Health Care And Human Rights
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 18th, 2010
Two important topics I want to talk about this morning.
The first being Health care. It seems the public option has a chance of being reinserted back into health care reform. Thanks to a letter sent from progressive House freshmen Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a new movement to put the public option back on the table is in motion. And if Democrats can get the votes and move through the chamber under majority-only rules, I’d say we, and the public option, could possibly be sitting pretty.
So what does that mean exactly? Well, we need at least 51 votes:
Because of the rules surrounding budget reconciliation, the process that would allow health care reform to move through with 51 votes, any Senator may bring up an amendment to the package. An opponent of the amendment will then likely make a point of order and argue that the amendment violates the “Byrd Rule” and is out of order. If the parliamentarian sustains the point of order, the amendment would need 60 votes to pass. But if he deems that it complies with the rules of reconciliation — that it has a substantial effect on the budget and is germane to the legislation — then the amendment passes with a majority vote.
Chris Bowers, who has been counting votes based on public responses and private correspondence, counts at least 45 votes for a public option. Democrats would need to find five more, with Vice President Joe Biden breaking the tie.
Readers: If you want to read the rest of the related article click here. This isn’t over, so don’t get excited and start thinking this is a done deal. As always we have our work cut out for us. Here’s a request from our President:
In just the last 3 days, OFA volunteers like you have pledged an incredible 4,000,000 (and counting!) hours to supportmembers of Congress and candidates who fight for real health reform.
We can prove to Congress that health reform is good policy and good politics, but we need to go as big as possible. So today we’re setting a new goal: 5 million hours pledged.
If we hit it, the country will know. We’ll be running an ad with the final tally in USA Today the nation’s largest newspaper. And to make sure your voice is heard where it matters most, we’ll run radio ads in critical states and districts, featuring local voters announcing the pledge total from their area.
Your hours will make a huge difference wherever you live, and there’s many different ways to get involved. Can you help us hit 5 million hours by pledging today?
http://my.barackobama.com/YouFight
How many hours a week will you give to help get reform passed? I pledged 2 hours per week. Can you do the same? Again, all of us just need to give a little bit of our time to make a few phone calls, write a few letters, talk to a few people, and spread the word expressing our thoughts on how important it is for health care reform to pass. We all need good health care, and the people who really need, the people whose life depends on it NOW, will be so grateful of your time and effort. Thanks!
************
The second topic on my mind is the Human Rights Film Festival happing here in San Francisco. It’s free, open to the public and starts tonight. I’ve listed the films that are going to be shown today, and they look so interesting. I can’t go tonight, but I am hoping to make it this weekend. Will you join me?
2010 HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL AT USF
February 18, 19, 20
Presentation Theater
Free & Open to the General Public
Thursday 2/18
1:00 PM
Opening Remarks
USF Students’ Shorts
Skinny, Sexy, Synthetic, 7 min, Directors: Meghan Raab and Daniela Ricci-Tam
The film explores how unrealistic media representations affect women’s body image and self esteem. In response, About-Face, a local non-profit, teaches women and girls to understand harmful media messages and resist sexist advertisements.
Generación, 11 min., Director: Kate Elston
Thousands of children in Lima, Peru live on the streets where they are victims of violence, police brutality, sexual exploitation and trafficking. Generación is an organization that supports the kids and gets them into homes where they are free to learn, play, and work. Visit www.notforsalecampaign.org to learn more and donate.
Ugandan Days, A Video Journal, 50 min., Director: Erika Myszynski
Initially created to document USF’s Erasmus Community students’ travels to Uganda, Ugandan Days, A Video Journal became more than just an immersion, observation and social analysis of the Ugandan people. In researching child soldiery in war-torn Gulu (northern Uganda), many of us had been surprised to witness a world quite different from what we had read. Instead, we found a peaceful and progressive nation. The video reveals a people little scarred by their past struggles and Joseph Kony’s 23-year long war against order. The video journal exposes how the war victims’ underlying pains are transformed into a humbling determination to improve the current situation. A message from Ugandans to Americans: Africa is not such a dark place. It is a place filled with strength, community, resilience, and joy because of an undying hope to forgive and to survive.
2:30PM
TAPESTRIES OF HOPE, 2009, USA, 76 min. Dir. Michealene Cristini Risley
* Presented by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women
Tapestries of Hope, explores filmmaker and child rights advocate Michealene Cristini Risley’s sojourn to Zimbabwe to document the work of Betty Makoni and the Girl Child Network. The film exposes an issue that continues to be ignored: the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of young girls in Zimbabwe, by men who believe their actions will cure them of HIV/AIDS.
4:15 PM
ASK NOT, 2008, 73min. USA, Dir. Johnny Symons
* Presented by the USF LGBT Caucus
Ask Not is a rare and compelling documentary film that explores the effects of the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay and lesbian soldiers and service members. The award-winning film exposes the tangled political battles that led to the discriminatory law and examines the societal shifts that have occurred since its passage in 1993. Current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how “don’t ask, don’t tell” affects them during their tours of duty, as they struggle to maintain a double life, uncertain of whom they can trust. The film also explores how gay veterans and youth organizers are turning to forms of personal activism to overturn the policy. From a national speaking tour of conservative universities to protests at military recruitment offices, these public events question how the U.S. military can claim to represent democracy and freedom while denying one segment of the population the right to serve.
