tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25346274431011316352024-03-12T23:34:23.227-07:00the joyful leftWe jump for joy over our politics... cuzz it's soooo darn entertaining!Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-27336806328779212682011-01-09T11:21:00.001-08:002012-02-25T23:53:04.211-08:00Gifford shooting: 1 shooter, 1 gun, 1 magazine, 31 rounds<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tfdcvu9WYcz_210DnJ3dn7N0bMqMoMcqP_eHp1ypILrWFQplrKXfoa3Y_dQZgBJrBsVr3aOMxf0U22Cl1ux0iRluNrGge6_lci2hnbLOV52GG0F-fxk_VjCcDirtbFwOygObwE4OEhA/s1600/Gifford1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tfdcvu9WYcz_210DnJ3dn7N0bMqMoMcqP_eHp1ypILrWFQplrKXfoa3Y_dQZgBJrBsVr3aOMxf0U22Cl1ux0iRluNrGge6_lci2hnbLOV52GG0F-fxk_VjCcDirtbFwOygObwE4OEhA/s200/Gifford1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A vigil is held for Gifford</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Jared Lee Loughner, the shooter in a quiet northwestern part of Tucson yesterday, carried with him a gun with a magazine containing 31 rounds.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
31 rounds in 1 magazine. I wonder what that might sound like.<br />
<br />
let's see what that sounds like. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuiW1zSST5GqjzEEL_VRUkDixHpo4iUozICv_kXv5x30V8LnhlnkjVO3sRZzXo3jkpBrBIFpGmrhnnWWW5Meay7-Y_HBGbQeBdCWIV5mGJLbBz7lHxiOlQzeVpfyn4ZDT_z5VideoPC4/s1600/Gifford-ChristinaGreen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuiW1zSST5GqjzEEL_VRUkDixHpo4iUozICv_kXv5x30V8LnhlnkjVO3sRZzXo3jkpBrBIFpGmrhnnWWW5Meay7-Y_HBGbQeBdCWIV5mGJLbBz7lHxiOlQzeVpfyn4ZDT_z5VideoPC4/s320/Gifford-ChristinaGreen1.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 Year old Christina Green.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6qS7gXcymq4xQt2u82I6zLuEoHPHlALwnGeTqo7h1iunmihyphenhyphenb7XPNrGrDy3NVCpsdF6W8Uj-F0tPVfAeGVlyOdTdcv5zHxdViSTFkiW73rrl7BzShJd2R4rmYLM2p33UpT7iPRMZP8Y/s1600/Gifford-JohnRoll1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6qS7gXcymq4xQt2u82I6zLuEoHPHlALwnGeTqo7h1iunmihyphenhyphenb7XPNrGrDy3NVCpsdF6W8Uj-F0tPVfAeGVlyOdTdcv5zHxdViSTFkiW73rrl7BzShJd2R4rmYLM2p33UpT7iPRMZP8Y/s320/Gifford-JohnRoll1.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Federal Judge Roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bang. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
Final tally: 31 rounds, 6 dead, 20 injured. Among the dead include 9 year old Christina Green and a Federal Judge.<br />
<br />
The only reason the shooting stopped WAS BECAUSE THE SHOOTER HAD TO PAUSE TO RELOAD AFTER SHOOTING HIS 31 ROUNDS. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here we go again. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's like Virginia Tech and the rest.</div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Banning assault weapons and limits on gun magazines has been my argument all along...for years...and the Obama Administration's kowtowing to the right and NRA interests has done absolutely nothing to bring any progress to this issue. I've been balking about magazines of 19...until yesterday I didn't even know you could get 31-round mags.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A magazine of 31 is designed for one thing: to kill another human. There's no way to argue around that fact.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sadly, yesterday should provide some motivation to put an end to such things...but unfortunately not before there's more spilled blood.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-62112207326328001712010-12-18T18:18:00.000-08:002010-12-18T18:23:03.808-08:00Don't Ask Don't Tell REPEALED: Senator McCain, choke on THAT!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej1_LDtwAVqqst0xdA3Ec6YzPPSdZHvPdzSQnaf0-BS6kB-WY3MKtuP3A9XjkqFVvIH1pkqmCdiylvI1UqKw7rOTOcX4VunDBVUU_aUKoKtIj0yRx1vN2lYa748wmIV1VRDeN5g3ua9I/s1600/McCain+-+gritty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej1_LDtwAVqqst0xdA3Ec6YzPPSdZHvPdzSQnaf0-BS6kB-WY3MKtuP3A9XjkqFVvIH1pkqmCdiylvI1UqKw7rOTOcX4VunDBVUU_aUKoKtIj0yRx1vN2lYa748wmIV1VRDeN5g3ua9I/s320/McCain+-+gritty.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hit the deck! Senator McCain sneers once again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I would imagine that right about now Senator John McCain is in the middle of a hissy fit, spitting nails in every direction, at whoever has the pleasure of being in his crosshairs. Oh, and of course with that timeless sneer that only a Liberal, centrist, or Independent can chuckle at.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Then, let's see...he's probably throwing some creepy shape-shifter faces at his wife, followed by the c-word in a variety of creative sentences...which is a stretch in that department of his brain, as he usually likes to jump barbed wire fence away from any idea that's creative or remotely outside the box. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But this is a special day for Senator McCain...as Don't Ask Don't Tell has been repealed...so we start to watch him spit as he yells. That icky white pasty stuff starts to cake at the corners of his mouth. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Tissue please? We need a little help over here in this corner of the chamber...no, with the "other" Republican white-haired gent. Yes, this one.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm sure after that episode, his crosshairs then move to his daughter, and her more centrist pro-gay views, where he has saved a special grab bag of a few choice words for her. By this time there's drool coming out of the corners of his mouth.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Let's see...what happens next. Then it's time to hit the bottle I suppose, if he already didn't start the day early within 30 seconds of entering his office after today's Senate activity. Needless to say, </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm sure he's throwing a few back tonight, crying in his scotch after today's activity on the Senate floor.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What can I do to help...let's see...oh, I got it. "Here's another tissue for your issue."</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The vote finally passed in the Senate today, and President Obama will sign it into law on Monday. Gays will finally be able to serve openly in the military without the risk of repercussions.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">No thanks to you, John McCain. The times are a-changin', there's no doubt. Unfortunately some Senators are too old and stubborn -- waaaaay past their shelf life of serving -- to know the difference.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This country, society, and the world for that matter, will simply shove them out of the way and move right past them. </span></div>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-86724066052671556122010-02-05T23:25:00.000-08:002010-02-06T12:32:27.667-08:00Living in the "Age of Stupid"<div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY7P-powZ4y5QTVBMMMG_vRUKaO-Uc9ACo34JaFlciHV7Jig-Nepkyf7PIYA0UGknYpbPybtpIvglYBlVaPhGs09XlwnS17wAx0f176ifJ-l1ultSs7bBmdo08qNLpt-98T6Y6jTRNEA/s1600-h/EdO'Brien-Radiohead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY7P-powZ4y5QTVBMMMG_vRUKaO-Uc9ACo34JaFlciHV7Jig-Nepkyf7PIYA0UGknYpbPybtpIvglYBlVaPhGs09XlwnS17wAx0f176ifJ-l1ultSs7bBmdo08qNLpt-98T6Y6jTRNEA/s320/EdO'Brien-Radiohead1.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've always admired and held in high esteem the European world view. As a people, and from a general political standpoint, they're smarter than us. I base this not so much on research and what I hear or read as I do on my travels, personal experience, and many deeply political conversations I've had with the Danish, Norwegians, Brits, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, French, Croatians, Serbians, Romanians, and others.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I feel like they have some very relevant and well thought out ideas about the world and the future...particularly with respect to the planet's future from an environmental standpoint.</span></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To add insult to injury, they're subject to American stupidity with the way our political system works and seldom budges away from its rigidity, apathetic hubris, and attacks on each other on Capitol Hill in the form of self-interest and slutty corporate interests (like it might be today perhaps? Name the issue, any issue). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Europeans don't understand the lack of progress and why they need to bend to us...and I frankly don't understand why they have the tolerance...but in my experience, it's simple. They're generally tolerant, worldly, peace-loving people who understand what it is to show some respect, and they employ a little hope to go along with it...and usually do it all with a pint of ale or a glass of wine in their hand...not a bad way to live! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I need to get my butt back to that neck of the woods, over that Atlantic pond.</span></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I feel their pain...I also have adopted their view as part of my credo on how I imagine my America can be. I don't think we should turn into Europe -- that's not what I'm saying -- but I do think they have some interesting ideas on how to run aspects of their society...ideas that are difficult to poke holes into. Perhaps America can find a hybrid of one of those good ideas, or as least that's my hope.</span></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: #9fc5e8;"></div><div class="entrytitle"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> This all being said, here's an interesting post to Dead Air Space, the blog on the British band Radiohead's website. Thom Yorke, the lead singer and an ardent environmental activist, is usually the one you hear from, and </span><a href="http://swevashtick.blogspot.com/2010/02/bad-news-first-bad-news-last.html" style="color: #b4a7d6;">he attended the Copenhagen Summit which I blogged about over at Sweva's P-patch</a><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">...but the other members of the band also have some interesting things to say along the same lines. Here's a post from guitarist Ed O'Brien that really hit home...it was good to read what he had to say...I hope he posts more often!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> </span></span></div><div class="entrytitle"></div><div class="entrytitle" style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A rant and some other stuff</b></span></div><div style="color: lime;"><br />
</div><div style="color: lime;">I haven’t spoken to Thom yet, but judging by his entries here and reading today’s papers the outcome of Copenhagen is a bloody disgrace … I wanted to put something up on DAS, as a kind of personal round-up to the year (also because I rather pathetically don’t contribute much to this), so excuse me if I kick off in a somewhat dejected manner, because in fact none of what I write seems at all relevant or important in the face of serious climate change …. This is the bottom line for all our lives whether we choose to face it or not, and believe me I choose not to most of the time in the name of my own personal happiness and subsequently of those around me … anyway here goes ..</div><div style="color: lime;">I read an interesting book in the Summer by a man called Terence McKenna, entitled “Food of the Gods” .. his hypothesis is that certain natural plants have been integral in explaining mankind’s development in the spheres of language, intelligence and culture… it’s really fascinating, but a particular passage popped out at me, whilst reading, and it seems particularly relevant now:</div><div style="color: lime;">“Looking down on Los Angeles from an airliner, I I never fail to notice that it is like looking at a printed circuit: all those curved driveways and cul de sacs with the same little modules installed along each one. As long as the ‘Reader’s Digest’ stays subscribed to and the TV stays on, these modules are all interchangeable parts within a very large machine. This is the nightmarish reality….. the creation of the public as a herd. The public has no history and no future, the public lives in a golden moment created by a credit system which binds them ineluctably to a web of illusions that is never critiqued. This is the ultimate consequence of having broken off the symbiotic relationship with the Gaian matrix of the planet. This is the consequence of lack of partnership; this is the legacy of imbalance between sexes; this is the terminal phase of a long descent into meaninglessness and toxic existential confusion.”