Can Obama Green the White House?

President Jimmy Carter may not be known for much, but back in 1979, he actually did something unheard of and extremely progressive — he had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. President Carter took the first and most important initiative to green the White House, and its one that other presidents and first families have slowly begun to follow.

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Obama: Maybe He Can

I have been watching Obama since he won in November of last year and I have to say that I am impressed. I probably will be voting Republican again in 2010 and 2012, so don’t get too excited with my statement. However, I will say that given the size of his victory he has been far more willing to negotiate with others then the Clintons did in 1992.

Obama has made very solid cabinet picks and has said all the right things in his interviews. I look forward to his inauguration and expect it to be up there with the greats like Lincoln, Kennedy and Reagan. I am pleased to see that he has been balanced in his approach since becoming President – Elect and I look forward to watching the left become angry at him when he turns out not to be as radical as they thought he would.

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A Savior in the White House?

Oprah Winfrey is without a doubt one of the most powerful women in the world. With a whisk of her magic wand an unknown author can become a best seller. Like the old E.F. Hutton commercials used to say, when Oprah speaks, people listen.

In September of 2005 Oprah selected “A Million Little Pieces” to her Book Club. The story is a heart warming story about a man overcoming his addictions. The book was originally published in 2003 but became a best seller after it got the Oprah seal of approval.

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The Printed Word is Dead

After Obama won the election, there weren’t enough newspapers go around. Everyone wanted to get their hands on something tangible to show that they witnessed history being made. Some wanted to be able to grasp something that captured the feelings of that night. And a few, of course, saw an opportunity to make money.

On the Wednesday evening after the election, 800 sellers on eBay offered “Obama Won” issues of newspapers. The demand was welcomed by print publications. It’s been a tough time for newspapers and magazines alike. Circulation numbers have declined steadily for years. Some think it is because people don’t have time to read anymore while others think it is because modern life is filled with more distractions than ever. Regardless of the reason, publications are increasingly looking to the Internet to make money, but many haven’t found the right solution, yet.

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A Conservative’s Hope for Obama

As many of you know I am a life long Republican and am a big fan of John McCain. Also, during the Democratic Primary I waited six hours to vote for Hillary Clinton twice, first in the primary and then in the caucus, something that still haunts me to this day (did I mention that my voter card is stamped Democrat?). My thought at the time was the devil that I know is better then the devil that I do not. It was also a concern that Senator Obama had not been a Senator for very long and before that was just a State Senator.

Now that the election has passed and the people have spoken it is time to support our new President. While I know that in the future I will have disagreements with the direction of the Democratic controlled Congress and the Democratic controlled White House, when those issues come up then I will explain why I am against those policies and what I think should be different. Until then, I am going to give the Obama team the benefit of the doubt and will wait and see what happens.

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Bumper Sticker Remorse

I was driving to work one morning and I found myself stuck behind a newer looking Honda Accord with bumper stickers slathered across the bumper, windshield and other parts of the car. This gentleman is very obviously a Democrat, and he has taken quite a bit of time to make his political beliefs known. There is nothing wrong with this. He has every right to do so.

There were stickers ranging from the simple Obama/Biden stickers to heckling Palin to calling McCain the equivalent of a feather plucking cockatoo…and that isn’t a nice thing. It is great that this gentleman wants to express his political stance, and if he got my attention, it can safely be said that he got many other people’s too.

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A Truly Historic Election in 2008

Well it finally has happened, history has indeed happened. There was strong debate throughout the process, people feeling very passionate about the issues. There were a lot of ups and downs and while it was possible to see the outcome well before election night, I do not think anyone really knew what it would feel like until the numbers became final. This was indeed a historic election, one that will affect lives forever and one that we will always be talking about.

On Tuesday Nov 4th the voters had a choice and because of the freedom that we have in this country they made that choice and what a choice it was. The city of Roanoke had two bills on the ballot, one to allow alcohol to be sold in stores which barely lost, 789 against, 788 for. The other bill would allow alcoholic drinks to be sold in a restaurants and this easily passed 1094 to 497. Every vote was critical and…..

Wait! Was this not the historic election YOU were thinking of? (more…)