6:00 PM
CRUDE, 2009,101 min., Ecuador/UK/USA, Dir. Joe Berlinger
* A selection from the Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival
** Presented by Environmental Studies
Three years in the making, this riveting new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. An inside look at the infamous $27 billion “Amazon Chernobyl” case, Crude is a real-life, high stakes legal drama involving global politics, the environmental movement, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, multinational corporate power, and the fate of disappearing indigenous cultures. Subverting the conventions of advocacy filmmaking, this award-winning film explores a complex situation from all angles, bringing an important story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus. Film Website: http://www.crudethemovie.com
If you would like to see what films are being shown over the weekend, click here for the full list. If you don’t live in the Bay Area, this showing is part of the Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival, so this or something like this may be coming to your area. Check out the website for any details.
Jack: If it isn’t obvious that I am very comfortable with ‘that boy’ in the White House, then I am clearly not articulating myself well here. And I know that it not true. And yes white men did make this country what it is today and I say that not with pride. You however, have made it very clear that you are a racist only concerned with retaining and receiving the many benefits that you are privileged to receive strictly by being a white man. Your lack of tolerance is only exceeded by your lack of humility.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 18th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Haga adai
The next big step is for Guam to join the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas(CNMI). This will give Guam some clout when it negotiates with the white Senators of the US Congress.
Those white men are used to operating with hypocrisy when they discuss democracy. They work at every opportunity to keep their states with as much autonomy from the federal government as possible. They are always screaming about “State’s Sovereignty and States Rights.”
White men insist that the Doctrine gives the states the right to act as sovereign, independent nations except respecting powers vested exclusively in the federal government via the 10th Amendment.
The “States Sovereignty Doctrine” is a way to insure that the white man will be able to continually control the affairs of others within its state’s borders in a legislated fashion that bestows a special privileged position to white men.
Insisting upon the state’s sovereignty doctrine prevents the federal government from stepping in and accusing the white men of racism, and employing the doctrine of the Federal Constitution which protects the Minority from the will (i.e. voting majority) of the Majority to correct or make equal the rights and privileges of all races.
On a state level, the white majority can vote away the right of a woman to have an abortion or restrict ii in such a way as to effectively take away that right. On a state level the white majority can take away the right of gays to marry. On a state level white majority can take away the right of the OTWs to enjoy the same privileges whites take for granted everyday.
Insisting on the right of a state to be the sovereign judge of what happens within its borders enables the racists to pretend that they are only insisting on the states rights to decide its own destiny, via the “States Sovereignty Doctrine.
The make up of the Supreme Court is 5 appointed racists that will ensure that this will always occur. The Uncle Tom Clarence Thomas is insurance that the rights of the OTWs will not get righted by a review of the Supreme Court. They too lie by claiming to be “states rights” Justices. But if you notice when it is in the right’s favor to have an issue decided based on the federal government winning out those same Justices decide federally.
That is a death knell for Guam. The whites in the Senate which number 99 of 100 will decide in every instances to do the thing that benefit white men when it comes to the needs of Guam.
That is why Guam needs to have the ability to insist upon its own version of “states rights” via membership in the CNMI. Guam should be able to legislate within its borders with the same autonomy that those white Senators allow their states to do.
Then we can insure that Chamorros get the same special privileges that those white Senators give to white men in their states. Otherwise the whites will jam our state full of voting white bigots that will eventually out number the true indigents of Guam.
They will use the Federal Constitution to insist that one man one vote not prevent white men from exercising the same rights as Chamorros until they get the majority. Their trick is to use the Federal Constitution to get on Guam what they will not allow the OTWs to use to gain equality on a state level.
In this case the whites of the USA which we are a rightful part are being more than hypocritical, they are being diabolical. They are engineering a steal of the lands of the ancestral peoples of Guam.
We must stop them now. One of the first steps is to gain strength through organization and number. Our threat to demand autonomy, even independence will force the white man to deal with Guam fairly.
____________________________________________________________
Posted at 02:23 on 18 February, 2010 UTC
The Governor’s office in Guam says a re-unification between the territory and the neighbouring Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas would have many benefits.
Guam’s Governor, Felix Camacho, has suggested a unification between the two territories.
This comes as Japan has suggested that the entire US military base on the Japanese island of Okinawa be moved to Guam, instead of the currently planned transfer of just over 8000 marines by 2014.
A spokesperson in the Governor’s office, Shawn Gumataotao, says unification would be timely.
“By bringing both Guam and the CNMI together it would be able to yield different types of benefits than what we’ve seen [when we are] separate. The Governor’s very clear that a re-unification with the Marianas and especially at this time of the military buildup will be something that could benefit not only this generation, but also solidify our place in the world.”
There was a referendum on unification in 1969, but most in Guam were opposed..
Shawn Gumataotao believes forty years is enough time to allow a new referendum.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International?PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
________________________________________________
USA history has shown what its white men will do to a culture, race, etc that does not unite against white greed and racism. They will divide and conquer. They will swallow Guam and then pollute our environment and make prostitutes of out women. Look what a short stay in the Philippines did to their country. Entire islands were transformed into little more that brothels for the pedophilia and sick sexual pleasures of white men.
