The Republican Choice on Immigration And Latino Outreach
This week offered new evidence of the Republican split over the immigration issue and provided new recruits for each side.
This week offered new evidence of the Republican split over the immigration issue and provided new recruits for each side.
Steve Walt Exposes WINEP/AIPAC’s Satloff …Plus I Re-State Offensive Truths…Plus Proof of The GOP/ Racism Nexus…Plus My Take On the Obama Plan
Even before you read me, you should read Steve Walt’s delicious takedown of Robert Satloff, the head of the AIPAC-founded Washington Institute For Near East Policies. Satloff pretends that he does not know that WINEP is an AIPAC creation. Maybe…
Middle East – Israel – Israel Defense Forces – Muslim – Warfare and Conflict
Libertarian Legacy
Don Blankenship runs Massey Energy, the owner of the mine where at least 25 people died in an explosion this week, days after the mine was cited for dangerous accumulations of coal dust. Blankenship considers himself an old fashioned coal…
Don Blankenship – Massey Energy – West Virginia – United States Supreme Court – Coal
Israel’s Pentagon Papers
Common sense tells you that the Israeli military, charged with keeping Israeli citizens as safe as possible, should have the right to keep operational plans secret; and that the government–acting within bounds set by the judiciary–should have the right to…
Middle East – Uri Blau – Warfare and Conflict – Haaretz – Kam
Pence: ?I take at face value what John Lewis said? about racial slurs at Tea Party rally.
Several lawmakers, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), said that Tea Party activists at the March 20 rally on Capitol Hill hurled racial and/or homophobic slurs at them. Instead of condemning this behavior, many conservatives have said that they don’t believe these incidents really occurred. However, yesterday, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) told the […]
Several lawmakers, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), said that Tea Party activists at the March 20 rally on Capitol Hill hurled racial and/or homophobic slurs at them. Instead of condemning this behavior, many conservatives have said that they don’t believe these incidents really occurred. However, yesterday, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) told the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel that he had no doubt that Lewis was telling the truth about the hateful language at the Tea Party rally:
“A couple of weeks before the alleged incident occurred, I was walking across the bridge in Selma, Ala., with John Lewis,” said Pence. “I take at face value what John Lewis said. If John Lewis said he heard it, I believe he’s a man of integrity. And I would denounce those kinds of statements in the strongest possible terms.”
After the rally, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) called the incidents “reprehensible,” but added, “let’s not let a few isolated incidents get in the way of the fact that millions of Americans are scared to death, and millions of Americans want no part of this growing size of government.”
Huckabee Compares Gays To Drug Users, Says They?re Unfit To Adopt Kids Because ?Children Are Not Puppies?
Former Arkansas governor and current Fox News personality Mike Huckabee gave an interview with the College of New Jersey’s magazine The Perspective in which he made clear that he is just as intent on depriving gay men and women of equal status as ever. For instance, he said that gay couples shouldn’t be able […]
Former Arkansas governor and current Fox News personality Mike Huckabee gave an interview with the College of New Jersey’s magazine The Perspective in which he made clear that he is just as intent on depriving gay men and women of equal status as ever. For instance, he said that gay couples shouldn’t be able to get married because it would be like accommodating drug habits of addicts:
Even civil unions are “not necessary,” Huckabee said. “I think there’s been a real level of being disingenuous on the part of the gay and lesbian community with their goal of civil unions,” he alleged, referring to LGBT activists who first claimed that their goal in several states was to enact civil unions, but subsequently launched efforts to implement full marriage rights.
Huckabee went on to draw parallels between homosexuality and other lifestyles that are considered by some to be morally aberrant. “You don’t go ahead and accommodate every behavioral pattern that is against the ideal,” he said of same-sex marriage. “That would be like saying, well, there are a lot of people who like to use drugs, so let’s go ahead and accommodate those who want who use drugs. There are some people who believe in incest, so we should accommodate them. There are people who believe in polygamy, so we should accommodate them.”
