from M Live dot-com -- on Jan. 1, 2011 event at Lansing, Michigan
For one day at least, it seems politics are to be set aside as Republicans, Democrats and just plain citizens hope for better days for Michigan.
Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell is slated to give the invocation and closing prayer at Saturday's inauguration of Gov. Rick Snyder in Lansing. Snyder tapped Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell to deliver the invocation and closing prayer, in keeping with Snyder’s post-partisan intent. He chose Detroit Democratic Mayor Dave Bing as emcee.
“I am truly honored to be included,” Heartwell said. While he occupies an office that is officially nonpartisan, Heartwell is known for his liberal leanings.
Nonetheless, Heartwell is hopeful Snyder can help Michigan back to its feet. He applauded his selection of Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon for the post of treasurer as a signal of bipartisanship.
“I am optimistic. It has truly been a tough eight years, really a tough nine years. Maybe new blood in the governor’s office and a new attitude between the executive and legislative branch will help pull us out of the malaise we’ve been in.”
But Heartwell also cautioned patience. “I am also a realist. We’ve got some deeply entrenched habits and patterns in the state. A new leader in the governor’s seat who is willing to try some things to break that is welcome.”
Saturday's event will be the first to be offered in high-definition television and will be available on over 75 local television and radio stations across the state. Many also will stream it on their websites..
The broadcast of this inauguration is expected to be aired more widely than any other inauguration in Michigan history.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/12/west_michigan_will_have_voices.html
Friday, December 31, 2010
Alaska's Joe Miller declines to fight write-in spelling any longer (12/31/2010, 6:30 p.m. Eastern)
from NEWS Details posted at Washington Post -- (The Fix column, Chris Cillizza); correspondent was
By Aaron Blake
Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller announced Friday that he will not push forward with a legal challenge to Sen. Lisa Murkowski's reelection win, bringing an end to the last unresolved Senate race in the country.
"The time has come to accept the practical realities of the current legal circumstances," Miller said at a news conference, announcing that he will end the effort.
Murkowski (R) was certified as the winner of the race Thursday, after the state Supreme Court ruled against Miller's legal challenges. She became the first candidate since 1954 to win a Senate seat through a write-in campaign -- and only the second in history.
Murkowski was forced to run the write-in campaign after she lost the August GOP primary to Miller, who ran as a tea party candidate and criticized Murkowski's centrist record. In the general election, she beat him by more than 10,000 votes, or about 4 percent of the vote.
That large deficit meant that, from the start of his legal fight, Miller faced long odds.
In his concession speech, Miller fought back against the criticism he received for pursuing his lawsuit.
"I accept that criticism knowing often doing what is right is not what is easy or popular," Miller said. "We were not successful in that endeavor, but it was a worthwhile one."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/joe-miller-bows-out-in-alaska.html
By Aaron Blake
Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller announced Friday that he will not push forward with a legal challenge to Sen. Lisa Murkowski's reelection win, bringing an end to the last unresolved Senate race in the country.
"The time has come to accept the practical realities of the current legal circumstances," Miller said at a news conference, announcing that he will end the effort.
Murkowski (R) was certified as the winner of the race Thursday, after the state Supreme Court ruled against Miller's legal challenges. She became the first candidate since 1954 to win a Senate seat through a write-in campaign -- and only the second in history.
Murkowski was forced to run the write-in campaign after she lost the August GOP primary to Miller, who ran as a tea party candidate and criticized Murkowski's centrist record. In the general election, she beat him by more than 10,000 votes, or about 4 percent of the vote.
That large deficit meant that, from the start of his legal fight, Miller faced long odds.
In his concession speech, Miller fought back against the criticism he received for pursuing his lawsuit.
"I accept that criticism knowing often doing what is right is not what is easy or popular," Miller said. "We were not successful in that endeavor, but it was a worthwhile one."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/joe-miller-bows-out-in-alaska.html
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Born on this date in 1974 -- that month I finished second semester at Univ. of Illinois-Urbana (LAS)
Born 30 December 1974 in Akron, Ohio to single mother (he was her only child) is NBA Superstar LeBron James -- now resident in Miami, FL.
Biographical trivia from IMDb entry at www.imdb.com/
#1 overall pick in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. At a 31 March 2003 press conference, James had verbally committed to play college basketball at Maryland.
Had posters of Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Magic Johnson,Penny Hardaway, Kobe Byrant, Michael Jordan and himself on the walls of the apartment he shared with his mother.
Eats and writes left-handed, but shoots right-handed.
His mother used her son's future earning power to get a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two jerseys from a Cleveland sports store worth $845 in exchange for him posing for pictures to be displayed on its walls, the OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed, and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension, allowing the phenom to play the remainder of the season (February 2003).
While he was in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, NBA superstars such as Shaquille O'Neal were in attendance for his games. A few of his games were even televised nationally on EPSN2.
Won Olympic Bronze Medal for USA in 2004 (Basketball).
Biographical trivia from IMDb entry at www.imdb.com/
#1 overall pick in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. At a 31 March 2003 press conference, James had verbally committed to play college basketball at Maryland.
Had posters of Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Magic Johnson,Penny Hardaway, Kobe Byrant, Michael Jordan and himself on the walls of the apartment he shared with his mother.
Eats and writes left-handed, but shoots right-handed.
His mother used her son's future earning power to get a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two jerseys from a Cleveland sports store worth $845 in exchange for him posing for pictures to be displayed on its walls, the OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed, and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension, allowing the phenom to play the remainder of the season (February 2003).
While he was in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, NBA superstars such as Shaquille O'Neal were in attendance for his games. A few of his games were even televised nationally on EPSN2.
Won Olympic Bronze Medal for USA in 2004 (Basketball).
Noblesville, Indiana (epicenter of Dec. 30 Earthquake) - Indy Star dot-com coverage
3.8 magnitude earthquake hits north central Indiana
An earthquake about 5 miles below the ground hit north central Indiana shortly before sunrise today.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.8 magnitude earthquake centered 5 miles southeast of Greentown, Ind., at 7:55:21 a.m. today. The agency had initially reported the quake as a 4.2 magnitude.
Reports to the Star felt the quake as far south as Mason, Ohio; north as Augusta, Mich.; and east as Dayton, Ohio. People on the Northeastside of Indianapolis and in Noblesville said items were shaking in their homes and workplaces. Some buildings shook so hard, people thought vehicles had hit the exterior.
An earthquake about 5 miles below the ground hit north central Indiana shortly before sunrise today.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.8 magnitude earthquake centered 5 miles southeast of Greentown, Ind., at 7:55:21 a.m. today. The agency had initially reported the quake as a 4.2 magnitude.
Reports to the Star felt the quake as far south as Mason, Ohio; north as Augusta, Mich.; and east as Dayton, Ohio. People on the Northeastside of Indianapolis and in Noblesville said items were shaking in their homes and workplaces. Some buildings shook so hard, people thought vehicles had hit the exterior.
Might this become Word of the Year: "Junk" ??? -- discussion by Ben Zimmer of "On Language" column
Morning Edition segment - (12/30/2010) = http://www.npr.org/2010/12/30/132464824/American-Dialect-Society-Mulling-Word-Of-The-Year
also -- "Hacktivism" (WikiLeaks defenders who shut down censoring servers); "Shellacking" (colorful term of losing seats in Congress); also discussed was Gleeks.
www.visualthesaurus.com/
also -- "Hacktivism" (WikiLeaks defenders who shut down censoring servers); "Shellacking" (colorful term of losing seats in Congress); also discussed was Gleeks.
www.visualthesaurus.com/
President Obama announces from Oahu Recess Appointments (Dec. 30)
from coverage of NY Times online -- www.nytimes.com/
James Cole, a close friend of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will receive a "recess appointment" as #2 in the Department of Justice. Mr. Obama’s action brings his recess appointees to 28; former President George W. Bush had made 23 recess appointments by this time in his presidency. Administration officials said the six nominees have been waiting an average of 114 days in the Senate. Another 73 candidates for politically appointed jobs, many of them judges, were awaiting confirmation when the Senate adjourned; Mr. Obama will have to renominate them if he wants them to serve. Mr. Obama’s action will allow Mr. Cole and the other nominees — four ambassadors, as well as the official who runs the Government Printing Office — to serve for one year.
The deputy White House chief of staff, Jim Messina, defended the move, saying Mr. Obama felt he had no choice, especially in Mr. Cole’s case. “We’ve been working hard with the Republicans and have seen some movement forward,” said Mr. Messina, who is with the president here. “There were some that, for whatever reason, they could not help us with and we felt were mission critical, and clearly the deputy attorney general is a critical position to help enforce the laws of the land.”
Democrats applauded the move. Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Mr. Cole “highly qualified” and complained that Republicans had refused to debate his nomination for more than five months. “I believe that he would have been confirmed by the Senate had his nomination been given an up-or-down vote,” Mr. Leahy said. “The delays in considering his nomination were unnecessary and wrong.”
Aside from Mr. Cole, the nominees include four ambassadors: Matthew J. Bryza to Azerbaijan, Robert Stephen Ford to Syria, Frances J. Ricciardone Jr. to Turkey and Norman L. Eisen to the Czech Republic. The first three are career foreign service officers. Mr. Eisen is a top adviser to the president on ethics who has been an irritant to Republicans since his days as the founder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that investigated the former House Republican leader Tom DeLay.
Mr. Obama also installed William J. Boarman as public printer of the United States.
James Cole, a close friend of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will receive a "recess appointment" as #2 in the Department of Justice. Mr. Obama’s action brings his recess appointees to 28; former President George W. Bush had made 23 recess appointments by this time in his presidency. Administration officials said the six nominees have been waiting an average of 114 days in the Senate. Another 73 candidates for politically appointed jobs, many of them judges, were awaiting confirmation when the Senate adjourned; Mr. Obama will have to renominate them if he wants them to serve. Mr. Obama’s action will allow Mr. Cole and the other nominees — four ambassadors, as well as the official who runs the Government Printing Office — to serve for one year.
The deputy White House chief of staff, Jim Messina, defended the move, saying Mr. Obama felt he had no choice, especially in Mr. Cole’s case. “We’ve been working hard with the Republicans and have seen some movement forward,” said Mr. Messina, who is with the president here. “There were some that, for whatever reason, they could not help us with and we felt were mission critical, and clearly the deputy attorney general is a critical position to help enforce the laws of the land.”
Democrats applauded the move. Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Mr. Cole “highly qualified” and complained that Republicans had refused to debate his nomination for more than five months. “I believe that he would have been confirmed by the Senate had his nomination been given an up-or-down vote,” Mr. Leahy said. “The delays in considering his nomination were unnecessary and wrong.”
Aside from Mr. Cole, the nominees include four ambassadors: Matthew J. Bryza to Azerbaijan, Robert Stephen Ford to Syria, Frances J. Ricciardone Jr. to Turkey and Norman L. Eisen to the Czech Republic. The first three are career foreign service officers. Mr. Eisen is a top adviser to the president on ethics who has been an irritant to Republicans since his days as the founder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that investigated the former House Republican leader Tom DeLay.
Mr. Obama also installed William J. Boarman as public printer of the United States.
On this date in 1865 -- Birthday of Rudyard Kipling (storyteller, poet)
from Writer's Almanac (list serv from Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio)
It's the birthday of Rudyard Kipling, born in Bombay, India (1865). Though he'd never fought in battle, his poems about military life became classics among British soldiers around the world. When he finally moved to Vermont after the war, he began to re-imagine the India of his childhood and wrote The Jungle Book (1894), about a boy raised by wolves in the jungle.
Rudyard Kipling said, 'If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.'
It's the birthday of Rudyard Kipling, born in Bombay, India (1865). Though he'd never fought in battle, his poems about military life became classics among British soldiers around the world. When he finally moved to Vermont after the war, he began to re-imagine the India of his childhood and wrote The Jungle Book (1894), about a boy raised by wolves in the jungle.
Rudyard Kipling said, 'If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.'
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
January 2011 - Presidential Proclamation - National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month
a Presidential Proclamation at WhiteHouse dot-gov :
Our Nation was founded on the enduring principles of equality and freedom for all. As Americans, it is our solemn responsibility to honor and uphold this legacy. Yet, around the world and even within the United States, victims of modern slavery are deprived of the most basic right of freedom. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we rededicate ourselves to preventing and ending human trafficking, and we recognize all who continue to fight this serious human rights violation.
Human trafficking is a global travesty that takes many forms. Whether forced labor or sexual trafficking, child soldiering or involuntary domestic servitude, these abuses are an affront to our national conscience, and to our values as Americans and human beings. There is no one type of victim -- men and women, adults and children are all vulnerable. From every corner of our Nation to every part of the globe, we must stand firm in defense of freedom and bear witness for those exploited by modern slavery.
At the start of each year, Americans commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863, and the 13th Amendment, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln and sent to the States for ratification on February 1, 1865. These seminal documents secured the promise of freedom for millions enslaved within our borders, and brought us closer to perfecting our Union. We also recall that, over 10 years ago, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 renewed America's commitment to combating modern slavery domestically and internationally. With this law, America reaffirmed the fundamental promise of "forever free" enshrined within the Emancipation Proclamation.
We cannot strengthen global efforts to end modern slavery without first accepting the responsibility to prevent, identify, and aggressively combat this crime at home. No country can claim immunity from the scourge of human rights abuses, or from the responsibility to confront them. As evidence of our dedication to a universal struggle against this heinous practice, the Department of State's "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010" included America in its rankings for the first time, measuring our efforts by the same standards to which we hold other nations. Looking ahead, we must continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases within our own borders.
Although the United States has made great strides in preventing the occurrence of modern slavery, prosecuting traffickers and dismantling their criminal networks, and protecting victims and survivors, our work is not done. We stand with those throughout the world who are working every day to end modern slavery, bring traffickers to justice, and empower survivors to reclaim their rightful freedom. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can combat this crime within our borders and join with our partners around the world to end this injustice.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2011 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the vital role we can play in ending modern slavery and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.
Our Nation was founded on the enduring principles of equality and freedom for all. As Americans, it is our solemn responsibility to honor and uphold this legacy. Yet, around the world and even within the United States, victims of modern slavery are deprived of the most basic right of freedom. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we rededicate ourselves to preventing and ending human trafficking, and we recognize all who continue to fight this serious human rights violation.
Human trafficking is a global travesty that takes many forms. Whether forced labor or sexual trafficking, child soldiering or involuntary domestic servitude, these abuses are an affront to our national conscience, and to our values as Americans and human beings. There is no one type of victim -- men and women, adults and children are all vulnerable. From every corner of our Nation to every part of the globe, we must stand firm in defense of freedom and bear witness for those exploited by modern slavery.
At the start of each year, Americans commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863, and the 13th Amendment, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln and sent to the States for ratification on February 1, 1865. These seminal documents secured the promise of freedom for millions enslaved within our borders, and brought us closer to perfecting our Union. We also recall that, over 10 years ago, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 renewed America's commitment to combating modern slavery domestically and internationally. With this law, America reaffirmed the fundamental promise of "forever free" enshrined within the Emancipation Proclamation.
We cannot strengthen global efforts to end modern slavery without first accepting the responsibility to prevent, identify, and aggressively combat this crime at home. No country can claim immunity from the scourge of human rights abuses, or from the responsibility to confront them. As evidence of our dedication to a universal struggle against this heinous practice, the Department of State's "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010" included America in its rankings for the first time, measuring our efforts by the same standards to which we hold other nations. Looking ahead, we must continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases within our own borders.
Although the United States has made great strides in preventing the occurrence of modern slavery, prosecuting traffickers and dismantling their criminal networks, and protecting victims and survivors, our work is not done. We stand with those throughout the world who are working every day to end modern slavery, bring traffickers to justice, and empower survivors to reclaim their rightful freedom. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can combat this crime within our borders and join with our partners around the world to end this injustice.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2011 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the vital role we can play in ending modern slavery and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.
Tia & Trixie -- save family from kitchen fire; alert mom who was bathing a baby
story at MLive dot-com -- concerns Jackson, Michigan reported fire call and report from scene:
A mother and her 9-month-old baby escaped a fire in their Jackson home Tuesday night in part because of their two pit bulls.
Laura Gingras was giving her daughter, Raigan, a bath in the upstairs of their N. Thompson Street house when Tia and Trixie, the family’s two pit bulls, came running up the stairs barking. Chad Gingras, Laura’s husband and Raigan’s father, said the dogs do not normally do that.
“She went to look and saw smoke,” Chad Gingras said. “So she grabbed the baby, ran out the house and called 911.”
