text:
Much talk in the news about the President's "surprise" visit to Iraq. The Administration is spinning this as some daring act of heroism on the President's part. I suspect most of America is responding in the manner my mom did. To paraphrase, "Damn right he should be going over there after he's had all of those people risk their lives for him."
My mom was a big supporter of the bombing or Afganistan. As was I, actually. Indeed, as was most of the international community. But like me, and most of the international community, she's never seen the connection to the War on Terror and the War on Iraq. A couple years ago, my mom was being down right jingoistic, but now she's been completely put off by Bush. I guess it just goes to show its not just the good will of the world he has squandered as he has turned attention away from an increasingly active Al quieda and to the hardly imminently threatening Iraq. So, upon hearing that he was visiting the troops, she thought it was literally the least he could do.
Of course, he's also facing some pretty tough questions from the White House Press Corps over this. Mostly because he just pissed them all off by lying to most of them for weeks and hand-picking a select group of reporters who got to tag along. It reminds me of Valentine's Day in elementary school when it was made very clear to me and my class mates that we had to get Valentine's for everyone, lest anyone feel left out. I guess they didn't touch such lessons in sensitivity to other's feelings back when Bush was in grade school. The greater concern is whether those invited were chosen because they were especially friendly with the White House. And, of course, the President does himself no favors when he basically tells the left out and lied to reporters that they should be thanking him.
This is not to say that a level of secrecy wouldn't have been warrented. Regardless of my personal feelings about his job performance, I certainly can acknowledge that a great deal of care is needed when visiting a war zone. And while it certainly has hints of his grandstanding habits, I am sure the troops appreciated it in a way that the crew of the Air Craft Carrier the White House placed just out of sight of San Diego wouldn't.
Still, it all just feels so over the top. Like W. realized he could live out his spy fantasies as he sneaks around "undercover" posing as a couple with Condi Rice. And of course, his paternal instincts kept kicking in as he threatended to turn Air Force One around if the reporters didn't behave. Seems like this all could have been accomplished if the President planned to have Thanksgiving Dinner at a military base in Germany but was really bound for Iraq. Then you can get a full press contingent who just don't know the scope of their visit until they find themselves getting off the plane in Baghdad.
The other thing is, it doesn't seem like it was all that safe. I mean, he did fly one of the two planes outfitted as Air Force 1. Even with a fighter patrol and AF1's impressive defense measures, seems like that would be a pretty noticable target. They actually were spotted by a British Airways pilot. I'm not expert, but you have to think that some Iraqi with a beef against the US might have noticed it, too.
But, they felt it was secure, so I'll go with their judgement. I'm more concerned by their typical stand-offish response. I'd be more impressed with this sort of thing if it wasn't always so overtly orchestrated or if they weren't premptively defensive. It is reminding me of the minor out-cry over Bush's plane hopping on September 11. A lot of people were fairly upset that our President was not providing visible leadership in one of the darkest hours of American history. But the Secret Service were also fairly concerned about safe-guarding the President's safety. The nation hoping made sense, even if the risk was slight. A few people would find issue, but they really weren't being fair. And yet, the White House still felt compelled to lie about it and make up a story about how they knew Air Force One was being targeted and they had to evade attack. It was all fantasy. They had no such information. Now, they didn't have any reason to lie. They had a reasonable explanation and an understanding public, but they still were making up stories. That's really disturbing all on its own.
opus?
Oh, one more thing. Anyone know where to read the new Opus comic strip online? I can't seem to find any info on it. Thanks for any help!
Sorry for the last post, but I just had to say it. Funny way two months of daily personal insults can take their toil.
I hope everyone's Thanksgiving is going well. Turkey Day has never been a big deal to me, probably because I'm a vegetarian. My Thanksgiving memories are of being at relatives and feeling uncomfortable at everyone trying to accomidate me. That's the thing that sucks the most about being a veggie is other people feeling bad about not accomidating you. I genuinely don't mind. Obviously, its something I'm used to and completely understanding about, but it makes me feel bad that they are feeling bad, and its all just a big vicious cycle.
So, the last two years, I've just stayed by myself all day. Actually, I did that the previous two years when I lived with my ex, but that was mostly because I wasn't allowed to see her family so the option of spending the day with her was out of the question. BUT ANYWAY... I've just kept to myself the last two years and I really don't mind. Its kinda nice. I'm making some Salmon Mignon, got myself one of those little Frisbee pies so I've got that covered, and am just going to chill out. Watch some parade, watch some football, and just relax. I actually have to work on Friday (and Sunday, for that matter) so the little break will come in handy. Might even catch up on some email I've been long delinquent on and maybe right some posts I keep meaning to. Maybe if I toss them all out at once, my cyber stalker won't know what to insult! Now there is an idea.
But, until then, my best wishes for a happy holiday to you all, and special good wishes to Kell and her progress with NaNoWriMo. Happy Thanksgiving!
for all of my bald gay readers
Some very positive news out of the Bay State this weekend. While Massachusetts has tended to poll in favor of gay marriage, the numbers have always been close. Back in April, it was 50% supporting and 44% opposing, and that was before the jump in opposition that was seen in national polls after the Lawrence decision from the Supreme Court and Canada's move to legalize gay marriage. One might have suspected a surge in opposition after last week's court ruling.
Actually, it was the opposite. Well, kinda.
Support stood firm at 50% but opposition took a steep drop. Also, opposition to a Constitutional Ammendment banning gay marriage was even stronger, sitting at 53% opposed. That has to be a positive sign that the Commonwealth can hold the line on this, even if the politicians try to dump an Ammendment in our laps. Especially since the soonest it would be on the ballet would be during a mid-term election year with a Governor race to boot. A high turn-out would reduce the chance for a bill with marginal poll numbers to sneak through.
When asked about affording the legal rights and responsibilities, some polls saw the numbers climb very high, in fact. Up past 70% support, actually. This offers more reason to suspect that if this issue can be framed properly, that support will jump. If people know this discussion is about the civil institution and nothing to do with their personal religious beliefs, I think a lot more people would be uncomfortable opposing gay marriage. All interesting signs. One negative, though, is that the state's Governor and Attorney General and blatently misinterpreting the rulling as permiting Vermont-style civil unions instead of marriages, when almost all legal scholars and observors have noted how emphatic it was they were talking about marriage and that "seperate but equal" wouldn't remedy their concerns. But, I suspect the politicians are intent on calling the court's bluff on this one, and the court could well back down. I'd be comfortable with a seperate system, as long as it was called marriage, too. Either that, or start calling all civil marriages, civil unions and be done with it.
In non-gay marriage related news, I'm increasingly pissed off with these anti-baldness ads. It seems like once or twice a year, some baldness "cure" puts out an ad which is just out-right mean-spirited, and that time is now. Honestly, I can't think of a better case of someone promoting a stigma to promote their product. Not to say that there isn't stigmatization of baldness in our culture, but there is still something uncomfortably annoying about the way they are trying to promote those prejudices. I regard baldness cures in pretty much the same light as diet products to begin with, but outside of the dreck from Stacker 2 or, apparently, Amstel Light, they usually aren't just mean when promoting stigmas. Still, I'm not sure their faux emotional promotion of the same stigmas is any better. In a lot of ways, I can see how the mother who tells a story of how their child hated them for being fat doing a lot more damage than the gleeful cruelty of of an actress portraying a girlfriend bashing the boyfriend's formerly receeding hairline by means of praising his hairied self. But, lesser of two evils style discussions like this are always dramatically uninspiring. (yeah, i know that makes no sense, but it sounds nice) But the cruelty of the baldness cure ads increasingly seem to be more interested in promoting stigmatization than in just taking advantage of it.
what to write, what to write...
Been debating topics to write about for a few days. I've been really burned out all month from work and haven't been writing as much as I'd like. Thank goodness I abandoned NaNoWriMo, because I'd be in no shape to write anything. But, this isn't a whine about work blog. Not that I think my superiors are web saavy enough to find me anyway, but I *really* am not interested in either boring you with that or dwelling on work on my own time.
