MB's "I'm Bored At Work" Video Playlist: Part 2

The Last Shadow Puppets -- "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" -- Live in NYC

(I took this video!)



Vampire Weekend -- "Oxford Comma" -- Live on Jools Holland



Kings of Leon -- "Use Somebody" -- Live on Jools Holland



The Guillemots -- "Made Up Love Song #43" -- Live on Top of the Pops



The Last Shadow Puppets feat. Alison Mosshart (the Kills) -- "Paris Summer"



Kings of Leon -- "Fans" -- Live @ Reading



The Cribs -- "Mirror Kissers"



Chris Corner & Simon leBon -- "The Chauffer" (Live)



Kings of Leon -- "Crawl" (Live)



Foals -- "Red Socks Pugie" (Live on Jools Holland)

MB's "I'm Bored At Work" Video Playlist: Part 1 (Ladies....)

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour -- "Around the Bend"



Robots in Disguise -- "The Tears" (feat. Noel Fielding)



Kate Nash -- "Foundations" (Live on Jools Holland)



Amy Winehouse -- "Valerie" (Live & Acoustic)



Adele -- "Best for Last" (Live in Minneapolis)



The Asteroids Galaxy Tour -- "The Golden Age (Live)"



Duffy -- "The First Cut is the Deepest" (Live on Jools Holland)



Amy Winehouse -- "You Know I'm No Good" (Live on the Russell Brand Show)

President-Elect Obama's First Press Availability

Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama
Press Avail on the Economy
Thursday, November 7th, 2008

Chicago, Illinois

This morning, we woke to more sobering news about the state of our economy. The 240,000 jobs lost in October marks the 10th consecutive month that our economy has shed jobs. In total, we’ve lost nearly 1.2 million jobs this year, and more than 10 million Americans are now unemployed. Tens of millions of families are struggling to figure out how to pay the bills and stay in their homes. Their stories are an urgent reminder that we are facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime, and we must act swiftly to resolve them.

The United States has only one government and one President, and until January 20th of next year, that government is the current Administration. I have spoken to President Bush, and I appreciate his commitment to ensuring that his economic policy team keeps us fully informed as developments unfold.

Immediately after I become President, I will confront this economic crisis head-on by taking all necessary steps to ease the credit crisis, help hardworking families, and restore growth and prosperity.

This morning, I met with members of my Transition Economic Advisory Board, who will help guide the work of my transition team in developing a strong set of policies to respond to this crisis. We discussed several of the most immediate challenges facing our economy and key priorities on which to focus on in the days and weeks ahead:

First, we need a rescue plan for the middle class that invests in immediate efforts to create jobs and provides relief to families that are watching their paychecks shrink and their life savings disappear. A particularly urgent priority is a further extension of unemployment insurance benefits for workers who cannot find work in the increasingly weak economy. A fiscal stimulus plan that will jump-start economic growth is long overdue – and we should get it done.

Second, we must address the spreading impact of the financial crisis on other sectors of our economy: small businesses that are struggling to meet their payrolls and finance their holiday inventories; and state and municipal governments facing devastating budget cuts and tax increases. We must also remember that the financial crisis is increasingly global and requires a global response.

The news coming out of the auto industry this week reminds us of the hardship it faces – hardship that goes far beyond individual auto companies to the countless suppliers, small businesses and communities throughout our nation who depend on a vibrant American auto industry. The auto industry is the backbone of American manufacturing and a critical part of our attempt to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I would like to see the Administration do everything they can to accelerate the retooling assistance that Congress has already enacted. In addition, I have made it a high priority for my transition team to work on additional policy options to help the auto industry adjust, weather the financial crisis, and succeed in producing fuel-efficient cars here in the United States. I have asked my team to explore what we can do under current law and whether additional legislation will be needed for this purpose.

Third, we will review the implementation of this Administration’s financial program to ensure that our government’s efforts are achieving their central goal of stabilizing financial markets while protecting taxpayers, helping homeowners and not unduly rewarding the management of financial firms that are receiving government assistance. It is critical that the Treasury work closely with the FDIC, HUD and other government agencies to use the substantial authority they already have to help families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.

Finally, as we monitor and address these immediate economic challenges, we will be moving forward in laying out a set of policies that will grow our middle-class and strengthen our economy in the long-term. We cannot afford to wait on moving forward on the key priorities that I identified during the campaign, including clean energy, health care, education and tax relief for middle class families.

