cross posted @ One Million Strong

             

Iowa Caucus Center

Nevada Caucus Center

Obama Iowa Mailer

                 

                                   obama at storm lake, ia, december 17th

Obama Apperances and Campaign Events

December 26, 2007 – Town Hall Meeting with Barack, Mason City, IA

December 26, 2007 – Meet the Candidate with Barack Obama, Webster City, IA

December 26, 2007 – Rally with Barack, Fort Dodge, IA

December 26, 2007 – Rally with Barack, Carroll, IA

December 26, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Dallas County, IA

December 26, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Madison County, IA

December 26, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Jasper County, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet the Candidate with Barack Obama, Nevada, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet the Candidate with Barack Obama, Marshalltown, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet the Candidate with Barack Obama, Toledo, IA

December 27, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Vinton, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Mt. Ayr, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Creston, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Union County, IA

December 27, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Osceola, IA

December 28, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Willamsburg, IA

December 28, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Coralville, IA

December 28, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Clinton, IA

December 28, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Davenport, IA

December 28, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Muscatine, IA

December 28, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Atlantic, IA

December 28, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Avoca, IA

December 29, 2007 – Meet Actors Brandon Routh & Kai Penn, Norwalk, IA

December 29, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Burlington, IA

December 29, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Fort Madison, IA

December 29, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Keokuk, IA

December 29, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Mount Pleasant, IA

December 29, 2007 – Rally with Barack, Ottumwa, IA

December 30, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Knoxville, IA

December 30, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Newton, IA

December 30, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Indianola, IA

December 30, 2007 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Des Moines, IA

December 31, 2007 – New Year’s Eve with Barack, Perry, IA

December 31, 2007 – New Year’s Eve with Barack, Jefferson, IA

December 31, 2007 – Meet and Greet with Michelle Obama, Grinnell, IA

December 31, 2007 – New Year’s Eve with Barack, Boone, IA

December 31, 2007 – New Year’s Eve with Barack, Iowa Falls, IA

December 31, 2007 – New Year’s Eve with Barack, Ames, IA

December 31, 2007 – Meet Michelle Obama, Bedford, IA

January 2, 2008 – Barack’s ‘Stand for Change Tour’, Cedar Rapids, IA

                         

                                                               obama on 527s

Obama Hitting His Stride in Iowa

Obama Says He’s Ready for White House

Obama Describes Faith Amid False Rumors

Selling Obama Door to Door

::

Obama Says Clintons’ Attacks Will Backfire

Guess what?  I believe that too.  We have witnessed the undoing of an inevitable campaign, due to the sheer fact that Team Clinton truly believed the poll numbers, and that Team Clinton underestimated Barack Obama.

Barack Obama, stung by a fresh Bill Clinton attack on him, predicted that the Clinton campaign’s increasingly negative tone will backfire by reminding voters of the bad, old “blood sport” days of the 1990s.

Speaking to reporters in this frozen central Iowa city yesterday, Obama said he was less than impressed by Hillary Rodham Clinton’s apology for an aide’s suggestion that he once dealt drugs. Asked if Clinton’s mea culpa was sincere, a stone-faced Obama replied, “I’m not going to characterize it.”

Many have watched in amusement, disbelief, sadness as Bill Clinton, on  Charlie Rose’s Show stated that Barack was not ready for this presidency.  That he was a “roll of the dice”.  Well, wasn’t Bill Clinton that in 1992?  No one knew him from Adam’s Hatrack.  A govenor from a tiny state, that was last in virtually everything, all of a sudden on that national scene.  Much was written about Bill Clinton’s age, inexperience, etc.  But somehow, the country believed it was time for someone new, fresh, not entrenched in Washington, D.C.

Now the quiet, rumblings, anger in the African-American Community is being talked about daily, and it is about the antics of The Clintons.  Whoever is advising Hillary Clinton should be fired.  Her misleading and mishandling of her staff is atrocious.  The outwardly racial baiting from her hench men Joesph Wilson, Bob Kerrey and Bill Shaheen has not bid her well to the African-American Community.

From Bob Johnson’s Diary:

A piece in Sunday’s Washington Post confirms what many people here have been discussing over the last month as Obama has crept up in the polls:

Racial Undercurrent Is Seen in Clinton Campaign

It has unfolded mostly under the radar. But an important development in the 2008 Democratic battle may be the building backlash among African Americans over comments from associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that could be construed as jabs at Sen. Barack Obama’s race.

These officials, including Clinton aides and prominent surrogates, have raised questions or dropped references about Obama’s position on sentencing guidelines for crack vs. powder cocaine offenses; on his handgun control record; and on his admitted use of drugs as a youth. The context was always Obama’s “electability.” But the Illinois senator’s campaign advisers said some African American leaders detect a pattern, and they believe it could erode Clinton’s strong base of black support.

