tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117886782024-03-13T10:33:56.129-05:00South by SouthwestThis ancient place symbolizes for me how important it is to honor the past, know those who came long before us, exhibit craftsmanship, and build for the long haul. I have sought to do all this since 2005. While speaking out of very Progressive political leanings, I still maintain a deep love of the Constitution.Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.comBlogger1667125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-81022190760486041992016-07-09T08:16:00.000-05:002016-07-09T08:16:24.186-05:00Here's the thing (2) . . . <br /> Some days ago I mused about worrying
about our country. I tried to put the best face on the current events
with which we are currently dealing. But I am having a hard time doing
that right now. <br />
The senseless slaughter of Dallas police
officers makes me feel deeply sad and discouraged. Their friends and
families must feel absolutely devastated. I can see that Dallas'
leaders are having a really hard time, also.<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
The "ambush" as it has come to be known, defies understanding, because
it came at the conclusion of a very peaceful demonstration in a city
that had made huge strides in effective law enforcement. <br /> Dallas
now has another big opportunity to model how to be in community. All
who live in Dallas and their neighboring towns must continue to talk
honestly and openly to each other, and to us.<br />
We are rich and
poor; Black, White, Asian, Muslim and Hispanic; Dallas and Tarrant
Counties, Texas and the USA . . . we are all in this together, folks.
We must maintain honesty and listen intently. The alternative is a
downward spiral of violence and hatred that could put our nation is some
serious jeopardy.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-65092388707446122812015-10-02T07:00:00.000-05:002015-10-02T07:01:28.991-05:00From blogging to what?<br />
Like many of my web friends, I rarely blog these days, but I am active on Twitter. "Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>," is one of my current Internet invitations.<br />
<br />
I am also an active curator/editor of my auto-published editions at <em>Paper.li</em>. Please take a look:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://paper.li/GeeCarol/1319983199">Keep Up With the Day</a></li>
<li></li>
<li><a href="https://paper.li/GeeCarol/1321710654">Speaking Up</a></li>
<li></li>
<li><a href="https://paper.li/GeeCarol/1442327327">Washington DC Today</a></li>
<li></li>
<li><a href="https://paper.li/GeeCarol/1334488517">Mind Matters Daily</a></li>
<li></li>
<li><a href="https://paper.li/GeeCarol/1440846883">EARTH & SPACE FOLKS DALY</a></li>
</ul>
<strong>See you there . . .</strong> <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-18172082365852638632015-09-22T05:19:00.001-05:002015-09-22T05:40:08.560-05:00Diversity vs. fear of "The Other" in governance<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How different are political party attitudes about the idea of diversity in the workplace? Historically, the Republican party has been a very long way from achieving diversity and inclusiveness. Republicans are living out fear of "the other" in their presidential campaign. Compare the Republican lineup of "mostly white men," with the Democratic lineup, led in the polls by the first female having a real chance of getting elected. Democrats in Washington have actually lived out "diversity and inclusion" in the Obama administration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How diverse is the current Democratic administration led by President Obama? The effort formally began with the establishment in the President's <a href="https://www.opm.gov/">Office of Personnel Management</a> of a <a href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/diversity-and-inclusion/">Diversity and Inclusion in Government Council</a> in 2011. By 2013 <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/03/13/white_house_obama_committed_to_diverse_cabinet_117413.html">Real Clear Politics</a> wrote that the White House was very committed to a diverse cabinet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How hard did the Democratic </span><a href="http://www.govexec.com/management/2015/03/white-house-makes-push-more-diverse-inclusive-federal-workforce/107169/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">administration push</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for real inclusion up to 2015? Yesterday, according to </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-has-vastly-changed-the-face-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/2015/09/20/73ef803a-5631-11e5-abe9-27d53f250b11_story.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Juliet Elperin</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the <u>Washington Post</u>, President "Obama has vastly changed the face of the federal bureaucracy." Diversity initiatives are "baked in" at the cabinet level such as in the </span><a href="http://energy.gov/diversity/downloads/diversity-and-inclusion-related-documents"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Energy Department</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and the </span><a href="http://www.diversity.va.gov/council/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Department of Veteran's Affairs</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, for example.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happens when there is genuine commitment to diversity in the federal government workforce? According to <u><a href="http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-diverse-workforce-18780.html">Chron/Small Business</a>,</u> there are some distinct advantages to having a diverse workforce. There can be increases in productivity and creativity. Our government's global focus demands a variety of language skills. Additionally, a positive reputation for diversity enhances the possibility of attracting the best and brightest workers, who choose the government as their employer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do so many Republicans believe that government cannot work? We ended up with a deeply divided government in Washington, starting in 2013. That year, the <a href="http://blog.leeandlow.com/2013/10/24/wheres-the-diversity-5-reasons-why-the-us-government-isnt-more-diverse/">Lee and Low Blog</a>, argued that the U. S. Congress lacked diversity, citing a number of unfortunate reasons. Republicans took control of the legislative branch of government using gerrymandering, exclusionary voter ID laws, low voter turnout, inadequate campaign finance rules, along with racism and sexism.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would have to happen for Republicans to elect the next POTUS? It occurred to me that the Trump phenomenon currently manifesting in the Republican party indicates that achieving voter diversity is not one of their goals. Contrast among their candidates is not high. They have one African American, one female, and one Latino. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are their chances? Not good in a general election. There are far too many diverse voters, the "others" so feared by the Far Right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow me at </span><a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-38702556697481135992015-03-18T07:10:00.004-05:002015-03-18T07:11:19.410-05:00The Future of our Nation Examined Through the Eyes of Twitter<strong>Do you ever worry</strong> about the future of our nation?<br />
Re-reading my <em>Twitter/HootSuite</em> 2015 <a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/lists/media-darlings">national news threads</a> just now, proved to be alarming for me.<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/status/550623706595074048">Budget War</a> talk started early.</li>
<li>Republicans <a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/status/553177123050258432">made head-spinning claims</a> as soon as they took over.</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/status/561115478538846208">Legislating under Republicans</a> began with the meaningless Keystone Pipeline bill.</li>
<li>My own crazy state of Texas has <a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/status/566264050804600832">not disappointed</a> in its heartlessness this year.</li>
<li>The Secret Service admitted to having <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitalFM_kenya/status/578146346651222016">problems with alcohol</a>.</li>
</ol>
<strong>The Republican budget</strong> that has just been introduced favors the "One Percent." It would abandon large swaths of vulnerable people. Even though they claim credit for an improving economy, Congress will do nothing to fix the essential infrastructure needed to support and continue that healthy economy. The Keystone Pipeline benefits the <u>Canadian</u> economy. Texas turns farther towards the extreme right as each month passes. And we cannot protect the safety of the POTUS. These realities reinforce my worry about what is happening to the USA in early 2015 .<br />
<br />
<strong>But there are bright spots</strong> that should not be ignored.<br />
<ul>
<li><em>The Daily Beast</em> writes: <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/18/the-right-warms-up-to-climate-change.html">The Right Warms Up To Climate Change</a>.</li>
<li>We are understanding more <a href="http://www.brainfacts.org/educators/get-involved/articles-folder/roundup-brain-awareness-week/">about the brain</a>. This is <em>Brain Awareness Week.</em></li>
<li><em>Cory Booker </em>continues<em> </em>to post<em> </em><a href="https://twitter.com/CoryBooker/status/578159065488080897">tweets</a> about possibilities.</li>
<li>Anthony Snowden and Glenn Greenwald are still able to <a href="https://twitter.com/BITKOM_Europe/status/578118535269916673">get together</a>,</li>
<li>Europe remains <a href="https://twitter.com/barbaraslavin1/status/578160273938321408">helpful to Iranian negotiation</a>, even if Republican legislators are not.</li>
<li>The state of Oregon made <a href="http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-17/oregon-voter-registration-law-gives-democracy-a-try">voter registration</a> automatic.</li>
</ul>
Not all Congressional Republicans are stupid or corrupt. Science continues to prevail. Truth continues to have its brave apologists. We can count on our centuries old friend, Europe, to have our back. Some states in the USA are not insane. And optimists tweet.<br />