Been thinking about writing a follow up to the gay marriage debate. For all my hand-wringing over worries of a back-lash, I've also found two reasons to look more optimistically at the situation. For one, gay marriage in Massachusetts is inevitable. Its gonna happen, that's pretty clear right now. That means any move to ban gay marriage is going to be a move to revoke people's rights, a move to end happy marriages. I'm not sure that will sit well with a lot of people. Arguing for the status quo is always easier, and in 6 months, gay marriage is going to be the status quo in the Commonwealth. The debate of gay marriage is dominated by moderates who currently disagree with gay marriage, but not that strongly. It may really challenge those people when real faces are put on this issue.
Also, I'm encouraged that the GOP wants to make an issue out of gay marriage in 2004. I think they are radically overestimating how much this means to that vast expanse of moderates. The people in the middle are precisely the type to be motivated by discouragement over the jobless "recovery", massive budget deficits, and the lack of focus in the Iraqi occupation. Abortion never ignited these people. Why is gay marriage going to? The real kicker is I think a lot of those people actually would support gay marriage if they thought about it too long. Especially since the GOP seems ill-prepared to keep the gay-hating attack dogs at bay, which will really put off the moderates. The hyperbole employed by even Republican leaders is going to annoy people. This maybe a deciding issue in 2004, but only if the GOP is hanging themselves with it.
But that's about all I have to say about that.
Thought about doing my second random thoughts post, but I really only have one random thought. How long will it take Ashton Kutchner to get washed-up enough to be doing Old Navy commercials?
Oh, and White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures freaking rule. I wish they'd make that a perminant variation. Its easily the best of the Reese's limited editions this year. I hated the Honey Roaster ones. Bleck!
And did you know Bloom County is (kinda) coming back? Opus anyway. Really, this is too important for a random thought. I loved Bloom County and Outland back in the day when I was too young to understand all of it. Its due back in the form of Sunday only strip starting this Sunday. Expect it to join Boondocks and Get Fuzzy among my linked comics. I've always loved the funny pages, especially the artists who really respect the medium. I'm still a little annoyed that we don't get any more Calvin and Hobbes. I'd also LOVE to be able to own all of the Peanuts strips over the years. Schultz *made* comic strips what they are. To paraphrase Get Fuzzy's aritst, all comics are either rip offs of Peanuts or rip offs of Far Side. (Darby Conley actually said that all comic strip artists fall into two categories: those who started out ripping off Far Side, and those who won't admit they started out ripping off Far Side because they still are).
Have two longer posts I want to write, but I suspect they'll bore the heck out of my readers. Well, except the troll who can always be depended upon to read very closely to find out the best way to misrepresent something to justify his/her obsession with me. With the impending release of X-Men 2 on DVD, I kinda want to talk a bit about my super-hero fandom. You see, its funny because I hate comic books, but love comic book movies. That's pretty much the jist of the considered post, except I also bitch about why Warner Brothers is planning a new Superman movie instead of trying to build on their already successful Superman property, Smallville.
I also wanted to write a bit about my thoughts about being a moderate progressive (which in non-progressive circles means a solid progressive) but I think I've overdone it with politics in the last couple of days.
So, I write about nothing much. Just be glad I'm not discussing the latest episode of Angel or something horribly bloggish like that. hehe
The top court in Massachusetts just tossed out a ban on gay marriage in Massachusetts and have ordered the legislature to fix it within 180 days. The kicker is, they specifically stated that Vermont style Civil Unions would not satisfy the court's concerns with the law. Simply put, seperate but equal ain't enough. Hawaii and Alaska both saw the same thing, but each were able to get amendments passed. Although an amendment to the State Constitution would probably pass, it also seems like there is enough support in the state Senate to prevent it from getting out of convention. What's more, procedures in Massachusetts would prevent such an amendment from taking effect until 2006, at which point the genie will be decidedly out of the bottle.
I'm frankly stunned at this. It's been hanging for about 6 months as the Court considered the case, a really extraordinary length of time for deliberation. Moreover, I was expecting the court to take the stance lower courts did, that this is an issue that is best left to the legislature. I kinda agreed with that, too, but never very strongly. I am deeply concerned about what damage could be done to the movement for gay rights by too much coming too soon. I mean, the Supreme Court only recently decided that having consentual gay sex was a protected activity, and even THAT caused an outrage. I worry that more mainstream unease with homosexuality could be ignited if the marriage thing came too quickly. At the same time, it is impossible to ignore how many extraordinarily important changes took place in this country because the courts stepped in. Indeed, the only important change in civil rights that took place without the courts was the abolishing of slavery, which the Supreme Court got very, very wrong. They got segregation wrong, too, but they also took the opportunity to fix that. Sometimes, that is the only way for change to take place.
I guess my concern is that I don't think this is the only way to break down bans on gay marriage. I think it is increasingly clear that things are moving overwhelmingly in the direction of supporting gay rights, and it may well have happened within a decade or two on its own. If, however, constitutional ammendments are passed, that will make things MUCH more difficult. Especially in the thankfully unlikely event that a federal ammendment gets passed. But, even gay marriage opponents don't think that's a good thing. A few of them aren't as hypocritically conservative as others.
Former Rep. Bob Barr, for instance, is at least consistant to his philosophy. Hardly a friend to the gay lobby, he is the guy who spearheaded the stupid fight for the Defense of Marriage act. But, he's at least being consistant. The DOMA allowed states to refuse to recognize gay marriages performed out of the state and denied federal benefits to gay partners. Seemed like a much ado about nothing, at the time, but it seems Barr has a soft touch. He's an ardent federalist, and doesn't like the idea of meddling with the constitution to either restate what the DOMA already does or more importantly, forbid states from setting their own marriage laws as they sit fit. He is, it seems, one Republican who really means it when he says "State's Rights". He doesn't just want it when it serves his idealogy. I still think the guy is dead wrong, but I do admire ideaological consistancy like that.
But, for now, a huge victory for gay marriage may be 180 days away. I just hope it isn't a prelude to a lot of huge setbacks.
i hate the music industry
Have I mentioned how much I hate the music industry? Because I really hate the music industry. They are destroying music, running their business like idiots, and then they blame their fans for their troubles. I've never downloaded an album I could have bought. I have bought albums because I had downloaded tracks, though. I'm not alone, either. Downloading has, at times, made me more motivated to be interested in music.
I'm lucky that my favorite band, R.E.M., is astonishingly downloader friendly. Although in this day and age that's really just being fan friendly. I'm amazed at what they do for their fans interested in their work, and it has managed to increase my interest in one the handful of acts I'm really interested in. A while back, they released an entire album online. Not new stuff, granted, but it was an album of remixes from their most recent album. A mixed bag, but it was just plain awesome that they did it. Even offered album art to download. They've also offered their explicit endorsement to a fan downloading site which fosters trading in bootlegs and B-Sides among their fans. They even got better when they recently offered access to ALL of their videos and some live video to boot. Yes, ALL of their music videos. How cool is that? I mean, this is a band known for their cutting edge and creative videos, and they've got it all there. This is an act doing things right. They've also got the clout to do that. Most artists are too busy being stuck in the disturbingly unfair contracts that are standard in the music biz. Any time the music companies claim they are doing things to protect the poor artists, they are lying. Its that simple. Did you know a musician whose music is sold online as a download is still charged in their royalties the cost of damaged CD's? Do you know how many pennies an artist receives from those low-overhead music downloads? Do you know the music companies aren't even bothering to PAY the artists for the download services they set up?
I recently bought an MP3 player. Well, okay, not really. Its one of those CD players that can play CD's burned with MP3's. A cool comparmise from a real MP3 player. But, it requires blank CDs, which I've started using a lot. I stocked up on them years ago when I first got a CD burner because they were dirt cheap. And I mean CHEAP. I got 250 blank CD's without paying a cent through really generous rebates. Now, I wouldn't expect that forever, but the regular price was still good. Now, they cost a ton. And why? Because they are secretly taxed and the proceeds go directly to the music companies. Its supposed to also go to artists, but guess who isn't paying the artists their share of these taxes? The tax is secret because its built into the retail price of the blank CD's, much like blank cassette tapes. The theory is that it is to pay for the music downloading that goes. But, you pay whether you use the CDs to back up files or to burn music. Doesn't matter. Everyone pays.
Which is pretty much when I stopped feeling remotely sorry for the music industry. Why shouldn't I steal music when I've already been fined just in case I steal music? Honestly, how am I supposed to think what I'm doing is wrong when I'll be punished for it whether I do it or not.
