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Isn't the general election fun?
Let's see, so far, we've got the House Republican whip Roy Blunt saying John McCain will be a 3rd Bush term. (Thanks Roy! Couldn't have said it better myself!)
Then we've got Wonkette joking about the McCain campaign dumping lobbyists left and right for their connections with the ruling junta in Burma.
And finally, BarbinMD has a great expose poring over a myriad of
Of late I have turned into one mean bastard online. I don’t take the usual amount of prodding I once did because I have been attacked in various ways, for too many years, since putting up the Anvil. My patience has run thin.
I would like to thank the hate mail tossers that keep me [...]
This past Wednesday was Israeli Independence Day, the 60th, which makes it the diamond anniversary. Naturally, Palestinians saw little reason to celebrate, and they were not alone.
Over 100 prominent British Jews issued a letter proclaiming "We're Not Celebrating Israel's Anniversary." From the letter:
We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations. We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Mi
Though the equation above draws scorn from most journalists, and a large segment of the U.S. population sneers at the title of "blogger," the profession (occupation? (hobby?) (pass time?)) occasionally gets some credit. Most often this share of praise falls upon foreign shoulders, where blogging is a much riskier endeavor. Por ejemplo,Yoani Sanchez, a Cuban blogger, was given a prestigious Spanish press award.
Indeed, both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have run prominently placed articles on Sanchez, who writes a blog Generacion Y, based in Havana.
As I said, this sort of recognition eludes bloggers in the US, largely because our media here is "free." "What need is there for bloggers when we have a robust media acting as the government and corporate watchdog?" many reason.
This dress makes me feel like such a girly girl. This tiered halter dress by Thread Social is chic for a summer wedding or one of the many charity events you will be invited to. The neckline is very dressy do keep makeup and accessories toned down. Thread Social Tiered Halter Dress, Giuseppe Zanotti black satin 'Plato' peep toe pumps, Botkier Lita Clutch, Ivanka Trump Collection Diamond Crossover Earrings with Black Spinel drops
It's not secret that I'm bored of the primary. (Just end already!) But I'm doing a blog links post and that's all the blogs seem to be talking about. So…
Chris Bowers points out some pretty bald racism coming from the Clinton campaign:
But really, thank God I didn't end up working on a presidential campaign this cycle. Had I done so, I probably would have had to live with supporting ridiculous spin like this:
On the Hillary conference call, Hillary chief strategist Geoff Garin made the case for her electability in some of the most explicitly race-based terms I've heard yet.
Garin argued that the North Carolina contest, which Obama won by 14 points, represented "progress" for Hillary because she did better among white voters there than she did in Virginia.
"When we began in North Car
Far be it from me to criticize Senators for talking tough, yet I can't help feeling skeptical:
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) stepped in front of a group of tech executives in Washington this morning to deliver a caffeinated and surprisingly sharp defense of network neutrality. Pledging to use "every ounce of my energy to protect network neutrality," Wyden had a message for ISPs who might be pondering new charges for various forms of access: "think twice." If ISPs start down that road, they might soon find that they lose key legal protections including "safe harbors" and tax freedom.
As I said, I like it when Senators talk tough to corporations, especially if they are actually in the room. But consider the political realities. Congress has yet to pass a real net neutrality bill into law. This mea
As the death toll continues to rise in the wake of Cyclone Nargis that struck Myanmar (Burma) last weekend, international aid is beginning to arrive from neighboring countries. China, India, and Thailand have been able to fly in supplies, but the military junta has been hesitant to allow other countries to help with the aid effort–including aid offered by the United States.
According to the BBC, "The UN has urged the authorities to let foreign aid workers into Burma", but UN and other international efforts have been forestalled on account of the junta's slow issuance of visa's and other security clearance issues. Information about the destruction is also unavailable due to restrictions on journalists, many of who have been reporting from neighboring Thailand.
From the American s
Appearing on Meet the Press, Barack Obama called the McCain/Clinton gas tax holiday a "classic Washington gimmick". He then went on to explain exactly why the plan won't work as intended.
The real highlight of the day though was Howard Dean's appearance on Fox News Sunday. He took Chris Wallace on directly, stating that the democratic boycott of the Fox debate was not a mistake and calling Fox's coverage "shockingly biased". Things like this, along with of course the 50-state strategy, are why I like Howard Dean. Huffington Post has more.
