Saturday, March 7, 2009

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Tabby Biddle: A Life Of Service: For Love, Money or Both? Top
The recession may not only be changing household budgets and habits, but also challenging longstanding gender roles. The New York Times reported that 82 percent of the job losses in the recent months have befallen men. For many households this means that women who once were full-time homemakers are now switching to be full-time careerwomen as their husbands are getting laid off. Although not thrilled that their husband has lost his job and the family income has taken a nose-dive, women are finding opportunity in the situation, fulfilling personal desires and career goals. Others however are not entirely sold on the idea that they will be both the main breadwinner and caregiver in the family. And of course there are the many women who have been doing the balancing act between motherhood and career woman for plenty of years. For most, there has been a battle between guilt for leaving their child for a job, or guilt for choosing to stay with their child instead of taking a job. With more layoffs, comes even more pressure. Last week in The New York Times Sunday business section there was an article and graph that caught my eye entitled " Why is Her Paycheck Smaller ?" As an obvious advocate for parity of pay between women and men, I stopped my page flipping to check it out. I knew already from government stats that women in full-time jobs make 80 cents to the man's dollar. But I was not prepared to see this set out before me in a graph...the visual cold hard facts. What I saw was not okay. In jobs such as education administrators, marketing and sales managers, real estate brokers and retail sales, women actually earn 30% less than their male counterparts (70 cents to the man's dollar)! In other industries such as advertising, finance and food service, women are earning 20% less. Teaching, bookkeeping and waiting tables, 10% less. The only areas where the graph showed parity of pay? Postal service and shipping clerks, data entry keyers, ticket agents and special education teachers. The graph showed me that in most industries, women are earning between 10 to 35% less than men. Oooh la, la. This was shocking. Fortunately, in its first week, the new Administration made pay equity and fairness to women in the workplace a priority. On January 29 President Obama signed a bill , the very first bill of the new Administration, expanding a worker's right to sue for wage inequalities to push employers to reduce gender discrimination. "It stiffens penalties for employers who discriminate based on gender and it protects employees from retaliation for sharing salary information," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro , Democrat of Connecticut and chief sponsor of the bill. While the bill helps women move toward salary equity in the workplace, it does not address a bigger question on my mind: What are we going to do about the service sector jobs that pay incredibly lower rates than management and business positions? I bring this up because the current reality is that more women work in the service sector where wages are low and more men work in management and business where wages are higher. Pre-recession, a family could have been earning $200,000 from the husband's management position combined with his wife's work as a full-time teacher, for example. Now that same family is living off of $35,000. Another family that was earning $300,000 from the husband's financial services job is now living off $30,000 without any health insurance or unemployment insurance from the wife's two part-time jobs as a medical assistant and bookkeeper. I suppose I am digging into a few issues here, but it all concerns me. Let's look at it this way: Numbers show that most women are working in the areas of education, healthcare and other service industries. How about we place a higher value on service work? What I mean by that is more take-home dollars for the teachers of your children and the nurses who help us heal. What are your thoughts? How can we do this?
 
Morgan Tsvangirai Leaves Hospital After Crash; Party Calls For Probe Of Incident Top
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai left the hospital bandaged and mourning his wife Saturday after a car crash that his supporters blamed partly on insufficient security provided by President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change called for an investigation into the collision with a truck carrying U.S. aid, but cautioned against concluding that it was the latest assassination attempt against the longtime opposition leader. Friday's crash nonetheless "could have been avoided" if Tsvangirai had the kind of motorcade that usually travels with Mugabe, said Tendai Biti, the country's new finance minister and Tsvangirai's No. 2 in the party. An MDC official who was traveling with Tsvangirai said the premier's Toyota Land Cruiser was accompanied by three vehicles with MDC security and one with Mugabe's agents, but not the kind of motorcade with dozens of cars and motorcycles that usually transports the president. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Tsvangirai was headed to a weekend rally in his home region when the accident occurred. State television said the truck swerved on an uneven and notoriously dangerous single-lane stretch of road on the outskirts of the capital, Harare. Tsvangirai's spokesman said the car carrying the prime minister, his wife, driver and bodyguard had sideswiped the truck and rolled at least three times. Susan Tsvangirai, 50, was pronounced dead soon after arrival at a clinic about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Harare, said Ian Makone, a secretary in the prime minister's office and a member of his party. The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the driver and bodyguard were injured. Tsvangirai's brother, Casper, told reporters Saturday that the bodyguard had gone home and the driver remained hospitalized but not seriously injured. Mugabe sent the prime minister's family a message that called Susan Tsvangirai's death a "tragedy that has fallen on our nation at a time of great hope for our country," state radio reported. The president also said the nation was praying that the prime minister's recovery "be swift and complete." Biti said there should be a probe of the collision and a review of Tsvangirai's security. "We cannot talk of foul play ... until it has been proved what has really transpired," Biti said. He did not say whether his party had requested a larger convoy for Tsvangirai at any time before the crash Police spokesman Superintendent Andrew Phiri told The Herald the truck may have struck an object on the road before it veered. The Herald said the driver and occupants of the truck were taken to a police station, but it was not clear whether they had been arrested. A U.S. Embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official spokesman was unavailable, said Saturday that the truck involved was transporting AIDS medicine donated by the U.S. government. It was driven by a Zimbabwean hired by the United States. Associated Press reporters saw Tsvangirai leaving the hospital Saturday evening with a baseball cap pulled over his bandaged head. His spokesman, James Maridadi, said Tsvangirai was going home, where a steady stream of visitors were paying their respects. Some appeared to be preparing to spend the night on the lawn. Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo, head of casualty at the hospital, said the prime minister had head injuries and chest pains and was expressing sorrow over his wife's death. Makone said the couple's children were flying to Zimbabwe from Australia and South Africa and funeral arrangements were being made. Tsvangirai, who turns 57 next week, formed his Movement for Democratic Change a decade ago. As it emerged as a serious political challenger, Tsvangirai repeatedly faced the wrath of Mugabe's ZANU-PF. He has been beaten and was once nearly thrown from a 10th floor window by suspected government thugs. He was sworn in Feb. 11 as Zimbabwe's prime minister in a power-sharing deal meant to end almost a year of deadly stalemate with Mugabe. The unity government was formed under pressure from neighboring governments who wanted Zimbabwean leaders to turn their attention to a growing humanitarian and economic crisis after years of rivalry between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980. Zimbabwe has the world's highest official inflation rate, a hunger crisis that has left most of its people dependent on foreign handouts and a cholera epidemic blamed on the collapse of a once-enviable health and sanitation system. The Tsvangirais, who married in 1978 and had three daughters and three sons, often went together to political events, but Susan Tsvangirai did not have a prominent public role. She once ran a sewing and catering businesses, according to an obituary issued by her husband's party. After her husband, a former labor union leader, went into politics, she turned her attention to women's and children's welfare issues, founding a trust that sponsored health, education and feeding projects. Britain and the United States, both supporters of Tsvangirai, sent condolences. South Africa, which played a key role in negotiating a power-sharing deal that made Tsvangirai prime minister, also expressed condolences. Mugabe spent about an hour at the hospital late Friday. He and other senior aides who also visited did not speak to reporters or Tsvangirai supporters gathered outside. More on Zimbabwe
 
Mark Goulston, M.D.: A Defining Moment Top
Greed = Feeling entitled to more than you deserve, sooner than it's possible, and becoming hostile, belligerent and retaliatory when thwarted, e.g. banks having a run on naïve, trusting, unsuspecting investors and depositors. Stress = When your feelings and impulses threaten to override your thinking, but with effort you can still maintain your focus on long term goals. Distress = When your feelings and impulses override your thinking, and your short term need for immediate relief overrides your ability to stay focused on your long term goals. Panic = What you do after you become completely controlled by your impulse to get immediate relief by either fighting or fleeing, e.g. when naïve, trusting, unsuspecting investors and depositors make a run on the banks. Envy = Wanting what others have. Jealousy = Begrudging others for having what they have and you don't . Healthy = Feeling entitled to exactly what you deserve. Honest and honorable. Comfortable in their own skin. Neurotic = Feeling you don't deserve what you're truly entitled to. Uncomfortable with lying. Not comfortable in their own skin. Personality Disorder = Feeling entitled to what you don't deserve. Uncomfortable with candor. Comfortable getting under other's skin. Narcissistic Personality = America as seen through the eyes of the world (and hence their reluctance to help now that they don't need up to protect or financially support them). Borderline Personality = Spend 90 % of waking hours keeping others from controlling or abandoning them. Spend the remaining 10 % eating, sleeping and shopping for groceries. Needful = Leaning into others. Needy = Leaning on top of others. High Maintenance = Easy to upset; difficult to please. Low Maintenance = Easy to please; difficult to upset. Catch Mark live on Monday, March 9, 2009 at 9 AM PST on Total Career Success speaking on "Don't Sabotage Your Career!" More on Barack Obama
 
