theCLog

With a fiery speech made in Iowa, the site of his first primary win, Sen. Barack Obama began to set his sight on November. It was there they announced that they had won the majority of pledged delegates. With the math and momentum firmly on his side, Obama began to look forward to November; he looked to unite the party and focus the troops on the battle that lay ahead for November. Here are a couple of excerpts from his speech last night. (Quotes provided by The AP wire)

“Fifteen months ago, in the depths of winter, it was in this great state where we took the first steps of an unlikely journey to change America.The skeptics predicted we wouldn’t get very far. The cynics dismissed us as a lot of hype and a little too much hope. And by the fall, the pundits in Washington had all but counted us out.But the people of Iowa had a different idea … Many of you have been disappointed by politics and politicians more times than you can count. You’ve seen promises broken and good ideas drown in the sea of influence, and point-scoring, and petty bickering that has consumed Washington. And you’ve been told over and over and over again to be cynical, and doubtful, and even fearful about the possibility that things can ever be different.”

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The challenge was laid down last weekend. I was out to dinner on a Saturday night with friends, and I was enjoying the best meal that I have had in months, at a place called Latorres Uptown. Now I had little to no clue this place existed and I started to wonder how many great places are there in the Q.C. that I had never heard about?

I have to admit I have recently become somewhat of a novice foodie. As I get further into my twenties, I am beginning to notice a shift on my palate, foods that I thought I hated, I don’t hate, and foods that I have always loved are beginning to take on new depth as I begin to discover different layers of flavor.

I remember when I was 10 I told my mom I will never order the mixed vegetables, I am gonna order French fries with my meal until I’m 30! Fast forward 13 years later, I still like French fries, but nothing beats asparagus or garlic herb green beans or a nice risotto.

As I ate my way through heaven last Saturday night one of my girlfriends suggested that this summer, instead of drinking our summer away (which is what we have done for the last 5 years) we eat our way through the Q.C. Finding great spots that we didn’t know about before. Maybe taking some wine classes and cooking classes. Seeing as most of us are total dunces in the kitchen, we figured this might not be such a bad idea. So we started to plan where we would go and how we would do this.

The next day with the help to the food section of Creative Loafing (nice plug huh?) we had the beginnings of a plan; we were actually going to use the summer to improve our culinary knowledge and ourselves. We even have dates to go to the gym so that we won’t gain too much weight. Now don’t get me wrong: Some Saturday nights after a good dinner will be spent going out, getting a little wild, and probably going home with somebody we shouldn’t (old habits are just too hard to break).

But what I need from you, dear reader, are some recommendations for great places here in Charlotte to go. We want every kind of place you can think of. As long as the food is good I wanna hear about it. So feel free to post some good spots!

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Freelance writer Gin Phillips, who has written for American Profile, American Spirit, and Woman’s World, makes her first offering to the literary gods with her book The Well and the Mine (Hawthorne Books $10.85). Phillips will be at Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road in the Park Road Shopping Center on Thursday, May 22, to sign copies of her debut novel. The book is set in 1931 in the coal-mining town of Carbon Mill, Alabama, and follows the Moore family as they unwrap a murder mystery and face the harsh realities of life made harder by the depression. With an introduction by Fannie Flagg, this novel shows to be the first of many for Gin Phillips. The event starts at 6:30 p.m.

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The democratic primary race continues on to West Virginia. The Tuesday night primaries in Indiana and North Carolina dealt a blow to the Clinton campaign that she might not be able to recover from.

Obama continued to hold his lead in delegate count after his decisive victory in North Carolina, and his very narrow loss in Indiana. CNN called the North Carolina election for Obama at 7:30 p.m. eastern time with zero percent of the polls reporting, based simply on exit polling where at the time 92 percent of African-Americans voted for Obama.

Indiana was another story. Clinton held a sizeable lead for a majority of the night while precincts reported their numbers. But as it got later into the night, the margin began to close. Pundits wouldn’t make a prediction until Lake County had sent in their numbers. It was after midnight when the Indiana primary was called for Clinton by a mere 2-point margin and as little as 20,000 votes.

Clinton supporters are on to the next race, hoping that their candidate can pull of the miraculous round of victories she needs to catch up to Obama in delegate count, and persuade super delegates that Obama is losing strength, and she should win the nomination.

Scenarios were splashed across America’s TVs last night of how Clinton could possibly win the nomination, while others stated that the math simply isn’t in Clinton’s favor no matter what she does.

Both Candidates made speeches to their constituents last night: Obama with a renewed confidence, and a direct attack on McCain, and Clinton with optimism, but the looks on Bill’s and Chelsea’s faces said it all.

With another super Tuesday behind us, Obama will focus on sticking to his message and holding his own, while Clinton will do her best to find a way to have the votes for Florida and Michigan counted, try to keep her campaign financially a float by loaning herself $ 6.4 million and convince the super delegates that she is the best woman for the job.

