tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40722695259704527822024-03-14T00:33:29.523-05:00Consider It SaidShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-70640638392676699692012-04-24T01:17:00.000-05:002012-04-24T01:18:41.204-05:00Why Do They Hate Us: Culture NOT Religion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In an article published in US-based Foreign Policy Magazine, titled Why Do They Hate Us, Mona Eltahaway, who is often a guest commentator on news shows, brings up some very legitimate issues affecting women in the Middle East. She raises some good points, though paints all the issues with the idea that women are "hated," which is untrue.<br />
<br />
She tries to link "Islamists" to the status of women in the Middle East:<br />
<br />
<b>"This, however, is no mere Saudi phenomenon, no hateful curiosity in the
rich, isolated desert. The Islamist hatred of women burns brightly
across the region -- now more than ever."
</b><br />
<br />
And:<br />
<br />
<b>"I'll never forget hearing that if a baby boy urinated on you, you
could go ahead and pray in the same clothes, yet if a baby girl peed on
you, you had to change. What on Earth in the girl's urine made you
impure? I wondered.
</b><br />
<b>
Hatred of women"</b><br />
[Let me say I have literally no idea what she is talking about. Urine is
considered unclean in any circumstance I know of and no Muslim I know
would pray in clothes ANYONE peed on.] <br />
<br />
But this is a political and cultural issue, not a religious issue. <br />
<br />
Numerous times Saudi Arabia, an easy target, was used as an example of a lack of women's rights:<br />
<br />
<b>"Saudi Arabia, the country where a gang-rape survivor was sentenced to
jail for agreeing to get into a car with an unrelated male and needed a
royal pardon; Saudi Arabia, where a woman who broke the ban on driving
was sentenced to 10 lashes and again needed a royal pardon; Saudi
Arabia, where women still can't vote or run in elections, yet it's
considered "progress" that a royal decree promised to enfranchise them
for almost completely symbolic local elections in -- wait for it --
2015."</b><br />
<br />
Having lived in Saudi Arabia I have to agree that women are treated more like second-class citizens. The entire infrastructure, from banks to airports to restaurants separates men from women with two doors marked WOMEN and MEN, invoking images of the US's segregated south before the civil rights movement.<br />
<br />
But it is unfair to pin these ideologies on Islam. Within every country in the Mideast there are also other religions including Christians and Jews, and also many sects of Islam. Particularly Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, have large Christian populations.<br />
<br />
The issue that needs to be addressed is deeply rooted in culture across all religions in the Middle East, and needs to be tackled from a religiously-objective standpoint. Even if you take God out of the discussion, some Arab men still believe women should be married and stay at home. And some of the ones who don't, still believe that women should live close to their families (or in their parent's home) and get permission from their fathers or male relatives to travel, marry, divorce, etc. In relation to other grievances these are not particularly suppressive norms, but it speaks to the very core of the issue. And when you compare these expectations of Arab women to the expectations of Arab men who are almost at the opposite end of the spectrum, the very real inequality is obvious, and ugly, and embarrassing. <br />
<br />
<br />
The gap in social expectation between men and women is what needs to be addressed. Arabs have a hard time really vocalizing and accepting that women should be free to wear what they want -- in all capacities -- from niqabs to bikinis. Even women are uncomfortable with this because modesty for women is deeply engrained, as is the need for femininity. But men have no qualms about wearing swimming trunks and no shirt on the beaches of the Middle East. Men are not questioned when they come home late at night. Men are not considered a burden on their families if they never marry. Men are not frowned upon for being loud in public. <br />
<br />
To this point, I agree from my own experience, with Eltahawy's assessment that <b>"it's the men who can't control themselves on the streets, where from
Morocco to Yemen, sexual harassment is endemic and it's for the men's
sake that so many women are encouraged to cover up."</b> <br />
<br />
Of course, not every Arab family subscribes to these notions. Not every Arab woman is oppressed.<br />
<br />
The point is not to make a sweeping diagnosis of the whole region, but to encourage the revolutionaries to not stop short at deposing dictators, and to encourage women to speak up at a time when the popular voice has become so important. <br />
<br />
<br />
And let's not make a very legitimate discussion into a religious issue. <br />
</div>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-91732485737040508222012-03-21T20:41:00.004-05:002012-03-21T20:50:52.052-05:00Israel Loves Iran: Grassroots Social Media Project a Hithttp://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/world/meast/israel-iran-social-media/index.html?iref=allsearch<br /><br />By Samira Said, CNN<br />March 19, 2012<br /><br />Israeli graphic designer Ronny Edry has created posters with messages of peace for the people of Iran and posted them on Facebook.<br /><br /><br />(CNN) -- It is not possible to dial an Iranian number from an Israeli telephone. It will simply not go through. That lack of communication stems from the government level, where there is no dialogue between the two countries aside from public speeches meant to carry weighty threats of war to each camp.<br /><br />That is why it was so difficult for Ronny Edry, an Israeli graphic designer based in Tel Aviv, to get his message across to the people of Iran.<br /><br />"My idea was simple, I was trying to reach the other side. There are all these talks about war, Iran is coming to bomb us and we bomb them back, we are sitting and waiting. I wanted to say the simple words that this war is crazy," said Edry.<br />Using his graphic design skills and his wife's help (she is also a graphic designer), he plastered memes over pictures of himself, his wife, his friends and his neighbors. He then posted them on the Facebook page of Pushpin, his design preparatory school, with a resounding message:<br /><br />IRANIANS<br />we will never bomb your country<br />We *Heart* You<br /><br />The response, said Edry, was overwhelming. "In a few hours, I had hundreds of shares and thousands of likes and it was like something was happening.<br /><br />"I think it's really amazing that someone from Iran poked me and said 'Hello, I'm from Iran, I saw your "poster" on Facebook,' " Edry said.<br /><br />"I thought it was crazy because I never spoke to an Iranian in my life. I woke up my wife: 'There is someone on Facebook from Iran!' "<br /><br />He posted his designs for anyone to take and plaster over their own photos. The photos and posts have been flooding the page.<br />Edry says he started the campaign to get past the harsh words and talk directly to Iranians to see whether there really was anything to fight about.<br /><br />Iran's nuclear development program is causing alarm in Israel and its Western allies. Critics in the West say Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon while Iranian officials insist their nuclear program is for peaceful energy generation only.<br /><br />Edry has received thousands of messages from people in Iran sending a statement to Israel, he said.