Mary Lou Song: Letters to Obama: The Stimulus Plan Top
We continue to share our Letters to President Obama. Because the stories should be told, and your voices should be heard. _____________ By sangvind Dear President Obama; I would first like to say that you are a great American. You're a true Believer, strong in your convictions and willing to stand up for your beliefs and take action no matter what the cost. I admire your courage and your desire to lift up those who are unable to carry their heavy burdens in life. I see your desire to bring the world together in understanding and protect the vulnerable the uneducated the homeless, hopeless people of inner city ghettos. I've thought long and hard about your stimulus plan and budget. As an uninsured, independent business owner approaching 61, I suppose I should be thrilled to see all the new and expanded social programs. However, as a father and grandfather, I worry. Personally I would rather work the rest of my life than burden my children with debt before they have a chance to experience the freedoms I enjoyed as a young man. I was forced to see a doctor a few years ago about some pain that I was having in my right leg. After a short exam and a few questions, he informed me that I was suffering from sciatica. There was pressure being placed on my sciatic nerve. He went on to explain how the nerve in my back was surrounded by protective muscle tissue, that whenever the nerve was threatened it would send a message to the brain in the form of pain, the brain would in turn send a message to the protective muscle to contract around the nerve and protect it from damage. As the muscle contracts around the nerve tighter and tighter, a vicious circle occurs. The nerve cries out in pain, and the brain continues to call for protection. Without drug therapy and proper exercise, they will die and I would experience numbness in my feet. My brain didn't want to kill the nerves in my back, only protect them. Nevertheless, the damage will occur. Is it possible that government is acting like the human brain, trying to protect, not seeing that the muscles (taxes) are squeezing the life out of small businesses and families, while chasing larger businesses offshore and taking valuable jobs with them? I feel our country is falling victim to internal forces that will, if not tended to, rip the heart from her chest. Greed, envy, power, jealousy, vanity, arrogance, and gluttony. I see and hear them every day. People buying expensive cars and homes they can't afford, keeping up appearances, impressing friends, and Government officials not living to the ethical standards that they expect of others. It is my sincere hope that you have considered all the ramifications of your bold actions. My prayers go with you and all my fellow citizens.  Hear other American voices. Read Letters to the President. And write yours on Tokoni . More on Economy
 
John Amato: "Leave Limbaugh Alone" Top
Those mean liberals are beating up on Rush Limbaugh! The horror! The horror! This is, as Kos notes, the right-wing whine du jour , keyed by Karl Rove. I just wanted to beat Glenn Beck to the burst-of-tears thing ... Digby sent me an e-mail saying that a reader from the Burnt Orange Report had mentioned doing a takeoff of the " Leave Britney Alone " video from Chris Crocker, this time about Rush Limbaugh. Since Limbaugh is running the GOP now, I thought that he could use a little back up from us lefties, right? Michael Steele certainly hasn't helped the GOP or Limbaugh very much. (John Amato is the founder of CrooksandLiars.com )
 
US Envoy: "Common Ground" In Syria Talks Top
DAMASCUS, Syria — A senior U.S. envoy visiting Syria said Saturday that there is common ground between Washington and Damascus but cautioned not to expect an immediate breakthrough after years of tense relations. There were few tangible results from Saturday's meeting, part of the Obama administration's effort to engage with America's foes. But both sides clearly showed they wanted better relations, despite lingering differences such as Syria's backing for militants and its alliance with Iran. Jeffrey Feltman, top diplomat on the Mideast, said he had a "very constructive" discussion with Syria's foreign minister and a presidential adviser. "We found a lot of common ground today," he told reporters. "But in terms 'do we expect this result or that result out of this particular meeting?' I think that's simply unrealistic at this point." The U.S. withdrew its ambassador to Syria in 2005 following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The killing in Beirut was widely blamed on Syria _ a charge Damascus denies. Differences between the two countries "will require more work," Feltman said. "I would expect that the Syrians will be thinking about what we had to say, just as we'll be thinking about what the Syrians had to say, and each of us can look to see if there are ways to address the differences." Syria, for its part, said the two sides were in agreement on the "importance of continuing the dialogue to achieve goals that serve common interests and bring about peace and stability to the region," according to the official news agency SANA. America has long wanted Syria to drop support for militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas that oppose the Mideast peace efforts and hopes to peel Syria away from its alliance with Iran _ two demands Syria rejects. Washington would welcome Syrian help on Iraq, Lebanon and inter-Palestinian reconciliation, something the Syrians have said they are doing. Feltman pointed out that both sides agreed on the benefits of a stable and secure Iraq. In the past, Washington has accused Damascus of failing to prevent anti-American Islamic militants from crossing its border into Iraq, but Syria has said it was doing all it can. The Syrians want a strong American hand in Mideast peacemaking to regain territory they lost to Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Improvement in bilateral ties also could result in easing economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed by Washington. Feltman said the United States wants to see momentum on the Syrian-Israeli peace tracks when the parties are ready. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking during a visit to Turkey Saturday, indicated it was early to say which way relations with Damascus would go. "We are just at the beginning of exploring the issues that we must discuss between us." Clinton said. "We have not decided on any next steps." But U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who last month met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, went further than the administration's cautious approach. He proposed several days ago that the United States provide "financial incentives" to encourage Syria to make peace with Israel. He said it benefits Syria if Assad looks West for new relationships and added that "sanctions can always be tightened again if Syria backtracks." Assad has welcomed improved ties, something he has long sought, but was hampered by the Bush administration's attempts to isolate his country. Assad has said he is impressed by President Barack Obama's friendly gestures but was still waiting to see results. More on Syria
 
Clinton Talks Fashion Sense, Falling In Love With Bill On Turkish TV Top
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a sideshow to diplomacy, lamented on Saturday her fashion sense, divulged when she fell in love and shared how she dealt with personal struggles. Appearing on a popular Turkish television chat show, Hadi Gel Bizimle (Come and Join Us), Clinton tackled a few diplomatic questions but the main focus was on her personal life, such as when she "last" fell in love. More on Hillary Clinton
 
Ned Goldreyer: Recession or Depression: Which is Right for You? Top
What is it with this economy already? Are we in a depression, as many believe, or merely a recession, as many believe? Could it possibly be some third, other thing, like a punishment from angry Cherokee spirits? A tracking error? Is it the fault of so-called "international bankers," as prominent antisemiticians maintain? Time once again to turn to the Simplificator, for an explanation in terms even I might understand as to what exactly is going on. This current economic holocaust began officially some months ago, when it affected me. I lost whatever job it was I had, and since I'm sure I was great at it, or I at least showed up, there is no doubt that my firing resulted directly from a worsening economy. My sustained inability to find subsequent employment is further evidence of growing world-wide financial collapse. Economists disagree on what distinguishes a recession from a depression. This is a big reason why no one respects economists. They want us to think of them as scientists, but they demonstrably are not. Real scientists can make accurate predictions based on previous experience. Tomorrow morning the sun will come up. Wednesday all fountain drinks will be half-off at I-HOP. Global warming is going to kill us all. Unlike scientists, no economist has ever accurately predicted anything. All they do is describe what's already happened, guess the reason, and then come up with an excuse why, when the exact same circumstances come around again, the situation that follows is nothing like it was the first time. Some people would say this is a lot like having a "system" for betting at the track. Idiots would disagree. Years ago the country experienced what will soon be called the First Great Depression. It was a time of almost universal suffering and want, when shiftless bums aspired to the respectability of unemployment, anything that could be swallowed was considered food, and children as young as three months routinely climbed inside dead carriage horses to pull the swells around town in exchange for cigarette money. Historians refer to this period as America's golden age. But all were not destitute even in this bygone era of universal moneylessness. Oil tycoon John Delano Rockefeller, the last man in the country who still owned a wallet, boasted holdings estimated at nearly $280. Film stars, the movie stars of the day, earned fortunes exploiting the public's desperate need to escape from their misery. For eight cents a family of six could see a matinee beginning at noon and not have to leave the theater for a month. Some people utterly forgot their hopeless squalor until the lights came up and they saw who they were sitting with. Even today, there is comfort in the fact that not everyone is suffering. The ultra-super-mega-rich have retained more than enough wealth to fund the disgusting excesses that we covetously condemn them for. Flying around naked and stoned in their quintillion dollar space mansions, they look down at us and laugh at our antic attempts to survive. Although much of humanity will soon perish of starvation and shame, the rich will carry on the banner of our species, buoyed by a glorious sense of relief that they are not us. Just imagine it. For them, life is no terrifying lurch from one anemic paycheck to the next, where joblessness means ruin, despair, loss of friends, family, home and self-esteem. The very least of their number control vast sums that do not require them to work, and live in houses they actually own. I have never met anyone like this, but I have seen them on tv. It is healthy and right to hate these people. Experts assure us that this (rece/depre)ssion, like all those before it, will eventually end. This is because they, along with beer companies and cable providers, receive massive government support to keep us from rioting. Some experts say it will take months, others years, but whether they foresee a short or long term crisis couldn't really matter less to them, because they all have well-paying jobs pretending to figure out why the rest of us are out of work. The First Great Depression ended at the beginning of World War II. This is a total coincidence. True, the war re-employed the entire global workforce, created whole new industries, and killed off over five percent of the world's population freeing up jobs, land and resources. Most agree, however, it was Roosevelt's WPA, by restarting the careers of literally dozens of muralists and playwrights, that was the real engine behind the recovery. Government leaders assure us that resolving the present situation will not require a world-wide military catastrophe. One will soon begin, though, and our economy will once again return to productivity, with the lion's share of credit justly going to President Obama's program of installing solar panels on selected middle schools. More on Economy
 