My transition team will be working on each of these priorities in the weeks ahead, and I intend to reconvene this Advisory Board to discuss the best ideas for responding to these immediate problems.

Let me close by saying that I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead. We have taken some major actions to date, and we will need further actions during this transition and subsequent months. Some of those choices will be difficult, but America is a strong and resilient country. I know that we will succeed if we put aside partisanship and work together as one nation. And that is what I intend to do.

---

TRANSCRIPT OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect. I wonder what you think any president can accomplish during their first 100 days in office to turn the economy around? How far can you go? And what will be your priorities on day one?

OBAMA: Well, I think that a new president can do an enormous amount to restore confidence, to move an agenda forward that speaks to the needs of the economy and the needs of middle-class families all across the country. I've outlined during the course of the campaign some critical issues that I intend to work on.

We have a current financial crisis that is spilling out into rest of the economy, and we have taken some action so far. More action is undoubtedly going to be needed. My transition team is going to be monitoring very closely what happens over the course of the next several months.

The one thing I can say with certainty is that we are going to need to see a stimulus package passed either before or after inauguration. We are going to have to focus on jobs, because the hemorrhaging of jobs has an impact, obviously, on consumer confidence and the ability of people to — to buy goods and services and can have enormous spillover effects. And I think it's going to be very important for us to provide the kinds of assistance to state and local governments to make sure that
they don't compound some of the problems that are already out there by having to initiate major layoffs or initiate tax increases.

So there are some things that we know we're going to have to do, but I'm confident that a new president can have an enormous impact.That's why I ran for president.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) from House Democrats that the stimulus package may be in trouble, that it's going to be a hard time getting out of a lame-duck session. Are you still confident that you would be able to get something done before you actually take office?

OBAMA: I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later. If it does not get done in the lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I get done as president of the United States.

QUESTION: Senator, for the first time since the Iranian revolution, the president of Iran sent a congratulations note to a new U.S. president. I'm wondering if, first of all, if you responded to President Ahmadinejad's note of congratulations and, second of all, and more importantly, how soon do you plan on sending low-level envoys to countries such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, to see if a presidential-level talk would be productive?

OBAMA: I am aware that the letter was sent. Let me state – repeat what I stated during the course of the campaign. Iran's development of a nuclear weapon I believe is unacceptable. And we have to mount a international effort to prevent that from happening.Iran's support of terrorist organizations I think is something that has to cease.

I will be reviewing the letter from President Ahmadinejad, and we will respond appropriately. It's only been three days since the election. Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like Iran is not something that we should, you know, simply do in a knee-jerk fashion. I think we've got to think it through.

But I have to reiterate once again that we only have one president at a time. And I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president and I won't be until January 20th.

QUESTION: Picking up what we were just talking about, your meeting with President Bush on Monday. When — he is still the decider, obviously, stating the obvious. When you disagree with decisions he makes, will you defer? Will you challenge? Will you confront? And if it becomes confrontational, could that rattle the markets even more?

OBAMA: Well, President Bush graciously invited Michelle and I to – to meet with him and First Lady Laura Bush. We are gratified by the invitation. I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president.

I'm not going to anticipate problems. I'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all recognize the severity of the situation right now and want to get stuff done.
And, you know, undoubtedly there may end up being differences between not just members of different parties, but between people within the same party.

The critical point and I think the critical tone that has to be struck by all of us involved right now is the American people need help. This economy is in bad shape. And we have just completed one of the longest election cycles in recorded history.
Now is a good time for us to set politics aside for a while and think practically about what will actually work to move the economy forward. And it's in that spirit that I'll have the conversation with the president.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect. With the country facing two wars and a financial crisis, do you think it's important for you to move especially quickly to fill key cabinet posts, such as treasury secretary and secretary of state?

OBAMA: When we have an announcement about cabinet appointments, we will make them. There is no doubt that I think people want to knowwho's going to make up our team. And I want to move with all deliberate haste, but I want
to emphasize "deliberate" as well as "haste."

I'm proud of the choice I made of vice president, partly because we did it right. I'm proud of the choice of chief of staff, because we thought it through. And I think it's very important, in all these key positions, both in the economic team and the national security team, to — to get it right and not to be so rushed that you end up making mistakes. I'm confident that we're going to have an outstanding team, and we will be rolling that out in subsequent weeks.