</div><div style="color: lime;">Now, I don’t walk around with this stuff in my head every hour of each day, in fact the opposite would be true. I’m happy feeling so grateful to the deck of cards that I’ve been dealt. Yet it’s always there, this knowing that we are all living in “The Age of Stupid’ … I’m sure most people feel the same way….. Yet our leaders seem incapable of leading … managing would seem a better word, or rather mismanaging…… Leadership implies wisdom; it implies vision and dynamism; the ability to foresee problems, create solutions and see them through … does that sound like our leaders? NO it doesn’t… And why is this not the case? What is preventing them from leading? Is it the power of big business/corporations/ the financial industries? It looks increasingly like it … vested fucking interests, no degree of what’s fair for all … plain and simple self-interest. I don’t know about you but most people I know don’t make decisions solely on what works best for them … it’s a balance between what is good for others too…</div><div style="color: lime;">This is officially a rant now and I may not post it .. apologies to my brothers in the band if they are reading this and don’t like it .. tell me I’m being an arse and I’ll take it down..</div>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-11381098320009581442010-02-05T21:51:00.000-08:002010-02-06T00:14:47.585-08:00Flashes of the alternate reality of corruption and Fascism that could have been<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedQpQlEX158SJvNtXpyu9l9Yxq35ImZEvEguSmSRQdW-Ob_hIkCD0z1qZWi7kBL6e4iMZM2a5pFzHszqabNrfeOUwDkJrfdwZfKfTWpew5pQFrhXj-LfKKJc0Gg6zvUS-Xo7L_pallrc/s1600-h/SadSarah-drybrush1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedQpQlEX158SJvNtXpyu9l9Yxq35ImZEvEguSmSRQdW-Ob_hIkCD0z1qZWi7kBL6e4iMZM2a5pFzHszqabNrfeOUwDkJrfdwZfKfTWpew5pQFrhXj-LfKKJc0Gg6zvUS-Xo7L_pallrc/s320/SadSarah-drybrush1.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So it appears that there actually WAS IN FACT a right-hand "handyman," literally, in the governorship while Sara Palin inhabited the office in the great State of Alaska...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">...and who is this handyman? Well let me tell you...his name is...Todd Palin! How 'bout dat. <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/02/msnbc-alaska-e-mails-show-todd-palin-deeply-involved-in-state-matters/1">Read all about it here!</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As if any of this was any surprise....Oh Sarah...and we joke about it now, but remember: less than 15 months ago, this was a person who was running to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-11564673895855364352010-01-30T13:15:00.000-08:002010-01-30T13:18:16.877-08:00The Obama-Orszag team schools the GOP on their own turf<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbMb5PsSMuJb_oKojn6nm7GouMdXffPdaNTa6BEkFCA-TQt1XDMDYs-0XtE5Mt-kiS1vgpzf-dbMx7CxLE56cZfiYvHh7iusaihURrc0l6M4SlwRnN-W9gZphAs2hjax01DEvTqe562M/s1600-h/President_Barack_Obama_with_OMB_Director_Peter_Orszag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbMb5PsSMuJb_oKojn6nm7GouMdXffPdaNTa6BEkFCA-TQt1XDMDYs-0XtE5Mt-kiS1vgpzf-dbMx7CxLE56cZfiYvHh7iusaihURrc0l6M4SlwRnN-W9gZphAs2hjax01DEvTqe562M/s320/President_Barack_Obama_with_OMB_Director_Peter_Orszag.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">President Obama, outnumbered 140-1 in Baltimore yesterday at the House GOP retreat, skillfully performed in an unscripted, untelepromptered Q&A session on the most difficult core questions pressing politics today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">No matter how you slice it, there's no denying how Obama is truly the master of the debate. This exchange is a sight to behold, and an impressive display of politics to study...Democrats, Independents, and Republicans (especially) need to all watch it: <a href="http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5738-Political-Buzz-Examiner%7Ey2010m1d29-Video-President-Obama-takes-on-attacks-at-GOP-conference-in-Baltimore-and-holds-his-ground">See the full Q&A exchange between Obama and the GOP at this link, on the C-SPAN module provided if you scroll down a bit.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I can't help but gloating slightly here -- only as a natural human reaction to the countless accounts of screaming, demonizing, and disrespect that's spewed forth from the lunatic fringe element of the GOP towards President Obama in his first year in office. It's been frustrating to watch. Most of it -- if not all of it -- has been totally unfair and the GOP have really given him no chance to act and preside in the manner that he is capable of. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDo93U4kfqGtcppP8m0tOoyyUbq40tJXJEUQ46QUSmdjiDhgCoBlhWdg_YG3eG_ACJCM2gseAsreRvmsXvTICWHYFM92DZJ8nbMrSRzmSsyXytwLjgKBr05E7z1gBSf9_YptCerwsU1no/s1600-h/Obama-GOPhouseRetreat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDo93U4kfqGtcppP8m0tOoyyUbq40tJXJEUQ46QUSmdjiDhgCoBlhWdg_YG3eG_ACJCM2gseAsreRvmsXvTICWHYFM92DZJ8nbMrSRzmSsyXytwLjgKBr05E7z1gBSf9_YptCerwsU1no/s200/Obama-GOPhouseRetreat1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">However, yesterday Obama essentially volleyed all of the garbage the GOP has launched at him over the last year back in their direction...he did it in a direct manner, but of course with a smile on his face.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Nobody can question now -- if by some mistake they did before -- as to whether or not President Obama knows his stuff. This guy is for real...and as some pundits were saying on television last night, it should be obvious that the most capable and qualified person for the highest office in the land, the presidency of the United States, has filled it.</span></div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="color: cyan;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Not only did Obama have perhaps the best day of his presidency so far, in how he calmly and smoothly handled a barrage of questions from GOP leaders (if you even call those questions), but the unsung hero is Peter Orzag, Obama's cheif economic adviser (pictured with him at the top), who helped to debrief him before he went into the room. </span></div><div style="color: cyan;"><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The GOP keeps making the same miscalculations of underestimating the ability of this President...and they did so again yesterday when he attended the House GOP retreat in Baltimore.</span></div><div style="color: cyan;"><br />
</div><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm hopeful that there was a pivot point yesterday and that something positive can come out of the Q & A session that occurred between the President and Republicans at this retreat. I hope the air has been cleared (along with some of the brush) for these folks to finally start working with the President on issues that desperately need attention...so that we can make some progress in this country on vital things such as health care reform, a clear and green-oriented energy and climate plan, and other things down the road such as immigration reform.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-10536351937255284372010-01-26T22:17:00.000-08:002010-01-26T22:23:36.579-08:00A Libertarian's take on the latest SCOTUS decision involving CFR<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">For some reason, the Libertarian view has always fascinated me...and not necessarily in a bad way. In some ways, I see their perspective and agree with them on most things on the social front.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">A close Libertarian friend of mine passed this along to me earlier today, from another one of her Libertarian friends...it's worth checking out and mulling over.</span><br /><br /><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">To all my friends who have been braying about CFR. You might find things you agree and disagree with in here. As I am always refining my position, I'd love to hear your thoughts... </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">My friends who are pro CFR have a healthy and well-intentioned fear of corporatism. When big business and the government get too cozy we can rightfully call this relationship fascism-- that's exactly what it is by definition. And this state of affairs is rightfully to be avoided. Fascism is basically socialism for business. America is and always has been in danger of creeping fascism, and some fear that stripping away the "check" that CFR provided will accelerate that movement. There's a recent NYT article that essentially refutes the argument that CFR or any corporate giving to politicians have influenced votes or elections-- something I knew before this issue reemerged on the political radar, but something that not everyone can readily accept. </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">CFR was "bad" law, found to be unconstitutional by the SCOTUS. CFR punished some forms of group expression and not others. For example, unions had a number of ways of skirting the CFR laws, and newspaper editorial columns were exempt from the CFR restrictions altogether-- but some filmmakers who made a film under an LLC could not present their anti-Hillary Clinton film 30 days prior to the election. Why is the corporate owned <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_2">New York Times</span> allowed to stump for a candidate and not the filmmakers? Or Starbucks? Or <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_3">Microsoft</span>? Well, they may now do so-- at the peril of alienating vast numbers of consumers, especially given the fact that now they will be compelled to disclose their identities on any political ad, something that COULD BE AVOIDED with soft-money contributions in the CFR era. </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">I also fear creeping fascism. My libertarian philosophy is engaged in a constant struggle to accept freedom along with the dangers said freedom also presents. But I have a different approach to the solution. Instead of looking for new laws to restrict freedoms on various classes of people and groups, I seek ways to correct existing law that is not in keeping with my principles. As a libertarian, I am against many types of welfare, including <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_4">corporate welfare</span>. I am against laws that establish protected classes of individuals and groups. And I am for <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_5">Constitutional amendments</span> that clarify and specify our nation's intent. </p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">The concept of any group not having the same rights as an individual is very Constitutionally core and must be addressed through the amendment process. This would be analogous to the debate over the 2nd amendment's right to either an individual's right versus a group right to bear arms. Ironically, here, it is the left who favors the group's right-- not the individual. This is another core issue that most Constitutional scholars claim must either be "left alone" or directly amended to reflect a new point of view. </p><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Most of my friends on </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_6">Facebook</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"> and in real life are democrats, progressives and liberals of various stripes. And it must be a drag to have a lurking libertarian in your midst-- truly libertarians are an unloved bunch-- hated by the right for our fierce love of social rights, and hated by the left for our strict interpretation of the </span><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1264573262_7">Constitution</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">. But, I hope you'll take this opportunity to understand that even people who disagree with you on this point of law, do so with full knowledge of the consequences, and believe that a strict adherence to the exact wording in the Constitution is a far better approach than passing bad laws that attempt to counter other bad laws.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-30288170104628606622010-01-22T16:29:00.000-08:002010-01-22T17:05:52.092-08:00Welcome to the United Corporations of America...UCA! UCA! UCA!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdi1pM6_ItzI207_RRyeXog6XcrEqqP8G6aIcMK5Wj8yLFfeIUPcW_vNBNc7GGZzZmfxuq2wT-IrUU4eVW3atTfByNS1GKIgWnhesG5r729ky475cLiyzPMoAOygi7utJp6qW6i65Boo/s1600-h/UCAflag_FinVer+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 408px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdi1pM6_ItzI207_RRyeXog6XcrEqqP8G6aIcMK5Wj8yLFfeIUPcW_vNBNc7GGZzZmfxuq2wT-IrUU4eVW3atTfByNS1GKIgWnhesG5r729ky475cLiyzPMoAOygi7utJp6qW6i65Boo/s400/UCAflag_FinVer+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429728242881341010" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-family: trebuchet ms;">In case you're wondering -- with yesterday's Supreme Court decision allowing for unlimited corporate campaign contributions to elections -- your democracy as you know it just changed overnight into a "corporacracy," if there's such a word.
