OSLO, Norway, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A former Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations expressed shock that a U.S. consultant to the Kurds may earn more than $100 million from an Iraqi oil deal.
Peter Galbraith, a former U.S. ambassador to Croatia, who advocated on behalf of Kurds in northern Iraq during the country's constitutional negotiations in 2005, had previously, in 2004, signed a deal with a Norwegian oil company, DNO, that gave him rights to a small portion of income from new oil discoveries in Kurdistan, The New York Times reported Thursday.
The discovery of the Tawke oil field in December 2005 could enrich Galbraith, son of renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith, by more than $100 million, the Times said.
Former U.N. ambassador Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi said he was "speechless," that "an oil company was participating in the drafting of the Iraqi Constitution."
Similarly, Abdul-Hadi al-Hassani, vice chairman of the oil and gas committee in the Iraqi Parliament, said the "interference was not justified, illegal and not right."
Galbraith said he was acting as a private citizen.
"I believe my work with DNO helped create the Kurdistan oil industry which helps provide Kurdistan an economic base for the autonomy its people almost unanimously desire," he said.
http://michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/us-adviser-kurds-criticized
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Veterans Day / US Indirectly Funding the Taliban - Afghanistan
First off I want to take a moment to recognize Veterans Day, a day to remember all of our Troops. To remember them for their heroics, and their bravery to support our country!The American Hero always comes through
To capture our hearts with a spirit so true Some proudly are soldiers who march in harm’s way
Insuring our freedom, courageous they stay While others come forth as civilians so brave
Determined in purpose, so steadfast to save We should always keep clear a place in our heart
For each has a value beyond precious art Their duty to country will not be surpassed
Please honor their courage, for some it’s their last We live in a world which can be hard to bear
Thank God for these people, how greatly they care Do ponder new heroes and what they will face
And pray for their safety no matter their place Our heritage brings out the best, we all know
Our great book of heroes is destined to grow. ©2003Roger J. Robicheau
To capture our hearts with a spirit so true Some proudly are soldiers who march in harm’s way
Insuring our freedom, courageous they stay While others come forth as civilians so brave
Determined in purpose, so steadfast to save We should always keep clear a place in our heart
For each has a value beyond precious art Their duty to country will not be surpassed
Please honor their courage, for some it’s their last We live in a world which can be hard to bear
Thank God for these people, how greatly they care Do ponder new heroes and what they will face
And pray for their safety no matter their place Our heritage brings out the best, we all know
Our great book of heroes is destined to grow. ©2003Roger J. Robicheau
Now onto the question: Should we be sending our brave troops into a war that may not have a victory to attain?
As US Ambassador Casts Doubt on Troop Increase in Afghanistan, New Report Reveals US Indirectly Funding the Taliban
In a last-minute dissent ahead of a critical war cabinet meeting on escalating the Afghan war, US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry has cast doubt on a troop escalation until the Afghan government can address corruption and other internal problems. Meanwhile, a report reveals how the US government is financing the very same insurgent forces in Afghanistan that American and NATO soldiers are fighting. Investigative journalist Aram Roston traces how the Pentagon’s civilian contractors in Afghanistan end up paying insurgent groups to protect American supply routes from attack.
The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan is warning against sending more troops to fight in the Afghan war. In a last-minute dissent, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent two cables this week casting doubt on a troop escalation until the Afghan government can address corruption and other internal problems.
Well today we turn to a new report that reveals how the US government is financing the very same insurgent forces in Afghanistan that American and NATO soldiers are fighting.
“How the US Funds the Taliban” is the cover story of the latest issue of the Nation magazine.
Investigative journalist Aram Roston traces how the Pentagon’s civilian contractors in Afghanistan end up paying insurgent groups to protect American supply routes from attack. The practice of buying the Taliban’s protection is not a secret. US military officials in Kabul told Roston that a minimum of 10 percent of the Pentagon"s logistics contracts consists of payments to the Taliban.
That translates into millions of dollars being funneled to the Taliban. This summer, anticipating a surge of US troops, the military expanded its trucking contracts in Afghanistan by 600 percent to a total of over two billion dollars.
Well, Aram Roston joins us now here in the firehouse studio. He"s the author of the book “The man who pushed America to War: The Life, Adventures, and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi.” His latest piece “How the US Funds the Taliban” was supported by the investigative fund at the Nation institute.
Aram Roston, Investigative journalist and author of The Man Who Pushed America to War: The Life, Adventures, and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi. He’s written the cover story in the latest issue of The Nation magazine, “How the US Funds the Taliban.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
CIA Paying off Afghan Drug Dealer....
WASHINGTON Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the president of Afghanistan, gets regular payments from the CIA and has for much of the past eight years, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said that according to current and former American officials, the CIA pays Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the CIA's direction in and around Kandahar.
The CIA's ties to Karzai, who is a suspected player in the country's illegal opium trade, have created deep divisions within the Obama administration, the Times said.
Allegations that Karzai is involved in the drug trade have circulated in Kabul for months. He denies them.
Critics say the ties with Karzai complicate the United States' increasingly tense relationship with his older brother, President Hamid Karzai. The CIA's practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban.
Some American officials argue that the reliance on Ahmed Wali Karzai, a central figure in the south of the country where the Taliban is dominant, undermines the U.S. push to develop an effective central government that can maintain law and order and eventually allow the United States to withdraw.
"If we are going to conduct a population-centric strategy in Afghanistan, and we are perceived as backing thugs, then we are just undermining ourselves," Maj. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the senior American military intelligence official in Afghanistan, was quoted by the Times in an article published on its Web site.
Ahmed Wali Karzai told the Times that he cooperates with American civilian and military officials but does not engage in the drug trade and does not receive payments from the CIA.
Karzai helps the CIA operate a paramilitary group, the Kandahar Strike Force, that is used for raids against suspected insurgents and terrorists, according to several American officials. Karzai also is paid for allowing the CIA and American Special Operations troops to rent a large compound outside the city, which also is the base of the Kandahar Strike Force, the Times said.
Karzai also helps the CIA communicate with and sometimes meet with Afghans loyal to the Taliban, the newspaper reported.
CIA spokesman George Little declined to comment on the report.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/karzais-brother-on-cia-pa_n_336279.html
The newspaper said that according to current and former American officials, the CIA pays Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the CIA's direction in and around Kandahar.
The CIA's ties to Karzai, who is a suspected player in the country's illegal opium trade, have created deep divisions within the Obama administration, the Times said.
Allegations that Karzai is involved in the drug trade have circulated in Kabul for months. He denies them.
Critics say the ties with Karzai complicate the United States' increasingly tense relationship with his older brother, President Hamid Karzai. The CIA's practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban.
Some American officials argue that the reliance on Ahmed Wali Karzai, a central figure in the south of the country where the Taliban is dominant, undermines the U.S. push to develop an effective central government that can maintain law and order and eventually allow the United States to withdraw.
"If we are going to conduct a population-centric strategy in Afghanistan, and we are perceived as backing thugs, then we are just undermining ourselves," Maj. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the senior American military intelligence official in Afghanistan, was quoted by the Times in an article published on its Web site.
Ahmed Wali Karzai told the Times that he cooperates with American civilian and military officials but does not engage in the drug trade and does not receive payments from the CIA.
Karzai helps the CIA operate a paramilitary group, the Kandahar Strike Force, that is used for raids against suspected insurgents and terrorists, according to several American officials. Karzai also is paid for allowing the CIA and American Special Operations troops to rent a large compound outside the city, which also is the base of the Kandahar Strike Force, the Times said.
Karzai also helps the CIA communicate with and sometimes meet with Afghans loyal to the Taliban, the newspaper reported.
CIA spokesman George Little declined to comment on the report.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/karzais-brother-on-cia-pa_n_336279.html
Thursday, October 22, 2009
TARP chief: Banks possibly 'in more danger now'
WASHINGTON (CNN) – The banking system today may be in a more precarious position than it was a year ago, the man charged with overseeing a $700 billion bailout program said Wednesday.
Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general managing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that the government's decision to support bank mergers over the past year may have put the U.S. economy more at risk.
"These banks that were too big to fail are now bigger," Barofsky said. "Government has sponsored and supported several mergers that made them larger and that guarantee, that implicit guarantee of moral hazard, the idea that the government is not going to let these banks fail, which was implicit a year ago, is now explicit, we've said it. So if anything, not only have there not been any meaningful regulatory reform to make it less likely, in a lot of ways, the government has made such problems more likely.