<br />
<br />
Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-29322513558604796692013-04-01T05:36:00.001-05:002013-04-01T05:36:14.432-05:00Is it time for a new Bill of Rights?<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin: 1em; display: block; width: 310px"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FDR_in_1933.jpg"><img style="border-top: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; display: block" alt="Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933. Lietuvių: Fra..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/FDR_in_1933.jpg/300px-FDR_in_1933.jpg" width="300" height="353"></a> <p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em">Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933. Lietuvių: Franklinas Delanas Ruzveltas (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FDR_in_1933.jpg">Wikipedia</a>)</p></div> <div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin: 1em; display: block"> <p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em"> </p></div> <p><strong>President Obama won the 2012 election</strong>, but the gap between the very rich and the poor is still far too wide. Wages are stagnant, corporations are bloated with excess earnings and far too many people often go hungry.</p> <p><strong>President Franklin D. Roosevelt was President</strong> during the Great Depression. His vision probably saved our nation. Republicans exhibited some of the same symptoms of intransigence that we see today.</p> <p><strong>Author Ellen Brown wrote an article</strong> for <em>The Asia Times</em> in 2011 that posits an idea Roosevelt put forth in 1944. It is worth quoting:</p> <p><strong></strong> </p> <blockquote> <p><u><strong>Time for a new Bill of Rights</strong><br></u>By Ellen Brown </p> <p> <p><a title="Franklin D. Roosevelt" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt" rel="wikipedia">Roosevelt</a>’s own vision reached its sharpest focus in 1944, when he called for a <a title="Second Bill of Rights" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bill_of_Rights" rel="wikipedia">Second Bill of Rights</a>. He said: </p> <p>“This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable <a title="Civil and political rights" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_and_political_rights" rel="wikipedia">political rights</a>. ... They were our <a title="Right to life" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_life" rel="wikipedia">rights to life</a> and liberty. As our nation has grown in size and stature, however - as our <a title="Economic growth" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_growth" rel="wikipedia">industrial economy</a> expanded - these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.”</p> <p>He then enumerated the <a title="Economic freedom" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_freedom" rel="wikipedia">economic rights</a> he thought needed to be added to the Bill of Rights. They included: </p> <p>“The <a title="Rights" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights" rel="wikipedia">right</a> to a job; <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:90d2b30e-14be-4f46-94d2-cef0197f53d5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">del.icio.us Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/popular/Roosevelt" rel="tag">Roosevelt</a>,<a href="http://del.icio.us/popular/economy" rel="tag">economy</a>,<a href="http://del.icio.us/popular/poverty" rel="tag">poverty</a>,<a href="http://del.icio.us/popular/Bill+of+Rights" rel="tag">Bill of Rights</a></div><br>The right to earn enough to pay for food and clothing;<br>The right of businessmen to be free of <a title="Unfair competition" class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfair_competition" rel="wikipedia">unfair competition</a> and domination by monopolies;<br>The right to a decent home;<br>The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to enjoy good health;<br>The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;<br>The right to a good education.”</p></blockquote> <p><img alt="Asia Time Online - Daily News" src="http://www.atimes.com/images/f_images/masthead.gif" width="180" height="69"><strong>Nov 16, 2011 </strong></p> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px"><a title="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; float: right; border-right-style: none" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=08d018f2-7ce7-4941-9f7e-6c388f577cb8"></a></div> <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-30317358543384623282013-02-24T07:08:00.001-06:002014-12-06T06:55:45.433-06:00Confessions Of a Collector -2013<div class="zemanta-img" style="display: block; float: right; margin: 1em; width: 230px;">
<a href="http://www.crunchbase.com/company/twitter"><img alt="Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun..." src="http://www.crunchbase.com/assets/images/resized/0000/2755/2755v30-max-450x450.png" height="61" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; display: block;" width="220" /></a> <br />
<div class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">
Image via <a href="http://www.crunchbase.com/">CrunchBase</a></div>
</div>
<b>Since I have become a <a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol"><i>Twitter</i> convert</a>, </b>I have persisted in my old habits of collecting. I gather and keep stuff over time. I confess that <i>Twitter</i> has become one of my favorite applications. I like it because it makes it very easy to scan the news, follow links to further info, and keep up with the lives of interesting people. <br />
<b>The organizing platform</b> I use for <i>Twitter</i> is an excellent, powerful application called <a href="http://hootsuite.com/">HootSuite</a>. It automatically sorts the posts of those I follow into separate groups as well as separate category pages. <br />
<b>Having written 2680 t</b><b>weets</b> (140 character posts) so far, I confess that I am probably addicted. Tweets/updates include "re-tweets," and my own <i>Twitter</i> messages. <br />
<b>On </b><i><b>Twitter</b>, </i>I have 357 followers (people who read my tweets); I follow 550 people myself<i>.</i> My "Favorites" <i>Twitter</i> feed incudes others' tweets I want to keep for reference or merely for rereading pleasure. <br />
<b><br /></b> <br />
<b>"My Twitter Lists"</b> are available feeds for you to try out: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/newspapers-and-magazines">Newspapers and Magazines</a> - First rate news sources make it easy to stay on top of most important happenings. </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/newsletters-tv-stations">Newsletters &amp; TV Stations</a> - Digital and Non Print-Media sources of news </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/media-darlings%20-">Media Darlings</a> - My favorites on TV or Pop Media </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/reporters-writers">Reporters and writers</a> - Well known writers &amp; reporters; all smart, often funny </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/bloggers-and-blogs">Bloggers and blogs</a> - Writers and websites that do not fit into my other news categories </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/earth-and-space-folks">Earth &amp; Space Folks</a> - Maintain awareness of environmental &amp; space news from committed people, organizations. </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/officials-government">Officials-government</a> - Elected officials and government websites to follow </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/civil-libs-activists">Civil Libs &amp; Activists</a> - Trying to make the world a better place </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/good-causes">Good Causes</a> - A way to follow good deeds in a troubled world </li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/GeeCarol/mental-health">Mental Health</a> - Professionals and organizations working in the field of mental health</li>
</ul>
<b>Below is a list</b> of my previous posts in this "Confessions" series: <br />
<li><b>My computer is the perfect place to digitally collect STUFF</b>. <a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2010/05/confessions-of-collector-part-1373.html">Confessions of a Collector - Part 1,373 - 5/18/10</a><b> - </b>To quote from my post: "I physically collect stuff: because I might need or want it some day. The bottom line is this. I don't NEED any of it. But I may WANT it. There is a big difference." </li>
<li><b>Examining my reasons for collecting - </b><a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-confessions-of-collector.html">More Confessions of a Collector 4/25/08 </a><b>- </b><br />"I confess that, like most of us who are addicted to blogging, we don't need much of an excuse to celebrate. I also confess that I collect a lot of stuff to use for writing my posts. Today's post is a reprise ofthat theme. </li>
<li><b>Familiar TV away from home - </b><a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2007/05/confessions-of-c-span-junkie.html">Confessions of a C-Span Junkie - 5/3/07</a> - To quote: "All of you who are "clean and sober" would say to me, "for heaven's sake, get a life." But those of you who are also political or C-SPAN junkies can identify with my symptoms." </li>
<li><b>Handy-dandy blogging shared stuff - </b><a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2006/09/collecting-new-stuff.html">Collecting: new stuff - 9/8/06</a> was a post that focused on my favorite blogging sites, tools, new discoveries, etc. Many of these came to me as a result of another blogger's thoughtfulness. </li>
<li><b>True confessions - </b><a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2006/02/confessions-of-collector.html">Confessions of a Collector - 2/17/06</a>. In it I explored the motivations behind the collecting bug, as well as the "why" (for me) of some of my own favorite collected headlines. <b></b> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=85bbf65e-9cf1-4d3b-8801-fcf21923eea2" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