Charlie Rangel, appearing on CNN's Late Edition, had some harsh words for the network's coverage excessive coverage of Jeremiah Wright.
He doesn’t want to take all of you on and I’m probably over the hill but the truth is that you guys know tha
Continuing with the theme of our afternoon open thread, here's a choice bit from a Washington Post article:
The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.
The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.
"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."
Herb has less deleterious effects on one's health than alcohol and nicotine, and yet we lock up thousand
Some staggering statistics: one in 100 American adults are in prison, one in every 9 black men between the ages of 20 and 34 is locked up, and, though the United States has less than 5% of the world's population, it provides 25% of its prisoners. In this area, the US is by far the world leader.
It begs the question — why is America a nation of criminals? Naturally, people differ in their explanations. This comment thread on the topic offers some common examples; "higher crime rates are just part of our national character," "it's due to our strong, general ideas of individualism," and "violence seems to be worshiped in American society."
Rather than scrutinize the government and its institutions that lock up our men and women, these individuals attribute our world-leading prison popul
Ever vigilant in its role as protector of the poor, the tired and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the United States is urging Arab nations to make good on their pledged aid contributions to Palestine.
US officials say that of $717m promised by Arab League members, only $153m of Arab pledges have been delivered, all from three countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Algeria.
Their failure to deliver has tangible consequences:
British aid agencies warned that ordinary life in Gaza was becoming "intolerable".
"Only a trickle of medicine, food, fuel and other goods is being allowed in," warned a statement from agencies including Oxfam and Christian Aid.
"It has made people highly dependent on food aid, and brought the health system and basic services such as water and sanitation nea
The Dalai Lama's envoys head to China for a meeting with the government, the first since protests broke out in March.
Stirling Newberry on the economy. Yes, in case you were wondering he's still brilliant.
Plus, we're fucked.
Peter Bernstein has witnessed just about every financial crisis of the past century.
As a boy, he watched his father, a money manager, navigate the Depression. As a financial manager, consultant and financial historian, he personally dealt with the recession of 1958, the bear markets of the 1970s, the 1987 crash, the savings-and-loan crisis of the late 1980s and the 2000-2002 bear market that followed the tech-stock bubble.
Today's trouble, the 89-year-old Mr. Bernstein says, is worse than he has seen since the Depression and threatens to roil markets into 2009 and be
The Houston Law Review will soon publish a new study that offers the first conclusive evidence that convicted defendants' race affects their sentencing. From the NY Times:
[The study] has found two sorts of racial disparities in the administration of the death penalty there, one commonplace and one surprising.
The unexceptional finding is that defendants who kill whites are more likely to be sentenced to death than those who kill blacks. More than 20 studies around the nation have come to similar conclusions.
But the new study also detected a more straightforward disparity. It found that the race of the defendant by itself plays a major role in explaining who is sentenced to death.
You would think this study would serve as sufficient grounds for abolishing the death penalty. After all, th
Raul Castro announced today that he is commuting all death sentences in Cuba (with the exception of 3 individuals charged with terrorism) to lesser sentences, citing humanitarian reasons. Cuba has faced pressure from human-rights activists to abolish its death penalty, which is still administered via firing squad.
The commutations are the latest in a wave of populist reforms introduced by Raul Castro since his older brother Fidel Castro retired and handed him power. Over the weekend he announced he's raising pensions for retirees as well as salaries for some government employees, while earlier this month he lifted long-time bans on Cubans owning cell phones and staying in hotels reserved for foreigners. From the Miami Herald:
The pay increases — which will affect almost one in five C
The BBC Panorama program came out yesterday with news that UN peacekeepers in the DR Congo provided arms to militia groups and smuggled gold and ivory.
The 18-month investigation found that:
Pakistani peacekeepers in the eastern town of Mongbwalu were involved in the illegal trade in gold with the FNI militia, providing them with weapons to guard the perimeter of the mines
Indian peacekeepers operating around the town of Goma had direct dealings with the militia responsible for the Rwandan genocide, now living in eastern DR Congo.
The Indians traded gold, bought drugs from the militias and flew a UN helicopter into the Virunga National Park, where they exchanged ammunition for ivory
However, Alan Doss, Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the UN, defends the credibility of
In 2000, McCain made campaign finance reform one of his primary issues. In 2008, he doesn't seem too interested.
