DRINK RED WINE, STAY DRUNK, LIVE LONGER?

A group of scientists at the University of Wisconsin at Madison says there is a new reason to toast to the benefits of red wine.


A study suggests that red wine can keep you young.

Scientists have long thought a natural compound called resveratrol, which is found in some red wines, could help slow the aging process by helping to protect tissues inside the body. The question has been whether just a glass or two of wine could really make a difference.

The Wisconsin researchers announced today that it doesn't take as much red wine as many researchers had previously thought.

And at wine bars in New York City, they were already fielding calls.

"This morning I started getting phone calls saying, 'we heard about the red wine that prolongs your life. Which wine has it?'" said Nikos Antonakeas, owner of Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School who have studied the impact of resveratrol on mice showed ABC News images of two rodents. Both were the same age, but the one on resveratrol was much more agile and running much more quickly than the other.

Many scientists are convinced that humans could see the same kind of anti-aging benefits, but there is a catch. How much resveratrol would it take?

In previous studies, mice had been given the equivalent of what they would have gotten from 100 bottles of wine a day.

But that's what is different with the findings in the Wisconsin study released today. The researchers used much lower levels on their mice and still had positive results.


"The precise number of glasses of wine or bottles of wine are difficult to predict," said Wisconsin-Madison professor Richard Weindruch, the author of the study.

As the research continues, some scientists are already popping corks, wondering if it is possible to put resveratrol in a pill.

David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School is trying, and just this week, his start-up company was sold to a pharmaceutical giant for $720 million.

"I used to think it was probably 100 years in the future that we'd see these anti-aging drugs come around," Sinclair said. "Now, I'm optimistic that we'll see these within the next few years."

Still, many in the medical community say "not so fast," and warn that there is plenty of research to come.

Even so, red wine lovers have already been given another reason to toast.

WE ARE ALL AMERICANS -- AND NOW MORE THAN EVER WE NEED TO SET ASIDE THE PETTY AND THE DEVISIVE

The past eight years of hell known as the Bush years put songs of the 1960's running through my head almost constantly -- at least daily. John Prine's "Your Flag decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love", -- "c'mon people, now, smile on your brother -- Everybody Get Together Try to Love One Another Right Now" (Youngbloods), and after reading the editorial that follows, Jackie DeShannon's "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", the lyrics of which are:

Put A Little Love In Your Heart

Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart

You see it's getting late
Oh please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Another day goes by
And still the children cry
Put a little love in you heart
If you want the world to know
We won't let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see
Wait and see

Take a good look around
And if you're lookin' down
Put a little love in your heart

I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in -
Put a little love in your heart...

I guess I am still filled with so much HOPE with the election of such a good man! Here is the editorial:

Whether you're Democrat, Republican or Mugwump, you look at Tuesday night's remarkable election results and the nationwide reaction and can't help but wonder at how far our young country has come - and, at the same time, how long it's taken.

You probably saw those photos of the big Obama rally in St. Louis, Missouri, a couple of weeks ago - 100,000 people attended. If you looked closer, in the background, you could see an old building with a copper dome turned green with age.

That used to be the courthouse. Slaves were auctioned from its steps, and in 1846 - 162 years ago - Dred Scott and his wife, two slaves, went there to appeal to the court for their freedom, arguing that they had lived in states and territories in which slavery had been outlawed and so should be let go.

They were, briefly, but soon were returned to slavery. When their appeal reached the United States Supreme Court in 1857, Chief Justice Roger Taney refused to free them. He ruled that slaves did not have the rights of citizens because Dred Scott and his wife were, quote, "beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect."

Seventeen years later, January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and in November of that year, 145 years ago this month, he traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the battlefield was still freshly soaked in the blood of North and South, to assure all Americans that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

And yet, more than a century would pass before we would come anywhere near making his words true. Much more blood would be shed and lives lost toward achieving Lincoln's aspiration, the one for which he was martyred, too. Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma. In 1964 came the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act the following year.

