July 22, 2010 archive

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News at Noon

From Reuters

Jobless claims rise more than expected last week

By Reuters

July 22, 2010

(Reuters) – New claims for jobless benefits climbed more steeply than anticipated last week, the latest sign that the moribund labor market is struggling to recover.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 464,000 in the week ended July 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday, more than erasing a decline in the prior week.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 445,000 from the previously reported 429,000 in the July 10 week, which was revised slightly down to 427,000 in Thursday’s report.

Related Stories

Instant View: June housing starts fall more than expected

Alberto Gonzales (Abu Gonzo) Free and Clear

Yesterday the story snuck out with little fanfare that the two year investigation of Alberto Gonzales, former US Attorney General under the Bush Administration, had concluded. The special prosecutor  in the case, Nora Dannehy, did not find anything Gonzo did or didn’t recall doing or saying regarding the firing of former US Attorney David Inglesias to be criminal in nature.  Unprincipled behavior, yes. Criminal, no.

Confused?   Does it feel as though Justice is being denied?

In case you can’t recall the details, or in case you’ve blotted them from your mind intentionally, see more on the flip side.

Guyland: A Review with Reflections

The concept of masculinity as a societal construct has been consuming my thoughts recently.  Whether we’re talking about Mel Gibson’s brutal rants, Al Gore’s alleged sexual exploits, or any number of recent instances where men fail to act in a responsible fashion, I think it’s time men took a long hard look at ourselves.  American masculinity has never desired to truly examine itself in any detail.  Seemingly obsessed with looking and acting the part, men rarely do the hard work of self-reflection.  We are, in many instances, just as reactive and instantly defensive as the people we criticize.  Though we feign strength, more than a few have confused true empowerment with a cheap imitation–one which is about as deep as the average beer commercial or men’s magazine article.      

Docudharma Times Thursday July 22




Thursday’s Headlines:

G.M., eclipsed at home, soars to top in China

UN in fresh bid to salvage international deal on climate change

USA

Workers on Doomed Rig Voiced Concern About Safety

Three of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government

Europe

Found after 4,000 years: the lost wooden ‘sister’ of Stonehenge

German man dumps son on motorway 300 miles from home

Middle East

Israeli troops get orders to protect civilian welfare

Israel jails Arab for ‘deceit rape’

Asia

North Korea calls on US and the South to halt military exercises

Nepal election stalemate a setback for Maoists

Africa

‘No question’ of Chad arresting Sudan President Bashir

Zimbabweans flee South Africa as xenophobic violence flares

Kosovo independence not illegal, says UN court

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 was not illegal under international law, top UN judge say.

The BBC  22 July 2010

The International Court of Justice was ruling on Serbia’s claim that the secession violated its territorial integrity.

The ICJ’s non-binding ruling may help Kosovo gain wider recognition.

The US and many EU countries support Kosovo’s independence; Russia is strongly opposed to it.

Related stories

Q&A: Kosovo’s future

How Yugoslavia vanished from maps

Addressing the court in The Hague, ICJ president Hisashi Owada said international law “contains no applicable prohibition” of Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Muse in the Morning

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Muse in the Morning

Better than a thousand utterances,

comprising useless words,

is one single beneficial word,

by hearing which one attains peace.

Better than a thousand verses,

comprising useless words,

is one beneficial single line,

by hearing which one is pacified.

–Sahassavagga, The Dhammapada, 100-101

Phenomena XXI: hearing


A Thread

Tintinnabulation

Can you hear

the beating of the universe?

Have you experienced

the pulse, pulse, pulse of the world?

When was the last time

you put your ear to the planet?

Listen closely now

The hour is getting late

Can you hear

your thoughts

before they become words?

The bell of Truth rings

too thin a tinkle

to be called a peal

Can you hear

how it extols us

to move forward

not back

Can you hear

the vibrating stands

of the Tapestry?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–May 23, 2008

Late Night Karaoke

Lee Surrenders To Grant, Obama Retains Slavery

WASHINGTON, DC, April 10, 1865 (FNS)-The Civil War ended yesterday with the surrender of General Lee’s Confederate Forces to Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Commander, at Appomattox.

Although most observers are generally happy with the surrender, many of President Obama’s most loyal supporters are livid with the Commander-in-Chief because of the concessions he made in order to obtain the future support of the Southern Senators who will rejoin the body when the next Session begins.

At a media event this morning, Press Secretary Dick Timoneous expressed the President’s hope that the formerly Confederate Members of Congress are looking forward to changing the political culture and steering the Nation in a better direction:

“It’s time for the opposition to realize that what really matters is putting America first. The President is certain that by offering some concessions now, Southern Senators will look beyond their own parochial interests and do their part to move this process forward.”

Popular Culture (Movies) 20100721: The Night of the Living Dead

OK, I admit that I got you to read this because of its title, but it is not too far from the plot of the old, classic horror flick.  In a nutshell, everyone turns against each other, except for the Living Dead that were united because they had no brain tissue of their own.

The classic line of the film was uttered by the Sheriff, who said, after being asked a question about the motives of the Living Dead, deadpan,, “They’re all messed up.  They’re dead.”

Thus is the performance of the entire cast of the unfortunate episode about the Shirley Sherrod episode, with everyone being brain dead except for her (who acted with dignity), the vile Breitbart, and the FOX “News” Channel.  Please read more.  This is more opinion than fact, but the film puts it in a sort of bizarre perspective.