NYT:
But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCain’s cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.
Mr. McCain’s campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates.
UPI has more:
"This amounts to a subsidy for his campaign, which is notable given how badly they were
Tem algo errado com o arquivo! Quando a pessoa baixa, ele vem sem tamanho algum... ou seja, vem vazio!
EX.:
Jumper.R5.RMVB.Legendado_by_arsenal_www.clubrede.com.br - 0 KB
Por favor, tentem resolver isso! Deve ter acontecido algo durante o UPPLOAD!
The situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate, though international condemnation is growing. Yesterday Jendayi Frazer, the top US envoy to Zimbabwe, said that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the "clear winner of last month's presidential elections.
"Morgan Tsvangirai won and perhaps outright, at which point you don't need a government of national unity. You have to accept the result."
But she said that any results released would not have any credibility and added that: "There may need to be a political solution, a negotiated solution."
Not only the presidential results are in doubt, but parliamentary results as well. After initial tallies declared that the opposition had won the majority of seats, the government announced a "recount." The first results of that recount, release
Via Drudge we learn that New York state will begin taxing many internet purchases in about five weeks:
In the midst of a budget crisis, New York is now telling Amazon and certain other large Internet-only vendors they must collect state and local sales tax — if they allow sales via "click-throughs" from New York-based Web sites. The new rule is set to go into effect on June 1.
The state estimates this new Internet tax will bring in $50 million this year and $75 million next year.
The Retail Council Of New York State hopes the new rule is the first step toward collecting sales taxes on all Internet commerce.
But the new rulings aren't sitting well with the Internet giants. Amazon, the largest Internet retailer, is objecting to the decision, saying "this is the wrong time to increase t
Our good friend Art Levine will be on BlogTalk Radio right now discussing the underreported voting problems in Tuesday's Pennsylvania Primary and the possibility (or not) for voting reform that will make our mechanisms of democracy accessible and secure.
Tune in and listen to the show!
And while you're at it, what's on your mind?
Rupert Murdoch is trying to buy Newsday, further consolidating the media landscape, especially in New York City:
The purchase of Newsday from the Tribune Company would put Mr. Murdoch in control of 3 of the nation’s 10 largest-circulation papers (the others being The Journal and The New York Post). Owning Newsday, which is based on Long Island, would also open an eastern front in the long-running battle for New York tabloid supremacy and, by combining some operations, could allow News Corporation to end decades of heavy losses by The Post.
If the deal goes through, on top of owning three New York newspapers, Murdoch also would control two New York City television stations, WNYW and WWOR (both Fox affiliates). That means on a given day, one man would be able to reach 3,251,229 people per
Pakistan's new civilian government is moving forward with its plans to talk to and negotiate with militants and insurgents, but the EU would like the government to avoid talks with Al Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the government have finalized an agreement with the Mehsuds to "end militant activity" in exchange for "prisoners and gradual withdrawal of the military" from Pakistan's South Waziristan region. Things are looking up if Pakistan's military continues to cooperate with the civilian-led government.
The PPP (Zardari) and the PML-N (Sharif) have set up a committee to oversee the reinstatement of Pakistan's deposed judges. These judges hold the key to Musharraf's future — either by making his presidency legal, or by sparking popular uprising against him.
Heavy casualties continue in t
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Anthony Cordesman, Afghanistan won't be solved by moving out of Iraq.
“In math and science, for example, our fourth graders are among the top students globally. By roughly eighth grade, they’re in the middle of the pack. And by the 12th grade, U.S. students are scoring generally near the bottom of all industrialized countries.”
America's schools are in trouble, yet education is receiving scant attention from the presidential hopefuls, writes Bob Herbert.
Slowly, results are coming in from Zimbabwe's election recount. The state media are calling for a unity government and various heads of state from around the world — including Gordon Brown — are pushing for an arms embargo to keep weapons out of the country
The most reason people using Firefox is because it's safest than it's rival Internet Explorer. As i see in my blog stats that over 53% of visitor to my blog are using Firefox and then followed by Internet Explorer in about 37%. But some people says that they don't like Firefox because Firefox startup delay time. Firefox need more time and memory just to get started in comparison with Internet
From the BBC Pressroom: "As ethical fashion promises to be the next big thing, the BBC has today launched Thread – a new online magazine for fashion conscious people who care about where their clothes come from.