Firefighters were called to the 100 block of N. Thompson Street about 8:20 p.m. When they arrived, Laura Gingras and Raigan were already out of the house, said Jackson fire Capt. Jason Senft.
Crews put the fire out within about 15 minutes. Senft said the fire appears accidental, but it is still under investigation. The fire looks to have started around the stove, he said.
Chad Gingras, who was working at the Taco Bell at Ganson Street and West Avenue when the fire started, said his wife had just visited him at the restaurant. He said she came home, took Raigan out of her baby carrier and set the carrier on the stove. He suspects she accidentally turned on a burner.
Raigan and her mother were not hurt, he said. Tia, who is 5 years old, was taken to a veterinarian after being pulled from the house. Chad Gingras said she was barely breathing. Once at the vet, Tia perked right up and was fine, Chad Gingras said. Trixie, 3, was not hurt. She was hiding under an end table in the living room, Chad Gingras said.
“Thank God we had those dogs,” he said.
The house has a lot of smoke damage. The family plans to stay with Chad Gingras' mother.
The Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety Department and the Summit Township Fire Department assisted the Jackson Fire Department. They cleared the scene before 10 p.m.
A mother and her 9-month-old baby escaped a fire in their Jackson home Tuesday night in part because of their two pit bulls.
Laura Gingras was giving her daughter, Raigan, a bath in the upstairs of their N. Thompson Street house when Tia and Trixie, the family’s two pit bulls, came running up the stairs barking. Chad Gingras, Laura’s husband and Raigan’s father, said the dogs do not normally do that.
“She went to look and saw smoke,” Chad Gingras said. “So she grabbed the baby, ran out the house and called 911.”
Firefighters were called to the 100 block of N. Thompson Street about 8:20 p.m. When they arrived, Laura Gingras and Raigan were already out of the house, said Jackson fire Capt. Jason Senft.
Crews put the fire out within about 15 minutes. Senft said the fire appears accidental, but it is still under investigation. The fire looks to have started around the stove, he said.
Chad Gingras, who was working at the Taco Bell at Ganson Street and West Avenue when the fire started, said his wife had just visited him at the restaurant. He said she came home, took Raigan out of her baby carrier and set the carrier on the stove. He suspects she accidentally turned on a burner.
Raigan and her mother were not hurt, he said. Tia, who is 5 years old, was taken to a veterinarian after being pulled from the house. Chad Gingras said she was barely breathing. Once at the vet, Tia perked right up and was fine, Chad Gingras said. Trixie, 3, was not hurt. She was hiding under an end table in the living room, Chad Gingras said.
“Thank God we had those dogs,” he said.
The house has a lot of smoke damage. The family plans to stay with Chad Gingras' mother.
The Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety Department and the Summit Township Fire Department assisted the Jackson Fire Department. They cleared the scene before 10 p.m.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Poll Results - Who is most-admired Man? Woman of 2010? - USA Today-Gallup Poll since 1955
from www.usatoday.com/
Despite Americans' unhappiness with the nation's politics, politicians dominate both lists. The top 10 men include not only the president but also three living former presidents. Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton take the top three spots. Among women, nine of the top 11 are connected to politics through public service, political activism or marriage.
On the women's side, Clinton is first for the 9th consecutive year and the 15th time in the last 18 years. She topped Sarah Palin, 17% to 12% -- a bigger margin than last year's 16%-15% squeeker.
"It's all about power," says Richard Slotkin, professor emeritus of American studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. "When we think of importance, we think politically, that's really clear — with religion a close second, though Bill Gates beats out Pope Benedict. It's almost like a register of power."
Not on either top 10 list: a Supreme Court justice, senator or House member, athlete or scientist.
Conservative commentator Glenn Beck edges ahead of the Dalai Lama, who ranks 10th. Gates, a philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, stands just behind South African icon Nelson Mandela and just before Pope Benedict XVI. Evangelist Billy Graham, tied for sixth, has made the top 10 every year the survey has been taken since 1955.
The top 11 women (three are tied for ninth place) counts four first ladies, including Michelle Obama in fourth place. Celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie, both of whom pursue charitable causes, are on the list. Three of the women are leaders from abroad: Queen Elizabeth and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain and democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma.
Barack Obama's standing has fallen from the heady days after his election in 2008. That year, he was cited by 32%, a historic rating that trailed only Bush's percentage in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and President Kennedy in 1961. This year, Obama was named by 22%, and Bush was named by 5%.
Some of the findings reflect a partisan cast. Obama is named by almost half of Democrats but just 6% of Republicans. Bush is the most-admired man among Republicans, cited by 11%. Hillary Clinton is cited by nearly a third of Democrats but just 5% of Republicans. Palin is the most-admired woman among Republicans, at 26%.
Not everyone has a hero. Twenty-five percent declined to name a most-admired man, and 22% didn't name a most-admired woman. About one in 10 chose a friend or relative.
Despite Americans' unhappiness with the nation's politics, politicians dominate both lists. The top 10 men include not only the president but also three living former presidents. Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton take the top three spots. Among women, nine of the top 11 are connected to politics through public service, political activism or marriage.
On the women's side, Clinton is first for the 9th consecutive year and the 15th time in the last 18 years. She topped Sarah Palin, 17% to 12% -- a bigger margin than last year's 16%-15% squeeker.
"It's all about power," says Richard Slotkin, professor emeritus of American studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. "When we think of importance, we think politically, that's really clear — with religion a close second, though Bill Gates beats out Pope Benedict. It's almost like a register of power."
Not on either top 10 list: a Supreme Court justice, senator or House member, athlete or scientist.
Conservative commentator Glenn Beck edges ahead of the Dalai Lama, who ranks 10th. Gates, a philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, stands just behind South African icon Nelson Mandela and just before Pope Benedict XVI. Evangelist Billy Graham, tied for sixth, has made the top 10 every year the survey has been taken since 1955.
The top 11 women (three are tied for ninth place) counts four first ladies, including Michelle Obama in fourth place. Celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie, both of whom pursue charitable causes, are on the list. Three of the women are leaders from abroad: Queen Elizabeth and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain and democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma.
Barack Obama's standing has fallen from the heady days after his election in 2008. That year, he was cited by 32%, a historic rating that trailed only Bush's percentage in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and President Kennedy in 1961. This year, Obama was named by 22%, and Bush was named by 5%.
Some of the findings reflect a partisan cast. Obama is named by almost half of Democrats but just 6% of Republicans. Bush is the most-admired man among Republicans, cited by 11%. Hillary Clinton is cited by nearly a third of Democrats but just 5% of Republicans. Palin is the most-admired woman among Republicans, at 26%.
Not everyone has a hero. Twenty-five percent declined to name a most-admired man, and 22% didn't name a most-admired woman. About one in 10 chose a friend or relative.
29-meter-tall Xmas Tree to remain lit until January 8 -- Herald-Sun story (Australia media)
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/giant-christmas-tree-on-korean-border-causes-north-korea-to-issue-threats/story-e6frf7lf-1225976015204
SOUTH Korea says a giant Christmas tree near the North Korean border will stay lit up till January 8 - a move likely to anger Pyongyang since the date marks the birthday of its heir apparent.
The communist North sees the tree topped with a glowing cross as a provocative propaganda symbol.
Cross-border tensions are high after the North's deadly artillery attack last month on a South Korean border island and military drills by the South in response. The tree - a 29-metre metal tower strung with light bulbs - was lit up on Tuesday for the first time in seven years as marines stood guard against any cross-border attack on it. The tree, atop a military-controlled hill near the tense land border, was due to be switched off on December 26.
''However, we have decided to keep it until early January 8, in consideration of requests from religious groups,'' defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told a briefing.
''At first, we planned to keep the lighting on only briefly because of (military) burdens but we had second thoughts as it may send a message of peace to the North.''
Another spokesman said the birthday of Kim Jong-Un - youngest son and eventual successor to leader Kim Jong-Il - did not influence the timing. He said it was just a coincidence.
The South switched off the tree under a 2004 deal to halt official-level cross-border propaganda.
It also suspended loudspeaker broadcasts and a propaganda leaflet campaign using large helium balloons.
The South partially resumed its government propaganda campaign following the March sinking of a South Korean warship and the bombardment of a border island.
Soon after last month's artillery attack, the military reportedly floated 400,000 leaflets across the border denouncing the North's regime.The South has also installed loudspeakers along the land border but has not yet switched them on. The North has threatened to open fire on the speakers if they are activated.
Private activist groups frequently float huge balloons across the heavily fortified frontier. These carry tens of thousands of leaflets denouncing the regime of Kim Jong-Il.
SOUTH Korea says a giant Christmas tree near the North Korean border will stay lit up till January 8 - a move likely to anger Pyongyang since the date marks the birthday of its heir apparent.
The communist North sees the tree topped with a glowing cross as a provocative propaganda symbol.
Cross-border tensions are high after the North's deadly artillery attack last month on a South Korean border island and military drills by the South in response. The tree - a 29-metre metal tower strung with light bulbs - was lit up on Tuesday for the first time in seven years as marines stood guard against any cross-border attack on it. The tree, atop a military-controlled hill near the tense land border, was due to be switched off on December 26.
''However, we have decided to keep it until early January 8, in consideration of requests from religious groups,'' defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told a briefing.
''At first, we planned to keep the lighting on only briefly because of (military) burdens but we had second thoughts as it may send a message of peace to the North.''
Another spokesman said the birthday of Kim Jong-Un - youngest son and eventual successor to leader Kim Jong-Il - did not influence the timing. He said it was just a coincidence.
The South switched off the tree under a 2004 deal to halt official-level cross-border propaganda.
It also suspended loudspeaker broadcasts and a propaganda leaflet campaign using large helium balloons.
The South partially resumed its government propaganda campaign following the March sinking of a South Korean warship and the bombardment of a border island.
Soon after last month's artillery attack, the military reportedly floated 400,000 leaflets across the border denouncing the North's regime.The South has also installed loudspeakers along the land border but has not yet switched them on. The North has threatened to open fire on the speakers if they are activated.
Private activist groups frequently float huge balloons across the heavily fortified frontier. These carry tens of thousands of leaflets denouncing the regime of Kim Jong-Il.
On this day in 1856 -- birthday of 28th president
from WRITER's ALMANAC (Minn. Public Radio daily list serv sent by Garrison Keillor):
It's the birthday of the 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, born in Staunton, Virginia (1856). He started his career as a professor, became governor of New Jersey, and then president.
He said, 'A conservative is a man who sits and thinks, mostly sits.'
And, 'If you want to make enemies, try to change something.'
___________________________________________________________________________________
His major effort was to mobilize the U.S. Public to enter World War I: (from NOBEL Prize winner Biography)
He mobilized a nation - its manpower, its industry, its commerce, its agriculture. He was himself the chief mover in the propaganda war. His speech to Congress on January 8, 1918, on the «Fourteen Points» was a decisive stroke in winning that war, for people everywhere saw in his peace aims the vision of a world in which freedom, justice, and peace could flourish.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1919/wilson-bio.html
It's the birthday of the 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, born in Staunton, Virginia (1856). He started his career as a professor, became governor of New Jersey, and then president.
He said, 'A conservative is a man who sits and thinks, mostly sits.'
And, 'If you want to make enemies, try to change something.'
___________________________________________________________________________________
His major effort was to mobilize the U.S. Public to enter World War I: (from NOBEL Prize winner Biography)
He mobilized a nation - its manpower, its industry, its commerce, its agriculture. He was himself the chief mover in the propaganda war. His speech to Congress on January 8, 1918, on the «Fourteen Points» was a decisive stroke in winning that war, for people everywhere saw in his peace aims the vision of a world in which freedom, justice, and peace could flourish.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1919/wilson-bio.html
Monday, December 27, 2010
Father of missing boys -- court date fixed for Jan. 5 -- Andrew, Alexander, Tanner Skelton of Morenci
POSTED news at Mlive dot-com: Monday 12/27/2010 - Noon EASTERN TIME Zone
A Michigan man blamed for the disappearance of his three sons will go straight to trial on charges of parental kidnapping.
John Skelton waived his right to a hearing to determine if prosecutors had probable cause to charge him. Court officials in Lenawee County say he informed a judge on Monday, which means a hearing set for Tuesday is canceled.
Skelton's sons — Alexander, Andrew and Tanner — haven't been seen since Thanksgiving when they were at his home in Morenci, a town on the Michigan-Ohio border. The father says he gave them to someone from an "organization," although he hasn't identified either.
Skelton is charged with keeping his boys more than 24 hours with the intent of concealing them from their mother. His next court date is Jan. 5.
A Michigan man blamed for the disappearance of his three sons will go straight to trial on charges of parental kidnapping.
John Skelton waived his right to a hearing to determine if prosecutors had probable cause to charge him. Court officials in Lenawee County say he informed a judge on Monday, which means a hearing set for Tuesday is canceled.
Skelton's sons — Alexander, Andrew and Tanner — haven't been seen since Thanksgiving when they were at his home in Morenci, a town on the Michigan-Ohio border. The father says he gave them to someone from an "organization," although he hasn't identified either.
Skelton is charged with keeping his boys more than 24 hours with the intent of concealing them from their mother. His next court date is Jan. 5.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Brenda Clark (UCC pulpit substitute) - Sermon: Matthew 2:13-23
Today at St. John's UCC, Niles, Michigan the preacher of the day was Rev. Brenda Clark; her texts were Isaiah 63:7-9 and Matthew 2:13-23. She began with a proverb/wisdom saying about "power" and shared a quite meaningful discourse about those who had been corrupted absolutely (for example, Herod the Great). He actually has no claim to kingly glory and out of jealousy/avarice sought to kill the Innocents of Bethlehem on his way to dispose of a rival to authority and kingship. The ancient holder of absolute power of life and death (he could dispatch a hit-squad to kill babes in arms under two years old) was himself a mere "puppet of Rome."
Rev. Clark also pointed out how the narrative is in parallel and contrast, showing how Jesus is a greater "Prophet and Priest" than the Moses of the OT Book of Exodus. Both were sheltered and saved from bloodthirsty killers -- both are linked at Egypt. It is by way of dreams/angelic visitations that the security and safety of Jesus is secured according to Matthew, chapter 2.
Rev. Clark was also tuneful in breaking into the 1960s song "What the World Needs Now" -- her other choices of music from the hymnal was traditional - "Once in royal David's city" and "We Three Kings". The chorus of the month (a 1976 composition) was "Emmanuel by Bob McGee.
This sermon made you think and perhaps shudder of all the dictators and murderous figures across history who have slaughtered the innocents -- Genghis Khan, Stalin, Hitler, among many others. . .It may have been a "low" Sunday attendance-wise but it was an utterly worthwhile time to meet and give prayerful thanks and seek God's resolution of many folks' lives and struggles with health conditions and problems.
I mentioned the Amber Alert for the missing children from Morenci, Michigan: Andrew, Alexander, Tanner [see other posted blog material during late Nov. / December 2010].
Rev. Clark also pointed out how the narrative is in parallel and contrast, showing how Jesus is a greater "Prophet and Priest" than the Moses of the OT Book of Exodus. Both were sheltered and saved from bloodthirsty killers -- both are linked at Egypt. It is by way of dreams/angelic visitations that the security and safety of Jesus is secured according to Matthew, chapter 2.
Rev. Clark was also tuneful in breaking into the 1960s song "What the World Needs Now" -- her other choices of music from the hymnal was traditional - "Once in royal David's city" and "We Three Kings". The chorus of the month (a 1976 composition) was "Emmanuel by Bob McGee.
This sermon made you think and perhaps shudder of all the dictators and murderous figures across history who have slaughtered the innocents -- Genghis Khan, Stalin, Hitler, among many others. . .It may have been a "low" Sunday attendance-wise but it was an utterly worthwhile time to meet and give prayerful thanks and seek God's resolution of many folks' lives and struggles with health conditions and problems.
I mentioned the Amber Alert for the missing children from Morenci, Michigan: Andrew, Alexander, Tanner [see other posted blog material during late Nov. / December 2010].
Christmas Afternoon visit by the First Family -
from Obama-Food-o-rama (blog posted frequently here at GOOGLE Blogspot):
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/12/obamas-greet-marines-over-christmas.html
After spending a quiet Christmas Day at their Hawaiian vacation compound in the town of Kailua with family and friends, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dropped by Marine Corps Base Hawaii late in the afternoon. For the second year in a row, the President and First Lady greeted Marines and their families as they enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner.