"Potentially we could be in more danger now than we were a year ago," he added.
Earlier in the day, Barofsky issued a scathing report criticizing the Treasury Department for not being transparent enough about how bailout money was being spent. He warned that this could have lasting effects.
"I think this cynicism, this anger, this distrust of government that's born in part from a lack of transparency could have far-reaching ramifications, whether there's a next crisis or when anytime the government is going to call on the American people, the taxpayer, to support necessary programs," Barofsky said.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/21/tarp-chief-banks-possibly-in-more-danger-now/
Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general managing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that the government's decision to support bank mergers over the past year may have put the U.S. economy more at risk.
"These banks that were too big to fail are now bigger," Barofsky said. "Government has sponsored and supported several mergers that made them larger and that guarantee, that implicit guarantee of moral hazard, the idea that the government is not going to let these banks fail, which was implicit a year ago, is now explicit, we've said it. So if anything, not only have there not been any meaningful regulatory reform to make it less likely, in a lot of ways, the government has made such problems more likely.
"Potentially we could be in more danger now than we were a year ago," he added.
Earlier in the day, Barofsky issued a scathing report criticizing the Treasury Department for not being transparent enough about how bailout money was being spent. He warned that this could have lasting effects.
"I think this cynicism, this anger, this distrust of government that's born in part from a lack of transparency could have far-reaching ramifications, whether there's a next crisis or when anytime the government is going to call on the American people, the taxpayer, to support necessary programs," Barofsky said.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/21/tarp-chief-banks-possibly-in-more-danger-now/
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Why GOP Leader Opposes Hate Crimes Protections for Gays
Last week, House Republican Leader John Boehner objected to House passage of a bill that would expand hate crime laws and make it a federal crime to assault people on the basis of their sexual orientation.
"All violent crimes should be prosecuted vigorously, no matter what the circumstance," he said. "The Democrats' 'thought crimes' legislation, however, places a higher value on some lives than others. Republicans believe that all lives are created equal, and should be defended with equal vigilance."
.......
"He does not support adding sexual orientation to the list of protected classes," Smith continued.
Boehner's position, then, appears to be grounded in the notion that immutable characteristics should be protected under hate crimes laws. And while religion is an immutable characteristic, his office suggests, sexual orientation is not.
Northeastern University professor Jack Levin, who co-authored the first book written about hate crimes, told Hotsheet that "to use immutability as a criterion doesn't make any sense at all."
"Especially if he supports the current stand," Levin continued. "Religion is clearly not ascribed. It's not built into the organism. People can change it at any time and people do."
"It sounds to me as though the criticism is focused on the addition of gays and lesbians to the list of protected categories at the federal level," he said. "That seems to be the problem."
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/13/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5381671.shtml
........
So let me get this straight(Pun Intended) Boehner, you CHOOSE to be gay but you Can't CHOOSE a religion...what about people that flipflop on religion like most Americans through their life..... Right Wing FAIL!
With all of the things going on in the World can't we just stop persecuting homosexuality, and take the correct stance on Nature vs Nurture......which is WE DON'T KNOW and stop pushing our own agenda's on it..... Allow Marriage, Allow Rights, and leave it at that, isn't it 2009?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Snoop Speaks Detox, and The Game
Snoop Dogg rolled through Big Boy’s morning show “Big Boy’s Neighborhood” on Los Angeles’ Power 106 this week to talk about the picture of himself, The Game, and Dr. Dre that surfaced on Twitter late last week.
“We actually working on Detox right now,” said Snoop. “Me and Dr. Dre and D.O.C. and Stat Quo we in there doing it everyday trying to go hard in the yard. I called Game up so he could come be a part of this one particular record Dre had that was needing his vocals and his assistance on.”
The Game, who posted the picture to his Twitter account along with the message: “CAN U SAY “DETOX” ??? IN THE STUDIO WIT DRE & SNOOP. WE BOUT 2 MAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE MAD. RIDE WIT US OR GET RAN OVER! AFTERMATH OR DIE!”, had the internet buzzing not only because people were excited to see that this album might actually still be happening, but because it was the first time Dre (who’s usually pretty camera shy) was pictured with Game in a long while. The two previously had some beef and weren’t speaking with one another for a while.
Snoop admits that he’s responsible for reuniting the pair not only in the flesh but also on a new track slated for Detox. “They needed me to get in contact with Game,” said Snoop, “I had the number in my phone and I shot that that way and they called him and once he got there him and Dre hollered and they got a great relationship.”
According to Snoop, he’s been in the studio with Dre for the last two weeks working on Detox and hinted at the importance of what many believe this album will mean for West Coast music. “It’s always about what we can do, not what we did,” he said. “We trying to do some things to bring this whole movement back. So that’s what that picture was about. It was about symbolizing the West Coast movement… Dre don’t even let people take pictures of him. Guess who wanted to take the picture? I was upstairs. [Dre] was like man come down here let’s take a picture.”
Detox has been in the making for close to 10 years and there has yet to be an official release date for it, but this reunion appears to be a good sign for progress on the album. -Brooklyne Gipson
http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=59430
$15 Billion Military Base in Guam
In the midst of a recession that has cost millions of Americans their jobs, a massive military construction project on the U.S. territory of Guam is provoking a unique debate that boils down to this deceptively simple question: Should the government be more concerned about creating jobs or minding the taxpayers’ money?
At the center of the debate is one of the biggest construction projects on the U.S. government’s “to do” list: a roughly $15 billion military base expansion that is expected to require some 20,000 construction workers starting next year. Guamanian Americans will fill some of the jobs, but most are expected to go to foreign workers from the Philippines, China, and South Korea.
Cont. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33129102/ns/us_news-military/
Democracy Now:
Guam Residents Organize Against US Plans for $15B Military Buildup on Pacific Island
The United States is planning an enormous $15 billion military buildup on the Pacific island of Guam. The project would turn the thirty-mile-long island into a major hub for US military operations in the Pacific in what has been described as the largest military buildup in recent history. We speak with Julian Aguon, a civil rights attorney from the Chamoru nation in Guam.
Transcripts: http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/guam_residents_organize_against_us_plans
SickForProfit Insurance!
Netting $2.5 billion in profits last year wasn't enough for WellPoint, the nation's largest insurance company.
Now, WellPoint's affiliate, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is suing the state of Maine for refusing to guarantee it a profit margin in the midst of a painful recession.
Bernie Sanders Keeps it Real on Afghanistan
Sen. Bernie Sanders: President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the non-Western world and stress diplomacy. Americans should be proud that we have a president who is restoring respect for our country around the globe. This well-deserved prize is an inspiration for the president and for rest of us to do some really hard thinking about how we create a more peaceful and just world -- including our role in Afghanistan. We are now in our ninth year in Afghanistan -- twice as long as were engaged in World War II. We have lost more than 800 troops. We have spent more than $200 billion. What do we hope to accomplish in Afghanistan? What is our exit strategy?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Shady/Slaughterhouse?!?
Now this could be interesting....
Miss Info writes:
If there’s anything that we’ve learned over the years, it’s that…there are no coincidences in hiphop. Many of you sharp-eyed readers were speculating about that not-so-subtle Slaughterhouse cameo in the new “Forever” video. The four lyrical butchers stand behind Eminem during his scene, which was shot in Detroit (as opposed to the rest of the video, which was shot in Miami).
It’s a befitting finale for such a heavyweight crew cut. Eminem’s verse is fire (my personal favorite of the four) and so is the visual: seeing Em, alongside Joell Ortiz (who was once signed to Em’s mentor, Dre), Crooked I (who was once signed to Dre’s de-mentor, Suge), Royce da 5′9″ (Em’s renewed friend), and Joe Budden (who is just…Joe Budden, lol).
So here are the “rumors” that I’m hearing…
That Slaughterhouse appearance in “Forever,” was indeed a non-verbal announcement of the contract negotiations going on behind the scenes. For the past month, both sides have been working towards bringing the group to the Shady label. And that the gathering of Em and the guys at the shoot, is the first of more collaborations to come.
