Apparently I need to go through some kind of therapy or become a politician. I am getting more and more annoyed by the culture I live in. I am so proud of it sometimes and so fricking pissed off by it other times. How is it that we are so enamored by the death of a celebrity yet so lackadaisical regarding world events? I know I rambled on in my last post about the lack of news coverage regarding Iran, but seriously how is it that we care about Jackson and Fawcett more than the suffering of MILLIONS of people around the world.
I see top headlines on Google about a man that died, a woman that died and crap about a guy who cheated on his wife in South Carolina. Is that really more important that the daily deadly blasts in Iraq, the attacks in Nigeria, the terriable human rights violations in Palestine, China and Egypt and the horrific things happening to the people in Iran? Is this what we have become? A people more connected with our celebrities than the rest of the world? Ask anyone on the street who
Heidi and
Spencer are and I bet 95% know. Now ask them who
Jalal Talabani is and I will guarantee only 5% know who he is.
I saw a tweet from
@bandcandy that said it perfectly for me: "This whole 'CNN relies on Twitter for news' thing is all Iran's fault. They're quoting MC Hammer's tweets right now."
Don't get me wrong I am sad for the families of the deceased, and the family of the Gov. Sanford. I just don't believe that the troubles of a few should outweigh the cries of so many.
I would really like to know... How many of you who read this had to click the links to find out who Heidi and Spencer are and how many of you had to click the link to find out who Jalal Talabani is. Please be honest even if you need to post anonymously to tell me. I am really interested.
There is almost no coverage of what's happening to Iran right now... Other than Twitter, Aljazeera and BBC I cannot find ANYTHING! How do you not report on a country that has rioted the way they are, with citizens terrified to leave their houses, with a government that cut out all mobile and internet networks within the country, that is blocking television channels? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY?!?!?
Imagine what you felt during the 2000 elections... except this time the nation knows George Bush circa 2008 and he is running against Obama. Now imagine you believe the Bush rigged the election and they put Obama on house arrest, cut your cell phones off, cut your internet service, shutdown satalite news stations and just ran a goverment sponsered news channel on your TV. Now you go to the streets to protest, just for being outside you will be shot by rubber bullets and beaten by police. HOW THE WOULD YOU FEEL IF THE REST OF THE WORLD IGNORED IT?
I am so pissed off right now that these so-called 24 hour news companies are failing so badly. This election affects the entire world not just Iran. This affects our relations with the Middle East and it affects the entire stability of the Middle East.
I'm hearing great news around the water cooler. Not only did Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts officially
drop it's plans to open a hotel in downtown Chicago but Trump has a
temporary "truce" on his loans from Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas. This means that in a down economy that a new competitor will not emerge and that we all still have a job, for now.
The Shangri-La opening is not good in the sense that it would have provided another 400 or so jobs in Chicago, but it is good in that it keeps us with the staff we have rather than cutting more jobs.
I hope things start to turn up or it won't matter what happens, we will all be in the unemployment line.
The administration's stimulus bill is already having a positive effect on both the welfare of this nation and the welfare of our planet.
Bonneville Power Administration is going ahead with their project to add electrical transmission to Oregon. The added capacity will enable a total of 870 MW of energy, including 700 MW of wind power, to be be serviced by BPA. During construction about 700 jobs will be created. Construction is expected to begin as early as this spring.
It's not an amazing new green technology but 700 MW of wind power is great. The 700 jobs is even better.
via
EcoGeek
The New York Post has published a
political cartoon that shows President Obama as a bullet-ridden chimpanzee laying dead in the streets while two cops with gun are standing over him, one saying "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
I look at this and think that's it's a person's view of the disdain the public will show if Obama's stimulus bill doesn't help the economy, referring to a
chimpanzee who mauled a woman just a day ago. I see the link clearly; a beloved animal who the mass public now sees as dangerous to the population rather than cute being compared to the current White House administration who many see as a redeemers to the US but if his bill doesn't work and hurts the economy he will be seen under the same light as the harmful chimp.
Not once did I think to scream "RACISM!" or even whisper it under my breath. I don't think it's because I'm naive, as some would have me think, I think it's because I'm not looking for it. I'm not looking for a way to make the world see there are still racists there and President Obama didn't heal the world by taking the oath of office we all know they are there.
The Al Sharptons and the Jesse Jacksons of the world are the reason people see this as racist, because they have us hunting for the bad in people rather than taking a cartoon for face value. Until they fight for people's rights and stop fighting for their publicity we will have arguments like this one.
