Help Me to Clear the Air About Obama

I recently received an email from a close relative of mine that (I assume) was meant to enlighten me by explaining all the evils of the Democratic Presidential Candidate.

I was actually very excited to have received this email because I think it would be an excellent opportunity to provide valid documentation relating to the falsities and accuracies of the content of the email. However, I am a bit dismayed because I simply don't have the time to do the necessary research in order to do due diligence to the task at hand.

This is why I am hoping to get people from across the globe to help me with this endeavor and then share this updated information with others. As such, there will be a couple of rules:

1. When discussing a particular part of the email, please include the item number you are referring to.
   
2. No bashing other posters, political parties, etc.
3. Include a link to where you obtained the information (it must be from a valid source).
   
4. If you find accurate details from the email, include that too (along with a link).

Thanks for your help,
Mindelei


Please note that www.Snopes.com does respond to some of the items in this listing that were based in a previous email. Feel free to check on their website for further details relating to items: 1-11, 14-15, 18-19, 34-37. Please note that some of these are only partially addressed as the email below is a further expansion upon a previous email that was floating around in May 2008.


Here is the email I received (I have only removed information that identifies those who have forwarded the email):

Subject: Fw: VERY GREAT READ

What???????

Well, Not Exactly true. REBUTTAL TO OBAMA CLAIMS

This guy is the slickest liar to come along yet. Bill and Hillary can't even begin to compete.

Obama's Not Exactlies:

1.) Selma Got Me Born - NOT EXACTLY, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in
1965. (Google 'Obama Selma' for his full March 4, 2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.)

2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - NOT EXACTLY, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.

3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - NOT EXACTLY, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had.

4) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - NOT EXACTLY, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya . It is the first widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your half-brother, Abongo Obama, is Odinga's follower. You interrupted your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Check out the following link for verification of that... and for more. Obama's cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia muslim law in place there. When Odinga lost the elections, his followers have burned Christians' homes and then burned men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter.. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth.

5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - NOT EXACTLY, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5 AM, according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn't allow her to have been one of 14 wives to
1 man.

6) My Name is African Swahili - NOT EXACTLY, your name is Arabic and 'Baraka' (from which Barack came) means 'blessed' in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.

Barack Hussein Obama is not half black. If elected, he would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother's side and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father's side. While Barack Hussein Obama's father was from Kenya , his father's family was mainly Arabs.. Barack Hussein Obama's father was only 12.5% African Negro and 87.5%Arab
(his father's birth certificate even states he's Arab, not African Negro). From.... and for more.... go to.....

http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml? BarackHusseinObama-Arab- <http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml? BarackHusseinObama-Arab- American, only6.2525_African <

7.) I Never Practiced Islam - NOT EXACTLY, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.
4-3-08 Article 'Obama was 'quite religious in Islam's'

http://www.wnd.com/index.php? fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60559 <http://www.wnd.com/index.php? fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60559 <

8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - NOT EXACTLY, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book). February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it'll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as 'one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.' This is just one example of what Pamela is talking about when she says'Obama's narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.'

9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - NOT EXACTLY, not one teacher says you could speak the language.

10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia , I Have More Foreign Experience - NOT EXACTLY, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn't even speak the language. What did you learn: how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.

11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - NOT EXACTLY, except for Africa
(surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.

12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - NOT EXACTLY, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify -- your classmates said you were just fine.

13.) An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - NOT EXACTLY, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.

14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - NOT EXACTLY, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.

15.) I Won't Run On A National Ticket In '08 - NOT EXACTLY, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.

16.) Voting 'Present' is Common In Illinois Senate - NOT EXACTLY, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.

17.) Oops, I Misvoted - NOT EXACTLY, only when caught by church groups and Democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.

18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - NOT EXACTLY, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - NOT EXACTLY, you didn't write it, introduce it, change it, or create it.

21) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - NOT EXACTLY, it took just 14 days from start to finish.

22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - NOT EXACTLY, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

23.) I Have Released My State Records - NOT EXACTLY, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.

24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - NOT EXACTLY, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens . You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.