Jayne Lyn Stahl: What to do about those pesky Gitmo detainees? Top
What should we do with detainees currently held at Gitmo after the base is closed? I say we should allow detainees to be brought to the United States if for no other reason than to establish socioeconomic equity. Who knows? Bernie Madoff might even be persuaded to put up a couple dozen detainees in his $7 million Manhattan condo, but if more space is needed, there are several luxury highrises nearby on the Upper East Side that might serve equally well as temporary living quarters for some of those higher octane enemy combatants. Of course, if Mayor Bloomberg objects, or Madoff enters a guilty plea, gets a slap on the wrist and, in effect, prevails, he gets to keep his many millions and the condo, both of which are in his wife's name (and yes, there is an Easter bunny), there's lots of prime real estate in the Hamptons, or Palm Beach, that would be perfect for these political pariahs. The good news is that there are only something like 245 detainees left at Gitmo, so finding suitable lodgings for them might not be as difficult a task as, say, finding housing for the many thousands who have lost their homes as a result of foreclosure, and the scalping they got at the hands of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the big city banks, and the stock market. So, given that the so-called war on terror has relegated 95% of America to a financial holding cell, it makes perfect sense to look upon these detainees as our new roommates!
 
Washington Planning For Big Bank Failure Top
The government is bracing for a big bank failure. A bill introduced in Congress would give the FDIC, the agency that stands behind Americans' bank deposits, temporary authority to borrow as much as $500 billion from the government to shore up the deposit insurance fund.
 
Dr. Tian Dayton: Anxiety: What We Have in Common with Baboons Top
Human beings aren't the only ones who experience stress. All vertebrates--fish, birds, and reptiles--respond to stressful situations by secreting the same hormones that we humans do, such as adrenaline and glucocorticoids, which instantaneously increase the animal's heart rate and energy level. Our fear response, remember, is nature's way of keeping us safe. We all have it encoded into our DNA, whether fish or fowl, human or animal. But fish and reptiles metabolism doesn't get derailed and deregulated the way it does in people and other primates, like baboons for example. Baboons and people, it seems, are both intelligent enough to think our way into lots and lots of stress. Dr.Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University found that "Primates are super smart and organized just enough to devote their free time to being miserable to each other and stressing each other out. . . . For example,having your worst rival taking a nap one hundred yards away gets you agitated." A professor of biological and neurological sciences, Sapolsky has spent more than three decades studying the physiological effects of stress on health. "If you're a gazelle, you don't have a very complex emotional life, despite being a social species," he says. "But primates are just smart enough that they can think their bodies into working differently. It's not until you get to primates that you get things that look like depression. . . . If you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves sick." Sapolsky's team has found that baboons, especially "type A" baboons, often have chronically elevated levels of stress hormones that impact their health negatively. "Their reproductive system doesn't work as well, their wounds heal more slowly and they have elevated blood pressure. . . . So they're not in great shape." Interestingly, both low-ranking and type A baboons are among the most susceptible to stress. But here's an interesting finding, relationships and social connections can actually counter this stress response. Baboons who need baboons, it turns out, are the luckiest baboons in the world, just like people who need people. Among baboons, social isolation may play an even more important role than social rank as far as stress goes. "Up until fifteen years ago, the most striking thing we found," says Sapolsky, "was that, if you're a baboon, you don't want to be low-ranking, because your health is going to be lousy. But what has become far clearer, and probably took a decade's worth of data, is the recognition that protection from stress related disease is most powerfully grounded in social connectedness, and that's far more important than rank." That's why when you're feeling stressed out, calling a friend, gossiping with a co-worker or going out for a walk or lunch with someone you can make you feel so much calmer.And human beings can even take stress reduction to another level, we can do something that animals aren't equipped to even conceive of. We can think creatively. We can imagine ways of seeing a situation, for example, of reframing and understanding it that can turn what could be a stressor into something that we don't worry about or that we can manage differently. We can reflect and come up with imaginative and novel solutions. Human beings can, in short, conceive of and create change; we can use our minds to reframe, to see things in a better light. "We are capable of social supports that no other primate can even dream of," says Sapolsky. For example, I might say, "This job, where I'm a lowly mailroom clerk, really doesn't matter. What really matters is that I'm the captain of my softball team or deacon of my church"--that sort of thing. It's not just somebody sitting here, grooming you with their own hands [as in the primate world]. We can actually feel comfort from the discovery that somebody on the other side of the planet is going through the same experience we are and feel, I'm not alone. We can even take comfort reading about a fictional character, and there's no primate out there that can feel better in life just by listening to Beethoven. So the range of supports that we're capable of is extraordinary. We can use our creative imaginations to get all tied up in knots or to do just the opposite, to enjoy and relax into the life we're living. tiandayton.com
 
Dave Cooper: Tennessee Rep: Earthquake Caused TVA Disaster Top
Knoxville, Tennessee State Representative Frank Nicely (R-Strawberry Plains) is the kind of guy who says what he thinks - no matter what the facts say. For example, while introducing legislation in the 104th Session of the Tennesee General Assembly to combat the deadly scourge of eco-terrorism in south Knoxville, Rep. Nicely stated that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was "a leaderless terrorism group - they just kind of spring up sporadically." PETA, which has offices located at 501 Front Street in Norfolk Va., is led by the well-known activist and author Ingrid Newkirk. Rep. Nicely also stated PETA were "left-wing eco-greenies" that "drive spikes into logs so it will knock the teeth out of the sawmills." When asked if he knew what the acronym PETA stood for, Nicely replied "People Eating Tasty Animals." The video of Nicely introducing his bill - with animal noises and explosions added - is posted on line here . According to the official Tennessee General Assembly website , Rep. Nicely is a member of the "National Riffle Association." At first I thought that meant he liked to paddle his canoe in the rapids, but judging by his comments about PETA, I guess it's just a typo. Now Rep. Nicely has uncovered the real causes of the recent 1 billion gallon TVA coal ash disaster near Kingston over the Christmas holiday - turns out it wasn't careless neglect or gross incompetence by TVA - no, it was an earthquake. Rep. Nicely says that "they think that earthquake got that forty-acre pond, fifty-five feet deep of this sludge just got it a-quivering." But what about all the arsenic in the coal ash that was accidentally dumped by TVA into the nearby Emory River? Federal Toxic Release Inventory data shows that in just one year, TVA placed 45,000 quivering pounds of arsenic compounds in their Kingston ash mountain. Since the Kingston plant has been in operation for over 50 years, it seems probable that over 1 million pounds of arsenic compounds were dumped into the river during this disaster. The EPA has found arsenic in the Emory River downstream of the spill site at 150 times the safe drinking water standards. But Rep. Nicely assures the public not to worry: "The stuffs not really hazardous .... well, it doesnt have any more arsenic than farmland has ... it's not that bad." Isn't it great to know that Tennessee taxpayers have elected Representatives like Frank Nicely looking out for the public health and welfare? Maybe Tennesseeans could even adopt a new state motto. Instead of the boring "Agriculture and Commerce" they could change it to "Tennessee: It's not that bad."
 
Brazil The One Country That Might Avoid Recession Top
Brazil is no stranger to economic crises. In the 1970s and '80s, Latin America's economic giant turned financial mismanagement into an art form. The current global turmoil has not left Brazil unscathed: stock prices, exports and growth are all down. But something interesting is at work this time around, and the best place to see it is in one of Brazil's favelas, the vast urban slums that are desperate even in the best of times. Walk through São Paulo's sprawling Brasilândia, though, and you don't sense the relentless doom and gloom gripping other cities in the world. Take Efigênia Francisca da Silva, who exudes middle-class expectations and remains positive despite the tsunami of bad news. Thanks to a government scheme to encourage entrepreneurs, the once dirt-poor housewife has received some $8,000 in low-interest bank credits in recent years and now owns three shops that sell everything from shampoo to public-transit tickets. "I didn't have a bank account before," says Da Silva, 37, standing beneath graffiti-covered walls and pirated power lines. "I never had a car. I bought a Fiat Palio." Does she fear the global recession will quash her dreams? "I trust Lula. I don't think we'll be hit that hard." More on Brazil
 