Now, I do find the cartoon to be rather unfunny and not very thought provoking thus making it not very useful as to what political cartoons are for. All that said, I do not believe the NYP
should issue a public apology or a retraction.
UPDATE: I sleep during the day so during REM I missed this:
In a statement, Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said: "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."
-Good for you Mr. Allan.
"No one ever died because of pot."
Really?
How about the 20yo "Good Boy" pot dealer
shot 3 times in the head, the 25yo dealer who "had his head and throat smashed in with
[a gym barbell]," or the 41yo who was so high he drove his car into
oncoming traffic.
If that's not enough for you
The LA Times has published an article about a link between a form of testicular cancer and smoking marijuana. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle has found a 70% higher risk of testicular cancer in those who were using pot and an even higher risk associated with younger age at first use and frequency of use.
"It's not just that you develop testicular cancer, but you develop a worse type of testicular cancer," said Dr. Glen Justice, director of the cancer center at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley,
Guys, think of your boys the next time you want to light up.
PLEASE REMEMBER
YOU DO NOT DRIVE BETTER HIGH! DON'T GET HIGH AND DRIVE!
The work face is a mask we all have to wear sometimes. We all know that while in the work face we can't do anything that would disrupt normal business, even if it's something we commonly do after hours. For me that would be politics, and last night my mask didn't fit so well.
I was having a normal conversation with some engineers about the daily events at the hotel when one asked if I knew anything about what President Obama said to A-Rabs. Now right away my first instinct was to say no, but I hate ignorance more than anything, and maybe some knowledge would help breed some tolerance, so I explained. I told them what he had said and that it was mainly about Middle Eastern peace and separating the relationship between the Muslim Faith from the terrorist organizations.
This is where everything went downhill. The guys know that I know quite a bit about whats going on, so they ask "What would you do?" This is the part where you tighten the strings on the work face and move on before things get worse, well I took it off completely. I started with what seems now as a rehearsed speech about economic reform rather than military tactics, assisting rather then dictating and looking from their perspective of the past and present not just ours. Somehow we got onto the Palestine-Israel conflict and I stated my feelings about the Israelis being the biggest problem in the region. Then one of them says "The Jews are God's chosen people, it's their land, just blow up the other guys." At this point I lost my lid an flew a little off the handle, to a point where I'm sure HR would have taken issue. Of course acting like that will never change his mind so I calmed down and we all went our separate ways.
So I printed out the information from Wikipedia on
the conflict, and hopefully that will let him understand it more. This way he can make an more informed decision and I don't have to want to take off the work face to kick someone's ass.
I'm disgusted with a world that allows so many to be persecuted, killed, starved and destroyed like their lives mean less than another's. The monstrosities in Gaza, Darfur, Pakistan, Sudan, the Congo and so many other parts of the world have been made to seem as if they are of no importance. We can send tens of thousands of troops to Iraq but do nothing while the Israeli Government commits genocide.
This is a great article I found on CAIR-Chicago's (Council on American-Islamic Relations, Chicago Chapter) website of how everyday people can help the US Government in the right direction. The origional article can be found here:
CAIR-Chicago.
10 STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP PALESTINE
January 11, 2009
CAIR has outlined 10 positive, pro-active steps concerned Americans can take to help end Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, restore the cease-fire and the flow of humanitarian aid and promote a more balanced U.S. policy in the Middle East.
SEE:
Israel Broke Gaza Cease-Fire (CNN)
Gaza Hospital Overwhelmed By Dead, Wounded (AP)
For live coverage from Gaza click here
ACTIONS REQUESTED:
1) Take part in local marches and protests. Help organize peace rallies that condemn the massacre of innocent civilians.
2. Visit your elected representatives during the upcoming “Day on the Hill” in Washington, D.C., sponsored by a coalition of major Islamic organizations. Contact 202-384-8857 for advice on meeting with legislators.
3. Visit the local offices of your elected representatives to talk with them about the need for a more balanced Mideast policy. Use CAIR’s “Legislative Fact Sheet” on the Gaza crisis.
You can also learn how to arrange to meet elected officials and best practices for meeting with your representatives
You can also learn how to arrange to meet elected officials and best practices for meeting with your representatives on CAIR's website.
4. Write or call President Bush and members of Congress. Talking points:
* Israeli attacks block efforts to bring peace with justice to the Middle East, harm our nation’s image and interests worldwide and strengthen voices of extremism in the region.
* The Palestinian people must be given some hope of freedom from Israeli occupation and domination.