Since the hypocrites will never allow Guam the right to use the States Sovereignty Doctrine to act independently within its own borders until they have sufficiently diluted or brought in enough whites to out number the voting power of the Chanorros of Guam, Guam needs to take matter into its own hands.
White America will accept whatever sacrifices Guamanians will make for them, but white men will never allow Guamanians the same privileges the USA’s Constitution gives to them. We are still fighting for the same benefits from World War II that they have given themselves from the beginning of the end of that war some 55 years ago.
Guam deserves better. But unless we act as a collective people now, we will be divided and conquered.
Peter
February 18th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Miranda
Gail gave you some excellent advice. I learned something. But she did not mention that you should have a story ready should your husband discover a condom. Think of something plausible and practice saying it in front of a mirror.
Men have prepared alibis or stories and they use the all the time. There has to be a reason that you could have a condom. Try them out on this blog you will get plenty of advice.
Ellen
February 18th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Michelle
You are a godless evil woman. Stay out of the internal politics of Uganda. If they want to do what we do not have the Christian will to do in this country to end the evil practice of homosexuality, let God’s will be done.
They can not execute enough of them for me.
February 18th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Michelle
It is a wonderful thing that you are dong bringing attention to the evil that the right has cause in that country. This country is headed for the same religious fervor if the right takes back the Congress and or the White House.
My brother-in law is the same way. He is always railing against the n word and gays. He has my sister believing that the devil is behind every slight to the white man and of course “his” country.
He is the greediest person you would ever want to meet. He is all about himself and all the money he can make. He has raised his 3 children to be as big a bigot as he his. They are constantly plotting to deprive people who are not white of their rights.
Please keep up all you dol
Connie
February 18th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Michelle
I left Africa after a 4 year Mormon required mission. I have since left the Mormon religion. I have embraced your philosophy. The world needs more people like you. People who believe that the world belongs equally to everyone without regard to religion, race or sex.
Rocky
February 18th, 2010 at 10:39 am
I was shocked to read all the comments to Miranda. i have no husband but I am not sure that divorce would be better than staying in the marriage and cheating.
I guess I should stick to what I know best:
SLOT MACHINES:?When you rearrange the letters: ?CASH LOST IN ME
February 18th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Suz
Get a life. Who gives a shit about your squabble crap? What the fuck do you know? I did divorce my cheating husband only to marry three years later another rat.
Now, I cheat too. I’ve given the bastard two children who he dotes on who are his baby brother of by six years children. We have been having an affair for 14 years now. No one knows why he refuses to get married.
We do though. I can not get a divorce and marry him, he just would not do that to his family. But he has been by my side for all these years. We are so lucky to have a boy and girl who he loves to very much.
They love him too. He is their favorite uncle. Meanwhile my husband has been carrying on with one woman after another. His lies are so lame as to be apparent to both our children who are 14 and 12.
They advise me to divorce him almost daily. Yet he continues to lie about it. Suz you have no idea the complications a marriage can bring to two people. So if you want to give advice to some one that they should get a divorce first, then you get married and discover what a shit for a husband can do to your morals.
Silvia
February 18th, 2010 at 11:09 am
F**k you Suz. You obviously know nothing about being married. If you did you would not be so condescending.
My husband cheated on me with my best friend(I thought) who is our next door neighbor. Her husband came over one day with a gun to kill the bastard. He pissed on himself while I stood between him and a well deserved bullet.
When Fred told the story of how he had discovered the emails and the fact that they had been doing if for 7 years, I broke down and wept so hard he put the gun away and took me out for coffee and consoling.
We decided then, and there to “forgive” them with some of the same. We were both so financially wrapped up in our marriages that it would have been devastating for either of us to get a divorce.
21 years later we are still best friends. No we did not have a affair, but we did help each other conceal the affairs that we did have with others. He became the best friend that I thought I had with his wife.
My husband died 2 years ago without ever knowing that I enjoyed the pleasures of a second life of my own too. My best friend passed away 3 days ago. I miss him terribly.
His wife has thought that she had returned as my best friend is crying her usual crocodile tears. Wait until the will is read. He left me the majority of 1.8 million estate. I will rejoice in her loneliness.
He refused to have children with her because he could never be sure that they were his. He adopted mine as his own. My real loss is that I came to love him to fall in love with him. But I knew that he was so hurt by his wife that he could never accept that kind of love ever again.
So shut the F**K up, Suz, You don’t know what you are talking about.
Linda
February 18th, 2010 at 11:12 am
HOW NASAL IRRIGATION INCREASES SINUS INFECTIONS
Like brushing and flossing, nasal and sinus irrigation has become a daily ritual for many people who tend toward chronic nasal problems. Popular wisdom has it that removing mucus daily via nasal irrigation (also called nasal lavage) rids the nose of dust and other pollutants, eliminating a possible breeding ground for germs and infections while also allowing for easier breathing. It seems to make sense — but does it work? Not at all, according to a new study. In fact, long-term nasal irrigation actually contributes to nasal infections.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Talal M. Nsouli, MD, director of the Watergate and Burke Allergy & Asthma Centers in Washington, DC, has a lengthy résumé that includes having been personal allergist to President Clinton during his two terms, clinical professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine and former president of the Greater Washington Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Society.