</li>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-86031236297748394542013-02-22T07:40:00.001-06:002013-02-22T07:40:07.508-06:00On the subject of national security, reading it later* is another option.<p><strong>Steven Aftergood</strong>, at the <em>FAS Project on Government Secrecy,</em> discussed <a href="http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2013/02/judge_eagan.html">a new judge for the FISA court</a>. The article also discussed the idea of setting up a similar court to “review the conduct of drone strikes.”</p> <p><strong>Spencer Ackerman, </strong>writing for <em>Wired/Danger Room</em>, says that a cash strapped <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/02/pakistan-drugs/">Army still plans on helping Pakistan</a> fight narcotics. To quote his conclusion:</p> <blockquote> <p> It’ll be a long time before the U.S. military gets out of the south-Asian anti-drug game, whatever the budget situation might be. </p></blockquote> <p><strong>Aljazeera</strong> is reporting that <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/02/201322122221254348.html">Egypt will hold parliamentary elections</a>. Details: </p> <blockquote> <p>Voting will take place in four stages with new People's Assembly invited to convene on July 6, presidential decree says.</p></blockquote> <p><strong>*Source:</strong> <a href="http://getpocket.com">Get Pocket.com</a> (formerly <em>Read It Later</em>) is my aggregator.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-65850400669930303632013-02-17T04:56:00.001-06:002013-02-17T04:56:42.800-06:00Cops with guns mean business . . .<p> <p>The following two news items are presented without comment. <p>The stories speak for themselves: </p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/21225228/cop-hospitalized-after-prisoner-escape-is-released">Texas police fatally shoot fugitive Fla. prisoner</a> </li> <li><a href="http://raniakhalek.com/2013/02/14/police-fired-over-100-bullets-at-latina-women-mistaken-for-chris-dorner/">Police Fired Over 100 Bullets At Latina Women ‘Mistaken’ for Chris Dorner</a></li></ul> <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-31306288779141906942013-02-15T06:29:00.001-06:002013-02-15T06:29:32.607-06:00Ships careening out of control<p><strong>Reflections on human systems failures:</strong> The Ship of State, a bunch of great big American Airlines airships, and a Carnival cruise ship have all been careening out of control. It is always about peoples' handling of very complicated systems. The judgment of leaders is always key to what works and what does not work. <p>.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KrW2scsNArk/UR4qKcNqV5I/AAAAAAAAG_c/AMHhPo_RMI8/s1600-h/JUMBOJET01_tn%25255B5%25255D.gif"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="JUMBOJET01_tn" border="0" alt="JUMBOJET01_tn" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-76iQF6F25ik/UR4qK2aWRCI/AAAAAAAAG_k/kK4IKtKixRI/JUMBOJET01_tn_thumb%25255B1%25255D.gif?imgmax=800" width="84" height="64"></a> <strong>Contrast the potentially successful</strong> merger of US Airways and American Airlines with the two other utter failures we've seen this week. Both events were ignominious failures of competency and systems: Senate Republicans successfully filibustered former Senator Chuck Hagel's Secretary of Defense nomination. And the crippled Carnival ship was finally towed into port in Mobile, Alabama. I ended the day by watching the poor cruise ship dock. And I thought about the looming end of the month deadline for ending the sequester, while Congress just leaves town for over a week. <p><strong>My feeling is disgust</strong> for the poor leadership exhibited by angry lawmakers and by two CEO’s in big travel corporations. We see a bunch of small, nasty failures . . . very much akin to the red plastic bags and open buckets of human waste accumulating in the halls of the Carnival cruise ship <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-26530692674743742242013-02-13T07:12:00.001-06:002013-02-13T07:12:45.613-06:00He is indefatigable. . .<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MTW92eX2VEA/URuRSxKhMTI/AAAAAAAAG_E/aKmsijXjbJ8/s1600-h/My%252520country%252520%252528100x67%252529%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="My country (100x67)" border="0" alt="My country (100x67)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZHPUM0ImQ6E/URuRTGNMzTI/AAAAAAAAG_M/9513pwKgIIY/My%252520country%252520%252528100x67%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="104" height="71"></a> </p> <p><b>The biggest thing of the day </b>was President Obama's SOTU speech, an hour long "barn-burner," at least when it came to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/obama-makes-plea-gun-control-state-union/story?id=18481837">the issue of gun-control</a>. Perhaps intuiting that that would be the emotional high point of the evening, many of the lawmakers attending <a href="http://www.record-bee.com/ci_22576683/green-ribbons-at-state-union-what-they-meant">wore green lapel ribbons</a>. Thus, both Republicans and Democrats decided to recognize those families who lost children or members of the school staff at Sandy Hook in New Town, Connecticut.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/obama-minimum-wage_n_2674468.html?utm_hp_ref=politics">The President made news</a>: </strong>He urged that the federal minimum wage be raised to $9/hour. He wants universal preschool education for our children. And he announced that 34,000 troupes will be <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/12/us-obama-afganistan-idUSBRE91B0X420130212">withdrawn from Afghanistan</a> within a year.</p> <p><b><a href="http://www.redgage.com/blogs/carolgee/reflections-on-the-inauguration.html">Reflections on my president</a>:</b> He is tough, resilient and yet still he remains committed to change. He has his feet on the ground and has ideas to make things better for those for whom real help is needed. He wants a lot of things changed, and he's willing to go over the heads of Congress to help get them passed. He trusts the <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/obama-uses-sotu-as-weapon-in-sequester-fight.php">people to pressure their senators and representatives</a> to get some things of substance done.</p> <p><strong>Like many others</strong>, I suspect, I ended the day shortly after the two Republican/Tea Party <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/02/wolf_gets_his_turn.php">“response” speeches</a> were over. I did not listen to either of them, but worked around the house for a few minutes instead. </p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-22161796067749774532013-01-23T06:44:00.002-06:002013-02-12T06:32:22.707-06:002013 is still young and full of possibilities for Republicans.<b>
</b>
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QCC8DLthJ7U/UP_XjdF_chI/AAAAAAAAG-0/ApycISmzaXE/s1600/snowing-covered+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QCC8DLthJ7U/UP_XjdF_chI/AAAAAAAAG-0/ApycISmzaXE/s320/snowing-covered+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="color: red;"> Reflections on defeated Republicans, who still live "back in the day."</span></b> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>If they are to survive</b> as a part of our two party system, they must become viable again. They must recall again what governance is about.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>We already see signs of hope. </b>We can observe the loyal opposition occasionally returning to rational leadership behavior:</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">They have been able to swallow <span style="color: red;">RAISING TAXES!</span> - God forbid. . . </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">They have begun the process of behaving more like adults regarding <span style="color: red;">RAISING THE DEBT CEILING</span>.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The next big thing is to see whether they lose the Senate <span style="color: red;">FILIBUSTER FIGHT</span>. The upcoming couple of days appear to be pivotal. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Each time they survive a defeat</b> at the hands of Democrats -- and don't die of humiliation in the process -- the party's chances to get healthier get better. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Contrast Republican reactions</b> you've seen since the election, with watching DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (on C-SPAN yesterday) lead the Democratic Party's Winter Meeting with adeptness, charm and enthusiasm. Perhaps being a breast cancer survivor helps her keep a rational perspective on the principles of governance that remain important.</span><b> </b></div>
</div>
<br />
<b>My Other Blogs:</b> My creative website is <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/secondmondays.blogspot.com/">Making Good Mondays</a>. Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-54957688741936985012013-01-17T08:08:00.000-06:002013-02-12T06:32:03.936-06:00ProPublica hits another home run<i><b> ProPublica - </b> Journalism in the Public Interest</i> just published an excellent <a href="http://projects.propublica.org/guns/">article and action tool</a> for use by those of us who want to actively support gun control reforms.<br />
<br />
<b>I recently used it</b> to write to my U.S. Representative, Kay Granger (R-Texas). I urged her to <a href="http://secondmondays.blogspot.com/2013/01/focus-on-kids.html">remember the children</a> and ignore the NRA, who is one of her campaign contributors ($3,500).<br />
<br />
<b>I urge my readers</b> to use the <i>ProPublica</i> tool to do the same with your members of Congress. <br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>My Other Blogs:</b> My creative website is <a href="http://secondmondays.blogspot.com./">Making Good Mondays</a>. Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-36474229737229929052013-01-02T06:00:00.000-06:002013-02-12T06:31:35.525-06:00In reverse at the edge of the cliff . . . this time.<b>U.S. House Speaker John Boehner</b> was unable to secure the votes necessary to amend the senate-passed bill restoring a bit of sanity to the opening days of 2013. For the first time in what has seemed like an eternity, a few coherent House Republicans joined with lots of House Democrats to pass legislation raising taxes on the wealthiest among us. The measure extends tax cuts for the Middle class, without passing cuts to entitlement programs. Amazing . . . <br />
<br />
<b>Lynn Sweet, </b>one of my favorite reporters <a href="https://twitter.com/lynnsweet/status/286376577443434496">tweeted</a> this explanation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Sweet blog</i> House sends Obama fiscal cliff bill to sign: How it passed, the inside story <a href="http://t.co/u4PbSKDq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bit.ly/VznkzM</a></blockquote>
