So help us God!

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.
We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.
With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Interested in finding out what were the major events of 2008? Read further:

January:

Rumors about Nicole Kidman’s first pregnancy. She delivered a gorgeous baby girl later in 2008.

Mr. Blackwell announced that Victoria Beckham is the worst dressed celebrity. Unfortunately, he died on October 19, 2008.

Bill Gates’s last day at Microsoft.

Nicole Richie gave birth to baby girlHarlow Winter Kate Madden. Christina Aguilera and hubby Jordan Bratman welcomed their first baby boy, Max Liron Bratman.
Johnny Grant, mayor of Hollywood died. He was 84.

Brad Renfro died. Reason: overdose of heroin.

Heath Ledger overdosed and died. Many thing that his character in The Dark Knight was guilty of insomnia and other affections and Heath took drugs to sleep. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to combine pills and a tragic thing happened. He is missed.

Apple launched the new MacBook Air.

February:

Angelina Jolie announced twin pregnancy. Some thought Jessica Alba will have twins but … those were just gossip.

French President, Nicholas Sarkozy forgot his manners and said something awful to a man in a crowd welcoming the president.

Marion Cottilard, Juno, No Country for Old Men, Ratatouille were the among the winners at the Academy Awards in 2008. If anyone cares, I loved “La Vie en Rose”!

Jennifer Lopez delivered twins, Max and Emme. She got $6 million for the first photos of the twins from People. She had enough money for diapers and milk.

Kosovo announced it’s independence. Hope things are finally going to sort out and there will be no more fighting over that land.

Beyonce and Tina Turner performed at the Grammy Awards, Amy Winehouse performed via satelite broadcasting and won 5 awards. Kanye West was loser of the night and got upset. Let it go dear, not everyone can see what a brilliant genius you are. Here is the winners list.

Roy Schneider died at age of 75.

Sarah Silverman screwed Matt Damon and she loved it. Later her boyfriend told us he’s screwing Ben Affleck.

Michael Jackson celebrated 25 years of Thriller, the best selling album.Too bad he’s still not back on track.

New York Giants won the Superbowl 2008.

March:

Thomas Beatie is the first pregnant man in the world. Actually, he’s a man trapped in a woman’s body, meaning that he was born a female but changed his sex when she/he grew up.

Corrine Bailey Rae’s hubby was found dead. Drug overdose.

Valentina Hassan is the new Mariah Carey from Eastern Europe.

Arthur C. Clarke died at the age of 90.
Halle Berry welcomed a baby girl.
Jimmy Wales dumped his girl via Wikipedia. Not so nice of him.

April:
Cate Blanchett welcomed baby no. 3 while Emma Watson turned 18 and she looks hotter and hotter.
Farah Fawcett is fighting cancer again. Anorexia made another victim, Rosemary Pope, weighing less than 5 stone.
Hayley Wilde defeated anorexia. At least one saved life.
Chloe Marshall, the first size 16 model participated at the Miss England beauty pageant.

May:
Harvey Korman died at 81, Sidney Pollack died at 73 and Rob Knox was stabbed and killed on the side road.
The good news is that Zac Hanson welcomed a baby boy and Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon got married secretly.
Sex and the City movie had it’s premiere in London. And many people were wondering: what the hell was Sarah Jessica Parker thinking when she showed up with that thing on her head?

Mischa Barton was caught with cellulite. Big deal!
Read about James Karl Buck and his incredibly Twitter story.

June:
An 11 years old girl, pregnant with her uncle’s child had an abortion in England since Romanian doctors refused to do the procedure.
In June we danced around the world with Matt Harding.
Unfortunately, George Carlin died at the age of 71. On the other hand, Jamie Lynn Spears welcomed a baby girl.
Another death: Tim Russet, at the age of 58 due to a massive heart attack.
Jessica Alba welcomed a baby girl, gorgeous baby girl I must add.
Lilly Allen made a foul of herself at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards.
Bo Diddley died at 79.

July:
Miss England 2008 winners. Chloe Marshall was second runner up.
Emmy Awards Nominations. Two and a Half Men were among nominees.
Miss USA felt down at the Miss Universe contest. She’s not the first.
Miss Universe 2008 was Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza.