Dr. Nsouli says he began to question whether regular irrigation was helpful or harmful when he saw that patients who practiced regular lavage had nasal linings that looked hard and smooth, “like a piece of plastic.” He began to notice the trend toward more use of this practice about seven or eight years ago, and decided to investigate, recruiting 68 patients who had used neti pots for nasal saline irrigation at least twice a day for 10 months or more.
For one year, these patients continued irrigation as before. At the end of the year, they were instructed to suspend nasal irrigation for the next 12 months. Another group of 24 patients who used neti pots daily were used as a control group and monitored for 12 months.
The results were startling, even to Dr. Nsouli: Patients who stopped nasal irrigation for one year had a 62% reduction in sinus infections from the previous year — and got half as many infections when not using sinus irrigation as those in the control group.
According to Dr. Nsouli, mucus contains aggressive antimicrobial agents that have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity. One called lactoferrin, an immune system stimulator, has been shown to be effective against infection, including cold-causing viruses (rhinovirus) and, I was surprised to learn, even the HIV virus.
Irrigating the nose regularly washes away the mucus and with it a valuable defense mechanism. When study participants stopped their nasal irrigation routine, they were astounded at how much better they felt and how quickly — even though it takes two to six weeks to fully restore the natural condition of the nasal passages.
Frequent irrigation does moisten nasal tissues, but this effect lasts just 20 minutes — in fact, notes Dr. Nsouli, the viscosity of mucus helps the nose stay moist. Some patients experience a yellow-green discharge after giving up lavage, but Dr. Nsouli said this is actually a symptom of a low-grade infection or chronic undiagnosed allergies.
He advises them and anyone else with a chronic stuffy nose to see a doctor. Typically, the solution is a course of antibiotics and/or prescription nasal sprays that block symptoms while they improve the condition. Dr. Nsouli points out that it is the practice of rinsing that is problematic, not the solutions used, so this advice applies to over-the-counter nasal sprays as well.
NETI OR NOT?
Nasal lavage grew in popularity after the well-known physician/author Dr. Mehmet Oz sang its praises on Oprah a few years ago. Many adherents use a spouted, urnlike device (it comes from the Ayurvedic tradition) called a neti pot.
It gets placed in the nostril and water is poured through it to flush out mucus. While previous studies have supported regular use of the neti pot, Dr. Nsouli says these were based on subjective, self-reported, short-term findings — unlike his study, which was carefully controlled with objective evidence provided through CT scans of the sinuses, fiber-optic endoscopy and detailed medical histories.
Dr. Nsouli emphasizes that he’s not completely against using the neti pot or any of the many other nasal-lavage devices on the market today including pumps, Waterpic-like devices and OTC saline sprays. In his opinion, these should be used only when specifically needed and for a short time, such as when you have a bad cold that makes it difficult for you to breathe.
There also is a risk for contamination of whatever device you use and resultant chronic infections, so be sure to practice good hygiene. Use whatever device you like to wash out the mucus once or twice a day, but for one week only — that’s what Dr. Nsouli does and what he now advises his patients to do.
Source(s):
Talal M. Nsouli, MD, director of the Watergate and Burke Allergy & Asthma Centers, Washington, DC.
February 18th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
HI Mischa, just caught up on yesterdays read, takes time to do all those click throughs and read em’ ; ) but I did, and wow, things are bleak and getting bleaker…I knew about the unemployment #’s but it’s just everything, mortgages, credit cards/bankruptcies, etc…wow…and yikes. Where’s it going to all head and how will it end? I’m just going to keep breathing and doing as I have. I will look into the above article now, where I can fit in some time on the issue and where this film festival will be here in my area, sounds very interesting…
Burt, the Starlight, dancing in 3 months, sounds like a plan, maybe June/July when I have more time and the weather is fit for sun worship during the day with the girlZ commmander.
It seems like Guam (Guahan) and the US needs some ‘taking our country back’ and no, white controlling men I am not talking to you. I believe Obama is doing as well as can be done while repugs and good ole boys stand in his way at every turn. It amazes and impresses me how cool headed he can be under pressure. We could use a better recovery but I do not believe John McCain or any other repug would be providing that either…
I think I’ll stay out of the affairs of others, it seems there are many ways to be married and/or have an arrangement and I am not here to judge any of the methods used by males or females here. I thought the sex talk would be fun but it’s lacking a certain something – feeling? – or maybe it’s added a certain something – premeditatedness (is that a word?) that just doesn’t click for me personally but listen, as I said, if it works for you then who the heck am I to judge anyone? I don’t…
Btw, Will, my father was a cop so I totally get what your mother’s advice meant and I’m not proud to state that. I learned much by watching my father’s cop buddies gather at my house on Fri evenings, and much of it was not so good. Fyi, they hated the dark men will killer cars even more – you had obviously one upped them in the financial category : ) and good on you for putting that right in their racist faces. I used to tell my father that riff raff comes in every color, you just turn your head when it’s a white kid or especially if its one of ‘your mens’ kids. Uh-huh, protect and serve…
OK, Caio for now, Luv, Zen Lill
February 18th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Several countries are working with Israel to help them attack Iran. The chief problem is whether Israel can fly over Iraq on their way to bomb Iran. Presently, the answer is that Iraq will not give Israel the right to fly over it.