QUESTION: Yes, sir. To what extent — to what extent are you planning to use your probably pretty great influence in determining the successor for your Senate seat? And what sort of criteria should the governor be looking at in filling that position?

OBAMA: This is the governor's decision; it is not my decision. And I think that the criteria that I would have for my successor would be the same criteria that I'd have if I were a voter: somebody who is capable; somebody who is passionate about helping working families in Illinois meet their — meet their dreams.
And I think there are going to be a lot of good choices out there, but it is the governor's decision to make, not mine.

Lynn Sweet?

QUESTION: Mr. President-elect…

OBAMA: What happened to your arm, Lynn?

QUESTION: I cracked my shoulder running to your speech on election night.

OBAMA: Oh, no.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: (inaudible)

OBAMA: I think that was the only major incident during the – the entire Grant Park celebration.

QUESTION: Thank you for asking. Here's my question. I'm wondering what you're doing to get ready. Have you spoke to any living ex-presidents, what books you might be reading? Everyone wants to know, what kind of dog are you going to buy for your girls? Have you decided on a private or public school for your
daughters?

OBAMA: Let — let me list those off.

In terms of speaking to former presidents, I've spoken to all of them that are living. Obviously, President Clinton — I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances.

I have re-read some of Lincoln's writings, who's always an extraordinary inspiration.

And, by the way, President Carter, President Bush, Sr., as well as the current president have all been very gracious and offered to provide any help that they can in this transition process.

With respect to the dog, this is a major issue. I think it's generated more interest on our Web site than just about anything.We have — we have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic. On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So — so whether we're going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.

And with respect to schools, Michelle will be — will be scouting out some schools. We'll be making a decision about that in the future.

QUESTION: You are now privy to a lot of intelligence that you haven't had access to before, in fact, much of what the president sees, I'm sure all of it.

First of all, do you — what do you think about the state of U.S.intelligence, whether you think it needs beefing up, whether you think there's enough interaction between the various agencies?

And, second of all, has anything that you've heard given you pause about anything you've talked about on the campaign trail?

OBAMA: Well, as you know, if — if there was something I had heard, I couldn't tell you. But…

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

OBAMA: I have received intelligence briefings. And I will make just a general statement.

Our intelligence process can always improve. I think it has gotten better. And, you know, beyond that, I don't think I should comment on the nature of the intelligence briefings.

OBAMA: That was a two-parter. Was there another aspect to that?

QUESTION: Well, just whether — you know, absent what you've heard…

OBAMA: OK, I get you.

QUESTION: … whether anything has given you pause.

OBAMA: I'm going to skip that.

QUESTION: Mr. President-elect, do you still intend to seek income tax increases for upper-income Americans? And if so, should these Americans expect to pay higher taxes in 2009?

OBAMA: The — my tax plan represented a net tax cut. It provided for substantial middle-class tax cuts; 95 percent of working Americans would receive them. It also provided for cuts in capital gains for small businesses
additional tax credits. All of it is designed for job growth.

My priority is going to be, how do we grow the economy? How do we create more jobs?
I think that the plan that we've put forward is the right one, but, obviously, over the next several weeks and months, we're going to be continuing to take a look at the data and see what's taking place in the economy as a whole. But, understand, the goal of my plan is to provide tax relief to families that are struggling, but also to boost the capacity of the economy to grow from the bottom up.

All right. Thank you very much, guys.

Political Cartoons

WE DID IT!!! I AM SO PROUD OF MY COUNTRY!!

Announcement and Crowd Reactions:


A Crowd Outside the White House:



Obama's Victory Speech:


I can't even put into words how happy I am that Obama won! I have been so inspired by the campaign that he has run and am SO PROUD of my generation and my country that we not only elected Obama, but that we did it by such a large margin! I feel like we have hit the "reset" button after the disastrous Bush years, and now we can get back to the way that this country is supposed to be. I think Obama said it best in his victory speech in Chicago: "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.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." (Read the full transcript)

I'm proud of America not only because we elected an African American man, which is a HUGE step for this country, but because they elected Barack Obama, a man with great integrity, intelligence and honesty. I truly believe he is the best candidate this country has ever seen, and I am greatly reassured by the fact that Americans saw past any prejudices and any false claims about Obama to elect him president.