<br />
<br />If there isn't such a word, there it is...I just friggin made it up.
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-family: trebuchet ms;">You're now living in a nation where every elected position in the land, from President and Congress down to State, County, and City/Town Councils, can be -- and mark my words, WILL BE -- bought. This isn't the case a decade from now, nor a year from now...this is EFFECTIVE TODAY. Politicians will be nothing short of prostitutes and whores to corporate America.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-family: trebuchet ms;">Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and his 4 other conservative colleagues -- the men who planted George W. Bush into the Presidency in 2000 -- yesterday overturned over 100 years of repeated common law decisions limiting corporate spending on campaigns...and thus flushed our future further down the shitter.
<br />
<br />So there goes our democracy, floating down the river and out to the ocean, reduced to a stinky slutty sea pickle.</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-family: trebuchet ms;">That being said, we should get familiar with the flag (above) and the Pledge of Allegiance to our new corporacracy, the UCA.</span>
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">I pledge allegiance to the flag
<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">of the United Corporations of America</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">and to the soulless money whores for which it stands,
<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">one Ruse under CEO,
<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">divisible or merging with fishnets on,
<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;">and justice for deep pockets.</span></p>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Enjoy your new country as you watch your future erode into Fascism -- unless something can be done, and done quickly, to reverse this decision, or its effects.
<br />
<br />Be sure to celebrate this day with a walk in the park and a snack...because at some point down the road the memories of a calm hang in a park with a snack might be all you have to hold onto.
<br />
<br />So what are you going to do about it?
<br />
<br />Bear this in mind...this is worse than the Dred Scott decision in the 1850s that started the Civil War...and this makes something like the specter of Roe vs. Wade being overturned (which may be soon to follow, it wouldn't surprise me) seem like a minor inconvenience...this decision simply gobbles up anything and everything else that means anything in our country.
<br />
<br />So what are you going to do about it?
<br />
<br />Unless something's done to remedy this insane and horrible decision, this is the start of the Dark Ages...and if it means civil war, then so be it. Bring it on. I plan on dying a free man...do you?</span>
<br />
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >So what are you going to do about it?
<br />
<br />Have a nice day.</span>
<br />Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-9197423133030451692010-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:05:24.615-08:00The Pandemic of Voter Apathy<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's presence in American politics seems to be inevitable, like that hideous hairy mole that appears on your face with age when you're too old to be bothered to do anything about it...or the nagging mother-in-law who won't shut the f##k up. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The recent election of Scott Brown involved apathy on several levels. First, the Democratic candidate was a complete idiot...she made the #1 mistake in politics: never assume the election is a lock. She only has herself to blame; she completely blew it. Period. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Not only did she just blow an election, but she gave up Ted Kennedy's seat -- a seat held by the Democrats for half a century.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Still, despite any anger or frustration with the system, Mass. voters shouold have known better and understood what's at stake. Why didn't they? Here's my take.</span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Selfishness. When you have a state-run health care system that takes care of you, why worry about the rest of the country? Who cares about the other guy? Apparently very few...apparently it's too easy to get caught up in the hysteria of your own little world and "make a point at the polling booth"...assuming you hopefully know what you're doing, which leads me to my next point.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Short-sightedness. Apparenty the voters of Mass. have a case of severe short-term memory loss, or passed out from too much Sam Adams winter ale. Uh, recall what Americans did to try getting things moving again in the last election? Yes, that would be called progress. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Plain old apathy. Recall how we voted in more Progressives because we were tired of the same old politics from Conservatives? Sometimes creating fundamental change canvasses more than one election cycle...so all this being said, what sort of change, my Commonwealth Bostonian voter, do you expect to see if you tip the scales back into the hands of Conservatives? Christ, you're a friggin Dem...what's that all about? Apparently pulling your head out of your ass isn't one of your strong suits.</span></li></ol><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Apparently with Ted Kennedy's passing also passed health care reform legislation in its current form as we know it...but why is that necessary? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">My answer: We need to go nuclear. Dems need to grow a goddam backbone for once and pony up to eliminate the filibuster, which was originally intended as a seldom-used tactic but has become commonplace in Washington nowadays to the effect that we're deadlocked and can't get anything done. This is supposed to be a democracy where the majority rules, NOT A SUPERMAJORITY. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">If the filibuster isn't eliminated, and eliminated soon, we're screwed on all the issues: health care, clean energy, immigration...everything. </span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-19039867531962486392010-01-16T00:54:00.000-08:002010-01-16T01:38:04.324-08:00The Chronicles of PlanetWrecker: Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAyYEST4GfyFHv7ucebeZbPjckD7VR-WrxzN5gYKdXg93mzznasBARb3wWdQLFwkM_P7VkhC__zz-cwlmvzg7OHENSosPilbOV62HNxxwVE_6p_wS3sy1H9UbhyphenhyphengbUseXPrYDUXY-bDY/s1600-h/RZ1stainedglass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAyYEST4GfyFHv7ucebeZbPjckD7VR-WrxzN5gYKdXg93mzznasBARb3wWdQLFwkM_P7VkhC__zz-cwlmvzg7OHENSosPilbOV62HNxxwVE_6p_wS3sy1H9UbhyphenhyphengbUseXPrYDUXY-bDY/s320/RZ1stainedglass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427261761389390178" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I've intended for some time now to reveal a fable, if you will, about a sort of character. We'll call him</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > "PlanetWrecker."<br /><br />He's hiding behind the stained glass window for now...but trust me, we'll reveal more of his "hot looks" later on. I'll leave it up to you to determine if he's fact or fiction.<br /><br />Let's do a brief pass over the general tendencies of our character. PlanetWrecker is of a ruthless mindset. He has one sole objective; money and power. PlanetWrecker cares little about the wreckage that he leaves in his wake (and, uh, there's quite a bit of it), be it family (including effects on his own children), strangers, and the planet as a whole. More on all those elements later, with lots of dirty details.<br /><br />Not beyond our surprise, he actually makes his money by destroying the planet...hence, the moniker of PlanetWrecker.<br /><br />So we've established, relatively speaking, some of PlanetWrecker's tendencies and mindset...but what forms such a mindset? Who or what shaped PlanetWrecker to become what he is? If we look into his past, can we figure out what morphed him into the planet-wrecking son of a bitch fishnet stocking-wearing money whore that he is? How do we wrap our minds around the opera that is his life?<br /><br />We'll take a stab at it.<br /><br />PlanetWrecker was born in the early 1950s in the Northeast U.S. Early on, a tough father of Slavic origins ingrained the necessary survival skills in him, with a take-no-prisoners approach: kill or be killed. Of course, this was a pattern carried down from PlanetWrecker's father's father, and so forth -- once again, the cycle never breaks.<br /><br />A stern life rubric was pounded into PlanetWrecker: a view that life is survival of the fittest and take no prisoners...follow the rules, don't break them...strategize so you're always 3 moves ahead of your opponent...and if it's a trusted counterpart or colleague, you'll get the chance to put the knife in when his/her back's turned to you.<br /><br />Also, it was conveyed that everything that falls into one's path should be evaluated on its resourcefulness or economic value -- otherwise it's of no use. If it's of no use, it should be tossed aside, and onto the next thing.<br /><br />While this view is self-serving and may garner one some successes, unfortunately it's an unhealthy path on which to tread, and some of the shrapnel inflicted on those around you who you damage may come back to bite you.<br /><br />We'll get into more specifics, and unveil more of PlanetWrecker's superopera in the next episode of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of PlanetWrecker.</span></span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-53594318879912879952009-12-19T06:45:00.000-08:002009-12-19T07:02:40.161-08:00America's Steamy Holiday Stinker<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7R9knheBoCinOa-aAxXFLV-2aqkwz1q4nglU3vYxpSC81ikIXfrkLxpL4-lXPeDJVDcsFApCVt9sUUt2U0jBTRiE6qTsKoMYYouq0tNfZRhPaQ0KTckD9Zkl59E7lU7m8HNlweZ1MXOs/s1600-h/present1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7R9knheBoCinOa-aAxXFLV-2aqkwz1q4nglU3vYxpSC81ikIXfrkLxpL4-lXPeDJVDcsFApCVt9sUUt2U0jBTRiE6qTsKoMYYouq0tNfZRhPaQ0KTckD9Zkl59E7lU7m8HNlweZ1MXOs/s400/present1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416961283430013490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Happy holidays America! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Here's your early X-Mas gift! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">No, no, go ahead and unwrap it while we watch, it's okay.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Let's see...hmm...just let me unwrap this end here...oh, you taped it up and packaged it so well, it's taking me extra time here to get into it!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Okay, I unwrapped it...oh, a box! I wonder what's in the box? Oh, that's right, I need to read the note first!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">The note says: "Courtesy of the United States Senate, Washington D.C. Have a relaxing, pleasant, and HEALTHY holiday."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Just then I notice that something's starting to stink, and I proceed to open the box...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:180%;" >"Wow! Thank you! I've always wanted this! My very own health care reform SHIT SANDWICH for X-Mas! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"</span> </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Boy am I glad I'm an Independent right now. Should I hang my hat on that? Sure. With pride. That'll do.</span><br /></span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-62290343714134080632009-12-02T07:30:00.000-08:002009-12-02T13:29:10.709-08:00Sheriff Arpaio: Arizona's Public Enemy #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvcUacazoKlEEQMqhWs_L3d-Cz-Ehf0OJtPAaewdcmHyOa-PqQMqesftPSEVo5tR-Y08sW1OGegf4sMP5kt49KPuKqDzpUyGLLQjdoT6rpin7wEiuM44bfSxkNVq1tZYXJGENhs2HwgU/s1600-h/josepharpaio_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvcUacazoKlEEQMqhWs_L3d-Cz-Ehf0OJtPAaewdcmHyOa-PqQMqesftPSEVo5tR-Y08sW1OGegf4sMP5kt49KPuKqDzpUyGLLQjdoT6rpin7wEiuM44bfSxkNVq1tZYXJGENhs2HwgU/s400/josepharpaio_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410733847317009554" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I want to start out by saying that I don't normally -- or like to -- target law enforcement officers in my blog. I have the utmost respect for their kind and what they do, and I personally know some Seattle cops. I'm also heartbroken over the recent murders of 5 police officers in the Puget Sound area.