<br /><br />He shared one private message from Iran, without revealing the identity of the sender: "We love you too. Your word reaches out there, despite the censorship. And Iranian people, aside from the regime, have no hard feelings or animosity towards anybody, particularly Israelis."<br /><br />One post on the Pushpin Facebook page says: "We share a common history, have been sharing both our great and ancient cultures, languages and poetry together. ... We are so similar, and politicians cannot cut a tie that has been tied thousands of years ago. I am proud to have you as my friends."<br /><br />Not all the responses to the campaign were positive, however.<br />One meme says "Iranians We *Heart* You SO MUCH we are coming over."<br /><br />The first meme was posted Wednesday, and Edry says he hopes the dialogue will not end merely with Iranians and Israelis. He noted the tension involves more than these two countries and he would like to include allies and neighboring countries in the conversation. "The idea is to put the message out there that we don't want this war."<br /><br />"At the end of it, I will be the one doing this war. Bibi is not going to take the gun," he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanhayu, "I will have to. Before I go into another war, maybe I check this one a bit better."<br /><br />\When asked whether this style of campaign could work with Israelis and Palestinians, Edry said that it was probably already past that point, but now Israel has the chance to capitalize on an opportunity to start fresh with another regional neighbor.<br /><br />"We are [right next to] Palestinians, so communication was not a problem. This situation is different because [Israel is] now just starting to talk to Iran," he said. "And maybe just by talking we can end it."<br /><br />In an Israel Public Opinion survey by Shibley Telhami and the Dahaf Institute conducted February 22-26 among a nationally representative sample of 500 Israelis (margin of error is +/- 4.3%), only 19% of Israelis expressed support for a pre-emptive attack on Iranian nuclear facilities without U.S. backing. And while 45% believe an Israeli strike would weaken the Iranian government, 44% believe it would actually strengthen it.<br /><br />The United States has pushed for a nonmilitary solution, including tougher sanctions and diplomatic negotiations.<br /><br />The growing tensions between the two countries have already impacted other countries as well: Israel blamed Iran for a Valentine's Day bombing in Thailand and for a bombing the next day in India that targeted Israeli diplomats.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-58325219203672412262011-01-25T19:31:00.005-06:002011-01-25T19:54:24.529-06:00Mother sentenced to jail time for sending her kids to out-of-district schoolKelly Williams-Bolar, a resident of Akron, Ohio's housing projects, was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 3 years probation. What crime did she commit? <br /><br />She sent her two children to schools that were not within their designated school district. It is reported that Williams-Bolar made it seem like the kids lived with her father, who resides in neighboring Copley Township. <br /><br />"The jury deliberated for seven hours and the courtroom was packed as the sentence was handed down. She was convicted on two counts of tampering with court records after registering her two girls as living with Williams Bolar’s father when they actually lived with her."<br /><br />To make matters worse for this family, the girl's grandfather was essentially charged with stealing tuition:<br /><br />"Edward L. Williams, was charged with a fourth-degree felony of grand theft, in which he and his daughter are charged with defrauding the school system for two years of educational services for their girls. The court determined that sending their children to the wrong school was worth $30,500 in tuition."<br /><br />This estimation amounts to $7,652 per year, per child. For public school education. <br /><br />The case raises quite a few questions:<br /><br />Was the court trying to make an example out of Williams-Bolar to discourage other parents?<br /><br />What are school district's in poorer neighborhoods doing to combat violence and bullying, which --like the case of Chicago's Fenger High School student-- can be deadly?<br /><br />What action is being taken for the public school that is so bad it is driving parents to commit fraud and grand theft to get their children out of there? <br /><br />And of course - if you come from a family with less resources, what options do you have to move up in America?<br /><br />How did they verify that the children did not, in fact, live with their grandfather?<br /><br />They did break the rules - but was this sentence too harsh?Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-10192448550484218642010-07-28T14:52:00.001-05:002010-07-28T14:55:01.064-05:00Putting yourself in danger to save your country...Can you imagine the courage this man has? Imagine if your boss could order your doctor not to examine you. According to the NY Times he has been fired, arrested and interrogated.<br /><br />"I can't stand detecting non-existent crimes, imprisoning people who are not guilty. I can't stand it anymore."<br /><br /><br /><object style="background-image:url(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/R4vB2a15dOU/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R4vB2a15dOU&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R4vB2a15dOU&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-79765465047059601292010-07-08T22:29:00.003-05:002010-07-08T22:45:16.620-05:00Transcript of Blagojevich wire tapsFor anyone interested in the Blagojevich circus, this is a transcript of<br />one of the phone calls in question during his trial. The tapes were kept<br />secret and he pushed for them to be published. It is still unclear why he would want the tapes played - if anything they are in bad taste, particularly around page 2, line 29.<br /><br /><br />DATE: 11/04/2008<br />TIME: 12:19 P.M.<br />ACTIVITY: Rod Blagojevich home line incoming call.<br />SESSION: 218<br />SPEAKERS:<br />BLAGOJEVICH: Rod Blagojevich<br />GREENLEE: Robert Greenlee<br />* * * * *<br />1 * * * * *<br />2 BLAGOJEVICH Anyway, O-, Obama's gonna win a<br />3 landslide and we'll just operate under<br />4 that, and I'm on the phone with Doug.<br />5 He's always fucking fighting against, I<br />6 can't take the Senate seat. And I can't <br />7 stand that, his attitude. What's his <br />8 fucking, angle, what's his motivation?<br />9 He says, "it's gonna be awful,<br />10 everybody's gonna resent you for it",<br />11 you know, and then, he's making it sound<br />12 like my fellow senators would resent me,<br />13 which I find ridiculous.<br />14 GREENLEE Yeah, I, I find it ridiculous that your<br />15 fellow senators would care.<br />16 BLAGOJEVICH Yeah.<br />17 GREENLEE Um, look, you know, I don't think he has<br />18 a motivation. I'm, I'm sure he's just<br />19 giving you his opinion.<br />20 BLAGOJEVICH Oh he's got some, there's some<br />21 motivation in it on him. There's <br />22 somethin', he's generally got my, he's<br />23 got a little motivation, I don't know<br />24 what it is. He's worried Quinn's gonna<br />25 in-, institute all kinds of <br />26 investigations. He'll, he'll order <br />27 investigations on every contract that we<br />28 issued...<br />29 GREENLEE Mm-hmm.<br /><br />PAGE 2<br /><br />1 BLAGOJEVICH ...he's saying that. Okay, so let,<br />2 let's analyze that, war game that. What <br />3 about that? So what? U.S. Attorney's<br />4 looking at 'em anyway.<br />5 GREENLEE Yeah, it's, I mean, look, if you wanna<br />6 look at the crassest possible<br />7 motivation, then he has, like, you know,<br />8 it's harder for him to keep clients.