For now, Eminem is working on Relapse II, in Detroit. Joe is working on The Great Escape. Royce is preparing his Oct. release, StreetHop. Crooked I is working on an EP called Mr. Pig Face Weapon Waist (lol!). And Slaughterhouse will be on the road with TechN9ne for all of Oct and Nov. But fans all want to see Em plus Slaughter on a track (especially Em and Royce). Imagine the killer verse volleys!
Hopefully we’ll see some progress on this Shady/Slaughterhouse “rumor” in the next few months. It’s good for hiphop.
Miss Info writes:
If there’s anything that we’ve learned over the years, it’s that…there are no coincidences in hiphop. Many of you sharp-eyed readers were speculating about that not-so-subtle Slaughterhouse cameo in the new “Forever” video. The four lyrical butchers stand behind Eminem during his scene, which was shot in Detroit (as opposed to the rest of the video, which was shot in Miami).
It’s a befitting finale for such a heavyweight crew cut. Eminem’s verse is fire (my personal favorite of the four) and so is the visual: seeing Em, alongside Joell Ortiz (who was once signed to Em’s mentor, Dre), Crooked I (who was once signed to Dre’s de-mentor, Suge), Royce da 5′9″ (Em’s renewed friend), and Joe Budden (who is just…Joe Budden, lol).
So here are the “rumors” that I’m hearing…
That Slaughterhouse appearance in “Forever,” was indeed a non-verbal announcement of the contract negotiations going on behind the scenes. For the past month, both sides have been working towards bringing the group to the Shady label. And that the gathering of Em and the guys at the shoot, is the first of more collaborations to come.
For now, Eminem is working on Relapse II, in Detroit. Joe is working on The Great Escape. Royce is preparing his Oct. release, StreetHop. Crooked I is working on an EP called Mr. Pig Face Weapon Waist (lol!). And Slaughterhouse will be on the road with TechN9ne for all of Oct and Nov. But fans all want to see Em plus Slaughter on a track (especially Em and Royce). Imagine the killer verse volleys!
Hopefully we’ll see some progress on this Shady/Slaughterhouse “rumor” in the next few months. It’s good for hiphop.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Protect Insurance Companies??
In a satiric video from Funny or Die, Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, and other celebs band together to "protect" insurance company profits from the evils of health care reform.
"People are saying a lot of mean things about health insurance companies and their executives and it's gotta stop," pleads Thomas Lennon.
"These great business men are American heroes," says Linda Cardellini.
"So why is Obama trying to reform health care when insurance companies are doing just fine making billions of dollars in profit?" Will Ferrell asks.
Funny or Die has history of using celebrities and humor to take a stance on political issues. Last year they released "Prop 8: The Musical" starring Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Margaret Cho, and more satirizing the push for a ban on gay marriage in California.
This "Insurance PSA," paid for by and produced with MoveOn.org, ends with a call to action, asking people to call their congressmen and tell them we need a strong public option.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/protect-insurance-compani_n_294406.html
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
www.Dropdobbs.com
Update 11/12/2009
Drop Dobbs Coalition Members Respond to Dobbs’ departure from CNN:
Media Matters for America: A “happy day for all those who care about this nation of immigrants.”
From Media Matters:
Washington, DC – Media Matters for America released the following statement responding to late breaking news that controversial CNN host Lou Dobbs, best known for his relentless anti-immigrant rhetoric, will be leaving his long-time cable news home effective tonight.
“For too long, CNN provided Lou Dobbs with its stamp of approval as he pursued a dangerous, one-sided and all too often false conspiracy tinged crusade against immigrants,” said Eric Burns, president of Media Matters. “This is a happy day for all those who care about this nation of immigrants and believe in the power of media to elevate the political discourse.”
NDN: “This is a great victory.”
From NDN:
NDN, a leading think tank and advocacy organization, joined with Media Matters to create the DropDobbs.com coalition several months ago to hold CNN anchor Lou Dobbs accountable for the rampant intolerance promoted through his nightly news show. The coalition was later joined by several prominent organizations to promote this effort.
Today, less than two months after the launch of our online and grassroots campaign, Lou Dobbs has announced he is resigning from CNN because “it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country, and affecting all of us…”
Andres Ramirez, Senior Vice President for NDN and coordinator for the DropDobbs coalition stated, “This is a great victory for all of us who have been working on this effort. We believe that Lou Dobb’s intolerant style of politics is inconsistent with the powerful and respected CNN brand. We are glad to see him go.”
We want to thank and congratulate all the organizations who participated in this coalition.
League of United Latin American Citizens: LULAC “hails the removal of Lou Dobbs from CNN.”
From LULAC:
Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country hailed that CNN anchor Lou Dobbs will leave CNN today. The announcement was made on his 7 p.m. program “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”
“After years of giving Lou Dobbs an unparalleled and powerful perch from which to spread hate, fear, and misinformation about immigrants, the executives at CNN have finally realized that they could no longer justify his nightly smear campaign against the hardest working people in America,” stated Rosa Rosales, LULAC National President. “I am amazed that it took them so long to realize that the show was beyond the bounds of common decency.”
LULAC participated in the Drop Dobbs and Basta Dobbs campaigns to pressure advertisers to abandon his divisive show. The LULAC National Assembly had also passed a resolution calling for advertisers to withdraw.
“While we strongly believe in the right to free speech, that does not mean that demagogues have the right to a prime time show in which they bash hard working people of color,” stated LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “CNN and other media outlets have a responsibility to provide a fair and rational discourse on important issues affecting their viewers or risk a backlash from the public.”
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.
National Council of La Raza: Dobbs’ resignation “is an important step forward in restoring greater fairness, accuracy, and balance on CNN and cable news.”
From NCLR:
Washington, DC—“Lou Dobbs’s resignation from CNN yesterday is an important step forward in restoring greater fairness, accuracy, and balance on CNN and cable news,” stated Janet MurguÃa, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Through its Wave of Hope campaign, and more recently as a founding member of the Drop Dobbs coalition, NCLR has long raised concerns about the gross distortions, misrepresentations, and falsehoods that Dobbs’s program has perpetuated, including by presenting extremist voices as “immigration experts.”
“We hope this resignation begins to undo the climate of intolerance fostered against the Latino community, restore journalistic integrity to the CNN brand, and bring civility and truth back to the immigration debate,” MurguÃa added.
Joe Wilson Voted for Illegal coverage!
On Wednesday night, Rep. Joe Wilson [R, SC-2], shouted “You lie!” at President Obama when he said that the healthcare bill would not cover illegal immigrants. “The supporters of the government takeover of healthcare and liberals who want to give healthcare to illegals are using my opposition as an excuse to distract from the critical questions being raised about this poorly conceived plan,” Wilson said the next day in a campaign fundraising video.
However, in 2003, Wilson voted to provide federal funds for illegal immigrants’ healthcare. The vote came on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which contained Sec. 1011 authorizing $250,000 annually between 2003 and 2008 for government reimbursements to hospitals who provide treatment for uninsured illegal immigrants. The program has been extended through 2009 and there is currently a bipartisan bill in Congress to make it permanent.
Hospitals have a legal obligation to treat everyone who comes in seeking care, regardless of citizenship status, insurance or other characteristics. This means that hospitals treat millions of people every year who don’t have the means to pay. Obviously, this drives up the nation’s healthcare costs overall. Section 1011 helps cushion the costs for hospitals, but it’s not nearly enough to cover the actual costs in most areas.
To be fair, Section 1011 is just a small part of a much larger bill that contained many Republican priorities. Still, Wilson’s protest against the current healthcare reform proposal giving coverage to illegal immigrants (which is false), is in direct contradiction to his 2003 vote. Allowing illegal immigrants to purchase unsubsidized healthcare through the Exchange that would be set up under the current proposal wouldn’t cost taxpayers a cent, and it would be a step towards fixing the problem that Section 1011 was designed to throw federal money at.
Here are a few more links on Wilson and the healthcare reform bill:
Wilson’s OpenCongress profile
Wilson’s OpenCongress Wiki page
The House healthcare bill
The line in the bill blocking subsidies for illegal immigrants
The healthcare bill’s tax increases
5 major lies about the healthcare bill debunked
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Support for Afghan war at all-time low
By Paul Steinhauser
CNN Deputy Political Director
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Support for the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time low, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday morning indicates that 39 percent of Americans favor the war in Afghanistan, with 58 percent opposed to the mission.
Support is down from 53 percent in April, marking the lowest level since the start of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The poll suggests that 23 percent of Democrats support the war. That number rises to 39 percent for independents and 62 percent for Republicans.