What's frustrating is that the companies are sitting on a goldmine in their back catalogs. This is stuff they aren't making a red cent on, but absurdly get to control. Dump all of that great old stuff on a site, charge a low monthly or yearly fee, and allow unlimited downloading. And don't handicap the files, either. Allow them to be used however the buyer pleases. Fair use is protected in the US, even if the music comapnies don't like it. I can tell you I'd sign up for that. I remember a Mama Cass special a while back (check my post from 9.20.2003) and I kept thinking that I'd love to hear more of her early folk stuff. But I'm no idiot. That stuff is non-existant on CD. I'd have loved to have been able to just jump online and download it. I can think of tons of stuff I'd love to have. Yes, it'd cost money to set up, but this is stuff they aren't earning a dime on that could definetly bring in some cash. Plus, it'd work to preserve culture, which ought to be an obligation of the Music Industry. But, as we've seen with the attacks on copyright limits, the entertainment biz doesn't much care about advancing the arts and sciences.
Ah, screw it. I know that this is vitriol. No solution, spleen-venting, but I feel better having screamed. Don't you?
(Major brownie points to anyone who can identify that without googling)
wes clark loses me
This is what you get for pandering to the jingoistic American Legion. I wanted to like Wesley Clark, I really did. But I cannot support a candidate who believes in meddling with the first amendment. We have never passed a repeal of our First Amendment rights, and we never should. Freedom of expression is perhaps our most important liberty. It is supremely American and it is an insult to all that our flag stands for to suggest we roll-back those rights. This is a liberty our founders took very seriously, and it is something every American should be proud of.
I got to sit through a day long American Legion propaganda session when I did Boy's State in high school trying to pressure us to support their effort to re-write freedom of expression. Their lack of a coherant point was breath-taking. It was pure jingoism meant to indoctronate 16 and 17 year olds. Indeed, the whole flap over flag burning is a much-ado-about-nothing scenario. It's a fake issue. Flag burnings happen so infrequently as to further make a mockery of the supposed justification of re-writing the constitution. This just doesn't deserve such attention. Its an issue being exploited by people. This is no reason to undermine the Constitution.
America is more than a symbol. It is more than 13 bars, 50 stars, and a field of blue. What makes our nation is justice, liberty, freedom. That is what our soldiers fight for when the fight under our flag. This is what my father and my grandfather fought for. Not for the flag itself, but for what it means. Frankly, I think it represents a massive failure in teaching civics that this is not just understood. That people don't understand that the flag is nothing compared to what this nations really stands for. We, as a nation, clearly have not adequately informed our citizenry of what it means to be an America. Our Constitution ought to be much more sacred than our flag. Even if you don't think people ought to be burning flags, how can you think it merits meddling in such a genuinely sacred symbol of America.
I don't like it that people burn the flag to make a point. I think it is callous and unproductive. But that is their right. If it is okay for someone to promote horrible racism, how can we say that burning some fabric is the more heinous crime? Both are bad, but also are proof of the resiliency of the American nation and the American spirit. Someone burning our flag is no threat to our nation. How dare we repeal the first amendment to outlay such an unimportant issue. We should not embarass the generations to come with the specticle of a crossed out amendment. We made a mistake once in our history, and it remains a national shame that we abused our Constitution over such a trivial issue as alcohol. There are important reasons to ammend the Constitution. Flag burning is most decidedly NOT it.
Some say that this amendment is intended to be for our veterens. Rather than tamper with a liberty those veterens served in defense of, why not provide more health care for those have performed duty for the armed forces? Why not shore up the benefits our injured soldiers can recieve. A former POW who was shot twice in the line of duty was offered a paltry 30% disability. That is respect for our veterens? Effort that could be spent protecting those who risk life and limb for all that that this nation stands for is instead spent pursuing a silly perversion of our Constitution.
So, I have lost a great deal of respect for Wesley Clark. He was pandering to an American Legion audience. He should know better. As should Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich who have also consistantly supported repealing a freedom of expression. Howard Dean has gone the route of attacking the first ammendment but not clearly stating that HE wants to attack the first ammendment. I don't get it, either, but thus far he hasn't had the power to actually make this issue a problem. And much credit must be given to John Kerry, John Edwards, and Joe Lieberman who have defended the sanctity of our Constitution in the US Senate, as did Carol Moseley-Braun when she served as Senator. I can't find what Al Sharpton thinks, but I guess he doesn't support amending the Constitution. I still single out the Senators who have made a real contribution to defending our Constitution and am especially ashamed of the Representatives who made a contribution to meddling with it.
oh, me of little faith (and ability)
Not long after I "gave up" on my novel, I started reconsidering what my issues were. I largely decided that my concept was the primary problem and it was just too weak for what I wanted to do with it. Now, when I first thought about doing NaNoWriMo, I had an idea pop into my head right away but I dismissed it as too science fiction-ish. This wasn't entirely fair, as the idea was really a sort of post-modern after-life mythology, but it seemed close enough. When I gave up on the college story, though, I reconsidered my original idea. In about 6 hours of thinking about it, I had a very fully formed plot, a strong cast of characters, two alternative endings, and a very good understanding for the physical reality of the novel. I was feeling very secure, and very silly for my prior defeatism. But, I continued to procrastinate the actual writing.
I finally sat down today to work on it, and I tossed off 1,000 words in about an hour. Problem is, I hated it. So, I'm back where I was before, only with a better idea now. I'm still thinking overly visually. I'm seeing the story, but that doesn't mean I'm translating it well at all. I still have the basic problem that I don't know how to write fiction. Based in no small part to me not reading much fiction. I'd like to get back to it, so I'm thinking of the project on hiatus, but I have no illusion that I'll be able to do anything this month. But, I'm really excited about the idea which leaves me a little creatively frustrated.
Ah, well. For another day, I suppose.
movie review- elf
I saw the new holiday comedy Elf over the weekend and was quite amused. It worked on just about every level and had quite a few laugh out loud moments, which is saying a lot for me. I like my comedy, but I'm usually amused inwardedly, you know? But there were more than a few moments when I just burst out laughing.
Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf is used to perfection. He carries the movie but manages to not get old. He threatens at a couple points, but the director held firm and rode through the rough waters. This is what Ferrell does best, without a doubt, and his given the room to do what he does, but not more than is needed. This is best accomplished by an outstanding supporting cast that is more than capable of holding their own with the sceen stealing Ferrell. James Cann is very suited to the role of Buddy's Naughty List residing father. He's bad, but not so bad that his redemntion seems inappropriate. Zooey Deschanel is a revelation as Buddy's object of affection. Its a too small part, but Zooey's work makes it hold its own. She was really so good that I was surprised I hadn't seen her in much. Especially when I realized what I recognized her from were from two great films, Almost Famous and The Good Girl, I was stunned that I haven't seen more from her. She was really spot on. I can't even quite explain the effect she created, but it was that kind of awkward, counter-culture cute that seems to go over well in Hollywood and I didn't really see what seperated Zooey from, say, Maggie Gyllenhaal who seems a lot more recognizable. There's also some other actresses doing this sort of thing that I can't remember right now. ANYWAY, the supporting cast also featured some great turns from Faizon Love, Mary Steenburgen, Amy Sedaris, and especially Bob Newhart as Buddy's adoptive father and Ed freakin' Asner as Santa Claus. How cool is that?
ANYWAY, the story is really held together by excellent writing. A lot of time is taken up in setting up the story, which means they do kind of rush the resolution. This bothered me at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw this as a good trade-off. Setting up the North Pole so well allowed them to go where they did with Buddy's character. It had to be understood that he really wasn't an idiot, just very very earnest. It wasn't just him, after all. We saw it. It really gave them a lot of freedom to do a lot of funny stuff. It also made the quick resolution make some sense, as we could understand what an honest and genuine person Buddy was, we could understand how he could change these people so quickly.
But, that's reading a lot more than is necessary into what aspires to nothing more than being a fun Christmas movie. Good for adults, good for kids, and quite possibly a holiday classic in the making in the mold of Scrooged.
(I'm always amazed at how an agnostic like myself can get into Christmas every year, but I guess that's just a testament to what a secular holiday it has become.)
arnold and the private dick
Governor Elect Schwarzenegger is hiring a private investigator to investigate allegations of Arnold's wide-spread groping.
Um, huh?
His hiring a private eye to find out if he, himself, has done anything wrong?