This article is accurate and precise.  Many don’t understand the Black Community and the radio.  teacherken was one of the first to shout out, “hey something is going on here.  The Black Community is livid about The Clintons insinuation of Barack Obama selling drugs and her campaign using racial tactics.” (paraphrasing)  And this was his synopsis by listening to Black Radio.

The Clintons missed a mark here.  The Black Community is angry.  Period.  Many don’t care if Clinton attack Obama on the issues, it is politics, it is hardball.  But to slither to the depths of slimy snakes and use his ethnicity, race, family against him?  Sorry, Hillary, you now have Black Voters who were firmly in your corner, moving to Barack Obama.  And whose fault is that?

If it don’t smell right, it ain’t right.

Video/Audio

New Iowa Ad, Enough; Iowa Ad, Candor; Nashua Telegraph Editorial Board Video; Michelle Obama Video; Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr and Govenor Tim Kaine in Columbia, SC; Barack in Indianola, IA

Obama Fires Up Crowd in Iowa

Obama Touts Rural Plans in Iowa

Second Choices In Iowa

                             

                                                      portsmouth, nh, dec 20

Polls

Yes, coming daily, sometime two and three.  Expect this through January.

Boston Globe NH Poll; Reuters Poll On Clinton’s Negativity; USA/Gallup National Poll; Survey/USA Iowa and General Poll; Zogby National Poll; Washington Post/ABC Iowa and Internals; Insiders Advantage Georgia Poll; Insiders Advantage Iowa Poll; CBS South Carolina Poll; Wall Street Journal Poll; Survey/USA California Poll; Rasmussen South Carolina Poll; Hotline National Poll

Obama for America by Femlaw

Endorsing Barack Obama for President 2008 by GirlZero

Obama Campaigns Comes to Nashville by GoldnI

Populista’s Obama Rising Roundup: Iowa Edition December 6-13

shoutouts:  clinton loses luster; bill clinton downplays wife’s chances in iowa; say goodbye to the fec by adamb; black kos; food pantries turning people away as demand doubles by bink; nyceve; online forum on foreclosure and bankruptcy relief by rep. brad miller; huckabee, my way; john edwards, will you stand up? by adamb

JustAngry has put out a great series broken down into six pieces, focusing on all the aspects you need to know about Barack Obama.  Simply titled, The Only Thing You Need To Know.  This is well worth a read for anyone who is searching more specific information about Senator Barack Obama.

::

Obama: I’ve Fought Harder Against Special Interests

Obama Makes Big Gains in California by Femlaw

Appealing to Indy Voters

Obama Finds His Address

                           

                                                    happy holidays from the obamas

Big Battle For South Carolina

In barely more than a month, the political attention now focused on the early voting in Iowa and New Hampshire will turn southward, to a Georgia neighbor with a proven record of helping decide presidential nominations.

South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primaries are set for Jan. 19, and tracking is already well under way. CNN released an Opinion Research poll Friday that showed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee claiming support from 24 percent of the state’s Republican voters, surging eight percentage points ahead of one-time front-runner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), former Sen. John Edwards (center) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are locked in a close race in South Carolina.

Aong Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York was holding on at 42 percent against the rising Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who had moved up seven percentage points since a July poll to 34 percent.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider predicted an “all-out fight” among candidates well aware of South Carolina’s potentially pivotal role. On the Republican side, South Carolina has picked the eventual party nominee in every primary contest since 1980. In 1992, Bill Clinton used a South Carolina win to solidify his claim on the Democratic nomination after being upset by rival Paul Tsongas in New Hampshire.  AJC

Winning Friends Among Former Rivals

Clinton Trying to Wrestle the Change Mantle from Obama

Change We Can Believe In

Obama’s Hoop Buddy

                         

                                               obama in exeter, nh, dec 20th

Endorsements & Announcements

Nashua Telegraph Endorses Obama; Portsmouth Hearld Endorsement for Obama; Dallas Morning News Endorsement; Sioux City Journal Endorsement; Iowa City Press Citizen Endorses Obama; Reka Basu for Obama; State Representative Wayne Ford for Obama; Daily Iowan Endorses Obama; Woodbine Twiner for Obama; Illinois Black Legislators for Obama; Idaho Democratic Lawmakers for Obama; U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack, D-IA, Backs Obama; U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah Endorses Obama; U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott Endorses Obama; Former Rep. Bedell Backs Obama; Blue New Hampshire Bloggers Endorse Obama; Documentary Filmmaker Ken Burns, Endorses Obama; Ministers Endorse Obama; Obama Opens Nashville Office; Obama Files to Caucus in Kansas; Obama Enters New Mexico Caucus; Texas Primary

February 5th Could Decide Between Clinton and Obama

The Obama-Clinton Issue

Law Student Gave Obama Big Thumbs Up

Did Clinton Worker Blow it with Obama Drug Comment?