I'm also incredibly proud of my generation. I always have had hopes that my generation would come to the forefront and stand for something big and important, just like the 60s generation stood for peace and civil rights and made great strides for this country. Not only did young voters turn out in large numbers for Obama, but we volunteered our time and energy and gave our hard earned money to Obama's cause because we believed that this was the man our country needs. I'm a very shy person, but I even made some calls for Obama and volunteered to register voters. We're finally standing up and making ourselves heard, and we're taking the rest of the country with us. I think this is in large part because of Obama's belief in young voters and in the younger generation in general. He didn't write us off like most politicians do, and allowed us to really own a large part of his campaign. We are taught growing up that America is great because we are a democracy and that every vote and every citizen counts, and Obama has given a chance to not only believe that but act on it.

When it was first announced last night that Obama won I could hardly believe it, I was in a real state of shock. But today, in re-watching Obama's speech and the crowds all over the country and the world reacting so positively to Obama's victory, I find myself getting really emotional. I believe Obama is a leader who can truly unite us...not just in this country, but all over the world. Obama's campaign was successful in large part because he included and respected ALL people and ALL opinions, and I believe that is the way he will lead this country.

Not only will we have a great president in Obama, but a great Vice President in Joe Biden and a great First Lady in Michelle Obama. Joe Biden is a man of great character and great experience who will be a close advisor and ally to Obama, but will stand up to him if need be. Obama surrounds himself not only with people who believe in what he believes and will tell him he is right, but people who have great experience and intelligence on ALL sides of the issues -- people who will fill in any gaps in Obama's expertice and allow him to make a balanced and well informed opinion.

Michelle Obama is a very intelligent, warm human being and an incredibly strong woman. I look up to her as the kind of woman I aspire to be, and believe she will be an amazing role model for an entire generation of young women. She will not only work on important issues like caring for our military families and discrimination against women, but will also keep Barack Obama grounded. I can only imagine what I bright future Malia and Sacha Obama have, being raised by two people like Barack and Michelle Obama. Not only would they be a great example for their children if they didn't lead public lives, but these young girls get to see their father become the first African American president and their mother become first lady. Years from now, I bet we'll see them running for office somewhere.

This is the beginning of a new dawn, a bright new era for this country, and I couldn't be happier and prouder to be a part of it.

Helpful Info for Voters in MD's District 2, Precinct 2

By now you're all probably well informed about the Presidential Candidates, but you may not be sure about how to vote for the judges, board of education members, and questions on the ballot. Here is some information that I found that helped me make my decisions.

Representative in Congress, Congressional District 4 :
Donna Edwards
Peter James
Thibeaux Lincecum

Judge of the Circuit Court, Judicial Circuit 6 (Robert Alan Greenberg/Mary Beth McCormick)

Judge, Court of Special Appeals At Large (Deborah Eyler: Yes/No & Robert A. Zarnoch: Yes/No)

Board of Education At Large (Phil Kauffman/Tommy Le)

Board of Education District 2 (Stephen N. Abrams / Laura V. Berthiaume)

Board of Education District 4 (Christopher S. Barclay)

Question 1: Early Voting (For/Against)

Question 2: Slots (For/Against)

Charter Amendments: Question A (Repeal of Legally Ineffective Provisions) & Question B (Property Tax Limit Override) -- (For/Against)

Some good general sites are:

www.ballotpedia.org
Washington Post Editorial: The Maryland Ballot

Good Obama Editorial -- Read It and GO VOTE TOMORROW!

From the Nation:

Obama and the Better Angels of Our Nature
posted by John Nichols on 11/03/2008 @ 06:00am

At the close of his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln spoke to those who would divide the United States.

"We are not enemies, but friends," said the 16th president. "We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

Almost 150 years after Lincoln uttered those words, America is again divided.

The question that will be answered by voters on this first Tuesday in November is whether the land must remain divided.

Eight years of George Bush's tragically flawed attempt at a presidency have strained the very fabric of the American experiment. Our debates about war and peace, taxes and spending, civil rights and civil liberties have developed bitter edges that suggest we are enemies: Democrat versus Republican, Red State versus Blue State, liberal versus conservative.

The banner-carrier of Lincoln's Republican party in this fall's election, John McCain, has torn open holes in that fabric, exploiting the oldest and ugliest of our differences.