Since Iraq has no air force to stop Israel, Iraq expect the USA to prevent Israel from violating their air space. Should the USA not do this they will lose the respect and cooperation of the entire arab world. It would be the single greatest coup al Qaeda could obtain.
Hence, the USA can not permit Israel to fly through Iraq’s territory air space. What the US has to to is to provide Israel with the capability of refueling in mid air so that its planes will have the fuel to launch their attack upon Iran and return safety to their home base by going around Iraq.
The US is encouraging other countries to help Israel refuel in the sky, so their pilots can return after their bombing run.
Most of the arab countries in the area are afraid to admit that they do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Yet, they are hoping the US will be the ones to discipline Iran, not Israel. If Israel does they will be forced to condemn the act and possibly do something in retaliation.
Iran is hoping for an attack by Israel so they can crack down more viscously on their on dissidents. They intend to use the attack to infer that their militants are being supported by Israel and the US.
This was the tactic that racists used to gain support for the cruelties and torture they employed against the demonstrators against segregation, and racism during the 60s through the late 80s. They and the FBI plotted to delude the people into believing that the demonstrators weren’t in it for equality, they were simply pawns or employees of the communist party.
The republican party is beside itself with glee. It seems that their efforts to help Iran become nuclear capable to embarrass the President for saying that Iran did not have the capability to become weapon’s grade viable for a few years.
The irony is that they may cause a world war because of their ambition to retake the Congress and the White House at any cost. Reagan caused a major shift of power that led to the position we have been in with the regime in power now in Iran.
The people who helped to get Reagan elected did it by insuring that Carter’s attempt to rescue the hostages failed by alerting the Iranians of the plans by Carter to rescue them.
Reagan assured them that if they held the hostages until after the election, he would sell them the arms they needed. The Ayatollah Khomeini was assured that if he helped Reagan get elected, he would be rewarded with help to secure Iran against the Shah and that his regime would be provided the arms sophistication to make war against Iraq.
So Khomeini helped Reagan by refusing to let the hostages go before the election and using them to embarrass the Carter administration. After Reagan got elected he completed the bargain he made by selling weapons and donating weapons to Iran.
The result was a brewing dislike of the USA by the arab countries in the area and the 8 year war between Iran and Iraq. Reagan’s handlers used Ollie North’s greed to deflect the real story about Reagan providing arms to Iran.
Hence no credible news organization put together the connection between the winning the election and the agreement between Khomeini and Reagan to keep the hostages until after the election.
The irony of saving Khomeini was that he issued orders to all his followers not to ever trust the Americans. He believer only the worst evil would allow a man to sell out his country and commit his fellow citizens to capture, torture, and longer incarceration to get elected.
He believed that a people who would elected such a man as its leader had been abandoned by God, and hence were inherently evil.
The republican party has demonstrated that they are prepared to do whatever they feel it takes to win back the White House. The country be damned. If they are not to be the heads, they could care less.
I enjoy making money. But my country is very important to me. No such qualms exist for the true republican. Politics means money and money is the desire of the leaders of the republican party.
The democrats are not above taking a bribe either, but it does seem that the majority of them will stop at treason to make money. Money has no boundaries to the true republican. Money is of itself their country, god,and family.
The future will get horribly worst as the republican party engineers one crisis after another to gain the White House. The ultimate irony could be that they destroy the country or the world, as we know it, in the process.
The republican party is now geared up to declare the crashing of an airplane into a building by Joseph Andrew Stack, a terrorist act. They are determined to use the crash to turn the American people against Obama’s leadership.
The party and most of their news toddies have been issued buzz words and concepts to imply that this act demonstrates that Obama could not and therefore can not protect the nation from a similar act by al Qaeda.
This propaganda will be so persuasive over the airwaves, that the country will begin to accept the concept that it was an act of terrorism and that the Obama administration is not able to protect the country from terrorism.
If the Obama administration does not get ahead of the republican propaganda machine, they will not only lose control of Congress, they will lose the White House in the next election.
Anonz
February 18th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Peter
I hope people like you continue to contribute to helping Guam keep its independence. I am on the main land. But I miss Guam. I can not afford to return. But I can pray that my home remains a place that is first a foremost a place for Chamorros.
It is a pleasure to read that people like you set a fire under our politicians and get them moving on issues that protect the people’s rights. I read this with pride.
===========================================
Guam leaders balk at U.S. military buildup
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, February 19, 2010
TOKYO — Guam’s leaders in recent days have ratcheted up criticism of a proposed massive military buildup, with the island’s sole delegate to Congress vowing to withdraw support unless the Pentagon slows its plans.
In her biennial speech Tuesday night to the Guam Legislature, Madeleine Bordallo asked the Navy to stretch the construction phase to eight to 10 years as the military moves 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
Currently, the plan calls for reaching the construction peak in four years, a move that could temporarily add nearly 80,000 people to the island by 2014.
“We will do everything that we can, federally and locally, to stop that from happening,” Bordallo said during her address. “We have our foot on the brakes.”
On Monday, Gov. Felix Camacho had a similar tone in his State of the Island speech, calling on the military to rethink plans to dredge acres of coral out of Apra Harbor to make way for an aircraft carrier berth.
He also said he would not support any move by the military to force the island to give up specially designated lands for native Chamorro and other islanders, a part of which the military would like for firing ranges.
And last Friday, the legislature unanimously passed a local resolution calling the military’s voluminous impact statement on the project “grossly flawed.”