Christopher Brauchli: Rush and Joe -- The Republican Party's Future Top
They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. The Holy Bible , Matthew Many of my readers have been wondering what happened to the leaders of the Republican Party since the election when the party took such a beating. Here with a report. The leader whose career has generated the most interest is, of course, Joe the Plumber. Many people thought Joe would complete whatever training he needed to become a licensed plumber. That was not to be. Unlike John McCain, who returned quietly to the United States Senate to continue his life as a senator, and Sarah Palin, who went back to Alaska to resume being a governor, Joe went in a brand new direction. He became a correspondent for Pajamas TV . His first assignment sent him to Israel, a position for which he was uniquely qualified. Before the 2008 election he had an extensive interview with Shepard Smith of Fox News in which he explained why a vote for Barack Obama was a vote for the "death of Israel." The interview was lengthy and I'll not try to synthesize Joe's cogent explanation in a few hundred words. It was no surprise, however, to learn that because of his incisive analysis of Mr. Obama's position he was hired by Pajamas and sent to Israel. A quick review of Pajama's webpage gives an idea of the kind of in-depth reporting Joe did from there. Joe posted many stories including "what he thinks Israel's response [to the proposed cease fire with Hamas] will be based on his conversations with regular Israelis", and an analysis of "what the media should and should not do in time of war." After completing his assignment in Israel he returned to Washington where, according to a posting on Pajama's website, on February 5 he was asked to "investigate the stimulus package" proposed by Mr. Obama. On February 11 the site said he had a report wrapping up "his investigation of the stimulus bill for PJTV." His next big assignment was to be part of the Conservative 2.0 Conference that was being held in conjunction with the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2009 convention that took place February 26-28. Joe was to participate in a panel entitled "Bias in Media and Education." His appearance there was also listed in the CPAC agenda. Joe was not the only celebrity to be part of the CPAC meeting. Many of the failed presidential candidates from the 2008 election season were there to make their suggestions as to how to save the country from the plight into which George Bush had thrust it. Their main message was that whatever the new president was doing was wrong, ignoring the fact that the recent election suggests that much of the country thought everything they'd done during the preceding eight years was even more wrong. The main speaker was not, however, a failed candidate but an icon of the conservative movement and someone who said shortly after Mr. Obama's inauguration "I want him to fail." The speaker was none other than Rush Limbaugh. According to reports Mr. Limbaugh was slated to speak for an hour but because he had so much to say, he spoke for almost an hour and a half. Explaining what he meant by saying he wanted Obama to fail he explained that the president's plans include "rampant government growth, wealth that is not being created yet . . . being spent" and it is that policy that he hopes will fail. It is clear what Joe's future might be. He could be another Walter Cronkite. It is less clear what Rush Limbaugh's future is. White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, observed that Mr. Limbaugh is the "voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party." He pointed out that whenever a Republican criticized Rush, the critic found it necessary to "run back and apologize to him and say they were misunderstood." Mr. Emanuel was probably thinking of Michael Steele, the new Republican National Committee chairman. Responding to CNN's D.L. Hughley's statement that Rush is the "de facto leader of the Republican party," Mr. Steele said that the title belonged to him and went on to say that Rush is a "mere entertainer" whose show is "incendiary" and "ugly." Using his golden microphone, Rush went on the attack the following day referring to Mr. Steele as a "so-called Republican" and saying the party needed a little leadership." In response to Rush's attack Mr. Steele retreated saying: "My intent was not to go after Rush-I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh. I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. . . . There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership." Now that that we all agree he's the leader we can move on. It's not too early to focus on the upcoming presidential elections in 2012 and it's certainly not too early to suggest that an ideal Republican ticket would be led by Rush Limbaugh with Joe the Plumber as his running mate.
 
Chloe Spencer: Teenagers Get Serious! Top
Many people tend to not take teenagers seriously in complete honesty when they say they want to do something or they have a goal. It's true they're still young and changing their minds often, and figuring out what their interests are, but when a teen is really motivated about something and determined to achieve it, you better believe they will. I sometimes don't stick to my plans I have had for a specific goal, or even ever complete that goal. It's only human to have changing interests and wavering attention when growing up. But this doesn't mean I can never achieve something even if I really want to at the time. I learned that if I set my mind to something, I can achieve it. This is what I live by, and it certainly gives me more inspiration than sitting around being negative about what I can and can't do. Shoot for the stars. Live your dreams. That is how I think everyone should live their life. At the Elite Retreat last month (see my previous post), Gary Vaynerchuk was talking about the same concept. Don't be afraid to have too big of a dream. The bigger, the better. What use is a dream if it's something easy or simple, or something you wouldn't have to work hard towards to accomplish? And if you are really passionate about this dream, then you've won. You've just put yourself above everyone else trying to do the same thing but without real passion or fire, or a love for it. And what difference would it make whether you're 45, 25, or even 17? Humans are all capable of success. One just needs the determination and strength of mind. "Young and successful", today, go together like waffles and maple syrup! Teens and young people all over the world have discovered niches where they can be extremely successful. Whether it be making Myspace layouts, like Ashley Qualls , or like Harrison Gevirtz , with arbitrage and affiliate marketing. Kids are passionate about what they're into, and have all the tools to be successful with access to the Internet. Online success is sky-rocketing, and success in young people is soaring right along with it. If you are a teenager, believe in yourself and strive to achieve even your biggest goals. If you have a teenager, encourage them to live out their dreams and try not to be doubtful, no matter what they may be shooting for. Believe in them! And those that are skeptical about teenagers accomplishing what they've set their mind to, or making decent even huge amounts of money on their own, read some of the stories I have linked to on other "whiz" kids. Ashley Qualls is the perfect example. I've spoken on panels with many other tech-savvy teens at other conferences too! Perhaps you may even want to check out my story--take a look at ChloeSpencer.com . Or you can read my story on BloggerStories.com , an interview from 2006, when I had just started my first website. I know I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm certainly on my way. The path to my goals is lying right in front of me, and I'm only just beginning to take the first steps.
 
Olivier Kamanda: Climate Change Changes More Than Just the Weather Top
This month, ten underprivileged youth from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in order to draw international attention to climate change in Africa. The U.N. Special Advisor on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfred Lemke announced, "This year's climb will highlight-with the melting ice of Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop-how global warming has a direct impact on the living conditions of individuals and communities throughout the world." But the mountain range is not the only region of Africa devastated by climate change. What does climate change look like in Africa? In 2005, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair was quoted in the Economist describing the context of climate change in Africa: The size of [Africa's] land mass, means that in the middle of the continent, overall rises in temperature will be up to double the global rise, with increased risk of extreme droughts, floods and outbreaks of disease. Unfortunately, the African coastline has not been spared either. NASA has identified a link between warming of the Indian Ocean and decreasing rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. In fact, rainfall levels have dropped 15% since the 1980s according to the NASA Global Precipitation Climatology Project . But climate change has had the most profound impact on fishing and aquaculture in Africa. Fishing stocks are particularly vulnerable because of a process known as "oceanic acidification." According to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) in Africa, the oceans operate like "enormous vacuum cleaners," naturally absorbing the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere . But the oceans are capturing more CO2 than ever before, making the water more acidic than the ecosystem can handle. The increased acidity impairs fish larvae from growing healthy "shells, skeletons and cell coverings," and developing into adulthood. A similar phenomenon is apparent in lakes and other smaller bodies of water. Small fishing communities are the most likely to be immediately affected. Overcrowded fishing ports and low yields can have disastrous effects on small-stock fishing villages. And unfortunately, Africa is home to fourteen of the 20 countries whose fishing supply is most vulnerable to climate change . The first full-scale study into the effect of climate change on fisheries, conducted by the WorldFish Center, notes that the least developed countries are often the most dependent on fishing industries. The study illustrates the need for sustainable development models that are 'climate-proof.' But it also demonstrates that climate change affects more than just the environment and the economy. The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution making climate change a human rights issue. In Africa, poverty, disease, and violent conflict often consume the attention of policymakers and development workers. New scientific research on the impact of climate change on the continent should cause these policymakers to integrate their solutions. As the youth ascending Mount Kilimanjaro know, there is much more at stake than the melting snow cap. More on Africa
 
Adam Lioz: "We were trained to mislead borrowers" Top
One every 13 seconds. That's how many families are losing their homes to foreclosure. More than 8 million families are at risk. And, this is no accident. In Brave New Foundation's provocative new film on the housing crisis, a California mortgage broker admits on tape that he was "trained to mislead borrowers" and get them into the most expensive loans. President Obama knows that we need to tackle this crisis head on--that putting hardworking families out on the street doesn't just hurt them, but drags down housing prices across the board and keeps our entire economy in a rut. In February, President Obama announced a plan of action, and asked Congress to send him legislation allowing bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of troubled mortgages. The House of Representatives is answering Obama's call, and will vote on the proposal tomorrow. Judges already have this power for boats, cars, and investments--just not for people's primary homes. Experts estimate that this common-sense solution could save nearly 2 million homes. But, the very people who got us into this mess are fighting President Obama's efforts to get us out. Even though Citigroup and other big lenders who once opposed allowing bankruptcy judges to help have come around, the Mortgage Bankers Association won't budge. We need to tell the Mortgage Bankers Association to back off. Telling the bankers what we think will also send a strong message to our elected leaders: we want action to save our homes now. This is critical because while we expect the measure to pass the House today, Republicans are likely to try to block Obama's proposal in the Senate. Visit www.ProgresssiveFuture.org/HousingCrisis to view Brave New Foundation's short film and send a message to the Mortgage Bankers' Association. More on Bankruptcy
 
