This holiday season, who not give a gift that will help change the world. Really!
The organization "One Laptop Per Child" is encouraging people to do just that. With a super low-cost laptop computer that runs on only 4 watts of poser, making it solar-rechargeable, is offering the computers for $199 each. Even better, you can buy one and give one for $399. you get a computer for some child in your life and help change the life of a child in a poorer country.
Check out the cool kid-friendly laptops that work in full sunlight or shade! Perfect Christmas gift for a child you may never meet, but whose life you can change forever!
Friday, December 19, 2008
In Memory Of Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Dec 18, 2008
The Ship's Computer is dead, long live the Ship's Computer. The woman who for years was the voice of the Ship's Computer in Star Trek died yesterday. Actress and producer, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, passed away at her Bel-Air, California home surrounded by her loved ones and family.
Ms Roddenberry played many roles as an actress, but it is her work on the Star Trek series that I will remember most. She was married to the legendary producer Gene Roddenberry and helped keep the Star Trek legacy alive for the past 42 years. I don't think the series would have been the same without her and I along with millions of fans will miss her.
Condolences can be sent via email to share@roddenberry.com or by mail to:
Roddenberry Productions
4400 Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Suite 100
Studio City, CA 91604
Ms Roddenberry played many roles as an actress, but it is her work on the Star Trek series that I will remember most. She was married to the legendary producer Gene Roddenberry and helped keep the Star Trek legacy alive for the past 42 years. I don't think the series would have been the same without her and I along with millions of fans will miss her.
Condolences can be sent via email to share@roddenberry.com or by mail to:
Roddenberry Productions
4400 Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Suite 100
Studio City, CA 91604
Bristol Palin's Future Mother-in-law Arrested On Drug Charges
You can take the family out of the trailer park, but you cant take the trailer park out of the family!
News comes today of a "sordid Lives" moment in Wasilla, Alaska. Sherry L. Johnston, mother of Levi Johnston was arrested on six felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance.If you don't remember Levi, he was the spruced up young man who knocked up Sarah Palin's daughter and is scheduled to wed her soon.
All this drama just prior to Bristol is due to give birth soon. What a wonderful nuclear family they will make. Now that's those good old Republican values at work again. My sincere best wishes to the family and I hope they get through this without any more drama, but knowing their history...I doubt it!
News comes today of a "sordid Lives" moment in Wasilla, Alaska. Sherry L. Johnston, mother of Levi Johnston was arrested on six felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance.If you don't remember Levi, he was the spruced up young man who knocked up Sarah Palin's daughter and is scheduled to wed her soon.
All this drama just prior to Bristol is due to give birth soon. What a wonderful nuclear family they will make. Now that's those good old Republican values at work again. My sincere best wishes to the family and I hope they get through this without any more drama, but knowing their history...I doubt it!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Obama's Choice Of Rick Warren Troubling
I have been holding off criticizing the choice of Rick Warren as the pastor to lead the invocation at the inauguration. I held off because I think I understand the Obama teams reasons for the choice, but my inner activist can stay quiet no longer.
I worked for the Obama campaign. I made calls, worked data bases and showed up to help more than I have on any other candidates campaign. Myself, along with thousands of LGBT people volunteered in this work and while working, I saw no fundamentalist evangelicals sitting beside us at the makeshift campaign offices. I never spoke with a volunteer who espoused a hatred of gays or a vehiment anti-abortion stance. So what gives?
I suspect this is an olive branch to the religious right, but I think it is a mistake. I had no illusions that Obama was a far left liberal like myself, and I did think he was very politically astute. It remains to be seen if this choice which has appalled the LGBT community is a trend.
I will give hinm the benefit of the doubt. I will wait until he is in office before I make any really pointed criticisms, however I am dissappointed by this choice. Billy Graham would have been less contriversial, so now I am waiting and seeing.
I worked for the Obama campaign. I made calls, worked data bases and showed up to help more than I have on any other candidates campaign. Myself, along with thousands of LGBT people volunteered in this work and while working, I saw no fundamentalist evangelicals sitting beside us at the makeshift campaign offices. I never spoke with a volunteer who espoused a hatred of gays or a vehiment anti-abortion stance. So what gives?
I suspect this is an olive branch to the religious right, but I think it is a mistake. I had no illusions that Obama was a far left liberal like myself, and I did think he was very politically astute. It remains to be seen if this choice which has appalled the LGBT community is a trend.
I will give hinm the benefit of the doubt. I will wait until he is in office before I make any really pointed criticisms, however I am dissappointed by this choice. Billy Graham would have been less contriversial, so now I am waiting and seeing.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Dick Cheney Admits To War Crimes!
So, Dick Cheney admits to authorizing “water-boarding”, that would be torture and that is a war crime which we prosecuted people for after WW2. Cheney told ABC news in an “exit interview” that he gave the go ahead for torture of detainees.
That means a sitting Vice President of the US has admitted to a criminal act that in the past has been punishable by death! This is a huge thing and the press seems to have pretty much ignored it. We need to call an International court to prosecute Mr. Cheney and his flunky George Bush. Seriously!
Write letters to your congresspersons, your mayors, your governors, even the UN and get this criminal cabal we laughingly call our government in jail! Cheney will undoubtedly skip the country after the inauguration to some cozy place like Dubai where torture is standard fare, but before he does he has to be arrested and prosecuted. At least we need a genuine investigation.
This is not just one of my rants, it's the truth and why isn't he under arrest?
