Video: Bozell Discusses Media’s Disinterest in Jump in Poverty Under Obama
September 14, 2011 No Comment
“To the degree” that the jump in the poverty rate in the United States is being reported, it “is being reported as a problem for Obama” and “not a problem caused by Obama,” NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell told Fox Business Network's David Asman on the September 13 edition of “Nightly Scoreboard.” “His policies have nothing to do with the effect,” in the minds of liberal journalists, the Media Research Center founder argued. You can watch the full segment below the page break (video credit: MRCTV.org video producer Bob Parks):
Continue reading …A Harlem high school basketball super star was chased by a gunman into her apartment complex where he shot her three times as she pleaded for her life, say cops. Senior Tayshana “Chicken” Murphy, 18, was already being courted by Division 1 schools, and she dreamed of playing for the…
Continue reading …Michelle Obama Smirks & Shakes Her Head During 9-11 Flag Ceremony (Video)
September 14, 2011 No Comment
Read into this what you will… First Lady smirks and shakes her head at 9-11 flag ceremony. By the way… What did she tell Barack? Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gateway Pundit Discovery Date : 13/09/2011 19:05 Number of articles : 4
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Villagers who have often been at the sharp end of Palestinian-Israeli relations are sceptical about the UN route Mohammed Hassan al-Atrash, a man whose life story is a microcosm of all that has befallen the Palestinian people over the past 63 years, smiles ruefully at the prospect of a Palestinian state winning the support of most countries in the world at the United Nations next week. “I am a simple man,” he says, leaning on his sturdy walking stick. “I don’t know about politics. But from my life experience, I don’t think we will gain anything. What is left, after the settlements, the military zones, the wall, the bypass roads? You think you can build a state on a few scattered villages? “If the UN is supportive of the Palestinians, they should stop Israel from doing all this. Talk is easy. What’s important is what is happening on the ground.” It is a view shared by many Palestinians. As world leaders engage in frantic last-minute diplomacy in an attempt to avoid a damaging car crash of competing interests in New York, Palestinians shrug and get on with lives governed by checkpoints, permits, house demolitions, land confiscation and harassment from Jewish settlers. A vote at the UN, they say, will not end Israel’s occupation. The story of Atrash, 68, and his village, al-Walaja, which perches on terraced hills between the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is the history of the Palestinian people over more than six decades. It starts when the village was captured by advancing Jewish soldiers from the Palmach brigades in the war that followed Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. Thousands of villagers fled and the armistice line – the Green Line – was drawn through their land, taking 70% of it into the new state of Israel. For the next few years, five-year-old Atrash and his family lived in a cave, from where they could glimpse their old home, before they moved in with relatives in the part of Walaja on the Palestinian side of the Green Line. The land was dry and difficult: almost all the village’s 30-odd water springs were across the valley in Israel. In 1967, after the six-day war, triumphant Israeli troops occupied the Palestinian territories, where they remain. The Israeli authorities redrew the boundary of Jerusalem, and half of Walaja’s remaining land was annexed to what Israel claimed as an undivided capital. A few years later, in 1971, the settlers came. More village land was swallowed up to build the colonies of Gilo, and later Har Gilo, illegal under international law. In the mid-1980s, the Jerusalem authorities began issuing demolition orders for scores of homes built by the villagers, who until then had not even known they lived inside the city boundaries. They were told they did not have the correct permission, and were billed for the destruction after it was carried out. And, now, bulldozers and diggers are swallowing up swaths of the village’s last lands for Israel’s separation barrier. When complete, the concrete and steel edifice will encircle Walaja, leaving a single entry and exit point controlled by the Israeli military. Every day, Atrash sees more of his land disappearing under the relentless march of Israel’s giant machines. The judder of the machinery is also disturbing, possibly fatally, the roots of an ancient olive tree, known as al-Badawi. Thought to have stood for up to 5,000 years, the tree’s knotted trunks and branches would serve well as an emblem of the incipient state of Palestine, whose demand for recognition at the United Nations next week is causing seismic waves in diplomatic and political circles. But for