Roland Martin; Racism, Tears and Fears



Sherrod  to Martin: ‘You are dead wrong/”

copyright © 2010 Betsy L. Angert.  BeThink.org

Once you label me you negate me.

~ Søren Aabye Kierkegaard [Danish Philosopher 1813 to 1855]

The much acclaimed Roland Martin, a Cable News Network Analyst, reacted to a partial report.  Apparently, Mister Martin, acknowledged for his insightful and provocative assessments, heard but a bit of an edited video and responded on a national stage.  Admittedly, barely informed, and unaware of the background, the CNN Correspondent spoke of his antipathy for what he defined as a racist reality. The frequently featured Journalist offered his fervent judgment of Federal Department of Agriculture Director Shirley Sherrod’s actions, none of which occurred.  On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, late in the afternoon, given an opportunity to listen to and speak with the object of his scorn, Shirley Sherrod, the righteous Roland Martin refused to open his mind and ears.  Mister Martin avowed racism is racism regardless of when it occurs or if it is repeated years later.  The consequence, tears and fears flourished.  These were my own.

Roland Martin; Racism, Tears and Fears



Sherrod  to Martin: ‘You are dead wrong/”

copyright © 2010 Betsy L. Angert.  BeThink.org

Once you label me you negate me.

~ Søren Aabye Kierkegaard [Danish Philosopher 1813 to 1855]

The much acclaimed Roland Martin, a Cable News Network Analyst, reacted to a partial report.  Apparently, Mister Martin, acknowledged for his insightful and provocative assessments, heard but a bit of an edited video and responded on a national stage.  Admittedly, barely informed, and unaware of the background, the CNN Correspondent spoke of his antipathy for what he defined as a racist reality. The frequently featured Journalist offered his fervent judgment of Federal Department of Agriculture Director Shirley Sherrod’s actions, none of which occurred.  On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, late in the afternoon, given an opportunity to listen to and speak with the object of his scorn, Shirley Sherrod, the righteous Roland Martin refused to open his mind and ears.  Mister Martin avowed racism is racism regardless of when it occurs or if it is repeated years later.  The consequence, tears and fears flourished.  These were my own.

The character of your accusers will not matter.

Shirly Sherrod was railroaded.

It is the matter of every day for GLB people in the military.  And there is no such thing as a context defense.

They will not ask you or change their minds because your homosexuality was taken out of context.

The character of your accusers will not be taken into account.

The anger at the unfairness of your discharge after years of faithful service will NOT be there.  Instead, you will be told to get a life.  You will be told you want a pony.

You are a political football.  It is for you to hide in silence.  It is for you to serve in silence.  It is for you to be told the value of honor and truthfulness, and yet also for honor to be considered keeping your big mo mouth shut about your mo-ness.

And it won’t matter if you tell.  The character of your accusers will not be considered.

It could be a friend who felt she was slighted by you last Christmas.  It could be someone who wanted sex favors from you and didn’t get them.  It could be your MOTHER who is your accuser.  It could be a police officer who saw a same sex civil marriage contract on your kitchen table, through your kitchen window, investigating a routine complaint, who felt it was his “obligation” to inform the military of your tawdriness.  It could be someone who thinks that homosexuality is an abomination, while they play slap and tickle with the female members of their regiment.

It could be a thief.  But their character will not matter.  At that time, at the time your service is spit upon, you will be told to get a life.  You will be told to get a job, that your service means nothing, and that you are whining.

And Keith Olbermann will most likely not get on national TV and berate President Obama on your behalf.  You see, you are a number.  You are one of the hundreds or thousands of people discharged after a career of honorable service in the military every year.

Oh, he has before, but you are fucking number.  Get in line.  And the anger, oh, the anger will not be there, because President Obama has more important things to do than to worry about you.  He cannot help you, even though he can.  DADT is going away, even though it isn’t.

Your words, any defense you may have, will not be taken into context.  If you are a woman and like women romantically, you are guilty.  If you are a guy and you like the shape of a pair of well turned glutes or six pack abs, you are GUILTY.

And, as you look for a job in this economy in which there is 25% unemployment, this selective anger may irritate you.  It may in fact enrage you.  It may strike you as odd, that while hundreds and thousands of irreplacable military personnel are told to go hunt for food in trash cans or find a job flipping burgers is all your sacrifice was worth, a huge blow up occurred over ONE WOMAN who was, yes, mistreated, as you were, for a lifetime of faithful service.  

While those who are outraged at Shirley Sherrod turn right around and tell you Obama could not protect you, even though he’s the Commander in Chief.

He has to observe the rule of law, you know.  Prosecuting whistleblowers, declining to defend marijuana cases (as you know, he has to defend DADT and DOMA, marijuana being somehow different), continuing to have torture bases, and suspending habeus corpus, not being considered within the purview of the Rule of Law.

Welcome to America 2.0.  Where Keith Olbermann talks about the fomenting of “hate for Americans, by Americans” but millions of Obama supporters will tell you that you want a pony and that giving you justice in your life is the matter of wanting a pony, and that good soldiers wait, perhaps justice cannot be found for you as it is for others, as if you are a six year old girl.

Because that’s what you are.  Not someone who fought and risked your life for your country.  To the Democrats, you are a six year old girl.

Keith Olbermann is not wrong.  But the anger is interesting.  Would that such anger be found for masses of injustice as it is for the singular.