Against a backdrop of bright Christmas swag, the causally dressed President and First Lady spent more than an hour in the mess hall, stopping by diners' tables and handing out handshakes (Mr. Obama) and hugs (Mrs. Obama). Both cuddled babies. They posed for plenty of group photos with the Marines and their families. “Merry Christmas, Mr. President!” one little boy said to the President and First Lady, as they stopped to greet his family. “No, she’s Mrs. President,” President Obama told the child.
At a table filled with five kids, the President joked with the parents about college tuition.
“Did you get everything you wanted?” The President asked one of the little girls. She showed the President her new bracelet, and he checked it out and pointed to Mrs. Obama's wrist, indicating that she, too, had a new bracelet. Mrs. Obama and the little girl compared their gifts.
Most of the Marines were not in uniform, and some abandoned their plates of ham, turkey, prime rib, and all the trimmings to get a better look at the President, prompting the base food service officer to tell them to “stay in your seats,” insisting that the President would make it to every table. He and the First Lady split up, and took different parts of the room, to make sure everyone received a personal greeting.
The President picked up a toddler, who whispered in his ear. “You hear that?!” President Obama called to Mrs. Obama. “He got a gumball machine.”
When the President encountered a very tall man in a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt, he looked for his close aide and basketball partner, Reggie Love. “We’ve gotta get you on the court,” President Obama told the tall fellow. Then, addressing Love, he added, “I will not get an elbow in the lip if we play with this guy. The President needed twelve stitches in his lower lip when he was injured playing basketball during a Thanksgiving weekend game, on Nov. 26. “I’ll see you at the gym,” The President told his new, ostensibly elbow-free opponent.
The Marines' Christmas Dinner menu, according to the White House: Prime rib, turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, salad bar, pie and pastries.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/12/obamas-greet-marines-over-christmas.html
After spending a quiet Christmas Day at their Hawaiian vacation compound in the town of Kailua with family and friends, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dropped by Marine Corps Base Hawaii late in the afternoon. For the second year in a row, the President and First Lady greeted Marines and their families as they enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner.
Against a backdrop of bright Christmas swag, the causally dressed President and First Lady spent more than an hour in the mess hall, stopping by diners' tables and handing out handshakes (Mr. Obama) and hugs (Mrs. Obama). Both cuddled babies. They posed for plenty of group photos with the Marines and their families. “Merry Christmas, Mr. President!” one little boy said to the President and First Lady, as they stopped to greet his family. “No, she’s Mrs. President,” President Obama told the child.
At a table filled with five kids, the President joked with the parents about college tuition.
“Did you get everything you wanted?” The President asked one of the little girls. She showed the President her new bracelet, and he checked it out and pointed to Mrs. Obama's wrist, indicating that she, too, had a new bracelet. Mrs. Obama and the little girl compared their gifts.
Most of the Marines were not in uniform, and some abandoned their plates of ham, turkey, prime rib, and all the trimmings to get a better look at the President, prompting the base food service officer to tell them to “stay in your seats,” insisting that the President would make it to every table. He and the First Lady split up, and took different parts of the room, to make sure everyone received a personal greeting.
The President picked up a toddler, who whispered in his ear. “You hear that?!” President Obama called to Mrs. Obama. “He got a gumball machine.”
When the President encountered a very tall man in a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt, he looked for his close aide and basketball partner, Reggie Love. “We’ve gotta get you on the court,” President Obama told the tall fellow. Then, addressing Love, he added, “I will not get an elbow in the lip if we play with this guy. The President needed twelve stitches in his lower lip when he was injured playing basketball during a Thanksgiving weekend game, on Nov. 26. “I’ll see you at the gym,” The President told his new, ostensibly elbow-free opponent.
The Marines' Christmas Dinner menu, according to the White House: Prime rib, turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, salad bar, pie and pastries.
David Sedaris - Happy 54th Birthday! - Writer's Almanac biographical sketch
from Garrison Keillor daily list serv (Minnesota Public Radio):
It's the birthday of David Sedaris, born in Binghamton, New York (1956) and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's the author of the best-selling books Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (2004), When You Are Engulfed in Flames (2008), and Squirrel seeks Chipmunk (2010).
He moved to Chicago after college, and then to New York City, where he cleaned people's apartments, wrote short fiction pieces, and sometimes read them aloud at small gatherings. He also kept a daily diary. And then, 18 years ago this week, he read some stuff from his diary on NPR's Morning Edition, in a commentary that Ira Glass produced and edited. It was about working as Crumpet the Elf in Macy's SantaLand. It began:
I wear green, velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock and a perky little hat decorated with spangles. This is my work uniform.
I've spent the last several days sitting in a crowded, windowless Macy's classroom undergoing the first phase of elf training. You can be an entrance elf, a water cooler elf, a bridge elf, train elf, maze elf, island elf, magic window elf, usher elf, cash register elf or exit elf.
We were given a demonstration of various positions in action acted out by returning elves who were so on stage and goofy, that it made me a little sick to my stomach. I don't know if I can look anyone in the eye and exclaim, oh, my goodness, I think I see Santa. Or can you close your eyes and make a very special Christmas wish? Everything these elves say seems to have an exclamation point on the end of it.'
The eight-minute monologue made him famous. Suddenly his phone started to ring. He said: 'I was very, very surprised. ... I've always thought that the definition of a good life was being asleep when Morning Edition was on. I never listened to the show, so I never had a concept of anyone else listening to it, I suppose.' People asked him if he would like to be in commercials or movies. Soap opera producers called to ask if he'd write for their shows, as did Seinfeld. Editors from magazines like Harper's and Mademoiselle also offered him work. In the end, he signed a two-book contract and continued to clean apartments for a while after he'd published his first book, Barrel Fever, in 1994.
It's the birthday of David Sedaris, born in Binghamton, New York (1956) and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's the author of the best-selling books Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (2004), When You Are Engulfed in Flames (2008), and Squirrel seeks Chipmunk (2010).
He moved to Chicago after college, and then to New York City, where he cleaned people's apartments, wrote short fiction pieces, and sometimes read them aloud at small gatherings. He also kept a daily diary. And then, 18 years ago this week, he read some stuff from his diary on NPR's Morning Edition, in a commentary that Ira Glass produced and edited. It was about working as Crumpet the Elf in Macy's SantaLand. It began:
I wear green, velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock and a perky little hat decorated with spangles. This is my work uniform.
I've spent the last several days sitting in a crowded, windowless Macy's classroom undergoing the first phase of elf training. You can be an entrance elf, a water cooler elf, a bridge elf, train elf, maze elf, island elf, magic window elf, usher elf, cash register elf or exit elf.
We were given a demonstration of various positions in action acted out by returning elves who were so on stage and goofy, that it made me a little sick to my stomach. I don't know if I can look anyone in the eye and exclaim, oh, my goodness, I think I see Santa. Or can you close your eyes and make a very special Christmas wish? Everything these elves say seems to have an exclamation point on the end of it.'
The eight-minute monologue made him famous. Suddenly his phone started to ring. He said: 'I was very, very surprised. ... I've always thought that the definition of a good life was being asleep when Morning Edition was on. I never listened to the show, so I never had a concept of anyone else listening to it, I suppose.' People asked him if he would like to be in commercials or movies. Soap opera producers called to ask if he'd write for their shows, as did Seinfeld. Editors from magazines like Harper's and Mademoiselle also offered him work. In the end, he signed a two-book contract and continued to clean apartments for a while after he'd published his first book, Barrel Fever, in 1994.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Who more deserves the "Person of the Year" accolade? STEVE JOBS -- Apple CEO
[posted 12/25/2010]
The Financial Times, Britain's equivalent of The Wall Street Journal, has handed its Person of the Year crown to Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO and onetime tech wunderkind turned comeback player of the quarter century.
Saying this year's unveiling of the iPad "capped the most remarkable comeback in modern business history," the FT noted Apple's Jobs-led bounce-back from its near demise in the '90s, as well as the visionary leader's perseverance through his recent struggles with cancer. In terms of Silicon Valley lore, the publication said, Jobs now shares the stage with no one.
"Long-time nemesis Bill Gates may be richer and, at his peak, arguably exerted greater sway, thanks to his monopoly over the world's PC software," the FT said in a profile of Jobs earlier this week. "But the Microsoft co-founder has left the stage to devote his life and fortune to good works. It is Mr. Jobs who now holds the spotlight."
Despite a slip or two, Jobs has, indeed, enjoyed a fine year. Upon its release, the iPad leaped into consumers' hands--and the culture's consciousness--smashing, by some accounts, all previous records of consumer-electronics adoption and threatening to make the PC a thing of the past.
And speaking of Mr. Gates, Apple passed Microsoft in overall market capitalization this summer, no doubt a sweet feeling, considering the Redmond giant's perceived rip-off, lo all those years ago, of the Mac OS in its Windows operating system (remember those bumper stickers that read "Windows '95 = Mac '84"?).
The icing on the iCake for 2010 was the realization of a personal dream for Jobs, the featuring of The Beatles on iTunes.
True, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg nabbed the Person of the Year nod from Time, but that magazine is old news for Jobs, who has graced its cover no less than seven times.
Still, the year was not without its sore spots, the most remarkable being the bizarre loss of an iPhone prototype and its subsequent appearance on a gadget blog, and Jobs and Company's uncharacteristically ham-fisted handling of public relations during the iPhone 4 antenna-gate kerfuffle. Jobs' eventual public handling of the iPhone prototype mess was much more like him: Officially introducing the by-then anything-but-secret device later in the year, he cracked up the audience by quipping, "Stop me if you've already seen this," a classic example of the charisma that's helped make Jobs a legend.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20026605-37.html#ixzz1985Nqvsc
The Financial Times, Britain's equivalent of The Wall Street Journal, has handed its Person of the Year crown to Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO and onetime tech wunderkind turned comeback player of the quarter century.
Saying this year's unveiling of the iPad "capped the most remarkable comeback in modern business history," the FT noted Apple's Jobs-led bounce-back from its near demise in the '90s, as well as the visionary leader's perseverance through his recent struggles with cancer. In terms of Silicon Valley lore, the publication said, Jobs now shares the stage with no one.
"Long-time nemesis Bill Gates may be richer and, at his peak, arguably exerted greater sway, thanks to his monopoly over the world's PC software," the FT said in a profile of Jobs earlier this week. "But the Microsoft co-founder has left the stage to devote his life and fortune to good works. It is Mr. Jobs who now holds the spotlight."
Despite a slip or two, Jobs has, indeed, enjoyed a fine year. Upon its release, the iPad leaped into consumers' hands--and the culture's consciousness--smashing, by some accounts, all previous records of consumer-electronics adoption and threatening to make the PC a thing of the past.
And speaking of Mr. Gates, Apple passed Microsoft in overall market capitalization this summer, no doubt a sweet feeling, considering the Redmond giant's perceived rip-off, lo all those years ago, of the Mac OS in its Windows operating system (remember those bumper stickers that read "Windows '95 = Mac '84"?).
The icing on the iCake for 2010 was the realization of a personal dream for Jobs, the featuring of The Beatles on iTunes.
True, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg nabbed the Person of the Year nod from Time, but that magazine is old news for Jobs, who has graced its cover no less than seven times.
Still, the year was not without its sore spots, the most remarkable being the bizarre loss of an iPhone prototype and its subsequent appearance on a gadget blog, and Jobs and Company's uncharacteristically ham-fisted handling of public relations during the iPhone 4 antenna-gate kerfuffle. Jobs' eventual public handling of the iPhone prototype mess was much more like him: Officially introducing the by-then anything-but-secret device later in the year, he cracked up the audience by quipping, "Stop me if you've already seen this," a classic example of the charisma that's helped make Jobs a legend.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20026605-37.html#ixzz1985Nqvsc
Book Review: "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughters" (2010) Barack Obama
Book Purchased: 24 December at Mishawaka Barnes & Noble store / Book read: 25 December 2010
its original release was Nov. 16 -- more information about that publication at Christian Science Monitor [http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/1116/Obama-s-Of-Thee-I-Sing-hits-bookstore-shelves]
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf: New York (2010)
This picture book that is a cumulative effort reminding Sasha & Malia about all the Americans and world-famous persons that remind of American values that they too are like them --
the creativity of Georgia O'Keefe
the imagination and intelligence of Albert Einstein
the bravery of Jackie Robinson
the healing traits/capacity of Sitting Bull
the way she had "her own song": Billie Holiday
the strength of Helen Keller
the way she honored others' sacrifices: Maya Lin, architect
the kindness of Jane Addams
the unyielding compassion of Martin Luther King Jr.
the explorer traits of Neil Armstrong
the inspiring demonstration of Cesar Chavez
the uniting acts of Abraham Lincoln
the belief and acts of George Washington.
This book is notable for its brevity and its solid illustration/art work that is both plain and complex. The depiction of the daughters who are joined in turn by the 13 inspiring figures as children themselves is heart-warming. The noteworthy Americans of long ago and recent eras (i.e. Armstrong & Lin are listed in an appendix as living) deserve their diverse attention by those offering role models for the youth of today.
Highly recommended and well worth the price ($17.99 retail)!
its original release was Nov. 16 -- more information about that publication at Christian Science Monitor [http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/1116/Obama-s-Of-Thee-I-Sing-hits-bookstore-shelves]
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf: New York (2010)
This picture book that is a cumulative effort reminding Sasha & Malia about all the Americans and world-famous persons that remind of American values that they too are like them --
the creativity of Georgia O'Keefe
the imagination and intelligence of Albert Einstein
the bravery of Jackie Robinson
the healing traits/capacity of Sitting Bull
the way she had "her own song": Billie Holiday
the strength of Helen Keller
the way she honored others' sacrifices: Maya Lin, architect
the kindness of Jane Addams
the unyielding compassion of Martin Luther King Jr.
the explorer traits of Neil Armstrong
the inspiring demonstration of Cesar Chavez
the uniting acts of Abraham Lincoln
the belief and acts of George Washington.
This book is notable for its brevity and its solid illustration/art work that is both plain and complex. The depiction of the daughters who are joined in turn by the 13 inspiring figures as children themselves is heart-warming. The noteworthy Americans of long ago and recent eras (i.e. Armstrong & Lin are listed in an appendix as living) deserve their diverse attention by those offering role models for the youth of today.
Highly recommended and well worth the price ($17.99 retail)!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Arriving at Oahu at 2:35 local time was COMMANDER-in-Chief - Dec. 23 - Jan. 2 vacation
Mele Kalikimaka...
As the exhausting but incredibly successful lame duck Congress adjourned, President Obama departed Washington on Wednesday evening and landed safely in Hawaii at Hickham Air Force Base at about 2:35 AM local time.
The President was welcomed with a green lei (above) before being whisked away to join the rest of the First Family at their vacation compound in the town of Kailua, on the windward side of Oahu.
First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and First Dog Bo arrived on island last Saturday Dec. 18, traveling on a C40B, which according to the East Wing is "one of the smaller and most efficient planes available in the White House fleet for this trip."
The President has no public events scheduled and returns to Washington, DC, on January 2, 2011.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/12/aloha-president-arrives-in-hawaii.html
As the exhausting but incredibly successful lame duck Congress adjourned, President Obama departed Washington on Wednesday evening and landed safely in Hawaii at Hickham Air Force Base at about 2:35 AM local time.
The President was welcomed with a green lei (above) before being whisked away to join the rest of the First Family at their vacation compound in the town of Kailua, on the windward side of Oahu.
First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and First Dog Bo arrived on island last Saturday Dec. 18, traveling on a C40B, which according to the East Wing is "one of the smaller and most efficient planes available in the White House fleet for this trip."
The President has no public events scheduled and returns to Washington, DC, on January 2, 2011.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/12/aloha-president-arrives-in-hawaii.html
Federal "Wilderness" - Bureau of Land Management to restore protected status & way to designate
from Thursday Dec. 23, 2010 coverage
The Bureau of Land Management this afternoon is expected to overturn a George W. Bush administration policy barring the agency from temporarily protecting lands with wilderness qualities.
The scheduled 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and BLM Director Bob Abbey in Denver could upend part or all of a 2003 settlement by then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton and the state of Utah and allow BLM to once again preserve roadless landscapes until Congress decides whether to pass permanent protections.
Conservation groups for years have lobbied Interior to overturn the Norton settlement -- known as the "no more wilderness" policy -- arguing that it blocked the agency from its statutory duty to protect pristine landscapes in its resource management plans.
The lawsuit with the state of Utah barred BLM from taking stock of wilderness quality lands on all of its 256 million acres, reaching far beyond the few oil and gas leases in Utah that had been at issue in the case, groups contend.