Huckabee also insisted that same-sex couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt or become foster parents because they’re somehow unfit to take care of children:
“I think this is not about trying to create statements for people who want to change the basic fundamental definitions of family,” Huckabee said. “And always we should act in the best interest of the children, not in the seeming interest of the adults.”
“Children are not puppies,” he continued. “This is not a time to see if we can experiment and find out, how does this work?”
Alvin McEwen writes at Pam’s House Blend, “While Huckabee doesn’t come out and say it, the nasty implication is clear — lgbt families are inferior because lgbts are incapable of giving love and support to children. Furthermore, lgbts don’t really want the children. They just want to further their ‘agenda.’”
Huckabee has proudly stated in the past that he is not “pro-gay,” which he has equated with being “pro-sodomy.” He has tried to downplay violence against gay men and women, compared homosexuality to necrophilia, and said that “civilization” may not survive if “what marriage and family means” is “rewritten” to allow gay marriage.
Obama leads summit effort to secure nuclear materials
As the junior senator from Illinois in August 2005, Barack Obama traveled to Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan with his more senior colleague, Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, for a tour of some of the Cold War’s most fearsome weapons sites.
Hispanics skeptical that Obama, Democrats will deliver immigration overhaul
AURORA, COLO. — Maria Garcia can rattle off a dozen things that are more important to her than politics. Her sky-high mortgage payments, for instance. The convenience store she owns, which isn’t making money. And, at this moment, the chili peppers toasting in the store’s kitchen.
Replacing Justice Stevens on high court is not just a matter of ideology
In nearly 35 years on the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens went from idiosyncratic maverick to the leader of the court’s liberal wing. He always described it as the court’s evolution more than his own — almost all of his colleagues, he said, had been replaced by a justice with more conservative views.
A V-Shaped Boom Is Coming
Larry Kudlow, RealClearPolitics
Census Volunteers to Pile on the Pressure
Eradicating Nukes Should Be Our Goal
Eleanor Clift, Newsweek
'Global Zero' reminds us that eradicating nuclear weapons should still be our ultimate goal.Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.Separate multiple addresses with commasFresh from signing a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia, President Obama hosts a mini-U.N. in Washington next week as more than 40 heads of state convene for a nuclear summit to explore ways to limit the spread of unsecured nuclear material, commonly known as loose nukes.A group called Global Zero, which, like Obama, is dedicated to the goal of ridding the world…
Obama to Reaffirm Ties With Karzai
DeYoung & Partlow, Washington Post
President Obama moved this week to close a growing breach with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, sending him a letter reaffirming their close ties and reiterating an invitation to visit Washington next month. The letter, delivered Thursday by U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry in Kabul, thanked Karzai for organizing Obama's visit there late last month on short notice and "recommitted" the United States "to the success of our operation and our partnership," national security adviser James L. Jones said. Jones, who spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One…
Sobre el futuro de MG y la llegada de los modelos de SAIC al viejo continente seguimos sin tener muchas noticias, poco a poco se van desvelando nuevos datos pero la única fecha clara parece que será 2011, data en la que aterrizará el MG6 en el mercado británico, mientras que para el resto de Europa tendremos que esperar algo más.
Cuando SAIC desveló el MG6 ya pudimos ver que el diseño poco tenía que ver con sus colegas chinos, al contrario, nos encontramos ante un compacto con un diseño orientado a Europa y bastante atractivo. Nos faltaba conocer los materiales empleados o el comportamiento de su motor K-Series de 1.8 litros, así como la respuesta del MG6. Afortunadamente los chicos de Autocar ya se pudieron poner al volante del MG6 comparándolo con uno de los referentes del segmento, el Ford Focus y sacando conclusiones muy interesantes.
En cuanto a la calidad de materiales, según Autocar, cuenta con un interior con un diseño sobrio y con materiales, que podrían mejorar la terminación pero se lo atribuyen a que la unidad probada era de pre-producción y esperan que aún mejore algo más el acabado general.
Pero donde más sorprendidos quedaron los chicos de la revista británica fue con el comportamiento del MG6, puesto que su chasis está muy bien calibrado haciendo del MG6 un vehículo con una respuesta muy ágil, además de una dirección que responde muy bien y las suspensiones que están a la altura haciendo que el comportamiento sea impecable.