And still there was violence and still there were words of hate. There's a certain irony that this year it was in the electorally important state of Pennsylvania and from Lincoln's own party that so much bitter, often racially-oriented attack came during this campaign. In their hunger to turn their state to the McCain column (unsuccessfully), the Pennsylvania Republican Party in particular pulled out the stops with virulent robocalls, flyers and last-minute TV ads that once again tried to stir ugly emotion and jingoistic reflex by re-conjuring the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

As gracious in defeat as John McCain was Tuesday night, it cannot be denied that his candidacy and the desperation with which the status quo tried to cling to power created an atmosphere of ugly accusation and insinuation unlike any we've seen in our lifetimes, and not just in the race for the presidency. Take, for example, the unsuccessful campaign in North Carolina of Senate incumbent Elizabeth Dole who, in the ultimate Hail Mary play, accused her Democratic opponent Kay Hagan of Godlessness.

Yes, some Democrats did it, too, and in the past, candidates have accused each other of far worse; of traitorous, seditious acts and heinous, imaginative transgressions of the flesh. But this year's venom was conceived in kneejerk ideology and instantly brought to your home or office by the Internet: cyberspace, 24-hour news and talk radio deliver poison into the body politic's bloodstream with unparalleled speed and unfiltered ferocity.

This week, the majority of this nation rejected such hate. President-elect Obama ran a campaign in which the color of his skin was not so much an issue but an integral aspect of what has made him the complex and original man he is.

When Harry Truman became president after the unexpected death of FDR, he said he felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on him. Barack Obama must feel a little of that, too, but unlike Truman, he has chosen this particular trajectory of his own free will and been given a mandate for change. He will reside in a White House and rule this country with men and women who work in a white marble Capitol, both of which were built by slaves long ago but not so faraway.

And so we will hold this moment dear, turn it in the light to savor the beauty of each facet, even though we know there are hard times ahead, difficult decisions and, as Obama said, false steps. Chances are, he and we will be disappointed; sometimes by him, sometimes by each other. From time to time, hearts will break. So it goes.

Yet, as the song goes, the world will be better for this. After 9/11, the French newspaper Le Monde's headline read, "We Are All Americans."

In the years that have followed, we denied that proffered hand; we drove wedges, built walls, waged war that not only isolated us from other countries, but squandered the solidarity and strength that existed within ourselves.

On Tuesday, as a nation we stood in line, waited our turn to cast our ballots, did what we do best. And when the results were announced, we watched a man and his family stand on an outdoor stage in Chicago. He asked for our support, regardless of party or race, and finally, for a moment at least, together we were all Americans once again. It's a good start.

----------

Michael Winship is senior writer of the weekly public affairs program, "Bill Moyers Journal," which airs Friday nights on PBS. Check local airtimes or comment at The Moyers Blog at www.pbs.org/moyers

*******************************************************************************

AMERICA BEATS RUSSIA IN HOCKEY AND HEAGLE ESCAPES JACKSON, WYOMING ALIVE

In 1980 I land a new booking agent working out of small town in eastern Wisconsin. The first gig he sends me to is a week's stand at a Holiday Inn in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, where the bar manager takes an instant dislike to me and my show. By wednesday night, however, I am starting to fill the lounge with returnees who have brought friends.

After I finish the evening on wednesday, he calls me into his office and fires me. I immediately get on the horn to my agent, who since he got me the gig, has moved to Jackson, Wyoming.

He says not to worry, that he can land me a gig for the weekend at a ski lodge at the base of the Tetons that will cover my air flight plus more.

He meets me at the airport and as we are driving toward Jackson Hole, while I am observing the first elk I have ever seen in the wild, he informs me that his room mate (with whom he is not getting along) is dealing cocaine. He also tells me that this guy carries a pistol, has a very angry german shepherd, and sleeps most of the day, so I should do my best to "steer clear" of him for the weekend.