<br />9 BLAGOJEVICH I mean, yeah, isn't it?<br />10 GREENLEE Yeah, but...<br />11 BLAGOJEVICH Isn't that what they're thinking?<br />12 GREENLEE I re-, I mean, look, I would suspect<br />13 that's the, you know, that's the<br />14 crassest motivation. I gotta tell you,<br />15 I don-, I would expect more from him and<br />16 I, I guess I'm hesitant to say that<br />17 that's his motivation. That may just be<br />18 his opinion.<br />19 BLAGOJEVICH It's a sub-conscious thing. He's a <br />20 great guy. He's not, this is not a bad<br />21 thing on Doug. I, Doug is a good, good<br />22 person, but sub-consciously, I think<br />23 he's trying, he, his first reaction is,<br />24 ooh, I don't want him to leave, I don't<br />25 want him to, you know, and so now he's<br />26 trying to, just quickly, his mind is<br />27 operating, coming up with reasons on why<br />28 it's bad. You know, and I yelled at<br />29 him, and I said, "you know...my upward<br />30 trajectory is fucking stalled if not<br />31 fucking terminally wounded, you know, by<br />32 Obama now." Okay?<br />33 GREENLEE Mm-hmm.<br />34 BLAGOJEVICH You know? "For the last, better than<br />35 two decade, uh, you know, decades, I've<br />36 made decisions at the expense of my<br />37 family's best interests, for my<br />38 political career and you, you know, my<br />39 job as governor." You know?<br /><br />PAGE 3<br /><br />1 GREENLEE Yeah.<br />2 BLAGOJEVICH And, you know, "because I'm, you know,<br />3 the, this, his election blocks me now <br />4 from any immediate upward mo-, movement<br />5 or, you know, maybe never have any<br />6 upward movement. Then, you know, now is<br />7 the time for me to put my fucking<br />8 children and my wife first, for a<br />9 change."<br />10 GREENLEE Mm-hmm.<br />11 BLAGOJEVICH Does that make sense Qui-, Greenlee?<br />12 GREENLEE Yeah. Look I, that's how I feel <br />13 strongly.<br />14 BLAGOJEVICH Yeah. You know...fuck Bill Knapp and<br />15 fucking Fred, and all these fucking<br />16 consultants who I listened to at the<br />17 expense of my fucking family. Okay?<br />18 And then I, I started venting...you<br />19 know, part of my vent was, "yeah, and<br />20 what have I gotten for-? Oh, the people<br />21 are gonna fucking be mad and the fucking<br />22 newspapers are gonna rip me for this?"<br />23 Okay? "I fucking busted my ass and<br />24 pissed people off and gave your<br />25 grandmother a free fucking ride on a<br />26 bus. Okay? I gave your fucking baby a<br />27 chance to have health care. I fought<br />28 every one of those assholes including<br />29 every special interest out there, who<br />30 can make my life easier and better,<br />31 because they wanna raise taxes on you<br />32 and I won't, I, I fight them and keep<br />33 them from doing it. And what do I get<br />34 for that? Only thirteen percent of you<br />35 all out there think I'm doing a good<br />36 job. So fuck all of you. Not to<br />37 mention the fact that I'm a fucking,<br />38 criminal investigations and my family's<br />39 in jeopardy."<br />40 GREENLEE Yep.<br /><br />PAGE 4<br /><br />1 BLAGOJEVICH "I should worry because, you know, the<br />2 thirteen percent who approve of me<br />3 might, I might lose them too?" (Laughs)<br />4 You know what I'm saying?<br />5 GREENLEE Mm-hmm. I, look, I gotta tell you...<br />6 I'm not, I'm not moved by that, I mean I<br />7 think it means it makes it hard if you<br />8 were gonna try to run again, for that<br />9 position. It's ha-, hard, make it <br />10 harder to hold it, so you have time to<br />11 regain that. The uh, the only worry you<br />12 have, and this is maybe where Doug's<br />13 going is, you have to worry, will they,<br />14 you gotta make sure they seat you...<br />15 * * * * *Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-58354879543743333682010-06-07T14:56:00.003-05:002010-06-07T15:01:58.624-05:00The funniest way to send a message to BPI am going to Florida next week for a journalism conference and we have received email warnings from the organizers about the "tar balls" on the beach. Not very appetizing. Which makes me even more disgusted with BP for causing this unnatural disaster. But funny man Aziz Ansari performed this "song" (if you can call it that) at the MTV Music Awards, and it made me smile about the situation. It sends a message to BP and is still entertaining - thanks Aziz!<br /><br /><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:524456" width="512" height="319" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashVars="configParams=id%3D1640376%26vid%3D524456%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A524456" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed><div style="margin:0px;padding:4px;width:500px;text-align:center;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2010/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">Watch the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at MTV.com!</a></div>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-14320742481281189262010-04-09T23:00:00.002-05:002010-04-09T23:29:18.806-05:00USA Today website outsources travel section to Demand StudiosUSA Today has announced it is outsourcing online travel news to Demand Media, a network of freelance journalists (of which I'm a member). And while I am overjoyed that freelance journalists will have the rare opportunity to work with such a large publication on a topic as desirable as travel, I can't help but think -- Why? <br /><br />Is it really a positive thing that USAToday.com will not have any travel journalists on staff? That means no health insurance, no benefits, no office to go to and no resources for educated, trained, professional journalists. Are we selling ourselves short for the chance to get published? <br /><br /><br />The other part of this discussion has centered on the ethics of Demand Media. They are clearly making a profit off of this deal, and they will have a great deal more jobs to fill. But will the journalists who are chosen make more than the pittance they are currently accepting for writing small listings and explanations for obscure hardware and tech websites? Media Bistro says it's doubtful.<br /><br />It may be sad to say, but as a freelance journalist, I don't care what they're paying. Actually, when I sent in my request to join the travel writing team, I was under the impression that I would be doing it for free. That's fine for me -- I have been traveling internationally since before I could walk, and I happen to be a great writer with an advanced degree in international journalism. But if I was a USAToday.com staff travel writer, I would hate me right now.<br /><br />So is the freelance me right, or the hypothetical full-time employee journalist me right?<br /><br />One thing I can say with confidence: this is not the end of this debate. As the recession recedes and companies restructure, "freelancers" in every industry will become more popular and the matching-401Ked, benefitted employee will become more rare. And yet, I am still happy for freelance me.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-58316445184807854132010-03-26T15:35:00.003-05:002010-03-26T15:43:28.791-05:00"How health care could affect you" Office MemoMy office just sent around a memo outlining what will change with the new health care laws. It is organized into per-year changes, which is really helpful.