Your Moment of Cat Zen

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Obama Acceptance Speech

I know I'm a little late to get this up. I'm still recovery from the election party :D Here is the full speech Obama gave in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois. The transcript is below the videos. Transcript, courtesy of the Washington Post Wednesday, November 5, 2008; 12:02 AM [*] OBAMA: Hello, Chicago. (APPLAUSE) If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. (APPLAUSE) It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. OBAMA: We are, and always will be, the United States of America. (APPLAUSE) It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America. (APPLAUSE) It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America. (APPLAUSE) A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. (APPLAUSE) Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton... (APPLAUSE) ... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. (APPLAUSE) And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years... (APPLAUSE) ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady... (APPLAUSE) ... Michelle Obama. (APPLAUSE) Sasha and Malia... (APPLAUSE) ... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us... (LAUGHTER) ... to the new White House. (APPLAUSE) And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe... (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. (APPLAUSE) To my chief strategist David Axelrod... (APPLAUSE) ... who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics... (APPLAUSE) ... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy... (APPLAUSE) ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. (APPLAUSE) AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! OBAMA: There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. OBAMA: This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. (APPLAUSE) As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. (APPLAUSE) To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope. (APPLAUSE) That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can. AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. AUDIENCE: Yes we can. OBAMA: America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. (APPLAUSE) Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. (APPLAUSE) END

Quick Joke of the Day

A farmer was pulled over by state trooper Jon for speeding, and the trooper started to lecture the farmer about his speed, and in general began to throw his weight around to try to make the farmer uncomfortable. Finally, trooper Jon got around to writing out the ticket, and as he was doing that he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head. The farmer said, “Having some problems with circle flies there, are ya?” Trooper Jon stopped writing the ticket and said, “Well yeah, if that’s what they are—I never heard of circle flies.” So the farmer said, “Well, circle flies are common on farms. See, they’re called circle flies because they’re almost always found, circling around the back end of a horse." The trooper said, “Oh,” and went back to writing the ticket. Then after a minute he stopped and said, "Hey, wait a minute, are you trying to call me a horse’s ass?" “Oh no, officer. I have too much respect for law enforcement and police officers to even think about calling you a horse’s ass.” Trooper Jon said, "Well, that’s a good thing," and went back to writing the ticket. After a long pause, the farmer said, "Hard to fool them flies though." Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes

Obama FTW

Today will be a light posting day, to let everyone soak up the enormity and awesomeness of Barack's win. Congratulations. You deserve it.

Your Moment of Cat Zen

Here it is, your Moment of Cat Zen Cat Zen Images courtesy of: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Quick Joke of the Day

A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise and yelled over to the boy, "Hey Willis, forget your troubles. Come in and visit with us. I'll help you get the wagon up later." "That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to." "Aw come on boy," the farmer insisted. "Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "but Pa won't like it." After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset." "Don't be foolish!" the neighbor said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?" "Under the wagon." Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes

Quick Joke of the Day

A bus stops and two Italian men get on. They seat themselves, and engage in animated conversation. The lady sitting behind them ignores their conversation at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of the men say the following: "Emma come first. I come. Dennis come and Dennis come again. I come again. Two asses, they come together again. I come again and pee twice. Then I come once-a-more." "You foul-mouthed swine," retorted the lady indignantly. "In this country we don't talk about our sex lives in public." "Hey, coola down lady," said the man. "Imma just tella my friend howa to spella Mississippi." Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes

Your Moment of Cat Zen

Here it is, your Moment of Cat Zen Cat Zen Images courtesy of: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Your Moment of Cat Zen

Here it is, your Moment of Cat Zen Cat Zen Images courtesy of: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

How Strong Is Your Password?

Hackosis has a Brute Force Calculator which can tell you how long it would take a modern PC to crack your password. Some example results:

6 lower case letters 2 numbers 1 special character Your password is 9 characters long and has 988,530,483,200 combinations. It takes 3.60 hours or 0.15 days to crack your password on computer that tries 137,438,953,472 passwords per hour. This is based on a typical PC processor in 2008 and that the processor is under 10% load.

and

6 lower case letters 8 numbers 1 special character Your password is 15 characters long and has 988,530,483,200,000,000 combinations. It takes 3,596,252.95 hours or 149,843.87 days to crack your password on computer that tries 137,438,953,472 passwords per hour. This is based on a typical PC processor in 2008 and that the processor is under 10% load.

