Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Save The Sun
HA! I bet if I check my site stats on this one I get a lot of environmental junkie searches.
Nope not talking about THAT Sun. I'm talking about This Sun.
Now I know that I probably don't have big buck readers but I know I have smart ones. That paper is smart. It balances out the liberal stuff in the New York Times and helps get the entire story to the people. With that paper closing who knows how much half-sided disinformation will travel as fact without any checks and balances.
If you read this and know someone who might know someone....maybe this paper can be saved.
Save the NY Sun
Following are excerpts of remarks by the Editor of the Sun, Seth Lipsky, to the newspaper's staff:
It is my duty to report today that Ira Stoll and I and our partners have concluded that the Sun will cease publication. Our last number will be the issue dated September 30, the first day of Rosh Hashanah. I want you to know that Ira and I, and our partners, explored every possible way to avoid having to cease publication.
We have spoken with every individual who seemed to be a prospective partner, and everywhere we were received with courtesy and respect. I tend to be an optimist and held out hope for a favorable outcome as late as mid-afternoon today. But among other problems that we faced was the fact that this month, not to mention this week, has been one of the worst in a century in which to be trying to raise capital, and in the end we were out not only of money but time.
So we are at this sad moment. It is sad for any newspaper to go out of publication, and it is particularly sad for one that is as loved as much as all of us here love The New York Sun and the readers we have won in our six-and-a-half years of publication. But I want you to know that the decision to close the paper has not been an acrimonious one. It is a logical decision following a hard-headed assessment of our chances of meeting our goal of profitable publication in the near future.
This was always a risk, and all the greater is the heroism of our financial backers. Even at the end they were offering millions of dollars if we could find the partners we needed. I don't mind saying to you, as I have to them, that I very much regret — I will always regret — that we were not able to return to them the capital that they invested in us. Yet we have not heard a single regret from any of them on this head, which underscores the fact that it was not only for the possibility of profit that they invested in this newspaper. They invested also for other ideals, as well.
They invested in the ideal of the scoop, the notion that news is the spirit of democracy, and in the principles for which we have stood in our editorial pages — limited and honest government, equality under our Constitution and the law, free markets, sound money, and a strong foreign policy in support of freedom and democracy. They liked the way the Sun reflected the dynamism of our city and spoke for its interests in the national debate.
They invested, too, in the joy with which you illuminated the cultural life of New York, in our willingness to spring to the defense of so many who are not always defended, in the thrill of our sports coverage, the verve and warmth of our society coverage, and in our efforts to bring together a community and give it voice.
Our backers asked me to tell you that they are enormously proud of what you accomplished, a sentiment that was expressed for all our partners pointedly in the most recent meeting by our founding chairman, Roger Hertog. I am sure the reference was not only to our reporters and editors, who come in for the public attention, but the advertising, circulation and business departments, whose staffers have gone out every day into the an environment in which most newspapers are losing advertising and circulation and yet managed to produce consistent gains. This month, our last, was a record month for advertising revenues, which were up more than 60% over the year earlier month and ahead of the budget goals, with year-to-date advertising revenues up nearly 25%.
* * *
We have all been taken aback and, I would say, humbled by the surge of support that has been conveyed since the announcement a month ago that we might have to close. Mayor Bloomberg, despite our differences on many issues, was our constant reader and encourager. We had messages from some of our greatest rabbis, and from His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan. Three of New York's former governors spoke of the importance of the Sun, including Governor Pataki, who called what you have created "the best paper in New York." Much as I appreciated the remark, I wouldn't want to make too much of it — for me, it was privilege enough to be simply one among the newspapers in this magnificent newspaper town.
Some of the messages that touched me most were readers who sent in checks, with letters about what the Sun meant to them, and calls or comments from those with whom we don't often agree on policy. The Central Labor Council and the president of the teachers union, Randi Weingarten, or Speaker Quinn or Comptroller Thompson, the Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, and all the others who talked to our reporters, or wrote, or called to let us know how much they appreciated the intelligence, the passion, and the energy you brought to your beats. I sense in some of my conversations with them that they appreciated the fact that you covered their important work at all and that you dealt with them on the substance, and they will miss you as much as you will miss them.
* * *
It is in the nature of things that there are going to be some jeers as we go out, as there were when we came in. Do not be discouraged by this. To those who say to you, "I told you so, I knew you would fail" you can say this: "No wonder you didn't join us." And you — reporters, editors, critics, photographers, secretaries, sales executives, book-keepers, circulation staff, technology geniuses, drivers — all of you will be able to tell your children and your grandchildren or simply your friends that not only did you appear in arms in a great newspaper war but that you did so on your own terms, for principles you believed in, and worked with some of the greatest newspaper craftsmen and craftswomen of your generation — and you covered yourselves with distinction.
At our last board meeting, Ira Stoll mentioned that this is not the first time he and I have lost a newspaper we loved. We learned, in the years after the Forward, that one great newspaper adventure can lead to another, even greater one. As we shook hands after the meeting, Ira said to me that he wanted just to thank me for giving him these seven years at the Sun. He said he wouldn't trade them for anything. I thanked him in return. I couldn't have had a more magnificent partner. I wouldn't have traded these years for anything, either. Ira and I thank you all as well. It has been the honor of our lives to have been in harness with you, and I am positive you all will go on to ever greater assignments.
Nope not talking about THAT Sun. I'm talking about This Sun.
Now I know that I probably don't have big buck readers but I know I have smart ones. That paper is smart. It balances out the liberal stuff in the New York Times and helps get the entire story to the people. With that paper closing who knows how much half-sided disinformation will travel as fact without any checks and balances.
If you read this and know someone who might know someone....maybe this paper can be saved.
Save the NY Sun
Following are excerpts of remarks by the Editor of the Sun, Seth Lipsky, to the newspaper's staff:
It is my duty to report today that Ira Stoll and I and our partners have concluded that the Sun will cease publication. Our last number will be the issue dated September 30, the first day of Rosh Hashanah. I want you to know that Ira and I, and our partners, explored every possible way to avoid having to cease publication.
We have spoken with every individual who seemed to be a prospective partner, and everywhere we were received with courtesy and respect. I tend to be an optimist and held out hope for a favorable outcome as late as mid-afternoon today. But among other problems that we faced was the fact that this month, not to mention this week, has been one of the worst in a century in which to be trying to raise capital, and in the end we were out not only of money but time.
So we are at this sad moment. It is sad for any newspaper to go out of publication, and it is particularly sad for one that is as loved as much as all of us here love The New York Sun and the readers we have won in our six-and-a-half years of publication. But I want you to know that the decision to close the paper has not been an acrimonious one. It is a logical decision following a hard-headed assessment of our chances of meeting our goal of profitable publication in the near future.
This was always a risk, and all the greater is the heroism of our financial backers. Even at the end they were offering millions of dollars if we could find the partners we needed. I don't mind saying to you, as I have to them, that I very much regret — I will always regret — that we were not able to return to them the capital that they invested in us. Yet we have not heard a single regret from any of them on this head, which underscores the fact that it was not only for the possibility of profit that they invested in this newspaper. They invested also for other ideals, as well.
They invested in the ideal of the scoop, the notion that news is the spirit of democracy, and in the principles for which we have stood in our editorial pages — limited and honest government, equality under our Constitution and the law, free markets, sound money, and a strong foreign policy in support of freedom and democracy. They liked the way the Sun reflected the dynamism of our city and spoke for its interests in the national debate.
They invested, too, in the joy with which you illuminated the cultural life of New York, in our willingness to spring to the defense of so many who are not always defended, in the thrill of our sports coverage, the verve and warmth of our society coverage, and in our efforts to bring together a community and give it voice.
Our backers asked me to tell you that they are enormously proud of what you accomplished, a sentiment that was expressed for all our partners pointedly in the most recent meeting by our founding chairman, Roger Hertog. I am sure the reference was not only to our reporters and editors, who come in for the public attention, but the advertising, circulation and business departments, whose staffers have gone out every day into the an environment in which most newspapers are losing advertising and circulation and yet managed to produce consistent gains. This month, our last, was a record month for advertising revenues, which were up more than 60% over the year earlier month and ahead of the budget goals, with year-to-date advertising revenues up nearly 25%.
* * *
We have all been taken aback and, I would say, humbled by the surge of support that has been conveyed since the announcement a month ago that we might have to close. Mayor Bloomberg, despite our differences on many issues, was our constant reader and encourager. We had messages from some of our greatest rabbis, and from His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan. Three of New York's former governors spoke of the importance of the Sun, including Governor Pataki, who called what you have created "the best paper in New York." Much as I appreciated the remark, I wouldn't want to make too much of it — for me, it was privilege enough to be simply one among the newspapers in this magnificent newspaper town.
Some of the messages that touched me most were readers who sent in checks, with letters about what the Sun meant to them, and calls or comments from those with whom we don't often agree on policy. The Central Labor Council and the president of the teachers union, Randi Weingarten, or Speaker Quinn or Comptroller Thompson, the Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, and all the others who talked to our reporters, or wrote, or called to let us know how much they appreciated the intelligence, the passion, and the energy you brought to your beats. I sense in some of my conversations with them that they appreciated the fact that you covered their important work at all and that you dealt with them on the substance, and they will miss you as much as you will miss them.
* * *
It is in the nature of things that there are going to be some jeers as we go out, as there were when we came in. Do not be discouraged by this. To those who say to you, "I told you so, I knew you would fail" you can say this: "No wonder you didn't join us." And you — reporters, editors, critics, photographers, secretaries, sales executives, book-keepers, circulation staff, technology geniuses, drivers — all of you will be able to tell your children and your grandchildren or simply your friends that not only did you appear in arms in a great newspaper war but that you did so on your own terms, for principles you believed in, and worked with some of the greatest newspaper craftsmen and craftswomen of your generation — and you covered yourselves with distinction.
At our last board meeting, Ira Stoll mentioned that this is not the first time he and I have lost a newspaper we loved. We learned, in the years after the Forward, that one great newspaper adventure can lead to another, even greater one. As we shook hands after the meeting, Ira said to me that he wanted just to thank me for giving him these seven years at the Sun. He said he wouldn't trade them for anything. I thanked him in return. I couldn't have had a more magnificent partner. I wouldn't have traded these years for anything, either. Ira and I thank you all as well. It has been the honor of our lives to have been in harness with you, and I am positive you all will go on to ever greater assignments.
Debate 101...Guest Post...Round 4
Iowan Sandy says:
Round 4: Lessons of Iraq, Troops in Afghanistan, and Dealing with Iran
I’m going to preface this section with my personal reaction to the exchange between the candidates.
It was:
Full of soundbites, tidbits of information and accusatory tactics
Like a couple of roosters self-righteously strutting around with their red, white and blue plumage, picking at each other
Frustrating that time was spent harping on how we ended up in Iraq and who should be blamed for that decision
With those type of dramatics the debate could have been a Lifetime movie of the week or yet another pointless talk show where hosts and guests squabble endlessly. Either way I was tempted to change the channel.
But, in a nutshell, we learned that McCain believes that defeat in Iraq will lead to Iran becoming more influential, increase violence in the area and cause a wider war. He also believes that we are winning in Iraq. He disagrees with Obama’s withdrawal plan.
Obama claims that we have not used military force responsibly in Iraq. He believes that Al Queda is stronger now. He recommends a reduction of troops in Iraq within 16 months and to bolster troops in Afghanistan.
This led directly to a discussion of whether we should send more troops to Afghanistan. Obama was very clear in saying “yes,” we should send more troops. He stated the following:
Groups from Afghanistan are attacking troops in Iraq
He would send 2-3 additional brigades to Afghanistan
Al Queda is in Afghanistan and Pakistan
He wants to press the Afghan government to work for the people
We need to deal with the poppy trade
We must deal with Pakistan, they are “in the way” of us getting to Al Queda
REALLY? Are you sure you don’t want to phone a friend and revise that answer?
McCain stated that we do not want a repeat in Iraq of how we handled the Afghan/Russia conflict where we simply washed our hands of the situation after the fighting stopped. And he offered the following:
He does not agree with simply increasing troops in Afghanistan; like in Iraq we need to gain the cooperation of the Afgan people to effectively deal with the threats there
He is not prepared to cut off trade or strike Pakistan, we need to work with the government
Although McCain’s comments didn’t address all aspects of dealing with Afghanistan, there was an indication that he would implement a more refined approach than Obama.