I feel bad for the people who didn't vote for Arnold, because you got stuck with a REAL piece of work.
casual day in the presidential race
Right in my own proverbial backyard, we had 8 of the 9 remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination appearing at a Rock the Vote forum/debate at Fanuial Hall. I missed the debate, both in person and on TV, but have been checking on the stories to find out what the deal with Howard Dean's confederate flag comments were. Now understanding the context, I have to say that I do think Edwards and Sharpton were wrong to attack him for it BUT that Dean did an embarassingly bad job defending himself. If you're going to take the route of a defiant defense, you should be able to put up a good one, and Dean didn't. The shame is, he did have a good point, but even I didn't get it until his last remark. And his initial comment didn't provide ANY of the context which made the remark a statement in support of racial diversity rather than pandering to racial tension.
The other thing I noted in the candid photographs of the event is how all of the candidates were clearly getting along, inspite of the bickering that went on in the debate. That is a powerful image that the Democratic Party NEEDS to use. Primarily elections need to be divisive, but we also need to show a unified front. I trust that is the belief of everyone in the race (though I have concerns about Sharpton due to past behavior, and Kucinich due to current remarks) and this needs to be stressed. The primaries are important, but do not show a lack of resolve on the part of Democrats. It better not, anyway. Any progressive who tries to claim there is no difference between a Democrat and George W. is going to look like a damn idiot now. They did back in 2000, mind you, but Nader was able to sway enough people with his false advertising. We mustn't let this happen again.
The other big issue, of course, is what they were wearing. To appeal to young voters, the candidates went casual to varying degrees. Mosley Braun, um, well she looked normal. So did Lieberman and Sharpton who came in wearing jackets which they both shed for the forum. Which actually left Sharpton looking kinda silly since his was a three-piece suit and he kept on an unbuttoned vest. Meanwhile, John Kerry lost a jacket, but he was already tie-less. Dean had no jacket, it seems, but he did have his sleeves rolled in a manner even I (a compulsive sleeve roller-upper) found goofy. And finally we had the turtleneck twins, Clark and Kucinich who just seemed out of place. Clark had on a black suit with a black turtleneck, which was really forboding on camera. I think Kucinich did the same, but lets face it, he will never look forboding.
Other then that, I have no idea what happened. Eh, I'll find out tomorrow on The Daily Show. I really need to pick a horse soon, though. I was really high on Kerry, but I'm still quite open to Clark and Edwards. Massachusetts' primary elections are early enough that they might still matter, but late enough to lose the non-starters.
well, that didn't take long
I don't like my novel. Its got no plan and no point. I should have planned more. I might try to plot it out a bit more, but I'm considering it on semi-perminant hiatus.
Not that I'm completely undaunted. My greatest flaw here was haphazard planning. I may try to do some reading of appropriate books for inspiration, a bit of research, some actual planning for the plot, and maybe a whole change of outlook on the project. As I'm pretty sure it won't be done this month, maybe I'll drop the novel concept and move back to my old idea for writing a graphic novel. We'll see.
See, this is why I didn't think I was going to go through with this. hehe.


We will be filling this page with links to studies. It will be broken down to things like Cannabis & Opioids & Cannabis & Fibromyalgia, to help you find the science behind many different cannabis topics. Right now we only have our first few studies up but we'll be adding more soon so stay tuned for more info about how cannabis is saving lives!


A hydroelectric power plant which is operated underground with seawater according to the principle of a pumped-storage power station.
The solution I would suggest for this is essentially based on the idea for a power plant that works according to the principle of a pumped storage power station. I found an inspiration for my suggestion in Moscow Metro. In principle the general basic structure of my proposal is due to this structure. Theoretically, according to this principle, any amount of electricity can be generated. The problem is that the amount of water available is limited and that a corresponding location for the difference in height must be present. To solve this problem with the limited amount of water, I would use the sea as a source of water. But in contrast to other solutions, the sea is used as the upper water basin and the sea water in the process remains at sea level. The power plant itself would not be in the sea but under the coast in an underground cavern in about 75 meters depth. Since I would like to use the sea as a water source for my suggestion, the power plant could be built at a depth of less than one hundred meters. So not essential deeper than most subways in the world ( Moscow metro 80 meters deep).The entire world-wide coastal areas could be basically used for the site selection. The function of the lower water basin take over at my idea tunnel tubes as they are used in road construction. In order to be able to pump the water used for the generation of electricity again from the plant, it needs a further energy source, in my solution it would be a wind turbine. The selection of the second energy source depends essentially benefits and its performance.
At google under "imgur.com/xCGWilf" is a simple representation of my Suggestion to see.
My proposal would certainly make it possible to meet the worlds electricity requirements. But like every idea, it needs a starting point to make it work. In order to find this, the key players should not only be involved, but also take a leading role.This is intended to avoid competition from the outset. Many ideas fail because they are in competition with existing forms or systems. In addition,these potential actors ( such as the energy suppliers ) have the necessary knowledge, the appropriate staff and above all about the financial resources to be truly successful. Because of this consideration are the US is best suited to be the starting point for my proposal and to take the appropriate measures. One of the first measures would then be to convince the US economy of my proposal. This would enable them new to reposition in the field of energy supply, either in their own interest or for commercial purposes. Important climatic goals could not only be reached but even exceeded. A further advantage of this measure would certainly be that the construction of such power stations is a economic stimulus program with many new jobs ( It might be a comparison with the construction of the railway lines connecting the East to the West. ). Since the power stations are located in an underground hall, the use of workers with experience in the mining industry is certainly a good thing. For example, a large number of coal industry workers could find a new employment.This measure would ultimately have the effect that the US would be able to produce its electricity as far as possible free of emissions. This in turn would have an impact on the global power supply and would increase the pressure to generate the electricity of the future free of emissions. The next measure would be the independence from fossil fuels. With the possibility of generating large amounts of electricity, areas such as deserts could be developed and used. Here, among other on an industrial scale, fuel could be obtained from plants. This enables the automotive industry to continue to use combustion engines in the future, while at the same time reducing, the pollutant emissions. Important actors such as the petroleum industry should play a leading role, this would certainly increase the chances of a becoming independent of the oil. It would be possible to realize a vision of Rudolf Diesel - to operate engines on a exclusively with oils from plants basis. Even if it seems at first glance contradictory, the mineral oil companies are to use for my suggestion. But, finally, oil from plants in sufficient quantity and, above all, economically profitable, would certainly be highly welcome. If the corresponding decision-makers in the USA would like to get to my idea, similar projects would soon follow worldwide. An advantage that would result from this measure would be that it would be much more independet of climatic influences such as caused by droughts or flooding. There are certainly many other measures or ideas resulting from my suggestion and a direct impact on global pollutant emissions. But a major advantage of my proposal is is that in principle no major changes in daily life or even restrictions are necessary to achieve important goals of the climate and environmental protection. I understand my suggestion exclusively as a new additional possibility to gain electricity, which could then be used appropriately. An important measure must then be observed and implemented in my proposal. In the introduction under section "Transfer and distribution" was pointed out. A new power grid would be needed for such large amounts of electricity. My suggestion allows to build a power station in the immediate vicinity of the consumer as long as they are within the vicinity of a sea or body of waters. In order to reach other areas, should be routed electricity cables installed in artificial and natural waterways. This would enable significantly more potential consumers to supplied. If this is not enough, maybe it could be possible to use large roads like motorways to install underground power cables. These roads are fully developed, easily accessible, the property question is largely clarified, is can be laid relatively quickly or conveniently, could be well guarded, is better protected from external conditions and leads directly to many potential electricity consumers. The existing electricity networks would not have to be used at my proposal. It would be a new independent electricity network.
A) The energy suppliers, could use my suggestion to improve and modernize their possibilitis for the generation of electricity. This gives them the opportunity to make an important contribution to achieving important climate and environmental targets. At the same time, the power supply and the electricity requirements could be ensured or covered by these companies. B) The industry, could make the production and manufacture of their products largely free of emissions and certainly increase their competitiveness. The future of companies and their employes would be much safer. C) The economy, could generate sufficient electricity based on my proposal, for example, to operate a variety of desalination plants economically. This would make it possible to develop new cultivation areas in order to plants for the production of fuels ( such as sugar cane, oil palm trees, etc. ) without the known side effects. The area of transport, global trade and logistics could largely function without harmful emissions. But also other important areas of agriculture and livestock would then mainly produce emissions free. D) Cities and conurbations could become independent of fossil fuels and produce their own emission-free electricity. These could contribute to a significant reduction in pollutant emissions. E) The countries by means of such power plants have sufficient electricity available to achieve economic and political stability. It would then be possible to use funds for the expansion of those countries.