Pre-Election Jitters

First, I want to stress that I am not at all nervous about the election. The sun will come up in the east no matter which candidates win, and no matter which propositions pass, and there will still be music and root vegetables and the glint of sunshine on the water. Politics is not everything - unless you live in a country that gets invaded by another much larger country that bombs your house and forces you into a refugee camp. Then politics matters. But who is more powerful than us? No one! Well, OK, China, and probably Russia, and technically the European Union. But still, it's just an election. And I'd rather you didn't talk about it right now. No, wait, tell me everything. What have you heard? But don't tell me that Obama's really far ahead, because that would be conventional wisdom and conventional wisdom is often wrong and there would be talk of the McCain Miracle. Oh God no. But don't tell me Obama's behind, either. Sometimes polls are wrong, but mostly they are not wrong, and if he's behind, then probably he's going to lose, and then I would have to move to Canada and hide in my daughter's basement in Montreal. Because I could not take four more years of Republicans. Could not. William Kristol alone would drive me crazy. Next Wednesday, I want to see William Kristol rolling on the floor in agony. Metaphorically, of course. I wish no ill to any man - except George Bush. Him, I wish ill to. Ill ill ill, George Bush! And don't tell me the election is close! I hate close. What if it's so close it's decided in Florida again? Or Ohio, where they have these machines that eat Democratic votes? I'll be up at 3 in the morning worrying about Nevada. I don't want to worry about Nevada. Vote stealing! I don't want to hear about that. Time was, you could always count on the Democrats to steal enough votes for most eventualities. But now the Republicans have gotten the hang of it, and they probably have secret maps that indicate that if they can manipulate the vote in just five precincts, then the reign of error and terror can continue. Am I being paranoid? Of course I'm being paranoid. Anyone remember a little Supreme Court case called Bush vs. Gore? And I don't want to hear about any October Surprise. It's getting very late for an October Surprise, but you never know. My enemies have tricks up their sleeves. They could, I dunno, suspend the election on national security grounds. They could create an international incident that requires a military man to manage it. Bomb bomb Iran - McCain has already prepared for that possibility. Now, I think most Americans would be appalled if we bombed Iran, but what do I know? Does America ever think the way I think? It does not. Don't tell me that polls indicate that America thinks the way I think, that it is heartbroken by the waste and stupidity of the war in Iraq, that it blames the Republicans for messing up the environment and making everyone hate us. America never thinks the way I think. I have my finger on the pulse of, I dunno, three women in Mill Valley. So you'll make me nervous if you talk like that. So don't mention it. Pretend it's not happening. I don't care about Sarah Palin's clothes. I don't care about Sarah Palin at all. I never want to read another word about her. Did she hurt the ticket? Did she help the ticket? What about white women over 40? How will they vote? What if it rains? Is there a danger of overconfidence? I told you not to talk to me about this. Can an African American person really be president of the United States? All my life, I've been sure that the answer to that question was "no," which is why I don't want to talk about it. If the polls say "yes, yes" and my experience says "no, no," my head will begin to revolve. I want it to be next Wednesday. I want Obama to win, and I want to start getting fretful about something else. Imagine what mischief George Bush is going to attempt between now and Jan. 20. He's gonna pre-pardon everybody for everything. He's going to kill endangered species with his bare hands. He's going to deforest entire states. Now, that's gonna be terrible, but there will be a date certain, as they say, when he has to go back to Texas and do - well, pretty much nothing, is my guess. Jimmy Carter he ain't.

Quick Joke of the Day

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead? Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough money? Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection? Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes

The Best of Late Night

Yesterday in Washington, the Secret Service arrested a man who climbed over the White House fence. The Secret Service told the man, “Get back here, Mr. President, you have two more months." -Conan O'Brien "With Halloween coming this weekend, they say not one person in the country is planning to dress up as Governor Sarah Palin. You know why? ... The costume costs $150,000." -Jay Leno Not a great day for Cloris Leachman — she was voted off of “Dancing with the Stars” last night. It seems that America can’t wait until Election Day to vote against a senior citizen. -Craig Ferguson "Sarah Palin told a crowd yesterday, when she campaigns, she doesn't wear her wedding ring because the shape of it hurts her finger when she's shaking a lot of hands. And Bill said to Hillary, 'See! I told you I wasn't making it up.'" -Jay Leno "On this very date in 1929, the stock market plunged 13%. Boy, those were the good old days, huh?" -David Letterman Earlier tonight, Barack Obama aired a half-hour infomercial to attract more voters. Apparently, if you watched the entire infomercial, Barack threw in a free set of Ginsu knives or a BeDazzler. -Conan O'Brien "Earlier tonight, Barack Obama had a half-hour television special. Did anybody happen to see it? It's a lot of money, ladies and gentlemen. Don't kid yourself. A half-hour, prime-time network television. I mean, it costs a lot of dough. And they say it was the most money spent by a Democrat for a half an hour since Eliot Spitzer." -David Letterman "And President Bush [is] preparing to leave the White House. That's a big job after eight years, of course. Of course, on the bright side, not a lot of books to pack up." -Jay Leno There is more political fallout today. Apparently, because of arguments over their political stances, “The View’s” Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar are no longer speaking. Two down, three to go. -Craig Ferguson Just six days from today, we’ll know for sure exactly which candidate will be suing the other for voter fraud. -Jay Leno