* Israel’s immoral and illegal collective punishment of the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip must end.
* America must support a just and comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that takes into account the rights and responsibilities of all parties.
* American taxpayer dollars should not be used to for weapons that kill Palestinian civilians.
Ask your elected officials to adopt an even-handed Middle East policy that is in our nation’s - not Israel’s - interest.
Contact President George W. Bush: White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111, Fax: 202-456-2461, E-Mail: comments@whitehouse.gov ; vice_president@whitehouse.gov
Contact Your Congressional Representatives: U.S. Senators and House of Representatives
5. Contact President-Elect Obama to ask that he speak out now in favor of a more balanced and pro-American policy in the Middle East that takes the rights of all parties to the conflict into consideration.
Contact the Obama administration transition team here.
6. Sign CAIR’s online petition urging our nation's leaders to speak "in favor of peace and justice for all parties in the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip." When completed, the petition will be sent to elected officials nationwide and will be given to members of the current and incoming administrations.
7. Use Friday prayers to educate members of the Muslim community about the plight of the civilian population in Gaza and the need for a balanced Mideast policy, a cease-fire and the resumption of humanitarian relief. Urge community members to take the actions outlined in this alert.
8. Monitor local media coverage of the Gaza crisis. Contact those media outlets to either praise balanced coverage or to criticize biased coverage. Call in to radio talk shows and write letters to the editor to express your views. To find local and national media contact information, click here.
Post comments on media websites and blogs that discuss the crisis. Begin your own blog and link to other sites that support a balanced American policy in the region. Start a free blog at: http://www.blogger.com.
Use social media tools such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, to make your views known and to share your views with like-minded individuals and groups.
9. Organize meetings between Muslim and interfaith community leaders and members of your local newspaper’s editorial board.
To meet with a newspaper editorial board:
* If possible, gather evidence of any media bias in the newspaper. (Also look for examples of positive, balanced coverage.) Save one-sided news articles or video clips. Record talk shows. Follow a newspaper’s editorial position. * Build a coalition of local leaders.
* Plan for the meeting.
* Get together for a strategizing session and assign duties.
* Present your case. Be clear about goals. Stick to your points.
* Conclude with specific a request for more balanced coverage and input from those who support peace with justice in the region.
* Follow-up. Send a letter outlining agreements reached.
Contact CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper for more information on coordinating a meeting with an editorial board or contacting media outlets. Call 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com
10. Contact the State Department to call for action in defense of Gaza's civilian population. Call 202-647-4000 and ask for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs or click here.
Apparently if you get less than 7 hours sleep you have a 47% greater chance to develop cancer. Fan-effin-tastic! I quit smoking and start exercising, but I'm gonna die from lack of sleep. Awesome! Here's the whole article from
Reuters if y'all are interested in reading about how we are all gonna die. Man I am feeling optimistic. I'm going to bed.
Like a long lost relative coming home, the elections are here. Most people suffering from election fatigue will finally have relief.
At 12am Eastern polls open in the little village of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Their vote isn't necessarily a tell tale sign of the rest of the country or even the state, but it will be neat to see which way the 21 registered voters will go.
I can't wait to see this country finally head in a new direction, with a Democrat leading the Senate, the House and in the Oval Office. I am not a Democrat, I'm actually a
Green which is a little more down-left than a Democrat but not as far as to call me a socialist. This is a chance for the Democrats to make a difference. If they fail to do so, I believe the country will finally see that the two party system and it's parties have been outdated. Most of us already know that the "typical" Republican is outdated, shown by the fact that only 25% of Americans are "card carrying" members of the GOP. The other fact is that the rest of the world sees our Dems as right of center and our Repubs as extreme up-right.
By the way this is the new
political compass.
This is my
Compass.
Find out your place on the Compass.
Mom sat in the car to wait while Dad took his four sons up to a house with a lit porch to do some final trick-or-treating. The neighbor hears what he believes to be fireworks, some Halloween mischief. The reality was that 22 year old Quentin Patrick fired at the family approaching the home in Sumter, South Carolina, about 40 miles East of Columbia.
One of the boys, age 12, was fatally wounded and later died in the hospital, while his father and brother sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Patrick, is charged with murder and assault and battery with the intent kill. He is currently in police custody.
"The investigation is continuing into what has been a very tragic evening," Ms Patterson was quoted by the AP as saying.
"Our sorrow and sympathy goes out to this family."
She said there were other people inside the house at the time of the incident, but she did not expect any of them to be charged.