<b>Josh Marshall, </b>of Talking Points Memo, however, reminds that the looming cliff<b> </b>is still before us. His <a href="https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/286347226345766912">tweet</a> reiterated that the Republican game of chicken will continue:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Simple fact: GOP pledging to use debt limit for new confrontation,
keeping country, economy & markets in continued crisis for months.</blockquote>
<br />
<b>President Obama, </b>with Vice President Biden at his side, delivered <a href="http://youtu.be/JPRWugIbNlw">a short statement</a> about the U.S. House vote to pass the "fiscal cliff" bill the Senate recently sent to them.<b> </b>After signing the bill, he now returns to Hawaii to finish his holiday with his family.<br />
<br />
<b>Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid </b>is now in the driver's seat for the next cliff-hanger. We will be interested to see what happens January 3, when the 113th Congress returns to Washington, D.C. Tomorrow, the Senate will decide on its new rules, including whether to change the filibuster rule. The question occurs whether Senator Reid will confront his current ally, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over the 60 vote requirement to pass anything. It will be interesting to see whether Reid hits the brakes on <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/274857-filibuster-reform-group-urges-reid-to-reject-bipartisan-proposal">a bipartisan proposal recently introduced</a>, or drives ahead with those in the Senate who want different reforms.<br />
<br />
<b>My Other Blogs:</b> Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-91665962657739994562013-01-01T05:11:00.001-06:002013-02-12T06:31:18.995-06:00Reflections 0n Congressional Roadblocks <b>
</b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6x7RJ5XH1gs/UOLC7wtqhrI/AAAAAAAAG-I/uCP3c9tVJa4/s1600/703531-R1-075-36_036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="216" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6x7RJ5XH1gs/UOLC7wtqhrI/AAAAAAAAG-I/uCP3c9tVJa4/s320/703531-R1-075-36_036.jpg" width="320" /></b></a><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #ff7a74;"><b>Reflections on congressional roadblocks</b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on the last day of quite a year of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.gop.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Republican Party (United States)">Republican</a> obstructionism: Republicans repeatedly placed irrational roadblocks in the way of solving the so-called "fiscal cliff" dilemma. In the end however, Senate Minority Leader <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Mitch McConnell">Mitch McConnell</a> and Veep Joe Biden worked out a deal that was mostly a win for <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.democrats.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Democratic Party (United States)">Democrats</a>. We'll see whether the recalcitrant <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.house.gov/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="United States House of Representatives">U.S. House of Representatives</a> will do what they need to do to pass it for the good of our country. In the end, I think the Hastert rule will fall out of use, just as the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read_my_lips%3A_no_new_taxes" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Read my lips: no new taxes">no new taxes</a> pledge to Emporer <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Grover Norquist">Grover Norquist</a> must eventually fall out of favor. Happy New Year, Citizens! Enjoy our government at work.</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<br />
<div class="zemanta-related" style="clear: both; margin-top: 20px; overflow: hidden;">
<h4 class="zemanta-related-title">
Related articles</h4>
<ul class="zemanta-article-ul zemanta-article-ul-image" style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;">
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-22/boehner-hobbled-by-losses-while-he-keeps-job-no-one-wants.html" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.zemanta.com/noimg_0_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-22/boehner-hobbled-by-losses-while-he-keeps-job-no-one-wants.html" style="display: block; height: 80px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Boehner Hobbled by Losses While He Keeps Job No One Wants</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=e86d8ec0-7f85-4ea7-9a7d-49432fc119db" style="border: currentColor; float: right;" /></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-19642235419492081062012-12-31T07:26:00.001-06:002012-12-31T07:26:40.466-06:00VA must address widespread mental health issues<div class="Amp_Commentary_Wrap">
<div class="Amp_Post_Text">
As has most often been the case, mental health is not as well treated as physical health when it comes to health care benefits. The Veterans Administration has responsibility to treat veterans and to treat them well. This important article by the public interest journalism organization, Propublica, explains.<br /><br />Remember that these programs are also vulnerable to the budget cutting fever now spreading across the country.</div>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="Amp_Content_Outer">
<div class="Amp_Top_Wrap">
<div class="Amp_Source_First">
Amplify’d from <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" rel="clipsource" target="_blank" title="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems">www.propublica.org</a></div>
</div>
<div class="Amp_Middle_Wrap">
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="content-header">
<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<img alt="Brain Wars" height="50" src="http://www.propublica.org/images/series-icons/cache/icn-brainwars-50x50.png" width="50" /><br />
<a href="http://www.propublica.org/series/brain-wars/" rel="nofollow">Brain Wars</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.propublica.org/series/brain-wars/" rel="nofollow">How the Military Is Failing Its Wounded</a><br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<h1 id="AutoGeneratedID-0">
More than Half of Recent War Vets Treated by VA Are Struggling With Mental Health Problems</h1>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br /> by <a href="http://www.propublica.org/site/author/joaquin_sapien/" rel="nofollow">Joaquin Sapien</a><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <br /> ProPublica, May 11, 2011, 11:31 a.m.</div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-2">
More than half of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans treated in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals since 2002 have been diagnosed, at least preliminarily, with mental health problems, <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/veterans-for-common-sense-fact-sheet-on-va" rel="nofollow">according to statistics</a> [1] obtained by the advocacy group Veterans for Common Sense. </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-3">
The data, which is released quarterly, also shows that the raw number of returning soldiers with psychological problems is rising. Nearly 18,000 new patients were treated for mental health issues at VA facilities in the last three months of last year—the most recent time period for which data is available— <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/veterans-for-common-sense-fact-sheet-on-va" rel="nofollow">upping the total to more than 330,000</a> [1]. </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-4">
The latest numbers confirm a trend that has intensified over the last several years. Paul Sullivan, the executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, said that when the organization first began to collect the data in late 2004, only 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in VA hospitals had been diagnosed with mental problems. </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-5">
The increase should come as no surprise given that a recent military survey, obtained by ProPublica and other media outlets, shows that U.S. troops in Afghanistan are currently reporting lower morale and greater emotional strain than at any other time in the last five years.</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-6">
<a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/new-survey-few-troops-exposed-to-bomb-blasts-are-screened-for-concussion" rel="nofollow">That report</a> [2] notes that mental health staffing has doubled in warzones in order to ensure treatment is available immediately for soldiers who suffer psychological trauma.</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-7">
Sullivan applauded the increase in staff abroad, but questioned what’s being done to make sure that troubled troops are properly cared for once they come home. </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-8">
“We truly support having more doctors in warzones, that’s great,” Sullivan said. “But we also need to make sure we have enough doctors here.” </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-9">
Laurie Tranter, a spokeswoman for the VA, told ProPublica that the agency has increased the number of mental health staff in the U.S. by more than 40 percent since 2002 to more than 20,000. Tranter suggested that the increase in veterans diagnosed with and treated for mental health problems may, in part, reflect more proactive screening and better access to services. </div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-10">
Pressure is mounting on the military and the VA to fix long-standing shortfalls in mental health care.</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-11">
A federal appeals court issued a scathing opinion of the VA’s system yesterday, noting that it takes an average of four years for veterans to receive mental health benefits, a beleaguered process that demands immediate reform.</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-12">
Writing for a three-judge panel, Judge Stephen Reinhart said, “Although the VA is obligated to provide veterans mental health services, many veterans with severe depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) are forced to wait weeks for mental health referrals… For those who commit suicide in the interim, care does not come soon enough.”</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<div class="Amp_Content_Hr">