La otra queja vino de su motor, que pese a que ha sufrido pequeños cambios sigue siendo un conocido motor K-Series, y pese a ser alegre no responde del todo con fuerza. Aún así, me parece muy interesante la comparativa con el Focus, y sobretodo las conclusiones a las que llegan los de Autocar, y en cuanto a materiales, más bien creo que es una cuestión de precio, porque se espera que el MG6 llegue con unos precios atractivos y por tanto de algún lado tendrá que andar cojo, esperemos que llegue dentro de poco a España y poder juzgarlo nosotros mismos porque es un compacto que pinta muy bien.
Fuente | Autocar (La prueba completa)
Vía | Diariomotor
Watch Out Lexus LS… Hyundai’s Equus is On Your Tail
Canadian Auto Press
It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that Mercedes-Benz guffawed at the thought of the Japanese entry-level brand Toyota entering the luxury segment with its Lexus nameplate, followed quickly by Nissan’s Infiniti brand and Acura by Honda. Mazda nearly came to the fore with its own upscale marque but sold its Millenia sedan under its namesake brand after much speculation, which is what Hyundai seems to be doing with its luxury models.
2011 Hyundai Equus
First it was the Genesis sedan and then, in performance at least, the Genesis Coupe followed. Now the Korean automaker is taking on those same Japanese premium brands and the Europeans that inspired it all with a full-size premium sedan of its own, the Equus.
We’ve reported on the Equus a number of times before, even last year when it showed up at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in home market trim, but as for what will be available here it’s all been speculation. Now we’ve got the facts yet again from NYC where the car debuted this week in North American specification, and it’s quite an impressive ride.
The North American-spec Equus pulls most of its design cues from the much-loved Genesis sedan, a good thing. Just the same, it would hardly look out of place beside a Mercedes S Class or Lexus LS, with a fairly distinctive and quite large horizontally ribbed and centre-split chrome grille, LED-enhanced headlamp clusters, large fog lamps set into the sporty lower valance, Mercedes-like chrome finished rub mouldings on the bumpers, narrow turn signal indicators integrated into the side mirror housings, lower side sill chrome mouldings, and long and gracefully arcing side window cutouts enhanced with deep tinted glass. The taillights are Genesis-like, but also aren’t unlike those found on the LS or 7 Series BMW, while chrome trim appliqués add richness to the overall design.
Speaking of richness, the interior won’t let any luxury car aficionado down. Supple perforated leathers and fine woods will ensconce occupants in hedonistic opulence, coupled with the latest infotainment hardware and capped off with a similar rear seating ottoman system as offered by Lexus in its top-line LS models and Maybach’s much-revered super sedan, with room for two divided by a rear centre console with seat and audiovisual controls plus a mini fridge. The seats will also feature ventilation, heating and massage. Nice touches like an analog clock just below the large-screen navigation system add a little olde-world charm to the real world of modern technology, while audio sounds come via a Lexicon stereo system.
The car should perform well despite a curb weight that’s likely over the top, due to a 385hp V8 connecting through to a six-speed automatic transmission. Expect pricing to sit in the $50,000 to $60,000 range in USD, with a Canadian (CAD) MSRP slightly higher.
Replacing the regular owner’s manual will be a “multimedia tablet” device that should wow friends and neighbours. Just which aftermarket electronics company will supply the tablet is yet to be announced, although an iPad was shown on the big screen at the car’s introduction, so it might get the nod. Not only will the tablet replace the owner’s manual, not only offering a more manageable source of information but also capable of being updated regularly, the device will be able to manage customer/dealer interactions such as service appointment scheduling.
As Hyundai repositions its brand toward the entry-level luxury segment, it will also deliver a premium ownership experience that will not only include the new Equus, but also the Genesis sedan and Coupe, by only selling top models at specially chosen dealerships.
If Hyundai’s Genesis sedan is any indication of how well the Equus will perform and how impressively it will be crafted, Lexus and other premium brands had better keep a close watch. And the Equus appears even more upscale and better finished than the Genesis.