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I am pissed. I am mad as hell and I have no choice but to continue to take it. Bend over and smile. Yes, I am talking about the outrageous gas prices, food prices, and what it takes in general to live.
Now I can understand maybe high prices on new cars or vacations or things that if we had to we could live without. But who in the hell thought that it was a good idea to raise the price of things people need to live? There is absolutely no reason it should cost me $60 to fill up a Toyota Camry!  I am also paying out the ass for groceries, which leaves no room for me to go out and let my hair down. There are only so many nights a girl can stay in with her friends without going stir crazy.

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Mecklenburg County dog parks will soon be open to everyone, and many dog owners aren’t happy about it. Some say they’ll stop using the parks altogether.
Recently, a petition was still circulating that urged the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department to keep the Pooch Pass, a swipe-pass system designed to keep out dogs that are not up-to-date on rabies shots. But it appears the phase-out of the passes is a done deal, petition or not, as of July 1.
“Without the pass, how can we be sure our dogs are safe?” asked Jeff Madey, a dog owner who takes his golden retriever, Deuce, to Barkingham Dog Park at Reedy Creek Park most Saturdays. “I don’t mind paying the $35 if it means I don’t have to worry about rabies.”

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Consumer spending barely budged in February: With the dramatic rise in living expenses, it’s no wonder that American consumers turned in the worst spending in 17 months this past February. The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending edged up by just 0.1 percent last month, the poorest showing since September 2006. “Consumers are facing bad news on all fronts,” said Nigel Gault, an economist with Global Insight. “Food and energy prices are climbing ever higher, the labor market is slowing, credit is becoming tighter and household wealth is declining as house prices drop.” Economists fear that the “rough patch” we are in now could turn into full-blown recession.
Full Story: MSNBC.com

Obama: Had Wright not retired, I’d have left church: In the middle of the fight of his life Barack Obama has said in an interview to be aired Friday that he would have left his church if his pastor were not retiring. The scandal about Sen. Obama’s preacher and spritual advisor broke two weeks ago, causing the front-runner in the democratic bid for the presidency to come under some harsh fire. Obama acknowledged that statements made by Rev. Wright “deeply offended people.” In an excerpt from the interview Obama said ,”Had the reverend not retired and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying there at the church,” the senator said.
Full Story: CNN.com
‘Suicide pact’ survivors face murder charges: Yesterday, in a house on Oglethorpe Lane in Union County three women entered into a suicide pact. In the end one was dead and the remaining two are facing first-degree murder charges. The three Union County women, Linda Kinschasa Maples, 27, Deborah McCord Gibson, 45, and her daughter Jennifer Ashleigh McCord, 23, were under investigation for a prescription forgery case, according to Monroe police Chief Debra Duncan. Deborah McCord Gibson, the only women to die yesterday, entered into the suicide pact with her daughter and Maples for a mysterious reason that has baffled detectives.
Full Story: Charlotte.com

Iraq extends Shia arms deadline: Intense fighting in Basra has led to the death of 130 people in the Southern Iraqi city. Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has personally overseen the battle in Basra, which has included 30,000 troops and police fighting the Mehdi Army, led by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. Last night U.S. forces joined in bombing Shia positions. Speaking in Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Unicef and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) called on all the warring parties to allow the passage of food and medical supplies. President George W Bush has praised Mr. Maliki’s crackdown, saying “normalcy” was returning to Iraq.
Full Story: BBC.co.uk

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New home sales hit 13 year low: The housing market continues to plunge as housing prices hit their lowest in 13 years, according to a government survey. The median price for a new home in February was $244,100, which is down 2.7 percent from $250,800 just one year ago. “These historically low levels show that demand is very weak, but also that we’re close to scratching the bottom,” said National Association of Home Builders chief economist David Seiders. This slump is just the latest in a slew of bad news from the housing market. Seiders believes the worst could be behind us, “The lion’s share of this huge collapse is behind us,”
Full Story: CNN.com

Not guilty pleas for Detroit mayor, ex-aide: More trouble ahead for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his ex-chief of staff Christine Beatty. The mayor and his ex-aide both declined to enter pleas before the 36^th District Court on Tuesday. Magistrate Steven Lockhart entered pleas for the two, and bail was set at $75,000. If convicted of all the charges the mayor could face up to 80 years in prison and/or 40,000 in fines. The Detroit papers are calling for him to resign, but Kilpatrick stands firm stating, “This has been a very flawed process from the beginning. I look forward to complete exoneration.”
Full Story: CNN.com 