Angelina Jolie gave birth to baby twins: a boy and a girl.
Matthew McConaughey welcomed a baby boy while Nicole Kidman had a baby girl.
The first pregnant man delivered a baby girl and the two parents are extremely happy so they planned another child.
Why would a successful model like Ruslana Korshounova kill herself?

August:

Sad because some hip hop bands were unable to get to the Hip Hop Kemp in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. The crown was incredible.
Bernie Mac died at the age of 50. A sad month.

September:
A German lady was recognized as being the author of a stick up after a witness saw her behind. She was big!!
Paul Newman died at 83.
Christina Applegate got well after her breast cancer alert and she looked fabulous on the red carpet at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, Two and a Half Men won nothing.
In stores now the new Guinness World Book of Records 2009.
Richard Wright died. Pink Floyd is officially gone.
It was a big hit for Britney Spears who won 3 awards at the 25th MTV Video Music Awards.
I loved Pink’s performance and her song, So What.
Read about ghost stories here.

October:
Barack Obama is continuing his campaign. Manuel Uribe, the world’s fattest man got married with an average size woman. Love is blind perhaps?!
Adriana Lima presented the $5 million bra. Wow!
People start losing houses, jobs. The Financial Crisis is getting stronger and stronger. Not only in America!

November:
Barack Obama is the first African American president of the United States of America. In your face, McCain!
Michael Jackson is in trouble, is being sued by a Saudi Sheick. Smells like trouble for Jacko.
Weird people: wife divorced man after he had an affair in Second Life. She is now happy with a man she men while playing World of Warcraft.
Anastacia’s PR is sleeping or something like that. She looks stunning, younger and gorgeous. And oh, that voice …
Cindy Crawford is 42 and looks fabulous.
The Economic Crisis is harsh and many people lose their jobs and their homes. Some kill themselves.

December:
Perfect gifts for women. Naomi Watts welcomed a baby boy.
Britney Spears turned 27.
Geri Haliwell looks great and a malfunction of her dress helped us see that.
The Auto industry asks for funds but they are not ready to give up on flying with private jets and expensive trips to exotic places. No, the crisis is just for the lower class. The top class is still very rich.

There have been many other important events but I guess everybody knows about it.
I just hope that 2009 will be a better year.

Via email … thanks Dan

Stupid drunk rednecks!

Thank you so much. Thank you for all the love. I’m here tonight to celebrate a very important birthday, the 25th anniversary of the VMAs. This is the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and it starts right now. – Britney Spears, opening the show.

Sunday night’s show was mostly a joke. A political-musical joke.Yes, Britney Spears looked amazing, yes, there were many performing spots, but the show itself was really a big joke.

Russell Brand used his speech to convince people that Barack Obama is the right next American President, suggesting that “the retarded cowboy” (George W. Bush) was just a big mistake.

He also referred to the McCain-Palin pregnancy scandal, saying that republicans are the safest way to avoid a pregnancy. “Wear a condom or become a republican”, said Russell.

I still don’t see the connection between music and politics, but hey, it’s probably because there is no connection. But in America, everything is possible!

Russell also “joked” about the purity rings worn by the Jonas Brothers, and Jordin Sparks defended the boys saying “no everybody wants to be a slut”. I have to agree with her. America has enough problems with teenage mothers. That doesn’t mean every teenage should do what Jamie Lynn Spears did.

Anyway, I liked Rhianna‘s performance, Disturbia. Too bad she sang too little, but she compensated that with her dancing skills.

The Jonas Brothers were the best, I loved their performance.

Britney Spears had won 3 awards: Best Female Video, Video of the Year, Best Pop Video all for Piece of Me. I personally don’t think she deserved them but hey, they needed a star and all they got was Britney Spears. It’s ok I guess, at least she’s not a train wreck anymore, the way she used to be just a year ago.

Pink performed “So what” outside the parking lot, her performance was incredible. Fire, stunts, explosions and rock – she had it all.

Mommy, Christina Aguilera performed a techno mix of her biggest his, Genie in a Bottle. This way she promoted her upcoming greatest hits album.

Among winners, we have:

Chris Brown – With You – Best Male Video

Lil Wayne – Lollipop – Best Hip Hop Video

Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day – Best Rock Video

The product of Merck & Co. is approved by the FDA, it is considered a safe vaccine but the producers forgot to mention about the side effects, dreadful side effect: temporary paralysis, seizures, complications, ranging from miscarriages to fetal abnormalities, heart problems and/or blood clotting, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and even death.