25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - NOT EXACTLY, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.

26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - NOT EXACTLY, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.

27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - NOT EXACTLY, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.

28.) No One on my campaign contacted Canada about NAFTA - NOT EXACTLY, the Canadian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.

29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - NOT EXACTLY, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction off Israel ..

30.) I Want All Votes To Count - NOT EXACTLY, you said let the delegates decide.

31.) I Want Americans To Decide - NOT EXACTLY, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.

32.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - NOT EXACTLY, you passed 26, most of which you didn't write yourself.

33.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - NOT EXACTLY, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.

34.) I Don't Take PAC Money - NOT EXACTLY, you take loads of it.

35) I don't Have Lobbyists - NOT EXACTLY, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.

36.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - NOT EXACTLY, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.

37.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - NOT EXACTLY, you weren't in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time.

38.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - NOTEXACTLY, your plan leaves us all to pay for the 15,000,000 who don't have to buy it.

Please forward to all in your address book. The truth must be known about this man.

Palin vs. Obama by an Unknown Author

Earlier this evening, I was on an unnamed social network and had the opportunity to read the following statement. I think that this is information that we all need to be aware of when thinking about Sarah Palin and Barack Obama. It certainly is enlightening.

Enjoy,
Mindelei



Let me see if I have this straight....

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, it's a quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic secret Muslim.

If you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a Maverick.

If you graduate from Harvard Law School you are unstable.

If you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife after a serious car accident and married the heiress the next month, you're a strong Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's values.

If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

To Gadget or Not To Gadget?

In a previous life (yes...I am now old enough that that simply mean's earlier in this one), I may have been a bit of a luddite. Current friends, particularly those who are a part of my Personal Learning Network (PLN), who know that I practically LIVE in the land of Plurk may in fact be very surprised by this "confession".

Uploaded on May 18, 2007 to Flickr by rutty

While in previous years, I never felt the need for a cellular phone, a laptop, or even an iPod. These are items that have become a part of my daily life in the past three years. While my cell phone is used mostly for emergency communications, I am chained to my laptop during nearly every waking hour of the day. And...now that I am the proud owner of the iPod Nano (hey ~ I didn't say I was on the cutting-edge), I can see myself becoming even more infused into the world of technology. After all, we have even purchased a Wii and the Wii Fit too. We receive our DVD rentals in the mail via Netflix (although we do drive over to Blockbuster to rent games for the Wii).

While I don't believe these changes are for the worse...they definitely are changes. These are just one of many alterations in my life these days. So, for now: I will just go with the flow and see where the technology leads me. Hopefully, with any luck I will not regret it.

What Kind of Message Does That Send?

The state of Michigan certainly is fickle. I should probably give you a little background before explaining further...

Back in 2006 I was receiving Unemployment Benefits from a job that ended in 2005. The short version is that I misunderstood the guidelines and thought having a side-job that would provide me with roughly $10 per week was going to cause my benefits to come to an end. So, I quit it (why I would I keep getting $10 per week for something I enjoyed doing when I could be getting $320 per week???). Needless to say, I was confused and my benefits actually ended because I quit that little job. So...after earning the required sum (somewhere between $3,000 and $4,000...I don't recall the exact amount), I was once again eligible to receive those benefits. Needless to say, this came in handy when I first went back to school.

When I began receiving benefits the second time, I was eligible for a "waiver" as a student. So what in the world would a waiver do for me? Basically, it meant that because I was a full-time student I didn't have to look for work as long as I provided weekly documentation from my professors indicating that I was attending classes. Fast forward a couple of months to the State's decision to alter their current policy on students. They decided that only training programs (for careers in things like automotive maintenance, massage therapy, and hair styling) would now be eligible for the waiver because those individuals were learning specific skills. While it was seemed somewhat devastating to me at the time, I survived. I continued applying for jobs (none of which I was hired for - thank goodness), receiving my benefits without the waiver, and going to school to become a teacher.