The new policy will "give back to BLM the authority to conduct wilderness inventories, identify lands with wilderness character, set them up as wildlands for interim protection until Congress has to act," said a source familiar with the new policy. "And it'll allow BLM to do these assessments in Alaska, too."
The new policy would be a crucial tool for BLM to protect the ecological and recreational values of lands in the face of proposed oil and gas development or off-highway vehicle use, proponents say. Wilderness management bars the use of machines, including bicycles and off-road vehicles, and is opposed by many people in the West who claim it stifles economic development.
The Interior announcement is "going to address the deficiencies in BLM's policies with respect to unprotected, but wilderness-quality, lands," said Dave Alberswerth, the Wilderness Society's senior policy adviser on energy issues. "It's going to be a repudiation of Norton's policy" and a recognition of BLM's duty under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to protect its remaining roadless areas.
"FLPMA gives BLM authority to protect lands in their natural conditions," Alberswerth said. "That is a positive responsibility they have under law, which was basically given short shrift under the Bush administration."
Enacted in 1976, the FLPMA ordered BLM to identify "Wilderness Study Areas" for Congress to consider designating as permanent wilderness.
BLM currently manages 570 wilderness study areas covering just more than 13 million acres. And while the agency's congressional authority to establish WSAs expired in 1991, BLM continued to administratively designate WSAs under FLPMA until the Norton settlement. . .
www.nytimes.com/
The Bureau of Land Management this afternoon is expected to overturn a George W. Bush administration policy barring the agency from temporarily protecting lands with wilderness qualities.
The scheduled 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and BLM Director Bob Abbey in Denver could upend part or all of a 2003 settlement by then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton and the state of Utah and allow BLM to once again preserve roadless landscapes until Congress decides whether to pass permanent protections.
Conservation groups for years have lobbied Interior to overturn the Norton settlement -- known as the "no more wilderness" policy -- arguing that it blocked the agency from its statutory duty to protect pristine landscapes in its resource management plans.
The lawsuit with the state of Utah barred BLM from taking stock of wilderness quality lands on all of its 256 million acres, reaching far beyond the few oil and gas leases in Utah that had been at issue in the case, groups contend.
The new policy will "give back to BLM the authority to conduct wilderness inventories, identify lands with wilderness character, set them up as wildlands for interim protection until Congress has to act," said a source familiar with the new policy. "And it'll allow BLM to do these assessments in Alaska, too."
The new policy would be a crucial tool for BLM to protect the ecological and recreational values of lands in the face of proposed oil and gas development or off-highway vehicle use, proponents say. Wilderness management bars the use of machines, including bicycles and off-road vehicles, and is opposed by many people in the West who claim it stifles economic development.
The Interior announcement is "going to address the deficiencies in BLM's policies with respect to unprotected, but wilderness-quality, lands," said Dave Alberswerth, the Wilderness Society's senior policy adviser on energy issues. "It's going to be a repudiation of Norton's policy" and a recognition of BLM's duty under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to protect its remaining roadless areas.
"FLPMA gives BLM authority to protect lands in their natural conditions," Alberswerth said. "That is a positive responsibility they have under law, which was basically given short shrift under the Bush administration."
Enacted in 1976, the FLPMA ordered BLM to identify "Wilderness Study Areas" for Congress to consider designating as permanent wilderness.
BLM currently manages 570 wilderness study areas covering just more than 13 million acres. And while the agency's congressional authority to establish WSAs expired in 1991, BLM continued to administratively designate WSAs under FLPMA until the Norton settlement. . .
www.nytimes.com/
"December" a poem by Garrison Keillor
email -- from Am Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio
DECEMBER
A little girl is singing for the faithful to come ye
Joyful and triumphant, a song she loves,
And also the partridge in a pear tree
And the golden rings and the turtle doves.
In the dark streets, red lights and green and blue
Where the faithful live, some joyful, some troubled,
Enduring the cold and also the flu,
Taking the garbage out and keeping the sidewalk shoveled.
Not much triumph going on here - and yet
There is much we do not understand.
And my hopes and fears are met
In this small singer holding onto my hand.
Onward we go, faithfully, into the dark
And are there angels hovering overhead? Hark.
(c) Garrison Keillor
DECEMBER
A little girl is singing for the faithful to come ye
Joyful and triumphant, a song she loves,
And also the partridge in a pear tree
And the golden rings and the turtle doves.
In the dark streets, red lights and green and blue
Where the faithful live, some joyful, some troubled,
Enduring the cold and also the flu,
Taking the garbage out and keeping the sidewalk shoveled.
Not much triumph going on here - and yet
There is much we do not understand.
And my hopes and fears are met
In this small singer holding onto my hand.
Onward we go, faithfully, into the dark
And are there angels hovering overhead? Hark.
(c) Garrison Keillor
Timothy Steele -- title poem is "Toward the Winter Solstice" (2005) - presented today on Writer's Almanac (MPR)
selected and read at Public Radio program - Garrison Keillor -
Toward the Winter Solstice by Timothy Steele
Although the roof is just a story high,
It dizzies me a little to look down.
I lariat-twirl the rope of Christmas lights
And cast it to the weeping birch's crown;
A dowel into which I've screwed a hook
Enables me to reach, lift, drape, and twine
The cord among the boughs so that the bulbs
Will accent the tree's elegant design.
Friends, passing home from work or shopping, pause
And call up commendations or critiques.
I make adjustments. Though a potpourri
Of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Sikhs,
We all are conscious of the time of year;
We all enjoy its colorful displays
And keep some festival that mitigates
The dwindling warmth and compass of the days.
Some say that L.A. doesn't suit the Yule,
But UPS vans now like magi make
Their present-laden rounds, while fallen leaves
Are gaily resurrected in their wake;
The desert lifts a full moon from the east
And issues a dry Santa Ana breeze,
And valets at chic restaurants will soon
Be tending flocks of cars and SUV's.
And as the neighborhoods sink into dusk
The fan palms scattered all across town stand
More calmly prominent, and this place seems
A vast oasis in the Holy Land.
This house might be a caravansary,
The tree a kind of cordial fountainhead
Of welcome, looped and decked with necklaces
And ceintures of green, yellow , blue, and red.
Some wonder if the star of Bethlehem
Occurred when Jupiter and Saturn crossed;
It's comforting to look up from this roof
And feel that, while all changes, nothing's lost,
To recollect that in antiquity
The winter solstice fell in Capricorn
And that, in the Orion Nebula,
From swirling gas, new stars are being born.
"Toward the Winter Solstice" by Timothy Steele, from Toward the Winter Solstice. (c) Swallow Press, 2005. Reprinted with permission.
Toward the Winter Solstice by Timothy Steele
Although the roof is just a story high,
It dizzies me a little to look down.
I lariat-twirl the rope of Christmas lights
And cast it to the weeping birch's crown;
A dowel into which I've screwed a hook
Enables me to reach, lift, drape, and twine
The cord among the boughs so that the bulbs
Will accent the tree's elegant design.
Friends, passing home from work or shopping, pause
And call up commendations or critiques.
I make adjustments. Though a potpourri
Of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Sikhs,
We all are conscious of the time of year;
We all enjoy its colorful displays
And keep some festival that mitigates
The dwindling warmth and compass of the days.
Some say that L.A. doesn't suit the Yule,
But UPS vans now like magi make
Their present-laden rounds, while fallen leaves
Are gaily resurrected in their wake;
The desert lifts a full moon from the east
And issues a dry Santa Ana breeze,
And valets at chic restaurants will soon
Be tending flocks of cars and SUV's.
And as the neighborhoods sink into dusk
The fan palms scattered all across town stand
More calmly prominent, and this place seems
A vast oasis in the Holy Land.
This house might be a caravansary,
The tree a kind of cordial fountainhead
Of welcome, looped and decked with necklaces
And ceintures of green, yellow , blue, and red.
Some wonder if the star of Bethlehem
Occurred when Jupiter and Saturn crossed;
It's comforting to look up from this roof
And feel that, while all changes, nothing's lost,
To recollect that in antiquity
The winter solstice fell in Capricorn
And that, in the Orion Nebula,
From swirling gas, new stars are being born.
"Toward the Winter Solstice" by Timothy Steele, from Toward the Winter Solstice. (c) Swallow Press, 2005. Reprinted with permission.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
9/11 Healthcare bill for "first responders" and clean-up workers is a Christmas Miracle
from TheHill dot-com --
The passage of the bill is a major victory for Schumer and Gillibrand, who have worked feverishly in recent days to set up a health benefits program for the firefighters, police officers and construction workers who rushed to the smoking wreckage of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and worked at the site in the following months.
“The Christmas miracle we’ve been looking for has arrived," Schumer said in a statement Wednesday. "Over the last 24 hours, our Republican colleagues have negotiated in good faith to forge a workable final package that will protect the health of the men and women who selflessly answered our nation’s call in her hour of greatest need.
“We thank our Republican friends for coming together to fulfill America’s moral obligation to the heroes of 9/11,” Schumer added.
The bipartisan deal cut funding to $4.3 billion while reducing the window of eligibility from eight years to five. The legislation is largely paid for by imposing a 2 percent fee on companies based in countries that have not signed a government procurement agreement with the United States. Coburn touted the compromise.
“I’m pleased the sponsors of this bill agreed to lower costs dramatically, offset the bill, sunset key provisions and take steps to prevent fraud,” Coburn said in a statement.
“Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generations of opportunity,” he added. “I’m pleased this agreement strikes a fair balance and improves the bill the majority attempted to rush through at the last minute."
The Senate passed the bill unanimously Wednesday, just hours before the House vote. The legislation now moves to the White House, where President Obama is expected to sign it into law.
Sponsored by New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D) and Jerrold Nadler (D), the proposal bill will create a multibillion-dollar federal healthcare benefits program for the emergency and cleanup workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Supporters said it's the least Congress can do to reward the heroics of those who risked their health in responding to the tragedy.
Many of the first responders and cleanup workers were exposed to toxic substances that erupted into the atmosphere when the towers collapsed. The health benefits program will also help residents in the immediate surrounding area who came down with illnesses after the attack.
"When we pass this bill, we will answer the question of whether the United States honors its heroes," Nadler said prior to the vote. "This bill will save lives," Maloney said. "It's taken too long, but help finally is here."
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/134847-senators-strike-deal-to-pass-911-healthcare-bill
The passage of the bill is a major victory for Schumer and Gillibrand, who have worked feverishly in recent days to set up a health benefits program for the firefighters, police officers and construction workers who rushed to the smoking wreckage of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and worked at the site in the following months.
“The Christmas miracle we’ve been looking for has arrived," Schumer said in a statement Wednesday. "Over the last 24 hours, our Republican colleagues have negotiated in good faith to forge a workable final package that will protect the health of the men and women who selflessly answered our nation’s call in her hour of greatest need.
“We thank our Republican friends for coming together to fulfill America’s moral obligation to the heroes of 9/11,” Schumer added.
The bipartisan deal cut funding to $4.3 billion while reducing the window of eligibility from eight years to five. The legislation is largely paid for by imposing a 2 percent fee on companies based in countries that have not signed a government procurement agreement with the United States. Coburn touted the compromise.
“I’m pleased the sponsors of this bill agreed to lower costs dramatically, offset the bill, sunset key provisions and take steps to prevent fraud,” Coburn said in a statement.
“Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generations of opportunity,” he added. “I’m pleased this agreement strikes a fair balance and improves the bill the majority attempted to rush through at the last minute."
The Senate passed the bill unanimously Wednesday, just hours before the House vote. The legislation now moves to the White House, where President Obama is expected to sign it into law.
Sponsored by New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D) and Jerrold Nadler (D), the proposal bill will create a multibillion-dollar federal healthcare benefits program for the emergency and cleanup workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Supporters said it's the least Congress can do to reward the heroics of those who risked their health in responding to the tragedy.
Many of the first responders and cleanup workers were exposed to toxic substances that erupted into the atmosphere when the towers collapsed. The health benefits program will also help residents in the immediate surrounding area who came down with illnesses after the attack.
"When we pass this bill, we will answer the question of whether the United States honors its heroes," Nadler said prior to the vote. "This bill will save lives," Maloney said. "It's taken too long, but help finally is here."
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/134847-senators-strike-deal-to-pass-911-healthcare-bill
King James Version -- 257 idioms discussed by David Crystal, Oxford U. (new book BEGAT)
reviewed in WorldWideWords dot-org website:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/reviews/re-beg1.htm
Whenever you hear phrases such as the salt of the earth, a man after our own heart, let there be light, two-edged sword, how are the mighty fallen, rod of iron, wheels within wheels, get thee behind me, Satan, new wine in old bottles, a voice crying in the wilderness, a fly in the ointment, you are hearing echoes of the prose of the KJV.
As David Crystal makes clear, however, these are not quotations but idioms based on allusions. They have entered the language, to the extent that their biblical origins have become obscured and they are used as often by non-believers as believers. They have become so fixed a part of the way we speak that — like gird your loins — they are frequently adapted for humorous effect.
He discusses each allusion in turn, illustrating it with usages old and new. There is for me too great a whiff of Google in the modern examples he has found from book titles, song lyrics, comic strips, newspaper headlines, social networking, even porn. But the results of his searching illustrate the depth of our familiarity with the words of the KJV, even if we often don’t know it.
But we mustn’t make too much of it. David Crystal discusses 257 idioms altogether. Though he notes that this number is greater than for any other source, including Shakespeare, in only 18 cases is the exact form found in the KJV; in the rest, the ultimate source is an earlier translation, or in a few cases the common stock of English expressions that predates Biblical translations. And he makes clear that he has restricted himself to discussing idiom, not direct quotation, stylistic influence or innovative vocabulary.
David Crystal, Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language, published by Oxford University Press.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/reviews/re-beg1.htm
Whenever you hear phrases such as the salt of the earth, a man after our own heart, let there be light, two-edged sword, how are the mighty fallen, rod of iron, wheels within wheels, get thee behind me, Satan, new wine in old bottles, a voice crying in the wilderness, a fly in the ointment, you are hearing echoes of the prose of the KJV.
As David Crystal makes clear, however, these are not quotations but idioms based on allusions. They have entered the language, to the extent that their biblical origins have become obscured and they are used as often by non-believers as believers. They have become so fixed a part of the way we speak that — like gird your loins — they are frequently adapted for humorous effect.
He discusses each allusion in turn, illustrating it with usages old and new. There is for me too great a whiff of Google in the modern examples he has found from book titles, song lyrics, comic strips, newspaper headlines, social networking, even porn. But the results of his searching illustrate the depth of our familiarity with the words of the KJV, even if we often don’t know it.
But we mustn’t make too much of it. David Crystal discusses 257 idioms altogether. Though he notes that this number is greater than for any other source, including Shakespeare, in only 18 cases is the exact form found in the KJV; in the rest, the ultimate source is an earlier translation, or in a few cases the common stock of English expressions that predates Biblical translations. And he makes clear that he has restricted himself to discussing idiom, not direct quotation, stylistic influence or innovative vocabulary.
David Crystal, Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language, published by Oxford University Press.
Pauline Maier on 2nd Amendment (op-ed item: NY TIMES): Did James Madison mean?
excerpt of many paragraphs at this URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/opinion/22maier.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a212
Justice Breyer went further in his Fox interview. He said that James Madison wrote the Second Amendment because some Americans feared that Congress would call up the state militias and nationalize them. Madison proposed the amendment, the justice said, to appease these skeptics and to “get this document ratified.” Justice Breyer continued: “If that was his motive historically, the dissenters were right. And I think more of the historians were with us.”
There is a problem with this argument: by the time Madison proposed what became the Second Amendment on June 8, 1789, the Constitution had already been ratified and was in effect. Rhode Island and North Carolina had yet to ratify, but it’s hard to believe that Rhode Island, with its many Quakers, would be enticed into the Union by an amendment affirming the right to bear arms.
Madison’s actual motives for proposing the amendments, as a representative in the first federal Congress, are well documented. He hoped to “parry” the call for a second federal convention to consider amendments proposed by several state ratifying conventions, one of which would have modified Congress’s wall-to-wall taxing powers.
He proposed amendments asserting “the great rights of mankind” — to which, ostensibly, nobody could object — in hopes of cooling support for a new convention that might have curtailed the powers of the new government. Madison did not include an unambiguous assertion of an individual right to own guns on his list; clearly he did not consider it one of the “great rights” on a par with freedom of conscience and of speech.