"Thread will cut to the heart of what 'ethical fashion' means, covering a range of issues from the environmental footprint of clothing manufacture, to the impact of the fashion industry on human and animal rights and why the choices we make as clothes shoppers make a real difference.
"First and foremost Thread is dedicated to showcasing the latest in eco-fabulous style. The magazine shows you how to get the look you want in an eco-glam way through a unique mix of affordable fashion, exclusive celebrity videos and interviews, photo galleries and thought-provoking features.
"It
Josh, Nirmal, Alex Thurston, and I are hanging out at the 17th Street Cafe, waiting for the Pennsylvania polls to close.
If Obama is within 10 points tonight, that's a victory. If he's within 5, that's a blowout.
Everyone is making annoying predictions tonight. Open Left has some particularly good ones. After not paying attention to the primary for weeks now, my uneducated and annoying prediction? Clinton 51, Obama 49.
What's your annoying prediction? Or your (maybe not annoying) thoughts? I really just have one: I hope this thing is over soon.
You?
Update: The first exit poll has it Clinton 52, Obama 48. My prediction is looking good.
Update x2: MSNBC and Fox have called it for Clinton. No real surprise. The question is one of margin.
As always, Open Left does the numbers:
PPP: Obama 49%–46% Clinton, 4/20
Rasmussen: Clinton 49%–44% Obama, 4/20
Survey USA: Clinton 50%–44% Obama, 4/20
Zogby: Clinton 48%–42% Obama, 4/20
Quinnipiac: Clinton 51%–44% Obama, 4/20
Strategic Vision: Clinton 48%–41% Obama, 4/20
Suffolk: Clinton 52%–42% Obama, 4/20
And here are the averages:
Simple mean: Clinton 49.4%–43.7% Obama
Non-PPP mean: Clinton 49.7%–42.8% Obama
Pollster.com regression line: Clinton 49.0%–43.0% Obama
Chris Bowers then asks the oh-so-important question: When Will It End?
While we're doing the numbers, Obama is rolling in the C.R.E.A.M. with $42 million on hand, while Clinton wallows in $10.3 million in debt and a paltry $9 million on hand. Even Old Man McCain's
(with apologizes to Common)
Echoing the concerns of the World Bank and IMF, the UN issued a warning about the impending food crisis. Moreover, the UN food envoy, Jean Ziegler, called the growing food prices "silent mass murder" (h/t The Agonist, and issued a stern warning about the instability resulting from the price rise:
Ziegler said he was bound to highlight the "madness" of people who think that hunger is down to fate.
"Hunger has not been down to fate for a long time — just as (Karl) Marx thought. It is rather that a murder is behind every victim. This is silent mass murder," he said in an interview.
[snip]
Ziegler said he believed that one day starving people could rise up against their persecutors. "It's just as possible as the French Revolution was," he said.
Resulting fr
Blog commenting service provider Disqus added two new features to their service recently, making their commenting system for blogs all the better and able to stand up against more popular and built-in services like those offered with blogs powered by Wordpress. Now users have the option to add word filters and prevent comments with certain words from being posted. Helpful for site's with a few occasional rude commenters. Then a max-thread depth feature was also added, to help kill comments that are getting old real fast. What, you never heard of Disqus? It's a godsend for a lot of bloggers including me, and if you call yourself a blogger too you would do good to pay them a visit.[Disqus Blog]
Although I actively support many Democrats, I'm really a third party candidate kind of guy. In 2000 (my first participation in American democracy), I voted for Ralph Nader. In 2004, assured that Kerry would carry my home state of Illinois, I voted for Green Party candidate David Cobb. My justification for doing so is simple; in addition to the inherent attraction of the underdog, I believe neither the Democrats nor Republicans will bring about the magnitude of change America really needs.
But, here in 2008, covering the Colorado senate race for The Seminal, I've selectively focused on Democratic candidate Mark Udall and Republican candidate Bob Schaffer. I've done so at the expense of the third party candidates Buddy Moore (independent) and Bob Kinsey (Green Party).
As you can gather from
Hopefully the haters have something better to do than criticize their 83-year-old elders. So let's cut to it:
On his trip to the Middle East, Carter has already met with Hamas officials in Egypt and will meet soon with Khalid Meshaal, the leader of Hamas' external branch. He also met with Israeli President Peres and Syrian President Assad.