The resolution outlined multiple complaints about the military’s proposal to lessen the impact of its expansion, including a lack of money to help upgrade the island’s infrastructure as it prepares to handle a permanent influx of nearly 34,000 new residents.
The flurry of commentary — including from buildup supporters such as Bordallo and Camacho — came as time was running out for public comment on the military’s nine-volume environmental impact statement detailing the project. The deadline for submission was Wednesday.
The solicitation period began before Thanksgiving, followed by more than a dozen public hearings on the buildup plan earlier this year. As residents and leaders learned more, some began focusing on what they saw as worrisome: disrupting fishing areas, digging more wells into the island’s aquifer, and bringing in thousands of migrant construction workers without explaining how the temporary surge in population will affect the island’s aging infrastructure.
Some of those issues are being addressed, just not in the environmental impact statement, said Simon Sanchez, who chairs the island’s Consolidated Commission on Utilities. The commission — which includes local water, power and sewage officials — meets regularly with military planners to talk about the next phase in planning for the buildup: how to nail down the military’s pledges to help pay for its impact outside its fences.
“We are making progress,” Sanchez said Wednesday.
Those discussions aren’t a part of the impact statement, a federally required document meant to assess the project’s effects on the island. And the statement, to this point, is in draft form. The military must gather the hundreds of comments, analyze them and explain whether they will incorporate or reject them. The final document — called an EIS — is due out this summer.
“We appreciate Governor Camacho and Congresswoman Bordallo’s continued support for the build-up,” Marine Corps Maj. Neil Ruggiero, a spokesman for the military’s Joint Guam Program Office, wrote in a statement. “Their comments, like all comments, are important and will be taken into consideration for the final EIS.”
Sanchez said he understood the growing concern from the island, and he, too, worries the military’s current explanations fall short of explaining how the federal government will help the island deal with population growth outside military bases during construction.
“We’re worried about the surge phase,” Sanchez said. “That’s the biggest concern.”
That’s what Bordallo, a Democrat, has asked the military to stall. Both she and the governor, a Republican, support a slower building phase so that the island’s current population of 178,000 can accommodate the incoming workers and troops. As a delegate from a U.S. territory, Bordallo cannot vote on the floor of Congress. But she does have a full vote in committees, including the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, which handles Pentagon spending.
Two requests Wednesday by Stars and Stripes for comment from Bordallo, who was on the island, were not answered by her staff.
Bordallo repeated her overall support for the military expansion on Guam during her speech Tuesday, despite her funding caveat.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that this draft EIS has done more harm than good,” she told the island’s legislature. “I see great opportunities in this buildup and we must not let these challenges overcome the greater goal of creating a better life and more opportunities for our people.”
The governor, on Monday, struck a different tone.
While he too said he supports the basic idea of the buildup, he wants to make sure that Guam and its future generations are treated with respect.
“Throughout the past four and a half centuries, our people have adapted to changes that have been thrust upon us,” Camacho said. The island’s “culture is dynamic, adaptive and vibrant, as evidenced in our language, beliefs and practices. We have retained important aspects of our culture that we cherish — our social values, respect for elders, love for family and our faith in God.”
To that end, he has proposed legislation to change the island’s name from Guam to Guahan, the Chamorro name for the island that means “we have.”
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I hope to return to Guahan sometime in the near future and find that Charmoroos still are the seat of government and its leaders.
Hafa adai
Lisa
February 18th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
After my earlier rant this may be a bit too much. Unfortunately it is necessary.
The US is very upset at Israel getting caught during their Dubai assignation. The reason is not because of Israel using british, french and german passports to accomplish the job after promising decades ago never to use them again.
The reason is the sophistication of the equipment used by the Dubai police to uncover the perpetrators of the crime. The demonstrated that they have been sold the most sophisticated detection devices that are currently available. Some of which are supposed to be sold only to the US government. And Some only to approved US allies.
Once again the greedy have sold to the highest bidder without regard to the this nation’s security.
Dubai’s rapid situation awareness picture of the crime. Demonstrated that they had the ability to put together the names and faces of the perpetrators from the time the Mossad operatives arrived in Dubai to when they left.
The real time tag and view ability practically named the types of equipment used and who sold it to them. It is truly shameful that top secret information gathering equipment would be sold for greed.
Again the irony could turn out to be that this nation’s security will be compromised by terrorist who may decipher and render useless the very equipment we as a nation rely on to keep our citizens safe.
Many of us have done despicable things to make huge amounts of money, But proudly belong to those of us who would stop short of selling out our national interest for a few dollars more.
Obama needs to take a more aggressive action and authorize the surreptitious extinction of such traitors. The one thing those greedy bastards fear more than losing an opportunity to make money is losing their lives. Do It Obama.
Anonz
February 18th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Miranda
I may not have Zen Lill’s quick wit but I am willing to venture an opinion on what to do in the affair department. I was going to suggest that you treat each situation as a date.
But since you have never been on a date with anyone but your husband(I’m assuming you meant with an opportunity to get laid), my suggestion is that find you join an fitness club. One that is at least 30 minutes from your home.
The time will help you in two ways. 1. It will increase your chances of not meeting anyone you know. and 2. It will give you an alibi to be with that person when the two of you choose not to go to the gym.