<br /><br />Timeline: How health care could affect you<br /><br />(CNN) -- President Obama signed sweeping health care reform into law Tuesday. The Senate must now pass a package of changes that will reconcile the differences between Senate and House bills. If those changes are worked out, here is how health care reforms could affect you:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Within the first year</span><br /><br />• Young adults will be able stay on their parents' insurance until their 27th birthday.<br /><br />• Seniors will get a $250 rebate to help fill the "doughnut hole" in Medicare prescription drug coverage, which falls between the $2,700 initial limit and when catastrophic coverage kicks in at $6,154.<br /><br />• Insurers will be barred from imposing exclusions on children with pre-existing conditions. Pools will cover those with pre-existing health conditions until health care coverage exchanges are operational.<br /><br />• Insurers will not be able to rescind policies to avoid paying medical bills when a person becomes ill.<br /><br />• Lifetime limits on benefits and restrictive annual limits will be prohibited.<br /><br />• New plans must provide coverage for preventive services without co-pays. All plans must comply by 2018.<br /><br />• A temporary reinsurance program will help offset costs of coverage for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55 to 64.<br /><br />• New plans will be required to implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.<br /><br />• Adoption tax credit and assistance exclusion will increase by $1,000. The bill makes the credit refundable and extends it through 2011.<br /><br />• A 10 percent tax will be imposed on amounts paid for indoor tanning services on or after July 1.<br /><br />• Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering 35 percent of their health care premiums, increasing to 50 percent by 2014.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2011</span><br /><br />• Medicare will provide free annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans. New plans will be required to cover preventive services with no co-pay.<br /><br />• States can offer home- and community-based services to the disabled through Medicaid rather than institutional care beginning October 1.<br /><br />• A 50 percent discount will be provided on brand-name drugs for Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage enrollees. Additional discounts on brand-name and generic drugs will be phased in to completely close the "doughnut hole" by 2020.<br /><br />• Additional tax for health savings account withdrawals before age 65 for nonqualified medical expenses will increase from 10 percent to 20 percent. Additional tax for Archer medical savings account withdrawals not used for qualified medical expenses will increase from 15 percent to 20 percent.<br /><br />• A plan to provide a vehicle for small businesses to offer tax-free benefits will be created. This would ease the small employer's administrative burden of sponsoring a cafeteria plan.<br /><br />• The Medicare payroll tax will increase from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married filing jointly above $250,000.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2013</span><br /><br />• Health plans must implement uniform standards for electronic exchange of health information to reduce paperwork and administrative costs.<br /><br />• Contributions to flexible savings accounts will be limited to $2,500 per year, indexed by the Consumer Price Index in subsequent years.<br /><br />• The Employer Medicare Part D subsidy deduction will be eliminated. Employers will lose the tax deduction for subsidizing prescription drug plans for Medicare Part D-eligible retirees.<br /><br />• There will be increases to the income threshold from 7.5 percent to 10 percent of adjusted gross income. Those older than 65 can claim the 7.5 percent deduction through 2016.<br /><br />• The hospital insurance tax will increase 0.9 percentage points for those earning more than $200,000 ($250,000 for married filing jointly), and it includes net investment income.<br /><br />• A 2.9 percent excise tax on the first sale of medical devices will be established. Excepted are eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or other items for individual use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2014</span><br /><br />• Citizens will be required to have acceptable coverage or pay a penalty of $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, $695 (or up to 2.5 percent of income) in 2016. Families will pay half the amount for children, up to a cap of $2,250 per family. After 2016, penalties are indexed to Consumer Price Index.<br /><br />• Workers who are exempt from individual responsibility for coverage but don't qualify for tax credits can take their employer contribution and join an exchange plan.<br /><br />• Companies with 50 or more employees must offer coverage to employees or pay a $2,000 penalty per employee after their first 30 if at least one of their employees receives a tax credit. Waiting periods before insurance takes effect is limited to 90 days. Employers who offer coverage but whose employees receive tax credits will pay $3,000 for each worker receiving a tax credit.<br /><br />• Insurers can no longer refuse to sell or renew policies because of an individual's health status. Health plans can no longer exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions. Insurers can't charge higher rates because of heath status, gender or other factors.<br /><br />• Health plans will be prohibited from imposing annual limits on coverage.<br /><br />• Health insurance exchanges will open in each state to individuals and small employers to comparison shop for standardized health packages.<br /><br />• Credits will be available through exchanges for those whose income is above Medicaid eligibility and below 400 percent of poverty level who are not eligible for or offered other acceptable coverage.<br /><br />• Medicaid eligibility will increase to 133 percent of poverty for all nonelderly individuals to ensure that people obtain affordable health care in the most efficient and appropriate manner. States will receive increased federal funding to cover these new populations.<br /><br />• An annual health insurance provider fee will be imposed across the health insurance sector according to insurers' market share to companies whose total premiums exceed $25 million.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2018</span><br /><br />• 2018 Taxing "Cadillac" plans: An excise tax will be imposed on high-cost, employer-provided health plans beyond $27,500 for family coverage and $10,200 for single coverage; it will increase to $30,950 for families and $11,850 for individuals, retirees and employees in high-risk professions.<br /><br />Sources: House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor committees; Kaiser Family FoundationShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-40004144828472943512010-03-23T11:03:00.005-05:002010-03-23T11:38:36.063-05:00Health care bill signed into law - "This is a big f---ing deal!"At 11am CST on March 23rd, healthcare for everyone became the law in America. <br /><br />Signed with a different pen for every signature, President Obama once again made history by providing healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.<br /><br />When Joe Biden introduced the president, Obama's mic picked up Biden saying "This is a big f---ing deal," you can see it below. Listen while he's shaking the president's hand. Well said, Mr. Vice President :)<br /><br />An amazing day for all Americans!