Carter has been critical of US and Israeli policy toward the conflict.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the blockade of Gaza a crime and an atrocity on Thursday and said U.S. attempts to undermine the Islamist movement Hamas had been counterproductive.
[snip]
Israel has not accepted Hamas proposals for a truce including an end to Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and to Israeli attacks on Hamas personnel in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli officials
Looks like we're not the only ones betting on the wrong horse:
Notwithstanding his weakened position at home, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf this week flies to China , the “all weather friend” that has stood by the country through all its troubles.
Unlike its American friends, the Chinese have not blown hot and cold, although there have been challenges such as attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan, including the execution of three workers near Peshawar last year and concern that the Islamist fervour sweeping the northwest parts of Pakistan was spilling over to neighbouring Xinjiang, China’s troubled, predominantly Muslim region.
But the Chinese do not give Pakistan lectures on democracy, the dangers of nuclear proliferation - which arguably isn’t surprising since some of it
A study by the RAND Corporation has found that over 300,000 troops suffer mental health problems. According to the study:
Billed as the first large-scale nongovernmental survey of its kind, the study found that stress disorder and depression afflict 18.5 percent of the more than 1.5 million U.S. forces who have deployed to the two war zones.
This level of stress is also having a severe economic impact:
AND, a private research organization, estimated that stress and depression among returning soldiers cost $6.2 billion in the two years following deployment, mainly due to lost productivity, medical costs and a higher risk of suicide.
British PM Gordon Brown snubs Bush as he goes to meet up with all three presidential contenders before sitting down with Mr. 28%. Their relationship hasn't ha
Security is high in Delhi as the Olympic torch relay passes through; meanwhile Tibetan protesters have been arrested in Nepal and a prominent Tibetan activist has been detained in China.
The Pope gave mass to tens of thousands in Nationals Park today, praising the hope for the future that "is very much a part of the American character".
But this story about the polygamy case surrounding members from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has trumped the pope on the front page of Nytimes.com.
And keeping with the religious theme, the New York Times offers some suggestions for Passover meals.
I missed the candidate debate last night, but from what I read, it wasn't very good. From FP Passport:
After more than a year of campaigning, what new information are we possibl
cara não consigo baixar os episódios do Jiraya
Aparece uma foto dele e escrito assim
Todos os Episódios do Jiraya
Baixe a lista com os Links p/ Download
Baixar com Easy-Share
que q eu faço agora... vlw
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From the Miami Herald:
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his government is working to create a NATO-like South America defense council along with Brazil and other countries…
"I once said that if NATO exists - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - why couldn't SATO exist? The South Atlantic Treaty Organization," Chavez said. "We've placed it on the table for Latin America once again."
I think the answer to his "why not?" question would be "there is no unifying enemy, like the Soviet Union, to motivate a defense pact." Then again, perhaps Chavez doesn't feel that way. After all, he made these comments in a speech marking the sixth anniversary of his attempted ousting, in a coup some believe was backed by the U.S.
Thoughts to share, Seminal readers?
Zimbabwe's high court has turned down the MDC's request to have the results of the presidential election last month immediately released. Al Jazeera reports "[i]t took no more than two minutes for the high court judge to deliver his judgment."
There has been no immediate explanation for the ruling, as it is still being typed up. More news forthcoming, of course.
In other news on the African continent, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki has officially named opposition leader Raila Odinga to the post of prime minister after months of political violence. The cabinet is going to be split 50-50 between Kibaki's and Odinga's parties, but there is still disagreement about the most effective size of cabinet:
Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner, said that the country could be managed m
Regular Season Game 13Yankees (6-6) @ Red Sox (6-6)Fenway Park - Boston, MAGame Time: 8:05 PMTV: ESPN - MLB.TV | Radio: WCBS 880 - XM RadioHere are the lineups:YANKEESJohnny Damon, CFRobinson Cano, 2BBobby Abreu, RFAlex Rodriguez, 3BHideki Matsui, LFJorge Posada, DHJason Giambi, 1BJose Molina, CAlberto Gonzalez, SS Phil Hughes RHP (0-1. 5.00 ERA) RED SOXJacoby Ellsbury, LFDustin Pedroia, 2BJ.D. Drew, RFManny Ramirez, DHKevin Youkilis, 3BSean Casey, 1BJason Varitek, CCoco Crisp, CFJulio Lugo, SS Daisuke Matsuzaka RHP (2-0, 1.47 ERA)(Lineups from Peter Abraham)NOTES: The forecast calls for cold temperatures in the 30's and a 20% chance of rain. ... Melky is sitting because of his 0-for-7 against Matsuzaka, Damon also has very good numbers against him .385 (5-13), with HR and 4 RBI. ... Ed P
WaPo:
The Bush administration said yesterday that it plans to start using the nation's most advanced spy technology for domestic purposes soon, rebuffing challenges by House Democrats over the idea's legal authority.