</div>
<blockquote cite="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" class="Amp_Content_Item">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="TxtCntnt">
<div id="AutoGeneratedID-13">
As <a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/05/10/general-us-veterans-care-trial_8459792.html" rel="nofollow">reported</a> [3] by the Associated Press, <a href="http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/veterans-for-common-sense-v.-sec.-eric-shinseki-9th-circuit-opinion" rel="nofollow">the ruling by the 9<sup>th</sup> Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a 2008 verdict</a> [4] and sends the case, which was filed against the VA by veterans’ advocates, back to U.S. District Court for resolution.</div>
</div>
<span class="Amp_Source_Button"><a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems" rel="clipsource" target="_blank" title="http://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-half-of-recent-war-vets-struggling-with-mental-health-problems">Read more at www.propublica.org</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="Amp_Bottom_Wrap">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="Amp_Link">
See this Amp at <a href="http://amplify.com/u/a12im2">http://amplify.com/u/a12im2</a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-62291472640212121102012-12-31T06:49:00.000-06:002012-12-31T06:49:13.696-06:00Re-writes are hard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inUce2wyrNg/UOGI93MpaaI/AAAAAAAAG94/u6PytAT8t4o/s1600/think_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inUce2wyrNg/UOGI93MpaaI/AAAAAAAAG94/u6PytAT8t4o/s1600/think_s.gif" /></a></div>
<b>Every year at about this time</b> I try to get myself in shape to write dates in a new way. The change I must make is <strike>2012</strike><b> </b>to 2013. And I suspect that there will be a few checks with dates like the one I just wrote. But, eventually my brain makes the change permanent.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Most of us don't have to think </b>about wishing our readers a Happy New Year. So here is my wish for you, Faithful Reader: <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Have a very good and prosperous 2013! </b></div>
<br />
Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-71194928081254992062012-11-07T05:26:00.000-06:002012-11-07T05:26:43.619-06:00What a difference a day makes. . . <b>
</b>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2URldXldw4/UJpEKiiSQnI/AAAAAAAAG4w/3BuGlllzARg/s1600/Current+events-1+(100x64).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2URldXldw4/UJpEKiiSQnI/AAAAAAAAG4w/3BuGlllzARg/s1600/Current+events-1+(100x64).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwP8ecjySu8/UJpESEB95VI/AAAAAAAAG44/59Pf29LFXPY/s1600/About+leadership+(71x100).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwP8ecjySu8/UJpESEB95VI/AAAAAAAAG44/59Pf29LFXPY/s1600/About+leadership+(71x100).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoQsgowTyz8/UJpEW3zJgFI/AAAAAAAAG5E/4c4QlIi3XHw/s1600/Nationsl+politics+(67x100).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoQsgowTyz8/UJpEW3zJgFI/AAAAAAAAG5E/4c4QlIi3XHw/s1600/Nationsl+politics+(67x100).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BAZ37kif7ow/UJpEwLB6F9I/AAAAAAAAG5M/mJC5zT9dFbg/s1600/My+country+(100x67).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BAZ37kif7ow/UJpEwLB6F9I/AAAAAAAAG5M/mJC5zT9dFbg/s1600/My+country+(100x67).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yn6-yj-s6b4/UJpE1WLcITI/AAAAAAAAG5U/IF752IW6oCw/s1600/Thoughts+of+Texas-1+(94x100).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yn6-yj-s6b4/UJpE1WLcITI/AAAAAAAAG5U/IF752IW6oCw/s1600/Thoughts+of+Texas-1+(94x100).jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 23px;"><b>Reflections:</b></span><span> </span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 20px;"><b>on America's future-</b></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 17px;">Long lines at polling places all across the nation proved to be the key reality. The simple concept of one person/ one vote has saved the nation from beaming back to the distant political past. </span><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 17px;">Adults </span><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 17px;">are still </span><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 17px;"> in charge. </span><span style="color: #e30000; font-size: 17px;">The country will be OK.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b> </b> Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-52905239040807008952012-07-31T12:49:00.001-05:002012-07-31T12:53:54.606-05:00Senate Bill Targets Press, Public in an effort to stop intelligence leaks<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SxTT1uMwaJM/UBgaq2B0lZI/AAAAAAAAG20/2IBGjPmrfKY/s1600-h/images-Pentagon%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="images-Pentagon" border="0" height="101" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YjiqTSo6IcE/UBgarcsHBnI/AAAAAAAAG28/ZXVi1AN311U/images-Pentagon_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="images-Pentagon" width="125" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-F_m7oTFXn8I/UBgar1uAt1I/AAAAAAAAG3E/3TuNW4NdTS8/s1600-h/75px-National_Security_Agency_headquarters%25252C_Fort_Meade%25252C_Maryland%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="75px-National_Security_Agency_headquarters,_Fort_Meade,_Maryland" border="0" height="62" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Zy2r3IeDa3s/UBgasCh-iOI/AAAAAAAAG3M/V19T4TTQ1Ac/75px-National_Security_Agency_headquarters%25252C_Fort_Meade%25252C_Maryland_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="75px-National_Security_Agency_headquarters,_Fort_Meade,_Maryland" width="79" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wuqklkDcObs/UBgastZy1uI/AAAAAAAAG3U/ehijqH4UQU8/s1600-h/line1080%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="line1080" border="0" height="161" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rYj2nzcnrFo/UBgatLD7t7I/AAAAAAAAG3c/vyY-AtrW7so/line1080_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="line1080" width="244" /></a><br />
Deliberation is going on this week regarding the Senate Intelligence Committee’s draft bill that includes a number of Cyber security measures. Committee Chair, Joe Lieberman (I - Connecticut) spoke about the importance of bipartisanship for the passage of this bill. A Manager’s Amendment will be offered. But there is much opposition to several provisions of the bill. Steven Aftergood, of SAS, wrote an excellent article from which I have quoted extensively here. He concludes: <br />
<blockquote>
Drafted in secret and without the benefit of any public hearing, the Senate bill includes provisions that are “crude and dangerous,” <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/squelching-public-interest-in-national-security/2012/07/30/gJQAF0pHLX_story.html">the Washington Post editorialized</a> today.<br />
The bill was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a vote of 14 to 1, with Sen. Ron Wyden in opposition. The text of the bill is <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2012_cr/s3454.pdf">here</a>. . . Sen. Wyden’s dissent may be found <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2012_rpt/srpt112-192.pdf">here</a>.</blockquote>
The Obama administration has struggled with unauthorized intelligence leaks over time. And the oversight Committees of the Senate are attempting to legislate heavily on the matter. Author Aftergood explains:<br />
<blockquote>
The Senate Intelligence Committee markup of the FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act, which was officially filed yesterday, devotes <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2012_cr/ssci-leaks.pdf">an entire title</a> including twelve separate provisions to the issue of unauthorized disclosures of classified information, or leaks. . . . <br />
As reported in the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/anti-leaks-bill-would-eliminate-background-briefings/2012/07/30/gJQANGBFLX_story.html">Washington Post</a> today, one of the proposed measures (section 506 of the <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2012_cr/ssci-leaks.pdf">bill</a>) would dictate that only agency leaders could present background briefings to the press. . . <br />
Questioned by the Post, Senate Intelligence Committee chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein acknowledged that she had no evidence that such briefings, which are prized by reporters as valuable sources of information, had contributed to unauthorized disclosures. And yet they would be forbidden. . . </blockquote>
Transparency was to be one of the hallmarks of President Obama’s administration, but it has not lived up to the expectations of many. According to Mr. Aftergood, <br />
<blockquote>
Other provisions in the new bill were also roundly criticized by public interest groups concerned with access to government information.<br />
A provision to prevent former government officials from providing paid commentary to news media outlets on intelligence matters is very likely unconstitutional, said Kate Martin of the Center for National Security Studies in <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2012/07/cnss073012.pdf">a new analysis</a> of the bill.<br />
“The over-breadth of this provision in prohibiting commentary and analysis even when no classified information is disclosed would violate the First Amendment,” Ms. Martin <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2012/07/cnss073012.pdf">wrote</a>. “Indeed the provision seems drafted in order to chill public discussion of information that is not classified rather than being narrowly tailored to simply target disclosures of classified information.”<br />
Another provision (in section 511) would grant intelligence agency heads the authority to unilaterally revoke the pension of an employee . . . <br />
This section “would give intelligence agency heads nearly unrestrained discretion to suppress speech critical of the intelligence community– even after an employee has resigned or retired from an intelligence agency– and to retaliate against disfavored employees or pensioners, including whistleblowers,” wrote the <a href="http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/letters/government-secrecy/gs-ia-20120730-oppose-the-anti-speech-policy.html">Project on Government Oversight</a> and several other public interest organizations in an open letter to the Senate Committee yesterday. . . </blockquote>