<br /><br />However, I'm focused on an individual today who is an exception to the noble profession of the police...a man who, for many years, has been degrading all other cops around the country, and retarding what it means to be a law enforcement officer. He erodes the great reputation of his profession and the very concept of public service in general.</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" > He disgraces law enforcement, period. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />Having spent 16 years of my life in Arizona, I'm very familiar with the ways, means, and tactics of Maricopa County Sherrif Joe Arpaio. I'll let you google his name to look him up on your own, but one thing's safe to say: you don't ever want to get pulled over in Maricopa County, or Arizona at all for that matter, if you even have anything to the effect of or resembling an unpaid parking ticket. Chances are pretty good that you'll get hauled into jail...and while you might encounter an understanding cop, he/she is more than likely in the same school of thought as Arpaio and will do everything in their power to at least detain you, even if they don't have a good reason to arrest you.<br /><br />That's because if he could be judge, jury, and executioner, Arpaio would be all three...including for petty crimes such as clapping at a county supervisor's meeting, <a href="http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/americas-worst-sheriff-joe-arpaio/">which this article talks about, among other things</a>.<br /><br />His actions, however, aren't completely without reactions or consequences. Here's an article on his interview at the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-9270-LA-Border-and-Immigration-Examiner%7Ey2009m12d1-Arpaio-walks-out-from-a-First-Amendment-forum?#comments">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism on the ASU campus</a> that he walked out of due to protesters. Boy I wish I could have been there to see that! Hopefully he left the stage shaking his fist in the air shouting "You Liberals!" Well, probably not. It's still fun to imagine.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">Allow me to back up a bit, since the story of Sheriff Arpaio is based out of Phoenix and Maricopa County in the late 1980s.<br /><br />There was a time when someone like Arpaio sounded like a good idea. In the early 1990s, Phoenix's crime was out of control, and the public were losing their tolerance with endless accounts of innocent folks killed by drunk drivers. Many of the accounts of bad behavior and violence stemmed from much of Arizona's transient population and newcomers who had very little vested in their communities, or were in the state under shady pretenses to begin with.<br /><br />So when Joe Arpaio came up for election as Maricopa County Sherrif in the early 90s, promising to "clean house," the public drones, in a typical and predictable knee-jerk reaction, jumped all over it.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><br /><br />Something needs to be understood about the makeup of the Maricopa County populous...let's see...how do I explain this. It presents for the most part an obedient audience, sorta like the minions who won't put up a fight or dare to speak out against the Evil Galactic Empire in a <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars</span> movie. Those who put Arpaio into office are folks who don't think much for themselves, much less dare to in the first place. They vote out of fear; there's really no other explanation to the phenomena of voting for and empowering a coward like Arpaio.<br /><br />If you consider that public mindset and the added theater Arpaio puts on for the news (being the media whore that he is) about how he's doing "this," cleaning up "that," and implementing the "other" -- with all that "media meat" sandwiched in a "bun of fear" through the spectre of "all the problems caused by illegal immigrants," if you follow the bad analogy -- then you have the perfect recipe for mass deception and brainwashing...not to suggest that the web Arpaio spins is that complicated, as I don't think the man's really that smart. It has more to do with the public he served in his county than any brainchild maneuver on his part.<br /><br />So, needless to say, it's been a mess of accounts of racial profiling episodes, and a host of horrors for the Hispanic community in Phoenix, capped by accounts this past decade of ripping families apart and sending members out of the country in middle of the night house raids. Sure, some of these folks have been illegal, but many also have not. When one considers the potpourri of countless rights-trampling escapades and how many innocent lives have been destroyed and disrupted, one might start to wonder.<br /><br />As first, some of the stories coming out of his summer jail camp episodes, such as making inmates wear pink underwear, came across as funny and cute. However, as the surface started to get peeled back and as more stories about inhumane conditions were brought out into the light (many, oddly enough, by Arpaio himself), things weren't really that funny and cute anymore. Many were left asking: "...and why exactly is this necessary?"<br /><br />I'd imagine it all has the same effect as torturing terrorists in Guantamano Bay; you don't cut down on crime by humiliating and dehumanizing criminals, let alone someone who's been pulled over for a petty traffic infraction or an expired parking ticket. You tend to get the opposite reaction -- breeding fear and hatred towards law enforcement and government in general, for that matter. <br /><br />Being not exactly the youngest kid on the block, it seems to be rather simple. Bad behavior manufactures, well, bad behavior. One might think that a slightly more balanced approach to handling a jail one-timer who goofed or had a bad day is different from how the system handles, say, a really bad criminal such as a murderer -- AND NOT THROW THEM IN TENT CITY TOGETHER. Just a thought.<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">So what does one do with Arpaio and his cronies? I guess it's simple...but there's good news and bad news about this guy. Good news first.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><br /><br />You can get rid of the guy by voting him out. Now here's the bad news.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><br /><br />Unfortunately we're talking about Maricopa County; the most populated county in a state of mainly anti-government transplants who, in my opinion, are either retired and don't want taxes (usually Republicans), the types "running away from something" (also typically Republicans by nature, as they're usually anti-govt due to past experience or run-ins with the law), or just simply trying to "start over" from a former life. That being said, there are few Arizona natives...they're totally outnumbered.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><br /><br />So then, needles to say, the place is run from top to bottom by the lunatic fringe...meaning people who are intolerant and don't understand what dignity is. Hardliners on petty crimes who think everyday folks who have no record and goof, or make a mistake once, should be "taught a lesson" and thrown in jail with murderers. People who rule their lives by fear, because that's how they were brought up or the society conditioned them that way. It's all they know.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">The following is a post I put up on the Spokane Examiner in response to comments assuming it's all Liberals making the noise against Arpaio's fascist regime.</span> </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"><br /><br />It's not all Liberals who oppose Arpaio's fascist ways of policing...plenty of conservatives and Republicans are unhappy with him, and there's good reason. He has a rap sheet that goes back to the early 90s, and a HORRIFIC track record of stomping on First Amendment rights of everyday citizens. </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"><br /><br />Unfortunately the majority of the populous in Maricopa County is too brainwashed by anti-immigrant propaganda, and/or too uneducated to understand that the trampled rights of a few mean that the rights of everyone are taken away...like being arrested for clapping in a county supervisor's meeting. That's illegal? You're kidding, right?<br /><br />Give me a break. If that sort of freedom of expression is being quashed, then Phoenix residents have more serious issues to worry about than the other problems triggered by Arpaio and his henchmen...such as rounding up alleged illegals via racial profiling, and folks with old parking tix being thrown in with murderers in 1930s-style prison camps in 120 degree heat.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-85008607167045295192009-10-19T21:48:00.000-07:002009-10-19T21:50:54.504-07:00SurvivaBall<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Your latest protection against global warming!</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eO1Bm8Wrwe8&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eO1Bm8Wrwe8&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-89128490326172152442009-10-19T19:37:00.000-07:002009-10-19T21:38:30.975-07:00My New Heroes<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">They're called <a href="http://www.theyesmen.org/">The Yes Men</a>...which I'd imagine is a title borne of sarcasm/purposeful irony, sorta like this blog.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'd heard of these guys before, but saw them on the news tonight after they pulled a stunt posing as U.S. Chamber of Commerce staff with a fake news conference.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Absolutely beautiful...these guys rock! I'm sure we'll here more from them again...here's a clip of their fake news conference.</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vYGcIhNGSIY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vYGcIhNGSIY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-64070849967970609482009-08-31T06:17:00.000-07:002009-08-31T06:53:36.009-07:00Allegories from Kunstler apply to our health care debate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE20USgJtwpsvpFXHDSqaCYW50EpfJJdsFBeINWiPZ4l4pCRm69C50UtsgtblHKbTM_KYjo1uPxSuIEMm_FffdqUwvQY7Sb_-Mf_5MjIso8a-peaLKvuf0elRROPQQzgX_VJrvRVEjbVU/s1600-h/Kunstler_HomeFromNowhere1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE20USgJtwpsvpFXHDSqaCYW50EpfJJdsFBeINWiPZ4l4pCRm69C50UtsgtblHKbTM_KYjo1uPxSuIEMm_FffdqUwvQY7Sb_-Mf_5MjIso8a-peaLKvuf0elRROPQQzgX_VJrvRVEjbVU/s400/Kunstler_HomeFromNowhere1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376119526353361666" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Reading is such a funny activity...it never ceases to fascinate me on how you can be going over subject matter of one thing, and realize as you're going through it how it applies to something completely different.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Books covering the subject matter of urban planning are particularly interesting in this regard, especially when they focus on the philosophy of the field.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I want to share an excerpt from Howard Kunstler, the author of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Geography of Nowhere</span> and its follow-up, <span style="font-style: italic;">Home from Nowhere</span>...this is from the latter.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >You'll see, as you go through it, how what he's saying applies to what we're seeing right now in our health care debate; in terms of the conservative perspective vs. the liberals ones...and the question about whether we can tap into our better angels.