It is known that there are 100 types of the HPV but only a few lead to cervical cancer, the rest are eliminated by our body imunity system.

Types 16, 18, 6, and 11 lead to cervical cancer, a disease that kills thousands of woman every year.

Photo credit: Libertassociety.org

Religious creeps think that Gardasil is in fact a vaccine for sluts and infidel people, who sleep around. They say that monogamous relations are safe and there is no worry for sexually transmitted diseases if the two partners are loyal and don’t sleep around. These freaks forget something: you can get all sorts of viruses if you use the public toilet, if you change clothes with an infected person, you can get viruses after trying out clothes in a shop or just by walking down the beach after a drug addict lost his needle in the sand and you step on it.

Nobody is actually safe. You can get all sorts of disease even if you and your partner were virgins and you were loyal to each other.

So if you’re a religious freak, please get out of here! Your arguments are overrated!

Photo credit: politicalfriendster.com

Here are a few interesting informations about Gardasil:

Gardasil, the much-touted vaccine against cervical cancer, might not be as safe as once thought. The conservative group Judicial Watch has obtained documents that indicate that Gardasil may have been responsible for thousands of serious injuries, including blood clots and seizures, and possibly several deaths. The new Gardasil revelations are disturbing, as efforts are underway in several states to make the vaccine mandatory for young girls. NewsInferno.com

The vaccine is now mandatory? How can somebody oblige me to get that vaccine?

A NaturalNews investigation has revealed that the FDA knew as early as 2003 that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) was not linked to cervical cancer. Despite this knowledge, the FDA, along with key pharmaceutical companies, has continued to push for the use of HPV vaccinations as a defense against cervical cancer, even when its own research showed no link exists. Natural News.com

So the vaccine is preventing what? Read the complete report here.

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is calling on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to just say “no” on June 29 to recommending “universal use” of Merck’s Gardasil vaccine in all pre-adolescent girls. NVIC maintains that Merck’s clinical trials did not prove the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts is safe to give to young girls. Nvic.org

After approving the vaccine and telling everyone how safe and efficient it is, now it’s dangerous for our daughters? And they reveal this after introducing it into the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund?!

The jab does not vaccinate against cancer but against the virus, and so it would not provide protection against the many other forms of the disease. BBC

A jab that could be given to hundreds of thousands of schoolgirls this autumn was at the centre at a safety scare last night following the deaths of two young women. European regulators are investigating the “sudden and unexpected” deaths of the women who received Gardasil, one of two jabs to protect against cervical cancer licensed for use in the UK. DailyMail

Nearly 8,000 adverse events associated with Gardasil were reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) since June of 2006, further igniting concerns about the controversial vaccine’s safety.   While the majority of the reports involved complaints about pain and swelling at the injection site, at least 7 percent were more serious, and included reports of paralysis and deaths. NewsInferno.com

I can’t tell you what to do, this is a decision every woman must make. As for myself, I will wait a little, to see more about this vaccine and the terrible side effects.

If you are convinced that this vaccine can help you and your daughter, then do it. But if you are in doubt, wait a little. There are certain issues which are still unknown: the long term side effects. I’m just worried about infertility problems which could be linked to Gardasil, as far as I read about this vaccine.

Image credit: businessweek.com

Princess Beatrice and princess Eugenie. The second one is supposed to have gone to the limit on the matter of the skirt’s length. I guess they care more about etiquette rather than caring about those silly hats.

As I said, the skirt worn by princess Eugenie is considered too short for this type of event.

Camilla Parker Bowles. Still awful! That’s one silly and ugly hat!

This is Florence Claridge. She’s old and wrinkled and she’s wearing a very ugly hat!

At least they have a beautiful smile

My God! Looks like a bunch of swans dropped their feathers in too many colors.

The herd! Front image

The herd, image from the back! Notice the big butts!

She’s very cute but the hat is just silly! It’s Jackie St. Clair

Ah, a modern dress and an old style umbrella. It’s Jodie Skyes

The queen, elegant as always! Her hat is really cute, not silly and not ugly but cute.

A classy hat but still I don’t like it. She looks too old with that thing on her head!

Uf, silly hat! It’s Zara, the princess, not the brand!