There are certainly still more key actors who play an important role through in my proposal, but I think the question is have answered as far possible.
The measure could be carried out wherever the topographical prerequisite conist ( near a sea or a like waters ) and where there is a the willingness to reach the power supply free of emissions. The most important reason why one should decide for my suggestion and thus also the question about the site selection clarifies is that my proposal would ultimately be better and more effective than the existing possibilities for generating electricity. But so that my proposal can really be successful and would be applied worldwide, someone would have to take the lead role. The metropolitan areas in the leading industrial countries are probably best suited to take a decisive role by the site selection in relation to my proposal. There my proposal should be realized first because, in the end, the main causes, of man-made emissions are mainly in these places. A realization of my proposal in these places could provide visible the evidence for my suggestion and that would lead to a realization everywhere in the world. Thus, the question of location selection could be answered by the people themselves precisely and comprehensively. The site selection for industry sector is mainly based on the advantages my proposal for this could offer. For instance, the heavy industry, especially the steel industry, could produce its own electricity without emissions. This would certainly be a great advantage compared to those which depend on an external and possibly fossil energy source. Accordingly, these companies would look carefully to choose a location where their interest would best combine with my proposal. Since my proposal is a purely theoretical option for generating electricity, no specific location is proposed for my proposal.
My proposal is primarily aimed at people and companies who want to convert 100% of their to electricity requirements to emission-free generation. Therefore, it would certainly not be very serious a result even to present with the corresponding comparative data. But it would is possible is to fix a result to the given 100% achieve. If the relevant actors would agree to my proposal, for example, all relevant and man-made emission sources could be replaced 100% in a timely future. In order a achieve the greatest possible and positive effect on climate change.
This is probably best explained by theoretical examples. If the US economy would be convinced of my suggestion, they would certainly to build not only in the USA but also worldwide such power plants. An area which is particularly suitable for such an investment is the North African coastal region with the adjacent desert. Together with other possibilities for generating electricity ( wind and sun ), enormous amounts of electricity could be generated there. This electricity could then be used to create new living space for hundreds of millions of people and a new market with a huge potential. In new metropolitan areas, a large number of products could be produced. Agricultural products such as plants for the production of oils could be planted there withhout destroying an important ecosystem such as a rainforest. Millions of people would no longer have to leave the African continent and could chance build a secure future there with the help of American companies. This example shows very well which advantages a such suggestion brings with it. To show the advantage of my proposal with regard to a city I would like to take the example of New York. For my example, I use fictitious average to be able to represent the whole better and would therefore go out from 3 million homes for New York. If the owners of these households, with an average lump sum of 50 dollars per household and month for 10 years, participate in the construction of such power plants, these would be provide available 18 billion dollars. For this, they receive not only emission-free electricity after completion, but also free electricity depending on the proportion. They would be joint owners of these power plants and would have a right to this electricity. The city itself could safely reach its targets with regard to an emission-free city. I would like to use Germany as an example in the context of achieving a country's climate goals. There, a turn in the energy supply was initiated in order to become more independent of fossil fuels. But that seems to be more difficult than expected. My proposal could there certainly be very helpful, which would apply to the generation and distribution of electricity.
The danger of a power outage (blackout) could be significantly reduced.
In estimating the costs for my proposal I have mainly oriented to the costs of a nuclear power plant. For real comparison data, I have therefore used the nuclear power plant of Hinkley Poin C with two reactors 1600 megawatts each. The planned costs for this reactor were estimated at €3 billion euros, or about €950 million euros for 1000 megawatts. As the first reference point, I have therefore set $1 billion US dollar for a 1,000 megawatt power plant. As a second reference point, I chose the pumped storage power plant in Goldisthal/Germany with an output of 1060 megawatts and the cost total of €600 millions euros. In my suggestion I would take over these costs for a power plant in my proposal for $800 millions dollars and the costs for the tunnel tubes, wind turbine, tunnel boring machines etc. $1,5 to $2 billion US dollars. So I get a presumed basic price for my proposal at a power 1000 megawatts from $2,5 to $3 billion US dollars. If the actual costs of a new nuclear power plant (1000 megawatts)for a comparison become used, my proposal could also cost $4.0 to $4.5 billion US dollars and would be still cheaper. If the information for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in England and the new nuclear power plant Oliluoto 3 in Finland are correct, would have my proposal in terms of costs certainly had good chances for a realization. My proposal is primarily to be an option, for very large companies such as energy corporations or investment companies. These have the necessary capital to be realized about my suggestion..
According to data from the Internet, some 28 million companies are registered in the US. If from these average 10 million would willing to pay 100,000 dollars a year into a common fund, they would have 1 trillion dollars in year to disposal. If these would ready to do so for 10 years, such a trading company would be able to get the incredible sum of 10 trillion dollars. And this with an average equity ratio of 1 million dollars. With this huge sum, US companies can continue to meet their leadership role needs in the world and respond appropriately to the most important challenges of our time. I am sure my suggestion would there highly welcome and could be fully financed.
The first impact of my proposal would probably be an economic upswing that would result from the construction of the new energy supply. With the financing of my proposal is based on the described financing example, a fast and comprehensive realization of my proposal is to be expected. I consider 30 to 35 years as realistic for the worldwide implementation of an emission-free energy supply. The year 2050 would probably be a suitable target for this. During this period, the effects on the environment would first become apparent in the metropolitan areas, where would a clear reduction in air pollution. Since the automobile industry can offer vehicles with electric motors or combustion engines with plant-based fuels in sufficient numbers. Power plants with fossil fuels such as coal are replaced and switched off. Through the possibility to gain new surfaces for agriculture, relevant ecosystems can be preserved and protected. It would give the nature time and space to recover. I measure the timeframe for such an impact in the medium term with 15-50 years, depending on the degree of destruction. The long-term impact would be the human society independence from external influences and conditions. There would be no lack, there would be enough of everything for all. People could finally concentrate on the important aspects of live. The world would provide enough space for people and nature or people could in live harmony with nature.
Regrettably, it must be noted that the description of my person with regard to my proposal seems not enough to fill in order to approximately 2000 characters. Well my name is Attila Deutsch and I live near Budapest, essentially I have no qualifications or significant expertise on this subject. My motivation to participate in this contest is an opportunity to get my proposal published in a matching framework. So that perhaps more is derived from it than just a theoretical thought and perhaps even for many people from would be of use. I am the sole Author and it is my thoughts on this subject. Therefore, my presentation perhaps is not as professional as the other suggestions.
I could not find a direct reference to other proposal, but there are certainly some common points of contact. The most striking feature of this is probably the relation to the sea as the key factor for a new energy source. On the Internet, there are some examples of this topic, and I also found a contribution to the monthly news of the MIT. What ultimately differenttiates my proposal from the others is that the plant for electricity generation is not in the sea and is therefore not exposed to the element water directly. And the second difference is to use the sea as an upper water source without having to pump it to a higher level. And to combine these two points into a proposal is the most striking difference in relation to other proposals.


text:
Suggs aiming for Super Bowl after joining Chiefs last month
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Terrell Suggs (94) sacks Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There was a moment during practice last week, while the Kansas City Chiefs were prepping for their AFC title game against Tennessee, that caused linebackers coach Matt House to seek out defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
It had to do with pass rusher Terrell Suggs, and it was just too good to let go.
"He said, 'Wow, T-Suggs was just over there talking about this technique we do and he just put on a clinic,'" Spagnuolo recalled Thursday afternoon. "All the linebackers, nobody said anything. They just watched."
Surprising given that Suggs has only been with the Chiefs for about a month.
Not at all surprising given that the 17-year veteran has earned his stripes during a long career spent primarily with the Baltimore Ravens, where he not only reached the Super Bowl but won it after the 2012 season. In a strange coincidence, the opponent happened to be the San Francisco 49ers, whom Kansas City will face in Miami in less than two weeks.
This is exactly what Suggs hoped for when the Arizona Cardinals waived him late in the season.