Paula B. Mays: Bread for the World Leader Calls for New Obama Cabinet Level Agency to End World Hunger Top
I have written before about interesting Sunday Forums at the Washington National Cathedral and last week´s Forum was no exception. The Forums are held virtually each week at the National Cathedral and feature Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III in conversation with various persons of note about a variety of current topics. http://www.nationalcathedral.org/learn/sundayForum.shtml The March 1st Forum featured Bread for the World President David Beckmann, http://www.bread.org/about-us/david-beckmann.html, and what he said is worthy of national note. Bread for the World is a Washington D.C. based organization whose focus is on eradicating hunger around the world. While religious in origin, its policy focused mission is both ecumenical and secular. The organization describes its mission in large part as policy change. " By changing policies, programs and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities in which we live ." http://www.bread.org/about-us/our-mission.html. Beckmann, who works to eradicate hunger with singer and co-founder Bono and actor Brad Pitt in the relief organization known as ONE, http://www.one.org/blog/category/people/singersmusicians/bono/ indicated that the poorest people around the world have predictably been the most adversely effected by the present economic recession. Sadly, the number of people in developing countries living in abject poverty has jumped from 850 million (a number which had remained virtually constant for decades), to 1 billion in the last few years. The price of basic grains needed for survival in many countries, he notes, has risen 50-100% in the last 2 years. With these daunting statistics, Beckmann calls for reform of U.S. foreign assistance policy, particularly with regard to foreign aid delivery. There are "flaws in the delivery of foreign aid ," he stated; and he claims the economic recession is the perfect time for reform." This is the year to fix foreign assistance," asserts Beckmann, and he added, fixing foreign assistance now will have a lasting positive international and domestic effect. Mr. Beckmann backs up his claim by citing examples of food riots breaking out in several developing countries which will likely only escalate if the growing hunger trend in developing nations continues. This Mr. Beckmann implies, is a threat to our own national security. To remedy this, his ultimate dream is the creation of a separate Cabinet level agency called the Department of Global Development whose sole interest is that of foreign and domestic aid distribution. Beckmann sees this reform as bi-partisan and calls for such an effort to ameliorate food aid distribution. The U.S. has made great strides in reducing disease and extreme poverty he admits, but this progress is presently under grave threat. I for one hope we can look beyond our own economic woes and see the importance of efficiently and effectively eradicating world hunger, a problem that does not need to exist in this century. I wish that Beckmann´s dream of a separate and focused agency to do so will be realized, because as Mr. Beckmann declared, " It´s the right thing to do."
 
Comedy Controversy: Is Joking About Rihanna's Beating Over The Line? (VIDEO) Top
At the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy, that airs this Sunday, comedian Lisa Lampanelli made a joke about recent reports that Chris Brown brutally beat his girlfriend Rihanna . The stories of domestic violence within their relationship, have been buzzing for weeks on news sites that have uncovered Brown's death threats, pictures of Rihanna post attack, and the fact that couple is back together , much to the chagrin of her fans. Lampanelli seized on this story and said of Larry the Cable Guy's catch phrase "Git R Done": "You've beaten that concept so hard it's now dating Chris Brown. Best joke ever." Roasts are notoriously harsh and foul mouthed, but some are concerned that this was over the line. TMZ called it "the most tasteless, hilarious joke ever" saying : "It's wrong in every possible way, shape and form, but when Lisa Lampanelli decided it was time to exploit Rihanna's horrible, tragic situation at the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy -- people couldn't help but crack up." Two weeks ago, 50 Cent apologized for making a joke about the situation on his Website saying: "There's a point when you're already past a woman fighting you back. You look at the picture, and it's obviously past that point. There's some issues there that definitely gotta be addressed. Not to take any shots at Chris or Rihanna or take sides in any way, but it's really not cool. It's not funny anymore, so there will definitely be no more reference to that from me in any way." WATCH: Roast of Larry the Cable Guy Sunday March 15, 10p/9c Preview - Lampanelli on Git-R-Done Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games More Funny Videos More on Comedy Central
 
Carine Fabius: Blacks in the Corridors of Power Top
While doing research for a book, I somehow landed on a radical right wing, racist website, the online version of a magazine whose name I won't mention because I'm a firm believer in not helping unimportant and negative people generate attention just because we talk about them--like the long-legged blonde who says anything, no matter how vile or outrageous just to get media coverage; or the cigar-chomping, drug-addicted radio guy who gets off on inciting his listeners to hate. Just to sidetrack for a minute, I am reminded of the time, years ago, when the village of Coconut Grove in Miami was leafleted with news of an upcoming demonstration by members of the Ku Klux Klan; the neighborhood's weekly newspaper published a front page piece that said, What if the Ku Klux Klan Held a Rally and Nobody Showed Up? And, in fact, nobody did. The following week's paper showed a picture of a dozen or so white, pointy headed ghosts looking mighty silly and lost with no one around to heckle them! In any case, there I was on this website, reading an article that started out reasonably enough but got more suspicious by the minute. And then I noticed a picture of President Obama over on the right hand side of the page, with a photo caption that read "The Beginning of Black Rule?" Um, that was when I realized something was definitely wrong (I'm a little dense sometimes). In his piece, the writer described being interviewed on a left-wing radio show, during which plenty of listeners had called in to call him a racist. But by the time he got back to his office, he'd received a slew of emails commending him for saying out loud what so many are thinking; and, payments for new subscription requests had arrived in droves. He posted some of the numerous encouraging comments that had flooded his inbox in order to illustrate the conclusion to his piece, which was meant to comfort his readers, and which really gave me the chills: Don't worry, you are not alone out there. Being a black woman and all--plus I'm a Haitian immigrant, which makes me a double insult--I was perturbed, to say the least. It's not that I am naïve enough to think that we were already living in a post-racial society--far from it. It's just that the writer and magazine publisher, along with the people commenting on his piece sounded so not like a bunch of yahoos. They sounded like intelligent, educated, well-informed people who live in abject fear of the rise of non-whites in their midst. The end of the white nation, as they know it (all the while conveniently forgetting that it was a "red" nation before whites came along, massacred the natives and claimed it as their own)! Succumbing to an insecure moment, this you are not alone bit got me wondering how many people in my immediate environment actually think like this? But I didn't linger there very long because I'm not paranoid by nature. My next thought was, I wonder how many people in Congress and in the Senate feel this way? How many of them are secretly horrified at having to accept Obama as the leader of the United States, and at having to accord him the respect and decorum befitting the Oval Office? And, more importantly, how much of that sentiment drives our current discourse? There goes that race card bullshit again , some of you may be thinking right now, but you'd be wrong. I don't see racist bogeymen around every corner. Many of my best friends are white (!), including my husband. Sure, the right's irrational and united resistance to Obama's suggested fixes of our country's problems are fueled in part by differing ideology, and the drive to retain power and relevance. But, I think it's also driven by pure, unadulterated fear. And, knowing the enemy you're up against is the first step toward coming up with a winning strategy. Painting "Tainted Yellow Lady" by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié
 
Washington, DC Steps Into New Starring Role On TV Top
Washington, until now a surefire setting for a TV flops, is suddenly hot. Through most of TV's history, Washington was a simple idea: It's where the president and Congress did their unseemly business, sometimes heroically, sometimes comically.
 
Lisa Dale Norton: Rush Limbaugh, The GOP and Their Story of Fear Top
I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with obstructionist politics. Oh I know, the Republicans have an ideology to uphold. You can tell me I don't understand the intricacies of the political system, and you might be right, but as an author and story expert I do understand the power of a story. I know that when Republicans in Congress walk around telling everyone Obama stimulus policies will fail, then they hold only that paradigm of possibility inside themselves. They live it, breathe it, they become it. They make it reality. Obama is a man of hope. He is an optimist. He believes in the power of holding a different kind of story inside himself. He walks that reality, that story, in the world. The details of his story were evident in his ambitious plan for this country. Can we possibly achieve all his dreams? Maybe not, but at least he has dreams, big ideas, new goals. Republicans cling to the old Goldwater-esqe goals wearing blinders. That fearful stand in the world is the story they walk, the story they bring into reality. What we have here are two very different stories about what matters in the world: the possibility of change and hope, bolstered by clear-eyed realism, and the possibility of mired angst and retrenchment, bolstered by naysaying and fear. With the GOP--lead by Rush Limbaugh and hoping for a Reagan resurgence in the likes of Bobby Jindal--holding steady in their tight paradigm of fear and retrenchment, and weighing down our country in the process, we will never be able to live a new story as Americans. What does that mean, live a new story? The story you tell yourself inside your head and heart about what is real in the world, becomes your reality. Only if you shift that story, only if you give up the old paradigm of obstruction and partisanship--fear--can a new reality dawn. It really is that simple. More on Bobby Jindal
 
Karzai Accepts Aug. 20 Presidential Vote Top
KABUL — President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that he accepts the recent decision by the country's election commission to hold the presidential vote on Aug. 20. According to the Afghan constitution, Karzai's term ends on May 21 and a vote for president should be held 30 to 60 days before that. But the country's election commission has said the vote will be held in August because of security issues, bad spring weather, and a lack of money for the distribution of ballots. However, a late summer vote leaves a three-month gap between when the constitution says Karzai's term ends and the new elections. Karzai on Saturday said because the vote was being held in August, his term should be extended until after the results are in _ a solution to a possible constitutional crisis that opposition leaders have already said they will not accept. But Karzai said he was consulting with legal authorities about a possible extension and would soon announce the results of those conversations.
 