Article Tags: You could not make it up
ONE of Britain’s most distinguished climate scientists is taking legal action to silence an internet campaign against him.
Sir John Houghton has accused sceptics of waging a dirty tricks campaign to spread uncertainty about the state of global warming research. He hopes to use a talk at the Edinburgh International Science Festival this week to fight back against climate change “naysayers”.
Houghton, former co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former chief executive of the Met Office, said the past six months, when the science of climate change had been through a battering due to the “climategate” scandal linked to the University of East Anglia, had been both “depressing” and “worrying”.
Source: news.scotsman.com
Article Tags: Dennis T. Avery
CHURCHVILLE, VA – Trees in the U.S. are growing 2-4 times as fast as their long-term norm. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center at Edgewood MD says it is because of global warming, according to a recent press release. Don’t bet on that.
Smithsonian researchers measured a series of forest plots at different stages of growth from 5 to 225 years of age. They found that more than 90 percent of the trees grew 2-4 times faster over the past 20 years than predicted from baseline growth rates.
Helpfully, lead author Geoffrey Parker tells us that there are three main possibilities why the trees might be growing faster:
A) the official temperatures in the region have increased about 0.3 degree C over the past 20 years;
B) There’s been a small expansion of the growing season; and
C) CO2 levels have risen about 12 percent over two decades.
Dr. Parker seems to have chosen A), higher temperatures, as the correct answer. But do facts support the choice?
Source: americandaily.com
Practical Forte Five-Door to Add More Functionality to Popular Model
Canadian Auto Press
Kia’s new Forte has been a major hit due to high-quality, lots of standard features, great pricing and attractive styling, but that’s not the only reason it’s finding new owners at a brisk pace. The Korean automaker also offers multiple body styles, so far a 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe, the latter dubbed Koup.
2011 Kia Forte
Kia will expand its North American entry-level lineup to include a new Forte 5-Door to fill a void left by the old Spectra5, an important model for active lifestyle buyers needing a larger compact.
While the Forte five-door is totally changed from the C-pillar rearward, with arguably better styling than any rival, the front fascia has been modified slightly as well, with a look that apparently will at least find its way onto the sedan.
“We have been promoting the Kia brand evolution over the past few years and backed it up with dramatic gains in quality and value while adding world-class design every step of the way,” commented Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing, KMA.
The Forte five-door will sport Kia’s port-injected 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre inline-four-cylinder engine lineup already offered in the Forte sedan and Koup. Like the two existing models a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic continue shifting duties. For the latter transmission, paddle shifters on the steering wheel will now be available too.
The Forte has received praise for its well designed and surprisingly upscale interior, although the five-door will get a new centre console that can now be upgraded to include a navigation system. Proximity sensing remote access will be part of an upgrade package along with pushbutton start.
Kia won’t wait long to get the Forte five-door out to dealers, so expect to see them at your local dealer within months. No doubt the new body style will be a big seller, especially here in Canada where liftback models sell extremely well in the compact segment.
What’s unknown is whether or not Kia will call it the Forte5 or the Forte Five-Door, the former to maintain a naming strategy used with the Rio5 and Spectra5. Forte5 certainly has a ring to it, and would serve the model well if chosen. The pre-production model shown in New York had no official badging, only a license plate placeholder showing Forte as the name.
James Gosling, who was the CTO of Oracle’s Client Software Group has resigned from his post. The reasons for this resign are not yet announced, but Gosling is reported to have said,
As to why I left, it’s difficult to answer: just about anything I could say that would be accurate and honest would do more harm than good.
Gosling has held the office of CTO for both Sun Microsystems and Oracle. He led a small team of developers into creating Java, the programming language which has recorded as the top programming language in the Tiobe index for quite some years in a row.
This resign follows the likes of Tim Bray and Jonathan Schwartz. Just last month, Gosling made some positive remarks on what Oracle is doing with Java. Though, he also raised concerns on the Java Community Process.