These are disturbing facts that I wish he had told me on the telephone before I booked my flight out!

So I tiptoe into the house with the agent to my room, unpack my bag and lock the bed room door.

The next morning, cognizant of the fact that I have to be down town Jackson, ready to perform at 7:30PM, I stay in my room and listen carefully for activity in the house, fully expecting arguments and gun battles.

The agent makes no attempt to talk to me! I count the sound of two departures through doors slamming and cars starting. Then I venture out slowly and quietly, fearing that at any moment I will have a german shepherd ripping out my throat.

I breathe more easily when I realize that Mr. Drug Dealer has taken the dog with him in the truck. Seizing my window of opportunity, not knowing when there will be a return, I quickly shower, grab my guitar, and escape, seeking out the ski lodge I am to be working.

I find it, talk to the management, leave my guitar, and take a walking tour of Jackson Hole. I piddle away the late afternoon, return to my workplace and prepare to work.

The gig goes really well and I walk back to the hoouse, again making a silent entry. This time I can hear the dog growling but fortunately for me, he is locked in his master's bed room.

Saturday, the routine repeats itself. While I am waiting to go on, my agent stops in and we visit for a while, planning out my "escape" to the airport on sunday morning.

As they had on friday night, the bar crew has the television turned on to the winter olympics. It turns out to be a great moment in American sports history as the American hockey team is up against the Russians.

As the game proceeds and the excitement builds, the bar manager tells me I can knock off for the rest of the night as patrons want to watch the game. (I DO, TOO!) So I get my paycheck and watch hockey and as you may remember (if you were around in 1980) we won! There was much celebration after the game and I didn't get much sleep before my agent drove my out to catch my plane.

That was the last time I worked for that agent!

_________________________________________________





David Letterman's Top Ten New Revelations About Sarah Palin

10. Thinks Fox New may still declare her and John McCain winners.

9. At her wedding instead of saying I Do said "You betcha!"

8. She and Goveernor Schwarzenegger once exchanged swimsuit posing tips.

7. Prepared for gampaign by watching "Legally Blonde Two".

6. Thinks NAFTA means "Need another fifty thousand for accessories."

5. Begins every day by reading a passage from the hilarious "Late Show Fun Facts" book (available everywhere).

4. She's a person of interest in five unsolved snow mobile hit and runs.

3. Abused position as governor to get free appetizers at Anchorage Appleby's.

2. Already has a new job as Brief Case Babe Number 12 on "Deal or No Deal".

1. Her secret service code name was "huh?".

___________________________________________________________

My email of today:

Dear Mr. Solomonese:

My wife and I watched the news in disbelief as Californians passed Proposition 8. After this nation took a step forward with the election of Senator Obama as president, it is obvious that deeply rooted prejudices live on in this country. We wish you well in your fight and I wanted you to know that on this day there are fellow Americans who stand with you and sympathsize!

Larry Heagle
Fall Creek, Wisconsin


"I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix."
-Dan Quayle -

___________________________________________________

"LEFTIES" PROPOSE THE NEW BLUE UNITES STATES OF AMERICA

Soaking my tire and sore bones this morning in the office bath tub, I came across interesting statistics:

29 men have experienced a sudden loss of hearing related to the use of erectile-dysfunction drugs since their inception. WHAT?

48 per cent of Americans say they would rather help someone move than deal with a computer problem. (To them, I say, you shoulda bought a MAC!)

34 per cent of Americans believe in ghosts.

Which reminds me of a joke:

One day, on her show, Oprah was discussing the phenomena of ghosts. She asked her studio audience: "By a show of hands, how many of you believe in ghosts?"

A number of hands went up.

"Interesting," Oprah said. "How many of you believe you have actually seen a ghost?"

This time a significantly smaller number of hands were raised.

"Oh, I see a lot less hands raised," Oprah said.

Then Oprah said: "Is there anybody here who has had sex with a ghost?"

In the back of the room, an elderly man raised his hand.