<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mQeNikp1Rj8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mQeNikp1Rj8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-67556099969336198022010-03-21T22:45:00.003-05:002010-03-21T23:17:56.123-05:00A day of history - Healthcare!Today has seen a few major events unfold, the biggest and most significant of which is the passing of health care reform legislation. Needing 216 votes to pass, the bill got 219 votes, without a single vote from a Republican. <br /><br />It is clearly a partisan vote, and Republicans are threatening to repeal the bill if they get into office. It is about every person who has opened their [healthcare] bill and is shocked at how much prices shot up, said President Obama, when he addressed the nation late Sunday night. <br /><br />He noted this day does not end the work we need to do for our country, but he did say "This day represents another stone firmly laid in the foundation of the American dream. We have answered the call of history."<br /><br />Just about every major Western country in the world has universal healthcare. This bill does not take us to that level, but it is a step in the right direction. We can only build from here. <br /><br />Also today, Christiane Amanpour has officially announced she will be leaving CNN for ABC's This Week. She is an amazing journalist and I look forward to seeing how she does on a non-cable network.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-19583584441642434122010-03-03T12:57:00.007-06:002010-03-03T15:24:42.468-06:00Ethics in Politics: An Evening with Fallen Governor Rod Blagojevich<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUUC32jAb54NkHGfiAXBxckc3dbzln6exoInQGlA2Fqa2h6bsF03mw-qFHlmFaJ7wGplaDurG02SWWZjAh' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />I spent last night at Northwestern's Evanston campus, representing the Huffington Post at an event called Ethics in Politics: an Evening with Former Governor Rod Blagojevich. It was far, far more entertaining than anyone anticipated. The 1000+ people there were mostly students and media, and it was quite a rambunctious crowd. The full article is on the Huffington Post main page: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/03/rod-blagojevich-at-northw_n_483939.html<br /><br />I will try to post the full audio file too. In this video clip panelist Don Gordon, an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University, jumped in to make sure Blago knew he wasn't buying everything the former governor was saying. Then, Journalism Professor Donna Leff asks a question from the audience - what advice on ethics would you give new politicians. His answer is "bleeping golden!" <br /><br />Sorry it's so shaky, I was writing with one hand and filming with the other.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-44999437514779687152010-02-21T19:17:00.006-06:002010-02-21T19:59:39.807-06:00The World is Watching as the Dutch Decide Whether to Remain in AfghanistanThere was a huge upset in the Netherlands this past week, as the Dutch coalition government announced they will be holding early elections because they are unable to come to a unanimous decision on whether to keep 1,600 Dutch troops in Afghanistan past the Autumn 2010 pull-out schedule. Apparently, the Christian Democratic Party and the Christian Unity party are willing to agree with NATO that an extension of troops is needed because they are not convinced that the region will remain stable, and feel it is too early to pull out. However, the Labour Party does not see any importance in maintaining a Dutch presence in the region past the schedule agreed upon three years ago. <br /><br />The Netherlands is still reeling from the unexpected, very quick downfall of the government over this issue. "What's shameful is that the government unity was unilaterally broken last week," said Jack de Vries, Christian Democratic Deputy Defense Minister. Without using so many words, he is blaming the Labour Party for refusing to compromise on the issue, and come to an agreement with his party. Public opinion on the Afghanistan issue is yet to be seen, but there is clearly a division about where the Dutch will stand. Local council elections are set to begin in two weeks.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q15jknHg9xQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q15jknHg9xQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-49226695982790750972010-02-15T14:23:00.004-06:002010-02-15T14:33:53.080-06:00Oprah Keeping Harpo in Chicago with Nate Berkus Show?The buzz on some internet <a href="http://blogs.vocalo.org/feder/2010/02/help-wanted-ads-point-to-oprah%E2%80%99s-designer-spinoff/14850">blogs</a> is that Oprah may be working to keep Harpo in Chicago, by giving her friend and consistent guest on her show, designer Nate Berkus, his own talk show. Although, it looks like she will be giving the show to NBC instead of her native ABC network. <br /><br />The reason for the commotion is that Harpo Studios has posted a whole bunch of help-wanted ads online at indeed.com for...basically...all the positions needed to launch a new show: senior producer, producer, associate producer, travel booker, etc, all listed under Harpo Studios, on The Nate Berkus Show (working title). Clearly, something is brewing! Does Nate have the star power to be the next Oprah?Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-27902182061499024292010-02-14T15:40:00.008-06:002010-02-18T14:35:24.880-06:00AcupunctureSticking needles into "pressure points" would not be my idea of relaxation. And yet, I was up early Saturday morning to go to a spa that offers the service, just so I could see if it would work - as they say, you don't know what you're missing until you try. <br /><br />I had lots of questions - Would it hurt? Where do the little needles go? How long does it take? What does it feel like? <br /><br />There were no special instructions given when I made the appointment so I had no idea what to expect. But I wasn't nervous. The spa smelled like aromatherapy and incense. The receptionist spoke softly and slowly, reminding me of some hippies I met in Iowa a while ago, offering us tea and organic snacks. The acupuncturist took me into her office, a small room with a desk, a dim lamp and a doctor's table covered with a soft cloth, she asked me a few questions about how I feel about my health and life in general, what I do for a living, etc. Then she gave me a gown to change into and left.<br /><br />When she came back, she told me to hold out my arms straight, then she moved the fingertips of one of my hands to different places (my head, my stomach, my heart) and she pressed down on my other outstretched arm, saying "resist me". She moved my fingertips to a few different places and explained that my energy around the area where my one hand was would affect my ability to resist the pressure she was putting on my other arm. Her results happened to be very similar to the areas I mentioned during the Q&A. Then she noted a few things she was going to focus on like stress and focus, and told me to lay down. It was at this point that I got really nervous. <br /><br />She would feel out a point like the top of my head, then tell me what it represented, then tap in the tip of the needle. After a few she asked if the effects were "too much," which made me think there would be some massive influx or outflux (?) of energy that would bombard me. That never happened. Sometimes I couldn't even feel her putting in the needles, sometimes it felt like I was getting a shot at the doctor's office. She put one on the bottom of my inside elbow. Which made it impossible to put my arm down without shoving it in further, but there was no where to put my arms, so they just hung there. That part was uncomfortable. I felt the ones she put in my hands, they hurt, as did the ones in my feet. But the rest I didn't really feel. <br /><br />Then she left me there and asked if I wanted the lights off. Hell no. I don't want to sit in the dark covered in needles I can't see. I asked her where my mind was meant to go and she replied that I should envision a world where there was no money, and I was free to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted - what would that life look like? <br /><br />So I did. And did some more. And more. After what felt like forever (40 mins) she came back and started to pluck out the needles. There seemed to be more coming out than went in. She asked if she had forgotten any. I was really hoping she was joking. She wasn't. So I had to feel around to make sure I wasn't going to stab myself with a stray needle. Then she noticed one of the points had started to bleed, which freaked me out because these are supposed to be very superficial pricks. She said some acupuncturists (some - i.e. not her) say that happens when more energy needs to be released from a specific area. Maybe it was because she put it in too far. Just saying.