This resignation does not come as a surprise to many as they were expecting it sooner sometime. After the acquisition of Sun Microsystems, Oracle is doing it more harm than good. The deal was loss making for both Sun and Oracle but the future after the deal could have been a lot better. Though, the statement made by Gosling is highly controversial. We will see some more light on this incident and know the exact details once James Gosling comes clean about it.
(Via: BusinessWeek)
Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it’s where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.
Below are the carnivals that I participated in this week, along with a link to my article:
Articles I enjoyed reading included (in no particular order):
The DIV-Net Featured Articles
Articles From DIV-Net Members
Other Articles
There are some really good articles here, please take time and read a few of them.
(Photo: Sachin Ghodke)
Have future posts delivered to you for free! If you enjoyed this post, please bookmark or share it here:
With the absence of any hardware to test on the importance of an accurate emulator is clearly very important.
In this video Joel Ivory Johnson, recently crowned Microsoft MVP, shows of the multi-touch features of the Windows Phone 7 emulator, which hooks into the multi-touch features of Windows Phone 7.
That does not help as much with other sensors, such as accelerometers, but Bill Reiss has a solution for that, using a Nintendo Wiimote over bluetooth and freely available desktop libraries to read the data and transmit it via http to the Windows Phone 7 emulator.
Read more about the multi-touch features and Wiimote hack here.
For the past year I’ve been having periodic discussions with a friend who has a nice amount of money which he invests (he’s a single male cresting up to his peak earning years after receiving an advanced science degree from an elite institution). He is pessimistic about the long term prospects for the American economy, and believes that the current run of stock market gains are simply a bear market rally. Even when he made his assertion last year I pointed out that if it was a bear market rally it was unprecedented in its magnitude. Of course I wasn’t too confident about appealing to historical precedents after what’s happened in the past few years. Look at the comments I elicited after mooting fears of a recession in May 2007. I know some of the commenters are regular readers to this day, so I hope everyone enjoys watching the frankly moronic confidence. I use the term not as an aspersion but as an accurate description of the hubris and complacency on display. I myself told a friend that the credit crisis was overblown in the summer of 2008, relying on moronic conventional wisdom from overeducated morons that the Great Moderation was in effect. I was wrong, and I don’t have a word to capture the contempt which I have for the likes of me, a fool who relied naively on the foolish. I am reckoned a young man by some, so that’s the excuse I’ll give.
With all that stated then as to my profound uncertainty I have to say I’m a bit perplexed by green shoots of economic optimism which seem to be sprouting here and there. Ultimately I would dismiss this, but the stock market performance is mystifying to me. We know from historical precedent that market run ups presage economic growth in the future. This is presumably because investors are pricing information which they receive before the rest of us, and the NBER, and so give us a more accurate crowd-sourced preview of the future. But like my friend I have a hard time understanding where the fundamentals are which could give rise to a robust cycle of growth. We are, thankfully in my mind, being weaned off of consumer credit. So we can’t fake the growth through debt fueled consumption, we have to produce. But what new technologies are causing structural changes in the economy? I don’t see it.
But it is important to remember that most people didn’t see the internet being of economic relevance in 1994. Deep into 1995 Microsoft was “all in” on the next big technological breakthrough…interactive television! And while the .com bubble was blowing up no one had any idea of the awesome investing potential represented by the revolutionary economics of 21st century homebuilding…oh, oops! But let’s just assume that the stock market is telling us something real, that growth which is not fueled by consumers or the state taking on more debt is in the offing. Where does that growth come from?
I have no idea, so I’ll offer a speculative theory: in the next few years we’ll see the rise of magic, which will revolutionize modern economies with supernatural green forms of transport. Screw the Segway, imagine how efficient magic carpets will be as personal vehicles! Not only do they run on supernatural fuel which has no carbon footprint (all the waste is emitted in magicland, which is parallel to the real world), but they take up very little space, and are multipurpose as well as aesthetically customizable. The main downside is you’re exposed to the elements, and velocity has to be modest so you don’t fall off the carpet.
You might think this is a silly prediction to offer. So what’s your theory? Peter Thiel has billions, invested in PayPal and Facebook, and claimed that the markets are not so retarded that they’ll invest irrationally in a new bubble for a generation after being burned twice in the past 10 years. Is Thiel wrong? Are the markets not-so-efficient. Or are we going to have to get ready for some magic?