The discussion then turned to issues with Iran.
McCain indicated there is a clear threat from Iran and danger in their acquisition of nuclear weapons. He stated that the Republican Guard is a terrorist group. He strongly believes that there is a need to establish preconditions for before we agree to sit down and talk with Ahmadinejad. If we don’t, we will lend credence and legitimacy to the behavior of a man who desires the extermination of Israel.
Obama agrees that the Republican Guard is a terrorist group. He believes that Ahmadinejad is not the most powerful person in Iran and that no preconditions are needed. He also stated that cutting off talks is not a successful approach and isolation of countries accelerates proliferation of nukes. He believes that direct tough diplomacy and tough sanctions are the way to resolve the problems.
This was the most alarming information I heard all evening. My belief is that Ahmadinejad is not a reasonable man. We must utilize a disciplined approach and proceed from a position of power with such a leader. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile, blow up Israel, and embolden world-wide terrorism. That’s not the future I’m hoping for.
Round 4: Lessons of Iraq, Troops in Afghanistan, and Dealing with Iran
I’m going to preface this section with my personal reaction to the exchange between the candidates.
It was:
Full of soundbites, tidbits of information and accusatory tactics
Like a couple of roosters self-righteously strutting around with their red, white and blue plumage, picking at each other
Frustrating that time was spent harping on how we ended up in Iraq and who should be blamed for that decision
With those type of dramatics the debate could have been a Lifetime movie of the week or yet another pointless talk show where hosts and guests squabble endlessly. Either way I was tempted to change the channel.
But, in a nutshell, we learned that McCain believes that defeat in Iraq will lead to Iran becoming more influential, increase violence in the area and cause a wider war. He also believes that we are winning in Iraq. He disagrees with Obama’s withdrawal plan.
Obama claims that we have not used military force responsibly in Iraq. He believes that Al Queda is stronger now. He recommends a reduction of troops in Iraq within 16 months and to bolster troops in Afghanistan.
This led directly to a discussion of whether we should send more troops to Afghanistan. Obama was very clear in saying “yes,” we should send more troops. He stated the following:
Groups from Afghanistan are attacking troops in Iraq
He would send 2-3 additional brigades to Afghanistan
Al Queda is in Afghanistan and Pakistan
He wants to press the Afghan government to work for the people
We need to deal with the poppy trade
We must deal with Pakistan, they are “in the way” of us getting to Al Queda
REALLY? Are you sure you don’t want to phone a friend and revise that answer?
McCain stated that we do not want a repeat in Iraq of how we handled the Afghan/Russia conflict where we simply washed our hands of the situation after the fighting stopped. And he offered the following:
He does not agree with simply increasing troops in Afghanistan; like in Iraq we need to gain the cooperation of the Afgan people to effectively deal with the threats there
He is not prepared to cut off trade or strike Pakistan, we need to work with the government
Although McCain’s comments didn’t address all aspects of dealing with Afghanistan, there was an indication that he would implement a more refined approach than Obama.
The discussion then turned to issues with Iran.
McCain indicated there is a clear threat from Iran and danger in their acquisition of nuclear weapons. He stated that the Republican Guard is a terrorist group. He strongly believes that there is a need to establish preconditions for before we agree to sit down and talk with Ahmadinejad. If we don’t, we will lend credence and legitimacy to the behavior of a man who desires the extermination of Israel.
Obama agrees that the Republican Guard is a terrorist group. He believes that Ahmadinejad is not the most powerful person in Iran and that no preconditions are needed. He also stated that cutting off talks is not a successful approach and isolation of countries accelerates proliferation of nukes. He believes that direct tough diplomacy and tough sanctions are the way to resolve the problems.
This was the most alarming information I heard all evening. My belief is that Ahmadinejad is not a reasonable man. We must utilize a disciplined approach and proceed from a position of power with such a leader. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile, blow up Israel, and embolden world-wide terrorism. That’s not the future I’m hoping for.
Talk To A Man Who Denies This?
Watch these video here.
Obama says we should talk without any conditions to the Holocaust denier, leader of the U.S. Embassy hostage take over and over thrower of the Shah of Iran -- BY FORCE.
As Charles Krauthammer puts it so elequently he is the "Holocaust-denying, virulently anti-Semitic, aspiring genocidist"
At the UN this monster said
"O mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the Promised One, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.”
And when he returned to Iran, he stated, “one of our group told me that when I started to say “In the name of God the almighty and merciful,” he saw a light around me, and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink. … And they were rapt. It seemed as if a hand was holding them there and had opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic republic.”
And he also said this:
“Islam is the truth. This truth was only partly revealed in Judaism and Christianity, but is fully revealed in Islam.”
–August 18-19, 2007
“The ultimate solution is to replace these unworthy regimes and rulers, and to establish the rule of the Hidden Imam.”
–August 28, 2007
“We must rapidly develop Iran in order to create the [right] conditions for his [the Hidden Imam's] coming, and we must also help the rest of the world’s nations [to prepare for his return], in order to precipitate this great event.”
–August 29, 2007
“I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another’s hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours.”
–Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11-grade Iranian schoolbook
I bet Mr. Obama and his supporters wouldn't advocate for anyone to sit and negotiate with members of the KKK. (nor should they)
Were you aware that "In some states, such as Alabama, the KKK worked for political and social reform.[70] The state's Klansmen were among the foremost advocates of better public schools, effective prohibition enforcement, expanded road construction, and other "progressive" political measures"
My point being that even evil people sometimes throw in some good things...just to screw with your mind and win your heart!
From Wikipedia: Beginning in the 1950s, individual Klan groups began to resist the Civil Rights Movement by bombing houses in transitional neighborhoods and the houses of activists, as well as by physical violence, intimidation and assassination. In Birmingham, Alabama, during the tenure of Bull Connor, Klan groups were closely allied with police and operated with impunity. There were so many bombings of homes by Klan groups that the city's nickname was "Bombingham".
And yet Mr. Obama has close ties with William Ayers.
Ayers participated in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, the United States Capitol building in 1971, and The Pentagon in 1972, as he noted in his 2001 book, Fugitive Days.
"I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough", and, when asked if he would "do it all again" as saying "I don't want to discount the possibility."[14] Ayers has not denied the quotes
The Weathermen were initially part of the Revolutionary Youth Movement (RYM) within the SDS, splitting from the RYM's Maoists by claiming there was no time to build a vanguard party and that revolutionary war against the United States government and the capitalist system should begin immediately. Their founding document called for the establishment of a "white fighting force" to be allied with the "Black Liberation Movement" and other "anti-colonial" movements[28] to achieve "the destruction of US imperialism and the achievement of a classless world: world communism."
Ayers' contacts with the 2008 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States, Barack Obama, became controversial in the 2008 United States presidential election. The two served together on the Woods Fund Board from 1999 until Obama left in 2002. Ayers had other contact with Obama as a resident of Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, hosting a meet-and-greet at his house to introduce Obama to his neighbors during Obama's first Illinois state Senate campaign in 1995, appearing on education panels together, and donating $200 to Obama's campaign in April 2001.
Obama says we should talk without any conditions to the Holocaust denier, leader of the U.S. Embassy hostage take over and over thrower of the Shah of Iran -- BY FORCE.
As Charles Krauthammer puts it so elequently he is the "Holocaust-denying, virulently anti-Semitic, aspiring genocidist"
At the UN this monster said
"O mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the Promised One, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.”
And when he returned to Iran, he stated, “one of our group told me that when I started to say “In the name of God the almighty and merciful,” he saw a light around me, and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink. … And they were rapt. It seemed as if a hand was holding them there and had opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic republic.”
And he also said this:
“Islam is the truth. This truth was only partly revealed in Judaism and Christianity, but is fully revealed in Islam.”
–August 18-19, 2007
“The ultimate solution is to replace these unworthy regimes and rulers, and to establish the rule of the Hidden Imam.”
–August 28, 2007
“We must rapidly develop Iran in order to create the [right] conditions for his [the Hidden Imam's] coming, and we must also help the rest of the world’s nations [to prepare for his return], in order to precipitate this great event.”
–August 29, 2007
“I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another’s hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours.”
–Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11-grade Iranian schoolbook
I bet Mr. Obama and his supporters wouldn't advocate for anyone to sit and negotiate with members of the KKK. (nor should they)
Were you aware that "In some states, such as Alabama, the KKK worked for political and social reform.[70] The state's Klansmen were among the foremost advocates of better public schools, effective prohibition enforcement, expanded road construction, and other "progressive" political measures"
My point being that even evil people sometimes throw in some good things...just to screw with your mind and win your heart!
From Wikipedia: Beginning in the 1950s, individual Klan groups began to resist the Civil Rights Movement by bombing houses in transitional neighborhoods and the houses of activists, as well as by physical violence, intimidation and assassination. In Birmingham, Alabama, during the tenure of Bull Connor, Klan groups were closely allied with police and operated with impunity. There were so many bombings of homes by Klan groups that the city's nickname was "Bombingham".
And yet Mr. Obama has close ties with William Ayers.
Ayers participated in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, the United States Capitol building in 1971, and The Pentagon in 1972, as he noted in his 2001 book, Fugitive Days.
"I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough", and, when asked if he would "do it all again" as saying "I don't want to discount the possibility."[14] Ayers has not denied the quotes
The Weathermen were initially part of the Revolutionary Youth Movement (RYM) within the SDS, splitting from the RYM's Maoists by claiming there was no time to build a vanguard party and that revolutionary war against the United States government and the capitalist system should begin immediately. Their founding document called for the establishment of a "white fighting force" to be allied with the "Black Liberation Movement" and other "anti-colonial" movements[28] to achieve "the destruction of US imperialism and the achievement of a classless world: world communism."
Ayers' contacts with the 2008 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States, Barack Obama, became controversial in the 2008 United States presidential election. The two served together on the Woods Fund Board from 1999 until Obama left in 2002. Ayers had other contact with Obama as a resident of Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, hosting a meet-and-greet at his house to introduce Obama to his neighbors during Obama's first Illinois state Senate campaign in 1995, appearing on education panels together, and donating $200 to Obama's campaign in April 2001.
Think Muslim Terrorism Is Caused By Our Policies In Support Of Israel...THINK AGAIN
On 9-13-2008 THIS was written by this blogger: (After reading this please see the links at the bottom as well.)
The Delhi blasts happened hours ago, and once again humanity has taken a backseat in the entire quagmire of terror, politics and ideologies. As innocent people pay the price for the acts of a particular set of people with a particular mind-set, the politicians seem to have no qualms about fanning the flames of hatred merely to bolster their vote bank. At the end of the day, what are you achieving if you’re in power or not when the country is reeling under a series of blasts and terror attacks?
It’s amazing that the Center is spending its time debating over whether or not a stringent anti-terror law is required. In the wake of the Gujarat blasts, the Gujarat government had been pushing for a state anti-terrorism law in order to combat the problem. Even the National security advisor had advised the Centre to allow the law but the Centre of course thought otherwise. According to them the proposed law was too similar to the POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) which was previously in force in the country. Since there were gross human rights violations on the pretext of that Act until it was eventually repealed, the Centre thinks it prudent for the law not to be allowed. This reasoning is fundamentally flawed because it smack of the Executive’s lack of confidence in the enforcement of a legislation which ultimately is the responsibility of the executive itself. If judges are wary of the enforcement of legislation, it is still excusable. But the executive itself throwing its arms up in helplessness at its own corruption is the end of an efficient government. If that is their attitude, how do they expect the country to have any confidence in them?
But also apparent is the politics that the UPA is trying to play. Opposing the anti-terrorism law would earn them brownie points with huge pockets of Islamic voters in the country. Also, the Gujarat government is headed by the opposition and hence it is almost a given that the government would oppose anything productive that is sought to be done by them. Of course the BJP too is not losing the opportunity to make the UPA look bad saying that all the blasts are because of their lack of efficiency.
I think its high time we set aside our differences at least in order to avert such catastrophes. At the end of the day, human life is lost and that cant be another cause for our leaders to play the blame game. If stringent laws have to be passed to combat the situation, so be it. Ensuring that such laws are not misused is the prerogative of the government and the possibility of such misuse cannot be an excuse for meekly letting terrorists get away. I hope this day wakes us up and does not merely pass us by as another day in the annals of history.