The delicate balance of the public’s right to know vs. keeping national security secrets is extremely difficult to maintain. Add in the risk of cyber security breeches, and you have a very tangled web. The key, it seems to me, it for security information classifiers to act with good faith in avoiding classifying information that is merely embarrassing. <br />
Our nation must honor its bravest whistle-blowers and protect them at all costs. Otherwise we become merely “The National Security State.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/07/press_public.html">Source: <i>Anti-Leak Measures in Senate Bill Target Press, Public</i></a> <br />
Steven Aftergood <br />
Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:30:17 GMT<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=02274557-7916-4674-9f4f-106f53e93c39" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; float: right;" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-57743439799561678922012-07-28T08:53:00.001-05:002012-07-28T08:53:03.670-05:00Japanese Fish In Space This Year<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><strong>According to <em>Space,com</em></strong> The next astronauts to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) <a href="http://www.space.com/16781-space-fish-experiment-station-astronauts.html">will be taking</a> a few little buddies along. The story begins:</p><blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"><p>When the next Russian-built Soyuz capsule launches to the International Space Station in October, it will deliver three new crewmembers to the orbiting outpost. But the trio of spaceflyers will be sharing their ride with some special cargo: 32 small fish for a science experiment at the space lab.</p></blockquote><p><strong>The medaka fish</strong> are native to southeast Asia, and have been the subjects of lab study in Japan for a very long time. In fact they are analagous, in many ways, to the labratory mice and rats we study here in the United States. Scientists can extrapolate animal results to humans due to the wealth of knowledge they have acquired over the years. </p><p><strong>So these little guys</strong> will have an important job to do, in addition to entertaining the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS..</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://behindtheselinks.posterous.com/japanese-fish-in-space-this-year">Behind These Links</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-52968453216121115202012-07-22T09:06:00.000-05:002012-07-25T08:59:36.830-05:00Man has walked . . . and driven on the Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HRGWCkMntws/UAwFKFuzyxI/AAAAAAAAG2o/BsdUxzDfjmI/s1600/610210main_apollo17_1600_946-710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HRGWCkMntws/UAwFKFuzyxI/AAAAAAAAG2o/BsdUxzDfjmI/s320/610210main_apollo17_1600_946-710.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b> Despite skeptics, </b>there is much good evidence that these events happened decades ago. Photographs were transmitted at the time. Moon rocks came back to earth on the trip. The men who were there came back to tell the tale, not a made-up story, but their actual experiences. The truth of these events hangs together for us.<br />
<br />
<b>Despite hearing the truth</b>, skeptics either know and deny, or do not know that President Obama is one of us. He is of American birth in Hawaii; the documentation is there. He speaks English without an accent. His childhood friends have talked about knowing him way back when. H's good at shooting "hoops," an American sport. He gets sad, and yes, mad when bad things happen to the rest of us Americans, his fellow citizens.<br />
<br />
<b>Barack Hussein Obama is the President of the United States</b>. Skeptics need to just get over it.<br />
<br />
<b>My Other Blogs:</b> My creative website is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/secondmondays.blogspot.com/">Making Good Mondays</a>. Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>. And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-12703040220186872082012-06-01T08:12:00.001-05:002012-06-01T08:12:50.615-05:00Without fear, the goal<strong>“</strong><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/becoming-fearless/"><strong>Becoming Fearless</strong></a><strong>”</strong> is a new featured section in <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ariannahuff"><em>Huffington Post</em></a><em>. </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ariannahuff/status/208392734363496449/photo/1">I discovered this</a> because I follow Arianna Huffington on <em>Twitter</em>. I also follow a few of her guest columnists, as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/howardfineman">Howard Fineman</a>, her very fine editorial director.<br />
<br />
<strong>Huffington is fearless.</strong> I am not read-it-all consumer of <em>The Huffington Post;</em> it is just too much. But I greatly admire the fact that the “HuffPo” has been so very successful at monetizing its popular website. Ms. Huffington herself is a model of fearlessness when it comes to striding out. So some reflections about “Becoming Fearless” seem in order.<br />
<br />
<strong>First, <a href="http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/celeb/media/arianna-huffington-net-worth/">Huffington is wealthy</a>.</strong> Note the tie-in with Arianna Huffington’s 2006 book of essays titled, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316166812/ref=rdr_ext_tmb">On Becoming Fearless.... in Love, Work, and Life</a></em>. Find it at <em>Amazon.com</em>: Kindle edition–$8.99, hardcover-$4.40, paperback-$10.73.<br />
<br />
<strong>Second, Huffington is careful.</strong> Read the disclaimer at the bottom of the website page.<br />
<blockquote>
This website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.</blockquote>
<strong>Third, the assumption is that women have more fears than men.</strong> <em>The Blog</em> section features a list of current blog posts with 10 female writers and 6 male writers. Look also at one of the the current <em>Sponsored Links </em>list. It is two-thirds pitched towards women:<br />
<blockquote>
<u>Fear of being fat -</u> “Get Skinny By Summer” by <a href="http://www.dietratings.org/">www.DietRatings.org</a><br />
<br />
<u>Fear of being old -</u> “53 Year Old Mom Looks 33” by <a href="http://www.consumerproducts.com/">www.consumerproducts.com</a><br />
<br />
<u><a href="http://now.msn.com/now/0405-romney-obama-harvard.aspx?OCID=MSNNow_SEM_Now_gdesk"><u>Fear of President Obama</u> –</a> </u>“Romney vs Obama” by <a href="http://www.msn.com/">www.msn.com</a>. (AP photo copyrighted by Mary Schwalm)<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F5mTqTg5kks/T8i-Mmwa2ZI/AAAAAAAAGvc/sKiMzjCl52Q/s1600-h/228056A9E89E4E9717C13F98513AED%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Romney NH" border="0" height="125" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5jVroyJsu2o/T8i-NBmfQWI/AAAAAAAAGvk/tFPH86bQ6OA/228056A9E89E4E9717C13F98513AED_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Romney NH" width="244" /></a></blockquote>
<br />
<strong>Fourth, advertising aims at our emotions,</strong> including fear and anxiety. Another sponsor list for the Front Page sub section plays on the fears of readers: <br />
<blockquote>
<u>Fear of being afraid -</u> “3 Herbs that Beat Anxiety” by <a href="http://www.wiselifestyles.com/">www.WiseLifestyles.com</a><br />
<br />
<u>Fear of identity theft -</u> “LifeLock Official Site” to purchase their identity protection plan at <a href="http://www.lifelock.com/">www.Lifelock.com</a></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<u>Fear of being in the 99% forever -</u> “Penny Stock Jumping 856%” at <a href="http://www.mypennystocks.com/">www.MyPennyStocks.com</a><br />
</blockquote>
<strong>Fifth, the <em>Huffington Post</em> Wants you to read</strong> as much as you can on their website. Note the tie-in with HuffPo’s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/healthy-living/">Healthy Living section</a>, aka "Fear of Dying." Here are that page’s sponsors:<br />
<blockquote>
<u>Fear of Being fat -</u> “5 Diet Pills that Work” at <a href="http://www.dietratings.org/">www.DietRatings.org</a><br />
<br />
<u>Fear of identity theft -</u> “LifeLock Official Site” to purchase their identity protection plan at <a href="http://www.lifelock.com/">www.Lifelock.com</a><br />
<br />
<u>Fear of a heart attack – </u>“Heart Attack Triggers” at <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/">www.Newsmax.com</a> </blockquote>
<br />
<strong>Sixth, sponsors want something for their investment.</strong> So they maximize exposure to the product through advertising. It might even be fun and beneficial: Enter Toyota Corolla’s “Most Fearless Tweet” contest. <br />
<blockquote>
Official Rules: <br />
1. To enter the Contest, you must first create a Twitter account. It's free! Go to <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter.com</a> for the how-tos. <br />
2. Follow @HealthyLiving. <br />
3. Tweet about fear or fearlessness in your own life by sending a tweet to @HealthyLiving and using the hashtag Third, notice the tie-in with Huffington’s 2006 book of essays <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316166812/ref=rdr_ext_tmb">On becoming Fearless. . . In Love, Work and Life.</a> New from $4.40; Kindle $8.99.#becomingfearless. It's that easy!</blockquote>
<br />