Instead, Madison reassured those who feared Congress’s new military powers, as he had done earlier in Federalist 46. The Constitution said Congress could raise an army and navy. Nonetheless, one of his proposed amendments promised that the people would never be subject to federal military rule because their “right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well-armed, and well-regulated militia being the best security of a free country.”
Congress rewrote Madison’s language somewhat — “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” In 18th-century laws, the preamble (in this case, the first clause) stated the purpose of an enactment. Thus the right to keep and bear arms was granted as a means to sustain that “well-regulated militia.” That’s what Congress meant, and what the states approved.
Incidentally, did you ever wonder what happened to the militia? It was beloved in the 18th century because of the belief that as an amateur home-defense force drawn from the adult male population, it would never turn against the people like the standing armies that did as they were commanded. Indeed, the militia would protect the people against tyrannical power.
Those traditional militia companies, which were normally called into action by the states, were never a particularly effective military force. They limped along through the 19th century until the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, when militiamen fraternized with the strikers rather than protect the railroad owners’ property.
Their actions provoked a reorganization and professionalization of the militia, which became known as the National Guard. Finally, the so-called Dick Act of 1903, named after Charles Dick, an Ohio Congressman, made the National Guard a backup to the Army, and mandated that it adopt the same organization, weapons and discipline.
The Constitution says Congress can call up the militia only to “execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions,” all tasks performed within the United States. Yet today there are National Guardsmen in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is possible because the militia, which the Second Amendment was intended to protect, is defunct. Are we less secure or less free as a consequence?
Thanks to the decision in Heller, an individual right to bear arms is now established in American law. And in Heller’s sequel, McDonald v. Chicago, the court majority last summer said the states are bound by the Fourteenth Amendment to honor that right.
How far the court will go in striking down state and local gun laws remains to be seen, although the outcry against Justice Breyer’s comments shows that conservatives are looking to press the issue. In any case, one thing is clear: to justify such rulings by citing Madison and the other founders and framers would not honor their “original intent.” It would be an abuse of history.
Justice Breyer went further in his Fox interview. He said that James Madison wrote the Second Amendment because some Americans feared that Congress would call up the state militias and nationalize them. Madison proposed the amendment, the justice said, to appease these skeptics and to “get this document ratified.” Justice Breyer continued: “If that was his motive historically, the dissenters were right. And I think more of the historians were with us.”
There is a problem with this argument: by the time Madison proposed what became the Second Amendment on June 8, 1789, the Constitution had already been ratified and was in effect. Rhode Island and North Carolina had yet to ratify, but it’s hard to believe that Rhode Island, with its many Quakers, would be enticed into the Union by an amendment affirming the right to bear arms.
Madison’s actual motives for proposing the amendments, as a representative in the first federal Congress, are well documented. He hoped to “parry” the call for a second federal convention to consider amendments proposed by several state ratifying conventions, one of which would have modified Congress’s wall-to-wall taxing powers.
He proposed amendments asserting “the great rights of mankind” — to which, ostensibly, nobody could object — in hopes of cooling support for a new convention that might have curtailed the powers of the new government. Madison did not include an unambiguous assertion of an individual right to own guns on his list; clearly he did not consider it one of the “great rights” on a par with freedom of conscience and of speech.
Instead, Madison reassured those who feared Congress’s new military powers, as he had done earlier in Federalist 46. The Constitution said Congress could raise an army and navy. Nonetheless, one of his proposed amendments promised that the people would never be subject to federal military rule because their “right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well-armed, and well-regulated militia being the best security of a free country.”
Congress rewrote Madison’s language somewhat — “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” In 18th-century laws, the preamble (in this case, the first clause) stated the purpose of an enactment. Thus the right to keep and bear arms was granted as a means to sustain that “well-regulated militia.” That’s what Congress meant, and what the states approved.
Incidentally, did you ever wonder what happened to the militia? It was beloved in the 18th century because of the belief that as an amateur home-defense force drawn from the adult male population, it would never turn against the people like the standing armies that did as they were commanded. Indeed, the militia would protect the people against tyrannical power.
Those traditional militia companies, which were normally called into action by the states, were never a particularly effective military force. They limped along through the 19th century until the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, when militiamen fraternized with the strikers rather than protect the railroad owners’ property.
Their actions provoked a reorganization and professionalization of the militia, which became known as the National Guard. Finally, the so-called Dick Act of 1903, named after Charles Dick, an Ohio Congressman, made the National Guard a backup to the Army, and mandated that it adopt the same organization, weapons and discipline.
The Constitution says Congress can call up the militia only to “execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions,” all tasks performed within the United States. Yet today there are National Guardsmen in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is possible because the militia, which the Second Amendment was intended to protect, is defunct. Are we less secure or less free as a consequence?
Thanks to the decision in Heller, an individual right to bear arms is now established in American law. And in Heller’s sequel, McDonald v. Chicago, the court majority last summer said the states are bound by the Fourteenth Amendment to honor that right.
How far the court will go in striking down state and local gun laws remains to be seen, although the outcry against Justice Breyer’s comments shows that conservatives are looking to press the issue. In any case, one thing is clear: to justify such rulings by citing Madison and the other founders and framers would not honor their “original intent.” It would be an abuse of history.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
"Olav Fykse Tveit" message at Christmas 2010 World Council of Churches General Secretary
Christmas Message 2010
from the World Council of Churches general secretary
The nativity of Jesus Christ is proclaimed by angelic choirs in the heights of heaven, and the joyous news is echoed afterwards by modest shepherds in fields near Bethlehem. Meanwhile, a mother and father care for their newborn child. No place for this family could be found in the inn, so they shelter among livestock. The circumstances are strikingly humble, yet their infant is the occasion of the angels’ song:
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favours!” (Luke 2:13-14)
The splendour of Christmas highlights many contrasts in our surroundings. First of all – it is all about what we are given – surprisingly – by God. This revelation of glory in heaven is given to people living off the land, dependent on simple blessings found in fields and farmyards, in caring for sheep and celebrating a new birth. It is they who first hear the promise of so much more than bare survival or the simplest pleasure. They dare to imagine the real possibility of peace on earth. The song of angels encourages them to give glory to God alone and to seek peace with others, far and near.
Conditions in the world today are marked by contrasts at least as great as those in Jesus’ time. Everywhere we see wildly contradictory instances of poverty and wealth, systems of tyranny and of justice, brutal violence and sincere attempts at reconciliation. Through it all, we are keenly aware of the need for a peace worthy of the name: just peace for all.
In this season, and in looking to the New Year, we in the World Council of Churches find encouragement in the potential for seeking peace that is to be afforded in May 2011 at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) in Kingston, Jamaica. Taking as its motto “Glory to God; Peace on Earth”, the IEPC will serve as a culmination of the churches’ Decade for Overcoming Violence (2001-2010) and an occasion to renew our common commitment to the establishment of a just peace among peoples.
We encourage you to make certain your church is participating in the IEPC as all WCC member churches have been invited to send representatives to the convocation. For the World Council of Churches, peace is a vital part of living the fellowship and building Christian unity.
In these days we hear anew the opening accounts in the life of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Our hearts and spirits are refreshed once more. In response, we rededicate ourselves to the praise of God in highest heaven and to our ministries of peace on earth.
May the blessing of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you always.
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General secretary,
World Council of Churches
from the World Council of Churches general secretary
The nativity of Jesus Christ is proclaimed by angelic choirs in the heights of heaven, and the joyous news is echoed afterwards by modest shepherds in fields near Bethlehem. Meanwhile, a mother and father care for their newborn child. No place for this family could be found in the inn, so they shelter among livestock. The circumstances are strikingly humble, yet their infant is the occasion of the angels’ song:
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favours!” (Luke 2:13-14)
The splendour of Christmas highlights many contrasts in our surroundings. First of all – it is all about what we are given – surprisingly – by God. This revelation of glory in heaven is given to people living off the land, dependent on simple blessings found in fields and farmyards, in caring for sheep and celebrating a new birth. It is they who first hear the promise of so much more than bare survival or the simplest pleasure. They dare to imagine the real possibility of peace on earth. The song of angels encourages them to give glory to God alone and to seek peace with others, far and near.
Conditions in the world today are marked by contrasts at least as great as those in Jesus’ time. Everywhere we see wildly contradictory instances of poverty and wealth, systems of tyranny and of justice, brutal violence and sincere attempts at reconciliation. Through it all, we are keenly aware of the need for a peace worthy of the name: just peace for all.
In this season, and in looking to the New Year, we in the World Council of Churches find encouragement in the potential for seeking peace that is to be afforded in May 2011 at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) in Kingston, Jamaica. Taking as its motto “Glory to God; Peace on Earth”, the IEPC will serve as a culmination of the churches’ Decade for Overcoming Violence (2001-2010) and an occasion to renew our common commitment to the establishment of a just peace among peoples.
We encourage you to make certain your church is participating in the IEPC as all WCC member churches have been invited to send representatives to the convocation. For the World Council of Churches, peace is a vital part of living the fellowship and building Christian unity.
In these days we hear anew the opening accounts in the life of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Our hearts and spirits are refreshed once more. In response, we rededicate ourselves to the praise of God in highest heaven and to our ministries of peace on earth.
May the blessing of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you always.
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General secretary,
World Council of Churches
Poem on Christmas Carols -- "Noel" by Anne Porter (2006)
used today on Minnesota Public Radio's "Writer's Almanac" (NPR dot-org)
Noël by Anne Porter
When snow is shaken
From the balsam trees
And they're cut down
And brought into our houses
When clustered sparks
Of many-colored fire
Appear at night
In ordinary windows
We hear and sing
The customary carols
They bring us ragged miracles
And hay and candles
And flowering weeds of poetry
That are loved all the more
Because they are so common
But there are carols
That carry phrases
Of the haunting music
Of the other world
A music wild and dangerous
As a prophet's message
Or the fresh truth of children
Who though they come to us
From our own bodies
Are altogether new
With their small limbs
And birdlike voices
They look at us
With their clear eyes
And ask the piercing questions
God alone can answer.
"Noël" by Anne Porter, from Living Things. (c) Zoland Books, 2006. Reprinted with permission.
Noël by Anne Porter
When snow is shaken
From the balsam trees
And they're cut down
And brought into our houses
When clustered sparks
Of many-colored fire
Appear at night
In ordinary windows
We hear and sing
The customary carols
They bring us ragged miracles
And hay and candles
And flowering weeds of poetry
That are loved all the more
Because they are so common
But there are carols
That carry phrases
Of the haunting music
Of the other world
A music wild and dangerous
As a prophet's message
Or the fresh truth of children
Who though they come to us
From our own bodies
Are altogether new
With their small limbs
And birdlike voices
They look at us
With their clear eyes
And ask the piercing questions
God alone can answer.
"Noël" by Anne Porter, from Living Things. (c) Zoland Books, 2006. Reprinted with permission.
Monday, December 20, 2010
New book on ancient document: Revelation of the Magi (Syriac original from Vatican Library)
Revelation of the Magi
Pub. Date: November 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Hardcover , 157 pp.
Synopsis:
Harvard scholar Brent Landau presents the never-before-seen backstory of three “wise men” of the Christmas story, packaged in a beautiful hardcover edition. This is the first English translation of an ancient text, discovered in the Vatican library, written from the point of view of the Magi about their miraculous trip! The text outlines a complex ritual and religious system for the three travelers, who live in the mysterious far-eastern land of Shir and embody the ideal “pre-Christian” religious belief. With its fascinating tale, this book offers romance and spiritual fascination for those who just can’t get enough of the Christmas spirit.
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Revelation-Magi-Brent-Landau/?isbn=9780061947032
Pub. Date: November 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Hardcover , 157 pp.
Synopsis:
Harvard scholar Brent Landau presents the never-before-seen backstory of three “wise men” of the Christmas story, packaged in a beautiful hardcover edition. This is the first English translation of an ancient text, discovered in the Vatican library, written from the point of view of the Magi about their miraculous trip! The text outlines a complex ritual and religious system for the three travelers, who live in the mysterious far-eastern land of Shir and embody the ideal “pre-Christian” religious belief. With its fascinating tale, this book offers romance and spiritual fascination for those who just can’t get enough of the Christmas spirit.
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Revelation-Magi-Brent-Landau/?isbn=9780061947032
Today is a selenelion -- BBC World News explanation
December 20, 2010 is the Winter Solstice for the Western hemisphere // Dec. 21 early a.m. for U.K. --
It's the first time in almost 500 years that a lunar eclipse has coincided with the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - on 21 December.
There is also a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a selenelion, which occurs when the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time.
This is also known as a horizontal eclipse, because both sun and moon appear above the horizon at nearly opposite points in the sky.
The full moon will begin to pass through Earth's shadow at 0632 GMT on Tuesday, and will become a total eclipse at 0740 GMT. Observers will see a much darker moon than usual, while the sky will turn a deep red colour.
The eclipse should reach its maximum at 8.17 GMT, and end at 8.53 GMT.
The last time a selenelion occurred, the Tudors were in power in England.
Terry Moseley from the Irish Astronomical Association, said the next full lunar eclipse which would be visible from Ireland would not be until 2015.
It's the first time in almost 500 years that a lunar eclipse has coincided with the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - on 21 December.
There is also a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a selenelion, which occurs when the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time.
This is also known as a horizontal eclipse, because both sun and moon appear above the horizon at nearly opposite points in the sky.
The full moon will begin to pass through Earth's shadow at 0632 GMT on Tuesday, and will become a total eclipse at 0740 GMT. Observers will see a much darker moon than usual, while the sky will turn a deep red colour.
The eclipse should reach its maximum at 8.17 GMT, and end at 8.53 GMT.
The last time a selenelion occurred, the Tudors were in power in England.
Terry Moseley from the Irish Astronomical Association, said the next full lunar eclipse which would be visible from Ireland would not be until 2015.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Christmas Carols -- transformed and evolved since medieval usage -- NPR analysis
posted Sunday Dec. 19 -- www.npr.org/
Christmas music is a staple of the radio and shops this time of year. In addition to the typical crooning about winter wonderlands, red-nosed reindeer or jingling bells, there are always some interesting covers of carols and hymns.
Originally, the traditional tunes of the Christmas season had nothing to do with the time of year, says Philip Brunelle, the founder and artistic director of the Minneapolis-based choral group VocalEssence.
"In the medieval ages there were Gregorian chants that were sung, yet at the same time all these carols were outside the church," he tells Weekend Edition host Liane Hansen. "Gradually, actually about the time of Reformation, is when we started seeing some changes. Carols were sung rather than singing Gregorian chant."
Brunelle says that carols and hymns are not one and the same. Carols were originally thought of as a circle dance that was accompanied by singing, whereas a hymn had more theological implications and was not made for dancing. These songs have changed a great deal over the years, he says. For example, the hymn "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," originally had nothing at all to do with Christmas, and certainly was not sung with Charles Wesley's familiar lyrics.
"The music by Felix Mendelssohn was composed for male chorus in 1840 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Gutenberg's printing press," Brunelle says. "After the ceremony was done, people said, 'Oh, that's just a wonderful tune, and it could be something sacred' and Mendelssohn said, 'It will never work with a sacred text.' Well, how wrong he was, because 20 years later, the combination of Wesley's words and his music came together, and we got 'Hark The Herald.'"
The endurance of Christmas carols has to do with the structure of their melodies, Brunelle says.
"You will find that you can remember melodies that are step-wise, or [melodies] that go up and down the scale, like 'The First Noel' or 'Joy to The World,'" he says.
"For every popular Christmas song that we know, there are about a hundred that never made it."
Christmas music is a staple of the radio and shops this time of year. In addition to the typical crooning about winter wonderlands, red-nosed reindeer or jingling bells, there are always some interesting covers of carols and hymns.
Originally, the traditional tunes of the Christmas season had nothing to do with the time of year, says Philip Brunelle, the founder and artistic director of the Minneapolis-based choral group VocalEssence.
"In the medieval ages there were Gregorian chants that were sung, yet at the same time all these carols were outside the church," he tells Weekend Edition host Liane Hansen. "Gradually, actually about the time of Reformation, is when we started seeing some changes. Carols were sung rather than singing Gregorian chant."
Brunelle says that carols and hymns are not one and the same. Carols were originally thought of as a circle dance that was accompanied by singing, whereas a hymn had more theological implications and was not made for dancing. These songs have changed a great deal over the years, he says. For example, the hymn "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," originally had nothing at all to do with Christmas, and certainly was not sung with Charles Wesley's familiar lyrics.