Please also see this great post and this one too.
The Delhi blasts happened hours ago, and once again humanity has taken a backseat in the entire quagmire of terror, politics and ideologies. As innocent people pay the price for the acts of a particular set of people with a particular mind-set, the politicians seem to have no qualms about fanning the flames of hatred merely to bolster their vote bank. At the end of the day, what are you achieving if you’re in power or not when the country is reeling under a series of blasts and terror attacks?
It’s amazing that the Center is spending its time debating over whether or not a stringent anti-terror law is required. In the wake of the Gujarat blasts, the Gujarat government had been pushing for a state anti-terrorism law in order to combat the problem. Even the National security advisor had advised the Centre to allow the law but the Centre of course thought otherwise. According to them the proposed law was too similar to the POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) which was previously in force in the country. Since there were gross human rights violations on the pretext of that Act until it was eventually repealed, the Centre thinks it prudent for the law not to be allowed. This reasoning is fundamentally flawed because it smack of the Executive’s lack of confidence in the enforcement of a legislation which ultimately is the responsibility of the executive itself. If judges are wary of the enforcement of legislation, it is still excusable. But the executive itself throwing its arms up in helplessness at its own corruption is the end of an efficient government. If that is their attitude, how do they expect the country to have any confidence in them?
But also apparent is the politics that the UPA is trying to play. Opposing the anti-terrorism law would earn them brownie points with huge pockets of Islamic voters in the country. Also, the Gujarat government is headed by the opposition and hence it is almost a given that the government would oppose anything productive that is sought to be done by them. Of course the BJP too is not losing the opportunity to make the UPA look bad saying that all the blasts are because of their lack of efficiency.
I think its high time we set aside our differences at least in order to avert such catastrophes. At the end of the day, human life is lost and that cant be another cause for our leaders to play the blame game. If stringent laws have to be passed to combat the situation, so be it. Ensuring that such laws are not misused is the prerogative of the government and the possibility of such misuse cannot be an excuse for meekly letting terrorists get away. I hope this day wakes us up and does not merely pass us by as another day in the annals of history.
Please also see this great post and this one too.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Debate 101...Guest Post...Round 3
In Sandy's words...
Round 3: How Will the Financial Rescue Plan Affect Your Plans as President
It was Obama’s turn to start the discussion. He opened by stating that the recovery plan will likely delay some things but that it’s hard to anticipate what the budget will be next year. His response was intentionally vague and noncommittal. Instead he turned the focus to what he thinks should still happen:
Energy independence
Fix the healthcare system
Become more competitive world-wide in education
Rebuild the country’s infrastructures
These general statements may sound very good at first blush but implementation undoubtedly would require massive spending. Is that realistic given the condition of the economy? Obama stated that he believes McCain is using a hatchet where a scalpel is needed. My thought—don’t you NEED a hatchet in a jungle? And honestly, our budget seems overgrown and out of control. Plus, most of us know from personal experience it’s easier to spend than to save.
McCain was very clear that we need to cut spending. He indicated that he will examine every government agency for savings. And, it’s about time. As head dude, the President should be our government’s CEO and manage as such. He also said he wishes to eliminate ethanol subsidies and get defense spending under control by using fixed cost contracts.
McCain stated that he is not willing to hand healthcare over to the government. I think most Americans would be well served to hear more about healthcare plans in detail from McCain and Obama for comparison's sake. And to scrutinize those plans for the long-term impact they may have on families, the quality of healthcare, and government spending.
Frankly, I thought this question and corresponding discussion was pretty much a dud. It fell flat and disintegrated quickly. Next!
(written in Iowa)
Round 3: How Will the Financial Rescue Plan Affect Your Plans as President
It was Obama’s turn to start the discussion. He opened by stating that the recovery plan will likely delay some things but that it’s hard to anticipate what the budget will be next year. His response was intentionally vague and noncommittal. Instead he turned the focus to what he thinks should still happen:
Energy independence
Fix the healthcare system
Become more competitive world-wide in education
Rebuild the country’s infrastructures
These general statements may sound very good at first blush but implementation undoubtedly would require massive spending. Is that realistic given the condition of the economy? Obama stated that he believes McCain is using a hatchet where a scalpel is needed. My thought—don’t you NEED a hatchet in a jungle? And honestly, our budget seems overgrown and out of control. Plus, most of us know from personal experience it’s easier to spend than to save.
McCain was very clear that we need to cut spending. He indicated that he will examine every government agency for savings. And, it’s about time. As head dude, the President should be our government’s CEO and manage as such. He also said he wishes to eliminate ethanol subsidies and get defense spending under control by using fixed cost contracts.
McCain stated that he is not willing to hand healthcare over to the government. I think most Americans would be well served to hear more about healthcare plans in detail from McCain and Obama for comparison's sake. And to scrutinize those plans for the long-term impact they may have on families, the quality of healthcare, and government spending.
Frankly, I thought this question and corresponding discussion was pretty much a dud. It fell flat and disintegrated quickly. Next!
(written in Iowa)
L'Shana Tova -Happy New Year
Should your new year be fruitful, sweet, and always bring good health.
And as the blogger who makes you think (so I have been told over and over and over ;-) here's something I'd like to expose you to:
Here's his YouTube page. Go see his video on that page. They don't give the embedding url for me to share with you but it's rather interesting.
If you visit here and scroll down you can see him in a Kenneth Cole commercial.
I went to one of his concerts in the city a couple of years ago. I didn't understand a word but it was fun. Lots of very "regular" people dancing and having a good time.
And as the blogger who makes you think (so I have been told over and over and over ;-) here's something I'd like to expose you to:
Here's his YouTube page. Go see his video on that page. They don't give the embedding url for me to share with you but it's rather interesting.
If you visit here and scroll down you can see him in a Kenneth Cole commercial.
I went to one of his concerts in the city a couple of years ago. I didn't understand a word but it was fun. Lots of very "regular" people dancing and having a good time.
NO BAILOUT!
This is the headline in the New YorkDaily News: Bailout will let Wall St. CEOs keep 'golden parachutes'
THIS IS THE BIGGEST CRAPOLA EVER! NO BILL should get passed allowing such a financial give away to CEO's that drag our economy into the toilet. NO WAY NO HOW NO WHERE! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!
The news media interviewed people who work on Wall Street including traders. You'll know who they are because they wear those funny jackets over their suits.
Pretty much everyone interviewed that works on Wall Street that has a stake in this bailout said NO, it's not gonna work and it shouldn't be passed.
Now if people who stand to lose their jobs based on this bullshit bill passing or not say this, maybe we should listen. These aren't the big machas either. These are the little guys (as far as Wall Street is concerned.)
We do need to do something, but we don't need to rush into this.I heard a sound bite the other day that made a lot of sense to me. The Congress spent MORE TIME debating the baseball steroid issue than they are on our economic breakdown right now.
Call your Senators and tell them NO NO NO. If enough people call them they will vote against this and have to work harder at a better bill.
No bill will be perfect but this rush is worse than crapola on a stick for your dinner and it will be your dinner for the next 30 years if this passes.
Healthcare And Racial Issues That Work Together
Just bringing you another story that you probably never heard. Hmmm
By HILLEL HALKIN
During the last six months, my wife and I have had more contact with health care plans, doctors, and hospitals than we ever had before — and, I hope, will ever have to have again. Medically, the story has had a happy ending. It has also given me a long, close look at Israel's unique health care system, which — like practically everything else in this endlessly self-flagellating country — is the target of frequent criticism. I'm glad to say I can't join in. In more ways than one, I've been impressed with what I've seen and grateful for it.
Yes, the Israeli health care system has its aggravations. Hospitals are overcrowded. Doctors are overworked and underpaid. Patients have to deal with more bureaucrats than they'd like to. Remarkably enough, though, the system works and works well. It's reasonably efficient and patient-friendly, it's strikingly egalitarian in a country that is today one of the most economically unequal in the Western world, and it delivers the same high-quality health care to rich and poor, Jew and Arab, veteran Israeli and new immigrant, at a far lower cost to the individual than does private health insurance in America.
Even the bureaucrats aren't so bad, if — since you can't avoid them — you do the next best thing and befriend them. Their lowest echelons sit in the clinics of Israel's four government-supervised and government-subsidized national health care plan organizations, the three largest of which have branches in every small-to-middle-sized town and in all the neighborhoods of larger cities.
Every Israeli belongs to one of these plans, for which he or she pays a small monthly sum. For my wife and me, this comes to slightly more than $100. The rest is the tab is picked up by Israel's National Insurance, which taxes Israelis at roughly the same percentage of their income as Americans pay to Social Security, and also dispenses old age and disability benefits, child and unemployment allowances, and other transfer payments. Israelis who earn more are thus in effect paying for the health care of those who earn less.
The clinic of your health care plan is your medical home base. You go to it to see a family doctor; to get prescriptions for medicines that you then purchase from a pharmacy at a nominal price; to obtain referrals to specialists; to see nurses for blood tests and other simple examinations; to receive authorizations for more complex procedures and for hospitalizations; and occasionally to argue with someone behind a desk about your right to a given drug or treatment that your health care plan doesn't want to pay for.
If convinced, that someone then telephones someone else and argues with them. Sometimes, you actually win. And you always have the option of switching — or threatening to switch — to a rival health care plan if you lose, since Israeli law requires every one of the four plans to accept every applicant for membership regardless of age or previous health problems, thus keeping them competitive on a level playing ground.
It takes a certain amount of assertiveness, patience, and good humor. If you can muster them and be on good terms with your clinic's doctors, nurses, and office workers, you have a support system you can count on if any serious medical problem occurs, such as the one that sent us to Rambam Hospital in Haifa six months ago.
A public hospital is always a microcosm of a society and in Israel all hospitals are essentially public, since even the privately operated ones give free care to all members of the national health care plans and bill the plan for it. Moreover, Israeli hospitals have no private wards and practically no private rooms. You share a room with others who may come from vastly different social and economic backgrounds. When hospitalized for a week at the onset of her illness, for example, my wife found herself in a room with a young female executive at a hi-tech company, a middle-class Jewish woman from Morocco, and a woman from an Arab village who read the Koran all day. By the week's end, they knew each other's life stories. It was, I told my wife, the woman's version of doing Army Reserve duty.
Even more striking was the hospital staff. It too was a cross-section of Israeli society, stratified economically and ethnically: Ethiopian-born cleaning personnel, Russian-born technicians, native-born Israeli nurses and doctors. The one thing about those native-born doctors that I was unprepared for, however, was that a very high percentage of them were Arab.
It is a cliché to observe that hospitals are among the few places in Israel where Arabs suffer no discrimination at all. But this is in regard to patients. I had never thought of it as applying to doctors as well. In Rambam, at least, it does. Everywhere one encounters Arab radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, hematologists, department heads — and not just Arab men, but even more surprisingly, Arab women, many of them young and just out of medical school. Never once in the course of the six months that my wife was in treatment did I sense the slightest friction between them and a Jewish staff that was often taking orders from them, or the slightest distrust of them by Jewish patients.
What enables Israeli hospitals to be so different in this respect from other sectors of the economy? An idealist might say that medicine is inherently meritocratic, since no one wants to sacrifice his health or life to prejudice; a cynic might say that because Israeli hospitals pay doctors low salaries by American standards, they depend on the labor of Arab physicians who are willing to work for less.
There is probably a measure of truth in both these claims. Yet the fact remains that if you want to see Israel at its best, you could do worse than go to a hospital. Being sick is no fun anywhere, but there may be no other place in the world where you can come out so encouraged by the experience.
By HILLEL HALKIN
During the last six months, my wife and I have had more contact with health care plans, doctors, and hospitals than we ever had before — and, I hope, will ever have to have again. Medically, the story has had a happy ending. It has also given me a long, close look at Israel's unique health care system, which — like practically everything else in this endlessly self-flagellating country — is the target of frequent criticism. I'm glad to say I can't join in. In more ways than one, I've been impressed with what I've seen and grateful for it.