The Chiefs had just lost their second defensive end to a season-ending injury, and they were desperate for some help to pair with pass rusher Frank Clark. They never could have guessed it would come in the form of a former All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection who had 138 sacks and more postseason experience than anyone on their roster.
There were reports that Suggs was initially skeptical of joining the Chiefs, preferring instead to return to the Ravens and help them down the stretch. But all it took was a look at the roster — quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce on offense, and Clark and safety Tyrann Mathieu on defense — and an honest, heart-to-heart talk with coach Andy Reid to convince T-Sizzle to bring his, well, sizzle to the AFC West champions.
"It didn't take much convincing," Suggs said. "This team is pretty vet-savvy. Having been in this position a few times, you learn more from failure than you ever would from success. I think that the things that have happened in years past kind of prepared this team for the task that it took. It also doesn't hurt to have the reigning MVP, and definitely the best tight end in the game, on your team. Once they got rolling and clicking on all cylinders, we got to have fun out there."
Indeed, it didn't take long for Suggs to get rolling. He joined the team early in Week 16 and played about a quarter of the defensive snaps in a win at Chicago. He upped that number to about half the following week against the Chargers, when a win by the Chiefs coupled with a loss by the Patriots gave the No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye.
Suggs has continued to play about the same amount the past two weeks, helping to corral Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the divisional round and shut down Titans running back Derrick Henry in the AFC title game.
His value doesn't just lie between the sidelines, though.
It lies on the sideline.
The 37-year-old Suggs has seen just about everything during the course of his career, and he's eager to pass along that knowledge to the next generation. The scene that played out at practice last week was but one example of Suggs taking a defensive player — or a bunch of them, in that case — to the side and giving them some pointers that often resonate with players far more than if they were coming from a coach.
"He's a true veteran," Mathieu said. "I think he has a lot of that championship swagger. He comes to work every day. Always taking notes. I can remember a few plays in the (Texans) game where he was scrapping down the ball and looks 28."
After the Chiefs took care of the Titans last weekend, Suggs became the go-to player in the locker room for tips on dealing with the Super Bowl, whether it was the daunting crush of media obligations, the countless friends and families trying to get tickets or secure flights, or the actual challenge of preparing for the biggest game in professional football.
"Just talking to those guys and seeing what the week is like, first of all," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. "It helps to have those guys and their experiences to understand what we're getting into and what to expect."
As for Suggs, he never could have pictured himself playing in another Super Bowl when he was struggling through the season in Arizona a few months ago, or even when he joined the Chiefs midway through last month.
"It's definitely one of the most humbling feelings to be a part of," he said. "I'm very fortunate to be a part of it."
NOTES: Kelce and SS Jordan Lucas did not practice Thursday because of an illness. … The Chiefs will practice on Friday before getting Saturday off to take care of travel preparations. They head to Miami on Sunday. … Spagnuolo, who twice was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants and later served as interim coach, said he had "just good thoughts" when asked about QB Eli Manning's retirement. "I think the world of Eli. I'm happy for him," Spagnuolo said. "Had a tremendous career. I was lucky to be with him and share in the ultimate moment, so I wish him the best."
Backup quarterbacks did more than just hold clipboards in the NFL's divisional playoff round.
Jameis Winston threw a 56-yard trick-play touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith on his first playoff action after 76 regular-season games over six seasons.
Brady vs Rodgers, possibly Mahomes vs. Allen in title games
Tom Brady will take on Aaron Rodgers in a matchup of quarterback legends in the NFC title game.
The AFC championship could feature two of the top young QBs if Patrick Mahomes is healthy enough to start for Kansas City against Buffalo's Josh Allen.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In the context of recent developments in the U.S., what do you suggest are the best possible options before India to strategise priorities for its global aims?
India will have to deal with the reality of the likely persistence of a Trump administration grappling with domestic political turmoil, the resistance of the Washington elite to several of his policies (witness the strong blowback on his efforts to improve relations with Putin's Russia), and the growing polarisation in American society. This could mean that external engagement of the U.S. may well suffer, with its global profile becoming relatively diminished.
Nevertheless, India-U.S. relations have become much stronger and broad-based in the past decade and enjoy bipartisan consensus. This is a valuable asset and a factor of stability even in uncertain times. India should seek to expand the relationship wherever possible. Despite its current preoccupations, the U.S. is and is likely to remain the foremost economic and military power in the world and the source of cutting-edge technological innovation. Therefore, it will continue to be an indispensable strategic partner in India's trajectory towards great power status. Our engagement with the Trump administration should reflect this. An early visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington would have a positive impact.
Following the temporary suspension of premium H-1B visas, there are new concerns about the future of India-U.S. ties over Information Technology. Is the U.S. violating trade ties by suspending the visas? Can India take the U.S. to the World Trade Organisation for violating trade conventions?
One hopes that the suspension is only temporary. The trend towards limiting visas to Indian IT professionals offering their much sought-after services in the U.S. began during the (Barack) Obama administration and is likely to continue. Since issuance of visas is considered to be an immigration issue and not a trade issue, one cannot take the suspension to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. What we can do is to highlight the fact that Indian IT services contribute to enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. companies, that Indian IT companies are providing significant employment in their operations to U.S. citizens, and U.S. tech companies in India are some of the most profitable in the world. This is a partnership in which both parties gain.
Furthermore, in negotiating with the U.S. on this issue, we should leverage the fact that India is a growing market for U.S. products and services, in particular for defence hardware and technology. There should be some element of trade-off. Indian IT companies should also adapt to the changed situation by diversifying markets away from the heavy dependence on the U.S. There are expanding opportunities in other parts of the world and within India itself. Advances in digital technology should be used to offer services over cyberspace rather than personnel to clients abroad.
Several attacks have taken place recently against Indian immigrants in the U.S. Do you think that India will have to come up with a new policy on immigration and look at other parts of the world as more favourable immigration destinations?
The hate attacks against Indian citizens and Indian-Americans are most reprehensible. When there is a general anti-immigration sentiment unleashed by the government itself, people with prejudice feel empowered to abuse and attack people who look different from themselves. What is reassuring is the reaction of ordinary American citizens and local communities in support of the victims and the promptness with which local and central administrations have responded. Nevertheless, there is an anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping across the world and we need to be mindful of that. We do not have an official policy to encourage emigration of Indian citizens, but it is the duty of the government to look after the welfare of those who have chosen to seek employment abroad. The ideal situation would be the availability of employment opportunities to all strata of society within our country itself, so that there is less pressure to seek jobs abroad.
There seems to be growing support for the position that given the protectionist policies of the U.S., India should avoid getting too close to the U.S. and invest more in other international partnerships, such as with Russia. Is it time to be more cautious towards the U.S. and build a more robust relationship with Russia, or a quad with Japan, Australia and New Zealand?
The premise behind this question appears to be that we have neglected our relations with the other countries referred to, in favour of strengthening relations with the U.S. In fact, the objective of Indian foreign policy has been to develop and expand a diversified set of relations with all major powers and with countries in the developing world. These relations are never mutually exclusive, nor do they constitute a zero-sum proposition. Even if protectionist trends are visible in some sectors in the U.S., such as IT, there are opportunities to expand trade and investment in other sectors. We have concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Japan and South Korea and a Free Trade Agreement in trade, investment and services with the ASEAN. We are participating in negotiations for the conclusion of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership among ten ASEAN countries and India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. These open up significant opportunities to expand our external trade and investment with a broad range of countries. Similarly with Russia, we have been expanding our trade and investment relations, particularly in the energy field. However, we must acknowledge the fact that India is no longer a priority country for Russia in the commercial field. Its focus remains on China and Europe.
On the security side, it also makes sense for India to work with countries with which we have convergent interests but avoiding getting into a military alliance. We have strengthened our security relationships with the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Australia and with several ASEAN countries. At the same time, we have maintained the long-standing military relationship with Russia, which continues to be a major defence partner, including in hardware and technology. Even with China, we have maintained military-to-military ties, and will work together with it and other partners in areas of shared interest, such as counter-terrorism, in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Robust relationships should be built with all partners and such relationships should not be seen as mutually exclusive. The more broad-ranging and diversified are these relations, the more options will India have in pursuing an optimal foreign policy.
Have developments in the U.S. left India more vulnerable to China's aggressive trade and territorial moves?