I seek a true guide to the perplexed, not platitudes from latter day kleptocrapts.
If AT&T gets a bad rap for having poor signal quality in any city, it’s San Francisco. Part of this is due to the sudden influx of iPhones in the Silicon Valley that began in 2007, putting an almighty strain on the network; of the roughly 800,000 or so people living in San Francisco, we’re estimating that around 10 million of them (or 1,150%) are carrying iPhones. Throw in ridiculous topography and monstrous buildings, and it starts to get tough to properly blanket the entire area in radio waves.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that San Francisco is one of the first cities to be getting AT&T’s cell-tower-in-a-box, the 3G MicroCell. AT&T just hit us up to let us know that we should start seeing the little router-sized, broadband-powered signal boosters on the shelves in their San Francisco stores beginning today.
If you’re in a dead zone or if the ridiculously sized buildings around your home are causing your calls to fail on the regular, you might want to consider picking one of these up. It’ll set you back $150 bucks up front, but there’s no monthly fee — that is, unless you want unlimited minutes whenever you’re connected to your MicroCell. That’ll set you back $20 bucks a month.
We just got our hands on one of these things this evening, and we’ll be heading up to the city later this week to give it a spin. Check back for a hands on report some time this week.
A young boy paying tribute in Warsaw by Piotr Pawłowski (flickr)
Today in Talking Heads it’s nuclear treaties, Supreme Court nominees, and conservative conferences.
And the grief in Poland cannot be measured, imagine losing such a significant part of the government in one fell swoop. Devastating.
Washington Journal: 7:10am – Andrew Higgins, Washington Post. 7:45am – Stephen Dinan, Washington Times & Jennifer Bendery, Roll Call. 8:30am – StudentCam Winner , “A Blind Eye: Human Trafficking in America” 8:30am – Anita Nilsson, International Atomic Energy Agency. 9:15am – Brian Stann, Hire Heroes USA.
ABC’s This Week: Jake Tapper hosts. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Then Rudy Giuliani. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). Roundtable: George Will, Arianna Huffington, Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson.
CBS’ Face The Nation: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Chris Matthews: Dan Rather HDNet; Katty Kay BBC; Helene Cooper The New York Times; David Ignatius White House Correspondent. Topics: Fight For The Court: How Left Will Obama Go & Will Republicans Filibuster? New World Order: Will Obama Be A Transformational Figure Abroad As Well?
CNN’s State of the Union: In New Orleans ” for one of the biggest conservative conferences of the year, the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.” Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS). Also actor Wendell Pierce and director David Simon about New Orleans and their series on HBO, Treme.
Fareed Zakaria -GPS: “Is the leader of Afghanistan on drugs?” Peter Galbraith. Plus, Richard Stengel Editor of Time Magazine, Chrystia Freeland Reuters’ global editor-at-large, “a Pulitzer prize-winning historian, and the newest and youngest columnist for the New York Times debate the future of Western conservatism.”
Fox News Sunday: “President Obama signs a significant nuclear arms treaty with Russia ahead of next week’s Nuclear Security Summit. We’ll get a read on national security from two key senators: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Plus, rising conservative star Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), on the GOP’s strategy as they look to take back the House in November.” Fox News AllStars: Bill Kristol, Mara Liasson, Liz Cheney, Juan Williams.
NBC’s Meet The Press: The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ranking Member Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL). Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Roundtable: David Brooks; Harold Ford Jr.; Kathleen Parker; David Sanger.
Newsmakers: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA). “Now that the U.S. & Russian Presidents have signed an agreement to reduce their nuclear arsenals, Foreign Affairs Subcmte. on Terrorism & Nonproliferation Chair Rep. Sherman explains the next steps in Congressional oversight on nuclear weapons policy.”
Q & A: The Gregory Brothers of Auto-Tune the News.
Religion & Ethics: Ginghamsburg Church and Darfur. Stephen Ministry. Mezuzah. Nuclear Arsenals.