Yes, the Israeli health care system has its aggravations. Hospitals are overcrowded. Doctors are overworked and underpaid. Patients have to deal with more bureaucrats than they'd like to. Remarkably enough, though, the system works and works well. It's reasonably efficient and patient-friendly, it's strikingly egalitarian in a country that is today one of the most economically unequal in the Western world, and it delivers the same high-quality health care to rich and poor, Jew and Arab, veteran Israeli and new immigrant, at a far lower cost to the individual than does private health insurance in America.
Even the bureaucrats aren't so bad, if — since you can't avoid them — you do the next best thing and befriend them. Their lowest echelons sit in the clinics of Israel's four government-supervised and government-subsidized national health care plan organizations, the three largest of which have branches in every small-to-middle-sized town and in all the neighborhoods of larger cities.
Every Israeli belongs to one of these plans, for which he or she pays a small monthly sum. For my wife and me, this comes to slightly more than $100. The rest is the tab is picked up by Israel's National Insurance, which taxes Israelis at roughly the same percentage of their income as Americans pay to Social Security, and also dispenses old age and disability benefits, child and unemployment allowances, and other transfer payments. Israelis who earn more are thus in effect paying for the health care of those who earn less.
The clinic of your health care plan is your medical home base. You go to it to see a family doctor; to get prescriptions for medicines that you then purchase from a pharmacy at a nominal price; to obtain referrals to specialists; to see nurses for blood tests and other simple examinations; to receive authorizations for more complex procedures and for hospitalizations; and occasionally to argue with someone behind a desk about your right to a given drug or treatment that your health care plan doesn't want to pay for.
If convinced, that someone then telephones someone else and argues with them. Sometimes, you actually win. And you always have the option of switching — or threatening to switch — to a rival health care plan if you lose, since Israeli law requires every one of the four plans to accept every applicant for membership regardless of age or previous health problems, thus keeping them competitive on a level playing ground.
It takes a certain amount of assertiveness, patience, and good humor. If you can muster them and be on good terms with your clinic's doctors, nurses, and office workers, you have a support system you can count on if any serious medical problem occurs, such as the one that sent us to Rambam Hospital in Haifa six months ago.
A public hospital is always a microcosm of a society and in Israel all hospitals are essentially public, since even the privately operated ones give free care to all members of the national health care plans and bill the plan for it. Moreover, Israeli hospitals have no private wards and practically no private rooms. You share a room with others who may come from vastly different social and economic backgrounds. When hospitalized for a week at the onset of her illness, for example, my wife found herself in a room with a young female executive at a hi-tech company, a middle-class Jewish woman from Morocco, and a woman from an Arab village who read the Koran all day. By the week's end, they knew each other's life stories. It was, I told my wife, the woman's version of doing Army Reserve duty.
Even more striking was the hospital staff. It too was a cross-section of Israeli society, stratified economically and ethnically: Ethiopian-born cleaning personnel, Russian-born technicians, native-born Israeli nurses and doctors. The one thing about those native-born doctors that I was unprepared for, however, was that a very high percentage of them were Arab.
It is a cliché to observe that hospitals are among the few places in Israel where Arabs suffer no discrimination at all. But this is in regard to patients. I had never thought of it as applying to doctors as well. In Rambam, at least, it does. Everywhere one encounters Arab radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, hematologists, department heads — and not just Arab men, but even more surprisingly, Arab women, many of them young and just out of medical school. Never once in the course of the six months that my wife was in treatment did I sense the slightest friction between them and a Jewish staff that was often taking orders from them, or the slightest distrust of them by Jewish patients.
What enables Israeli hospitals to be so different in this respect from other sectors of the economy? An idealist might say that medicine is inherently meritocratic, since no one wants to sacrifice his health or life to prejudice; a cynic might say that because Israeli hospitals pay doctors low salaries by American standards, they depend on the labor of Arab physicians who are willing to work for less.
There is probably a measure of truth in both these claims. Yet the fact remains that if you want to see Israel at its best, you could do worse than go to a hospital. Being sick is no fun anywhere, but there may be no other place in the world where you can come out so encouraged by the experience.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
We Interrupt Today's Blog Posts....
Apparently every guy I have ever dated since ending college has decided to contacted me in some form or another in the past few months, up and until today.
I am using MY BULLY PULPIT today to shout....
I am using MY BULLY PULPIT today to shout....
LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!
You didn't appreciate me then and had no respect for me as an individual at the time we dated and I have no use for you
now.
Stop writing to me. Stop sending me requests through your social sites or recent girlfriends. I am NOT INTERESTED. ?Comprende?
Debate 101...Guest Post...Round 2
Iowan Sandy's back and she's better than ever...
McCain had first stab at this topic. He clearly stated he believes that government must get spending under control. Referring to the increased sized of the government, McCain said that although Republicans intended to change government, government changed them. That’s an interesting admission of shortcomings and plays off the Democrats mantra of “change”. Surprisingly, it didn’t come off as trite.
He also stated he will not hesitate to veto spending bills as needed. This was presented as a fundamental difference compared to Obama’s $800 billion spending plan and prior approval of hundreds of millions in pork barrel spending. Yes, yes, I would say that qualifies as a significant difference between them. McCain reiterated that he intends to cut spending and keep taxes low.
McCain explained that America’s business taxes are the second highest in the world. He wants to cut those taxes so businesses will remain in America rather than locate in countries with significant tax advantages. Don’t think for a minute that businesses don’t make that choice frequently. According to business ethics (yes, they actually teach this stuff to business majors in college, I know, I got an A in the class), a for-profit organization first and foremost has a responsibility to its shareholders. Shareholders want profits. Ergo, most business decisions are made based on financial benefits. Including tax benefits.
McCain also indicated that he has a plan for Americans to receive a $5000 tax credit for healthcare coverage and an increase in dividends to $7000 for a dependent child.
Obama attempted to deflect the comments regarding his approval of pork barrel spending and indicated that there was $18 billion in earmarked spending in last year’s budget. Oh, so his was just a drop in the bucket? Well, it all adds up folks, like an overflowing bath tub. And guess what? It’s OUR money, not THEIRS to do as they please!
Next Obama claimed that McCain will offer $300 billion in tax cuts to the richest people and businesses creating an average $700,000 tax benefit for those folks. He stated that he intends to grow the economy from the bottom up. And we can do that without jobs? Hmmm. He also said he will provide 95% of working families with a tax cut and for those making less $250,000 no tax increase.
Obama further explained that he does not intend to give tax cuts to businesses sending jobs overseas, that everyone should have basic health coverage, and that we need to get the middle class back on track.
Okay, so here’s my problem with all of that--I have my own biases, but really there’s no proof offered that either plan is economically advantageous or fiscally feasible. Let’s be real. Probably 9 out of every 10 people are only concerned with how the tax and spending plans will impact their own pocketbooks. Right? So it stands to reason that favor will lay with what SOUNDS like it will benefit each person individually. Therefore, to me this topic’s discussion was something of a hollow shell. My official reaction is a lackluster--meh.
(video found thanks to Did I Miss Something?)
McCain had first stab at this topic. He clearly stated he believes that government must get spending under control. Referring to the increased sized of the government, McCain said that although Republicans intended to change government, government changed them. That’s an interesting admission of shortcomings and plays off the Democrats mantra of “change”. Surprisingly, it didn’t come off as trite.
He also stated he will not hesitate to veto spending bills as needed. This was presented as a fundamental difference compared to Obama’s $800 billion spending plan and prior approval of hundreds of millions in pork barrel spending. Yes, yes, I would say that qualifies as a significant difference between them. McCain reiterated that he intends to cut spending and keep taxes low.
McCain explained that America’s business taxes are the second highest in the world. He wants to cut those taxes so businesses will remain in America rather than locate in countries with significant tax advantages. Don’t think for a minute that businesses don’t make that choice frequently. According to business ethics (yes, they actually teach this stuff to business majors in college, I know, I got an A in the class), a for-profit organization first and foremost has a responsibility to its shareholders. Shareholders want profits. Ergo, most business decisions are made based on financial benefits. Including tax benefits.
McCain also indicated that he has a plan for Americans to receive a $5000 tax credit for healthcare coverage and an increase in dividends to $7000 for a dependent child.
Obama attempted to deflect the comments regarding his approval of pork barrel spending and indicated that there was $18 billion in earmarked spending in last year’s budget. Oh, so his was just a drop in the bucket? Well, it all adds up folks, like an overflowing bath tub. And guess what? It’s OUR money, not THEIRS to do as they please!
Next Obama claimed that McCain will offer $300 billion in tax cuts to the richest people and businesses creating an average $700,000 tax benefit for those folks. He stated that he intends to grow the economy from the bottom up. And we can do that without jobs? Hmmm. He also said he will provide 95% of working families with a tax cut and for those making less $250,000 no tax increase.
Obama further explained that he does not intend to give tax cuts to businesses sending jobs overseas, that everyone should have basic health coverage, and that we need to get the middle class back on track.
Okay, so here’s my problem with all of that--I have my own biases, but really there’s no proof offered that either plan is economically advantageous or fiscally feasible. Let’s be real. Probably 9 out of every 10 people are only concerned with how the tax and spending plans will impact their own pocketbooks. Right? So it stands to reason that favor will lay with what SOUNDS like it will benefit each person individually. Therefore, to me this topic’s discussion was something of a hollow shell. My official reaction is a lackluster--meh.
(video found thanks to Did I Miss Something?)
From The Mail Bag
SOMETIMES
Sometimes...
When you cry...
No one sees your tears.
Sometimes...
When you are in pain...
No one sees your hurt.
Sometimes...
When you are worried..
No one sees your stress.
Sometimes.. .
When you are happy..
No one sees your smile.
But FART!! Just ONE time...
And everybody knows!!
Gotcha!!You thought it was going to be one of those heart-touching stories!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Debate 101...Guest Post
Today's post about the debate comes from guest blogger Sandy from the great state of Iowa. I wasn't able to watch a minute of the debate on Friday. I had to work. But why should all the media pundits get the last word on pontificating who won this debate and why? Sandy has a wicked mind. She's thoughtful and analytical and will give you a little comic relief just when you need it.
This post will come in parts. Here is part 1 for you to ponder. And don't forget to go visit her blog as well.
Disclaimer: This is not the typically insightful and impassioned post you see here at blog de la Lauren. In fact, you should know that I was nervous while watching the debate knowing I would be reporting on it for Lauren. And I was possibly hyperventilating. And I was quite possibly guzzling a margarita, on the rocks, because this was some serious sh*t. That being said, you can exercise the appropriate caution.
Round 1: The Financial Recovery Plan
Obama was up first. He was his usual poised pontificating self. He stated, “This is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.” Oh really? Thanks for clearing that up for me with only a fleeting provocative statement.
He went on to propose that there are four elements essential to the recovery plan.
1. Strict oversight of the $700 billion
2. Taxpayers get the money back with gains
3. No padding for CEOs
4. Help for homeowners
He also stated that the measurement for success is how the middle class is doing. Wow. That’s amazingly specific (not). But, I could hear liberal Americans all over the country nodding their heads. Of course, it’s what people want to hear—“I’ll take care of you. You’re my peeps.” Easy to say, harder to accomplish.
When directly asked, Obama would not say straight out that he favors the plan. Instead he said, “Constructive work needs to be done.” Uh-huh. Duh. Later on, he actually said that McCain was right about the response (i.e. accountability) but that it should not just be in a time of crisis but day-in and day-out. From there he managed to diverge into healthcare and energy. Me thinkith you have nothing more of substance to say and are now just pandering to the liberal voters.
McCain seemed a bit less eloquent, as is his style, but confident. He stated that the fiscal crisis is represented in failures on Main Street, in loss of jobs, and loss of homes. He said the recovery plan needs to include:
Transparency
Accountability
Loans (not government takeovers) for failing businesses
Yes, indeed. You can have all the regulations in the world, but if oversight and integration of all financial sectors into the larger economic issues are not effective, you may as well still kiss your ass goodbye. I worked for a financial institution for nine years. I lived with regulations; I know they can only do so much.
When asked if he supports the recovery plan McCain stated, “I hope to vote for the plan.” He explained that accountability has been lacking, that greed has been rewarded, and that there has been a failure in responsibilities. Therefore he supports fixing the system’s fundamental flaws and implementing stricter interpretation of regulations. He presented a positive outlook stating, “I believe our best days are ahead.” This created an interesting juxtaposition to Obama’s gloomier 'let’s blame all the economic failings on the Bush administration and by association on McCain'.