Witness vs. police on Taser death: Charlotte police are urging witnesses to the death of 17 year-old Darryl Turner to come forward. Turner died last week after being shot with a taser by CMPD. Attorney Ken Harris, who represents the Turner family, is refuting police accounts of the incident. Harris who is conducting his own investigation into the incident has found a witness who saw no threat to Officer Jeremy Dawson. Harris said, “According to the witness, Turner neither approached or threatened the officer at any time.” Investigators are asking anyone with any information to the incident to please call the department.
Full Story: Charlotte.com

Iraqi PM orders Basra militants to surrender: Shortly after the fifth year anniversary of the war in Iraq, the Iraqi government is showing some signs of self government. The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, gave Shia fighters in Basra three days to surrender their forces. Maliki sent 15,000 troops to Basra yesterday to grab hold of the city. The Southern Iraqi city has been the scene of many battles since British troops pulled out in September. Major General Ali Zaidan, leading the Basra operation, said it would “not stop until it achieves its objectives”.
Full Story: Guardian.co.uk 

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US toll in Iraq hits 4,000: Les than a year after the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, the American death toll reach 4,000 Sunday night. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing Sunday night that brought the grim milestone to its present standing. “No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic,” said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the U.S. military’s chief spokesman in Iraq. Also Sunday, at least 35 Iraqis died as the result of suicide bombings, mortar fire and the work of gunmen in cars who opened fire on a crowded outdoor market. Nearly 100 were wounded in the violence. Estimates of the Iraqi death toll since the war began range from about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands. Another 2 million Iraqis have been forced to leave the country, and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes within Iraq, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Full Story: CNN.com

Richardson says he still feels loyal to Clintons: Bill Richardson claims loyalty to Clintons after announcing his decision to support Barack Obama for president. “I am very loyal to the Clintons. I served under President Clinton. But I served well. And I served the country well. And he gave me that opportunity,” Richardson told Fox News Sunday. Richardson made his announcement on Friday and has faced harsh words from some of his fellow democrats. Richardson was asked Sunday about James Carville’s comment that Richardson’s Obama endorsement “came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver.”
Full Story: CNN.com

Study shows western N.C. teens more likely to abuse prescription drugs: A health study shows high school students in western North Carolina are more likely to abuse prescription drugs than students in other parts of the state. The 2007 Risk Behavior Survey shows about 25 percent of western North Carolina high school students said they have used prescription medicine such as Oxycontin and Percocet for recreational use. The Asheville Citizens-Times reports that compares with 17 percent of students from the central and eastern part of North Carolina. An Erwin High School student, 17-year-old Matthew Chapman, died earlier this month after placing two fentanyl painkiller patches on each arm and drinking alcohol.
Full Story: WSOCTV.com

Hamas and Fatah agree to hold talks: The rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah yesterday signed up to a Yemeni-brokered deal to negotiate a reconciliation, but hours after the signing, an apparent dispute broke out over just what was included in the agreement. Hostilities between the two groups boiled over last June when Hamas seized control of Gaza, routing forces loyal to the Palestinian President and Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in a week of deadly street battles. “We, the representatives of Fatah and Hamas, agree to the Yemeni initiative as a framework to resume dialogue between the two movements to return the Palestinians’ situation to what it was before the Gaza incidents,” their joint declaration said.
Full Story: Independent.co.uk

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State Department: Someone snooped in Obama’s passport file: On three occasions since January, Sen. Barack Obama’s passport file was looked at by three different contract workers, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. “Two of the contractors were fired, and one was disciplined by the contractors company”. McCormack said. The State Department hires contract workers to monitor their systems and help employees. The breach seems like “imprudent curiosity” among the contract workers, said McCormack. This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton in a statement.
Full Story: CNN.com

Teenager dies after police in Charlotte use Taser: 17 year-old Darryl Turner died Thursday afternoon after Charlotte- Mecklenburg Police used a Taser on him. His mother, Tammi Fontenot, told Eyewitness News, “I want answers. I want to know why. I just want to know why.” Charlotte homicide detectives will be launching an investigation as to why the Taser was used on Turner.
Full Story: WSOCTV.com

U.S. contractor under fire for Katrina jobs: Florida-based construction firm Call Henry is being hit with a criminal investigation from the Mississippi State Attorney General’s office, and a $10,000 fine from the Mississippi state board of Contractors. Mississippi State Board of Contractors found that Call Henry exhibited “gross negligence or misconduct” in its contracting business.
Full Story: Msnbc.com

Peace talks on Cyprus to restart: The deal was struck at a meeting between Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat in Nicosia the Cypriot president and the Turkish Cypriot leader have agreed to resume talks on reunifying the island. Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been divided since 1974, when Turkey deployed troops after a coup by Greek Cypriots who wanted union with Greece. “This is a new era we are starting for the solution of the Cyprus problem,” Mr. Talat said. “We shall try our utmost in order to come to an agreed solution for the interest of the Cypriot people, both communities, as soon as possible,” President Christofias said.
Full Story: news.bbc.co.uk

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