"Sir," Oprah said excitedly, moving toward him, "You have had sex with a ghost?"

"Oh -- Oh, no! "he replied, "I thought you said goat!"

And speaking of Oprah, after appearing on her show to promote her cook book, Jessica Seinfeld gave the host TWENTY ONE pair of shoes that in total cost more than $16,000.

No wonder people say that Oprah is "well heeled"!

MORE STATISTICS

The U.S. military is paying some 70,000 former Iraqi insurgents $10 a day each to fight Al Queda instead of American forces.

In the recent presidential campaigning, candidates spent almost $50 million campaigning in the Iowa caucuses -- that comes to around $200 a vote.

Brazil, home to the world's largest Catholic population, gave out 19.5 million free condoms before Carnival.

From December 2006 to December 2007 the number of unemployed Americans with a least a bachelor's degree rose by 153, 000.

_______________________________________________________

An open letter from my "lefty" friends To Republicans

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and
we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't
aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and all of the Northeast.
We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and
especially to the people of the new country of New California.


To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the
slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We
get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and
Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We
get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You
get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make
the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the
Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a
bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be
pro gay-rights, pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want
all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to
fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently
willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care
if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.
We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but
we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80
percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the
pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95
percent of America's quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90
percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur
coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and
Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with
88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care
costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of
the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all
Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists,
Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of
Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah
was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is
sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun
laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent
that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazies
believe you are the people with higher morals then we "lefties."

____________________________________________________________

Want to see Bill O'Reilly at his finest? enter the following URL:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/05/palin-didnt-know-africa-i_n_141653.html

___________________________________________________________

And in the interest of keeping things light (or as they sing in "The Producers" -- "keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it gay!":

Why Parents Drink...

The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent but had not phoned in sick one day. Needing to have an urgent problem with one of the main computers resolved, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. ' Hello ? '

'Is your daddy home?' he asked.
' Yes ,' whispered the small voice.

May I talk with him?'

The child whispered, ' No .'

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mommy there?' ' Yes '

'May I talk with her?' Again the small voice whispered, ' No '

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?'

' Yes ,' whispered the child, ' a policeman. '

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?'

' No, he's busy , ' whispered the child.

'Busy doing what?'

' Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman and the priest , ' came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?'

' A helicopter ' answered the whispering voice.

'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive..

Again, whispering, the child answered,
' The search team just landed a helicopter'

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?'

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle..

' ME ! '

_________________________________________________________

GEORGE BUSH'S SINGULAR ACCOMPLISHMENT OF EIGHT YEARS

It is the morning of November 5, 2008, and I awoke with the same feeling of euphoria that I went to sleep late last night with. It is not a euphoria brought on by gloating. No, it is a euphoria of hope and promise.

Looking back on America's history, I can name numerous instances of when luck or "God's hand", you choose which, came to our rescue and saved our beloved country from sheer disaster. Once again, with the election of a man that is fairly being compared to Abraham Lincoln, "God shed his grace on thee".

I am currently reading president elect Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" and I am overwhelmed with his honesty and wisdom at such a young age.

I received an e mail from my beloved friend, Tiit Raid this morning. In that e mail, Tiit says:

"Well...there we have it! History has been made.

As Ann (His wife) said this morning..."I am proud." I would agree...finally there is hope that the world will see that there is 'something' to the American people...and if President Elect Obama can do what he said in his acceptance speech last night then we are in for an interesting time. And...I hope that the people and the Congress will get behind him...as McCain promised HE would...then there is a chance that we will have some hopeful times ahead.

I woke up this morning to the thought that if it hadn't been for G.W. we may not have witnessed this historic event...at least at this time. Ironic...it takes a 'fuck-head and fuck-up' to wake people up...but that is how humans seem to function...something disasterous needs to happen before they take action. Let's hope that we take action NOW concerning things like the environment...and our attidudes and beliefs concerning race and gender.