Stephen Josephson: Do Social Websites Hurt Kids' Brains? Give Me a Break! Top
Recent "experts" have warned that young vulnerable brains are harmed by daily exposure to certain social networking websites such as facebook, twitter and myspace. The putative damage includes the inability to delay gratification, attentional deficits and a propensity for self-centeredness. This small group of "chicken little" neuroscientists seems to believe that one can equate the effects of exposure to the computer with life events such as parental absence, abuse and neglect. What is most interesting is that there is not one controlled study on this topic with relevant pre and post measures of brain function. While it is true that the younger generations are increasingly interested in text messaging and emailing as opposed to calling, social changes in how we communicate with each other are difficult to study, let alone change. Online social networks include over 100 million kids and seem to keep them both in touch with each other and provide the feeling that they are part of a larger community. Both of these results seem desirable in my estimation in light of the role that social support seems to play in health and well being. It is well established that depression is often a result of feeling lonely and unconnected to others. Medical studies emphasize the therapeutic role of perceived social support in recovering from illness. The fact that our kids seem committed to doing more than one thing at a time and/or like a lot of stimulation is neither good nor bad; it merely reflects the change in our pace of life and an increase in the amount of information coming at all of us, which we are struggling to digest let alone deal with. I think that rather than wasting our time trashing online websites, we should be thinking about how to provide therapeutic or helpful content and use these clear conduits into kids' brains to plant positive seeds. While younger brains are clearly more vulnerable and have greater plasticity, we are just beginning to understand how life experiences lead to the formation of new positive neuronal connections and learning. Studies with Alzheimer's disease suggest that people who are constantly learning novel tasks, are physically active and have significant social contacts are less likely to develop dementia. These findings have resulted in a large number of software products and multimedia technology designed to keep elderly minds' healthy. Is it all that different for kids to play with video games and interact on websites? From my perspective, the social nature and amount of stimulation kids get with these websites may be quite helpful for the brain. I think that a shorter attention span in kids may have developed as a necessary adaptation to the information overload we are all receiving. While it may appear that these changes are recent vintage, medical researchers in the 1960's described a stress syndrome ("Type A Behavior Pattern") which included polyphasic thinking that tried to keep pace with the "time urgent/hurry sickness" accelerated pace of life. These adaptations are slow in coming and may be related to Type A/ADD types both being attracted to, and procreating with, similar types thus strengthening the genetic expression. In addition, there is a tendency for genes to be expressed more forcefully over generations and so shorter attention spans may be a result. I am not a geneticist so I am not in a position to assert whether these changes are functional or structural...suffice it to say that "something is happening here...what it is ain't exactly clear..." The days of slowly digesting a book or newspaper may no longer be the norm. Some of this unfounded criticism may be Boomers throwing punches at Generation Xers because they know how to use the computer better than us. We clearly need to understand these phenomena before we judge them. More on Twitter
 
Paul Abrams: 44.6% = "War on Capital and Investors", "Punishment", "Class Warfare", "Socialism", "Stop Working After Making $249K" Top
The Obama Administration proposes to raise the top tax rate from 35% to 39.6%. According to the Wall Street crowd, this 4.6% tax hike on adjusted gross incomes over $250,000 will sound the death knell of free markets, the work ethic, and incentives for success. Kudlow calls it a "war on capital and the investor class" and "punishing" the most successful people who create jobs. Jeff Macke of "Fast Money" said that people should work until they made $249,000, and then take the rest of the year off. To Hannity, and to Rush, it is class warfare, and socialism. Never ones to ignore the opportunity to create meaninglessness out of nothing--so long as it is a cheap way of drawing viewers--the media subjects us to a parade of experts, politicians, 'strategists' to yap away, never mentioning that all the vitriol, all the vented spleen, all the phoney high-minded principle, is about... 4.6% . That's it, 4.6%. That's what the yapping on these talk shows are about (with apologies to Seinfeld)...nothing!. Here's the impact: Earn $1 million today (of adjusted gross income, i.e., after deductions), and one would be left with $650,000. If the Obama plan passes, that same person would be left with $604,000. [Of course, each would be somewhat higher, due to the top rate not kicking in for the first $250,00 of adjusted gross income; but trying to keep this simple]. So, let us consider Jeff Macke's advice to stop working once earning an adjusted gross income hits $249,000, and (without going to tax tables) estimate that he would be left with, say, $190,000. In order to avoid paying an extra $46,000 in taxes, Macke would forego $414,000 of post tax income. And, this man is on CNBC as a financial advisor! Or, take Kudlow's whine that the 4.6% is "war on capital and the investor class". That extra 4.6% prevailed during the 1990s. If the venture capital that spawned the software, online, communications and biotech industries in the 1990s considered a tax rate of 4.6% higher to be "war", that war was about as effective as Bush's war on terror. The venture capitalists and entrepreneurs and many of the employees never missed that 4.6%, they were too busy creating 23 million new jobs. True, some of that money was taxed at capital gains rates-- but those were also 3-5% higher than they are today. Nor did it hurt that the Treasury ran a surplus...yes, the "s" word...preparing the nation for the retirement of the baby boomers. Until, of course, George Bush waged his war on behalf of the already-privileged, destroying the financial basis of the country's safety-net even before destroying the financial system itself. As Tom DeLay told us, "nothing is as important when you go to war than cutting taxes". [Actually, during Vietnam, there was nothing as important--to DeLay ("those damned minorities took all the places") and Bush( "no" when asked if he would volunteer for overseas duty) and Cheney ("other priorities") and Limbaugh (pilonidal cyst) and Bill Kristol ("too young", although born in 1952), and Judd Gregg (acne) and Pat Buchanan (bad knee) and Saxby Chambliss (bad knee) and Newt Gingrich (bad knee)--when going to war than ensuring someone else went in their place.] But, for Iraq, the top priority was cutting taxes, not providing body armor for the troops or healthcare when they returned, not to mention keeping the costs "off-budget" and beggaring the Treasury as the boomers began to retire. No other country had ever done this before. It was Bush's version of American exceptionalism. And, all this time, for the last 8 years, we were, apparently, without knowing, just 4.6% away from being socialist. Don't believe me--ask Rush or Hannity what Obama's proposed increased tax rates mean. Just 4.6% away from socialism. And, here I thought that my sleeplessness over these last 8 years was because George W Bush was President... More on Taxes
 
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Race Baiting Michelle---Again Top
The race baiting ploy never worked with presidential candidate Barack Obama and the one or two times it has been tried with President Obama it hasn't worked any better. No such luck with Michelle Obama though. During the campaign Obama bashers eagerly grabbed at race to attempt to tar Michelle as a closet anti-American, race obsessed, black radical. There's still the occasional dredge up of the out of context statement Michelle made during the campaign allegedly questioning her faith in America, and the supposedly less than reverential reference to the flag. This is to pick at the First Lady and by extension President Obama. But that's old hat. The recent visit of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown cracked the window just enough to toss mud again at Michelle and of course hope some of the mud splatters on the President. The sore point, actually two sore points, was Obama's supposed paltry gifts to Brown. This followed closely on the heels of Obama's decision to return the bust of Winston Churchill that former President Bush cherished in the White House back to the British. A muck raking writer in the British tabloid UK Telegraph went berserk and accused President Obama of being an ingrate, delivering a damaging blow to British-American relations, and sullying the name and image of a world icon. The blame for the President's alleged villainy was dumped on Michelle; even likening her to the poisonous Shakespearean femme fatale Lady MacBeth, the power behind the 17th Century Scottish throne. The British rag dug deep, a quarter century deep, and trotted out Michelle's undergraduate thesis at Princeton written in 1985 with the less than incendiary title, "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community." That was enough to launch the Telegraph writer into inter Galactic flights of conspiratorial fancy and see all kinds of dark and sinister meanings in the thesis. The paper tossed out more out of context quips such as " I will always be black first and a student second," and "Princeton made me more aware of my blackness than ever before," and "There is a distinctive black culture very different from white culture." In or out of context there's nothing here that could even be remotely considered a racial revelation of the ages, let alone merit tagging Michelle as the second coming of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan. But with not much else going to make the tired and pathetic case that Michelle harbors secret white antipathies that are evidently enough. There's nothing new about Michelle's Princeton thesis and its supposedly racially inflammatory bombshell. During the campaign a gaggle of conservative writers, GOP dirt diggers and bloggers had a field day imputing all manner of dark motives to Princeton's refusal to release the 96 page thesis. This was supposedly iron clad proof that candidate Obama and Michelle had something to hide and that Princeton was in cahoots in the cover-up. The Obama campaign gave lie to that and quickly released the thesis to the on-line political site Politico. The thesis was a first class thoughtful, research paper that used lengthy questionnaires, a survey, and interviews to examine divisions and strains in relations not between blacks and whites but between black Princeton grads and the general black community. This didn't matter much to the Telegraph. The point again was to take another swipe at Michelle on about the only thing that the handful of race baiting Obama critics still hope will have some traction on, and that's race. It won't be the last we'll hear of this. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is How Obama Won (Middle Passage Press, January 2009). More on Barack Obama
 
Parents Sue Over Prep School's Shutdown Top
When the students of the Conserve School in Wisconsin poured into the auditorium on a blustery morning early this year, they had no inkling of what would follow. Stefan Anderson, the headmaster, told them that the trustees were essentially shutting down the prep school because of the dismal economic climate. Its four-year program would be converted to a single semester of study focused on nature and the environment.
 