Obama Talks Foreign Policy

Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday the nation’s foreign policy challenges call for a new leader who will worry more about doing the right thing than how it will look.

“There are moments in history when it is not enough to fall back on conventional ways of doing things, because the threats we face are unconventional,” Obama said in remarks prepared for delivery. “There are moments when new challenges demand new American leadership.”

He said that for too long the conventional way of thinking about foreign policy has valued “time spent in Washington over timely judgments, posturing over pragmatism and fear of looking weak over the conviction to get things right.”

He said he hasn’t been afraid to buck Washington thinking when it comes to foreign policy, including his opposition of going to war with Iraq while he was a state senator in Illinois. He said he’s the only Democratic nominee his Republican opponent won’t be able to challenge on that point.  AP

I Can’t Stop Wondering About Obama’s Mother

Job Loss A Plea for Help

Obama Proposes U.S. Ban on China Toys

60 Foreign Policy Experts Endorse Obama

::

icebergslim’s last word:  closing

Right now all the candidates are running around and doing the closing line.

Good, they should finalize their position with the voter and hope for the best.

But my closing is this, take a look at this map.

It is interactive.  See all the dark blue patches?  Those are the states with offices or upcoming offices to open for Obama, prior to February 5th.

How important is this?  Very important.

While all the candidates are pitching their closing argument, the real argument is who will win on February 5, 2008.  That is the question.  Meaning, who has the staffing, money, organization, etc., to win decisively on February 5th.

We know Hillary is running a chit driven campaign.  She has called the chits in and expects them to perform.  Edwards has no presence in these states, at all.

So, what should Iowans look for?  Electability?  Yes, all candidates are electable.  They all have issues but they can be elected.  The key word is viability.  Which candidates are viable?  Which candidates have the strength now and can move people through this process?  Which candidate can fund the massive February 5th primary/caucuses and win?

That is the question.  And the candidates better have answers for these caucus goers.  Because right now, I only see two candidates positioned for this task.

Finally, the two best article read of the week, “Why Did Clinton Overlook Obama?”  Good question.  Why did she?  And Michelle Obama, The Closer in the Family.

Blogs and Websites

One Million Strong; This Week With Barack Obama; The Populista Report; Relentless Liberal; Washington State; Obama Dallas; NYC4OBAMA; NewYork4Obama; Texans for Obama; Republicans for Obama; Vermont for Obama; Independents for Obama; Seattle for Obama; Idaho for Obama; Asians for Obama; Bay Area for Obama; Sacramento for Obama; Families for Obama; Irish Americans for Obama; D.C. for Obama; Obama NH; Obama News Vine; Black Women for Obama; Obama Santa Cruz; Think on These Things; Iowa Republicans for Obama; Another Democratic Woman for Obama; RENObama!; Go Barack Obama; Netroots for Obama;  Economists for Obama

If you appreciate the weekly Obama Roundup, then Tip My Obama Jar!!  Minimum five dollars.  This contribution goes directly to the Obama Campaign.  We are in the last stretch of fundraising, Quarter 4, it ends December 31st.  Remember to make your contribution.

                             

well, it is cold out there.  here at my home in the chicagoland area, the wind or “hawk” is whipping through here, as I finalize my last Christmas gifts.  as, i look forward to chatting with my family the next few days, i hope that you are spending the time with your loved ones.  and while you are at it, remember the biggest fight is coming soon, january 3rd.  many of us will be in iowa, many of us will be mounting to new hampshire for the january 8th showdown.  the blogs can be brutal now, just remember to stay focus on obama and not the drama.  i am in iowa on the 27th through the caucus.  i will post a short version of ‘this week’ next sunday, and try to post updates.  keep your head up and let’s win this thing.

::

contact me @ icebergslim1047@hotmail.com

This Week With Barack Obama

Well, maybe you can have instant runoff voting.

S.108 is in the House ready for hearings and then a trip to the floor. While it doesn’t deal with the statewide races, it does give a great confidence building start.

But YOU have to do something!

You have to contact your legislators, write letters to the editor, talk to neighbors and friends and and family, and in general insist upon it.

I’ve talked to many people and organizations about instant runoff voting, and the organization that blows me off the quickest is Vermont’s Democratic Party. This is a Dem supporting blog in general … do something about that.

You can see the VermontIRV blog for much, much more.

For the holiday, I thought I’d do something a little different.  I wrote this piece some time ago and have posted variations on it in multiple places.  This version was set up primarily on the weekend prior to Christmas day and scheduled to go up Christmas morning; I don’t know if I (or anyone else, for that matter) will be around or not during the time it’s posted.