Walaja’s 2,300-strong population, the perspective is different. Deeply disillusioned after 20 years of negotiations that have failed to produce independence, and through which Israel has relentlessly built and expanded settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, many Palestinians have little faith in their political leaders to effect meaningful change. “We are suffering from a leadership crisis,” says Ahmad Barghouth, 64, a neighbour of Atrash in Walaja. “Our leaders are either fools or traitors. Throughout history I don’t think independence has been granted to a state with no land.” Barghouth, whose terraces of fig, plum, walnut and olive trees are also being churned up to make way for the barrier a few metres from his house, is scathing about the suggestion that a positive UN vote may open up recourse for the Palestinians to international legal bodies. The international court of justice ruled in 2004 that the construction of the West Bank barrier was illegal and should be halted. “Did anyone implement it? You see the wall before your eyes,” says Barghouth. The UN passed resolutions calling on Israel to end its occupation. “Have these been implemented?” asks Barghouth. “We want action on the ground, not votes at the UN. We want an end to it.” Despite such scepticism, and fears that the move towards a Palestinian state could effectively relinquish the right of refugees to return to their original homes, Palestinian leaders insist their strategy is correct in the context of two decades of failed negotiations. They say a positive vote on the issue of statehood will strengthen the Palestinians’ hand in negotiations. Such an act of political symbolism, while not immediately altering conditions on the ground, could change the paradigm of relations between Israel and Palestine, they argue. According to the national campaign, Palestine: State 194, the bid for membership of the UN is a step towards freedom and ending the occupation. “For almost seven decades now, the Palestinian people have been denied their natural and historical right to establish an independent state. The establishment of a sovereign and viable [state] is a debt owed by the international community to the Palestinian people that is long overdue,” it says. “Now it is Palestine’s time.” Veteran Palestinian politician Hanan Ashwari told western diplomats this week: “September is a historic test for the international community. We have reached a turning point, both in terms of possibilities for peace on the ground and in the light of democratic changes transforming the region as a whole.” Sheerin al-Araj, a member of Walaja’s village council, concedes that the approach to the UN may be a useful tool to bring pressure to bear on Israel. “But it’s not the end of the road,” she says. “It has to serve a bigger goal … I don’t trust [the Palestinian leadership] to have a back-up plan.” One option she favours would be for the Palestinian Authority, created under the 1993 Oslo accords, to “hand back the keys”. She says: “We should say to them if you don’t want us to have a state, take responsibility for your occupation.” Negotiations, she says, are pointless. “You can’t negotiate with someone who’s holding you by the throat.” Barghouth is also mistrustful of a leadership which, he says, is doing Israel’s dirty work. “The Palestinian security forces prevent any resistance while the settlers are carrying out atrocities against us, taking our trees, burning our mosques, humiliating our people. If we defend ourselves, Abu Mazen [Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas] condemns us to the Israelis.” More than 50 of Atrash’s olive trees and all of his 18 almond trees have been torn from the ground to make way for the barrier. Soon he will be left with two olive trees, with another 100 beyond reach on the other side. “My trees are like my children,” he says. “They are ripping my heart out when they uproot them.” He shakes his head at the thought of world leaders gathering in New York next week to discuss the fate of his land. “Doesn’t the UN know the Israelis are building settlements on someone else’s land? That they’re building a wall inside the West Bank?” What will happen in the coming months? “Only God knows,” he says. “We hope the future is good for the Palestinian cause. But if there’s unrest, the whole world will suffer.” Violence borne from a combustible mix of frustration and settler provocation is predicted by many, on both sides of the conflict. “The Israelis are closing off other options,” says Araj. “Violence is the last thing I want, but it’s coming.” Palestinian territories Israel Middle East Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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Madonna discusses dealing with truth and history in her new drama about Wallis Simpson, ‘WE,’ at the movie’s gala at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Sept. 13)
Continue reading …Will the Lack of Paid Sick Days Make Movie Thriller ‘Contagion’ A Reality?