Video Of Nadya Suleman Giving Birth Top
Nadya Suleman has already appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's show twice now, once to introduce the world to the octuplets and declare her love for Jimmy , and once to get smacked around by her child on camera . In this third "exclusive" Kimmel gets his hands on the birth tape Suleman has been shopping around. Shockingly, babies don't come out of her after hours of pushing, one at a time, but fly out as if at the end of the world's longest water slide. The doctors and nurses seem both scared and hurt by this experience, but Nadya's lips and hair stayed in tact. WATCH: More on Nadya Suleman
 
Cathleen Falsani: U2'S SACRED PILGRIMAGE: 'I found grace, it's all that I found' Top
Without a line on the horizon, we may feel like there is no limit to how far we can go. But it also makes the seas difficult to navigate. That is, in many ways, where we find ourselves today. It's as infinitely terrifying as it is exciting. Where do we go from here and how do we find our way? U2's 12th studio album, "No Line on the Horizon," gives a few great answers, if you have the ears to hear and the eyes to see them. (I hope you do.) More than 25 years ago, when I dropped the needle on a U2 album for the first time, I heard the words of a familiar liturgy -- " Gloria in te domine, Gloria exultate !" punctuated by the keening sound of the Edge's guitar and followed by Bono's gnarly tenor shout-singing, "O Lord, loosen my lips!" My soul did a back-flip and kept on tumbling ... Earlier this week, while listening to "No Line on the Horizon," I felt that familiar movement in my spirit over and over again. First with the sacred anthem, "Magnificent," which tossed me in the air and sent me soaring. Listen to the words: I was born to sing for you I didn't have a choice But to lift you up And sing whatever song you wanted me to I give you back my voice From the womb my first cry It was a joyful noise... Justified until we die You and I will magnify Magnificent Some misled critics have booed Bono for that song, misinterpreting "I was born to sing for you" as a boast to his audience, rather than the prayer to his Maker that it is. (Mind you, this is the same lyricist who later on the album seemingly refers to himself as a "Napoleon" and cautions, "be careful of small men with big ideas.") There is plenty of rock-n-roll levity and grandeur on "No Line on the Horizon," but it is eclipsed by the heart and soul of this album -- perhaps the most dynamic gospel music I've ever heard. With The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton, Bono began the odyssey that became "No Line on the Horizon," at a rented riad in Fez, Morocco in June 2007 during the international Festival of Sacred Music. "[Bono] thought that our job was to create contemporary gospel music ... that we are essentially soul musicians that look for soul in what we do," Daniel Lanois, one of several producers on the new album, told Rolling Stone magazine recently. Fez is "a holy city for music and musicians," Bono said, and the band was on a pilgrimage -- to listen and to learn -- to go wherever the music (and the Spirit) took them. As he has for years, but not as explicitly so since 1991's "Achtung Baby," Bono, the band's chief lyricist, has laced "No Line on the Horizon" with the language and images of his humble Christian faith. The result, however, is a work of gospel music -- "gospel" in its literal sense as "good news" -- for people of all faiths and none. The ecstatic language and imagery Bono evokes throughout could have been penned by the Hebrew King David or Sufi Muslim poets Rumi or Hafez, as much as by a latter-day Christ-follower from Dublin. One of the most eloquent examples is "Moment of Surrender," which says in part: My body's now a begging bowl That's begging to get back Begging to get back to my heart To the rhythm of my soul To the rhythm of my unconsciousness To the rhythm that yearns To be released from control Faced with a horizon-less journey, isn't that what so many of us want right now -- to have someone else steer the ship? To lose control and surrender? The Spirit feels like the unnamed fifth member of the band on this album more than any other. Its presence is subtle, but powerful. Whether it's as an unknown caller (or perhaps the one the unknown caller is dialing), a comforting father who frees us "from the dark dream" and hands us "candy floss" and "ice cream," to the one who challenges us to walk into the frightening world with open arms (and hearts), God's love and grace is present. "God is love, and love is evolution's very best day," Bono sings in "Stand Up Comedy." "I've found grace inside a sound, I found grace, it's all that I found," he sings on "Breathe." In a beautifully confessional song (with a tune based on the 16th-century hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"), Bono seems to say that even when it feels like we've lost sight of what matters, what's real and enduring, it's right there. "White As Snow," which Bono says was written about a dying soldier's last moments in Afghanistan, says: Once I knew there was a love divine Then came a time I thought it knew me not Who can forgive forgiveness where forgiveness is not Only the lamb as white as snow U2 intends to release another album by years end, one tentatively called, "Songs of Ascent." Bono has said it will be "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage." I'd guess it'll be for a place that has to be believed to be seen. My bags are packed.
 
Late Night Jokes Of The Week: Obama's Swing Set And Hannity's Love For Limbaugh (VIDEO) Top
The late night hosts kept after Rush Limbaugh this week, with Leno and Stewart mocking his size and Colbert his media fans. Since Limbaugh's speech at CPAC in which he misquoted the Constitution and his run in with RNC Chairman Michael Steele, comedians have had plenty of fodder to for five nights of monologues. Among other things, Stewart quipped: "Conservatives held their yearly political action conference where Rush Limbaugh, wearing an outfit color coordinated with his soul, brought down the house. Hopefully next year they'll make it out of brick." More Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel below. To see more from this week, click here and here . WATCH: More on Funny Videos
 
Kepler Telescope Blasts Into Space To Find Other Earths Top
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's planet-hunting telescope, Kepler, rocketed into space Friday night on a historic voyage to track down other Earths in a faraway patch of the Milky Way galaxy. It's the first mission capable of answering the age-old question: Are other worlds like ours out there? Kepler, named after the German 17th century astrophysicist, set off on its unprecedented mission at 10:49 p.m., thundering into a clear sky embellished by a waxing moon. "It was just magnificent. It looked like a star was being formed in the sky," said Bill Borucki, Kepler's principal scientist. "Everybody was delighted, everybody was screaming, 'Go Kepler!'" Kepler's mission will last at least 3 1/2 years and cost $600 million. The goal is to find, if they exist, Earth-like planets circling stars in the so-called habitable zone _ orbits where liquid water could be present on the surface of the planets. That would mean there are lots of places out there for life to evolve, Borucki said. On the other hand, "if we don't find any, it really means Earths are very rare, we might be the only extant life and, in fact, that will be the end of 'Star Trek.' " Once it's settled into an Earth-trailing orbit around the sun, Kepler will stare nonstop at 100,000 stars near the Cygnus and Lyra constellations, between 600 and 3,000 light years away. The telescope will watch for any dimming, or winks, in the stellar brightness that might be caused by orbiting planets. Astronomers already have found more than 300 planets orbiting other stars, but they're largely inhospitable gas giants like Jupiter. Kepler will be looking for smaller rocky planets akin to Earth. Kepler is designed to find hundreds of Earth-like planets if they're common and, perhaps, dozens of them in the habitable zone, Borucki said. The telescope is so powerful that from space, NASA maintains, it could detect someone in a small town turning off a porch light at night. It won't be looking for signs of life, though. That's for future spacecraft. NASA was counting on a successful launch to offset the loss last week of the space agency's Orbiting Carbon Observatory. That environmental satellite ended up crashing into the Antarctic because of rocket failure. It was a different type of rocket than the one used for Kepler. Everything seemed to go well with Kepler's launch. ___ On the Net: NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/kepler
 