Fast forward to 2008. Apparently, the state has decided to extend the benefits of those individuals who had received them in the past (I have submitted my paperwork and will hopefully be deemed to be eligible once again). Immediately, I was curious as to what the current status of the "waiver" for full-time students had morphed into. Right away I checked with Michigan Works (they are the agency that issues the waiver) to see what the deal was. This is where I have to ask, "What kind of message does that send?" Apparently, the new policy is as follows: if you are in a two-year program you are eligible for a waiver; but, if you are in a four year program you are forced to pound the pavement and look for work. Of course, this means that if you do manage to find a job that you will have to drop all of your classes and become part of the work force.

My question is this: What sense does it make for me to take a minimum wage job or even $9-10/hour (neither of which are likely to have benefits) when I will be eligible for a teaching job once I have finished my program? How could that possibly be in my best interest? Not to mention all the loans I have taken-out for the year that I will still owe, but have nothing to show for? I wonder what would happen if I switched to a two-year program now, even though I actually only have one-year left in my current program? I bet it would be fine. How ironic is that?

Why aren't more things recyclable?

As "going green" seemingly becomes more and more popular, I have discovered that I am checking more and more packaging and items that I am purchasing (or have purchased) to see if it is recyclable. Because of this, I wanted to share a listing of items that are regularly used that I think should have the capability of being recycled that currently are not.

Here is my plea to manufacturers to find a way to make a greener world. Please make the following items recyclable:

• Birth control containers
• Bread bags
• Toilet paper/paper towel packaging
• Water purification filters (btw...available in Europe)
  
• Pet food bags
• Tampon applicators
• Plastic silverware
  
• Plastic hangers
• Dryer sheets
• Pens
• Markers
  
• Fast food places: please institute separate containers for recyclables and trash (many soda lids and containers get thrown away)
  

If you can think of others...please feel free to share.

Busy With School

I hadn't realized how long it has been since I've been writing in this blog: nearly a month! Needless to say, classes have been busy. My writing skills have been well utilized in writing papers for various classes and working on projects of all kinds. Believe it or not, I've even slowed down on tagging sites for del.icio.us and diigo. I've so missed playing with the web2.0 stuff online. I haven't even had a chance to checkout Second Life since I signed up for it and there are so many interesting things happening out there right now. I have blogged a bit at my other blog, but my tags update there automatically every day, so you really have to search back through that. I'm not sure if I like that are not. So, that's it for the moment. Even though I don't have the time, I'm taking a much needed break tonight.

Experimenting With A New (To Me) Technology

I have just downloaded the browser by Mozilla known as Flock. It is an amazing tool. I have access to everything - right in my browser, without having to go to all the web pages themselves. In fact, I am writing this blog from a window that comes up in the browser - I don't even have to go to Blogger to do this. I have to admit that I am quite impressed. If you want to know more about Flock, you should check out this screencast that was created by Liz Davis, a woman that I follow on Twitter.

If I could give a piece of advice: experiment with web2.0, embrace technology, and find your own Personal Learning Network. There is so much out there to learn about...we just have to be willing!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Whatever Happened to Common Courtesy?

I have to ask myself why pet peeves get to me. As a young adult, I didn't even think that I had a list of pet peeves. Seriously. Apparently I believed that there were no annoyances in my life. With each passing year that once non-existent list seems to grow exponentially. I'm beginning to think that maybe I should create a few pigeon holes or categories or buckets to group them by. Maybe that would make these type of things easier to keep track of. Then again, maybe not. And - there is always the chance that it isn't even necessary.

One aspect that seems to crop up rather regularly is the topic of common courtesy. Why is it that people seem to show so little courtesy towards one another these days? I first started noticing this of the elementary school children back when I was in middle school in the mid-to-late 80s. It seems to have picked up momentum, and - like a disease - infects more and more of the population each and every year. Watch out: the lack of courtesy will get you. I can hear it working its way through town right now. It has already overtaken our neighbors (they never saw it coming).

To force myself into a moment of catharsis, I will share with you some of the annoyances I have with my neighbors. To be honest, I have not bothered them with my thoughts because I believe that it would probably only strain what little relationship we do have.