<br /><br />But I did feel a bit light-headed and much calmer when I left. As far as the stress issue went, it was definitely relaxing, but that might be because I spent 40 mins dreaming about my mansion in Ireland. As far as everything else, I think it was a bit hocus-pocusy. I could just get a massage next time. Although I really enjoyed the adventure of trying something new, and finding a new way to enjoy the spa.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-42870352469422961292010-02-12T16:04:00.006-06:002010-02-12T22:48:15.292-06:00The Madigan ShenaniganIllinois politics is clearly some of the most corrupt in the nation. We are well aware. In a recent side-by-side comparison with New York state, New York Times columnist <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/opinion/11collins.html">Gail Collins</a> concluded that Illinois had the "most awful political culture." <br /><br />But that doesn't surprise anyone who has had the good fortune of watching the evening news in the Windy City. <br /><br />The latest debacle (aside from the Scott Lee Cohen disaster (really? withdrawing from the Lieutenant Governor race <span style="font-style:italic;">in a tavern</span>??) and the Betty Lauren-Maltese round-the-clock coverage) was Michael Madigan pulling his political weight to suggest that the Lieutenant Governor position be scrapped all together. At first glance, this suggestion seems almost logical from a man who has not been so logical of late (front page allegations that clients of his law firm benefit from legislation he advocates and pushes through the House of Congress as Dem speaker) but when you dig a bit deeper, (and I mean just a bit, because it's glaringly obvious) you find his motives may be tainted by something other than pure undying love of servitude to the state. If the LG job was done away with then who would be next in line should the Governor be indicted (as has happened twice now), die in office (also twice) or otherwise unable to perform his/her duties? The Attorney General. And who might the Illinois Attorney General be? Lisa Madigan, Michael Madigan's daughter. <br /><br />Ah. There it is, the corruption we have become so used to that we actively search for it.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-46490651999303998532010-02-11T12:13:00.003-06:002010-02-11T14:53:05.140-06:00Google BuzzGoogle is trying to keep up with the current societal demand for social networking. We all need to be connected all the time. Buzz is actually pretty interesting. It takes the best part of Facebook (status updates and picture sharing) and puts it right in your inbox. So you can click on the Buzz button and be INSIDE of your social networking site instantaneously. No new sign-in required. From there, you can see what everyone is talking about/linking to. <br /><br />Gripes: I don't like that you are automatically following people when you first sign in. I didn't choose to follow my old boss from 5 yrs ago, but clearly omnipotent Google thought I should. <br /><br />Also don't like: you are not notified when people start following you. It is obviously very important you know who's listening before you say you hate your job or something sensitive.<br /><br />Also: This is just ANOTHER place to keep track of who you're talking to. It is starting to look like every website is going to include some form of interactive networking. Is cyber-socializing the mandatory new feature of next generation websites?Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-77258514310563289362010-02-09T13:14:00.006-06:002010-02-13T23:53:52.592-06:00Sarah Palin, "hands" a $100,000 speech to the Tea PartySarah Palin wrote her $100,000 speech notes ON HER HAND. Then she criticized President Obama for using a teleprompter. Keep 'em coming Sarah! <br /><br />I propose a new word- Palinized: Having inexplicable notions of grandeur; defending hypocrisy with lots of incomprehensible wordsShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-61249364104153845862010-02-08T14:39:00.004-06:002010-02-13T23:53:13.353-06:00Scott Lee Cohen is OutThe Illinois Democratic Lieutenant Governor nominee who has been hounded by scandal since the day after he won the Democratic primaries last week, has stepped down, tearfully. <br /><br />The next step is for the Democratic Party’s State Central Committee to elect a replacement. The process is, apparently, quite complex. Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ) has a <a href="http://blogs.vocalo.org/shudzik/2010/02/the-election-file-those-19-men-and-19-women-who-may-be-picking-your-next-lieutenant-governor/14380?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WbezBlog+(blogs.vocalo.org+%C2%BB+WBEZ+Blog)&utm_content=Twitter">blog </a>that sums up the process pretty well, noting that some things we just do not know yet.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-82847473267231748902010-02-08T10:02:00.003-06:002010-02-13T23:51:27.341-06:00My HuffPo article: Jeff Haas and Bill Ayers discuss new book<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/jeff-haas-bill-ayers-disc_n_453332.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/jeff-haas-bill-ayers-disc_n_453332.html</a><br /><br /><br />"Back [in the 60's] segregation was normalized so it's easy to say 'If I would have been alive I would have been right there.' But would we have been?" Bill Ayers, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, posed the question Thursday night to a standing room only audience in the back room at Barbara's Bookstore on South Halsted.<br /><br />Ayers, ironically, was himself a left wing radical and founding member of the controversial group Weather Underground during the Vietnam War. He recently returned to the spotlight as questions arose over his connection to then-presidential-hopeful Barack Obama, nearly costing Obama the election.<br /><br />Ayers joined a panel of activists at different levels of career revolutionism, to discuss the legacy of Fred Hampton and to promote Jeff Haas' book "The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and Chicago Police Killed a Black Panther." The panel was hosted by Barbara's Bookstore in honor of Black History Month.<br /><br />Haas' book recounts his personal story of growing up a privileged white man in Atlanta, then coming to Chicago after graduating from law school. He learned of the Black Panther movement as a young lawyer working to get Hampton released from prison. He succeeded, only to have Hampton assassinated on December 4th, 1969, in what he worked for years to prove was the work of Chicago police and the FBI, tracing all the way up to its director, J. Edgar Hoover. Haas co-founded The People's Law Office and worked to uncover the covert and often illegal government program to obtain secret evidence on activists, COINTELPRO.