"Most of the recent erosion in support has come from within the GOP," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. "Unlike Democrats and independents, Republicans still favor the war, but their support has slipped eight points in just two weeks."
How does Afghanistan compares with Iraq?
"The Afghan war is almost as unpopular as the Iraq war has been for the past four years," Holland said, noting that support for the war in Iraq first dropped to 39 percent in June 2005 and has generally remained in the low to mid-30s since.
The poll's release comes after the two deadliest months for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In August, 48 U.S. troops were killed in the fighting, surpassing the previous high of 45 the month before.
President Obama has called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" and has placed great emphasis on defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda militants operating there and in Pakistan.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to approve sending thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan to deal with the growing threat from roadside bombs, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said last week.
Gates has concluded there is not enough manpower or equipment in Afghanistan to protect U.S. troops from such bombs, Morrell said. Watch U.S. senators on the next U.S. moves in Afghanistan »
The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 1,012 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
CNN Deputy Political Director
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Support for the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time low, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday morning indicates that 39 percent of Americans favor the war in Afghanistan, with 58 percent opposed to the mission.
Support is down from 53 percent in April, marking the lowest level since the start of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The poll suggests that 23 percent of Democrats support the war. That number rises to 39 percent for independents and 62 percent for Republicans.
"Most of the recent erosion in support has come from within the GOP," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. "Unlike Democrats and independents, Republicans still favor the war, but their support has slipped eight points in just two weeks."
How does Afghanistan compares with Iraq?
"The Afghan war is almost as unpopular as the Iraq war has been for the past four years," Holland said, noting that support for the war in Iraq first dropped to 39 percent in June 2005 and has generally remained in the low to mid-30s since.
The poll's release comes after the two deadliest months for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In August, 48 U.S. troops were killed in the fighting, surpassing the previous high of 45 the month before.
President Obama has called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" and has placed great emphasis on defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda militants operating there and in Pakistan.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to approve sending thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan to deal with the growing threat from roadside bombs, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said last week.
Gates has concluded there is not enough manpower or equipment in Afghanistan to protect U.S. troops from such bombs, Morrell said. Watch U.S. senators on the next U.S. moves in Afghanistan »
The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 1,012 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Drake Conspiracy?
I read this article on allhiphop and thought I would share:
By hexmurda
I don't hate Drake.
There, I said
it.
Don't know the dude, never met him. I think he's a talented
cat, rappin' and actin' and sangin' and all that.
He's even got
the only record spinnin' on urban radio that I don't hate more than the KKK
hates Obama.
But that doesn't make him the savior of Hip-Hop.
Not by a longshot.
However, apparently some real
CEO's (not the n****as in your hood with business cards for their record label
and their car wash, with numbers scratched out) these n****as inhabit whole
floors of skyscrapers and have anointed Drake "NEXT."
I can see it
now, intra-office memos written in invisible ink, phone calls where coded
phrases like "bury the sun" are uttered, secret communiques transported by
carrier pigeon.
Clandestine meetings on park benches where
identical briefcases are exchanged. Limos pulling up to a rinky dink bodega in
Brooklyn, with the shrouded occupants going through a hidden door behind the
counter, down a secret passageway lined with platinum plaques. The passage
leading to an underground fortress, that either looks like a witches' coven or
the f***ing NORAD bunker.
They're all here.
All of
them.
Morris. Bronfman. Cohen. Rhone. Liles. Reid. Greenwald.
Iovine.
All of them.
Sitting in thrones at a huge
table carved out of an ancient oak tree, drinking from golden goblets filled
with a substance that bears an uncanny resemblance to blood.
These
are the people who make the decisions. They decide whose careers thrive and who
ends up on a f***ing milk carton in XXL.
These are the folks who
operate the proverbial "MACHINE," and they can George Bush the button whenever
they feel like it.
And they have convened for one reason, and one
reason only.
DRAKE.
Yeah, that sounds like some real
Skull and Bones bulls**t, right?
Monday, August 31, 2009
George Will calls for pull-out
George Will calls for pull-out
By: Mike Allen
August 31, 2009 04:46 PM EST
George F. Will, the elite conservative commentator, will call in his next column for U.S. ground troops to leave Afghanistan, according to publishing sources.
“[F]orces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent special forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that actually matters,” Will writes in the column, scheduled for publication later this week.
President Obama ordered a total of 21,000 more U.S. troops into Afghanistan in February and March, and casualties have mounted as the forces began confronting the Taliban more aggressively. August saw the highest monthly death toll for the U.S. since the invasion in 2001, the second record month in a row.
Will’s prescription – in which he urges Obama to remember Bismarck’s decision to halt German forces short of Paris in 1870 - seems certain to split Republicans. He is a favorite of fiscal conservatives. The more hawkish right can be expected to attack his conclusion as foolhardy, short-sighted and naïve, potentially making the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorist attack.
The columnist’s startling recommendation surfaced on the same day that Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, sent an assessment up his chain of command recommending what he called “a revised implementation strategy.” In a statement, McChrystal also called for “commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort.”
In the column, Will warns that any nation-building strategy could be impossible to execute given the Taliban’s ability to seemingly disappear into the rugged mountain terrain and the lack of economic development in the war-plagued nation.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates was asked Monday by Peter Cook of Bloomberg TV: “Are we winning in Afghanistan?”
“I think it's a mixed picture in Afghanistan,” Gates replied. “I think that there aren’t too many people with too rosy a view of what's going on in Afghanistan. I think there are many challenges. But I think some of the gloom and doom is somewhat overdrawn as well. … I think that there are some positive developments. But there is no question our casualties are up and there's no question we have a very tough fight in front of us, a lot of challenges.”
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
July Wrap up!
What's up good people!?
I know I know I've been gone for a minute! But I'm back, there has been alot going on, I've been all over the place, and working on alot of stuff. I'm gonna be putting up a bunch of stuff over the next week recapping the month, some of the hits and misses in music and politics! Always remember that when I'm away you can always get some great updates at....
www.streetztalk.net
www.nativenotes.net
www.nahright.com
www.illseed.com
I'll leave ya'll with a quick new track off the upcoming Monkey-Mixtape by Jersey's Own F.A.M.E.
All World!
I know I know I've been gone for a minute! But I'm back, there has been alot going on, I've been all over the place, and working on alot of stuff. I'm gonna be putting up a bunch of stuff over the next week recapping the month, some of the hits and misses in music and politics! Always remember that when I'm away you can always get some great updates at....
www.streetztalk.net
www.nativenotes.net
www.nahright.com
www.illseed.com
I'll leave ya'll with a quick new track off the upcoming Monkey-Mixtape by Jersey's Own F.A.M.E.
All World!
Monday, July 6, 2009
New Ace Hood Ft. Jazmine Sullivan and Ross
Haven't followed this guy too much, but feeling the positive vibe on the track, half expected gun shots!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
R.I.P. Michael Jackson
No Negative words for the King of Pop today, Rest in Peace, you have brought a light to the world that will not soon be forgotten!
"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotton either write things worth reading or do thing worth writing" Benjamin Franklin
Michael Jackson was due to make his triumphant return to the stage in London next month — but instead his sudden death has left millions of fans feeling they've lost a lifelong friend.
The dramatic death of the brilliant singer seemed to obscure his recent controversies and kindle warmer memories of Jackson the child star and Jackson the show-stopping, moonwalking headliner.
The worldwide chorus of grief united the famous — statesmen and superstars alike — and the legions of ordinary people who grew up with "Thriller" and "Beat It."
Word of Jackson's death jolted nearly everyone, from a young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried, in vain, to moonwalk.
"It's horrible news, so unexpected," the Italian actress Sophia Loren told The Associated Press by telephone. "The world has lost an icon and music has lost treasures. He wrote songs that generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow will all keep on singing. What he wrote was amazing."
Loren and her children had been frequent visitors to Jackson at his Neverland ranch in California, developing an enduring friendship.
"I hope that Michael will find that peace that maybe he did not have in the last 15 years."
The dramatic death of the brilliant singer seemed to obscure his recent controversies and kindle warmer memories of Jackson the child star and Jackson the show-stopping, moonwalking headliner.
The worldwide chorus of grief united the famous — statesmen and superstars alike — and the legions of ordinary people who grew up with "Thriller" and "Beat It."