It is too early to say how developments in the U.S. will affect global geopolitics. If the global footprint of the U.S. and its Western allies diminishes, this may create spaces for other major powers to play a bigger role. We see this already in Russian activism in West Asia and recent Chinese initiatives on the Afghanistan issue. However, it is not clear whether the U.S. under Mr. Trump will reduce its global engagement, so we should wait and see. Furthermore, not all Chinese activism should be considered negative from an Indian perspective. For example, if China is able to contribute to peace in Afghanistan and is able to restrain Pakistani meddling, that should be welcomed.
While India-China relations are influenced by India's relations with other major powers, it would be a mistake to look at these relations as a mere derivate of the state of Indo-U.S. relations. The future of India-China relations will be determined by how the two countries handle the several bilateral issues between them and whether there is a readiness, despite differences, to seek areas of convergent interest and shared concern and develop a habit of working cooperatively on them. There is an outstanding border issue between the two countries and China reiterates its territorial claims, such as on Arunachal Pradesh, regularly. Recently, the former State Councillor and Special Representative for India-China border talks, Dai Bingguo, stated that India should make concessions in the eastern sector, including Tawang, and China would respond by making appropriate, though unspecified, concessions in the western sector. This is despite the fact that in 2005, in the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles concluded between the two countries, it was agreed that settled populations would be taken into account in any settlement. Both sides understood that this referred to Tawang, which is the only area with a significant population in the border area. We should continue to reject Chinese claims even while seeking an early settlement. At the same time we must strengthen our border defences and capabilities, so that we are able to effectively foil any aggressive moves by China on our borders. Having said that, we should welcome the fact that the India-China border has remained peaceful over the past four decades.
As far as trade is concerned, enhancing the competitiveness of Indian goods and services, developing a modern infrastructure, and improving trade practices and support facilities will be the keys to confront the Chinese challenge. India's relations with other countries is not really a factor.
Compared to trade and immigration, there is greater convergence over counterterrorism and security between India and the U.S. Yet, India's concerns on Pakistani involvement in terrorism seems to not be getting the necessary support from Beijing, and surprisingly from Moscow.
Since the Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008, India-U.S. cooperation on counterterrorism has expanded significantly and has contributed to the security of both countries. Such cooperation is likely to continue and even expand under the Trump presidency. To the extent that Mr. Trump considers jihadi terrorism a threat which needs a robust response, this is positive because it also puts pressure on countries like Pakistan. Some recent measures announced by Pakistan, including the arrest of the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, Hafiz Saeed, are a response to the likelihood of Pakistan being targeted on the issue of terrorism. While this is welcome, we will have to tackle crossborder terrorism on our own. It cannot be outsourced to the U.S. or any other country. India has garnered support from the international community on the issue of terrorism and no country needs convincing that Pakistan is the breeding ground of terrorism. China, in fact, has isolated itself, and its credibility as a partner in the war against international terrorism has taken a dent as a result of its brazen move to prevent the inclusion of JeM chief Masood Azhar in the UN terrorists list. This is a blow to China's credibility, not India's.
Russia has not joined Chinese efforts to shield Pakistan. It has, however, changed its position on the Afghan Taliban and has joined China in initiating peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. There is no reason for India to object to this. However, it is true that Russia has recently improved relations with Pakistan and entered into a military hardware relationship with it for the first time in several decades. This is a matter of concern for India and should be clearly conveyed to our Russian friends. Our response should be to enhance our engagement with Russia rather than react by limiting it.


text:
Sandra Hildreth: Adirondack 'Art For A Cause' Events
by Sandra Hildreth
You've probably been to fund-raising events where artwork has been donated. This is a tradition that many artists feel is an important way to show their support for an organization or cause. Sometimes art is also used as a publicity tool, with pieces created specifically for a purpose or cause. Many historians have credited Frederick Church, and other 19th century artists, with helping promote the creation of the National Park system, through their paintings of places like Yellowstone and Yosemite. Hudson River School painters shared with the world the beauty of the Adirondack and Catskill regions.
AdkAction just hosted the first Keeseville Plein Air Festival, to draw attention to the historic community, the beautiful Ausable River, and flourishing area farms, and to raise funds for a downtown revitalization project. It was very successful.
This August, during the 2017 Adirondack Plein Air Festival (August 14-19), there is a new cause that we will be drawing attention to through art. The Friends of Eagle Island, who now own the beautiful and historic camp on Eagle Island, in Upper Saranac Lake, have big dreams and a huge renovation/restoration task ahead of them.
Some history from the EagleIsland.org website: In 1903, former U.S. Vice President and Governor of New York, Levi Morton built the Adirondack Great Camp on Eagle Island. The buildings were designed by preeminent Great Camp architect William L. Coulter.
In 1910 Morton sold Eagle Island to Henry Graves, Jr. an industrialist from Orange, New Jersey. The Graves family enjoyed spending summers at Eagle Island for many years until two sons were tragically killed in car accidents. They generously gifted Eagle Island to the New Jersey Girl Scouts of the Oranges and Maplewood in memory of their sons with the wish that Eagle Island would be a place to keep the spirit of childhood alive.
The Girl Scout Camp opened in 1938, was was designated a "National Historic Landmark" in 2004, and operated until 2009, when the Girl Scouts of New Jersey made the decision to sell it. In November of 2015 the Friends of Eagle Island, Inc. acquired Eagle Island through the generosity of an anonymous donor, ensuring that "children may always play" on Eagle Island.
A small group of painters that are taking part in the Plein Air Festival will be transported by boat to Eagle Island on Wednesday Aug 16. Besides the beautiful historic architecture, the rocky Island is dominated by huge white pines and has interesting views up and down Upper Saranac Lake. Whatever inspires the artists will become the subject matter for their plein air paintings. Those paintings will have a special display area in the Show & Sale that will be set up in the Harrietstown Town Hall. There is a Special Preview Party from 6 to 9 pm on Friday Aug 18, and awards will be announced at 8 pm. The Show & Sale will also be open, with no admission charge, from noon until 5 pm on Saturday August 19. Part of the proceeds of any Eagle Island paintings sold will be donated to the Friends of Eagle Island. It is their hope to get the facilities ready to operate as a children's camp as soon as possible.
In addition to helping support Eagle Island, for a number of years the Plein Air Festival has also held a special Silent Auction which is used to make a donation to the art program of the Saranac Lake Central School District. On Thursday, Aug 17, it's "Paint the Town" day. Artists will be painting all over the Village of Saranac Lake – along the Riverwalk, or lakeshore, in our parks and downtown. People, historic buildings, views – there's no telling what will become subject matter. Musicians at The Waterhole have made it into paintings in the past. The "Paint the Town" Silent Auction will be set up in the Adirondack Artists Guild Gallery, at 52 Main St., Saranac
Lake, in time for the 3rd Thursday ArtWalk, which begins at 5 pm. Stop in to place a bid, you might win a unique piece of original art and help support the art program in the schools. The Silent Auction will be moved to the Town Hall, to join the Show & Sale, on Friday and will end at 4 pm on Saturday Aug 19. Winning bidders do not need to be present.
A couple of other local "art for a cause" events involve local fire towers. As part of the Poke-O- Moonshine Fire Tower Centennial (1917-2017), this summer, The Friends of Poke-O- Moonshine, Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), and Ausable Brewing Company will be hosting a Silent Auction of artwork related to the mountain, its human and natural history, and its fire tower. The auction will be held from 7 to 9 pm on July 28 at the AARCH offices at 1745 Main Street, Keeseville, and on July 30 during the Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower Centennial Celebration at Ausable Brewing Company, 765 Mace Chasm Road, Keeseville, from 4:30 to 8 pm. The exhibition will benefit both the artists and the work of the Friends of Poke-O-Moonshine, which is dedicated to the preservation of Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain and its fire tower, improving and maintaining its trails, and interpreting the natural and cultural history of the mountain.
The Azure Mountain Friends will have a Centennial Celebration in 2018, but are kicking it off with a year of fund-raising. Yours truly has been involved since the original restoration of the fire tower in 2002, and has donated an original oil painting of the summit. Raffle tickets are available through their website. The Azure Mountain Friends are raising funds to support their Summit Steward program and other educational and interpretive activities, the annual Scholarships they give to local high school/college students who volunteer on the summit, and tower and trail maintenance. Both fire tower friends group work in partnership with the DEC.