Peter Henne: A Progressive Strategy for US-North Korea Relations Top
Every neighborhood has that bratty kid, who insists on being allowed to play with the big kids, throwing a tantrum if refused. North Korea, the bratty kid of North Asia, is preparing to throw a tantrum of its own--recently announcing plans to launch a satellite --which poses serious threats to regional stability. A satellite launch is innocuous enough, except for the fact that it disguises a nascent long-range ballistic missile. This is a challenge, but it also gives the Obama administration a chance to break through two decades of stalemate in US attempts to rein in North Korea's nuclear program through a balance of strength and subtlety. By this point, the back-and-forth of US-North Korean negotiations have become all too familiar. Hard-line US positions result in North Korean intransigence, while US engagement seems to lead only to duplicity from the other side. Diplomatic initiatives during the Clinton administration and Bush's second term yielded little progress, while the "axis of evil"-driven hard-line stance of Bush's first term led only to a hardening of North Korean resolve. The problem stems from the nature of North Korea's intentions. Scholars of international relations have long debated whether states seek security or power, and North Korea does little to clarify the issue. Despite the hyperbolic rhetoric of the first Bush Administration, North Korea does seem to desire security, rather than domination over the region. The state's economy is almost nonexistent, and the regime of Kim Jong-Il perceives most of its neighbors (and the US troops on its southern border) to be serious threats to its survival. These factors have prompted North Korea to adopt a policy of brinksmanship - a fancy term for an international hissy fit - in order gain concessions from the US and its allies. Yet, North Korea has taken several steps--such as continuing nuclear development, kidnapping Japanese citizens, and the current missile launch--that seem difficult to reconcile with just the search for security. Such actions likely stem from personal quirks of Kim--the need for ever-increasing amounts of attention, reminiscent of that bratty kid--or a desire to attain rough parity with other states, rather than desire for regional hegemony. Yet, this means that North Korea will not just go away if ignored, and the instability of the state, combined with nuclear-tipped long-range missiles, could create a severe crisis. This produces a distinct challenge for the Obama administration concerning the upcoming launch. Pushing North Korea too strongly will be futile, and may even exacerbate the situation. Allowing North Korea to launch the missile with no challenge will signal our unwillingness to stand up to their brinkmanship. If North Korea crosses an internationally-agreed upon red line, though, it may face international anger and moderate its stance, as occurred after the 2006 North Korean nuclear test. Obama must call North Korea's bluff, but in such a way that wins the support of regional actors such as Japan and China, thus forcing Kim's regime to choose between stability or international isolation. Such a strategy would involve three steps by Obama. First, he should make it clear that any testing of a long-range missile is unacceptable. This would remove any ambiguity in North Korea over the US stance on this move. Second, Obama should also announce that we will take no measures to interfere with North Korea's own sovereignty, allaying Kim's concerns that the United States desires regime change. Third, Obama should work with the Japanese government to display the capabilities of US-made Japanese ballistic missile defenses, and Japan's willingness to use them if a North Korea missile overflies its territory. This will demonstrate our resolve, and also draw in other states to enhance the multilateral nature of our actions. This will guarantee that the Kim will receive little sympathy from the international community. Acting on such a policy will be difficult, but Obama benefits from the experience of the Clinton administration's efforts and the lack of the right-wing ideological straitjacket that constrained US actions in the Bush administration's first term. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's admirable focus on Asia and backing for the beleaguered Japanese prime minister could be leveraged to gain regional support. Also, the successful implementation of such a policy could provide a progressive model for future crises, charting a middle course between neoconservative hard-lines and appeasement. More on North Korea
 
Deirdre Imus: Keeping Our Kids Safe Top
If you are like most Americans, you have an expectation that our federal regulatory agencies will protect us from unsafe chemicals found in the products we use everyday. We expect our children's toys, baby bottles and drinking water to be safe. As lawmakers remain understandably pre-occupied and attempt to get their legislative arms around the instability of our economic future, scientists, physicians, and consumer advocates are waiting for congress to take up long overdue legislation that will change our country's chemical regulatory law, The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). TSCA was the first environmental law that acknowledged the possible harm to humans posed by chemical exposures. Passed in 1976, with a goal of "protecting the public health and the environment," TSCA is considered the weakest of all the environmental laws today and the only one that has never been amended. When first enacted, 63,000 chemicals were grandfathered in with the presumption of safety. However, no one knows if these chemicals are truly safe. Since then, approximately 18,000 new chemicals have entered the marketplace with little or no safety data. It's difficult to comprehend how forty years after Rachel Carson first warned us about the lethal health effects caused by toxic chemicals, and thirty-three years after the passage of TSCA, the EPA has never evaluated the safety of most chemicals in today's consumer products. Since being charged with the responsibility, just 200 of the 80,000 chemicals used in the marketplace have been reviewed and only 5 have been actually restricted or banned. Following the same flawed policies as other federal agencies that have proven to be "recipes for disaster", the EPA has a history of assuming chemicals safe simply because industry tells them so. Recent concerns about chemicals in baby bottles, children's toys and chemicals in our water supply are a direct result of this weak federal law. So why is this issue so important now? For decades scientists have tried to alert us about how chemical pollution affects the health and well being of children. And we know children are far more susceptible to the deleterious effects caused by chemical exposures than adults, particularly during critical windows of development. We also know that some toxins like lead, mercury, BPA, PCB's, flame retardants, and pesticides can cause serious effects that are not immediately obvious and may go undetected for years. "Protecting child health is not so much a matter of research, but rather a matter of policy and advocacy . . . we have experience and toxicological research findings demonstrating the adverse health effects of hazardous chemicals on children and recognize that children are more sensitive than adults to chemical exposures . . .We also know that childhood disabilities from chemical exposure during development are often not treatable and therefore must be prevented." Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (Dec. 2004) A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) may be the best illustration of TSCA's failed legacy. Working through the Red Cross, researchers analyzed the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn infants and found 287 different chemicals. "Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied." Body Burden - The Pollution in Newborns (2005) Simply stated, before they can take their first breath, America's babies are coming into the world pre-polluted. Some of these chemicals are also linked to other serious and life-threatening illnesses like asthma, allergies, autism, ADHD, obesity, and infertility. In an effort to influence lawmakers on the threats posed by unregulated chemical exposures, 200 respected children's health experts released a consensus statement emphasizing their concerns and need for urgent action. "The accumulated research evidence suggest that prevention efforts against toxic exposures to environmental chemicals should focus on protecting the fetus and small child as highly vulnerable populations. Given the ubiquitous exposure to many environmental toxicants, there needs to be renewed efforts to prevent harm. Such prevention should not await detailed evidence on individual hazards to be produced, because the delays in decision-making would then lead to propagation of toxic exposures and their long-term consequences." The Faroes Statement: Human Health Effects of Developmental Exposure to Chemicals in Our Environment (2008) In addition, the health care costs associated with all these preventable illnesses are enormous. It is estimated that childhood cancer, asthma, and neurodevelopmental disorders and lead poisoning alone cost American taxpayers nearly $55 billion annually. It stands to reason that by reforming TSCA, we would not only prevent harm to the most vulnerable, but also take a positive first step towards controlling soaring health care costs. Despite these dire warnings from children's health experts, the EPA simply has almost no authority to protect people from even the most hazardous chemicals under TSCA. The failure of TSCA is best exemplified by EPA's decade long battle, and ultimate inability, to ban the deadly carcinogen asbestos. A chemical so toxic it has been linked to hundreds of thousands of cancer-related deaths. Affirmation that the current law is broken, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report in January listing the EPA's regulation of toxic chemicals as one of the top three areas in need of "fundamental reform" and identifying the federal program as one at "high risk for fraud and mismanagement". (link) Mindful of the real life consequences resulting from this regulatory failure, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) are once again leading the charge to change TSCA and have pledged to re-introduce the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act in the coming months. "Everyday, consumers rely on household products that contain hundreds of chemicals", said Senator Lautenberg. "The American people expects the federal government to keep families safe by testing chemicals - but the government is letting them down." The first comprehensive chemical reform policy since the passage of TSCA, The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act would: • Protect kids by reversing the burden of proof; requiring manufacturers to demonstrate new chemicals are safe for infants, children and other vulnerable populations in order to get on the market. • Require an expedited EPA review of chemicals found in people, particularly those found in baby cord blood, chemicals known to be potentially harmful would go to the top of the list. • Requires biomonitoring to determine what chemicals are in people. • Require manufacturers to provide data on a chemical's toxicity and gives EPA the authority to request all data needed to make a safety finding. • Require all health and safety data be made available to the public; under current law, manufacturers can claim "confidential business information" for virtually all data, including the chemical's name. • Give EPA the clear authority to ban or restrict chemicals and individual chemical uses. • Protects state and local rights. • Allows for an exemption if the use of the chemical is in the interest of national security or would result in significant disruption to the economy and there is no feasible alternative available. The issue of keeping our kids safe should be an easy one for members of Congress IF their primary interest is protecting our children. However, we all know there are powerful influences in Washington who will be opposed to chemical reform and want to continue doing "business as usual." Congressional action is long overdue and urgently needed. We can continue to have spirited debates on how best to stimulate the economy, end the war in Iraq, tax cuts and health care, but our country can no longer afford regulatory failures like The Toxic Substances Control Act. As recent events have revealed, the federal government is often too slow to address regulatory reforms. It is unconscionable that America's babies are being born pre-polluted with chemical we know can pose a threat to their development and wellbeing. With the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, Congress has the opportunity to change the failed policies of the past and set a higher standard that will truly protect our children from harmful chemicals and give them a healthier start in life. _____________________________________________________________________ You can help pass the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act by calling your member of Congress and asking them to be a cosponsor of the bill and by joining thousands of other supporters by signing the Kid-Safe Declaration at http://www.kidsafechemicals.org/
 

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