Word of Jackson's death jolted nearly everyone, from a young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried, in vain, to moonwalk.
"It's horrible news, so unexpected," the Italian actress Sophia Loren told The Associated Press by telephone. "The world has lost an icon and music has lost treasures. He wrote songs that generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow will all keep on singing. What he wrote was amazing."
Loren and her children had been frequent visitors to Jackson at his Neverland ranch in California, developing an enduring friendship.
"I hope that Michael will find that peace that maybe he did not have in the last 15 years."
Here is a song showing how Michael's Music is timeless, sampled in current hip hop today!
F.A.M.E. (myspace.com/jerseyfame)
Update Tribute Featuring Chris Brown, Game, Nas, Puffy, Boyz 2 Men
Friday, June 19, 2009
Joell Ortiz FREE AGENT!
This guy is bringing it! I'm loving how lyrics, and music are fighting back over the commercial nonsense!
Lupe's clothing line
Check out Lupe explaining his clothing line. I like the concept..reminds me of GDMWorldwide circa 2007!
http://www.trillyandtruly.com/
http://www.trillyandtruly.com/
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Lupe Fiasco ft. Matthew Santos “Shining Down”
Sorry Lupe, but this song needs burn...
Listen closely to the autotune section second verse! He's dropping knowledge!
Listen closely to the autotune section second verse! He's dropping knowledge!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Jeezy Diss'n OJ da Juiceman & Guccimane
Looks like the summer is gonna be HOT when it comes to the beef...
"Fuck some Juice...Man!"
XXLMAG Update!
Last night (June 15) Young Jeezy leaked a song targeting fellow Atlanta
rappers Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman.
On the track, titled “24-23,”
Jeezy first takes aim at his longtime rival Gucci. “I’m on my Louie shit today/
fuck some Gucci, mane,” he spit. “These niggas still on my dick/ they like some
groupies, mane/Can’t keep they lips closed/ they worse than coochies, mane/ And
that fruity looking stupid/ like some Coogi, mane/ Let you trick me off these
streets/ you must be stupid, mane/ Tell him this ain’t what he want/ not the boy
Snow/ But between me and you/ I think the boy slow.”
He then takes aim
at Gucci’s friend OJ. “Straight shots to the head, fuck some juice, man,” he
added. “Next to real n—-s in the city who got the juice, mane. these n—-s
talking bout the work but what they prove, mane. Y’all know these n—-s really
clowns but I’m the truth, mane. And this is what you goin’ for then what’s the
use, mane. Tell him this ain’t what he want, not the boy Snow. But between me
and you, I think them boys slow.”
When XXLMag.com reached out to both OJ
and Gucci’s management for comment, the current XXL cover stars said: “We not
feeding in to that. We getting money.”
The Snowman has a controversial
history with Gucci. Back in 2005 Jeezy put out several diss songs against the
rapper, claiming he was not paid sufficiently for his appearance on Gucci’s hit
single, “So Icey.” Gucci alleged that Jeezy went as far as putting a hit out on
him, which many believe lead to Mane killing a man – rumored to be a Jeezy
associate - in self-defense. Since ’05 there have been no other incidents
between the two rappers.
Ironically all three MCs are set to play two
shows together this weekend, 102 Jamz’s SuperJam In North Carolina and Hot 107’s
Birthday Bash in A-town. – Elan Mancini
Slaughterhouse D.O.A Freestyle...
Slaughterhouse Freestyle on D.O.A. Beat courtesy of Green Lantern!
The Slaughterhouse Rules from jeff on Vimeo.
Mos Def vs Jay?!?
Now this isn't to start beef, but I feel Mos on this one...
I like how he got a different type of team then most would put together.....
If it happens, I'm going!
I like how he got a different type of team then most would put together.....
If it happens, I'm going!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Bill Clinton off to Haiti!
Let's see If Good Old Bill can work some magic! I think his fame and charisma could definitely shed some light on this poor half of an Island!
U.N. names Bill Clinton envoy to Haiti
Posted: 08:16 PM ET
From CNN's Meghan Dunn
Former President Clinton said Monday that he wants to help Haitians take control of their own destiny.
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday officially named former U.S. President Bill Clinton as special envoy to Haiti.
The position calls for Clinton to work to create jobs and access to basic services for the people of Haiti.
"All I want to do is help the Haitians take over control of their own destiny," Clinton said.
The U.N. Office for the Special Envoy for Haiti said unemployment reaches 70 percent nationally and 78 percent of Haitians live on less than $2 a day. Even though Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Ban said he believes that it "is at a turning point. It has a real chance for stability and potential prosperity."
Clinton will be working from a plan that was created by the Haitian government.
"They produced, I thought, a very impressive program called 'Haiti: A New Paradigm,' and we intend to follow that," he said.
Clinton said his new job has four major goals: to support the Haitian government in implementing its program; to assist in the recovery effort with the same fervor as was shown toward countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004; to encourage more international private sector investments; and to encourage donors who have promised money for Haiti to honor their commitments.
Governments have pledged $353 million, with the biggest pledges coming from the Untied States, Canada and France. "The challenge now," Ban said, "is to turn these pledges into contributions."
He said he believes that Clinton can accomplish that.
Haiti's minister for foreign affairs, Alrich Nicolas said, "Our country and people could not hope for a better friend and advocate than Bill Clinton.
Clinton, who will be paid an annual salary of $1, added, "I believe Haiti is better positioned to make progress for all its people than at any time since I first visited in 1978."
Hennessy Black!
Packaged in a sleek, bold black bottle, Hennessy Black is a versatile blend of 35 to 45 unique, pale and gold colored eaux-de-vie selected for their elegant floral characteristics. These are subsequently aged in French oak barrels previously used by Hennessy for at least five years. Hennessy Black has a more gentle wood influence. The result is a different expression of Hennessy Cognac: lighter and fresher with scents of jasmine, daffodils and orange flowers that are delicately mixed with hints of citrus, honey, and fresh grapes to create a distinctively smooth cognac with surprising finesse balance, floral notes.
"We are thrilled to launch such a spectacular new product from Hennessy, the leading cognac in the world," said Mark Cornell, CEO Moet Hennessy USA. "Our fast growing consumer base is looking for new and innovative ways to consume cognac and we have the perfect blend to speak to this generation."
"Hennessy Black is a fantastic new blend that takes Hennessy beyond cognac," said Andy Glaser, Senior Vice President Hennessy Business. "Its incredible smooth taste and versatile nature will enable a new set of premium spirit drinkers to enjoy Hennessy in a variety of new ways."
www.HennessyBlack.com
Republican calls Michelle Obama an APE!
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A Republican activist in South Carolina is under fire for comments he made on Facebook about First Lady Michelle Obama.
The story first hit the blog FitsNews.com Saturday night with a headline reading "SCGOP Activist Posts Remark Disparaging First Lady."
Rusty Depass is a former state Senate candidate and a former State Election Commission chairman.
The article showed an entry Depass posted on Facebook commenting on a gorilla that escaped from Riverbanks Zoo.
It said, "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors -- probably harmless."
Depass said he was talking about the first lady.
Bob Coble, mayor of Columbia and one of Depass' political rivals, condemned the comment.
"You know, I think the comment is inappropriate," Coble said. "It's a racist comment. I think Mr. Depass should apologize."
Depass spoke with WYFF News 4 over the phone Saturday night.
"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone," he said. "The comment was clearly in jest."
"I don't think there's anything funny about that comment," Coble said. "That is the first lady of the United States. We've had a long tradition of wonderful first ladies, and I don't think any of them deserve that type of comment."
Depass took his apology a bit further.
"The comment was hers, not mine," he said.
He said the first lady made statements in the media recently, saying humans are all descendants of apes. A Google search WYFF made on the topic turned up no news articles of the like.
"I don't know of any," Coble said.
The mayor said he wants a clear-cut apology.
"Rusty Depass is well-known in the community, and I know he's done very good things in addition to his political work," Coble said. "I don't want a comment like that coming out of Columbia, S.C., for the world to comment on."
So far, the White House has not commented on Depass' posting.
The story first hit the blog FitsNews.com Saturday night with a headline reading "SCGOP Activist Posts Remark Disparaging First Lady."
Rusty Depass is a former state Senate candidate and a former State Election Commission chairman.