This post will come in parts. Here is part 1 for you to ponder. And don't forget to go visit her blog as well.
THANKS SANDY!!!
Disclaimer: This is not the typically insightful and impassioned post you see here at blog de la Lauren. In fact, you should know that I was nervous while watching the debate knowing I would be reporting on it for Lauren. And I was possibly hyperventilating. And I was quite possibly guzzling a margarita, on the rocks, because this was some serious sh*t. That being said, you can exercise the appropriate caution.
Round 1: The Financial Recovery Plan
Obama was up first. He was his usual poised pontificating self. He stated, “This is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.” Oh really? Thanks for clearing that up for me with only a fleeting provocative statement.
He went on to propose that there are four elements essential to the recovery plan.
1. Strict oversight of the $700 billion
2. Taxpayers get the money back with gains
3. No padding for CEOs
4. Help for homeowners
He also stated that the measurement for success is how the middle class is doing. Wow. That’s amazingly specific (not). But, I could hear liberal Americans all over the country nodding their heads. Of course, it’s what people want to hear—“I’ll take care of you. You’re my peeps.” Easy to say, harder to accomplish.
When directly asked, Obama would not say straight out that he favors the plan. Instead he said, “Constructive work needs to be done.” Uh-huh. Duh. Later on, he actually said that McCain was right about the response (i.e. accountability) but that it should not just be in a time of crisis but day-in and day-out. From there he managed to diverge into healthcare and energy. Me thinkith you have nothing more of substance to say and are now just pandering to the liberal voters.
McCain seemed a bit less eloquent, as is his style, but confident. He stated that the fiscal crisis is represented in failures on Main Street, in loss of jobs, and loss of homes. He said the recovery plan needs to include:
Transparency
Accountability
Loans (not government takeovers) for failing businesses
Yes, indeed. You can have all the regulations in the world, but if oversight and integration of all financial sectors into the larger economic issues are not effective, you may as well still kiss your ass goodbye. I worked for a financial institution for nine years. I lived with regulations; I know they can only do so much.
When asked if he supports the recovery plan McCain stated, “I hope to vote for the plan.” He explained that accountability has been lacking, that greed has been rewarded, and that there has been a failure in responsibilities. Therefore he supports fixing the system’s fundamental flaws and implementing stricter interpretation of regulations. He presented a positive outlook stating, “I believe our best days are ahead.” This created an interesting juxtaposition to Obama’s gloomier 'let’s blame all the economic failings on the Bush administration and by association on McCain'.
10 things I believe in...From Mama Kat
I found Mama Kat cause I want THAT DARN NEW HOOVER ...BUT I really am enjoying her blog. She has a post that asks you to choose a topic from a few choices and then write about it on your blog and then let her know you did.
OKIE DOKIE
10 things I believe in...
1. Islam is not peace it means submission.
2. Our Universities have become too ideological and one-sided brain washing institutions which have divided us as a people not brought us together as human beings!
3. I'm too serious sometimes.
4. Karma
5. No shoes on the feet in the house.
6. Money is not evil, people who have no values are evil.
7. If you're gonna wear flip flops please manicure your ugly feet.
8. Pets are like children. Once you adopt them they must come first even if that means YOU eat Ramen noodles every night.
9. Be grateful for all the good you have in your life.
10. Let go of the past.
OKIE DOKIE
10 things I believe in...
1. Islam is not peace it means submission.
2. Our Universities have become too ideological and one-sided brain washing institutions which have divided us as a people not brought us together as human beings!
3. I'm too serious sometimes.
4. Karma
5. No shoes on the feet in the house.
6. Money is not evil, people who have no values are evil.
7. If you're gonna wear flip flops please manicure your ugly feet.
8. Pets are like children. Once you adopt them they must come first even if that means YOU eat Ramen noodles every night.
9. Be grateful for all the good you have in your life.
10. Let go of the past.
Men Looking At Pretty Women Is Like Cocaine To Rats
I'm giving you some Dave Barry today. I write a mixed bag blog and I am mixin' it up! Time to laugh AT THE EXPENSE OF MEN! HAHAHA!
According to a study that I am not making up, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, is that looking at attractive women - prepare for a shocking finding - gives men pleasure.
Yes. According to news reports, the researchers had a group of young men look at photos of people of various degrees of attractiveness. The study showed that, when the men saw a photo of a beautiful woman, their pecans burst into flames, if you get my drift. If the men wanted to keep looking at a photo of an attractive woman, they had to keep pressing a key; one researcher said that some men pressed the key 6,000 times in 40 minutes, which is "as much as a rat presses for cocaine."
The researchers concluded that looking at attractive women stimulates "reward centers" of the men's brains that are "considered to be evolutionary holdovers from reptiles."
That sounds right to me. I live in South Florida, which is Lizard Central. There are thousands of lizards in my yard alone, and as far as I can tell, the males do virtually nothing, all day long, except stare at the females.
But the point is that, thanks to this breakthrough research, we can draw some important conclusions:
1. If a man is with, let's say, his wife, and he sees an attractive woman, and his eyeballs go shooting SPROING out of their sockets and dangle from their optic fibers around his knees, this is NOT HIS FAULT, because he is under the control of his primitive reptile brain, and his wife should not get angry at him, even if it happens to be their wedding reception.
2. We now know what part of the brain causes men to believe that women will be attracted to them if they have a big red Corvette.
3. Let the rats get their own darned cocaine.
According to a study that I am not making up, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, is that looking at attractive women - prepare for a shocking finding - gives men pleasure.
Yes. According to news reports, the researchers had a group of young men look at photos of people of various degrees of attractiveness. The study showed that, when the men saw a photo of a beautiful woman, their pecans burst into flames, if you get my drift. If the men wanted to keep looking at a photo of an attractive woman, they had to keep pressing a key; one researcher said that some men pressed the key 6,000 times in 40 minutes, which is "as much as a rat presses for cocaine."
The researchers concluded that looking at attractive women stimulates "reward centers" of the men's brains that are "considered to be evolutionary holdovers from reptiles."
That sounds right to me. I live in South Florida, which is Lizard Central. There are thousands of lizards in my yard alone, and as far as I can tell, the males do virtually nothing, all day long, except stare at the females.
But the point is that, thanks to this breakthrough research, we can draw some important conclusions:
1. If a man is with, let's say, his wife, and he sees an attractive woman, and his eyeballs go shooting SPROING out of their sockets and dangle from their optic fibers around his knees, this is NOT HIS FAULT, because he is under the control of his primitive reptile brain, and his wife should not get angry at him, even if it happens to be their wedding reception.
2. We now know what part of the brain causes men to believe that women will be attracted to them if they have a big red Corvette.
3. Let the rats get their own darned cocaine.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Check This Woman Out
I found this awesome blog today. This woman really knows her shit!
Please click the link to see the list of questions that Charlie Gibson asked Barak Obama and then the ones asked of Sarah Palin. See for yourself if you're being duped by the MSM or not.
Please click the link to see the list of questions that Charlie Gibson asked Barak Obama and then the ones asked of Sarah Palin. See for yourself if you're being duped by the MSM or not.
Right And Wrong
While there is nothing wrong with groups purchasing advertisements to tell others about their faith, the collection of radicals involved in this campaign is cause for concern
THIS is what you say when opposed by left-leaning intellectual wingbats that tell you that opposing advertisements and speeches from objectionable groups makes YOU the racist.
THIS is what you say when opposed by left-leaning intellectual wingbats that tell you that opposing advertisements and speeches from objectionable groups makes YOU the racist.
Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta -- PROTEST
I have a handful of photos to share today. They are from the protest against that murderous bastard Ahmadinejad held on 9/25/08 at 42nd and Lexington infront of the Hyatt Hotel where the most ignorant "religeous" organizations were hosting this monster.
Please note that the photo with the "V" is not a peace sign. 1. Look closely at which side of his hand is facing forward. 2. In the Middle East that "V" means victory NOT peace. There was a good game going on between me and that couple. They saw me videotaping them and they began taping me back and I just kept going and going as much as I could. They are vile people that want people like Ahmadinejad to rule the world. They want me dead and you dead too. The Jews are always the canary in the coal mine. Don't believe your next? Think again. Videos will be available later today.
From Wikipedia: The V sign is a hand gesture in which the first and second fingers are raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched. With palm inwards, in the United Kingdom and some other English speaking countries, it is an obscene insulting gesture of defiance.
And from answers.com: The American gesture, formed by holding up the middle finger alone, which was roughly equivalent to the V-sign, has been introduced to British culture by American films and other media, since about the 1960s, and is now well understood by most British people.
You see simply photographing THESE people, no conversations, just my presence and taking of photos in their direction is so offensive to them that I got the fuck you sign of their culture. Can you imagine what life would be under their rule?
Videos of the protest. I only had my casio camera with the video. I got almost all of Curtis Sliwa's speech and then the darn memory was full. I missed about the last 20 seconds.
Hope you will watch all of them and see just how diverse a group WE TRULY ARE!
Black/Hispanic Puerto Rican preacher
This cop would not let me and many others stand at the curb. We were NOT at the crosswalk, which is not only the only safest place to cross but the only legal place to cross the street. He was telling everyone who wanted to watch that they could not do so but instead had to cross the street and participate. I thought we had the right to assembly in this country? No? I also thought it was our legal right to stand on the sidewalk anywhere at any time. NO? And notice how he isn't asking the Muslim group to move yet he is everyone else.
This one is short. Just showing protestors chanting.
If you listen closely you'll hear some guy who came up to me asking me a question about my videotaping ONLY so he could start to shout pro-palestinian propaganda and opinions at me. Since I ignored him he went away. In one of the above videos you'll see him chatting it up with the cop.
Pretty much the ONLY news media here.
WHY? Why don't they cover this? It is a news event. It is valid! But they have time on Larry King to cover THE BASTARD. So much for an unbiased media! Around 7PM one camera from NBC showed up. NO ONE ELSE!
Penny Pritzkin owns the Hyatt and is a high level member of Obama's campaign. The Hyatt is where this dinner took place last night.
Frank Gaffney.
Christian Preacher/leader
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Because I REALLY Need One
Mama Kat is giving away a Hoover and I REALLY NEED ONE.
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that money is very tight for me and that I work many jobs. You also know I recently adopted 3 kitties, 2 of which are special needs and one of them is super hyper (although a total lovebug) and makes a mess like I could never have imagined. I have had cats since the age of 12 and never experienced the mischief that these kitties make, especially Sadie.
I have not been able to scrape so much as $50 together to buy an electric carpet sweeper. Something always comes up. Now I am really not complaining. I have two working arms and one of those manual squeegee looking things from the as seen on tv commercial that I found at Bed Bath and Beyond about 2 years ago. I use that to clean my carpet.
BUT...the chance at owning a nice new vaccum by entering in Mama Kat's giveaway contest is pure delight on a blog stick! :-) ( don't ask me what that means...it just sounded good to me)
So in order to get 5 more entries I am writing about it today here on my blog. Which means I am sharing the chance with you to win this cleaning machine. See how much I like all of you?
And because I WANT THIS:
Here's another cool site I found through Carrie's site. It's Rhonda's Rants. She is a HUGE Bonnie Hunt fan. There's a few of them in NYC too. I am not always one but she seems so nice and her new promos make her new talk show look pretty good.The prize winner gets a coffee mug and sweatshirt from the Bonnie Hunt show that she just had tickets to see. Woohoo. Well it's getting mighty cold in NYC and a great mug for my morning cup of Joe and a warm sweatshirt would be mighty helpful and be fun to wear while using a cool new Hoover I might win. (please please please pick me!)
Here's Rhonda's rules:
For one entry...Leave a comment on her blog post.For two more entries...Mention the Give-away on your blog and direct them here!For three more entries... become a follower of my blog...if you already are a follower...you automatically have four entries by commenting!For four more entries... put Bonnie's Picture and link on your side bar.
My sidebar is pretty darn full...hoping her photo in the post will qualify???
So go check my sidebar Ms Rhonda! Oh pretty please pick me, my cold boobies will thank you so very much if I do win!