"The music by Felix Mendelssohn was composed for male chorus in 1840 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Gutenberg's printing press," Brunelle says. "After the ceremony was done, people said, 'Oh, that's just a wonderful tune, and it could be something sacred' and Mendelssohn said, 'It will never work with a sacred text.' Well, how wrong he was, because 20 years later, the combination of Wesley's words and his music came together, and we got 'Hark The Herald.'"
The endurance of Christmas carols has to do with the structure of their melodies, Brunelle says.
"You will find that you can remember melodies that are step-wise, or [melodies] that go up and down the scale, like 'The First Noel' or 'Joy to The World,'" he says.
"For every popular Christmas song that we know, there are about a hundred that never made it."
Today is the anniversary of Poor Richard's Almanac publication (Dec. 19, 1732)
At the age of 26, Benjamin Franklin began publishing Poor Richard's Almanac. He wrote in his autobiography: 'In 1732 I first published my almanack under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continued by me about 25 years, commonly called 'Poor Richard's Almanac.' I endeavored to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand that I reaped considerable profit from it, vending annually near 10,000, and observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the province being without it, I considered it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the people, who bought scarcely any other books; I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurred between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue, it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as to use here one of those proverbs, 'It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.''
Even though everyone knew that Richard Saunders was Benjamin Franklin, he enjoyed using a pseudonym and kept it in place for all 26 annual issues of the almanac. And it gave him a chance for Richard Saunders to insult his printer, Benjamin Franklin.
Poor Richard started out as a dull astronomer who couldn't get anything right, but over the years he became more of a hard-working, morally upright citizen. The cover of the first almanac advertised its contents: 'The lunations, eclipses, judgment of the weather, Spring tides, planets, motions, and mutual aspects, sun and moon's rising and setting, length of days, time of high water, fairs, courts, and observable days.' But what made Poor Richard's Almanac such a mainstay in Colonial life were the clever sayings, what Franklin called 'proverbial sentences.' Franklin isn't exactly the author of these proverbs -- plenty were already sayings, well-known or obscure -- but he rewrote them to sound as folksy and American as possible, and also as clever.
In Poor Richard's Almanac, Franklin wrote:
'Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.'
'Fish and visitors smell after three days.'
'Beware of the young Doctor & the old Barber.'
'There are no gains without pains.'
'A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.'
Even though everyone knew that Richard Saunders was Benjamin Franklin, he enjoyed using a pseudonym and kept it in place for all 26 annual issues of the almanac. And it gave him a chance for Richard Saunders to insult his printer, Benjamin Franklin.
Poor Richard started out as a dull astronomer who couldn't get anything right, but over the years he became more of a hard-working, morally upright citizen. The cover of the first almanac advertised its contents: 'The lunations, eclipses, judgment of the weather, Spring tides, planets, motions, and mutual aspects, sun and moon's rising and setting, length of days, time of high water, fairs, courts, and observable days.' But what made Poor Richard's Almanac such a mainstay in Colonial life were the clever sayings, what Franklin called 'proverbial sentences.' Franklin isn't exactly the author of these proverbs -- plenty were already sayings, well-known or obscure -- but he rewrote them to sound as folksy and American as possible, and also as clever.
In Poor Richard's Almanac, Franklin wrote:
'Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.'
'Fish and visitors smell after three days.'
'Beware of the young Doctor & the old Barber.'
'There are no gains without pains.'
'A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.'
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Vote on Saturday U.S. Senate consideration -- policy on Gay Service members (male/female)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121800600.html?hpid=topnews
WASHINGTON -- In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."
Obama was expected to sign it next week, although the change wouldn't take immediate effect. The legislation says the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' fighting ability. After that, there's a 60-day waiting period for the military.
"It is time to close this chapter in our history," Obama said in a statement after a test vote cleared the way for final action. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."
The Senate vote was 65-31. The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-175, on Wednesday.
Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.
More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.
Rounding up a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was a historic victory for Obama, who made repeal a campaign promise in 2008. It also was a political triumph for congressional Democrats who struggled in the final hours of the postelection session to overcome GOP objections on several legislative priorities before Republicans regain control of the House in January.
"As Barry Goldwater said, 'You don't have to be straight to shoot straight,'" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., referring to the late GOP senator from Arizona.
WASHINGTON -- In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."
Obama was expected to sign it next week, although the change wouldn't take immediate effect. The legislation says the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' fighting ability. After that, there's a 60-day waiting period for the military.
"It is time to close this chapter in our history," Obama said in a statement after a test vote cleared the way for final action. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."
The Senate vote was 65-31. The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-175, on Wednesday.
Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.
More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.
Rounding up a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was a historic victory for Obama, who made repeal a campaign promise in 2008. It also was a political triumph for congressional Democrats who struggled in the final hours of the postelection session to overcome GOP objections on several legislative priorities before Republicans regain control of the House in January.
"As Barry Goldwater said, 'You don't have to be straight to shoot straight,'" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., referring to the late GOP senator from Arizona.
U.S. Senate moves ahead to vote on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (12/18 cloture vote)
from News coverage:
The Senate was poised on Saturday to allow gays to openly serve in the military after supporters overcame a procedural hurdle to bring the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" to the Senate floor.
In a 63-33 vote, the Senate passed the cloture motion. A formal repeal vote still lies ahead, but the outcome seemed assured after six Republicans joined with Democrats to advance the bill, which required 60 votes.
The six Republican senators who voted with the majority were: Scott Brown, of Massachusetts; Susan M. Collins and Olympia J. Snowe, both of Maine; Mark Kirk of Illinois; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and George Voinovich of Ohio. Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, the only Democrat to oppose repeal, did not vote.
President Obama has made the repeal of the 1993 law one of his priorities in the lame-duck congressional session. The House passed the bill this week 250 to 174.
"The Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend," President Obama said in a prepared statement." By ending 'don't ask, don't tell," no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.
"It is time to close this chapter in our history," he stated."It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law."
When passed by the Senate and signed by the president, the repeal would allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without fear of prosecution for their sexual orientation. More than 13,500 people have been dismissed from the military under the law.
"Don't ask, don't tell is wrong," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in his opening remarks Saturday morning. "I don't care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn't have to hide who you are. You ought to be able to serve."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-pn-senate-gays-20101219,0,4926811.story
The Senate was poised on Saturday to allow gays to openly serve in the military after supporters overcame a procedural hurdle to bring the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" to the Senate floor.
In a 63-33 vote, the Senate passed the cloture motion. A formal repeal vote still lies ahead, but the outcome seemed assured after six Republicans joined with Democrats to advance the bill, which required 60 votes.
The six Republican senators who voted with the majority were: Scott Brown, of Massachusetts; Susan M. Collins and Olympia J. Snowe, both of Maine; Mark Kirk of Illinois; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and George Voinovich of Ohio. Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, the only Democrat to oppose repeal, did not vote.
President Obama has made the repeal of the 1993 law one of his priorities in the lame-duck congressional session. The House passed the bill this week 250 to 174.
"The Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend," President Obama said in a prepared statement." By ending 'don't ask, don't tell," no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.
"It is time to close this chapter in our history," he stated."It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law."
When passed by the Senate and signed by the president, the repeal would allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without fear of prosecution for their sexual orientation. More than 13,500 people have been dismissed from the military under the law.
"Don't ask, don't tell is wrong," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in his opening remarks Saturday morning. "I don't care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn't have to hide who you are. You ought to be able to serve."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-pn-senate-gays-20101219,0,4926811.story
This day in history: 303 years ago (12/18/1707)
Date and article in The Writer's Almanac (list serv by G. Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio)
It's the birthday of the hymn writer Charles Wesley, born in Epworth, England (1707). He was the youngest of 19 children. His father and his two older brothers were all Anglican clergy, and he followed in their footsteps. His brother John is credited as the founder of the Methodist movement. John Wesley famously described a religious experience in which, he said, 'I felt my heart strangely warmed.' But most people forget that just three days earlier, Charles Wesley had described the experience of overwhelming joy and a 'strange palpitation of heart.' Charles was the first person to be called a 'Methodist,' albeit as an insult, because he and John were so methodical in their schedule of sleeping, praying, working, and studying.
During his lifetime, Charles Wesley published lyrics to more than 6,000 hymns. He wrote the lyrics to 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' 'O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,' 'Christ the Lord Has Risen Today,' 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul,' and thousands more.
He wrote to his wife, Sarah, whom he called Sally: 'Suffer me to boast a little. Never did the people seem to love me better, or I them. They are brethren who dwell together in unity. I was feasted all Sunday long. B. Evans, my host, and his wife do their utmost to make my lodging agreeable. It is a most delightful place, in the air, clean as a Friend's house.'
It's the birthday of the hymn writer Charles Wesley, born in Epworth, England (1707). He was the youngest of 19 children. His father and his two older brothers were all Anglican clergy, and he followed in their footsteps. His brother John is credited as the founder of the Methodist movement. John Wesley famously described a religious experience in which, he said, 'I felt my heart strangely warmed.' But most people forget that just three days earlier, Charles Wesley had described the experience of overwhelming joy and a 'strange palpitation of heart.' Charles was the first person to be called a 'Methodist,' albeit as an insult, because he and John were so methodical in their schedule of sleeping, praying, working, and studying.
During his lifetime, Charles Wesley published lyrics to more than 6,000 hymns. He wrote the lyrics to 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' 'O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,' 'Christ the Lord Has Risen Today,' 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul,' and thousands more.
He wrote to his wife, Sarah, whom he called Sally: 'Suffer me to boast a little. Never did the people seem to love me better, or I them. They are brethren who dwell together in unity. I was feasted all Sunday long. B. Evans, my host, and his wife do their utmost to make my lodging agreeable. It is a most delightful place, in the air, clean as a Friend's house.'
Thursday, December 16, 2010
David Chalian blog on "Afghanistan surge/war: worth it?" - since Dec. 2009
posted at PBS dot-org/newshour/
A little more than a year after President Obama announced his decision to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, his administration is releasing a summary of a classified review of the strategy that says the United States is still on target to begin withdrawing troops next July. However, every note of optimism about progress in the fight against the Taliban is accompanied by a healthy dose of caution.
President Obama will discuss the findings in the report at 11:45 a.m. EST Thursday and then leave Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to answer questions from the press.
The Washington Post's Karen DeYoung writes:
"Taliban momentum has been 'arrested in much of the country and reversed in some key areas, although these gains remain fragile and reversible,' the five-page summary said.
"The review, it said, indicated that the administration was 'setting conditions' to begin the 'responsible reduction' of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in July."
The president is keenly aware about the political dangers of providing an overly optimistic assessment of a war that appears to have diminishing support by the American people.
Julie Phelan and Gary Langer write up the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll numbers:
"A record 60 percent of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, a grim assessment -- and a politically hazardous one....
"Negative views of the war for the first time are at the level of those recorded for the war in Iraq, whose unpopularity dragged George W. Bush to historic lows in approval across his second term. On average from 2005 through 2009, 60 percent called that war not worth fighting, the same number who say so about Afghanistan now."
A little more than a year after President Obama announced his decision to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, his administration is releasing a summary of a classified review of the strategy that says the United States is still on target to begin withdrawing troops next July. However, every note of optimism about progress in the fight against the Taliban is accompanied by a healthy dose of caution.
President Obama will discuss the findings in the report at 11:45 a.m. EST Thursday and then leave Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to answer questions from the press.
The Washington Post's Karen DeYoung writes:
"Taliban momentum has been 'arrested in much of the country and reversed in some key areas, although these gains remain fragile and reversible,' the five-page summary said.
"The review, it said, indicated that the administration was 'setting conditions' to begin the 'responsible reduction' of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in July."
The president is keenly aware about the political dangers of providing an overly optimistic assessment of a war that appears to have diminishing support by the American people.
Julie Phelan and Gary Langer write up the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll numbers:
"A record 60 percent of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, a grim assessment -- and a politically hazardous one....
"Negative views of the war for the first time are at the level of those recorded for the war in Iraq, whose unpopularity dragged George W. Bush to historic lows in approval across his second term. On average from 2005 through 2009, 60 percent called that war not worth fighting, the same number who say so about Afghanistan now."
Monday, December 13, 2010
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed today (Dec. 13) Washington, D.C. public school
from Obama Food-o-rama (blog here at Google Blogger)
During a special ceremony starting at 10:25 AM at Washington, DC's Harriet Tubman Elementary School, the President will sign into law the groundbreaking Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Both the President and First Lady will make remarks at the event, and it will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live. The bill is without question the most historic child nutrition legislation to emerge from this or any other administration in decades.
That's not just laudatory overstatement. The bill's hard-won elements, backed by a huge, varied, bipartisan coalition, create some of the biggest changes in school nutrition and federal feeding programs in more than forty years. As a pillar of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move! campaign, it is a crucial advancement of the Obama Administration’s goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.
www.whitehouse.gov/
During a special ceremony starting at 10:25 AM at Washington, DC's Harriet Tubman Elementary School, the President will sign into law the groundbreaking Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Both the President and First Lady will make remarks at the event, and it will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live. The bill is without question the most historic child nutrition legislation to emerge from this or any other administration in decades.
That's not just laudatory overstatement. The bill's hard-won elements, backed by a huge, varied, bipartisan coalition, create some of the biggest changes in school nutrition and federal feeding programs in more than forty years. As a pillar of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move! campaign, it is a crucial advancement of the Obama Administration’s goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.
www.whitehouse.gov/
Sunday, December 12, 2010
on "Feast Day" - Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe - G. Keillor & O. Paz
from Writer's Almanac for this day -- originated with Minnesota Public Radio list serv
(Garrison Keillor)
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because it was on this day in 1531 that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on the cloak of a Mexican peasant, a man who had been baptized and given the name Juan Diego. Only 10 years earlier, Hernan Cortés had conquered Mexico and brought Christianity there. Juan Diego and his wife had embraced the new religion, and apparently were so taken with the teachings that they decided to live in celibacy after that. A few years later, Juan Diego's wife died, and so by 1531 he was a widower.
On December 9th, he was on his way to attend Mass when he heard strange music and birds chirping from a nearby hill, and someone calling his name. He followed the sounds, and saw a vision of a young woman, dressed like Aztec royalty and bathed in light. He recognized her as the Virgin Mary, and she spoke in his language, Nahuatl, telling him that she wanted a shrine in her honor built on that spot, and that he should meet with the bishop and tell him so. When Juan Diego asked her what her name was, she called herself 'Coatlaxopeuh,' [pronounced 'quatlasupe'] or 'She who crushes the serpent,' which the Spanish translated as Guadalupe, so that she became Our Lady of Guadalupe.
So Juan Diego went to Bishop Zumarraga, who was skeptical. Diego went back to the hill, defeated, but the Lady told him to try again. So he returned again to the bishop, who still didn't believe him and told him he would need a sign. But Juan Diego's uncle was dying, and he was trying to find a bishop to administer the last rites, and he avoided the hill, hoping to deal with his uncle first. However, the Lady appeared once again, this time down on his path, assuring him that his uncle would not die. She asked him to climb up the hill and pick the roses there. Even though the hill was a barren spot, not growing much more than cactus, Juan Diego found it covered in the type of roses that grew in Spain, where Bishop Zumarraga was born. The Lady helped Juan Diego arrange the roses inside his cloak, or tilma. She told him not to open his tilma until he reached the bishop. When he opened his tilma for Bishop Zumarraga, the roses fell out and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the fabric of his tilma. The bishop was so amazed that he got down on his knees and agreed to build the shrine, whose construction started days later. It became the Basilica of St. Mary.
Each year, more than 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica of St. Mary in Mexico City. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002, a somewhat controversial canonization since there is no proof that he actually existed. The first record of the story of Juan Diego and the Lady of Guadalupe was written down in 1648, more than 100 years after the events it described.
In 1974, the Mexican writer Octavio Paz wrote: 'The Mexican people, after more than two centuries of experiments, have faith only in the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery.'
(Garrison Keillor)
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because it was on this day in 1531 that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on the cloak of a Mexican peasant, a man who had been baptized and given the name Juan Diego. Only 10 years earlier, Hernan Cortés had conquered Mexico and brought Christianity there. Juan Diego and his wife had embraced the new religion, and apparently were so taken with the teachings that they decided to live in celibacy after that. A few years later, Juan Diego's wife died, and so by 1531 he was a widower.
On December 9th, he was on his way to attend Mass when he heard strange music and birds chirping from a nearby hill, and someone calling his name. He followed the sounds, and saw a vision of a young woman, dressed like Aztec royalty and bathed in light. He recognized her as the Virgin Mary, and she spoke in his language, Nahuatl, telling him that she wanted a shrine in her honor built on that spot, and that he should meet with the bishop and tell him so. When Juan Diego asked her what her name was, she called herself 'Coatlaxopeuh,' [pronounced 'quatlasupe'] or 'She who crushes the serpent,' which the Spanish translated as Guadalupe, so that she became Our Lady of Guadalupe.