<strong>Seventh, there is widespread assumption that we are more fearful</strong> than usual these days. For example, out of some sort of morbid fascination, I have watched a good number of the <a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/doomsday-preppers/meet-the-preppers-pictures/">Doomsday Preppers</a> shows on the <em>National Geographic</em> channel. They are a really scary bunch who base their lives on preparing for the worst things that they imagine could happen. Somehow I cannot imagine these folks ever reading the new <em>Becoming Fearless</em> section of the HuffPo.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-88297061256601992912012-05-30T11:43:00.000-05:002012-05-30T11:43:42.061-05:00It just depends . . .<b><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F5voBS21o4g/T8ZL1OzIdwI/AAAAAAAAGvI/UFIhuGaDREI/s1600-h/obamaflag%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="obamaflag" border="0" height="244" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-N2WRU84aEqM/T8ZL1sSTzZI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/1f2KYWDvkds/obamaflag_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="obamaflag" width="196" /></a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Where is the rule of law here?</b> “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/world/obamas-leadership-in-war-on-al-qaeda.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2">Secret ‘Kill List’ Proves a Test of Obama’s Principles and Will</a>.” This recent New York Times story has left more than a few people very unsettled. The headline poses the dilemma faced by the United States: Under whose law do we wage war? Will it be President Obama’s enforcement of the law, or the more widespread official legal system of U.S. Constitutional law – Common Law going back to the Magna Carta of 1215 AD? It is a terribly slippery slope upon which the so-called “war on terrorism” has embarked.<br />
<br />
<b>Stated policy does not have the true force of law.</b> No matter how clearly the current executive branch system articulates the principles under which <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/28/brennan-to-pakistan-the-beatings-drone-strikes-will-continue-until-morale-improves/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brennan-to-pakistan-the-beatings-drone-strikes-will-continue-until-morale-improves">targeted drone killings</a> occur, the President under our democratic system cannot act as prosecutor, judge and jury. That means either inside or <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/under-obama-men-killed-by-drones-are-presumed-to-be-terrorists/257749/">outside of our national borders</a>. The rule of law applies everywhere. The rules of war forbid <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/29/john-brennan-liar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=john-brennan-liar">killing of innocent civilians</a>. No matter how much I politically support this president, plan to vote for him in November, believe in his intellect and skill and see him as my leader, his authority is limited by the Constitution’s separation of powers. I am not alone in this opinion. Many <a href="http://www.lawfareblog.com/2012/05/dan-klaidman-on-how-obama-learned-to-kill/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">civil libertarians find the current revelations</a> about the drone war <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/24/john-brennan-assassination-czar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=john-brennan-assassination-czar">deeply troubling</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>No man is above the law.</b> Congress represents the people and can speak for them. The courts interpret the law. Andrew Bacevich writes in <i>Mother Jones</i> about “<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/05/special-operations-military-obama-global-war-ussocom">America’s Rising Shadow Wars</a>.” Subtitled, “President Obama has expanded secret military operations worldwide—a policy that carries serious risks,” the author argues that,<br />
<blockquote>
From a president's point of view, one of the appealing things about special forces is that he can send them wherever he wants to do whatever he directs. There's no need to ask permission or to explain. Employing USSOCOM as your own private military means never having to say you're sorry . . . <br />
Once in a while, members of Congress even <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1991-01-13/news/mn-374_1_persian-gulf">cast votes</a> to indicate approval or disapproval of some military action. With special ops, no such notification or consultation is necessary. The president and his minions have a free hand. Building on the precedents set by Obama, stupid and reckless presidents will enjoy this prerogative no less than shrewd and well-intentioned ones.</blockquote>
<br />
<b>The policies of the Obama administration have evolved</b> a great deal since Barack Obama was Illinois’ Senator Obama. Faced with the expectation that our Presidents will keep us safe as seemingly any cost, President Obama has moved a very long way from where he began in his public service. “<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/27/drones-the-silent-killers.html">Drones: the Silent Killers</a>” is from a <i>Newsweek</i> feature story at the <i>Daily Beast</i>. It opens with excerpts from Daniel Klaidman’s new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0547547897/thedaibea-20/"><i>Kill or Capture: The War on Terror and the Soul of the Obama Presidency</i></a><i>.</i> To quote: <br />
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>The president's troubled reaction to a botched strike during his first month in office </li>
<li>His uneasy acceptance of "signature strikes" in Pakistan, or the targeting of groups of men who bear characteristics associated with terrorism, but whose identities aren’t known. Obama didn't like the idea of "kill 'em and sort it out later," says one source </li>
<li>The formation of a “special troika on targeted killings” that includes Obama, vice chairman of the Joint Chief James “Hoss” Cartwright, and counterterrorism aide John Brennan </li>
<li>Top State Dept. lawyer Harold Koh wondering, “How did I go from being a law professor to someone involved in killing?" </li>
<li>The president’s having “no qualms” about the fatal strike on American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki </li>
<li>Obama’s resistance—and ultimate relenting—to the use “signature strikes” on Yemen’s al Qaeda branch this spring</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<br />
<b>So when it comes to the rule of law</b> over fighting suspected terrorists, it just depends on to whom you listen. We must listen to our President and his National Security Adviser, <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions/blog-author/john-brennan">John Brennan</a>, to Attorney General Eric Holder at the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/ag/">Justice Department</a>, the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oa/divisions/ogc">Office of General Council</a>, Tom Donilon, Chief of Staff/<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc/">National Security Council</a>, and others in the administration. And we must also listen to defenders of liberty from the Fourth Estate, the press.<br />
<br />
<b>Press References:</b><i> <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/GeeCarol/rule-of-law">Rule of Law</a></i> is my <i>Twitter</i> list showing tweets by a number of civil libertarians, investigative journalists and others who have influenced my thinking over the years. They include <a href="http://www.salon.com/writer/glenn_greenwald/">Glenn Greenwald</a> at <i>Salon</i>, the <a href="http://www.aclu.org/human-rights/national-security">American Civil Liberties Union</a> organization, <a href="http://www.thenation.com/authors/jeremy-scahill">Jeremy Scahill</a> at <i>The Nation</i> Magazine, <a href="http://spytalkblog.blogspot.com/">Jeff Stein</a> at <i>SpyTalk,</i> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.truth-out.org/jason-leopold">Jason Leopold</a><i> at TruthOut,</i> <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/">Marcy Wheeler</a> at <i>emptywheel.net, </i>the<i> </i><a href="http://www.lawfareblog.com/"><i>Lawfare</i></a><i> </i>blog, and <i><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/">Democracy Now</a>!</i><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-28278919578651153262012-05-23T10:29:00.000-05:002012-05-23T10:32:17.468-05:00Democracy will not be automatic.<b><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O05NbIOEv24/T70Brqy4s-I/AAAAAAAAGt4/GlNPGJdlbE8/s1600-h/liberty2.jpg"><img alt="freeimages.co.uk buildings" border="0" height="244" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mkBypTLQqs4/T70Br-1GSNI/AAAAAAAAGuA/0wGczqCykgI/liberty_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="freeimages.co.uk buildings" width="141" /></a></b><br />
image by <a href="http://www.freeimageslive.co.uk/free_stock_image/hypercondria-jpg" target="_blank">freeimageslive.co.uk - stockmedia.cc</a><br />
<br />
<b>We must work to preserve Democracy.</b> Freedom and liberty under a constitution do not come easily, nor will a nation endure without care-taking and effort. We in the United States have <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/01/12/who-will-redact-our-next-big-constitutional-debate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=who-will-redact-our-next-big-constitutional-debate">lost something</a> of our constitutional democracy since the turn of the century. And people in the Middle East stand to gain much <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MK24Ak03.html">if democracy can prevail</a> after their "Arab Spring."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nation-nation-look-arab-springs-progress-164759041.html"><b>The Arab Spring</b> did not produce</a> a set of Democratic governments. Although Tunisia probably has the best chance of living under a democratic regime. Syria is still in the midst of a civil war. <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-26/tunisia-election-raises-hopes-for-arab-women-and-democracy-view.html">Women’s roles</a> have come under question in all countries in the Middle East.<br />
<br />
<b>Civil liberties protections</b> for <a href="http://www.salon.com/2007/08/31/surveillance/">U.S. citizens took a beating</a> over the years, following the Bush administration's response after the attacks on the U.S. on 9/11/01. The U.S. government has become more and more <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/google-data-requests/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired27b+%28Blog+-+27B+Stroke+6+%28Threat+Level%29%29">intrusive into our everyday lives</a>. Even now the Obama <a href="http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/05/fisa_renewal.html">administration is pressing</a> for the renewal of the (FISA) Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.<br />
<br />
<b>Expectations of Democracy</b> as a result of nation building were the hallmark of the previous Bush-Cheney administration. <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/robert_kagan/index.html">We came to know Neocons</a> back then as they pursued their aggressive war agenda. They continued to have influence <a href="http://the-reaction.blogspot.com/2012/05/mccain-advises-romney-to-pick-someone.html">in the 2008 campaign</a>. And now they still have not gone away; <a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/3662/warning-mitt-romney-s-advisers-are-george-bush-neocons-calling-for-war-with-iran">they are advising Mitt Romney</a> on foreign policy.<br />