Watch for other "art for a cause" events and maybe you too can help out a needy organization and obtain an original work of art!
Photos from above: Camp Building on Eagle Island, courtesy Sandra Hildreth; "Painting the Town" in Saranac Lake, courtesy L. Kilby; and Azure Mountain Summit, courtesy Sandra Hildreth.
Sandy Hildreth: Upcoming Adirondack Art Events
Adirondack Art Association Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Free Children's Art Classes at the Adirondack Art Association
Sandra Hildreth
Sandra Hildreth, who writes regularly about Adirondack arts and culture, grew up in rural Wisconsin and is a retired high school art teacher. She lives in Saranac Lake where she was spends much of her time hiking, paddling, skiing, and painting.
Today, Sandy can often be found outdoors Plein air painting - working directly from nature, and is an exhibiting member of the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake. She is also active in Saranac Lake ArtWorks.
Sandy's work can be seen on her website sandrahildreth.com.
Tags: AdkAction, Keeseville, plein air painting, Saranac Lake
Christine hildebrand says:
Where is the Friday night August 18th reception and are reservations required?
Sandra Hildreth says:
The Special Reception for the Adirondack Plein Air Festival is Fri. Aug 18, from 6 – 9 pm, in the Harrietstown Hall, 39 Main St., Saranac Lake. Tickets are $20/person and can be purchased via our website (http://saranaclakeartworks.com/pleinair), or at the door. Food and beverages provided; awards presented at 8 pm. On Saturday Aug 19, the Show & Sale is open from noon to 5 pm, with NO admission fee.


text:
Lakers Draft News: L.A. Selects Thomas Bryant With 42nd Pick In NBA Draft
Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard Says Multiple Paul George Deals On The Table
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2017 NBA Draft with three picks, but they exited with four thanks to a trade with the Utah Jazz. After selecting Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart with their first three selections, the Lakers used the 42nd overall pick to grab Indiana big man Thomas Bryant.
It was a nice move for the Lakers, as they dropped back two spots from the 28th pick to the 30th where they grabbed Hart, and also received the 42nd pick in the deal. Shams Charania of The Vertical broke the news that the Lakers were taking Bryant:
Sources: Lakers are selecting Indiana's Thomas Bryant with the No. 42 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2017
Bryant, a sophomore, averaged 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks for Indiana last year while also hitting 38 percent from three, an impressive feat considering the fact that he's a 6'10" center who weighs 245 pounds.
That said, perhaps the most impressive thing about Bryant is his wingspan, which is a ridiculous 7'6 inches and gives him a standing reach of almost 9'5″. To put that in perspective, Bryant can just about touch the rim without jumping. This length gives him upside as a rim protector, something the Lakers could sorely use.
Bryant won't find playing time easy to come by with Brook Lopez, Ivica Zubac, and potentially Tarik Black all manning the middle for the Lakers, but as the 42nd pick he will be given time to develop, perhaps in the G-League. He's something of a lumbering players, which isn't really en vogue in the NBA right now, and given his physical profile he would have been selected much earlier 10 years ago. That said, rim protection is important, and if Bryant can also occasionally stretch the floor that will be the icing on the cake for the Lakers.
Lakers Perfecting The Art Of Winning By Committee
The season has just started, but the Los Angeles Lakers have already faced teams that feature James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, Dwight Howard of the Atlanta Hawks, Demarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans…
March Madness: How Montrezl Harrell Would Fit On The Lakers
The Lakers have a number of holes on their roster, which means…
Game Results and Schedule Around the NBA
NBA Playoffs- Results for April 27th, 2011 Miami Heat-97 Philadelphia 76ers-91-F (Miami…
Steve Nash Says Lakers Need To 'Embrace' Challenge Of Improving
Before Steve Nash made his return to the floor against the Golden…


text:
David Ludden Bio - Author And Historian
Home Wikis David Ludden Bio - Author And Historian.
BY SUYASHA Published on 08 March, 2021
Allen Ludden's son David Ludden, is a reputed history professor. image Source: Social Media.
David Ludden Net Worth
Wife And Children
Quick Wikis
Birth Name David Ellsworth Ludden
Birth Day 03/15/1948
Birth place Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Profession History Professor, Author
Parents Allen Ludden, Margaret McGloin
Husband/Wife Dina Mahnaz Siddiqi
Sibling Martha Ludden, Sarah Ludden
College/University University of Pennsylvania
Children Mohona Sara Siddiqi
David Ludden is an American historian who has also authored a book. He is a professor of History at New York University and has previously lectured at various universities. He has also written some books which are mainly focused on South Asia and its history.
David is a married man and has a daughter. He is the founder and director of the NYU Global Asia Program. His books are critically acclaimed all over the world. Betty White's stepson, David, is a reputed historian. Now, let's learn more about the professor's biography and personal life.
David Ludden was born on March 15, 1948. He was born to father Allen Ludden and mother, Margaret McGloin. David's father, Allen, was an American television personality, actor, emcee, and game show host. He grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, with his two sisters Martha Ludden and Sarah Ludden. David is the eldest of all three children of Allen and Margaret. When David was just thirteen years old, his mother passed away. According to some sources, Margaret lost her life due to cancer. Two years after David's mother passed away, his dad married Betty White, the Emmy-winning actress.
Ludden attended Yale University from 1966 to 1970. David then moved to the University of Pennsylvania. There, he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Arts in South Asia Regional Studies. Ludden received his Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in history.
After receiving his Ph.D., David joined the University of Virginia in 1979 as an assistant professor of history. He taught at the university for one year, then returned to the University of Pennsylvania. David taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2007. During those years at the university, he served as an assistant professor from 1981 to 1987. Ludden was promoted to associate professor in 1987 and taught for two years until he was promoted to a full professor in 1999. He worked as a professor at the UPenn until 2008. David also served as chairman of the university's South Asia Department from 1992 to 1995.
In the year 2007, David moved to New York University. There he began his job as the professor of political economy and globalization at the Department of History. Ludden is also a Senior Fellow at Institute for Public Knowledge. David is also working as Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania. He is associated with different universities. He worked as a visiting professor for developmental research at BRAC University in Dhaka in 2005.
Furthermore, David has directed South Asia programs at the University of Pennsylvania, Fulbright Senior Scholars program (CIES), NYU, and the Social Science Research Council. Apart from being a professor, David has also worked as an editor of the 1997 to 2000 book series Critical Histories at the University of Pennsylvania Press.
David Ludden has written many books. His books and research solely focus on South Asia, globalization, and inequities of capitalist economic development. Books written by David Ludden, along with their price, are given below:
Books Price
India and South Asia: A Short History $15.21
An Agrarian History of South Asia $30.43
David's other book Global Asia: A Spatial History, is still in progress. He has written and described the situations of South Asian countries, their culture, and traditions. Ludden has also worked in the translation of The Kuruntokai: An Anthology of Classical Tamil Love Poetry in Translation.
Ludden is a professor at prestigious New York University. He must have earned considerably as a professor. He has also accumulated significant income from the books he has written and published. Allen Ludden's son, David Ludden's net worth might not be as huge as his father's, but he is possibly doing well for himself.
As stated earlier, Ludden is a married man. According to some site, he got married to his wife Dina Mahnaz Siddiqi on December 29, 1994. David Ludden's wife is also a professor and, just like her husband, prefers to stay away from the limelight. The pair have a daughter named Mohona Sara Siddiqi.
David loves privacy, and he has not spoken much about his personal life in the media. While Betty White's stepson lives his life away from the spotlight, we hope that David opens up about his life and family in the coming days.
He developed New York Center for Global Asia and South Asian Studies at NYU.
David Ludden's father, Allen Ludden, passed away in 1981 due to stomach cancer.
David Ludden's research areas are mainly World History, Afro-Eurasian History, Globalization, Capitalism, and Inequality.
David Ludden Allen Ludden Margaret McGloin Martha Ludden Sarah Ludden Betty White Mohona Sara Siddiqi Dina Mahnaz Siddiqi Celebrity Couple Celebrity Death Richest Celebrity Celebrity Relationship Celebrity Babies
Published on 05 August, 2020
Updated on 20 August, 2021
Rasheda Ali Bio - Humanitarian And Muhammad Ali's Daughter
Updated on 15 June, 2021
Crystal Blease Bio - Polo G's Girlfriend
Hynden Walch Bio - Voice Actress