So Juan Diego went to Bishop Zumarraga, who was skeptical. Diego went back to the hill, defeated, but the Lady told him to try again. So he returned again to the bishop, who still didn't believe him and told him he would need a sign. But Juan Diego's uncle was dying, and he was trying to find a bishop to administer the last rites, and he avoided the hill, hoping to deal with his uncle first. However, the Lady appeared once again, this time down on his path, assuring him that his uncle would not die. She asked him to climb up the hill and pick the roses there. Even though the hill was a barren spot, not growing much more than cactus, Juan Diego found it covered in the type of roses that grew in Spain, where Bishop Zumarraga was born. The Lady helped Juan Diego arrange the roses inside his cloak, or tilma. She told him not to open his tilma until he reached the bishop. When he opened his tilma for Bishop Zumarraga, the roses fell out and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the fabric of his tilma. The bishop was so amazed that he got down on his knees and agreed to build the shrine, whose construction started days later. It became the Basilica of St. Mary.
Each year, more than 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica of St. Mary in Mexico City. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002, a somewhat controversial canonization since there is no proof that he actually existed. The first record of the story of Juan Diego and the Lady of Guadalupe was written down in 1648, more than 100 years after the events it described.
In 1974, the Mexican writer Octavio Paz wrote: 'The Mexican people, after more than two centuries of experiments, have faith only in the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery.'
Saturday, December 11, 2010
"Custer's Last Flag" -- sold to benefit Detroit Institute of Arts
BILLINGS, Mont. — After spending much of the last century in storage, the only U.S. flag not captured or lost during Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn sold at auction Friday for $2.2 million. The buyer was identified by the New York auction house Sotheby's as an American private collector.
Frayed, torn, and with possible bloodstains, the flag from one of America's hallmark military engagements had been valued before its sale at up to $5 million. The 7th U.S. Cavalry flag — known as a "guidon" and with a distinctive swallow-tailed shape — had been the property of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum paid just $54 for it in 1895.
"We'll be using the (auction) proceeds to strengthen our collection of Native American art, which has a rather nice irony to it I think," said the museum's director, Graham Beal.
On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and more than 200 troopers and scouts from the Crow Tribe were killed by up to 1,800 Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors near the Little Bighorn River. Of the five guidons carried by Custer's battalion only one was immediately recovered, from beneath the body of a fallen trooper.
According to testimonials from Indians involved in the fight, the trooper, Cpl. John Foley, was attempting to escape on horseback — and had almost succeeded — when he shot himself in the head.
All the other flags under Custer's command were believed captured by the victorious Indians.
The recovered flag later became known as the Culbertson Guidon, after the member of the burial party who recovered it, Sgt. Ferdinand Culbertson. Made of silk, it measures 33 inches by 27 inches, and features 34 gold stars.
While Custer's reputation has risen and fallen over the years — once considered a hero, he's regarded by some contemporary scholars as an inept leader and savage American Indian killer — the guidon has emerged as the stuff of legend.
"It's more than just a museum object or textile. It's a piece of Americana," said John Doerner, Chief Historian at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in southeastern Montana. For most of the last century the flag was hidden from public view, kept in storage first at the museum and later, after a period on display in Montana, in a National Park Service facility in Harpers Ferry, W.V., according to Beal, the museum director.
Dating to an era when the museum took in a variety of natural history and historical items, the guidon was sold because it did not fit with the museum's focus on art, Beal said. "The irony is you get all these people phoning the museum upset we're selling the flag, and no one knew we owned it," he said.
He added that he was "very pleased" with Friday's sale price: "We had a couple of people comment to us that we would be lucky to get a million for it."
A second 7th Cavalry guidon was recovered in September 1876, at the Battle of Slim Buttes near present-day Reva, S.D.
Now in possession of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, that flag was poorly cared for and is now in horrible condition — "almost dust," according to the monument's chief of interpretation, Ken Woody.
As for Culbertson's Guidon — or Custer's Last Flag, as Sotheby's has billed it — Woody pointed out that without the Custer mystique, it would be just another piece of old cloth. "Some people like memorabilia and Americana, and they all want to own a little piece of it," Woody said.
Sealed in a custom-made plexiglass case by the Detroit museum since its return from the Park Service in 1982, the flag has several holes and the red of some its stripes has run into the white stripes. Its once-sharp swallow tail tips are now tattered and torn.
Frayed, torn, and with possible bloodstains, the flag from one of America's hallmark military engagements had been valued before its sale at up to $5 million. The 7th U.S. Cavalry flag — known as a "guidon" and with a distinctive swallow-tailed shape — had been the property of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum paid just $54 for it in 1895.
"We'll be using the (auction) proceeds to strengthen our collection of Native American art, which has a rather nice irony to it I think," said the museum's director, Graham Beal.
On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and more than 200 troopers and scouts from the Crow Tribe were killed by up to 1,800 Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors near the Little Bighorn River. Of the five guidons carried by Custer's battalion only one was immediately recovered, from beneath the body of a fallen trooper.
According to testimonials from Indians involved in the fight, the trooper, Cpl. John Foley, was attempting to escape on horseback — and had almost succeeded — when he shot himself in the head.
All the other flags under Custer's command were believed captured by the victorious Indians.
The recovered flag later became known as the Culbertson Guidon, after the member of the burial party who recovered it, Sgt. Ferdinand Culbertson. Made of silk, it measures 33 inches by 27 inches, and features 34 gold stars.
While Custer's reputation has risen and fallen over the years — once considered a hero, he's regarded by some contemporary scholars as an inept leader and savage American Indian killer — the guidon has emerged as the stuff of legend.
"It's more than just a museum object or textile. It's a piece of Americana," said John Doerner, Chief Historian at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in southeastern Montana. For most of the last century the flag was hidden from public view, kept in storage first at the museum and later, after a period on display in Montana, in a National Park Service facility in Harpers Ferry, W.V., according to Beal, the museum director.
Dating to an era when the museum took in a variety of natural history and historical items, the guidon was sold because it did not fit with the museum's focus on art, Beal said. "The irony is you get all these people phoning the museum upset we're selling the flag, and no one knew we owned it," he said.
He added that he was "very pleased" with Friday's sale price: "We had a couple of people comment to us that we would be lucky to get a million for it."
A second 7th Cavalry guidon was recovered in September 1876, at the Battle of Slim Buttes near present-day Reva, S.D.
Now in possession of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, that flag was poorly cared for and is now in horrible condition — "almost dust," according to the monument's chief of interpretation, Ken Woody.
As for Culbertson's Guidon — or Custer's Last Flag, as Sotheby's has billed it — Woody pointed out that without the Custer mystique, it would be just another piece of old cloth. "Some people like memorabilia and Americana, and they all want to own a little piece of it," Woody said.
Sealed in a custom-made plexiglass case by the Detroit museum since its return from the Park Service in 1982, the flag has several holes and the red of some its stripes has run into the white stripes. Its once-sharp swallow tail tips are now tattered and torn.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Who is the "mother" of all Mexicans? -- inside-Mexico dot-com
Before the Christmas season "officially" begins on December 16, day when the first Posada takes place, Mexicans join together for the festivities of La Virgen de Guadalupe, Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 12. This is one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar.
On this date, thousands of the faithful to Our Lady of Guadalupe, from all over the country make the most important pilgrimage of all those undertaken during the year to the BasÃlica of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, where the miraculous image of la Virgen Morena is kept.
On the day before the great celebration, thousands and thousands of people start to arrive. Many of them make the trip from their place of origin by bicycle. Trucks follow them to provide assistance and for them to have a place to rest if necessary. I was very moved when I saw all these riders, mainly men, tirelessly riding their bikes kilometer after kilometer, with their hearts set on seeing la Morenita - our Lady of Guadalupe. The monumental atrium of more than 46 thousand square meters begins to fill up.
Some of the pilgrims arrive on their knees as a sign of their enormous devotion and gratitude for a favor received. There are many groups of dancers and musicians that have come to offer their art to the Virgin.
By nighttime, the atrium is filled to bursting with pilgrims. People of all ages and of all regions of the country gather together, physically as well as spiritually. A mass is officiated inside the Basilica and it is at this moment that I could really feel the warmth and spiritual richness of the people.
Although it is in the BasÃlica de Guadalupe where the most important rituals and celebrations of this special date take place, there are fiestas all over the country in Honor of Mexico's Patron Saint.
Practically everywhere where there is an altar to the Virgin, a special celebration is held on her day.
By the early hours of the morning, in every niche and cranny of the country, the burst of fire crackers is heard and their brilliant lights crown this great fiesta dedicated to the Mother of all Mexicans...Our Lady of Guadalupe.
On this date, thousands of the faithful to Our Lady of Guadalupe, from all over the country make the most important pilgrimage of all those undertaken during the year to the BasÃlica of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, where the miraculous image of la Virgen Morena is kept.
On the day before the great celebration, thousands and thousands of people start to arrive. Many of them make the trip from their place of origin by bicycle. Trucks follow them to provide assistance and for them to have a place to rest if necessary. I was very moved when I saw all these riders, mainly men, tirelessly riding their bikes kilometer after kilometer, with their hearts set on seeing la Morenita - our Lady of Guadalupe. The monumental atrium of more than 46 thousand square meters begins to fill up.
Some of the pilgrims arrive on their knees as a sign of their enormous devotion and gratitude for a favor received. There are many groups of dancers and musicians that have come to offer their art to the Virgin.
By nighttime, the atrium is filled to bursting with pilgrims. People of all ages and of all regions of the country gather together, physically as well as spiritually. A mass is officiated inside the Basilica and it is at this moment that I could really feel the warmth and spiritual richness of the people.
Although it is in the BasÃlica de Guadalupe where the most important rituals and celebrations of this special date take place, there are fiestas all over the country in Honor of Mexico's Patron Saint.
Practically everywhere where there is an altar to the Virgin, a special celebration is held on her day.
By the early hours of the morning, in every niche and cranny of the country, the burst of fire crackers is heard and their brilliant lights crown this great fiesta dedicated to the Mother of all Mexicans...Our Lady of Guadalupe.
This man is a fixer -- celebrity interviewer Barbara Walters (ABC News)
General David Petraeus, the top military commander in Afghanistan, has been named the "most fascinating person of 2010", beating the cast of MTV reality show "The Jersey Shore" and teen singer Justin Bieber.
Veteran journalist Barbara Walters called Petraeus a "true American hero" and placed him top of her annual list of the 10 most fascinating people of 2010 in a TV broadcast on Thursday.
Network ABC said on Friday that 12.2 million Americans watched the show.
Petraeus, 58, was named in June to head U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan after serving as head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen. He is also credited with having pulled Iraq back from the brink of an all-out sectarian war in 2007.
"In life, it seems, there are people who break things and people who fix them. This man is a fixer, "Walters said. "A lot depends on General Petraeus and his combination of humanity and strength."
Others on Walter's annual list included 16 year-old Canadian singer Justin Bieber, future British princess Kate Middleton who is engaged to marry Prince William, veteran comedy actress Betty White and conservative politician Sarah Palin.
Walters has chosen her most fascinating people for 18 years. Last year's winner was U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, and in 2008 Walters put then president-elect Barack Obama top of her list
Veteran journalist Barbara Walters called Petraeus a "true American hero" and placed him top of her annual list of the 10 most fascinating people of 2010 in a TV broadcast on Thursday.
Network ABC said on Friday that 12.2 million Americans watched the show.
Petraeus, 58, was named in June to head U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan after serving as head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen. He is also credited with having pulled Iraq back from the brink of an all-out sectarian war in 2007.
"In life, it seems, there are people who break things and people who fix them. This man is a fixer, "Walters said. "A lot depends on General Petraeus and his combination of humanity and strength."
Others on Walter's annual list included 16 year-old Canadian singer Justin Bieber, future British princess Kate Middleton who is engaged to marry Prince William, veteran comedy actress Betty White and conservative politician Sarah Palin.
Walters has chosen her most fascinating people for 18 years. Last year's winner was U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, and in 2008 Walters put then president-elect Barack Obama top of her list
Lighting the national Christmas tree (1600 Pennsylvania Ave.)
from blog Obama Food-o-rama (here in Google Blogger) - event took place Thursday Dec. 9
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The fun but freezing outing included musical performances, and the highlight, other than unveiling of the fabulous eco-friendly tree, was the First Lady reading what is perhaps the foodiest of all holiday tales, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," by Clement Moore.
“Snow or shine, in good times and in periods of hardship, folks like you have gathered with Presidents to light our national tree,” President Obama told the huge crowd. “Now, it hasn’t always gone off without a hitch. On one occasion, two sheep left the safety of the Nativity scene and wandered into rush-hour traffic. That caused some commotion.” The President referred to periods of hardship in the Nation's history during past Christmas celebrations, before telling the story of the Nativity.
"It’s a story that’s dear to Michelle and me as Christians, but it’s a message that's universal: A child was born far from home to spread a simple message of love and redemption to every human being around the world," President Obama said.
"It’s a message that says no matter who we are or where we are from, no matter the pain we endure or the wrongs we face, we are called to love one another as brothers and as sisters," the President said. He sent out a special shout out to members of the military and their families, urging everyone to urged everyone to pray for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and to live “with a spirit of charity and goodwill.”
"On behalf of Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Marian -- who’s our grandmother-in-chief -- and Bo -- don’t forget Bo -- I wish all of you a merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season," the President said as the entire First Family, with a countdown, pushed the button to illuminate the tree, which glows with special energy saving lights. It's surrounded by 56 smaller trees representing each of the fifty states, and US territories.
As she started to read "'Twas The Night before Christmas," Mrs. Obama realized she was skipping pages thanks to her gloves, and removed these with her teeth. "The First Lady is taking off her gloves," Mrs. Obama said, and then continued.
Santa Claus appeared after Mrs. Obama's story, and protested. "I've never liked that story about my belly looking like a bowl full of jelly," Santa said. "I think the red suit is quite slimming." Santa may well be the next superstar to join Let's Move!.
Musical performances were by B.B. King, rapper Common, Maroon 5, 10-year-old opera singer Jackie Evancho, Jim James of the band My Morning Jacket, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles. King performed "Merry Christmas, Baby" while Maroon 5 sang "Winter Wonderland" and John Lennon’s "Happy Xmas." Evancho wowed with “O Holy Night," and Bareilles and Michaelson performed “Winter Song.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The fun but freezing outing included musical performances, and the highlight, other than unveiling of the fabulous eco-friendly tree, was the First Lady reading what is perhaps the foodiest of all holiday tales, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," by Clement Moore.
“Snow or shine, in good times and in periods of hardship, folks like you have gathered with Presidents to light our national tree,” President Obama told the huge crowd. “Now, it hasn’t always gone off without a hitch. On one occasion, two sheep left the safety of the Nativity scene and wandered into rush-hour traffic. That caused some commotion.” The President referred to periods of hardship in the Nation's history during past Christmas celebrations, before telling the story of the Nativity.
"It’s a story that’s dear to Michelle and me as Christians, but it’s a message that's universal: A child was born far from home to spread a simple message of love and redemption to every human being around the world," President Obama said.
"It’s a message that says no matter who we are or where we are from, no matter the pain we endure or the wrongs we face, we are called to love one another as brothers and as sisters," the President said. He sent out a special shout out to members of the military and their families, urging everyone to urged everyone to pray for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and to live “with a spirit of charity and goodwill.”
"On behalf of Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Marian -- who’s our grandmother-in-chief -- and Bo -- don’t forget Bo -- I wish all of you a merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season," the President said as the entire First Family, with a countdown, pushed the button to illuminate the tree, which glows with special energy saving lights. It's surrounded by 56 smaller trees representing each of the fifty states, and US territories.
As she started to read "'Twas The Night before Christmas," Mrs. Obama realized she was skipping pages thanks to her gloves, and removed these with her teeth. "The First Lady is taking off her gloves," Mrs. Obama said, and then continued.
Santa Claus appeared after Mrs. Obama's story, and protested. "I've never liked that story about my belly looking like a bowl full of jelly," Santa said. "I think the red suit is quite slimming." Santa may well be the next superstar to join Let's Move!.
Musical performances were by B.B. King, rapper Common, Maroon 5, 10-year-old opera singer Jackie Evancho, Jim James of the band My Morning Jacket, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles. King performed "Merry Christmas, Baby" while Maroon 5 sang "Winter Wonderland" and John Lennon’s "Happy Xmas." Evancho wowed with “O Holy Night," and Bareilles and Michaelson performed “Winter Song.”