Obviously, the objections of House Democrats don't mean much to the administration.
"There is no basis to suggest that this process is in any way insufficient to protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans," Chertoff wrote to Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Jane Harman (D-Calif.), chairmen of the House Homeland Security Committee and its intelligence subcommittee, respectively, in letters released yesterday.
"I think we've fully addressed anybody's concerns," Chertoff added in remarks last week to bloggers. "I think the way is now clear to stand it up and go
Always eager to snuff out any sincere dialogue, McCain and Clinton have pounced all over this Obama comment:
"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them … and it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustration."
This historical truth is being used to paint Obama as out of touch with the working class. CNN, however, isn't having it:
And some textual reinforcement, for those who don't watch the entire video:
"I just think it's remarkable that Barack Obama, this guy who grew up in a single family [read: par
Since Raul Castro took the reins in Cuba, the government has announced a succession of reforms; first went restrictions on Cubans staying in hotels, then restrictions on the purchase of mobile phones, DVD players, microwaves and other sundry goods. Now it's taken aim at the agricultural industry. As the BBC reports,
It will now be easier for state workers to own their homes and pass them on to their children. Wage limits are to be removed to allow more incentives.
As the more unjust policies of the Cuban government fall out, so too should the belligerent sentiments in D.C. Though the Cuban-American lobby is virulently pro-embargo, our legislators shouldn't be so adamant.
The U.N. has condemned our embargo 16 years running and, despite the Bush administrations increased hostility towards C
Regular Season Game 11Yankees (5-5) @ Red Sox (5-5)Fenway Park - Boston, MAGame Time: 7:05 PMTV: YES - MLB.TV | Radio: WCBS 880 - XM RadioHere are the lineups:YANKEESMelky Cabrera, CFRobinson Cano, 2BBobby Abreu, RFAlex Rodriguez, 3BHideki Matsui, LFJorge Posada, DHJason Giambi, 1BJose Molina, CAlberto Gonzalez, SSChien Ming Wang RHP (2-0, 1.38 ERA)RED SOXCoco Crisp, CFDustin Pedroia, 2BDavid Ortiz, DHManny Ramirez, LFKevin Youkilis, 3BJ.D. Drew, RFJason Varitek, CSean Casey, 1BJulio Lugo, SSClay Buchholz RHP (0-1, 5.40 ERA)NOTES: The forecast in Boston says there's a 40% chance of showers throughout the night... great. ... As I stated earlier Derek Jeter is likely to miss the entire series due to his quad injury. Tonight is the first time since 1996 that Jeter will miss a game in Fenway
As polls close up in PA, Hillary is resetting expectations, trying to say that if Obama doesn't win it "will be a significant defeat."
She's also trying to portray the fact that he's outspending her as a sign that she's the underdog, and drawing attention to Senator Casey's endorsement of Obama even though many prominent Pennsylvania Democrats endorsed her, including Governor Rendell.
So fuck all her noise. As Kos says, "the baseline is 19 points." Anything less than a 10-point victory, I say, and Obama has once again proved how incredible of a campaigner he is.
Or as this blogger says:
Clinton needs to win big in Pennsylvania in order to keep her campaign viable. Pennsylvania is a state where Clinton had hoped to pick up extra delegates. Obama coming within a few points would make it a vi
No matter which major presidential candidate you prefer, your candidate is moving toward supporting a boycott of the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics.
Hillary Clinton:
In a statement released by her campaign Monday, the New York senator pointed to recent protests in Tibet; and to the Chinese government's failure to pressure the government of Sudan to end the violence in Darfur.
"These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China," said Clinton.
"At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government."