Quick Joke of the Day

A man and wife were celebrating their 50-year anniversary, so the man bought his wife a $250 see-through nightgown. Later that night she was getting ready for bed and realized the nightgown was still in the box downstairs. Walking naked through the house, she passed her husband who said, "My word, for $250 they could've at least ironed it!" Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes

Auto Tags for Muggles and Harry Potter Fans

MuggleNet has assembled a collection of auto tags feature Harry Potter and other characters. This is a great collection, and it's too bad you can only choose one for your vehicle. Some of my favorites include:

The Rationales Each Party Will Give If They Lose The Election

Republicans:

1. The black vote

2. Also, the youth vote

3. And the elderly

4. And the hispanics

5. And the gays and lesbians

6. And the women

7. And the early voters

8. Jesus, who did we have voting for us?

9. White dudes with Sarah Palin MILF fantasies? Really, that’s it?

10. Give me that gin. And that Ambien.

Democrats:

1. Racism.

2. Diebold.

3. Karl Rove. Somehow.

Libertarians

1. Dude, we’re Libertarians.

2. We never win.

3. We can’t win.

4. And frankly, if we did win, we’d probably all pee ourselves in terror.

5. And so would you.

6. Now, let’s smoke a bowl and watch some porn.

[Whatever]

Your Moment of Cat Zen

Here it is, your Moment of Cat Zen Cat Zen Images courtesy of: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Finally, Big Guns Fight the RIAA

In the past, it's been noted that the RIAA has curiously avoided suing any Harvard students, with one of the theories being that Harvard had made it quite clear to the RIAA that it would fight back hard. And, with Harvard law school at its disposal, and various professors there indicating that they had serious legal problems with the RIAA's strategy, the RIAA simply decided to ignore any file sharing going on at that prestigious university. However, for RIAA critic and well known law professor, Charles Nesson, waiting around for the RIAA to sue someone at Harvard was getting boring, so he went out and found a case to participate in. Along with two third year law students, Nesson has hit back hard on the RIAA's efforts in a court filing, where it's noted that the very basis for many of the RIAA's lawsuits is very likely unconstitutional. He makes the argument that the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is very much unconstitutional, in that its hefty fines for copyright infringement (misleadingly called "theft" in the title of the bill) show that the bill is effectively a criminal statute, yet for a civil crime. That's because it really focuses on punitive damages, rather than making private parties whole again. Even worse, it puts the act of enforcing the criminal statute in the hands of a private body (the RIAA) who uses it for profit motive in being able to get hefty fines:

Imagine a statute which, in the name of deterrence, provides for a $750 fine for each mile-per-hour that a driver exceeds the speed limit, with the fine escalating to $150,000 per mile over the limit if the driver knew he or she was speeding. Imagine that the fines are not publicized, and most drivers do not know they exist. Imagine that enforcement of the fines is put in the hands of a private, self-interested police force, that has no political accountability, that can pursue any defendant it chooses at its own whim, that can accept or reject payoffs in exchange for not prosecuting the tickets, and that pockets for itself all payoffs and fines. Imagine that a significant percentage of these fines were never contested, regardless of whether they had merit, because the individuals being fined have limited financial resources and little idea of whether they can prevail in front of an objective judicial body.

Beyond just questioning the constitutionality of the law, Nesson argues that the court ought to punish the RIAA for its abuses of the law. [TechDirt]

The Way Keyboards Should Be Made

Your Moment of Cat Zen

Here it is, your Moment of Cat Zen Cat Zen Images courtesy of: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone. Go out there, have fun, and take lots of pics!

Quick Joke of the Day

From a passenger ship, one can see a bearded man on a small island who is shouting and desperately waving his hands. "Who is it?" a passenger asks the captain, who graduated from Tennessee A & I. "I've no idea. Every year when we pass, he just goes nuts." Find more jokes at Really Funny Quick Jokes