Grace's profile慕容的博客Blog--Grace's space...PhotosBlogListsMore ![]() | Help |
真爱所向披靡又有朋友在留言里询问加州火灾有没有影响到我的生活,很感动。似乎每次加州大火,总会有朋友询问我是不是安好。由衷感谢这样的惦念。
加州火灾很多,主要是由于天气的原因。加州干燥少雨,旱季所有的山都是一片金黄色,这也是加州被称为golden state的一个原因。干燥的草野,一个火星瞬间就可以点燃一座山梁,蔓延开来,火情难以控制,稍有常识的人都应该明白。
上周南部加州大火,起火的原因是十名18到22岁的大学生在Santa Barbara附近的Los Padres国家公园附近Party,燃起篝火。之后他们认为将火扑灭了,而在12个小时以后,残余的火星在每小时70英里劲风的协助下成为无法控制的火灾,重度烧伤两人,其他二十多人受伤,总计有一千多个家庭的房屋受损毁,超过65平方英里的土地被烧焦。仅在Santa Barbara地区,就有210座房屋被烧毁,其中包括很多价值数百万美元的豪宅。其他被烧毁的还有学校和商用建筑。
加州总是有大火,每次大火的原因总是因为有人不小心。火总是无情的,每次看到电视新闻里那些被疏散的受灾民众站在远处眼睁睁地看着自己的家一点一点化为灰烬,没有人会不觉得心痛。 依然记得2007年加州大火后,有记者调查,火灾发生时,在受灾民众撤离之前,人们会选择带着什么东西离开?出乎意料的结果,不是钱财首饰,贵重物品,被带出来最多的是---家庭相册。 当有可能失去一切的时候,大多数的人选择随身带上关于爱的记忆,关于生活的记录。 什么都会逝去,除了爱和真正经历过的生活。 我还是相信,世间荆棘丛生,真爱所向披靡。你呢? It's a new day!Another great song by Will I AM, coming out the next day after Barak Obama was elected The president of the United States of America. Yes, it was a new day for millions of people!
I went asleep last night Tired from the fight I've been fighting for tomorrow All my life Yea I woke up this morning Feeling brand new 'Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming Have finally came true It's a new day It's a new day It's a new day It's a new day It's a new day It's been a long time coming Up the mountain kept runnin' Souls of freedom kept hummin' Channeling Harriet Tubman Kennedy, Lincoln, and King We gotta invest in that dream It feels like we're swimming upstream It feels like we're stuck inbetween A rock and a hard place, We've been through the heartaches And lived through the darkest days If you and I made it this far, Well then hey, we can make it all the way And they said no we can't And we said yes we can Remember it's you and me together I woke up this morning Feeling alright I've been fightin' for tomorrow All my life Yea, I woke up this morning Feeling brand new Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming Have finally came true It's a new day (it's a new day) It's a new day (it's a new day) It's a new day It's a new day! It's been a long time waitin' Waiting for this moment Been a long time praying Praying for this moment We hope for this moment And now that we own it For life I will hold it And I ain't gonna let it go It's for fathers, our brothers, Our friends who fought for freedom Our sisters, our mothers, Who died for us to be in this moment Stop and cherish this moment Stop and cherish this time It's time for you and me For us and we That's you and me together I woke up this morning Feeling brand new Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming Have finally came true Yea, I woke up this morning Feeling alright 'Cause we weren't fighting for nothing And the soldiers weren't fighting For nothing No, Martin was dreaming for nothing And Lincoln didn't change it for nothing And children weren't crying for nothing It's a new day It's a new day A new day It's a new day It's a new day! Yes we canThis is an amzaing song. This is how each individual can make the change.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom. Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we can. It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land. Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can. We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change. (We want change.) We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics…they will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea: Yes We Can. p.s. Yes We Can" is a collage style music video inspired by a speech delivered by Senator and now President-elect Barack Obama following the 2008 New Hampshire primary, derived from similar union catch cries. The song was released on February 2, 2008 by the Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am on Dipdive.com and also on YouTube under the username 'WeCan08' [1]. It was honored with the first-ever Emmy Award for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment [2]. The term "Yes We Can!" became a secondary slogan for Barack Obama's campaign.
It is the election day!Finally, this day comes, the election day!
Hopefully, Americans choose the right leader.
After eight years of failed politics, America is in such a horrible mess. The war, the financial crisis, foreclosure, unemployment...It would be quite scary if this keeps going.
It is not just the politics. It is about every body's life.
A change is never so urgently needed before for the US.
Just checked the news. So many people are in line all over the country to vote. Good sign. Hopefully, by the end of tonight, we can hear some good news.
I can not vote. I am not an american citizen. I am just a green card holder. However, since I live here, I can not help concerning about the result, it is about future. The US can not afford another four years like the previous.
So hopefully...hopefully, Barak Obama can win today.
And hopefully prop 8 won't pass. If I could, I would vote no on this discriminative prop. The other day, When Tim and I drove through a street, there were many people promoting NO ON 8 along the street. They held the sign saying" Honk if you agree" and we honked.
**************************************
It was a happy ending. Right after 8PM, Obama was announced the President Elect of the United States of America. He won, and in a big beautiful way. I could not help my tears. It was a moment that I could never forget.
The following week after the election day, Oprah has been asking all of her guests the same first question in her show--what were you doing or what were you thinking when they announce Obama the President elect of The United States of America. People had different kinds of answers. They were all extremely excited. Most of them shed tears. A lot of people talked about they thought about Martin Luther King at that moment... I clearly remember what I was doing. I hugged Tim. Later we opened a good bottle of wine to celebrate. I was thinking about Matin Luther King too, a lot. I thought about his dreams--
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal....
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character..."
Dr. King once said "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you.But I want you to know tonight, that we,as a people will get to the promised land...''
What he said 40 years ago has finally come true. That is what people in the US achieved on the evening of Nov.4th 2008.
It was so exciting to see that people can be so united, and powerful.
Then Barak Obama gave his speech. It was truly inspring. Tears came up again. I have to record the speech here----
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.
Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton ... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady ... Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia ... I love you both more than you can imagine.
And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us ...to the new White House.
And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best — the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod ... who’s been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.
There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
OBAMA: There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those — to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you.
And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
|
|
|