<br /><br />Ayers was moderator of the panel that included Haas, headliner of the evening; LaDonna Redmond, Chicago community activist and co-founder of Graffiti and Grub; Dr. David Stovall, a University of Illinois at Chicago professor in Educational Policy Studies; and honorary guest Bill Hampton, Fred Hampton's brother.<br /><br />In his southern drawl, Haas began the discussion by giving a substantial recap of the events leading up to the incident that shocked Americans and enraged civil rights activists over 40 years ago. He read an excerpt of the book describing his visit to a church on Chicago's West side to hear Hampton speak, quoting him:<br /><br />"If you ever think about me and you ain't gonna do no revolutionary act, forget about me. I don't want myself on your mind if you're not going to work for the people. If you're asked to make a commitment at the age of twenty, and you say I don't want to make a commitment at the age of twenty, only because of the reason that I'm too young to die, I want to live a little longer, then you're dead already."<br /><br />The panelists discussed the legacy of Fred Hampton, hoping to encourage people to get involved in defending civil rights.<br /><br />"We are all living in a living history," Redmond said. "If we want peace, don't ask what Obama did, ask what you did."<br /><br />Afterward, Haas signed copies of his book and signed mine:<br /><br />"Tell truth for power. Keep the struggle for justice alive."Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-76177807906451825242010-01-28T08:25:00.005-06:002010-03-04T21:23:50.424-06:00State of the Union: Everything rolled into oneOr as the Twitter-sphere calls it: SOTU (saves space). President Obama addressed the nation last night in his first State of the Union. I had to watch it on MSNBC online after it aired because I was at an event when it came on, so I didn't have the typical feeling I get of watching "with the whole nation," but I was pretty impressed that he addressed so many things in such a short amount of time. He spent more than 25 mins (from my personal estimations) talking about jobs and the economy. Mostly empathizing with people, with a few plans sprinkled in). Then he diversified his topic portfolio by smoothly transitioning in education, limiting federal spending (plus a 3-yr freeze...we will get to that later), climate change efforts, health care (I waited for it and waited for it and he did get there, albeit,with a pretty quick mention), the wars, repealing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in the military (which was huge, I thought it should have been talked about more by the media. But I guess since Sam Stein on HuffPo broke the news, people were just expecting it. I was still impressed) and he even criticized the Supreme Court decision to deregulate corporate campaign donations - the justices were sitting right there! It was ballsy. Justice Alito was about to stand up and say something, the news sites reported he was saying "that's not true" to Obamas claims that corporations were going to steamroll the needs of the people. My point is that he addressed a lot of issues, but had to do it in a short sentence or two because he spent so long talking about jobs and the economy. <br /><br />I would mention too, though, that he did not address the Guantanamo Bay closure (or lack thereof), which was a big issue in his inauguration speech and other speeches. But that is likely because he did not want to bring up the fact that he failed to do what he said. He was not afraid to say he added a trillion to the deficit (after talking about how Bush took us from a budget surplus to a huge deficit (artfully, without mentioning Bush's name at all - the camera panned to McCain mumbling to himself), so I think he could have addressed his failure at Gitmo. But he didn't. He never said he would, so it's cool. But I noticed. <br /><br />And after promising to address the Middle East conflict, he did not bring up the fact that he (more accurately, Hillary Clinton) failed completely at halting Israeli settlement building. Which is a foreign policy issue so I guess it is not relevant compared to the domestic issues he talked about...but if we are throwing out issues to talk about, I think it deserved a passing mention. But again, not a huge surprise or let down, just something I noticed. <br /><br />Also absent in talking about domestic issues we are facing as Americans: Oprah is leaving! He didn't even mention the talk show maven's last year. Poor Oprah! ...just kidding.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-47801860181225332112009-12-02T13:52:00.005-06:002009-12-02T15:46:56.706-06:00Doubling our Efforts in AfghanistanLast night President Obama addressed an auditorium full of servicemen and women , as well as the rest of the nation, to inform us of his plans in Afghanistan, to justify his actions, and to layout a timeline.<br /><br />His policy on Afghanistan was always that we would beef up our efforts there, which people seem to have forgotten. He wanted to pull out of Iraq and focus on Afghanistan, which he is doing. People have been flustered recently with his failures to uphold other campaign promises, which may be causing some confusion. The Afghanistan issue is not to be confused with his promises on Guantanamo Bay, which he said would be closed in 18 months (FAIL). Or his stance on freezing illegal settlement building in Israel (EPIC FAIL). <br /><br />But in many ways people are starting to view Afghanistan as another Vietnam, which the president addressed in his speech. He noted that Afghanistan was different from Vietnam in one very big way - the terrorists who (allegedly) attacked the U.S. live there. Now, I know it sounds conspiracy-theoretical, but there has been no proof or trial to say that the exact masterminds of the 9/11 attacks are living in territorial Afghanistan as opposed to anywhere else in the world. I seem to remember in 2001 when the attacks happened that everyone said the enemy was among us, living in the U.S.. Afterall, all of the hijacked flights were domestic flights. But Former President Bush grabbed his shotgun and threw on his britches and ran after the ambiguous enemy in Afghanistan almost immediately after the attacks, basing his decision on secret intelligence. 8 years later, that secret intelligence has never been tested, but we are doubling our efforts in the region. <br /><br />Now, I am definitely interested in making sure Americans are safe and, if there is a threat in Afghanistan, neutralizing it. We started the job, we got 2 sides formed, we have Afghanis fighting against Afghanis and policemen being attacked and a corrupt leader in the region. Now is definitely NOT the time to throw our hands up and say we tried. By this point, we have gotten in too deep to back out. <br /><br />One thing I noticed: the most poignant point in the president's address was at the very end when he went down to shake hands with the servicemen and women who were in the front rows of the auditorium; our brave soldiers clamored for attention, eagerly sticking out their hands, hoping to shake the hand of the man who has just torn them from their families and sent them to the front lines of guerrilla warfare. How ironic. Either they believe in his message wholeheartedly, or he just has that much star power.