So, with that in mind: the pictures here are all “Light Drawings.”   The short version of this is that they are all photographs which use long exposures to capture light in motion.  Appearances vary due to a variety of factors.  Those factors boil down to a few primary aspects:

1. exposure time, often referred to as shutter speed;


2. film speed (“ISO”), which is how much light is needed to render an exposure on the film;


3. size of opening in lens (f-stop), which is how big the hole allowing light to reach the film is;


4. ambient light in the scene;


5. how much light is emitted by the objects being photographed;

After the fold, I’ll talk about some basic photographic techniques and then apply them specifically to light drawings.   But first, one more photo:

Clicking on photos brings you to a larger image with data about exposure length, camera settings, etc.

So let’s look at those items I mentioned in turn:

1. exposure time:
   The longer the exposure time, the more light gets in from the surroundings.  This can be good or bad, depending on what you want to do.  I’ve found that longer exposure times can be quite nice, as long as you don’t have too much surrounding light (in which case everything can be overexposed.


2. film speed (“ISO”):
   The lower your film speed, the better an image you tend to get.  Higher speeds tend to produce pictures with more “noise” to them and the effect is not as nice as you’d like.  You, however, don’t want to choose a film speed which is too low for your desired effect.  If your speed settings are too low, you’ll find it difficult to get a proper exposure.  You’ll need to experiment some to get this right.


3. F-stop:
   this can make a really big difference.  Wider openings in the lens (lower-numbered f-stops) can produce much brighter images, but in doing so, they sacrifice depth of field, which is how much of your field of view remains in focus.  Wider openings (F 3.5) allow for more light, but less of the photo is in focus.  Smaller openings (F 22) provide for much darker pictures but almost the entire shot will remain in crisp focus.  This makes for difficult choices sometimes, especially if the light source you’re using is not very bright.  


4. how much light is emitted by the objects:
   This takes some getting used to.  I’ve got a bunch of different objects I use to generate images and some are much brighter than others.  In some cases, I have to move the objects VERY slowly in order to get the same effect I would with others.  Below I’ll provide some examples.

So let’s take a look at this photo:

| f/9.0 | exposure: 3m, 10s | ISO: 100 | 10mm |

I was working with 100 speed film so I know I needed to emit a lot of light from the light objects in question.  So I stood a distance from the camera and started spinning this light around (it’s a color-changing light).  I spun about 20 times, walked a step forward, counted 20 spins, and repeated until I was very close to the lens.  This is a good picture, but it’s not my favorite– the F-stop of 9.0 didn’t produce as strong a depth of field as I would have liked, so you can see that the background is slightly hazy as is the snow in the foreground.  At a tighter f-stop, those would have all been in crisp, clear, focus.

In this one, on the other hand:

| f/13.0 | exposure: 4m, 14s | ISO: 250 | 17mm |

I went with a higher film speed so I could use a tighter f-stop instead.  I also had a much longer exposure and didn’t use a spinning light object but instead one that I was moving slowly across the shot.  It’s a crisper and cleaner picture, using the same light source, but in a very different fashion.

It’s amazing how many factors can affect the shots you get.  The picture above has a lens flare in it, which I didn’t expect at all.  This picture…

…has a bunch of sparkles throughout.  That’s because it was snowing at the time and even though the snow didn’t come out clear, it reflected light from the laser pen I used to make the shape below.  That gave me the inspiration to do more work with that laser pen once it snows again.  I may create mirror ball type effects using it, if I can pull them off.  One more picture, then some thoughts, and then a few more to close out:

Here are a few things I’ve learned:

1. every camera is different in terms of how it processes artificial light and what light frequencies expose best;


2. furthermore, every camera works a little differently at different ISO levels as well;


3. every lens is different.  My 17-70mm lens creates a different look and feel than my 10-20mm, even if they’re both set to 20mm;


4. how fast or slow you move an object can make a major difference in how well exposed it is.  If you move it very quickly, it may not show up in the shot at all.  If you leave it still for too long, it may just appear to be a blob of light.  Experiment and learn;


5. Different frequencies of light create different effects and different light sources work differently;


6. flashing lights create a dramatically different effect from continuous lights;


7. the further away a light is from the camera, the less light reaches the camera;


8. ambient light has a dramatic effect on the light you manipulate.  Doing these pictures shortly after dusk leaves sunlight still visible in the sky.  Doing them in an area with street lights produces a different effect than doing them in areas surrounded by darkness;


9. nights with full moons are dramatically different from nights with new moons or cloudy nights;


10. snow reflects almost all visible light and multiplies it.  Same goes for any light-colored, reflective substance;

And remember: most of all, have fun.

A few quick notes:  All these pictures were taken using a Pentax K10D camera, but the technique applies to many varieties of camera.  They were all taken with Sigma lenses, either a 10-20mm or a 17-70mm.

And I will once again mention that clicking on the pictures brings you to larger versions with more details, as well as the ability to rate the photos, if you feel so inclined.

I hope you all have enjoyed this diary as a well-deserved break from political diaries.