Politics Of The Past
Brent Staples writes in his OpEd piece in the New York Times: "The throwback references that have surfaced in the campaign suggest that Republicans are fighting on racial grounds, even when express references to race are not evident...In a replay of elections past, the G.O.P. will try to leverage racial ghosts and fears without getting its hands visibly dirty"
Today, here on this blog I say Ja'Cuse to Mr. Brent Staples.
"In the Old South, black men and women who were competent, confident speakers on matters of importance were termed “disrespectful,” the implication being that all good Negroes bowed, scraped, grinned and deferred to their white betters.
In what is probably a harbinger of things to come, the McCain campaign has already run a commercial that carries a similar intimation, accusing Mr. Obama of being “disrespectful” to Sarah Palin. The argument is muted, but its racial antecedents are very clear. "
It is he and like-minded groups of people who are holding this nation back. This is insanity at it's best. It is 2008 and yet politicians today are being held accountable for what they say today as if it were said in the 1960's.
Mr. Obama's main arguments are always that people that oppose him are disrespectful. Mr. Obama is very sly and smart, a gifted master manipulator. The GOP is not paying attention. I hope they wake up soon. If the Republicans want to win this election they are going to need to study the politics of the past first, and make sure to avoid many key words when attacking back.
Oh that Mr. Obama is so darn smart. He chose certain words and phrases on purpose so that when the GOP comes back with the very same words pointing out the hypocracy of Mr. Obama, as was done with the Sarah Palin situation, Mr. Obama and his followers can scream racial bias.
Sneaky sneaky sneaky. Leveraging racial ghosts and fears.
It's time to live in the present and stop racial fear mongering. In the words of Eckhart Tolle : "When you are present in the moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises and also love."
Today, here on this blog I say Ja'Cuse to Mr. Brent Staples.
"In the Old South, black men and women who were competent, confident speakers on matters of importance were termed “disrespectful,” the implication being that all good Negroes bowed, scraped, grinned and deferred to their white betters.
In what is probably a harbinger of things to come, the McCain campaign has already run a commercial that carries a similar intimation, accusing Mr. Obama of being “disrespectful” to Sarah Palin. The argument is muted, but its racial antecedents are very clear. "
It is he and like-minded groups of people who are holding this nation back. This is insanity at it's best. It is 2008 and yet politicians today are being held accountable for what they say today as if it were said in the 1960's.
Mr. Obama's main arguments are always that people that oppose him are disrespectful. Mr. Obama is very sly and smart, a gifted master manipulator. The GOP is not paying attention. I hope they wake up soon. If the Republicans want to win this election they are going to need to study the politics of the past first, and make sure to avoid many key words when attacking back.
Oh that Mr. Obama is so darn smart. He chose certain words and phrases on purpose so that when the GOP comes back with the very same words pointing out the hypocracy of Mr. Obama, as was done with the Sarah Palin situation, Mr. Obama and his followers can scream racial bias.
Sneaky sneaky sneaky. Leveraging racial ghosts and fears.
It's time to live in the present and stop racial fear mongering. In the words of Eckhart Tolle : "When you are present in the moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises and also love."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My Bus Ride To The Train
Time for a fun one...well for you anyway!
The video posted today aren't the two kids I am writing about but might as well be.
I found a great new route to this job I have been sent to, which incidentally happens to be exactly where all the media hoopla took place for 9/11 commemorations.
I digress...get back on the bus!
I am on this lovely bus that stops right outside my building. I get a seat. YUMMY! And then the teenagers going to Christ the King get on the bus. And the fun, er, achem crapola begins.
Teenage boy gets on and stands right next to where I am sitting wearing a huge packpack. A few stops later, what I believe is his girlfriend, gets on and SMACK they give a big kiss.
Then spoiled teenage girl whips out her Sidekick, a phone I a working person cannot afford and starts to play and they start to talk.
"Did you see that white girl...?"
Does the rest of the sentence really matter? When I was their age NO ONE would tolerate this type of talking. Today, it's seem to be acceptable x 10.
Then she shows her teenage boyfriend her belly and how much she rolled up the top of her skirt. I kid you not, I could just about see her vagina it was so short. What are these girls thinking?
We did similar things with our skirts as kids, don't get me wrong. Girls, especially Catholic school girls have been hiking their skirts since forever, but THIS was the epitomy of skirt hiking.
Teenage boy starts to turn in to see her better and smacks me with his bag. I let this happen a couple of times. Then I used my hand to move it off of me.
He didn't like that, and the passive aggressive exchanges between the teenage monsters and me began. I could hear them laughing and making suggestions to smack me back.
These pleebs could be my kids. I am not afraid of them!
When it came time to get off the bus, they were in my way. They stared at me and I stared at them and waited. I figured they were getting off let them go. Nothing!
So I said to them,"You wanted all the room on the bus so go, go ahead."
Those twits became deer in headlights. Shocked that an adult actual spoke to them at all. HA!
You two are no match for me. I have ridden the E train for most of my 17 years in NYC!
Well they said they weren't getting off the bus, so I departed. But the scared look on their faces was the reward for my courage to speak up to them.
Take that little teenage tweebs! Score ONE for Lauren!
The video posted today aren't the two kids I am writing about but might as well be.
I found a great new route to this job I have been sent to, which incidentally happens to be exactly where all the media hoopla took place for 9/11 commemorations.
I digress...get back on the bus!
I am on this lovely bus that stops right outside my building. I get a seat. YUMMY! And then the teenagers going to Christ the King get on the bus. And the fun, er, achem crapola begins.
Teenage boy gets on and stands right next to where I am sitting wearing a huge packpack. A few stops later, what I believe is his girlfriend, gets on and SMACK they give a big kiss.
Then spoiled teenage girl whips out her Sidekick, a phone I a working person cannot afford and starts to play and they start to talk.
"Did you see that white girl...?"
Does the rest of the sentence really matter? When I was their age NO ONE would tolerate this type of talking. Today, it's seem to be acceptable x 10.
Then she shows her teenage boyfriend her belly and how much she rolled up the top of her skirt. I kid you not, I could just about see her vagina it was so short. What are these girls thinking?
We did similar things with our skirts as kids, don't get me wrong. Girls, especially Catholic school girls have been hiking their skirts since forever, but THIS was the epitomy of skirt hiking.
Teenage boy starts to turn in to see her better and smacks me with his bag. I let this happen a couple of times. Then I used my hand to move it off of me.
He didn't like that, and the passive aggressive exchanges between the teenage monsters and me began. I could hear them laughing and making suggestions to smack me back.
These pleebs could be my kids. I am not afraid of them!
When it came time to get off the bus, they were in my way. They stared at me and I stared at them and waited. I figured they were getting off let them go. Nothing!
So I said to them,"You wanted all the room on the bus so go, go ahead."
Those twits became deer in headlights. Shocked that an adult actual spoke to them at all. HA!
You two are no match for me. I have ridden the E train for most of my 17 years in NYC!
Well they said they weren't getting off the bus, so I departed. But the scared look on their faces was the reward for my courage to speak up to them.
Take that little teenage tweebs! Score ONE for Lauren!
Who Said This One?
OK boys and girls...no cheating and using google.
"When liberals come off as childish, raving loonies, the right wing gains. I am still waiting for substantive evidence that Sarah Palin is a dangerous extremist. I am perfectly willing to be convinced, but right now, she seems to be merely an optimistic pragmatist like Ronald Reagan, someone who pays lip service to religious piety without being in the least wedded to it. I don't see her arrival as portending the end of civil liberties or life as we know it...Now that's the Sarah Palin brand of can-do, no-excuses, moose-hunting feminism -- a world away from the whining, sniping, wearily ironic mode of the establishment feminism represented by Gloria Steinem, a Hillary Clinton supporter whose shameless Democratic partisanship over the past four decades has severely limited American feminism and not allowed it to become the big tent it can and should be. Sarah Palin, if her reputation survives the punishing next two months, may be breaking down those barriers. Feminism, which should be about equal rights and equal opportunity, should not be a closed club requiring an ideological litmus test for membership. "
Maybe, as in the words of D.O.M., I'll even give a craptastic prize to the winner.
Answer posted tomorrow.
"When liberals come off as childish, raving loonies, the right wing gains. I am still waiting for substantive evidence that Sarah Palin is a dangerous extremist. I am perfectly willing to be convinced, but right now, she seems to be merely an optimistic pragmatist like Ronald Reagan, someone who pays lip service to religious piety without being in the least wedded to it. I don't see her arrival as portending the end of civil liberties or life as we know it...Now that's the Sarah Palin brand of can-do, no-excuses, moose-hunting feminism -- a world away from the whining, sniping, wearily ironic mode of the establishment feminism represented by Gloria Steinem, a Hillary Clinton supporter whose shameless Democratic partisanship over the past four decades has severely limited American feminism and not allowed it to become the big tent it can and should be. Sarah Palin, if her reputation survives the punishing next two months, may be breaking down those barriers. Feminism, which should be about equal rights and equal opportunity, should not be a closed club requiring an ideological litmus test for membership. "
Maybe, as in the words of D.O.M., I'll even give a craptastic prize to the winner.
Answer posted tomorrow.
White Guilt Is PC
I rarely agree with John Stossel but this time the man is correct!
"But a black writer, Shelby Steele, argues that whites do blacks no favors wringing their hands about white privilege.
"I grew up in segregation," Mr. Steele told me. "So I really know what racism is. I went to [a] segregated school. I bow to no one in my knowledge of racism, which is one of the reasons why I say white privilege is not a problem."
Mr. Steele claims, "the real problem is black irresponsibility. ... Racism is about 18th on a list of problems that black America faces."
Mr. Stossel ends his column with this "There is black privilege — and white privilege. It's time to stop complaining about past discrimination and to treat people as individuals, not as members of a certain race."
"But a black writer, Shelby Steele, argues that whites do blacks no favors wringing their hands about white privilege.
"I grew up in segregation," Mr. Steele told me. "So I really know what racism is. I went to [a] segregated school. I bow to no one in my knowledge of racism, which is one of the reasons why I say white privilege is not a problem."
Mr. Steele claims, "the real problem is black irresponsibility. ... Racism is about 18th on a list of problems that black America faces."
Mr. Stossel ends his column with this "There is black privilege — and white privilege. It's time to stop complaining about past discrimination and to treat people as individuals, not as members of a certain race."
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Shout Out To Some Righteous Canadians
These Canadians were at the rally to condemn that bastard yesterday.
Joelle Keypour an Iranian-Canadian who was draped in an Israeli flag, "My mom fled from the revolution in 1979, and I'm here to support her and my family and all oppressed Iranians."
Former Canadian minister of justice, Irwin Cotler.
Former Canadian minister of justice, Irwin Cotler.
"Dr. Irwin Cotler stood in defense of anti-jihadist Muslim journalist in Bangladesh, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, who faces sedition, treason and blasphemy charges in his own country for confronting radical Islam, for promoting interfaith understanding and for demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. According to Bangladeshi law, sedition bears capital punishment...As Minister of Justice, Cotler tabled Canada's first-ever National Justice Initiative Against Racism, in parallel with the government's National Action Plan Against Racism.
Cotler has also fought against genocide and impunity. His attempts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice have won praise as has been his founding of all-party Parliamentary groups to bring attention and action to end the genocide in Darfur. Cotler has worked with a group of international jurists to indict Iranian President Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide under the UN Charter and the Genocide Convention.[citation needed] Cotler separated six categories of anti-Semitism and found thirteen indices of discrimination against Jews that characterizes the "new anti-Jewishness"." (wikipedia)
I Will Give Sarah Palin A Voice
Today that MONSTER Ahmadinejad is being allowed a voice at the United Nations. The beast, the leader of the American Embassy hostage takers, the holocaust denier, the genocidal Hitler reincarnated is in our great country.
Yesterday was a rally in front of the United Nations condemning this monster. Ms. Palin was disinvited by the groups organizers because Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party refused to attend if Ms. Palin came to speak. The irony of these fake bastards to claim freedom of speech and speaking up for this monster's rights to attend the U.N. yet refusing to be a part of a bi-partisan rally when her fellow countrymen want to share the stage.
I guess kissing Suha Arafat is not as verboten, even right after she gave her speech in front of your face (Mrs. Clinton) that Israelis poison the water of Palestinian children.
Shame shame shame on all those involved.
Here's what she would have said at that rally yesterday:
I am honored to be with you and with leaders from across this great country — leaders from different faiths and political parties united in a single voice of outrage.