The article showed an entry Depass posted on Facebook commenting on a gorilla that escaped from Riverbanks Zoo.
It said, "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors -- probably harmless."
Depass said he was talking about the first lady.
Bob Coble, mayor of Columbia and one of Depass' political rivals, condemned the comment.
"You know, I think the comment is inappropriate," Coble said. "It's a racist comment. I think Mr. Depass should apologize."
Depass spoke with WYFF News 4 over the phone Saturday night.
"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone," he said. "The comment was clearly in jest."
"I don't think there's anything funny about that comment," Coble said. "That is the first lady of the United States. We've had a long tradition of wonderful first ladies, and I don't think any of them deserve that type of comment."
Depass took his apology a bit further.
"The comment was hers, not mine," he said.
He said the first lady made statements in the media recently, saying humans are all descendants of apes. A Google search WYFF made on the topic turned up no news articles of the like.
"I don't know of any," Coble said.
The mayor said he wants a clear-cut apology.
"Rusty Depass is well-known in the community, and I know he's done very good things in addition to his political work," Coble said. "I don't want a comment like that coming out of Columbia, S.C., for the world to comment on."
So far, the White House has not commented on Depass' posting.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Obama's 736 Million Dollar Embassy
Ah, good thing the US quest for violent global domination was brought to a screeching halt with the November presidential election. Without Obama’s election, we’d still have an occupation of Iraq, mercenaries on the US payroll, torture of prisoners, an unending and worsening war that kills civilians in Afghanistan, regular airstrikes in Pakistan, killing civilians and an embassy the size of Vatican city in Baghdad, which was built in part on slave labor. Not to mention those crazy “Bush/Cheney” neocons running around trying to become the “CEOs” of foreign nations. Wow, glad that’s all over. Whew! And, it’s a really good thing Bush is no longer in power or else the US would come up with some crazy idea like building a colonial fortress in Pakistan to defend “US interests” in the region.
From McClatchy:
The White House has asked Congress for — and seems likely to receive — $736 million to build a new U.S. embassy in Islamabad, along with permanent housing for U.S. government civilians and new office space in the Pakistani capital.
The scale of the projects rivals the giant U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which was completed last year after construction delays at a cost of $740 million.
[…]
Other major projects are planned for Kabul, Afghanistan; and for the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Peshawar. In Peshawar, the U.S. government is negotiating the purchase of a five-star hotel that would house a new U.S. consulate.
[…]
In Pakistan, however, large parts of the population are hostile to the U.S. presence in the region — despite receiving billions of dollars in aid from Washington since 2001 — and anti-American groups and politicians are likely to seize on the expanded diplomatic presence in Islamabad as evidence of American “imperial designs.”
“This is a replay of Baghdad,” said Khurshid Ahmad, a member of Pakistan’s upper house of parliament for Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the country’s two main religious political parties. “This (Islamabad embassy) is more (space) than they should need. It’s for the micro and macro management of Pakistan, and using Pakistan for pushing the American agenda in Central Asia.”
(Also on Rebel Reports)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
LOLZ SACHS! PAY IT BACK HOMIE!
So finally we see some reimbursement from these large companies on the travesty of the Sub Prime mortgages.... Just a small step, but a good direction!
BOSTON (AP) -- Investment banker Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay a $10
million fee and let some 714 Massachusetts homeowners rework their mortgages in
a settlement reached as part of a state investigation into subprime lending.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said the rewritten mortgages could save
about $50 million for residents across the state, the bulk of them living in
Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, Springfield and Worcester.
Goldman will
reduce the principal on first mortgages by up to 35 percent, and work with its
affiliate, Litton Loan Servicing LP, on refinancing terms.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/12/goldman-sachs-settles-sub_n_201929.html
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Back from the B-Day Fiesta!
Took a few days off to Celebrate the born day! You know The-Drunkmonkey was born on Cinco de Mayo! Had to hit up the festivities, tequila, dos XX and Margaritas!
Shout out to FAME for an appearance!
Here is some fun, MF Doom battle rapping? Shout out to illseed.com for this one!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Asher Roth & Cee Lo
Now first off, not an Asher Roth bandwagon guy, really haven't listened to any of his other stuff yet, havent been in a good "New Rap" mood, and didn't want to give any of the newer artists a bad aura, but this video was sent to me, and i'm feeling it.....
First statement dude does sound like em..... but not lyrically the same element so let the audio ride homie.... I'll check the others out soon, almost back to my rap happy place... still bumping "Hard+Work" by my man FAME though....
First statement dude does sound like em..... but not lyrically the same element so let the audio ride homie.... I'll check the others out soon, almost back to my rap happy place... still bumping "Hard+Work" by my man FAME though....
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Swine Flu, overblown??
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you have been bombarded with news coverage of the swine flu for several days now.
And when the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to the second highest level — of 5 — yesterday, the media couldn’t get enough of it. After all, this stuff sells newspapers and gets ratings. But when you take a look at the numbers, it seems like the story might be overblown…
The WHO has confirmed 236 cases of swine flu worldwide. 97 cases in Mexico, with seven deaths. Mexican officials have reported much higher numbers — 2,500 cases and more than 150 deaths — but those numbers haven’t been confirmed. In the U.S., the WHO says there are 109 confirmed cases with 1 death. Out of a population of more than 300 million people, that hardly seems to be cause for alarm.
And scientists who are studying the virus say this strain of influenza doesn’t look as deadly as strains that have caused previous pandemics. In fact, some suggest that the current form of the swine flu virus may not even do as much damage as the regular flu.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/cafferty-has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/
And when the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to the second highest level — of 5 — yesterday, the media couldn’t get enough of it. After all, this stuff sells newspapers and gets ratings. But when you take a look at the numbers, it seems like the story might be overblown…
The WHO has confirmed 236 cases of swine flu worldwide. 97 cases in Mexico, with seven deaths. Mexican officials have reported much higher numbers — 2,500 cases and more than 150 deaths — but those numbers haven’t been confirmed. In the U.S., the WHO says there are 109 confirmed cases with 1 death. Out of a population of more than 300 million people, that hardly seems to be cause for alarm.
And scientists who are studying the virus say this strain of influenza doesn’t look as deadly as strains that have caused previous pandemics. In fact, some suggest that the current form of the swine flu virus may not even do as much damage as the regular flu.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/cafferty-has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/
Waterboarding For loot!
My Boy Keith Olbermann, is jumping at the opportunity to challenge Fox New's Reporter Sean Hannity. Hannity making light of the severity of waterboarding mentioned he would do it for the troops, well good old Keith challenged him for $1000 per second, to go to the family of the troops.... Let the madness begin! (This could be more entertaining then that show "Hole in the Wall" LMAO)
NEW YORK (AP) — The debate over torture is getting personal for two of
cable TV's prime-time hosts. After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a
seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for
charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it. He offered $1,000 to the families
of U.S. troops for every second Hannity withstood the technique.
Olbermann repeated the offer on Monday's show and said in an interview
Tuesday that he's heard no response. He said he'll continue to pursue it.
"I don't think he has the courage to even respond to this — let alone do
it," Olbermann said.
Fox News Channel representatives did not respond to
requests for comment.
The two men are on opposite poles of a debate that
has preoccupied the worlds of talk TV and radio. Hannity says waterboarding is a
fair and necessary interrogation technique for suspected terrorists; Olbermann
calls it torture, says it's ineffective and should not be done by Americans.
Charles Grodin was challenging Hannity on the issue on Fox last week,
and asked whether he would consent to be waterboarded.
"Sure," Hannity
said. "I'll do it for charity ... I'll do it for the troops' families."
It wasn't exactly clear how serious the conversation was, since Grodin
joked, "Are you busy on Sunday?" and Hannity laughed.
"I'll let you do
it," Hannity said.
"I wouldn't do it," Grodin said. "I'll hand you a
towel when you come out of the shower."
Olbermann's offer was quick.
Besides the $1,000 per second, Olbermann said he'd double it if Hannity
acknowledges he feared for his life and admits that waterboarding is torture.
"The idea of putting somebody in a position they have volunteered for,
for charity, to respond to their own unsupportable claims, is in many ways
priceless," Olbermann said.
Olbermann, who hasn't missed any chance to
criticize his ideological enemies at Fox, concedes TV competition plays a part
in his offer. But he said it was sincere, because he believes Hannity has had a
damaging role in the debate.