60 Minutes: Gotti – John Gotti, Jr. (This is a double-length segment.) Discovery – The fossilized skull and bones found by a 9-yr-old boy on a fossil hunt with his scientist father are the discovery of a lifetime and may prove to be a new link in the human evolutionary chain.
To The Contrary: Topics: 1- Birth rates for older women go up while teen rates go down; 2- Women’s progress stalled in high-level federal jobs; 3- The challenges children with diabetes face. Panelists: Physician and Wellness Expert Dr. Andrea Pennington; Former EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez; The Feminist Majority’s Kim Gandy; and Former Labor Dept. Official Karen Czarnecki. Web exclusive: Violence Against Women Goes Viral A Japanese video game promotes violence and torture of women.
Univision’s Al Punto: Father Jose de Jesus Aguilar, Spokesperson Archdiocese of Mexico; Dr. Jose Barba, Victim of Abuse by Father Marcial Maciel; Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL); Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA); Susie Castillo, Former Miss USA.
Virtually Speaking: Adam Lambert and Chris Kendrick. “Chris is back! Clammy has electricity. Atrocities will be documented.”
FDL’s Book Salon: Chat with Arnold M. Ludwig about his book, King of the Mountain: The Nature of Political Leadership. Hosted by firedog eCAHNomics. “People may choose to ignore their animal heritage by interpreting their behavior as divinely inspired, socially purposeful, or even self-serving, all of which they attribute to being human, but they masticate, fornicate, and procreate, much as chimps and apes do, so they should have little cause to get upset if they learn that they act like other primates when they politically agitate, debate, abdicate, placate, and administrate, too.” 5pm ET.
FDL’s Movie Night Monday: New Brow:The Rise of Underground Art. “A documentary feature film focusing on the rising popularity of underground art (Lowbrow, Pop Surrealism, Street Art), the artists, and its integration into pop culture.” Chat with Director/Producer/Writer Tanem Davidson and host Lisa Derrick. Monday, 8pm ET.
In a recent post, I casually dropped a reference to the classic childhood memory of being told to clean your plate because children are starving in _____ (fill in with the typical, not-always-accurate-but-usually-far-away, place.) By the way, do parents still say this these days?
I realized after reading the comments in that post that I didn’t fully express my thoughts about this tactic to get kids to eat their dinner. Like most of the commenters, I’m not in favor of it, and have had to work at undoing the habit of cleaning my plate in my own life.
And the war rages on. Following the countersuit filed by Activision against ex-Infinity Ward heads, Vince Zampella via his lawyer, Robert Schwartz have released an official statement to the LA Times, calling it false and
Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, How to Be Happy
Are you feeling tense, overwhelmed and even a little miserable thanks to a variety of daily stresses? Consider trying meditation. According to Leonor Mowry, owner of Village Yoga in Toronto, even five minutes a day of meditation can improve your quality of life by allowing you to feel both calmer and more joyful. Keep reading for an introduction to meditation and an easy exercise for beginners.
Q: What is meditation?
A: It’s really, really simple. It’s a practice to cultivate inner stillness – and that’s it. Physically, more often than not, most types of meditation suggest that you have a nice, long, elongated fully or unsupported spine with shoulders relaxed. So you’re often cross-legged or in a lotus or half-lotus position. You’re usually sitting, but there’s also standing meditation and walking meditation and meditation in motion (yoga).
Q: How can practicing meditation improve someone’s life?
Continue reading How to Be Happier and Calmer? Try Meditation
The latest edition of RadioLab discusses the limits of endurance, human memory and artificial intelligence in a particularly good programme from the top tier science show.
The section on human endurance looks at the competitors in the Race Across America, an 800km bicyle race where the cyclists sleep on an hour or two a night and eventually start hallucinating as they race.
The story of Mr S, a case of someone with a seemingly limitless who was documented in A.R. Luria’s book The Mind of a Mnemonist, is compared with modern day memory competitors. And an AI system that derived a mathematical law that we don’t understand tests the limits of science.
Not to be missed.
Link to RadioLab edition on ‘Limits’.