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Starting from p. 37, Chapter 2: The Public Realm and the Common Good:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"Main Street USA in America's obsolete model for development---we stopped assembling towns this way after 1945. The pattern of Main Street is pretty simple: mixed use, mixed income, apartments and offices over the stores, moderate density, scaled to pedestrians, vehicles permitted but not allowed to dominate, buildings detailed with care, and built to last (although we still trashed it). Altogether it was a pretty good development pattern. It produced places that people loved deeply. That is the reason Main Street persists in our cultural memory. Many people still alive remember the years before World War Two and what it felt like to live in integral towns modeled on this pattern. Physical remnants of the pattern still stand in parts of the country for people to see, though the majority of Americans have moved into the new model habitat called Suburban Sprawl.<br /><br />For all its apparent success, Suburban Sprawl sorely lacks many things that make life worth living, particularly civic amenities, which Main Street offered in spades. Deep down, many Americans are dissatisfied with suburbia---though they have trouble understanding what's missing---which explains their nostalgia for the earlier model. Their dissatisfaction is literally a </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >dis-ease.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> They feel vaguely and generally un-well where they are. Nostalgia in its original sense means homesickness. Americans essay to cure their homesickness with costly visits to Disney World. The crude, ineffective pallaitives they get there in the form of brass bands and choo-choo train rides leave them more homesick and more baffled as to the nature of the their disease than when they arrived---like selling chocolate bars to someone suffereing from scurvy---and pathetically, of course, they must return afterward to the very places that induce the disease of homesickness.<br /><br />Historically Americans have a low regard for the public realm, and this is very unfotunate because the public realm is the physical manifestation of the common good. When you degrade the public realm, as we have, you degrade the common good.<br /><br />The public realm is furnished with some nonphysical equipment in the form of laws, beliefs, social agreements, and preeminently language, which enables all these other mechanisms to operate. One might call language the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >basic operating system</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> of the public realm, without which all the other </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >applications</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> needed to run human society would not function. When you degrade this equipment, this language, as we have in our time, then you impair the ability of a group of people incorporated as the republic to think about the common good."</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-28917096456831977012009-08-24T12:50:00.001-07:002009-08-25T08:41:30.235-07:00My letter to President Obama for EFFECTIVE health insurance reform<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDH_XsxQDO1EIgUiO-Z6VxC-iqVacp6xSXvCsz6-WhaonkpKxcAZV31j7EVYMFMMGArGRS7uCDpxHJuq5kxLLAXvletR4U_1G0ziDSFUch8iJh1l7xy2NfbmI0hxHt4L51pBvokPmJw4/s1600-h/2009-08_LetterToPrez_healthcare1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 411px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDH_XsxQDO1EIgUiO-Z6VxC-iqVacp6xSXvCsz6-WhaonkpKxcAZV31j7EVYMFMMGArGRS7uCDpxHJuq5kxLLAXvletR4U_1G0ziDSFUch8iJh1l7xy2NfbmI0hxHt4L51pBvokPmJw4/s320/2009-08_LetterToPrez_healthcare1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373918453912975378" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBUCjE2mU1ebCPI7_VZuHA1UsvFYaDgq3AZnrbbOQ9sYV2hTt9r4serKNXA81QDoEamQ7BcdaD9Q7veF2IoMRN8t_j-BQ-lpMq1NeysNNXVmaQp9WUn-D83jT-Pne18e9Vzz5C740PrI/s1600-h/President_Official_Portrait_LowRes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBUCjE2mU1ebCPI7_VZuHA1UsvFYaDgq3AZnrbbOQ9sYV2hTt9r4serKNXA81QDoEamQ7BcdaD9Q7veF2IoMRN8t_j-BQ-lpMq1NeysNNXVmaQp9WUn-D83jT-Pne18e9Vzz5C740PrI/s320/President_Official_Portrait_LowRes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373631422625495858" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I've had this in the works, in my mind for a long time...years, actually. It's just been a matter of getting it on paper, and TIMING.
<br /></span>
<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The time is now.
<br />
<br />So now, this last weekend, I put something together and mailed it off to the White House, addressed to the 44th President of the United States.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >
<br />
<br />I've also written my two Democratic Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, in addition to Ted Kennedy, to thank them for their efforts.
<br />
<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It didn't end there.
<br />
<br />I've written my representative in the House, Republican Dave Reichert, and cc'd copies of that letter to House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner of the 8th District of Ohio, as well as Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky...in hopes (probably in vain) that my family's story will have some effect. </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >
<br />
<br />All the letters are nearly identical, with the initial and ending paragraphs differing slightly...the one to Republicans is more about urging bipartisan support.
<br />
<br />It will be interesting to see where this all goes. It's a bit of a protracted letter, and I'm sure there's some out there that are more concise, so I'm not expecting it to necessarily be in the "A Group" to appear before eyes such as Obama's...but if it gets before the right person, and hits home, I'm hoping it has great possibilities of effect.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br />
<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);">We shall see...here's the text from the letter.
<br />
<br /></span>
<br /></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Footer Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.25in right 6.5in; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-style-link:"No Spacing Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.FooterChar {mso-style-name:"Footer Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:Footer; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.NoSpacingChar {mso-style-name:"No Spacing Char"; mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"No Spacing"; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-style-link:"No Spacing Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.NoSpacingChar {mso-style-name:"No Spacing Char"; mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"No Spacing"; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">August 24, 2009</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p>President Barack Obama, 44<sup>th</sup> President of the United States</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">The White House</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Washington, D.C.<span style=""> </span>20500</p> <p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CPaul%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-style-link:"No Spacing Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.NoSpacingChar {mso-style-name:"No Spacing Char"; mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"No Spacing"; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="">Re: My family’s story with regard to the need for EFFECTIVE health insurance reform<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Dear President Obama:</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">I write you today with a heavy heart—and hope—in the push for <u>effective legislation</u> to reform our health insurance system so that it will function in a way that does not rob covered working families of their golden years.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, my family—along with many other American families—has direct experience with the failures of the current system; <i style="">while acting responsibly with full health coverage.</i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i style="">
<br /><span style=""> </span></i></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">You are the first U.S. President I have ever written to.<span style=""> </span>I’m currently 40, and a technical writer with a background in city planning…and a 3<sup>rd</sup> generation only child like my mother and her father before her.<span style=""> </span>My folks were born during the Great Depression, and the practice of fiscal conservatism was ingrained in them at a young age.<span style=""> </span>They developed a jack-of-all-trades skill set; my mother’s background in teaching, nursing, & administration, and my father’s in civil engineering & international sales helped them build a successful manufacturer’s rep business after working for various employers in the 1960s and 70s.<span style=""> </span>In the 1980s they converted the basement of our Seattle area house into an office, and their dynamic skills shined bright as they put passion, time, and diligence into the business.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">I recall my father insisting that he wear a button-down shirt and tie before embarking on his commute of twelve stairs into our basement office.<span style=""> </span>He never deviated from that rule once, as it helped get his head right for the workday.<span style=""> </span>While it may seem like a small act, it’s a testament to his work ethic.<span style=""> </span>The business, the xxx, was very successful going into the 1990s…there was every indication my folks were on their way to achieving their retirement dreams through hard work.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Then tragedy hit the family.<span style=""> </span>In June of 1993 my father (57 at the time, fit, and physically active with an impeccable bill of health) suffered a cerebral hemorrhage that snuck up on him; things were fine one minute as we were having Sunday dinner, and then after a rush to the hospital he was in the middle of brain surgery nine hours later.<span style=""> </span>Luckily he survived, but not without some damage to his speech center, right side, and other effects from the trauma.<span style=""> </span>Over the course of the next couple of years my father endured a total of 3 brain surgeries, along with ICU stays, protracted in-patient hospital stays, long stretches of therapy, and a smorgasbord of medications.<span style=""> </span>His speech therapy continues to this day.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">As sole proprietors, my parent’s insurance premiums to Regents Blue Shield were approximately $1,500 per month—in 1993…it was the best coverage they could get at the time from their menu of options.<span style=""> </span>Yet, Regents refused coverage for decisions made by the hospital in the use of certain specialists, they went after every possible loophole, and bird-dogged every charge associated with my father’s illness.<span style=""> </span>As if being a small family dealing with this tragedy wasn’t enough, the costs (in the range of 100K) nearly bankrupted my folks and triggered a domino effect of slow financial decline (when you factor in the loss of income from my father’s inability to work) that forces my mother to continue working in other capacities today—in her 70s.<span style=""> </span>Needless to say, the toll of everything accelerated their aging significantly, to the effect that my involvement in a caretaking role—again, as the only child—is happening much sooner than I expected.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">This scenario involving my family is unconscionable.<span style=""> </span>The behavior and games played by their insurance company were despicable.<span style=""> </span>I can’t believe that my parents—who were responsible with finances, worked diligently to make a life and future for themselves, and carried full coverage at the time of an illness—could suddenly become victims and essentially be robbed of their golden years.