"If you expose people to reality, even with
someone who is denying reality, that can have a powerful and important impact,"
he said.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
100 Day's completed..... 63% grade
I have to say I'm extremely happy that the first 100 days are done, hopefully now people can do a little less scrutinizing of every move. There are still alot of things up in the air, but with so many open issues I think a 63% approval rating is pretty good..... Economy, Mexico Borders, Pandemic, Missiles being launched, Israel & Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan Nuclear issues, Iran, Cuba bans, housing markets.....etc.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – As Barack Obama marks his 100th day in office, an average of
the most recent national polls indicates that more than six in ten Americans
approve of the job Obama's doing as president.
According to a CNN Poll
of Polls compiled early Wednesday, 63 percent say they approve of how Obama's
handling his duties as president. Twenty nine percent disapprove. The 63 percent
figure is down three points from CNN's previous Poll of Polls, which was
compiled Sunday.
The president's approval rating stood at 64 percent in
a CNN poll of polls in January, just after his inauguration
"The number
of Americans who think Obama has the right personal qualities to be president
has gone up since the campaign last fall," says CNN Polling Director Keating
Holland. "That wasn't true for George W. Bush eight years ago, and it may be one
reason why Obama's approval rating is still in the 60s."
So how does
Obama compare to his predecessors in the White House around the first 100 days
mark?
George W. Bush stood at 62 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup
poll in April 2001, Bill Clinton was at 55 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup
poll in April 1993, George H.W. Bush stood at 58 percent in a Gallup poll from
April 1989, and Ronald Reagan was at 67 percent in a Gallup poll taken in April
1981.
"The hundred-day mark tends to fall during a period when Americans
are still evaluating a new president. The danger period for most presidents
comes later in their first year in office," Holland says. "Bill Clinton, for
example, still had good marks after his first hundred days, but his approval
rating had tanked by June of 1993. Ronald Reagan's approval rating stayed over
50 percent until November of his first year in office, but once it slipped below
that mark, it stayed under 50 percent for two years. So Obama's current rating
certainly does not indicate that he is out of the woods yet."
The most
recent edition of the CNN Poll of Polls is an average of seven national surveys
taken over the past week: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation (April 23-26),
ABC/Washington Post (April 21-24), Fox/Opinion Dynamics (April 22-23), CBS/New
York Times (April 22-26), Marist (April 21-23), Quinnipiac (April 21-27) and the
Gallup tracking poll (April 25-27).
The Poll of Polls does not have a
sampling error.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Politicians are Free Agents too!
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch parties and run for reelection next November as a Democrat, he announced today, a decision that could have wide-ranging consequences for the Senate and President Obama's agenda.
Specter told reporters that he received a "bleak" poll Friday from his advisers that showed virtually no chance of him winning in the GOP primary next spring against Pat Toomey, a former Republican House member who recently led the conservative Club for Growth.
He said that the loss of several hundred thousand GOP voters, who left the party in 2008 to vote for their favored candidate in the intense Democratic presidential primary between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, left the Pennsylvania Republican Party too conservative to support a moderate such as him. "I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican Party," Specter said.
After more than 28 years in the Senate, Specter acknowledged he was "not prepared to have that record" obliterated by the conservative primary electorate. He reached the decision over the weekend in consultation with his family and top aides, many of whom are staying with him despite his party switch.
He said informed Republican and Democratic Senate leaders around dinnertime last night.
The move brings Democrats to 59 seats in the Senate, just one shy of the 60 they need to exert filibuster-proof control over the chamber. In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken holds a 312-vote lead over former senator Norm Coleman (R), but Coleman has appealed the result to the state Supreme Court. Oral arguments in the case are expected to begin in June.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monkey Brain's Tweeting with No hands!
(CNN) -- Adam Wilson posted two messages on Twitter on April 15. The first one, "Go Badgers," might have been sent by any University of Wisconsin-Madison student cheering for the school team.
His second post, 20 minutes later, was a little more unusual: "Spelling with my brain."
Wilson, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering, was confirming an announcement he had made two weeks earlier -- his lab had developed a way to post messages on Twitter using electrical impulses generated by thought.
That's right, no keyboards, just a red cap fitted with electrodes that monitor brain activity, hooked up to a computer flashing letters on a screen. Wilson sent the messages by concentrating on the letters he wanted to "type," then focusing on the word "twit" at the bottom of the screen to post the message.
The development could be a lifeline for people with "locked-in syndrome" -- whose brains function normally but who cannot speak or move because of injury or disease.
Wilson and his supervisor, Justin Williams, made the breakthrough last month after hearing a question posed on the radio. Watch how the new technology works »
"Wouldn't it be great if you could Twitter just by thinking about it?"
That query sparked what Williams called the "a-ha moment."
"We can do that," said Williams, an assistant professor and the principal investigator at the lab in Madison, Wisconsin. "We can do that tomorrow."
In the end, it wasn't quite "tomorrow," Williams said, but Wilson had written the software to link existing technology with Twitter "within a couple of days" of starting on the project in March.
He sent Williams his first "tweet" -- or message -- from the brain-computer interface on March 31.
"I had set up my phone to get Twitter updates, and I walked in my door and got this message, and I knew it was really possible," he told CNN by phone. "My wife was sitting there, and I showed her the message and she immediately got excited about it -- and it's rare that I come home from work and she gets excited about what I have been doing."
That's because using the brain to post Twitter messages is potentially much more than an academic exercise or a party trick -- it could help paralyzed people communicate.
"These are people who have ALS, like Stephen Hawking, or they have a brainstem stroke, or a high spinal-cord injury," Williams explained. "There is nothing wrong with these people's brains. It's a normal person, locked into a lifeless, useless body." (The British physicist Hawking has ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.)
Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from locked-in syndrome, Williams estimated.
Many of them want just the kind of ability the brain-Twitter project seems to offer, said Kevin Otto, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue University in Indiana.
"The interesting thing about this project is they are directly addressing some of the patient desires," he said. "A lot of people think [locked-in patients] want to walk and want fancy prosthetics, but a lot of times what they want are bladder control and basic communication skills."
Otto, who was not involved in the University of Wisconsin project, called it "a very important incremental step to take two existing technologies and marry them together like this."
Williams had been working on brain-computer interface technology "for many years," he told CNN, before the idea to use Twitter.
"The technology we were developing was 10 or more years down the line, so we started wondering, 'Is there something we can do now?' "
His lab at the University of Wisconsin -- like those at Brown University, Purdue and the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York, among others -- is developing ways for locked-in people to communicate. Projects range from manipulating a cursor on a computer screen to operating a robotic arm, and they can include devices physically implanted into a brain.
But the Twitter project has a lot of advantages, Williams said.
"Twitter fits so many of our needs and patients' capabilities," he said. "Their first interest is in being able to communicate in a normal fashion, and at a distance."
Twitter is simpler than e-mail, he said.
"If I am locked in and I want to e-mail someone, the format is all wrong. You have to be able to select recipients and group them, copy, paste, send. ... We don't think about that much as normal people, but it can become unmanageable.
"Twitter takes care of all those things. They just have to get [the message] to a location where people can come and find it," he said.
Locked-in people communicating by tweet might have followers who don't even realize they are disabled, Williams said.
"Nobody's going to notice that the person at the other end is disabled. They might not have any idea. And that might be very empowering for people," he said.
The interface is not unlike the method the French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby used to dictate his novel "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- later turned into a movie -- after a massive stroke left him paralyzed except for his left eyelid. Bauby's caregivers recited letters of the alphabet; he blinked when he heard the one he wanted and they wrote them down.
The brain-Twitter application flashes letters on a screen while the user, wearing a cap fitted with electrodes, concentrates on a letter.
"When the letter that you are concentrating on flashes, we can pick that up," Williams said.
Williams declined to say how soon the interface could be available commercially, noting it has not yet been used by anyone with locked-in syndrome.
"I'd hate to speculate about things being on the market," he said. "Adam [Wilson] is going to graduate in May, and his next role is to start preclinical trials with subjects in New York and Germany."
But Williams said he is excited about the development.
"We were interested in seeing what we could do right now to help people," he said. "The field has come far enough that we need to start getting to people in their homes."
CNN senior medical producer Shahreen Abedin contributed to this report.
His second post, 20 minutes later, was a little more unusual: "Spelling with my brain."