September 14, 2011 No CommentThat’s the question asked by “Contagion: Not Just A Movie,” a new video released by Family Values @ Work as part of a campaign advocating for paid sick leave for workers. The group argues that the spread of diseases in recent years, such as the H1N1 virus, and potential contagious disease outbreaks in the future are greatly sped up by the fact that millions of workers arrive on the job with illnesses they spread to their co-workers because they can’t afford to stay home and lose the pay. According to Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), the occupations most likely to have regular contact with the public—food service and preparation, and personal care and service—are among those least likely to provide paid sick days. Dr. Robert Drago, research director for IWPR, says: The fewer the number of workers who are able to stay home when sick, the more likely it is that diseases will spread. Here are some other facts about paid sick days. -More than 44 million workers do not have paid sick days. -Workers earning low-wages are the least likely to have paid sick days. Only 19 percent of low-wage workers have access to paid sick days. -Many workers with a significant interaction with the public do not have paid sick days. This includes three in four food service workers, three in five personal health care workers and three in four child care workers. -One in 6 workers have been fired or threatened with being fired for taking time off work to care for a personal or family illness. Someone is trying to do something about it: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have introduced the Healthy Families Act (H.R. 2460 and S. 1152), which would require businesses with more than 15 employees to provide workers with up to seven paid sick days a year to care for themselves or a sick child or spouse. There are also state and local efforts underway to win paid sick day laws.
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Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood. SPOILERS AHEAD —- Oh my God… it’s like this episode was delivered directly to my heart. It’s like Alan Ball and company looked at an X-ray of my desires and said, “Oh, okay. Let’s give Mark everything he wants for the end of the season.” And sure, that’s not what actually happened, but I love this episode no less, no less, no less. “And When I Die” is a prophetic title since many characters do just that. I’ve been frustrated with the show for weeks because it keeps creating faux-dangerous situations for its lead characters, then rescuing them 15 seconds later, with no one actually dying or (more importantly) changing. It’s been exhausting. This week, however, real change visits everyone, and in at least a few cases, real death. I’m not saying I’ve been wanting characters to die, per se, but it’s nice to see the writers commit to the end of several arcs and then suggest how the survivors are going to move on. Rather than getting stuck in the rut of “I died, but then I drank your blood/inhabited your body,” we get some honest-to-god evolution. Granted, I expect at least one of these deaths to be magically reversed next season, but since so many other changes have been set it motion, I’ll be fine with that. If any of these people survive, then they’ll be returning to a different world. But let’s get back to the episode: The finale for Marnie was pretty wonderful, right? Last week I correctly predicted that Jesus would die in order to save Lafayette, yet I wasn’t disappointed by the results. By taking Jesus’ magic, Marnie sets herself up for the ultimate revenge. We find her in front of Bill’s house, with Bill and Eric (shirtlessly!) chained together over a burning pyre. Holly, Tara, and Sookie roll up to save them, and at first, it seems like it’s going to be the same old, same old, with Sookie’s faerie hands getting everyone out of a jam. But that’s not what happens. Holly magicks the spirits of ancestors and friends, and the woods fill with ghosts — including Gran! Eventually, we see Antonia, and she’s the one who snuffs out the fire, saving Eric and Bill. To me, that’s different than having Sookie save them. It teaches us that once and for all, Antonia has relinquished her anger and her desire to be on earth. She’s found peace, just like Gran. By putting out Marnie’s fire, she’s saying, “The next phase of your existence can begin right now.” This gives Fiona Shaw — whom Gran pulls out of Lafayette’s body — one last, brilliant scene, where she rails against the loss of her new power. She finally realizes, though, that unlike vampires, she can leave the earth and find closure. And so Marnie is given dignity as she departs with Antonia and Gran. She leaves as a different person than she was before. Before the ghosts leave, Sookie goes to Gran, begging for advice. Gran says there’s nothing wrong with being alone, and then she departs for good. This is major. For one thing, when we see all these characters go to heaven (or wherever), we know they’re gone. This will let everyone (including us) evolve and move on. Plus, Gran’s advice gives Sookie at excuse to finally jump off of this irritating Bill-Eric pendulum she’s been riding. That leads