Tomorrow, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will come to New York — to the heart of what he calls the Great Satan — and speak freely in this, a country whose demise he has called for.
Ahmadinejad may choose his words carefully, but underneath all of the rhetoric is an agenda that threatens all who seek a safer and freer world. We gather here today to highlight the Iranian dictator's intentions and to call for action to thwart him.
He must be stopped.
The world must awake to the threat this man poses to all of us. Ahmadinejad denies that the Holocaust ever took place. He dreams of being an agent in a "Final Solution" — the elimination of the Jewish people. He has called Israel a "stinking corpse" that is "on its way to annihilation." Such talk cannot be dismissed as the ravings of a madman — not when Iran just this summer tested long-range Shahab-3 missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, not when the Iranian nuclear program is nearing completion, and not when Iran sponsors terrorists that threaten and kill innocent people around the world.
The Iranian government wants nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is running at least 3,800 centrifuges and that its uranium enrichment capacity is rapidly improving. According to news reports, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Iranians may have enough nuclear material to produce a bomb within a year.
The world has condemned these activities. The United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend its illegal nuclear enrichment activities. It has levied three rounds of sanctions. How has Ahmadinejad responded? With the declaration that the "Iranian nation would not retreat one iota" from its nuclear program.
So, what should we do about this growing threat? First, we must succeed in Iraq. If we fail there, it will jeopardize the democracy the Iraqis have worked so hard to build, and empower the extremists in neighboring Iran. Iran has armed and trained terrorists who have killed our soldiers in Iraq, and it is Iran that would benefit from an American defeat in Iraq.
If we retreat without leaving a stable Iraq, Iran's nuclear ambitions will be bolstered. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons — they could share them tomorrow with the terrorists they finance, arm, and train today. Iranian nuclear weapons would set off a dangerous regional nuclear arms race that would make all of us less safe.
But Iran is not only a regional threat; it threatens the entire world. It is the no. 1 state sponsor of terrorism. It sponsors the world's most vicious terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah. Together, Iran and its terrorists are responsible for the deaths of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s, in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, and in Iraq today. They have murdered Iraqis, Lebanese, Palestinians, and other Muslims who have resisted Iran's desire to dominate the region. They have persecuted countless people simply because they are Jewish.
Iran is responsible for attacks not only on Israelis, but on Jews living as far away as Argentina. Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are part of Iran's official ideology and murder is part of its official policy. Not even Iranian citizens are safe from their government's threat to those who want to live, work, and worship in peace. Politically-motivated abductions, torture, death by stoning, flogging, and amputations are just some of its state-sanctioned punishments.
It is said that the measure of a country is the treatment of its most vulnerable citizens. By that standard, the Iranian government is both oppressive and barbaric. Under Ahmadinejad's rule, Iranian women are some of the most vulnerable citizens.
If an Iranian woman shows too much hair in public, she risks being beaten or killed.
If she walks down a public street in clothing that violates the state dress code, she could be arrested.
But in the face of this harsh regime, the Iranian women have shown courage. Despite threats to their lives and their families, Iranian women have sought better treatment through the "One Million Signatures Campaign Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws." The authorities have reacted with predictable barbarism. Last year, women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 20 lashes and 10 months in prison for committing the crime of "propaganda against the system." After international protests, the judiciary reduced her sentence to "only" 10 lashes and 36 months in prison and then temporarily suspended her sentence. She still faces the threat of imprisonment.
Earlier this year, Senator Clinton said that "Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is in the forefront of that" effort. Senator Clinton argued that part of our response must include stronger sanctions, including the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. John McCain and I could not agree more.
Senator Clinton understands the nature of this threat and what we must do to confront it. This is an issue that should unite all Americans. Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Period. And in a single voice, we must be loud enough for the whole world to hear: Stop Iran!
Only by working together, across national, religious, and political differences, can we alter this regime's dangerous behavior. Iran has many vulnerabilities, including a regime weakened by sanctions and a population eager to embrace opportunities with the West. We must increase economic pressure to change Iran's behavior.
Tomorrow, Ahmadinejad will come to New York. On our soil, he will exercise the right of freedom of speech — a right he denies his own people. He will share his hateful agenda with the world. Our task is to focus the world on what can be done to stop him.
We must rally the world to press for truly tough sanctions at the U.N. or with our allies if Iran's allies continue to block action in the U.N. We must start with restrictions on Iran's refined petroleum imports.
We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil to weaken Iran's economic influence.
We must target the regime's assets abroad; bank accounts, investments, and trading partners.
President Ahmadinejad should be held accountable for inciting genocide, a crime under international law.
We must sanction Iran's Central Bank and the Revolutionary Guard Corps — which no one should doubt is a terrorist organization.
Together, we can stop Iran's nuclear program.
Senator McCain has made a solemn commitment that I strongly endorse: Never again will we risk another Holocaust. And this is not a wish, a request, or a plea to Israel's enemies. This is a promise that the United States and Israel will honor, against any enemy who cares to test us. It is John McCain's promise and it is my promise.
Thank you.
Yesterday was a rally in front of the United Nations condemning this monster. Ms. Palin was disinvited by the groups organizers because Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party refused to attend if Ms. Palin came to speak. The irony of these fake bastards to claim freedom of speech and speaking up for this monster's rights to attend the U.N. yet refusing to be a part of a bi-partisan rally when her fellow countrymen want to share the stage.
I guess kissing Suha Arafat is not as verboten, even right after she gave her speech in front of your face (Mrs. Clinton) that Israelis poison the water of Palestinian children.
Shame shame shame on all those involved.
Here's what she would have said at that rally yesterday:
I am honored to be with you and with leaders from across this great country — leaders from different faiths and political parties united in a single voice of outrage.
Tomorrow, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will come to New York — to the heart of what he calls the Great Satan — and speak freely in this, a country whose demise he has called for.
Ahmadinejad may choose his words carefully, but underneath all of the rhetoric is an agenda that threatens all who seek a safer and freer world. We gather here today to highlight the Iranian dictator's intentions and to call for action to thwart him.
He must be stopped.
The world must awake to the threat this man poses to all of us. Ahmadinejad denies that the Holocaust ever took place. He dreams of being an agent in a "Final Solution" — the elimination of the Jewish people. He has called Israel a "stinking corpse" that is "on its way to annihilation." Such talk cannot be dismissed as the ravings of a madman — not when Iran just this summer tested long-range Shahab-3 missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, not when the Iranian nuclear program is nearing completion, and not when Iran sponsors terrorists that threaten and kill innocent people around the world.
The Iranian government wants nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is running at least 3,800 centrifuges and that its uranium enrichment capacity is rapidly improving. According to news reports, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Iranians may have enough nuclear material to produce a bomb within a year.
The world has condemned these activities. The United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend its illegal nuclear enrichment activities. It has levied three rounds of sanctions. How has Ahmadinejad responded? With the declaration that the "Iranian nation would not retreat one iota" from its nuclear program.
So, what should we do about this growing threat? First, we must succeed in Iraq. If we fail there, it will jeopardize the democracy the Iraqis have worked so hard to build, and empower the extremists in neighboring Iran. Iran has armed and trained terrorists who have killed our soldiers in Iraq, and it is Iran that would benefit from an American defeat in Iraq.
If we retreat without leaving a stable Iraq, Iran's nuclear ambitions will be bolstered. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons — they could share them tomorrow with the terrorists they finance, arm, and train today. Iranian nuclear weapons would set off a dangerous regional nuclear arms race that would make all of us less safe.
But Iran is not only a regional threat; it threatens the entire world. It is the no. 1 state sponsor of terrorism. It sponsors the world's most vicious terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah. Together, Iran and its terrorists are responsible for the deaths of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s, in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, and in Iraq today. They have murdered Iraqis, Lebanese, Palestinians, and other Muslims who have resisted Iran's desire to dominate the region. They have persecuted countless people simply because they are Jewish.
Iran is responsible for attacks not only on Israelis, but on Jews living as far away as Argentina. Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are part of Iran's official ideology and murder is part of its official policy. Not even Iranian citizens are safe from their government's threat to those who want to live, work, and worship in peace. Politically-motivated abductions, torture, death by stoning, flogging, and amputations are just some of its state-sanctioned punishments.
It is said that the measure of a country is the treatment of its most vulnerable citizens. By that standard, the Iranian government is both oppressive and barbaric. Under Ahmadinejad's rule, Iranian women are some of the most vulnerable citizens.
If an Iranian woman shows too much hair in public, she risks being beaten or killed.
If she walks down a public street in clothing that violates the state dress code, she could be arrested.
But in the face of this harsh regime, the Iranian women have shown courage. Despite threats to their lives and their families, Iranian women have sought better treatment through the "One Million Signatures Campaign Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws." The authorities have reacted with predictable barbarism. Last year, women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 20 lashes and 10 months in prison for committing the crime of "propaganda against the system." After international protests, the judiciary reduced her sentence to "only" 10 lashes and 36 months in prison and then temporarily suspended her sentence. She still faces the threat of imprisonment.
Earlier this year, Senator Clinton said that "Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is in the forefront of that" effort. Senator Clinton argued that part of our response must include stronger sanctions, including the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. John McCain and I could not agree more.
Senator Clinton understands the nature of this threat and what we must do to confront it. This is an issue that should unite all Americans. Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Period. And in a single voice, we must be loud enough for the whole world to hear: Stop Iran!
Only by working together, across national, religious, and political differences, can we alter this regime's dangerous behavior. Iran has many vulnerabilities, including a regime weakened by sanctions and a population eager to embrace opportunities with the West. We must increase economic pressure to change Iran's behavior.
Tomorrow, Ahmadinejad will come to New York. On our soil, he will exercise the right of freedom of speech — a right he denies his own people. He will share his hateful agenda with the world. Our task is to focus the world on what can be done to stop him.
We must rally the world to press for truly tough sanctions at the U.N. or with our allies if Iran's allies continue to block action in the U.N. We must start with restrictions on Iran's refined petroleum imports.
We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil to weaken Iran's economic influence.
We must target the regime's assets abroad; bank accounts, investments, and trading partners.
President Ahmadinejad should be held accountable for inciting genocide, a crime under international law.
We must sanction Iran's Central Bank and the Revolutionary Guard Corps — which no one should doubt is a terrorist organization.
Together, we can stop Iran's nuclear program.
Senator McCain has made a solemn commitment that I strongly endorse: Never again will we risk another Holocaust. And this is not a wish, a request, or a plea to Israel's enemies. This is a promise that the United States and Israel will honor, against any enemy who cares to test us. It is John McCain's promise and it is my promise.
Thank you.
Monday, September 22, 2008
PC And NOT The Useful Kind
Today's post comes from a very special blogger, Joe AKA D.O.M. Over at Joe's blog you'll find a whole lotta funny. Today he writes on a more somber topic.
Our country has been heading down a slippery politically correct (PC) slope for quite some time. We have stifled dialog for fear of offending any person or group. What is the point of this? Have we not learned from the past?
I do not mean that it’s ever appropriate to use hateful names or engage in behaviors that purposely curtail the advancement of any segment of society, but rather, we need to openly engage one another to make us all better.
The PC crowd has assumed the mantle of thought police better than any dictator like Hitler or Stalin ever dreamed. No need for a Gestapo or KGB agent with them on the case. And the worst part is the line in the sand has been drawn, and then shifts rather capriciously. Entire groups of people seek out offenses, rather than seeking out common ground. This is the biggest change I have witnessed in my life. The PC police seem to forget the first lessons we learned in school, respect each other. Talk out our problems, while maintaining that respect. Kindergarten ground rules should apply to every situation. Give everyone a chance to explain, rather than jump to a conclusion. And ensure that the rules are the same for everyone to keep it fair.
That last point may be the most important of all. We need to have a level playing field. We need to accept that bad behavior by one is recognized as bad behavior by all. One’s stupid mistake is everyone’s stupid mistake. Running from the police, or making a threatening gesture isn’t cultural, it’s stupidity. When a police officer flashes a badge and brandishes a gun, that is not the time to celebrate diversity--it’s the time to embrace American culture and comply with the request.