The time is right to ask some serious questions about the above...and hopefully we don't squander another opportuniy to ask these and other questions as 'we' did after 911. It seems to me that one of the questions 'we' could have asked was 'what brings some to take their frustrations out on innocent people?'...or...'why do we still think that aggression is the only way to respond to aggression?' Seems a pretty crude and primitive way to solve problems. "

I told Kim last night as it became clear that Barack was going to clearly win this election that the only good that came out of the eight terrible years this country suffered under George Bush is that it obviously made Americans cry out "ENOUGH!"

So, for at least one day, I can take a deep breath and thank God or luck for the timing of this event. There are those who still believe that Barack is a liar. I can tell you for certain that he is not.

The path that lies before him and all of us is a daunting one and I am certain he will jump in running and do the best he can to start the healing and the return of America's position of respect in the world. The celebrations that went on all over the world last night should tell us something.

Senator McCain gave a very moving concession speech last night; a speech that moved me very deeply. But I cursed the gathering who booed when he said Barack Obama's name. How very small, how very "red neck", how incredibly tasteless that was. And to his credit, Senator McCain looked embarrassed.

I want to take a moment to apologize for some of the things I have said in previous blogs, for they too, were beneath me. I can do this with an open heart because just through reading "The Audacity of Hope" did I come to realize that I was starting to become the thing I so much detest.

Now we all must pray every day that our new president will be able to govern without being assassinated. it is and has been the greatest worry that I have carried since the campaign began.

Let the healing begin. God bless America.

_______________________________________________________________

A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO MY INTERNET FRIEND MPLSPCKR: Thank you for voting yesterday and especially thank you for casting your vote for Barack Obama, the soon to be 44th president of these United States! Now if only Al Franken can somehow pull out a win over Norm Coleman in your home state, how sweet it will be!

i received a last hour request by e amil from Mr. Franken on November 3 and immediately got out the charge card and sent him a "ground roots" contribution!

_______________________________________________________________

AN HISTORIC DAY FOR AMERICA AND AMERICAN VOTERS -- AND I WAS THERE!

There is such an electricity in the air today! I couldn't help but find myself back at Obama headquarters this morning even though my right knee was still in bad shape from yesterday's foray. The first person I saw when I walked in the office was Ginny Jordan, who taught Home Economics in a room just down the hall from mine! She, too, got out of teaching and is working as a dietician.

I spent the first hour on the phone banks, calling people to remind them to vote. I was given a script to follow but I "went rogue" and changed it a bit to truly represent myself: "Hi, this is Larry Heagle, an independent voter, calling from the Eau Claire Democratic Office --"

Then the staff asked me to report to a voting site at a church behind Delong Middle School, where I taught for a number of years, to work as an Election Monitor. I found the location and joined Liz, another worker, in the chore of checking off registered Democrats as they voted.

I could tell that the election official seated directly in front of me (they wouldn't allow us to sit) was a Republican by his attitude. Before I arrived he had insisted that we had to be at least six feet away from the voting check in station that we were to monitor, thus effectively eliminating any chance of us to hear the names of those signing in to vote and rendering us useless.

Fortunately, the Dem office sent out an attorney who got that squared away. but now we were forced to continually bother him for the names we had missed whenever there was a lull in arriving voters. This irritated him greatly, but he had brought it on himself.

The woman election official at the end of the table next to him asked him why we were present and he snapped "Voter flushing!" She giggled a bit at this, to which he said: "I'm serious. They want to know who hasn't voted so that around mid afternoon they can get on the phone and "flush" those absent voters out and get them to the poll."

I said nothing but thought to myself: "He is familiar with this tactic because he has used it in the past." The Republicans don't want everybody to come out and vote. It's not good for their candidate. Yesterday they even admitted it on television.

Unfortunately, the standing around for so long led me to an early retreat as an Election Monitor. My already over-extended right knee started barking at me and I had to give it up. It's just as well because this polling station draws a lot of Republicans and I was becoming depressed.