John McCain:
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Thursday he
a precarious precipice is amour’s thread
ever stitching affection’s fabric together
scorned by trepidation, falsely branded flimsy
capricious, teetering on a perilous blade
aphotic chaos unravels the loom’s weaving
impetuously spinning the spool as a top
dwindling the connection line’s neatly wrapped supply
produces one scattered mess ripe for the tripping
careless fingers augment mischief fashioning knots
nascent entangled emotion suggests binding
the primal ego’s [...]
Hamas has announced that the leader of the external branch, Khalid Meshaal, will meet with former President Jimmy Carter in Syria next week. The Carter Center did not confirm or deny the announcement - leading me to believe, at least, that the meeting will take place. If it does, I say it's a good thing. I repeat: talking to someone does not legitimate their actions. I talk to people all the time who I don't agree with or approve of.
The State Department feels differently:
In Washington, the State Department said it twice advised Carter against meeting any representative of Hamas.
"U.S. government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interest of our policy or in the interest of peace to have such a meeting," spokesman Sean McCormack told report
Thread is a tightly twisted strand of two or more ply of yarn used for hand and machine sewing. Some facts about sewing thread: The difference between thread and yarn is that thread is used to sew together garments and other products, while yarn is a collection of fibers that is woven or knit into [...]
DHinMI had a great post yesterday on consulting fees:
There are two big problems with this article and others like it. First, it perpetuates confusion about campaign costs. Like most articles about campaign spending, it doesn't try to figure out what share of the payments to consultants includes the print costs. The reporter apparently didn't discuss whether the Clinton campaign made cash transfers to the United States Postal Service for postage, or if Penn Schoen paid the printing and postage of the mail pieces, and if that's a big part of the payment to the consultants. There's no discussion about how much the TV stations in Altoona and Harrisburg are charging to run a 30 second campaign ad. Payments to a call center with professional phone surveyors for completing 800 surveys that
Regular Season Game 10Yankees (4-5) @ Royals (6-2)Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MOGame Time: 8:10 PMTV/radio: YES - MLB.tv - WCBS 880 - XM RadioHere are the lineups:YANKEESJohnny Damon LFMelky Cabrera CFAlex Rodriguez 3BJorge Posada DHHideki Matsui RFJose Molina CRobinson Cano 2BMorgan Ensberg 1BAlberto Gonzalez SSAndy Pettitte LHP (0-1, 5.40 ERA)ROYALSJoey Gathright CFMark Grudzielanek 2BMark Teahen LFJose Guillen RFBilly Butler DHAlex Gordon 3BRoss Gload 1BJohn Buck CTony Pena, Jr. SSJohn Bale LHP (0-1, 5.68 ERA)NOTES:- It was raining in K.C. this afternoon but it's sunny now. Hopefully it turns out to be a nicer night than last night, the forecast doesn't look too promising however.- Why does Girardi continue to play Matsui in the field? Abreu should be starting in right.Yanks vs. Ba
Cliff Schecter has a new book coming out May 1st:
Thinking about voting for McCain? Read this book. Cliff Schecter's hard-hitting profile explores the gap between the public record of Senator John McCain and his media image. Drawing on a range of sources and adding his unique perspective and humor, Schecter guides the reader though McCain's long history of expedient flip-flops, especially on his signature issues of national security and campaign finance reform. Far from a straight-talking maverick, McCain emerges as a temperamental political chameleon who will do or say virtually anything to become president of the United States. On issue after issue - including the invasion and occupation of Iraq, torture, abortion, and gay rights - The Real McCain reveals a politician who started as a Go
From the New York Times:
CBS, the home of the most celebrated news division in broadcasting, has been in discussions with Time Warner about a deal to outsource some of its news-gathering operations to CNN, two executives briefed on the matter said Monday.
Over the last decade, CNN has held intermittent talks with both ABC News and CBS News about various joint ventures. But during the last several months, talks with CBS have been revived and lately intensified, according to the executives who asked for anonymity because of the confidential nature of the negotiations.
Broadly speaking, the executives described conversations about reducing CBS’s news-gathering capacity while keeping its frontline personalities, like Katie Couric, the CBS Evening News anchor, and paying a fee to CNN to buy t
As the old adage goes, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. And despite the appearance of a multi-polar world, recent rumblings in the world of global finance suggest this saying still holds. Yet, the economic downturn is having effects much wider-reaching than the world of subprime and Bear Stearns.