And yet, most Americans are still touched by the better angels of our nature.

We still believe that this great nation can and should be what Lincoln imagined: "the last best hope of Earth."

That, more than any of the vagaries of campaign finance, battleground-state calculations or simplistic candidate comparisons, explains why Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency has been so successful -- and why its success has become an imperative no less consequential than those of other historic candidacies: Jefferson in 1800, Lincoln in 1860, Roosevelt in 1932.

It may be mere coincidence that Obama is, like Lincoln, an Illinoisan with a relatively short resume of electoral service.

But as Obama submits himself to what his home-state predecessor called "this great tribunal of the American people," we are reminded of the essential message of Lincoln's distant campaigning: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew and then we shall save our country."

The more cautious among us still suggest that to support Obama requires too great a leap of faith, just as it has always been suggested of young men who bid for the presidency before the established order judges it to be their time. But the American people have a history of understanding, as they did with Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy, that sound judgment and an ability to inspire should count for more than a long resume and the burden of knowing too much of what is not supposed to be achievable and too little of the infinite possibility of this unfinished American project.

Had he run a better campaign, John McCain would be a worthy adversary to Obama. He was a maverick once – not a progressive maverick, not a radical reformer. But after the most dangerous elements in his party took charge in the mid-1990s, McCain refused for a time to go along with those who sought to destroy the last vestiges of the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.

[McCain]'s record was once commendable, if imperfect. It is now tarnished beyond repair.

Obama's resume is shorter than McCain's, and imperfect in places. But it is precisely right for the American moment. As a community organizer in Chicago. Obama worked to save industrial jobs and the neighborhoods they sustain. As an Illinois state senator he was an ardent advocate of that state's historic death penalty moratorium. As a likely contender for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2003, he marched with anti-war protesters. As a freshman senator he worked with Wisconsin's Russ Feingold to promote sweeping ethics reforms. And as a presidential candidate he has mounted a campaign distinguished by its optimism, its vigor, its appeal to the young and the previously disengaged, and its success in upending the calculations of those who thought they controlled our politics.

Everything about the Republican nominee's current campaign suggests that a McCain presidency would be a continuation of the Bush era. Everything about Obama's campaign suggests that he favors a bolder break with the failed politics and policies of the Bush interregnum.

McCain has attempted to define Obama as a radical in the last days of this very long campaign. And, in a sense, the senior senator is right. In fact, the Democrat proposes a change that would be far more radical than McCain and angriest supporters dare imagine: a transformation. Obama's is the politics of faith in the prospect of democratic renewal; of the worthy dream that a divided people might unite around common purposes and lower partisan barriers to make possible dramatic shifts in the way the United States relates to the world and to itself.

It is for that reason that many of the nation's most prominent Republicans – former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Susan Eisenhower, former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, among them – have endorsed Obama.

McCain derides Obama as a "big talker" holding out false hope to worried Americans.

Obama responds that, "This whole notion of false hopes bothers me. There is no such thing as false hopes."

Some truths are self-evident – among them, that Lincoln would have preferred Obama's hope to McCain's desperate denial of it. And so, it seems, will the voters of these United States. Just as when they supported another radical from Illinois 148 years ago, the American people continue to prefer the audacity of hope to the compromise of complacency.

As Election Day finally arrives, it is right to speak of hope – a hope that America's Democrats, independents and Republicans will again embrace the better angels of our nature and support the candidacy of another young Illinoisan so overwhelming that he can secure his claim on the presidency of a nation that is so ready to begin anew.

One Day to Change the World...VOTE TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow, NOVEMBER 4. 2008 is ELECTION DAY!!

It is very important that everyone, regardless of political views or affiliation, goes to the polls tomorrow and casts their vote. This is our chance to make not only America, but the WORLD a better place.

If you're registered to vote, but not sure where your polling place is, please visit www.voteforchange.com to find out.



I will be supporting Barack Obama tomorrow, and I hope you will consider doing the same. To find out about the Obama-Biden Plan for America, read the BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE and watch the videos below.

Blueprint for Change: Iraq



Blueprint for Change: The Economy



Blueprint for Change: Foreign Policy





I hope you will consider voting for Obama, but even if you chose not to, it is imperative that you VOTE TOMORROW, even if the lines are long.