Wilson, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering, was confirming an announcement he had made two weeks earlier -- his lab had developed a way to post messages on Twitter using electrical impulses generated by thought.
That's right, no keyboards, just a red cap fitted with electrodes that monitor brain activity, hooked up to a computer flashing letters on a screen. Wilson sent the messages by concentrating on the letters he wanted to "type," then focusing on the word "twit" at the bottom of the screen to post the message.
The development could be a lifeline for people with "locked-in syndrome" -- whose brains function normally but who cannot speak or move because of injury or disease.
Wilson and his supervisor, Justin Williams, made the breakthrough last month after hearing a question posed on the radio. Watch how the new technology works »
"Wouldn't it be great if you could Twitter just by thinking about it?"
That query sparked what Williams called the "a-ha moment."
"We can do that," said Williams, an assistant professor and the principal investigator at the lab in Madison, Wisconsin. "We can do that tomorrow."
In the end, it wasn't quite "tomorrow," Williams said, but Wilson had written the software to link existing technology with Twitter "within a couple of days" of starting on the project in March.
He sent Williams his first "tweet" -- or message -- from the brain-computer interface on March 31.
"I had set up my phone to get Twitter updates, and I walked in my door and got this message, and I knew it was really possible," he told CNN by phone. "My wife was sitting there, and I showed her the message and she immediately got excited about it -- and it's rare that I come home from work and she gets excited about what I have been doing."
That's because using the brain to post Twitter messages is potentially much more than an academic exercise or a party trick -- it could help paralyzed people communicate.
"These are people who have ALS, like Stephen Hawking, or they have a brainstem stroke, or a high spinal-cord injury," Williams explained. "There is nothing wrong with these people's brains. It's a normal person, locked into a lifeless, useless body." (The British physicist Hawking has ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.)
Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from locked-in syndrome, Williams estimated.
Many of them want just the kind of ability the brain-Twitter project seems to offer, said Kevin Otto, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue University in Indiana.
"The interesting thing about this project is they are directly addressing some of the patient desires," he said. "A lot of people think [locked-in patients] want to walk and want fancy prosthetics, but a lot of times what they want are bladder control and basic communication skills."
Otto, who was not involved in the University of Wisconsin project, called it "a very important incremental step to take two existing technologies and marry them together like this."
Williams had been working on brain-computer interface technology "for many years," he told CNN, before the idea to use Twitter.
"The technology we were developing was 10 or more years down the line, so we started wondering, 'Is there something we can do now?' "
His lab at the University of Wisconsin -- like those at Brown University, Purdue and the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York, among others -- is developing ways for locked-in people to communicate. Projects range from manipulating a cursor on a computer screen to operating a robotic arm, and they can include devices physically implanted into a brain.
But the Twitter project has a lot of advantages, Williams said.
"Twitter fits so many of our needs and patients' capabilities," he said. "Their first interest is in being able to communicate in a normal fashion, and at a distance."
Twitter is simpler than e-mail, he said.
"If I am locked in and I want to e-mail someone, the format is all wrong. You have to be able to select recipients and group them, copy, paste, send. ... We don't think about that much as normal people, but it can become unmanageable.
"Twitter takes care of all those things. They just have to get [the message] to a location where people can come and find it," he said.
Locked-in people communicating by tweet might have followers who don't even realize they are disabled, Williams said.
"Nobody's going to notice that the person at the other end is disabled. They might not have any idea. And that might be very empowering for people," he said.
The interface is not unlike the method the French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby used to dictate his novel "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- later turned into a movie -- after a massive stroke left him paralyzed except for his left eyelid. Bauby's caregivers recited letters of the alphabet; he blinked when he heard the one he wanted and they wrote them down.
The brain-Twitter application flashes letters on a screen while the user, wearing a cap fitted with electrodes, concentrates on a letter.
"When the letter that you are concentrating on flashes, we can pick that up," Williams said.
Williams declined to say how soon the interface could be available commercially, noting it has not yet been used by anyone with locked-in syndrome.
"I'd hate to speculate about things being on the market," he said. "Adam [Wilson] is going to graduate in May, and his next role is to start preclinical trials with subjects in New York and Germany."
But Williams said he is excited about the development.
"We were interested in seeing what we could do right now to help people," he said. "The field has come far enough that we need to start getting to people in their homes."
CNN senior medical producer Shahreen Abedin contributed to this report.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
With All Due Respect...Get the F@cK Outta here!
With All Due Respect (Now Remember I said that first) Can we please stop with the pettiness of who blames who for what and have a Damn Meeting about stuff that's important.....
I mean OK so now we don't go to a racism conference because the wording implies that somehow and someway Israel might be wrong for what again....
OH BOMBING THE HOLY CRAP OUT OF PALESTINE....
But we can have a president shake Russia's leader hand right after an altercation, or we can talk about peacing it up with all of our enemies, but Israel's skin isn't thick enough to take a sentence in a document, as criticism....
Isn't that the damn point of the meeting...how can you talk about racism if you won't show and we won't go because the criteria may put you in that category, fucking come and clear the shit up if your not wrong...... Obama, and administration, please untuck your tails from between your legs and go Represent...AMERICA! Now remember I did say with all due respect......
I mean OK so now we don't go to a racism conference because the wording implies that somehow and someway Israel might be wrong for what again....
OH BOMBING THE HOLY CRAP OUT OF PALESTINE....
But we can have a president shake Russia's leader hand right after an altercation, or we can talk about peacing it up with all of our enemies, but Israel's skin isn't thick enough to take a sentence in a document, as criticism....
Isn't that the damn point of the meeting...how can you talk about racism if you won't show and we won't go because the criteria may put you in that category, fucking come and clear the shit up if your not wrong...... Obama, and administration, please untuck your tails from between your legs and go Represent...AMERICA! Now remember I did say with all due respect......
Despite efforts to rephrase the language in a rough draft conference
document, the Obama administration has confirmed its decision to boycott "with
regret" this week's World Conference Against Racism in Geneva. The
administration believes the final text draft could potentially isolate Israel
and that it compromises free speech, the State Department said Saturday.
The World Conference Against Racism, also known as Durban II, ignited a
firestorm of controversy when the Obama administration initially said it would
boycott the event in February of this year, after the original conference essay
was released. As reported by The Washington Post, the document was 45 pages and
is believed by White House officials to be instigating racial hatred and
perpetuating anti-Semitism. The text contained the term,
"validation of Islamophobia" alleging Israel's treatment of
the Palestinians is racially motivated and also calls for reparations for
slavery.
As a result of the Obama administrations disapproval, the
preliminary content had been edited to remove negative statements towards
Israel, condensed and revised. Despite the language compromises the
administration remained hesitant to attend, sparking fury among civil advocacy
groups who believe the first black U.S. president should make a point to be
present.
Imani Countess, Senior Director for public
affairs at TransAfrica Forum, an advocacy group whose
focal point is U.S. foreign policy, said "for his administration not to be
present at this global conversation is a disappointment. For President Bush not
to participate, that would have been expected. For Barack Obama's administration not
to participate sends a disappointing signal. It says these issues are not
important."
Department spokesman Robert Wood said the administration was
"deeply grateful" for the revisions that were made, however, the document is
still believed to contain problematic language and references.
"Unfortunately, it now seems certain these remaining concerns will not
be addressed in the document to be adopted by the conference next week," Wood
said. "Therefore, with regret, the United States will not join the review
conference."
In spite of the decision, Wood emphasized that the U.S. "is
profoundly committed to ending racism and racial discrimination" and "will work
with all people and nations to build greater resolve and enduring political will
to halt racism and discrimination wherever it occurs."
Conversely,
Democratic State Representative of California Barbara Lee, who is a chair member
of the Black caucus said the group is "deeply dismayed."
"This decision
is inconsistent with the administration's policy of engaging with those we agree
with and those we disagree with," Lee said. "By boycotting Durban, the U.S. is
making it more difficult for it to play a leadership role on U.N. Human Rights
Council as it states it plans to do. This is a missed opportunity, plain and
simple."
The new draft was created to reverse the administrations
decision not to attend and was believed to have appeased the president's
objections. However, the changes were inadequate and failed to gain Obama's approval.
"This is a big blow," Countess said. "Given the high priority the
administration places on international engagement and multilateralism, this is just a little bit
baffling."
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