What the hell is going on is this world when someone shoots a children trick-or-treating in South Carolina, when someone shoots a pregnant woman in the head at a stop light in Chicago, when some coward shoots an innocent 11 year old twice in the head after he's been kidnapped and probably seen his grandmother and uncle killed in Chicago, when a moron doesn't put a safety lock on his hunting rifle and a 9 year old is killed in St. Clair, or when gang members get involved in someone else's business and a stray bullet kills a 3 year old in LA? Why is it that when gun violence has consistently killed small children that people advocate the present standards to the ownership of guns? Why do we as intelligent adults want to have automatic rifles legal in the United States? Why is a poorly written amendment to our Constitution held to mean what it wasn't intended for? If you can answer those questions reasonably, you obviously know something I don't.
Next time someone tells you that guns don't kill people, trigger fingers do, ask them to attempt to bury that finger through a human skull or through a breast bone. When they tell you that it is impossible, remind them of their prior statement.
Why not? His approval rating is at 29% (According to "Faux News") so there's nothing to loose, and everyone in the country is addicted to the presidential race so noone will even notice.
Today is the first day that the US strike killing 8 in Syria *SUNDAY* has made it to the front page of any major news source, at least that I have seen, and that was only for a few hours on Google News. So if you haven't heard the US went several miles into Syrian
territory to the Abu Kamal border community, and had a firefight with a group on the ground with a couple of helicopters, then took the body of the one they were after. The target was Badran Turki al-Mazidih or "Abu Ghadiyah", a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure who operated a network of smuggling fighters in and out of the country. Now Al Jazeera reports that 4 of the dead were children.
Wait it gets better. Washington has yet to even formally acknowledge the raid. Even better, Syria has threatened to pull their troops off the border and basically screw any form of border security if the US doesn't formally apologize and knock it off.
So yesterday hundreds of riot police set a perimiter around the US Embassy in Damascus just before a crowd of tens of thousands headed to a central square for a 2 hour peaceful protest of the attacks. Now the preemptive riot police and the fact that in a counrty where you are arrested for protesting I can only assume that this was goverment-orchistrated. None the less the fact that is was peacefull still gives me hope that Bush hasn't started another fight that he can't finish.
The mother and brother of Chicago's Englewood native Jennifer were found dead at 3pm today in what appears to be a domestic dispute. J. Hud's nephew 7 year old Julian King was abducted as well during the incident at 71st and Yale on the city's south side.
Police have suspect William Balfour in custody, as well as several others but say that Julian is still missing. An AMBER AlERT was issued for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban with license plate #X584859. They might also be in a teal or green Chrysler Concord with a temporary license plate, a left front headlight hanging out and scratches on the left side of the vehicle, police said.
According to state records Balfour was paroled in 2006 after convictions for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and receiving stolen property. Sounds a little to familiar. This douche bag extraordinaire claims to not know the location of the child or of the events that occurred.
Murders happen all to often in this city and it's saddening thing. But what bothers me is when the victims are truly innocent, not "He was planning to turn around and was a talented musician" or "He was a good kid but did some bad things," but a truly innocent person. Or when it involves a young child. These are things that don't need to happen and this scumbag should be quartered.
The
Winnipeg Sun reported that police were dispatched to a call of a man on a roof causing a disturbance, who was apparently intoxicated.
When the Staff Sgt. Liz Chisholm arrived on the scene, the man stripped down to his sandals and did the bunny hop on the roof while slapping his ass. He did all this while drinking tequila out of a bucket.
Now don't get me wrong I dislike Canucks like the rest of the red-blooded American population, but how can you not love anyone who knows the bunny hop and drinks tequila out of a bucket. Now as for the slapping of the ass and being on the roof naked, you can find that at any collegate institution in America. I hope he gets off and someone throws a a few singles in his sandal strap.
So Dumb and Dumberer take their friend's lifeless body to a currency exchange to cash a social security check, and
succeeded.
Apparently James O'Hare and David Daloia, had been placing their friend Virgilio Cintron in an office chair and going to the currency exchange with his check for months, three times a month. "He looked like that every morning," Daloia said "I didn't know he was dead."
Dip and Shit got arrested on charges of attempted forgery, attempted possession of a forged instrument and petty larceny. Miraculously some mystery person paid out their $1,000 each bail, and I'm sure they couldn't have been happier.
Now Mr. Daloia just doesn't understand why this would gain so much media attention. "I robbed banks that got less coverage than this."
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