Nora
February 18th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Please Linda. We women can disagree without acting like men. Give Suz a break. She gave an opinion that she felt that divorce would be better than staying in a loveless marriage and cheating on your spouse.
Civility is what makes us women different. Well, it is one of the things. So come on girls let’s enthusiastically disagree when we feel like it.
But let’s show the men how to be civil while we are doing it. Just my two cents.
Will somebody on Guam get it together about our schools. Having the lights cut off for lack of paying the electric bill is ridiculous.
When I read this I lost it. I called everybody In politics I knew and railed.
++++++++++
Guam Schools Threatened With Power Disconnection Unless $1.2 Million Is Paid By Tuesday
Guam – Guam Public School Superintendent Dr. Nerissa Underwood says the school system is threatened with disconnection unless $1.2 million is paid by next Tuesday.
On the K-57 Breakfast Show this morning Underwood said she received a notice of disconnection from the Guam Power Authority Thursday afternoon.
The School system currently does not have the money to pay that power bill.
There have been a series of threats to disconnect Guam DOE for non-payment. Last year GPD carry through with its threat, but managed to disconnect only a portion of DOE’s administrative offices in Agana. An agreement was then worked out to allow for a partial payment and then service was restored.
Underwood is also awaiting word from the Attorney General’s Office which is reviewing the Guam DOE’s proposal for a third party fiduciary agent to oversee all of Guam DOE’s federal funding. The fiduciary agent is required by U.S. DOE which has frozen Guam DOE’s consolidated Grant funds until that fiduciary agent is in place.
Written by :
Kevin Kerrigan
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Hafa Adai
Anna
PS. Peter I enjoyed the read you lead in with today, but spell check? Haga adai?
February 18th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
You tell’em Anna.
Ladies, Ladies:
This is just too good to be true. Talk about poetic justice.
——————————————————————————
Back behind the counter for cold meds?
Better stock up on chicken soup, tissues and vitamin C, because easy access to cold meds may be a thing of the past.
Don’t worry — you’ll live. You’re better off anyway without these commonly overused drugs, which come with far more risks and side effects than most people realize.
But don’t thank the FDA — they’re not the ones looking out for you, as usual. Nope — it’s local lawmakers around the country, and even they’re not all that concerned about your health.
The real story here is that cold meds with pseudoephedrine are popular among drug dealers, who convert them into a street drug called methamphetamine. Anyone who’s watched the TV show “COPS” has probably seen a few basement meth lab busts.
The problem’s so bad that several states are considering laws to turn pseudoephedrine drugs back into prescription- only meds. One state — Oregon — already did it, and saw the number of meth-lab busts go from 473 to 20 in the first year alone, according to USA Today.
In Mississippi, cops and prosecutors are urging lawmakers to take action soon, before the meth problem gets too hard to control.
Don’t you just love the irony of this? A bunch of junkies and their relentless hunt for the next big high might accidentally do what the FDA should have done: keep dangerous drugs off store shelves.
There’s a thought that makes Big Pharma executives sick… and they’re already fighting back by installing drug- tracking systems. In many places, you need to show ID to buy a pseudoephedrine med. That puts your name and purchase into a database.
These systems are supposed to make it harder for a meth maker to stock up on enough pseudoephedrine for his lab. But, on the other hand, they’re tracking everyone’s purchases.
That’s right — Big Brother’s not the only one watching… Big Pharma is right there with him.
But you don’t need to sacrifice privacy for cold relief. After all, these drugs come loaded with side effects that would be the envy of any junkie, including dizziness, hallucinations and even psychosis.
Despite all those problems, many people mistake these meds for a cure. Instead of loading up on vitamins and chicken soup and heading back to bed, these snifflers and sneezers take a drug and head back to work. But think about that for a minute… — when someone comes to work sick, do you really want them sitting next to you?
Trust me — your colleagues feel the same way about you.
Stay home instead. Get the rest your body’s screaming for and work on boosting your immune system. Some great immune system nutrients include vitamins C, D and E, the mineral zinc, Echinacea and fish oil.
Don’t let up when the cold passes — keep your immune system strong all year round and you may avoid many viral illnesses altogether.