I did take time, before returning home, to go to Starbucks for my free cup of coffee that they had advertised for anyone who votes.

__________________________________________________________

I received the following e mail from my pal Stan Johnson, one of those damn "liberal" attorneys from Madison, Wisconsin, who years ago gave me a great bumper sticker that reads: "Have you slapped a Republican Today?" Actually, Stan gave me two. One I put up (pictured above) on my office fridge and the other I put on the rear bumper of my now long gone 1965 Oldsmobile '98 -- such irony!

Any way, I digress. Here is the beautiful e mail I received:

I Didn't Vote For Obama Today

November 4, 2008, 9:37AM

I have a confession to make.

I did not vote for Barack Obama today.

I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.

I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.

But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.

I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.

But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.

I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.

But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.

I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.

But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.

I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.

In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.

So who did I vote for?

No one.

I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.

Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.

I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.

When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.

And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.

Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.

It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.

So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.

_______________________________________________________

WHO LETS THE CAT OUT -- MEOW, MEOW!

Yesterday I spent a glorious late autumn afternoon canvassing for Senator Obama, something I had not done since I worked for Senator Goldwater all those years ago. My partner and I were assigned an eight block square of streets right near where my wife, Kim, used to teach at Roosevelt School. About two thirds of the way through the rounds I knew I was physically in trouble with the artificial right knee but I was a man with a plan and I toughed it out for the entire canvassing!

I learned a few things. Carrying materials for both Kristin Dexter and Senator Obama, I would approach homeowners with the same opening statement: "Good afternoon -- I am Larry Heagle and I am canvassing for senator Orack Obama. May I give you some advertising materials for the candidates?

Replies varied from "Sure" to "I have way too much of this stuff already", "I have already voted" (which meant a vote for McCain) or "I have already voted for Obama". or "Larry Heagle?? Man! Have you ever gotten old!"

We skipped houses that had yard signs for either candidate.

One amusing moment: we started up a long drive way and a youngish woman, from behind an open screened window started yelling at us: "Don't be bringing any of that stuff up here! Yesterday you were here and let my cat out! So turn around and just get out of here. My cat is as house cat, not an outdoor cat and I'll tell you what -- I was going to vote for McCain but after you let my cat out with your Moulton stuff, I'm voting for Obama!"

My partner explained that we were canvassing for Senator Obama. I asked her if she got her cat back. She had.

My knee is still stiff and sore today, but this afternoon I will probably be down at HQ to see if I can assist in getting elderly to the polls.

MAKE CERTAIN YOU VOTE!

_____________________________________________________________

This morning, Tom Brokaw was discussing the advent of using colors to represent political parties -- the brain child of NBC News some years ago. Originally, red represented Democrats and blue represented Republicans. Somewhere along the way it got switched.

I guess there has been much grumbling about being painted red as it is equated with Communism. Personally, I have never liked the idea of dividing the country with colors as it plays up divisiveness and animosity among the American electorate when the truth is, as Senator Obama has repeatedly made clear over these past months that we are not red states or blue states -- we are all AMERICANS. We need to start working together, compromising for the good of the nation. God knows that has not been the case with King George and the Neocons.

I humbly suggest that we do something else to indicate which political party is carrying which state. How about the obvious? A small cartoon of the symbols of the parties. Elephants and donkeys. That should please backers of the GOP as they think Democrats are asses anyway.

____________________________________________________________

All during the campaign I kept wondering when the GOP would trot out Senator Obama's "Pastor of Hate" from Chicago. Turns out, he is their last ace in the hole. And the ads are, of course, very misleading, saying that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright has been Orack's pastor for 20 years but that Obama did not distance himself from Wright until after he began his run for the presidency.

My opinion is that we have no evidence that Wright began spewing the hate for America until he knew the national spotlight was on him.

In my estimation he is no different than Joe the Plumber.

And one last thought. I wonder why we haven't heard from Osama Bin Laden this election year.

___________________________________________________________