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">If working families like mine—who have coverage and act responsibly—are being victimized like this, then obviously our health insurance system is not only broken, but rigged with merciless pitfalls.<span style=""> </span>In the reform efforts taking place at this time, <u>it is imperative that the final product have teeth in it</u> that will protect working families with meaningful coverage; especially those in that vulnerable age bracket from 50–65, and in doomsday scenarios such as the unpreventable one that presented my father’s illness.<span style=""> </span>I see legislation that’s any less effective as simply adding to an already imploding house of cards.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">We all deserve to pursue the American Dream built on our own will and efforts; one that won’t be torpedoed by the health insurance machinations and its complex web of cloaked tiger traps.<span style=""> </span>My parents were on track for a solid retirement before having the rug yanked from under their feet by such devices. <span style=""> </span>They deserved better.<span style=""> </span>This is why I write to you today…so that other families don’t experience the horrors with health insurance that mine went through.<span style=""> </span>As a small business owner (I included a couple cards for you) I’ve followed the example my parents set, and needless to say I am concerned about my own coverage when the cards are on the table (in a situation similar to my father’s, heaven forbid) and scenarios to that effect that could wreck my family’s financial future.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Thank you Mr. President for reading this…and for standing firm on your vision of health insurance reform that’s effective and furthers the efforts of many others before you.<span style=""> </span>I appreciate your continuing efforts and personal sacrifices you have made in the interest of fixing the broken pieces of America—like the issues I speak to here.<span style=""> </span>Let’s further perfect our Union <u>with EFFECTIVE health insurance reform</u>.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Yours truly and respectfully,</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweva</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Washington State Obama Delegate for the 41<sup>st</sup> Legislative District 2008 Democratic Caucus <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Obama for America campaign fundraiser of approximately $2,000</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:9;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:9;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:9;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Cc:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Ms. Kathleen Sebelius, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br />Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-70711126324496436092009-07-28T10:29:00.000-07:002009-07-28T10:38:14.459-07:00See ya...wouldn't wanna be ya!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFTWR45XlBhC6MVjldH3QzOb7I4iF-6IpAMH2uhoP1kxcGona3B_27-OXNJQsAzdWzGNkApx64tu6cLcPgKXqjcUIhg6AaDdgdpZP3qPUlbiVN2J6qdOHLq_ZwclzB3vhV9YJzDMRvpU/s1600-h/SadSarah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 405px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFTWR45XlBhC6MVjldH3QzOb7I4iF-6IpAMH2uhoP1kxcGona3B_27-OXNJQsAzdWzGNkApx64tu6cLcPgKXqjcUIhg6AaDdgdpZP3qPUlbiVN2J6qdOHLq_ZwclzB3vhV9YJzDMRvpU/s400/SadSarah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363565886575633586" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Bye bye Sarah...for now, I guess...as I'm assuming we'll eventually see her head pop up like a jack-in-the-box surprise, promoting some horrific cause.<br /><br />What will she do next? Perhaps she'll go back to radio...or maybe try to sell us weed wackers on some infomercial.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Oh, I can't wait for that.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />For the sake of Alaskans, I couldn't be happier...oh, and thanks Sarah, for helping make bloggers like myself part of the mainstream media. In that regard, with your media and blogger war mongering, you're the greatest thing that ever happened to us.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />Ahem, moving on now...next!</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-19755968635384634732009-07-04T20:37:00.000-07:002009-07-04T20:46:42.525-07:00Oh, that was smart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsDuTCdwY7wM_g0FwvUTHIg-XhTD0m1LIEDX6-d1lfBEJDjzqrQwh3hepouWNi32syKNvLaRFvBeOsHwG1XgBeO8WMkpyd5YcJ64SEzEazoigA-AYUfscl8io_qBO5F8tuEKOW5MPeWE/s1600-h/Palin+-+RNC+speech+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsDuTCdwY7wM_g0FwvUTHIg-XhTD0m1LIEDX6-d1lfBEJDjzqrQwh3hepouWNi32syKNvLaRFvBeOsHwG1XgBeO8WMkpyd5YcJ64SEzEazoigA-AYUfscl8io_qBO5F8tuEKOW5MPeWE/s200/Palin+-+RNC+speech+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354816450426763874" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Sarah Palin is resigning from the Alaska governorship...and setting aside the fact that I'm not her biggest fan, I must ask: why?</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><br />Answer: Palin Logic...yup, sorta like Steely Dan's <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretzel Logic</span>. Makes sense...see? Sure...it makes just about as much sense as her resignation.<br /><br />WTF? Does she really think this is going to help her ascension to be more effective for the weird stuff she believes in?<br /><br />Don't try to figure it out, there is no logic here. Haven't you figured that out by now? Don't try to figure it out. It's anyone's guess what this brainiac's next boobhead maneuver is going to be.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-14721378671189331622009-06-23T19:52:00.000-07:002009-06-23T19:59:42.964-07:00Neda<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >She's the latest to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.<br /><br />An innocent student ~ Neda ~ marching in protest of a fixed election from a crooked Iranian theocracy.<br /><br />Be warned...it's a little bloody and creepy with her eyes, which seem to be fixing on the person taking the video (appears to be from a phone camera).</span><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WmS1Kk05VH4&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WmS1Kk05VH4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-41938210175615281122009-06-19T07:08:00.000-07:002009-06-19T14:35:59.213-07:00Our President is a nice man...sorta.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9Wt-NqWvribm7X1ygXJIMNIihAoMF-G6v6nEHPHVIcPb2evf2Puh4nXEbAGTGbbAjhzujdr_D-gqh-KUVTgWR6JQ0vLQ9T13QkV-Ow8rHSU7OiPfFHSeyzhcMv9AKa3i2Qu3s3y5EFo/s1600-h/President_Official_Portrait_LowRes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9Wt-NqWvribm7X1ygXJIMNIihAoMF-G6v6nEHPHVIcPb2evf2Puh4nXEbAGTGbbAjhzujdr_D-gqh-KUVTgWR6JQ0vLQ9T13QkV-Ow8rHSU7OiPfFHSeyzhcMv9AKa3i2Qu3s3y5EFo/s200/President_Official_Portrait_LowRes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348344951727883218" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I realize it sounds like something a kindergartner would say, but it's very basic and true.<br /><br />This week, Mr. Obama expanded Federal benefits to include same sex partners...and while some say it should have happened sooner, I'm guessing he's had more pressing matters to deal with.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Wow, we have a human being in office. Imagine that.<br /><br />...but some in the gay community thought he could have done more.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Nevertheless, this is yet another sign of our progress as a society, and a mark of kindness and openness from our President. It's a sign of the great man that he is...even though he isn't personally in favor of all the rights that homosexuals seek in this country (Obama supports civil unions, but not gay marriage), he still understands what it is to be fair. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This also sets an excellent example for states, counties, and cities, which eventually (hopefully) will follow suit...along with Congress, who is the only body that can allow for full bennies to domestic partners of Federal staff.<br /></span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-65057321958375686722009-06-17T07:21:00.000-07:002009-06-19T14:44:04.180-07:00Yet ANOTHER "enemies list" in an angered Nixon Camp<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UZlR20QQtlM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UZlR20QQtlM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It's remembered only by those who are in their mid-40s or older...and the only reason I remember it in my early 40s is due to the fact that I grew up in a Republican household that kept the television on after I watched Sesame Street and my afternoon cartoons.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It's the story that keeps on giving, and seems to never want to die.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It's called WATERGATE.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Aside from having evolved into part of the political linguistics that define anything resembling a scandal with a President or Governor (x-gate), Watergate seems to rear it's head back every few years with new information. There were the Frost-Nixon interviews of the late 70s...then there was always the "What's he doing now?" period at the end of Nixon's life, when he was trying to salvage his image. For years we didn't know who Deep Throat was, but then that was revealed in a deathbed confession in the last 10 years.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Now, in 2009 and 15 years following Nixon's passing, a new (and most amusing) twist on Watergate has arisen.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >According to Newsweek, the Nixon Presidential Library, in commemorating the 37th Anniversary of Watergate (Nixon was also the 37th President of the United States), has decided to invite none other than John Dean to speak at the event.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yes, you read that correctly...the John Dean who resigned as Nixon's White House attorney and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after testifying about his boss's role in the cover-up.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Needless to say, the Nixon Camp is livid...a former communications aide of Nixon's has been quoted as describing it this way: "It's like having Monica Lewinsky speak at the Clinton Library."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It doesn't end there.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Caught in the crossfire is historian Timothy Naftali, who took over as the library's director over two years ago when the Nixon Library was handed over to the publicly run archives. It was his idea to invite Dean.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >It's also helpful to understand that before the library was handed over to the public archives, it was run by the Nixon Foundation...and when I personally visited it in 2002, the whole operation was completely sanitized of anything Watergate-related or ANYTHING, for that matter, that even suggested anything negative about the Nixon Presidency.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >That being said, it's the privately run Nixon Foundation and its officials (comprised of Henry Kissinger, George Schultz and Nixon's two daughters), who are upset about the Dean appearance...so much that they have compiled an "enemies list" to the effect of this anticipated event.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >An enemies list in the Nixon camp? Really? Like the long blacklist of names Nixon himself had in the Oval Office during his Presidency?<br /><br />You know, THAT list...the one with the reporters and conspiring Hollywood actors on it...and some 95 yr old grandma who was thought to be a spy when she was merely mailing the White House to shame Nixon in the early 70s.<br /><br />Now do you know what list I'm talking about?<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I can't begin to express the level of amusement that this conjures up, having been fascinated with Nixon since I was basically 4 years of age...and this only further perpetuates the enigma surrounding Nixon, who I see as the most fascinating and complicated President of the 20th Century. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Such an interesting development...I guess the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My guess is that these new developments are a reaction to how sanitized the Nixon Library has been up to this point...and believe me, it has DEFINITELY been sanitized, sterilized, and disinfected.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Until now.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >In anticipation of Dean's appearance at this event, apparently we can expect some serious fireworks! Apparently Dean is going to be revealing some damning new details with Nixon's role in Watergate. Quoting Dean in a recent interview with Newsweek: "They're going to be particularly unhappy when they hear what I have to say."<br /><br />I'll leave you with another nice little ditty from the Trickster himself...and this one isn't altered...it's the genuine article from Tricky Dick himself!<br /></span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iucE78-C2Po&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iucE78-C2Po&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-82406634073883418162009-06-13T10:17:00.001-07:002009-06-17T07:19:12.633-07:00Yes, the World hates you Sarah. That's why you feel this way.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9D1RhJYNJE_V10S9Gv-bx5IFqcpLEAdJf6FTxeCvDUYoXs-5UNyf2VBdPAYLrBduBFViuoE39L3TNpyd2YPboWO9l5stzuz_LfCOUxH_keZ0OFCFKyTn58_RkS0EyhFpgLWLPG2f8aA/s1600-h/SadSarah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9D1RhJYNJE_V10S9Gv-bx5IFqcpLEAdJf6FTxeCvDUYoXs-5UNyf2VBdPAYLrBduBFViuoE39L3TNpyd2YPboWO9l5stzuz_LfCOUxH_keZ0OFCFKyTn58_RkS0EyhFpgLWLPG2f8aA/s320/SadSarah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346863153054737682" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The GOP's Cruella DeVille wannabe, Sarah Palin, is at it again...this time it's with a late night talk show host.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Really? Is that the best you can do? Really? Really? Really?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ohhh Sarah.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Once again, Sarah Palin and her husband are either the most moronic idiots of this early 21st Century, or they're struggling for an opportunity to stay in the media spotlight by manufacturing drama that began with David Letterman joking about her in his nightly Top 10 list this past week.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvdOxQmra13oTlvtXFjguLoBMrtWpgHyH57HhlFmiV2uBCXRQzRFIoeCKiI7VZ5z14Q3cJsH5lJ-05GIrO0t4KH0WSJgHHmAQCSe1wouoxt5_LGI6jyZlYH8Mxppo09ZHsoNjNnyllhE/s1600-h/david-letterman_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvdOxQmra13oTlvtXFjguLoBMrtWpgHyH57HhlFmiV2uBCXRQzRFIoeCKiI7VZ5z14Q3cJsH5lJ-05GIrO0t4KH0WSJgHHmAQCSe1wouoxt5_LGI6jyZlYH8Mxppo09ZHsoNjNnyllhE/s320/david-letterman_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346863508010277218" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Uh, it was a joke, Sarah...even if part of it involved your daughter.<br /><br />No, the other daughter...the one that HAD the baby.<br /><br />Instead, of course, the Palins reacted to Letterman's self-proclaimed bad taste by calling him a petifile and putting the spotlight on their 14-year-old daughter...the one Letterman DIDN'T include in his joke.<br /><br />The Palins have brought this on themselves. The daughters wouldn't be in the spotlight if the parents hadn't marched them onto the stage like royalty during the GOP convention in Minneapolis last year.<br /><br />Moreover, Sarah, the status of how the World hates you (minus the brainwashed or insane mini-sectors of the right-wing freak show) is utterly and completely of your own undoing. Cause and effect. It also probably has something to do with your over-the-top reaction to jokes coming from a talk show host, and your defensive posture.<br /><br />Again, Sarah, IT WAS A TALK SHOW HOST. IT WAS A JOKE.<br /><br />The Palins should assess the structural integrity of your own glass house before throwing rocks...but you're not going to do that, Sarah, are you?<br /><br />Well then, you have a loooooooooooong and torturous road ahead of you. Good luck with it...oh, and try laughing about things like this sometimes. You might live longer.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-37486429399535714992009-06-05T03:00:00.000-07:002009-06-05T03:00:04.137-07:00Honoring "Tank Man" 20 years later<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMgIjPq2jOQ0UdPWS3UPY3Sbn0NxnpheYk1D-WuPVF43XmFTxjFj0izcPoZ2ZWWo1S4a8Zwvf6sdw2UCKR5yuj5bGQ_pRaeYECHZUXAALEyQ3NI5lZHwQcEaFc8zgTk5O1lhwlhhNglk/s1600-h/HWC1032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 409px; height: 325px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMgIjPq2jOQ0UdPWS3UPY3Sbn0NxnpheYk1D-WuPVF43XmFTxjFj0izcPoZ2ZWWo1S4a8Zwvf6sdw2UCKR5yuj5bGQ_pRaeYECHZUXAALEyQ3NI5lZHwQcEaFc8zgTk5O1lhwlhhNglk/s400/HWC1032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316459701584392610" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I actually thought of this back in March of this year, and put it up with a delay so it would come out on the 20 year anniversary of the incident, which occurred on June 5, 1989.<br /><br />This image is burned into the brains of many people who witnessed it at the time, including my own.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I'm reposting a post I found from 2006 on a blog called </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" href="http://aliberalmormon.wordpress.com/2006/04/11/tank-man/">A Liberal Mormon</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >.<br /><br />I think of tank man as one of the all-time heroes in human history...he's definitely in my hall of fame.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Tank Man</span> <small>By Derek Staffanson</small> <div class="snap_preview"><p>I have a very un-macho thing to confess. I get choked up every time I see the tank man.</p> <p>You know who I mean.</p> <p>Tiananmen Square. 1989. The government is pulling out all the stops to stamp out the peaceful demonstration for political change. The military has been called in. A column of tanks is rolling down the multi-lane street. And this guy steps out in front of the tanks. He doesn’t appear to be a demonstrator. He looks like some guy on his way home from work with a couple of bags of groceries. And for whatever reason, he just walks out a few feet in front of the tanks and stops. The tank hesitates, and then tries to drive around the guy. But this guy slides back and forth, making sure he is standing directly in front of the tank. And this tank–this column of tanks–is stopped. This one man holds up millions of dollars of Weapons of Mid-level Destruction. It only lasts a few minutes before (if I recall correctly) a handful of men run out to grab this guy and usher him out of sight. Police or soldiers whisking him off to disappear permanently? Friends rushing him off before he gets himself in serious trouble? I’ve no idea. But in those few minutes, he burned himself into (albeit anonymous) immortality in the minds of people around the world.</p> <p>Seriously, my throat is constricting and my eyes watering even as I write this. I honestly get choked up. Embarrassing but true. I’m <em>that</em> emotionally invested in that image.</p> <p>This man represents so much I believe in on a social/political level. Just an average person, a regular guy, standing up against evil (not the tank driver per se, but the use of force and political oppression). He has to know he can’t win. He can’t win the revolution. He can’t bring down the government of Bejing. If he is identified, he faces certain imprisonment at the least. He can’t even stop this column of tanks from going where they want to go.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTq_Nea2FjAvPZeyi6JWS8bpOAX5RMsNdGnOzQfXBlyw4YA_-2jRHMdve171BIP_EpZxbmL5f5v7KhGuAcrrl9wdSW7WjDFgHsjFCNLeKij2__I9MnBbAu6kdhtez-czDj3-GKgQObSM/s1600-h/300_tank_080514014816328_wideweb__300x300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTq_Nea2FjAvPZeyi6JWS8bpOAX5RMsNdGnOzQfXBlyw4YA_-2jRHMdve171BIP_EpZxbmL5f5v7KhGuAcrrl9wdSW7WjDFgHsjFCNLeKij2__I9MnBbAu6kdhtez-czDj3-GKgQObSM/s320/300_tank_080514014816328_wideweb__300x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316459533412900402" border="0" /></a><em>But he does it anyway.</em></p> <p>He walks in front of the tanks because, no matter how futile, he is standing for what is right.</p> <p>And for a few brief moments, <strong>he wins</strong>.</p> <p>It shows immense courage. Incredible conviction.</p> <p>And what a display of hope and faith in humanity! He could not have walked out there if he did not have faith in the goodness of humanity. He had the hope that, no matter what his orders and to whom he was loyal, the tank commander was ultimately a decent human being; that he wouldn’t casually roll over one harmless man.</p> <p>That is the man I aspire to be. I want to stand for what is true, noble, and good, no matter the odds. I want to have the positive belief that I can do some good simply by doing what is right. I want to believe that I will be doing some good by fighting for what appears to be futile causes when those causes are just. And I want to have the integrity to stand for something not just when I have planned the action, but when important opportunities present themselves.</p> <p>Tonight on local PBS affiliate, Frontline is presenting an episode on the Tank Man (more info <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/">here</a>). I can’t wait to watch and learn more about him and his legacy. I have no idea if Tank Man has ever been identified or if we will learn his fate. Hopefully he isn’t languishing in some prison, but who knows? I can’t wait to learn whatever there is to learn, and I look forward to the time after this life when I can express my appreciation to him for the example he has set.</p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >One of the comments from the blog had this to say: </span><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">I just came upon this while searching for information on the Tank Man. Very well-written entry. But I just want to comment on one thing you said: </p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">“Just an average person, a regular guy, standing up against evil (not the tank driver per se, but the use of force and political oppression).”</p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Although you rightfully acknowledge that evil doesn’t refer to the tank driver, I think you’re making an enormous understatement.<br /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What people often fail to appreciate is that the tank driver is as much a hero as the man in front of the tank. </span><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">There have been several reports (though all lacking hard proof, like a lot of things associated with the tank scene) that the tank driver was told to run the man over but refused. Some have speculated that he was punished through demotion or even jailing as a result. The tank man gets all the credit, but the tank driver stood up against oppression just as much. In some ways, that’s what makes the scene so haunting yet so beautiful.<br /></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">BOTH men, though seemingly on opposite sides, stood up for humanity.</p> </div>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-17834880166612658082009-05-11T17:10:00.000-07:002009-05-11T17:36:07.688-07:00Long Live Dick's Jaw Flappin' Tour!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2UJxycU3Y4L2JzX3CRduIOF-WW2OsayG0afACI0x3J4NK-nIyT_cpg2KZeuUKLcWMxwOsH7Ayy2hm2cyCAyKs6YwXaBMf2CaoijZfxeUB0LRU5-bbKqk8_Pn4yQnzcvBV5xxQSbpPfM/s1600-h/cheney_grr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2UJxycU3Y4L2JzX3CRduIOF-WW2OsayG0afACI0x3J4NK-nIyT_cpg2KZeuUKLcWMxwOsH7Ayy2hm2cyCAyKs6YwXaBMf2CaoijZfxeUB0LRU5-bbKqk8_Pn4yQnzcvBV5xxQSbpPfM/s320/cheney_grr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334723627118600994" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >After Obama's inauguration last February, as Bush Era torture talk began to spin hither and tither, many of us who were not Bush supporters (to put it beyond polite) would see Cheney's face on the television here and there defending his administration.