to the stirring moment where she breaks up with Eric and Bill at the same time, after they chomp on her wrists for one last feed. Sookie, girl! You’re finally ready to become a more interesting character! Anna Paquin really rises to this double-breakup scene and the emotional breakdown she has afterward. Homegirl does have an Oscar, after all, and I’m glad to see her get material that showcases her talent. Of course, the show clarifies that Sookie can now get with Alcide if she chooses, since he luuuuuvs her. It would be nice to see her just be single for a while, and I’m guessing that will happen. Things will be complicated with Alcide, since Sookie ends the episode shooting Debbie in the head with a shotgun… just seconds after Debbie tries to shoot Sookie and accidentally hits Tara in the head. WHOA! I suspect Tara’s death won’t take, but then again, Debbie’s bullet visibly takes off Tara’s skull. If Tara’s really dead, it might be for the best, since she’s been stagnant since season one, and again… that would be some serious change in the world of the show. But honestly, the thought of losing Tara makes me realize how much I like her, so I kind of hope they find a way to bring her back. But if they don’t, I tip my hat to the series. I didn’t think it had the guts to spill such a major character’s guts. That brings me back to Jesus, Joy of Lafayette’s Desiring. Though his death is predictable, it’s beautifully handled, with Kevin Alejandro and Nelsan Ellis giving typically wonderful performances as Jesus appears to Lafayette for a ghostly goodbye. How will Lafayette react when he finds out his cousin is also dead? I want to jump in the screen and help him myself. Speaking of empathy: The brilliant acting and writing continue in Pam and Ginger’s little scene in Fangtasia. Pam gets to wink at the show’s own silliness when she complains that Sookie, with her “stupid name” and “magic faerie vagina,” can’t be more important than her own hundred-year history with Eric. She allows Ginger to hug her as she cries, and it’s reminiscent of last season, when Eric’s near-death at the hands of Russell Edgington also made her break down. She’s a tough cookie, that Pam, but she can be lovely. Let me note that Ginger spends this entire scene dressed like a naughty nurse. The episode takes place on Halloween, which not only justifies the arrival of so many dead souls, but also gives many heartfelt scenes a wickedly campy edge, since they play out while characters are dressed like creatures of the night. My favorite joke of the episode comes when Arlene’s daughter proudly announces that she’s dressed like one of the girls from Teen Mom 2. Pray it’s not a vision of things to come, Arlene. And speaking of that, Arlene, dressed as a zombie, finally gets that dreaded visit from the ghost of Rene. However, he’s not here to hurt her. Here’s here to warn her that Terry is about to unleash some awfully dark secrets about his past. Surely, that’s got something to do with the old military buddy who wanders into Merlotte’s. Terry thought the guy was dead, and knowing this show, he’s a reanimated corpse or something. Look for Weekend At Terry’s to be a running theme next year. Meanwhile, to win the prize for sexiest moment of the week, the shirtless-vampires-chained-together scene has to compete with the Jason-naked-for-most-of-the-episode scenes. And Jason is super naked. Like, just a little pillow on his tackle box, y’all. Meanwhile, he’s also having a revelatory conversation with Jessica, who is firmly embracing her vampire self and telling Jason that she just wants to sleep with him. She’s not even willing to drink his blood, since that’s too intimate. (She is willing to act like a hooker, if that’s what he wants, but that’s just because she misinterprets something he says. It’s a lovely touch, because her desire to please reminds us that Jessica’s not quite comfortable in her burgeoning role as a hardcore vampire.) Jessica jokes that Jason shouldn’t care about being used for sex, but that sounds too much like Hoyt’s cruel words. When Jason reveals that he’s sleeping with Jessica, Hoyt beats him up while screaming that Jason is missing the part that lets people love. When Jason mentions this to Jessica, she sweetly (and genuinely) insists it isn’t the case, but it’s possible Jason will do some soul searching next year. Jason’s never been shallow, of course: He fell in love with Amy, tried to find redemption at the Fellowship of the Sun, and took care of all those Hotshotters. But this situation with Jessica may make him even more mature. Or it may just be yet another brief distraction from Jason’s typical horndog ways. And speaking of the Fellowship of the Sun… after Jessica leaves, Reverend Steve Newlin shows up at Jason’s door. There’s a moment where Steve is clearly delighted to see that Jason’s naked — I knew it! — but it quickly gives way to Steve’s fangs. Yep! The anti-vampire preacher is now a fanger. I like this revelation because it suggests the big villain from next season is going to be a character we already know. This show’s universe is already enormous, and I’d rather re-explore older characters than get to know a new set of bad guys. To that end, I’m thrilled