<br />
<b>Our political parties</b> are less able to work together; they are becoming much <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/09/us-election-governors-idUSTRE7A80I020111109?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">more polarized</a>. The rise of the extreme right wing makes widespread repression of citizens' rights possible. <a href="http://www.emptywheel.net/2011/12/01/49-of-michigans-african-americans-to-lose-their-right-to-self-governance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=49-of-michigans-african-americans-to-lose-their-right-to-self-governance">The government of Michigan</a> has actually taken a turn away from Democracy. City after city in Michigan is now run by a governor-appointed administrator.<br />
<br />
<b>T</b><b>he Occupy movement</b> showed <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/24/us-protests-idUSTRE79N61O20111024?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">much promise</a> when it began last year. A <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/10/24/hungry-for-jobs-and-for-change-scientists-join-the-occupy-movement/">wide variety of citizens</a> joined the protests. Recently, however, at the NATO summit in Chicago, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-nato-summit-protests-idUSBRE84I09X20120521?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">protesters were not as numerous</a> as some had expected. The movement has not found its footing yet.<br />
<br />
<b>Democracy is not automatic.</b> We cannot take it for granted that the people of any country will be able to achieve to their full potential. And we do not easily learn from <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/28/us-usa-debt-supercommittee-leaders-idUSTRE79R1ZP20111028?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">our mistakes</a>. One of the keys to building and holding democratic institutions is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/21/us-usa-election-voters-idUSBRE83K07O20120421?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">the election process.</a> The United States and several countries in the Middle East are looking towards electing their next leaders. The best outcomes will be where citizens know what is at stake and what <a href="http://carol-sandy1.blogspot.com/2012/05/is-this-legacy-we-are-leaving.html">leadership is really all about</a>.<br />
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nation-nation-look-arab-springs-progress-164759041.html"><b><br /></b></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-52844429516074509472012-05-21T08:28:00.002-05:002012-05-21T08:31:38.048-05:00South by Southwest gets a new look.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmADZa6GoGs/T7o6VcHtr7I/AAAAAAAAGts/DWCNY5okoXo/s1600/Carol%27s+Desktop+%282%29.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmADZa6GoGs/T7o6VcHtr7I/AAAAAAAAGts/DWCNY5okoXo/s320/Carol%27s+Desktop+%282%29.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>This Blogger website has been redesigned. </b><br />
<br />
<b> </b>If things look unfamiliar, it is because they are new ideas from my desktop. I have been posting at South by Southwest for several years and got bored with the "old" look of it. The new look has an even older image, but it is a better fit with my blog's goals.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>South by Southwest</b></i> began 0n March 29, 2005. Over the years I published 1656 posts with 21,077 page views. Some of the blog posts were great, some were adequate, and some were lazy "throw-aways."<br />
<br />
<b>Always interested</b> in the design, as well as the content, I have
played with the look of my blog. Previous versions are somehow lost in
the fog of time, and it is probably just as well.<br />
<br />
<b>Because I blog less frequently</b> now, I have a few regular subscribers. But no one leaves comments any more. Life has changed for all of us who are now more drawn to the social media.<br />
<br />
<b>Over half of my readers</b> (57%) used Internet Explorer, most of the rest favored Firefox (30%), and the rest used Chrome, Safari, etc. Windows is by far the most popular OS at 94%. The rest are Mac users (2%0, Linux (1%) and iPhone (<1%). My readers come from all over the world. They hail from (in order of frequency): United States, France, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, the UK, Israel, (and tied) So. Korea, Sweden and the Netherlands. I am included in regular "Googlebot" visitors, and on rare occasions I showed up on page one of a Google search.<br />
<br />
<b>So, thanks for coming by.</b> I'll see you again, I hope. <br />
<br />
************ <br />
<br />
<b>My Other Blogs:</b> My creative website is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/secondmondays.blogspot.com/">Making Good Mondays</a>. Follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/GeeCarol">Twitter</a>.<br />
And <a href="http://www.netvibes.com/carolgee#My_Websites">Carol Gee - Online Universe</a> is the home page for all my websites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11788678.post-64166023348896926062012-05-10T09:40:00.002-05:002012-05-10T09:40:53.502-05:00Rounding up the truth about U.S. poverty --<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hxsh3Cki1a0/T6vSUPCXldI/AAAAAAAAGtE/Gbw489AcodQ/s1600/791572_empty-AP-TURE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hxsh3Cki1a0/T6vSUPCXldI/AAAAAAAAGtE/Gbw489AcodQ/s1600/791572_empty-AP-TURE.jpg" /></a></div>
<h4 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">At the end of last year <span style="font-weight: normal;">news reports began to focus on poverty in the United States. </span></span></h4>
<h4 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h4>
<h4 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span>The number of poor Americans</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> hit </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/08/us-usa-poverty-idUSTRE7A634M20111108?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews" style="font-weight: normal;">a record 49 million</a></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> in 2010, according to census figures reported by </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-weight: normal;">Reuters</i></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">. This census info was taken from the ( 9/14/11) </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-weight: normal;">Wall Street Journal</i></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> article: “</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904265504576568543968213896.html" style="font-weight: normal;">Median Household Earnings Fall</a></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> for Third Year.”</span></h4>
<h4 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h4>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Economics experts expose inequality -- </b>“The Texas model of creating <a href="http://robertreich.org/post/10183304775">more jobs through low wages</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> seems to be catching on around America,” says former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich (9/13/11). “<a href="http://robertreich.org/post/9789891366">Our society has become more and more unequal</a>,” Reich writes on 9/4/11. Economist Jared Bernstein <a href="http://www.salon.com/2007/12/13/income_inequality/">presented chapter and verse</a> on this in 2007.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Reuters</i> also reports -- </b>“<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/26/us-usa-income-cbo-idUSTRE79P0HT20111026?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">Incomes for the wealthiest 1 percent</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> of Americans nearly tripled from 1979 to 2007,” reported 10/26/11. “<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/28/us-usa-wallstreet-cboreport-idUSTRE79R3XR20111028?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">Five ways income inequality happened</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">,” reported on 10/28/11. “<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/us-usa-cities-poverty-idUSTRE7A20M120111103?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">Pockets of poverty grow</a> in the United States,” was the conclusion of a study reported on 11/3/11. </span><span style="font-size: small;">More working <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/04/us-newyorkcity-homeless-singles-idUSTRE7A37UR20111104?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">people turned to NYC shelters</a> in the downturn. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Also, i</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/us-un-development-index-idUSTRE7A12BT20111102?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">nequality dents the U.S. rank</a> in a U.N. development index,” was reported on 11/2/11. The <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/08/us-usa-poverty-idUSTRE7A634M20111108?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews">census revealed that poverty rates</a> for the elderly, Asians and Hispanics are higher than previously known. Health inequality <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2011/11/02/income-and-health-inequalities-cut-u-s-s-high-marks-for-development/">added to the problem</a>, according to the <i>Scientific American</i>.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">In conclusion, </span>according to this 4/10/12 article,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">the wider the gap</span></span> between the rich and those in poverty, the worse it gets for everyone. <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wealth-reduces-compassion">A <i>Scientific American</i> article</a> explores, “How Wealth Reduces Compassion.” It seems that, “a</span><span style="font-size: small;">s riches grow, empathy for others seems to decline.”</span>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">South by Southwest</div>Carol Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01477201611599486930noreply@blogger.com0