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February 18th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Anna, yes you get a right on and a you tell em’ from me as well, Linda and Sylvia jumped down Suz’s throat for merely voicing an opinion. I have been married and I know ‘it’s complicated’ but still I think Anna landed the hammer on the nail with her innocent (or not) assessment of the ‘loveless marriage’ and cheating. I call those arrangements or ‘agreements’ but not marriages and most people (not all, mind you) who truly are in love with their spouses do not premeditatively go searching for cheating options regularly, and a single person may just think, well then why not divorce (or pick a better mate to begin with, a whole ‘nother story there)and if it is so loveless and obviously bloodless (there didn’t sound like any mutual respect, trust or even friendship was abounding in any of the cases mentioned) why not divorce, then again, why not mind my own business bc I haven’t done that finished business yet either…hmmm, good idea : ) but I am honest and open as is necessary, probably bc C was not a jerk, ass, or anything like that, I won’t go into the going-on’s there since thats a private matter and I do respect him as a fellow human enough to keep our stuff private, and I respected him enough while involved in the marriage to not cheat, though I had offers regularly. I think all women do, so dudes, listen up, if you’re even remotely thinking about it, then it’s a given that your lady has already been propositioned, if you would believe that and start acting like you want her in your life more and treat her the way she likes to be treated (not the way you think she wants to be treated) you’ll score points and keep it at home, that’s if you love her, if you don’t then carry on with your agreement and pay me no mind whatsoever – Nora, thanks for calling me quick witted, that’s a favorite compliment to me : )
And now for you, Anonz, wow sweet pea, you sure know how to give rant when it’s necessary, where do I even begin? I got caught up in this first: ‘Israel’s Dubai assignment’ was that just loose wording or was that a US ‘assignment’ and was it possibly done purposefully to determine just how sophisticated Dubai’s systems were/are or what was the purpose of Israel’s ‘assignment’ if not what I just asked…hope that q makes sense…
Also, between the 2 rants it seems like we (that being the world and its citizens) are screwed bc all that you mentioned sounds like it stacks up to a war of armageddon proportions, is that what you see coming and is there really anything the economic non-elites can do bc if top repugs are that willing to sell out anyone/anything even their own country for more more more, what can the fleeced peons do to change any of it? Anything at all? No wonder true repugs loved Ronnie so much, that rat bastard started a whole mindset against the West, and he let Ollie take the fall as a decoy, you have to admit that was an outstanding stroke of genius by his handlers. How, with slick repug manuevers, are we supposed to keep Obama in office for that crucial second term??
Thanks for all the info, some of it I have guessed/surmised over the years and some of it is just plain mind-boggling.
Ok, I think my bill-paying on-line session has timed out better get back at so the lights stay on : ) hee hee
Luv, Zen Lill
February 18th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Anonz, forgot…also I read the wires on Stack and I’m wondering when and how they’ll spin that little tale into a terrorist story, this ought to get very interesting overnight, I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open. you know, since you’ve shown up here I have never read newstories the same, I’m always spending my time wondering what it is their NOT telling us by reading the exact way they tell us what they do tell us, I’ve always been curious but now I pick it all apart.
That being said, I also think it’s another stroke of genius what the media is doing with the Toyota story, hmmm, suspect…seems to me that shitstorm i brought to you by the US govt to undermine loyalty and noteworthy support of Toyota by Americans (#1 car in US) and get us buying some US made (ha!) vehicles again, or am I paranoid? I hear Buicks are popular in Shanghai, good bc they’re not here, hahaha….
Ok, back to the bills, what a procrastinator : ) ZL
February 19th, 2010 at 2:05 am
Baking Soda Magic
Lydia Wilen
Joan Wilen
Baking soda (the commercial name for sodium bicarbonate) is versatile and inexpensive. Unlike many products used around the house, it’s not a harsh chemical. Easy and effective ways to use it…
Odor absorber. You probably know that baking soda absorbs smells. You may even have an open box in your refrigerator. But did you know that humidity in the fridge causes a crusty layer to form on the surface, preventing the bicarb from doing its job?
Every few weeks, stir the box’s contents, and replace the box after two months. Don’t bother buying the newer peel-down “fridge” box — the original box works just as well and is cheaper. Pour the old baking soda down the sink drain with hot water to help break up grease that causes clogs.
Don’t limit the smell-neutralizing talents of baking soda to the fridge. Sprinkle it in smelly sneakers, on the bottom of garbage cans and in litter boxes. You can even sprinkle it on your dog — then brush or comb it out.
Underarm deodorant. When you have dried off after a shower, pour about a half teaspoon of baking soda in your left hand and distribute it on your right armpit. Do the same with your right hand and left armpit.
Bean degasser. Here’s how to make beans more tolerable — or make you more tolerable when you eat beans. Put dried beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add one tablespoon of baking soda for every eight ounces of dried beans. Let the beans soak overnight on the counter. Next day, drain off the water, add fresh water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender.
Roach and silverfish killer. Mix equal parts of baking soda and sugar, then fill jar lids and bottle caps with the mixture and place them around the problem areas. Next day, vacuum up the dead insects. Caution: Do not use this roach eradicator if you have children or pets who can get at it.
Microwave cleaner. In a one-quart microwavable bowl, mix two tablespoons of baking soda with one cup of water. Zap it in the microwave for three minutes. Using a paper towel, wipe off the condensed steam on the microwave’s inside walls and door. Finish by wiping it again with a damp cloth.
Car washer. Prepare a solution of one-quarter cup baking soda in one quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or soft cloth to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs and tar from car lights, chrome, windows, tires, etc.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Lydia Wilen and Joan Wilen, sisters who are folk-remedy experts based in New York City. The sisters are coauthors of many books, including Bottom Line’s Household Magic (Bottom Line Books, 800-678-5835, http://www.BottomLineSecrets.com/store).
February 19th, 2010 at 6:16 am
Anonz
You were so right about the republican presidents being the ones to raise the budget. I watched the Rachel Madow show last night and she was showing how the republican presidents were the ones who spent more on their watch. than the previous demcocrat.
Reagan spent an astounding 189% more than Carter did. As a matter of fact every republican spent more than the democrat. I don’t understand why they allow the republicans to continue to say they are the fiscal responsible ones.
Tom
June 4th, 2011 at 1:25 am
Hello, just ran into your page from digg. It is not something I would normally read, but I loved your spin on it. Thanks for creating something worth reading!