to learn that Russell Edgington has broken out of that cement trap. Who busted him loose? Where will he go? I can’t wait to find out, since Russell is my all-time favorite character on this show. Moving on: A quick hello to Andy and Holly, who are promising to make a cute couple next year, and to Sam, who is getting stalked by a new werewolf as he continues courting Luna. Who could it be? You know who it won’t be? Nan Flanagan, because my girl pushes Eric and Bill too far this time. She bursts into Bill’s office, saying she’s resigned/been fired from all the vampire organizations, and she’s expecting Eric and Bill to follow her. But she makes the mistake of threatening Sookie’s life if they don’t… and saying the boys are Sookie’s puppy dogs. Like that, Eric kills all of Nan’s bodyguards while Bill stakes Nan herself. Blood-spattered and standing over the gooey pile of her remains, Bill and Eric become a fearsome pair. Where will their partnership lead? These are exciting questions, right? Granted, last season’s exciting questions led to rather ponderous answers about Hotshot and Mavis and such, but my hope has been renewed. As for the Sucker Punch of the week? I’m giving the runner-up slot to Steve Newlin’s fangs and first place to the sudden, bloody arrival of the Eric-Bill alliance. I am excited to see where both of those moments take us next year. That’s it for season 4! As always, thank you so much for joining me on this ride. Your comments and enthusiasm make this all worthwhile.
Continue reading …Tuesday's New York Times's “Check Point” was the latest liberally slanted fact check of a G.O.P. presidential debate, this time by two liberal reporters, Michael Cooper and Nicholas Confessore, “ Perry’s Criticism of Social Security as ‘Ponzi Scheme' Dogs Him in Debate. ” Confessore, who once worked for the liberal journals Washington Monthly and American Prospect, once again staunchly defended Social Security. In a December 2004 post for the Prospect , he praised the Times, the paper he was about to join, for its harsh coverage of President Bush’s attempt at free-market-based Social Security reform. As Gov. Rick Perry of Texas was assailed by some rivals for the Republican presidential nomination at Monday night’s debate for his exaggerated claim that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,” he also seemed to be debating himself at times. Mr. Perry used the debate to talk about the need to shore up Social Security, which politicians of all stripes agree is needed if the program is to continue paying out full benefits a quarter century from now. In making his case, Mr. Perry adopted a very different tone from what he did in his book “Fed Up” just a year ago, when he described Social Security as a failure that “we have been forced to accept for more than 70 years now.” …. While there are some superficial similarities, it is ultimately a misleading exaggeration to describe Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. Charles Ponzi was a Boston con man who promised investors impossibly high interest rates and who paid off his early investors by taking money from later investors — a pyramid scheme that can work only if an ever-increasing pool of investors puts in money. Social Security, by contrast, is a pay-as-you-go retirement system by design. Current workers and employers pay taxes that are used to pay benefits to current retirees. For many years, the program took in more money than it paid out. In 2010, Social Security began paying out more in benefits than it received in taxes. As more baby boomers retire, and the number of new workers does not keep pace, that shortfall is expected to grow. Cooper and Confessore seem unable to conceive that “Ponzi Scheme” is a (potent) metaphor for the unsustainable state of Social Security’s current financing trajectory (one that liberal MSNBC host Chris Matthews has also recently employed), meaninglessly faulting Perry for his comparison not being an exact match in all particulars.
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Looking for a Cedar Trail -powered update to the long running Classmate PC line of netvertibles? Intel’s got you covered here at IDF 2011 , with a refreshed edition of the very familiar hardware on display. All the usual elements are here, with a handle, touchscreen and stylus combined with a tough rugged casing ready to take the worst a 3rd grader can dish out. It felt a little lighter in our hands, and while this was just a demo unit as usual we’re told OEMs should have production versions available soon. If you need to see it in motion to believe all that next generation Atom power could be packed inside, just watch the video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report Gallery: Intel’s Classmate PC at IDF 2011 Continue reading Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video) Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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09/12/11 Oscar Talks about Bear flags flying all over US Stock market Cedric The Entertainer’s Homecoming NYE’s Comedy Jam TAYLOR SWIFT LIVE “MEAN” Oraxxnjd says: Awards Received by Scottrade http://t.co/b5iO8s4
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