Democracy for the People
from Washington Post coverage (Dec. 10, 2010):
OSLO - The blue-and-white upholstered chair reserved for him was empty. His words were spoken not in his own voice, but by the Norwegian actress and movie director Liv Ullmann.
While the Nobel committee honored him with its prestigious Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday, Chinese dissident and intellectual Liu Xiaobo sat in isolation in a jail cell, some 4,000 miles away.
Yet his campaign to bring individual freedoms and democracy to China was recognized at a ceremony made more visible, in many ways, by Beijing's efforts to suppress it.
"Liu has only exercised his civil rights. He has not done anything wrong. He must be released," Nobel committee chairman Torbjorn Jagland said to sustained applause from the audience of more than 1,000 dignitaries, diplomats and officials -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- responded with sustained applause and a standing ovation.
Jagland then placed the medal and certificate normally awarded to the laureate in the empty chair upon the stage, triggering another ovation.
An oversize portrait of Liu, 54, had been hung on the stage. At the point in the ceremony where the honoree or a close relative would normally speak, Ullmann read from Liu's final statement before being sentenced to 11 years in jail for political incitement.
"I have once again been shoved into the dock by the enemy mentality of the regime," Liu said on Dec. 23, 2009. "But I still want to say to this regime, which is depriving me of my freedom, that I stand by [my] convictions. ... I have no enemies, and no hatred."
Hatred, Liu continued , "can rot away at a person's intelligence and conscience. Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation's progress toward freedom and democracy."
Before the ceremony, as attendees lined up outside city hall to enter, a police marching band performed Christmas carols, supporters handed out buttons emblazoned with an illustration of the laureate's smiling face and demonstrators across the street shouted "Free Liu Xiaobo!"
Organizers hope attendees left the ceremony with a more sobering image. "I think they will remember the empty chair," said Nobel committee Secretary Geir Lundestad. "[Its symbolism] speaks volumes about this year's laureate and the importance of the prize."
About 100 Chinese dissidents in exile and some activists from Hong Kong attended the ceremony , broadcasts of which were blocked on television and Internet inside China.
In the country of 1.3 billion people, a few dozen pro-democracy activists staged China's sole authorized celebration, uncorking a bottle of champagne Friday outside a huge Hong Kong tower.
Police, who videoed the event but didn't intervene, far outnumbered slogan-chanting revelers, who marched through Hong Kong's throbbing central shopping and business district in the late evening to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, the nerve centre of China's power in the former British colony. A handful of young Chinese visiting from the mainland took part in the celebration.
Earlier in the evening, several hundred people watched a live broadcast of the Nobel ceremony in Norway on a screen in a central Hong Kong park. It was the only public screening of the event held on Chinese territory.
Unlike mainland China and even nearby Macau, another former colony that is allowed more or less to run its own affairs, Hong Kong has a vibrant civil society and still regularly stages protests, albeit usually small, in defiance of Beijing.
Both the CNN and BBC television channels went blank in Beijing as the event began, and Chinese television news led programs with the latest economic figures and worries over inflation. Also, some text messages containing the words "Liu Xiaobo" and "Nobel prize" were being blocked from delivery.
Chinese Internet users tried to start an online campaign of support for Liu by changing their avatars either to yellow ribbons or empty chairs. One image being passed around online and via Twitter showed a black chair, in the shape of a human with arms and legs, and with handcuffs around the ankles.
Meanwhile, police in Beijing maintained a heavy presence outside the apartment compound of Liu's wife, Liu Xia, who has had her telephone and Internet communications cut off for several weeks, since the announcement of the prize.
The government prohibited the Lius and their family members from leaving China to attend the ceremony, and barred other activists from traveling or even gathering at cafes or public places for fear that they would find a way to celebrate the occasion.
The crackdown triggered outrage and condemnation from around the world. It was the first time the award was not presented to either a laureate or a close family member since 1936, when Carl von Ossietzky, a German pacifist jailed by the Nazi regime, was honored. The absence of Liu and his family members also meant that the $1.4 million cash prize went uncollected.
China broke off trade talks with Norway after Liu's selection was announced in October. Foreign embassies in Norway were warned that if they sent representatives to the Nobel ceremony, they would risk unspoken diplomatic "consequences."
At least 15 countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Egypt, Sudan, Cuba and Morocco - said they would stay away.
But the government of Serbia, which had planned to boycott in order to maintain good relations with China, reversed itself Friday in the face of an outcry at home and from the European Union. Serbia, which is a candidate for E.U. membership, said it would send a human rights official - not a diplomat - to witness the event.
Liu was jailed after authoring Charter '08, a pro-democracy manifesto that was published Dec. 10, 2008 and has since been signed by more than 10,000 people inside and outside China.
OSLO - The blue-and-white upholstered chair reserved for him was empty. His words were spoken not in his own voice, but by the Norwegian actress and movie director Liv Ullmann.
While the Nobel committee honored him with its prestigious Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday, Chinese dissident and intellectual Liu Xiaobo sat in isolation in a jail cell, some 4,000 miles away.
Yet his campaign to bring individual freedoms and democracy to China was recognized at a ceremony made more visible, in many ways, by Beijing's efforts to suppress it.
"Liu has only exercised his civil rights. He has not done anything wrong. He must be released," Nobel committee chairman Torbjorn Jagland said to sustained applause from the audience of more than 1,000 dignitaries, diplomats and officials -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- responded with sustained applause and a standing ovation.
Jagland then placed the medal and certificate normally awarded to the laureate in the empty chair upon the stage, triggering another ovation.
An oversize portrait of Liu, 54, had been hung on the stage. At the point in the ceremony where the honoree or a close relative would normally speak, Ullmann read from Liu's final statement before being sentenced to 11 years in jail for political incitement.
"I have once again been shoved into the dock by the enemy mentality of the regime," Liu said on Dec. 23, 2009. "But I still want to say to this regime, which is depriving me of my freedom, that I stand by [my] convictions. ... I have no enemies, and no hatred."
Hatred, Liu continued , "can rot away at a person's intelligence and conscience. Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation's progress toward freedom and democracy."
Before the ceremony, as attendees lined up outside city hall to enter, a police marching band performed Christmas carols, supporters handed out buttons emblazoned with an illustration of the laureate's smiling face and demonstrators across the street shouted "Free Liu Xiaobo!"
Organizers hope attendees left the ceremony with a more sobering image. "I think they will remember the empty chair," said Nobel committee Secretary Geir Lundestad. "[Its symbolism] speaks volumes about this year's laureate and the importance of the prize."
About 100 Chinese dissidents in exile and some activists from Hong Kong attended the ceremony , broadcasts of which were blocked on television and Internet inside China.
In the country of 1.3 billion people, a few dozen pro-democracy activists staged China's sole authorized celebration, uncorking a bottle of champagne Friday outside a huge Hong Kong tower.
Police, who videoed the event but didn't intervene, far outnumbered slogan-chanting revelers, who marched through Hong Kong's throbbing central shopping and business district in the late evening to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, the nerve centre of China's power in the former British colony. A handful of young Chinese visiting from the mainland took part in the celebration.
Earlier in the evening, several hundred people watched a live broadcast of the Nobel ceremony in Norway on a screen in a central Hong Kong park. It was the only public screening of the event held on Chinese territory.
Unlike mainland China and even nearby Macau, another former colony that is allowed more or less to run its own affairs, Hong Kong has a vibrant civil society and still regularly stages protests, albeit usually small, in defiance of Beijing.
Both the CNN and BBC television channels went blank in Beijing as the event began, and Chinese television news led programs with the latest economic figures and worries over inflation. Also, some text messages containing the words "Liu Xiaobo" and "Nobel prize" were being blocked from delivery.
Chinese Internet users tried to start an online campaign of support for Liu by changing their avatars either to yellow ribbons or empty chairs. One image being passed around online and via Twitter showed a black chair, in the shape of a human with arms and legs, and with handcuffs around the ankles.
Meanwhile, police in Beijing maintained a heavy presence outside the apartment compound of Liu's wife, Liu Xia, who has had her telephone and Internet communications cut off for several weeks, since the announcement of the prize.
The government prohibited the Lius and their family members from leaving China to attend the ceremony, and barred other activists from traveling or even gathering at cafes or public places for fear that they would find a way to celebrate the occasion.
The crackdown triggered outrage and condemnation from around the world. It was the first time the award was not presented to either a laureate or a close family member since 1936, when Carl von Ossietzky, a German pacifist jailed by the Nazi regime, was honored. The absence of Liu and his family members also meant that the $1.4 million cash prize went uncollected.
China broke off trade talks with Norway after Liu's selection was announced in October. Foreign embassies in Norway were warned that if they sent representatives to the Nobel ceremony, they would risk unspoken diplomatic "consequences."
At least 15 countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Egypt, Sudan, Cuba and Morocco - said they would stay away.
But the government of Serbia, which had planned to boycott in order to maintain good relations with China, reversed itself Friday in the face of an outcry at home and from the European Union. Serbia, which is a candidate for E.U. membership, said it would send a human rights official - not a diplomat - to witness the event.
Liu was jailed after authoring Charter '08, a pro-democracy manifesto that was published Dec. 10, 2008 and has since been signed by more than 10,000 people inside and outside China.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
On using the "X" in Christmas / Xmas -- blog posting-explanation
from "Soul Pastor" here at Google - Blogspot
Not too long ago I (the blogger) was listening to the radio and there was a big debate about the proper usage of holiday greetings. Of course, many 'christians' called in complaining about keeping the "Christ" in Christmas... wow..... So, for all the uniformed here is a great article that I wished the listeners of the radio program would have read before opening thier mouth!
Why is X Used when it Replaces Christ in Christmas?
By R.C. Sproul
The simple answer to your question is that the X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ’s name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas” as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.
First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.We don’t see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That’s how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There’s a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.
http://soulpastor.blogspot.com/2010/12/xmas.html
Not too long ago I (the blogger) was listening to the radio and there was a big debate about the proper usage of holiday greetings. Of course, many 'christians' called in complaining about keeping the "Christ" in Christmas... wow..... So, for all the uniformed here is a great article that I wished the listeners of the radio program would have read before opening thier mouth!
Why is X Used when it Replaces Christ in Christmas?
By R.C. Sproul
The simple answer to your question is that the X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ’s name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas” as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.
First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.We don’t see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That’s how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There’s a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.
http://soulpastor.blogspot.com/2010/12/xmas.html
On this date in 1608 -- John Milton born in London, England
from Writer's Almanac (Minn. Public Radio daily e-program on NPR) --
It's the birthday of poet John Milton, born in London (1608). He spent most of his life writing political tracts. He sided with Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and he advocated for freedom of the press, freedom to divorce, and the moral right of the people to overthrow a monarch. He got a job as Secretary of Foreign Tongues, composing official materials for the Commonwealth in Latin. Just three years after his appointment, he went totally blind from glaucoma at the age of 43. So from then on, he had to dictate. His main assistant was the poet Andrew Marvell. After the Commonwealth was overthrown in 1660 and Charles was restored to the throne, Milton feared for his life. But partly through the interventions of Marvell, he was spared, and retired to the country.
And it was there that he dictated his great epic poem Paradise Lost to a collection of nephews, friends, and hired scribes -- and maybe his daughters, although there is plenty of debate about whether the girls had even been taught to write. He often composed in the early morning, in bed or sitting in a rocking chair, reciting lines to himself until someone came to write them down. After scribes had written down Milton's words, he would have them read the passage back to him so he could correct it. When it was finally completed to his satisfaction, Milton sold Paradise Lost in 1667. He agreed on a price of four £5 payments -- the first upfront, the second after it sold 1,300 copies, the third after a second edition was brought out and sold as many copies, and a fourth payment after a third edition of the same volume. Milton made £10 on Paradise Lost before his death in 1674.
Milton coined more than 600 words, including the adjectives dreary, flowery, jubilant, satanic, saintly, terrific, ethereal, sublime, impassive, unprincipled, dismissive, and feverish; as well as the nouns fragrance, adventurer, anarchy, and many more.
It's the birthday of poet John Milton, born in London (1608). He spent most of his life writing political tracts. He sided with Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and he advocated for freedom of the press, freedom to divorce, and the moral right of the people to overthrow a monarch. He got a job as Secretary of Foreign Tongues, composing official materials for the Commonwealth in Latin. Just three years after his appointment, he went totally blind from glaucoma at the age of 43. So from then on, he had to dictate. His main assistant was the poet Andrew Marvell. After the Commonwealth was overthrown in 1660 and Charles was restored to the throne, Milton feared for his life. But partly through the interventions of Marvell, he was spared, and retired to the country.
And it was there that he dictated his great epic poem Paradise Lost to a collection of nephews, friends, and hired scribes -- and maybe his daughters, although there is plenty of debate about whether the girls had even been taught to write. He often composed in the early morning, in bed or sitting in a rocking chair, reciting lines to himself until someone came to write them down. After scribes had written down Milton's words, he would have them read the passage back to him so he could correct it. When it was finally completed to his satisfaction, Milton sold Paradise Lost in 1667. He agreed on a price of four £5 payments -- the first upfront, the second after it sold 1,300 copies, the third after a second edition was brought out and sold as many copies, and a fourth payment after a third edition of the same volume. Milton made £10 on Paradise Lost before his death in 1674.
Milton coined more than 600 words, including the adjectives dreary, flowery, jubilant, satanic, saintly, terrific, ethereal, sublime, impassive, unprincipled, dismissive, and feverish; as well as the nouns fragrance, adventurer, anarchy, and many more.
Lu Xiaobo - Nobel Peace Prize winner who will be in Chinese detention for Friday AWARD ceremony (poem)
published at NY TIMES online Opinion guest op-ed section
from “Experiencing Death”
I had imagined being there beneath sunlight
with the procession of martyrs
using just the one thin bone
to uphold a true conviction
And yet, the heavenly void
will not plate the sacrificed in gold
A pack of wolves well-fed full of corpses
celebrate in the warm noon air
aflood with joy
Faraway place
I’ve exiled my life to
this place without sun
to flee the era of Christ’s birth
I cannot face the blinding vision on the cross
From a wisp of smoke to a little heap of ash
I’ve drained the drink of the martyrs, sense spring’s
about to break into the brocade-brilliance of myriad flowers
Deep in the night, empty road
I’m biking home
I stop at a cigarette stand
A car follows me, crashes over my bicycle
some enormous brutes seize me
I’m handcuffed eyes covered mouth gagged
thrown into a prison van heading nowhere
A blink, a trembling instant passes
to a flash of awareness: I’m still alive
On Central Television News
my name’s changed to “arrested black hand”
though those nameless white bones of the dead
still stand in the forgetting
I lift up high up the self-invented lie
tell everyone how I’ve experienced death
so that “black hand” becomes a hero’s medal of honor
Even if I know
death’s a mysterious unknown
being alive, there’s no way to experience death
and once dead
cannot experience death again
yet I’m still
hovering within death
a hovering in drowning
Countless nights behind iron-barred windows
and the graves beneath starlight
have exposed my nightmares
Besides a lie
I own nothing.
from “Experiencing Death”
I had imagined being there beneath sunlight
with the procession of martyrs
using just the one thin bone
to uphold a true conviction
And yet, the heavenly void
will not plate the sacrificed in gold
A pack of wolves well-fed full of corpses
celebrate in the warm noon air
aflood with joy
Faraway place
I’ve exiled my life to
this place without sun
to flee the era of Christ’s birth
I cannot face the blinding vision on the cross
From a wisp of smoke to a little heap of ash
I’ve drained the drink of the martyrs, sense spring’s
about to break into the brocade-brilliance of myriad flowers
Deep in the night, empty road
I’m biking home
I stop at a cigarette stand
A car follows me, crashes over my bicycle
some enormous brutes seize me
I’m handcuffed eyes covered mouth gagged
thrown into a prison van heading nowhere
A blink, a trembling instant passes
to a flash of awareness: I’m still alive
On Central Television News
my name’s changed to “arrested black hand”
though those nameless white bones of the dead
still stand in the forgetting
I lift up high up the self-invented lie
tell everyone how I’ve experienced death
so that “black hand” becomes a hero’s medal of honor
Even if I know
death’s a mysterious unknown
being alive, there’s no way to experience death
and once dead
cannot experience death again
yet I’m still
hovering within death
a hovering in drowning
Countless nights behind iron-barred windows
and the graves beneath starlight
have exposed my nightmares
Besides a lie
I own nothing.
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