<br /><br />It is rather unfortunate that President Obama is now being viewed as the reason we are sending in more troops. He is not. He is simply managing the mess and doing the only thing we can do - finish what we started. It will definitely be a reminder of the Vietnam war and if we win, people will always say "Ahhhh that's what would have happened! We should have stayed in Vietnam." But if we lose, be prepared for people to say "We should have shot Obama like we shot Kennedy." As ancient military strategist Sun Tzu once said "Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-37449820261214187312009-11-12T10:20:00.002-06:002009-11-12T10:22:21.789-06:00Fox News tries to pass off Glenn Beck rally footage as anti-healthcare rally<object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/yahoo/http%3A%2F%2Ftv%2Eyahoo%2Ecom/embed/7MMCtgju0ULktFiT-DD3lw"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/yahoo/http%3A%2F%2Ftv%2Eyahoo%2Ecom/embed/7MMCtgju0ULktFiT-DD3lw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" width="512" height="296"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-83034733554069202732009-11-10T14:44:00.002-06:002009-11-10T14:45:12.018-06:00The flagging peace process: Is Israel too strong for Barack Obama? | The Economist<a href="http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14816791&fsrc=rss">The flagging peace process: Is Israel too strong for Barack Obama? | The Economist</a><br /><br />Nov 5th 2009 | CAIRO AND JERUSALEM<br />From The Economist print edition<br />As America drops its demand for a total freeze on the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, angry Palestinians say there is no scope for resuming talks<br /><br />Illustration by Peter Schrank<br /><br />FIVE months after Barack Obama went to Cairo and persuaded most of the Arab world, in a ringing declaration of even-handedness, that he would face down Israel in his quest for a Palestinian state, American policy seems to have run into the sand. The American president’s mediating hand is weaker, his charisma damagingly faded. From the Palestinian and Arab point of view, his administration—after grandly setting out to force the Jewish state to stop the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land as an early token of good faith, intended to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiation—has meekly capitulated to Israel.<br /><br />The upshot is that hopes for an early resumption of talks between the main protagonists seem to have been dashed. Indeed, no one seems to know how they can be restarted. The mood among moderates on both sides is as glum as ever.<br /><br />Mr Obama’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, made matters worse by actually praising Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, for promising merely to “restrain” Israel’s building rather than stop it altogether, as he was first asked to do. Previously Mrs Clinton had insisted that stop meant stop. There should be no “organic growth” of existing settlements and no exceptions for projects under way. Nor did she specifically exempt East Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as their future capital but which many Israelis see as theirs alone. And she had earlier castigated Israel for demolishing Palestinian houses in the city’s eastern part. Now, in Israel on October 31st, she changed her tune, seeming to acquiesce in Mr Netanyahu’s refusal to meet those earlier American demands and congratulating the prime minister on his “unprecedented” offer to build at a slower rate than before.<br /><br />Mr Netanyahu’s case is that being “prepared to adopt a policy of restraint on the existing settlements” is indeed a concession. No new settlements would be started, no extra Palestinian land appropriated for expansion. But some 3,000 housing units already commissioned must, he said, be completed. Building must go on in East Jerusalem, he has repeatedly said, as it cannot be part of a Palestinian state.<br /><br />Mrs Clinton later awkwardly backpedalled, assuring the Palestinians that she still considered all settlements “illegitimate”, while pleading with them to resume talks. That seems unlikely. A storm of abuse raged in the Palestinian and Arab press. Mr Obama, it was widely deduced, had caved in after his own ratings in Israel had slumped, according to some Israeli polls, to as low as 4%. Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Fatah party who presides over the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, expressed extreme disappointment—and continued to insist that talks could not resume until there was a full building freeze.<br /><br />Among Palestinians at large, Mr Abbas has been derided for putting his faith in the new American administration. Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, the smaller of the two main parts of a future Palestinian state, mocked him for ever thinking that Mr Obama could change American policy towards the Middle East.<br /><br />Last month he called a general and presidential election for January 24th. But with opinion polls showing his popularity diving, on November 5th he said he would not stand for re-election. Hamas, in any event, said it would refuse to take part in the polls. Mr Abbas, it seems, has been forced to acknowledge that his authority—and his ability to grapple with the Israelis in negotiations if they had resumed—has been eviscerated.<br /><br />Besides, even if talks did start again, no agreement would stick without the acquiescence of Hamas, which won the last Palestinian election, in 2006, and is still strong enough to kibosh any deal done without it. Yet discussions between the two rival groups, under the aegis of the Egyptians, have been stuttering along for more than a year without getting anywhere.<br /><br />Mr Netanyahu, on the other hand, was cock-a-hoop. The right-wing and religious ministers who make up the bulk of his coalition government can scarcely believe his luck. The prime minister is riding high in the Israeli people’s esteem. Building work is proceeding apace in many of the settlements. He looks as if he has emerged unscathed from a brush with a hostile American president.<br /><br />Mr Obama is being criticised, even by Israelis and Americans on the left, for making demands of Mr Netanyahu that he should have known would never be met. Some say the president should himself fly to Israel to address the Israeli people directly with a game-changing plan of his own. But no one, least of all in Washington, seems to know what that might be.Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-65413141986181466392009-11-09T19:08:00.003-06:002009-11-09T19:11:13.342-06:00Iranian Women's RugbyRugby is a fierce sport - these ladies must be tough enough not only to withstand the physical challenges but also to stand up against cultural misconceptions about women.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XL0dZ6Kojbg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XL0dZ6Kojbg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4072269525970452782.post-32366192635351632542009-11-03T23:26:00.003-06:002009-11-03T23:40:04.445-06:00Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up for Alice in Wonderland 2010How exciting! The even darker and more twisted side of Alice in Wonderland, a children's story that has been marked by allegations of similarity to a drug trip. An already somewhat confusing and at times, frightening, story is taken over by a characteristically dark and sinister Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp, who has made a name in dark comedy. March 2010 is the proposed release. <br /><br /><object width="450" height="293"><param name="movie" value="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/12574"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/12574" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="293" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object>Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11510467818979375149noreply@blogger.com0