• Currently, we cannot park in our garage because a friend of their's is blocking the entrance.
• They have only plowed the yard & cleaned the sidewalks once this year (we get 200+ inches of snow each winter and the tenants must keep up the yard year round.
• The grass on the front lawn is dying because their dog repeatedly pees in the same spot (I do not blame the dog).
• They do not pickup after their dog: not in the front yard or the back yard.
• They often park their cars on the lawn in the summer time.
• The snow/ice on the sidewalk was yellowed & smelly from the urine.

Alright, now that I've enlightened you, I will take a deep breath and leave it all here. I cannot tell you how much better that feels.

My world these days

Technically, I'm involved in what has been named by some as "spring break". People tell me that this break from the normal portion of the school year generally involves: (1) traveling to a climate that is considered warm or tropical in nature, (2) throwing caution to the wind and willingly experiencing all those things that that "angel on your shoulder" tells you not to do, (3) altering your state of mind with various legal and illegal substances (note: this definition can vary depending upon where you travel to for this break), (4) taking time away from the things that you are generally forced to think about.

It's a good thing that I'm not going to be graded for appropriately participating in the wonders of "spring break" because I would be handed a big red "F" on a silver platter. Currently, I'm breaking all the spring break rules. All of them. I've already broken the rules for item #1: while I am actually traveling - to another part of the state that is equally as cold as where I am, I am not going for fun. I will be attending a conference in Kalamazoo, MI, for MASAL. Shhhh. Don't tell them, but I'm not quite finished putting my PowerPoint together yet. I'll be speaking about Independent Reading and Writing. It should be pretty interesting. I will enjoy it! I will. I just wish I had time for an actual "break". As for #2: there will be no "caution-throwing". I'm not even sure if I can lift caution up off the ground. I have a bad back you know. In relation to #3...let's just say it's pretty rare for me to alter anything these days. I'm not even sure if my mind will fit properly under the foot of a sewing machine. I may just have to check into the specifics on that. As far as #4 goes. Well...I'm still thinking about all those things I shouldn't be thinking about. And more. Yes, a break would be nice.

In addition, my mother has been having some small strokes which have affected the Vertebral Arteries. The local doctors have done very little for her, so my uncle and his wife are driving her down to Detroit so that she can talk to the doctors down there about the possibility of having a stent put into the arteries. Hopefully, she will be considered a candidate for this procedure, it will go forward safely and relieve the stress on those arteries which will help improve her vision and put an end to the mini-strokes.

With any luck, these week will end with many good pieces of news.

Anthony Bourdain and the Merry Cemetary in Romania

I won't lie to you. I'm a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. His current season of "No Reservations" is true to form and each time I watch the show, I somehow manage to admire him more. Bourdain is honest, he tells the viewer exactly how it is; yet, he is always very respectful of the people and the culture that he is encountering. I rarely feel as though he is attempting to create a falsified television version of what he has experienced. That is rare in the over-edited, superficial, exploitation-focused world of television today.

Now, for something interesting. While it is apparent that Tony was annoyed by his traveling partner Zamir, he still managed to encounter some unusual locales while traveling within Romania. The one place that I would absolutely have to visit would be the Merry Cemetary in Sapanta. The individual crosses are very colorful, sporting hand-painted portraits of the deceased with creatively written poems describing their vices. Apparently the headstones are repainted about once every ten years by Mr. Pop. Talk about a wonderful opportunity to experience a very local form of art and learn more about the people of Romania. The experience certainly seems unlike any other! If you'd like all the details, check out this blog. Of course, if you're more interested in reading a couple of the epitaphs then this may be the spot for you.

There's a first time for everything

This is it. This is my first time on Blogger. I wonder who might read my post. Will anyone even notice? I have no idea what types of things I will include within the contents of this blog as time moves forward. Will I talk about my life plans? Will I discuss how my days are spent as a student? Will I continue to have my blog on MySpace as well? Or, will Blogger.com completely capture my soul and force me to do all of my blogging in this particular location? Maybe this is yet another step into the adult world of technology. I should celebrate: celebrate my transition into a new virtual environment. I'm terribly excited.