And this is the type of thing that needs to be honestly addressed. The unnecessary loss of even one life is too many, yet by consistently failing to address this situation, due to Political Correctness, it becomes a disservice to us all. The great mysteries of society’s ills, crime, poverty, racism, sexism, damn near every ism imaginable could be addressed, and possibly solved if we only could open up the dialog. Stop searching for the hurting, and start looking for the healing. The PC crowd is a yappy Chihuahua that needs to be chained up.
More from Joe:
Just ask anyone, the following are absolutely "true facts."
The Democrats are the party of the working man.
The Republicans have all the money behind them.
Ask 100 sheeple and they will all agree with you.
Now, this is an undisputed and real fact: the nation is approximately 50-50 Democrat and Republican. Look at any national election, and the vote going back as far as I can remember has rarely indicated otherwise.
Here's what I don't understand. How come, in this, and in so many other elections, the Democrats raise double the money of the Republicans?
55% of the vote is a landslide, and that rarely happens.
Currently Obama has received around 70% of the total dollars anyone donated to the election (that is both parties combined.)
He has approximately 50% more money already than McCain could expect to get all together.
So, how could sheeple continue to parrot the lies I stated above? Media manipulation.
Our country has been heading down a slippery politically correct (PC) slope for quite some time. We have stifled dialog for fear of offending any person or group. What is the point of this? Have we not learned from the past?
I do not mean that it’s ever appropriate to use hateful names or engage in behaviors that purposely curtail the advancement of any segment of society, but rather, we need to openly engage one another to make us all better.
The PC crowd has assumed the mantle of thought police better than any dictator like Hitler or Stalin ever dreamed. No need for a Gestapo or KGB agent with them on the case. And the worst part is the line in the sand has been drawn, and then shifts rather capriciously. Entire groups of people seek out offenses, rather than seeking out common ground. This is the biggest change I have witnessed in my life. The PC police seem to forget the first lessons we learned in school, respect each other. Talk out our problems, while maintaining that respect. Kindergarten ground rules should apply to every situation. Give everyone a chance to explain, rather than jump to a conclusion. And ensure that the rules are the same for everyone to keep it fair.
That last point may be the most important of all. We need to have a level playing field. We need to accept that bad behavior by one is recognized as bad behavior by all. One’s stupid mistake is everyone’s stupid mistake. Running from the police, or making a threatening gesture isn’t cultural, it’s stupidity. When a police officer flashes a badge and brandishes a gun, that is not the time to celebrate diversity--it’s the time to embrace American culture and comply with the request.
And this is the type of thing that needs to be honestly addressed. The unnecessary loss of even one life is too many, yet by consistently failing to address this situation, due to Political Correctness, it becomes a disservice to us all. The great mysteries of society’s ills, crime, poverty, racism, sexism, damn near every ism imaginable could be addressed, and possibly solved if we only could open up the dialog. Stop searching for the hurting, and start looking for the healing. The PC crowd is a yappy Chihuahua that needs to be chained up.
More from Joe:
Just ask anyone, the following are absolutely "true facts."
The Democrats are the party of the working man.
The Republicans have all the money behind them.
Ask 100 sheeple and they will all agree with you.
Now, this is an undisputed and real fact: the nation is approximately 50-50 Democrat and Republican. Look at any national election, and the vote going back as far as I can remember has rarely indicated otherwise.
Here's what I don't understand. How come, in this, and in so many other elections, the Democrats raise double the money of the Republicans?
55% of the vote is a landslide, and that rarely happens.
Currently Obama has received around 70% of the total dollars anyone donated to the election (that is both parties combined.)
He has approximately 50% more money already than McCain could expect to get all together.
So, how could sheeple continue to parrot the lies I stated above? Media manipulation.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Is Obama A Racist?
I found this on Did I Miss Something. Please watch and then go visit his blog. Please send this to anyone you think is willing to watch it and listen.
Bail Out ?
I'm not going to claim I know jack crap about economics. Heck we can't be experts in everything.
BUT I was just thinking...
Wouldn't it have been just as easy and better for the entire country IF:
the same money used to bail out all the recent firms was instead given on behalf of all those who defaulted on their mortgages to those same institutions, paying off the loans, allowing those people to keep their homes AND the business firms getting their monies.
BUT I was just thinking...
Wouldn't it have been just as easy and better for the entire country IF:
the same money used to bail out all the recent firms was instead given on behalf of all those who defaulted on their mortgages to those same institutions, paying off the loans, allowing those people to keep their homes AND the business firms getting their monies.
Gender Not Race
I find this article fascinating. Not too long ago I wrote on this very blog that you can't tell me that because I cross the street when I see a black man approach that I am racist. I went on to tell you that the reason is that you aren't with me all the time and don't know that I will do this for a white man, or woman of any race for that matter and that to jump to conclusions is race bating and wrong.
I also mentioned that if I feel that someone is possibly going to hurt me, for whatever reason, I will move to a location I feel better and most of the time I walk in the middle of the street.
Nonetheless I had comments alluding to mine and other's prejudice based on race.
LiveScience posted the results from SCIENTIFIC research showing that we indeed actually feel things from other human beings (surprise surprise...hmmm) and those feelings determine how we react and they are based not on race but gender.
I know, the research is racist and therefore flawed...everything we do bad is because we are racist.
From Livescience
If we see a shadowy figure walking down a dark street, our sense of whether it is coming at us or walking away depends on whether we see it as a he or a she, new research finds.
This new result sheds light on the subtle judgments the brain makes when it notices motion.
In the past, research has shown that people are extraordinarily good at deducing the gender, age, mood and even personality of others based on just a few of their moves.
"Humans are acute observers of each other. We know a lot about each other at first glance. How we do that is an interesting question, especially as some people seem so good at it," said researcher Rick van der Zwan, a behavioral neuroscientist at Southern Cross University in Australia.
To see what other kinds of details people might glean from movements, scientists had volunteers watch clusters of dots shaped roughly like people. These were created by attaching lights on the real people and filming them as they either walked on a treadmill toward or away from a camera.
"If you look at someone with just their joints illuminated when they aren't moving, it's difficult to tell what it is you are looking at. But as soon as they move, instantaneously, you can tell that it's a person and perceive their nature," van der Zwan said. "You can tell if it's a boy or a girl, young or old, angry or happy. You can discern all these qualities about their state, affect, and actions with no cues at all about what they look like - with no form at all, just motion."
As these stylized figures walked, their movements were manipulated to range anywhere from a "girly girl" to a "hulking male." The halfway point was a gender-neutral walker that volunteers judged as male half the time and female the other half.
Oddly, when these ambiguous figures were judged as masculine, volunteers saw them as approaching them, even when the actual people these figures were based on had walked away from the camera. Moreover, when these figures were judged feminine, volunteers saw them as walking away from them, even when in real life the women had approached the camera.
"The thing that most people find most surprising is that the effects are consistent for observers of both genders," van der Zwan told LiveScience. "It does not matter if you are a female or a male observer - male figures of the type we used often look like they are facing the observer and female figures often look like they are facing away."
Apparently, "there is something in the way males and females move that affects the way others see them in terms of their orientation in space," van der Zwan said.
It is "tempting to speculate" that this effect reflects the potential costs "of misinterpreting the actions and intentions of others," he added. "For example, a male figure that is otherwise ambiguous might best be perceived as approaching to allow the observer to prepare to flee or fight. Similarly, for observers, and especially infants, the departure of females might signal also a need to act, but for different reasons."
The scientists will detail their findings in the Sept. 9 issue of the journal Current Biology.
I also mentioned that if I feel that someone is possibly going to hurt me, for whatever reason, I will move to a location I feel better and most of the time I walk in the middle of the street.
Nonetheless I had comments alluding to mine and other's prejudice based on race.
LiveScience posted the results from SCIENTIFIC research showing that we indeed actually feel things from other human beings (surprise surprise...hmmm) and those feelings determine how we react and they are based not on race but gender.
I know, the research is racist and therefore flawed...everything we do bad is because we are racist.
From Livescience
If we see a shadowy figure walking down a dark street, our sense of whether it is coming at us or walking away depends on whether we see it as a he or a she, new research finds.
This new result sheds light on the subtle judgments the brain makes when it notices motion.
In the past, research has shown that people are extraordinarily good at deducing the gender, age, mood and even personality of others based on just a few of their moves.
"Humans are acute observers of each other. We know a lot about each other at first glance. How we do that is an interesting question, especially as some people seem so good at it," said researcher Rick van der Zwan, a behavioral neuroscientist at Southern Cross University in Australia.
To see what other kinds of details people might glean from movements, scientists had volunteers watch clusters of dots shaped roughly like people. These were created by attaching lights on the real people and filming them as they either walked on a treadmill toward or away from a camera.
"If you look at someone with just their joints illuminated when they aren't moving, it's difficult to tell what it is you are looking at. But as soon as they move, instantaneously, you can tell that it's a person and perceive their nature," van der Zwan said. "You can tell if it's a boy or a girl, young or old, angry or happy. You can discern all these qualities about their state, affect, and actions with no cues at all about what they look like - with no form at all, just motion."
As these stylized figures walked, their movements were manipulated to range anywhere from a "girly girl" to a "hulking male." The halfway point was a gender-neutral walker that volunteers judged as male half the time and female the other half.
Oddly, when these ambiguous figures were judged as masculine, volunteers saw them as approaching them, even when the actual people these figures were based on had walked away from the camera. Moreover, when these figures were judged feminine, volunteers saw them as walking away from them, even when in real life the women had approached the camera.
"The thing that most people find most surprising is that the effects are consistent for observers of both genders," van der Zwan told LiveScience. "It does not matter if you are a female or a male observer - male figures of the type we used often look like they are facing the observer and female figures often look like they are facing away."
Apparently, "there is something in the way males and females move that affects the way others see them in terms of their orientation in space," van der Zwan said.
It is "tempting to speculate" that this effect reflects the potential costs "of misinterpreting the actions and intentions of others," he added. "For example, a male figure that is otherwise ambiguous might best be perceived as approaching to allow the observer to prepare to flee or fight. Similarly, for observers, and especially infants, the departure of females might signal also a need to act, but for different reasons."
The scientists will detail their findings in the Sept. 9 issue of the journal Current Biology.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Awards -Woohooo I Don't Suck!
Well well, see what happens when you neglect to put up your awards from YOUR favorite bloggers? You get more. HEEHEE!
The first one if from a really really really smart blogger that I found through another (no secret to anyone) favorite blogger of mine. And it came with some RULZ:
From Did I Miss Something? (As if this man could miss anything...he's way too on the ball! I've gotten this award before but having somone with this kind of analytical mind pass it on to me is quite something.)
1. The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.2. Add a link to the person who you received the award from.3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.4. Then add their links to your blog.5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on to in the comments section of their blog.
The next award I got was from my favorite fruit, Ms. Banana herself, Diana. I didn't have to do very much to get this, I just had to be a top commenter which is so easy on her fun blog. Diana is another mixed bag blogger. You get to see her daily antics, trips and how she's adjusting to her new kitty Mabel. She's never had a cat in her life so these stories are really interesting. She's really sweet...but then you'd expect that of a banana right?
And the last but not least award I received from both Ms. Banana and D.O.M. aka The Crotchety Old Man.
This one makes me laugh the most...cause I just see myself as one opinionated woman on a big bitch fest. Hells yeah I think I am right! ;-)Thanks to all three bloggers for having me in their thoughts and coming to my blog to read my "make you think" posts each day. I promise some more fun ones are coming soon. And as D.O.M. pointed out that my blog started out with another mission and morphed into what it is today, I am sure it will morph again and I hope you will continue on with me when it does. You're all so much fun to hang with each day.
Oh dear, I have to pass these on to other people, so says Did I Miss Something!
So here goes...and I comment on your blogs each day so I am not going there for a special trip to let you know. You'll know when you know... haha!
If you haven't checked out his blog yet RUN over there. He is so funny, tells a story like no other and has a gigantic brain...go read his S.A.T. story.
This chica is funny with a bite! She has the best images to go along with her biting humor and well... a purple pussy.
And I'd like to pass on the Brainy Blog award to Karyne. She's my Canadian single sista who works with special needs kids. I love when she shares her stories about living in Canada and the political system up there. She's kind and thoughtful, never hateful about sharing the differences and sameness of our two countries. You'll also get a lot of tours with her alphabet photo posts.
I could give to everyone but what would be the fun in that? (Evil laugh snort)
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