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >At first it came across as annoying, but not many of us were surprised. When it comes to our "special li'l Dick," we all know what sort of egomaniac we're dealing with.<br /><br />However over time, Dick's Jaw Flappin' Tour of endless pro-Bush Era defensiveness has morphed into diatribes and rhetoric that could bring down the whole house.<br /><br />He seems to operate like clockwork these days...whenever something pipes up (or someone) regarding the issue of torture as it relates to Guantanamo and the Bush presidency, some jaw flappin' from Dick isn't far behind.<br /><br />His tone keeps growing more defensive and bitter...and with it, he keeps revealing more information about who made what decisions as it pertains to torture. Just recently, he has essentially implicated Bush himself as a decision-maker who knowingly called shots regarding torture.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Everything he states in interviews only digs the ditch deeper...remember, it's all admissable in court. If he keeps it up, he could expose the whole Bush Administration on war crimes and accounts of torture.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >So keep it up, Dick! Please!<br /><br />Oh, and can you send me that Oroville Redenbacker coupon you promised me? I need to stock up on all the popcorn I'm going to need when the war crimes trials begin.</span>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-51072922579044800082009-05-09T10:46:00.000-07:002009-05-09T11:20:52.377-07:00Think of the $20 bill as 20 opportunities Jackson squandered<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoppkMJDwU3VeEHXaKGOAClYFNAmtv123SaC1B0XvRE8_PsqdOU9X7QBjZ3DPuuoxal7m0PJBpLVsSqHQ2svUxwMdLCxD2XeABoJW8IQ5UGKZxHPCNpYpwY5hET6Zg2Seyc133CiEC2Ns/s1600-h/Chief_John_Ross.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoppkMJDwU3VeEHXaKGOAClYFNAmtv123SaC1B0XvRE8_PsqdOU9X7QBjZ3DPuuoxal7m0PJBpLVsSqHQ2svUxwMdLCxD2XeABoJW8IQ5UGKZxHPCNpYpwY5hET6Zg2Seyc133CiEC2Ns/s400/Chief_John_Ross.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333885462663557858" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >...and why exactly is Andrew Jackson worthy of being on a $20 bill?<br /><br />Because I'm a bit confused about that, lol.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">It's probably something you've never thought about...however if you're of Cherokee descent, you'd probably rather fatten your wallet with 20 $1 bills than carry a $20.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">Andrew Jackson is the only President in history to openly defy a Supreme Court decision that protected the removal of a Native American tribe from their homeland; the Cherokee when they inhabited what is today most of northwest Georgia.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">Other than defacing U.S. currency (I would cover Jackson's face with a pic of a famous Cherokee, such as Chief John Ross, pictured above), I'll display a picture of Ross instead of Jackson...and I'll choose to interpret it this way: the "20" represents at least 20 opportunities Jackson had to change his mind and honor the homeland of the Cherokee.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">...or 20 bad decisions...or 20 (insert logic, or lack thereof)...in other words, 20 opportunities squandered.<br /></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">Needless to say, Jackson didn't have an epiphany, nor a moment of clarity, in his Tennessee-raised military-esque anti-Indian drunk-with-power early 19th Century Swiss cheese brain.<br /></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">He defied the Supreme Court and went forward with the Indian Removal Act...and we all know what that led to: one of the United State's most shameful moments, The Trail of Tears, which represented an account of ethnic cleansing and part of the U.S. government's systematic destruction of Native American homelands and way of life that continues to this day.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="content">How do we correct our shameful and erroneous ways of the past?</p><p class="content"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >GIVE THEM THEIR LANDS BACK. Read on.</span><br /></p><p class="content"><b><br /></b></p><p class="content"><b>Andrew Jackson - The Worst President The Cherokee Ever Met</b><br />by Christina Berry</p> <p class="content">from <a href="http://www.allthingscherokee.com/articles_culture_events_020201.html">All Things Cherokee</a><br /></p><p class="content">The title of worst US president is hotly debated and is most often awarded to Andrew Johnson or Warren Harding. Many polls and studies rank Andrew Jackson in or near the top 10 best presidents. However, to many Cherokees Andrew Jackson is without a doubt the worst US president. Some Cherokees would rather carry two ten-dollar bills or twenty one-dollar bills than carry a single twenty-dollar bill. Why? Because the US has chosen to commemerate Jackson's presidency by putting his face on the twenty dollar bill.</p> <p class="content">So why is Jackson so disliked by the Cherokee? Oddly enough, at one point the Cherokee were allies with Andrew Jackson. It was at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend where Andrew Jackson's famous story really began. He was considered a hero after his victory in this battle against the Creek Indians, a victory he would not have attained had it not been for his Cherokee allies who fought alongside him.</p> <p class="content">Several years later in 1828 Andrew Jackson was elected president. His popularity and subsequent election are largely attributed to his pro-Indian removal platform. Once in power he began to allow whites to move onto Cherokee land. He also allowed Georgia to extend state law to include the Cherokee Nation. This called into question Cherokee sovereignty and declared their government and laws void.</p> <p class="content">In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Gold had been discovered on what was Cherokee land in western Georgia and the white settlers wanted to get the Cherokee out of the way. In Jackson's own words, "[The Indian Removal Act] will place a dense and civilized population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few savage hunters." Jackson painted a picture of the Cherokee as illiterate, uncivilized "savage hunters" even though 90% of the Cherokee Nation could read and write in Cherokee (many could also read and write in English) and were farmers.</p> <p class="content">The Indian Removal Act was very popular among voters. However, not everyone supported Indian removal. The Act's strongest opponent was Congressman Davy Crockett, but the Act passed regardless. Once passed by Congress, President Andrew Jackson quickly signed the bill into law. And so it began.</p> <p class="content">Andrew Jackson was pleased with the passage of the law because in addition to enabling the States to "advance rapidly in population, wealth, and power" he believed the law would also help the Cherokee and other Indian tribes. In his address to Congress in 1830 Andrew Jackson stated:</p> <ul class="content">"It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay, which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the Government and through the influence of good counsels, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community."</ul> <p class="content">The Cherokee did not consider the Indian Removal Act to be the humanitarian act Jackson claimed it to be. They fought the law by challenging it in the Supreme Court. In Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia (1831), the Supreme Court refused to hear the case on the basis that the Cherokee Nation did not represent a sovereign nation. However, in the case of Worcester vs. Georgia (1832) the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee. The Supreme Court this time ruled that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign thus making the removal laws invalid. The decision, rendered by Justice John Marshall, declared the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to be illegal, unconstitutional and against treaties made. President Andrew Jackson, who had the executive responsibility of enforcement of the laws, stated, "John Marshall has made his decision; let him enforce it now if he can."</p> <p class="content">Andrew Jackson was clearly unhappy with the Supreme Court ruling. In order for Jackson to remove the Cherokee he would need for the Cherokee to agree to removal in a treaty. In 1835 Jackson got what he wanted. The Treaty Party, a small faction of the Cherokee Nation led by Major Ridge, his son John, and Elias Boudinot, signed the Treaty of New Echota. The Treaty violated Cherokee law. Chief John Ross gathered 16,000 signatures of Cherokees who opposed removal. However, once the treaty was ratified by the US Senate it was official: the Cherokee could now be removed.</p> <p class="content">In 1838 the removal of the Cherokee began when General Winfield Scott, along with several thousand men, forcibly removed thousands of Cherokees from their homes and their land. The trip was brutal and about 4000 Cherokees died along the way on what became known as the "Trail Where They Cried" or the "Trail of Tears." John Ross, then Chief of the Cherokee, led the later parties from Georgia to Oklahoma and helped many to survive the harrowing journey.</p> <p class="content">The Cherokee settled in Indian Territory. The Cherokee land covered the Northeastern corner of present day Oklahoma. For their act of betrayal against the Cherokee Nation the leaders of the Treaty Party faced a punishment of death, according to Cherokee law. In 1839 Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot were all assassinated. The factionalism created by the Treaty and removal did not go away and divided the Cherokee people for many years. Many are still divided over the issue of blame between the Ridge Party and the Ross Party.</p> <p class="content">It is important, when looking at these events in history, to remember that Andrew Jackson did not work alone. While there was some resistance to his Indian Removal actions, there was a lot of support. The United States voters who voted for Jackson because of his pro-Removal stance are also responsible. Some people considered Indian Removal a humanitarian gesture to help isolate the Indians from encroachment, but many others simply wanted more land. Davy Crockett who opposed the bill was ruined politically and left politics and Tennessee for Texas (where he died in the Alamo).</p> <p class="content">Of even greater concern is the fact that these same issues -- treaty rights and tribal sovereignty -- are contemporary issues which are still being fought in the US courts. As they say, "If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it." Before we shake our finger at the mistakes of the past we need to take the time to learn about the issues of today and the mistakes we could make tomorrow. Know your history; don't repeat it. How close did we come to having Slade Gorton nominated as secretary of the interior? Too close.</p>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534627443101131635.post-65415474860098105132009-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:002009-05-09T11:38:47.881-07:00History lessons: Olbermann addresses President Obama on the prosecution of Bush war crimes<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >While many are not fans of him (usually those with far right-leaning views), I see Keith Olbermann as the Nation's conscience in some ways. Each and every time there's an issue that forms into the likes of an elephant in the room, the man goes right after it's throat.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This is yet another example of why I love Olbermann's reporting. The man is simply fearless. We need more voices like this in the news.</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z_7tfCUXqsA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z_7tfCUXqsA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Swevahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830372394236890394noreply@blogger.com0