This week, economists noted the role of rising Asian inflation on the rise in price for a number of products sold in the U.S.. Inflation has been on the rise worldwide, but coupled with troubles in the labor market, rising costs of everyday goods are causing many to cut costs and reduce everyday spending.
Along the same lines as consumer prices, the rising cost of food is also causing worry worldwide. Whether it's due to rising fuel costs that make transporting goods to the marke
Regular Season Game 9Yankees (4-4) @ Royals (5-2)Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MOGame Time: 8:10 PMTV/radio: YES - WCBS 880Here are the lineups:YANKEESJ. Damon DHR. Cano 2BB. Abreu RFA. Rodriguez 3BH. Matsui LFJ. Giambi 1BJ. Molina CM. Cabrera CFA. Gonzalez SSStarting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy (0-1, 23.14 ERA)ROYALSJ Gathright CFM Grudzielanek 2BM Teahen LFJ Guillen RFB Butler DHA Gordon 3BR Gload 1BJ Buck CT Pena Jr. SSStarting Pitcher: Zack Greinke (1-0, 1.29 ERA)NOTES: -Peter Abraham is reporting some good news about Jorge Posada; according to the KC team doctor he has been diagnosed with a shoulder strain and should only miss a few days. “It’s good news because it’s not serious,” Posada said. Girardi also said that Posada can DH.- He also reported that Morgan Ensberg will go on t
When Pakistan’s civilian government came to power last month, the U.S. State Department immediately sent representatives to ensure Pakistan’s commitment to the U.S.-led “war on terror”. While the government pledges its commitment to fighting extremism, it will not simply rubberstamp American policies as Musharraf may have done in the past.
Though Pakistan’s recent decision to talk to militants may run in the face of America’s cone code of silence, it looks like the government’s determination might lead to the turning over of a new leaf in the “war on terror”. As Pakistan’s Dawn reports:
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has said that the United States has nothing against Pakistan pursuing a political approach to c
The WTO has issued the latest ruling in its longest running trade dispute — EU banana imports.
In a case brought by Ecuador the World Trade Organization ruled that the EU’s historical, formalized trade preference for bananas from its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific rim, constitute unfair trade practices against Latin America, a decision which may allow Ecuador to issue trade sanctions against the EU. More commentary here.
Also in Europe…this week in the UK a new law came into effect that will make it easier for corporations to be prosecuted and fined for manslaughter. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act lessens the burden of proof necessary and raises possible fines in cases where companies are charged with negligence.
But many
Putting myself on the line by keeping a list of all my official predictions in one place. Let's hope I am more successful than Mike Podhorzer's dating record.
So here is a list of my official predictions that I have made here and on the radio show. I am not counting any pure speculations. Feel free to add any others I might have missed. I am not including the Division Winners et al here since
Putting myself on the line by keeping a list of all my official predictions in one place. Let's hope I am more successful than Mike Podhorzer's dating record.
So here is a list of my official predictions that I have made here and on the radio show. I am not counting any pure speculations. Feel free to add any others I might have missed. I am not including the Division Winners et al here since
The Contentious French have their go at the Beijing Olympics, protesting at several sites along the route that the Olympic torch took through Paris. It certainly isn’t the first time there’s been a protest or boycott of the games.
A court in Zimbabwe has said that it will rule to force the release of the results of the recent Presidential election, in which opposition leaders claimed they have won. The ruling will come down tomorrow.
Iranian Labor Leader, Mahmoud Salehi, was released Sunday after serving a year-long prison term for union-organizing activities. Salehi, who was supposed to be released on March 23, had been on a hunger strike after Iranian authorities refused to release him, accusing him of “communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issu
Hugo Chavez announced plans to nationalize Venezuela’s cement industry. As justification, he accused the companies of polluting, and restricting local supply to boost prices while at the same time increasing foreign exports to boost profits. He said the state would pay “whatever it costs” to nationalize the industry, which join the telephone, oil and electricity industries under the Venezuelan government’s thumb.
The French government is becoming more and more active in their fight for the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a FARC hostage who has dual Colombian / French citizenship. Making good on the importance placed Sarkozy placed on Betancourt’s release, his government offered to freed FARC prisoners refuge in France. The prime minister, Franocis Fillon, said &
