest performance of the 100m...new superlatives are required."

http://www.sportstrick.com/play.php?vid=1213 (Replay of the race on BBC)

Go Usain!! Go Jamaica!!

I am so proud to be a Jamaican...every time!!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Usain. His birthday is on August 20th :)

P.S. #2 Here's a write-up on Usain's performance in the Jamaica Gleaner: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080817/cleisure/cleisure1.html

Update: Usain's Birthday is actually August 21st. Thanks!

Hold Up - Quick Fixes Don't Work?

Let's Not Get Cocky...Remember it's All Him...Humble Ourselves and He will Lift Us Up :)

Psalm 75

1 We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2 You say, "I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge uprightly.

3 When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
Selah

4 To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,'
and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.

5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak with outstretched neck.' "

6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.

7 But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.

8 In the hand of the LORD is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.

9 As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

10 I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

Also see:

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/02/relax-hes-got-it.html

Practice Makes Perfect

Fly Much?

You know you are a very frequent flier when on Sunday you get to church extra early and have your pick of seats, and the usher asks you where you want to go, and you say "I'd like an aisle seat, please".

Quote of the Day: Wickedness

"Wickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way. You can be good for the mere sake of goodness: you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness. You can do a kind action when you are not feeling kind and when it gives you no pleasure, simply because kindness is right; but no one ever did a cruel action simply because cruelty is wrong - only because cruelty was pleasant or useful to him. In other words badness cannot succeed even in being bad in the same way in which goodness is good. Goodness is, so it speak, itself: badness is only spoiled goodness. And there must be something good first before it can be spoiled."

~C.S.Lewis, excerpt from What Christians Believe