That means a sitting Vice President of the US has admitted to a criminal act that in the past has been punishable by death! This is a huge thing and the press seems to have pretty much ignored it. We need to call an International court to prosecute Mr. Cheney and his flunky George Bush. Seriously!
Write letters to your congresspersons, your mayors, your governors, even the UN and get this criminal cabal we laughingly call our government in jail! Cheney will undoubtedly skip the country after the inauguration to some cozy place like Dubai where torture is standard fare, but before he does he has to be arrested and prosecuted. At least we need a genuine investigation.
This is not just one of my rants, it's the truth and why isn't he under arrest?
Ultra Rich Become Covert Shoppers To Hide Thier High End Purchases
While thousands of folks are looking at their unemployment checks and wondering how long they will hold out, some people are still making forays into high end boutiques for pricey goodies. Take Mrs. Fuld, wife of Lehman Brothers C.E.O. Dick Fuld. She was seen buying a few nick knacks at Hermès boutique on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue.
Mrs Fuld is a regular customer, dropping between $5000, and $10,000 a week at the store, but this holiday season she want's to be a bit lower profile. Not to save money, but just to keep from looking pretentious. Rather than taking the stores signature orange bad with the Hermès logo, she opts for a plain white bag. Like a person stealthily smuggling porno from an adult books store, Mrs, Fuld wants her obscene purchases to be a secret.
She is not alone. According to a report in the Daily Beast, lots of well healed shoppers are opting for plain brown wrappers. Stores like Tiffany's and Bergdorf Goodman are seeing more and more high-end customers asking for plain bags. Why? Some suspect it is guilt. Must be tough.
Speaking of Lehman Brothers, aren't they the ones that are in bankruptcy? Guess that little financial debaucle isn't affecting the top level management if their wives are still burning money on $2500 cashmier throws and baubles?
Wouldn't it be nice if instead of dropping that "10 large" a week at Hermès Mrs. Fuld took half of that and gave it to a charity each week? I have nothing against Hermès, I just hate seeing places like NPR shedding employees and charities running short of food for the winter months. But hey, Christmas is for buying right?
Mrs Fuld is a regular customer, dropping between $5000, and $10,000 a week at the store, but this holiday season she want's to be a bit lower profile. Not to save money, but just to keep from looking pretentious. Rather than taking the stores signature orange bad with the Hermès logo, she opts for a plain white bag. Like a person stealthily smuggling porno from an adult books store, Mrs, Fuld wants her obscene purchases to be a secret.
She is not alone. According to a report in the Daily Beast, lots of well healed shoppers are opting for plain brown wrappers. Stores like Tiffany's and Bergdorf Goodman are seeing more and more high-end customers asking for plain bags. Why? Some suspect it is guilt. Must be tough.
Speaking of Lehman Brothers, aren't they the ones that are in bankruptcy? Guess that little financial debaucle isn't affecting the top level management if their wives are still burning money on $2500 cashmier throws and baubles?
Wouldn't it be nice if instead of dropping that "10 large" a week at Hermès Mrs. Fuld took half of that and gave it to a charity each week? I have nothing against Hermès, I just hate seeing places like NPR shedding employees and charities running short of food for the winter months. But hey, Christmas is for buying right?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Obama To Arrive In DC Via Train
For folks like me and my partner who like railroads, the latest news concerning the inauguration is really cool. Obama and Biden will arrive in Washington by train. It is a long tradition that has been abandoned in recent years, but the new President will travel by train making stops along the way like presidents of the past.
Bush Thwarts Limits On Executive Pay
You would think a lame duck like Bush would have a limited ability to do too much mischief before he steps down from office. Now I have learned my lesson. Never underestimate the ability of George W. Bush to line the pockets of the already rich and otherwise screw over the little guys, us!
Remember that TARP money intended to buy up troubled assets from financial institutions? Well, it really hasn't been used for that. Instead it had gone to the troubled firms rather than to aquire troubled assets. A small change? Yes but there is method to the madness.
Congress was rightly outraged, or at least the public was, at the multimillion dollar pay corporate executives were getting from the very firms that they drove into the ground. To avoid this in the future, there was a string tied to the TARP money that said the government would have oversight in executive compensation. At least that is how Congress originally wrote it.
Bush in his infinite ability to bend over to corporate fat cats, changed a few words in the bill prior to its passage that specified this oversight was only for firms whose assets the government was buying. A small change, but so far the Treasury has yet to buy any troubled assets. What does it mean?
Well, it means the businesses we, you and I as taxpayers, are helping out can continue to reward their inept executives with eye-popping paychecks unhindered by government regulations. Bush does it again!
January 20 can not get here soon enough!
Remember that TARP money intended to buy up troubled assets from financial institutions? Well, it really hasn't been used for that. Instead it had gone to the troubled firms rather than to aquire troubled assets. A small change? Yes but there is method to the madness.
Congress was rightly outraged, or at least the public was, at the multimillion dollar pay corporate executives were getting from the very firms that they drove into the ground. To avoid this in the future, there was a string tied to the TARP money that said the government would have oversight in executive compensation. At least that is how Congress originally wrote it.
Bush in his infinite ability to bend over to corporate fat cats, changed a few words in the bill prior to its passage that specified this oversight was only for firms whose assets the government was buying. A small change, but so far the Treasury has yet to buy any troubled assets. What does it mean?
Well, it means the businesses we, you and I as taxpayers, are helping out can continue to reward their inept executives with eye-popping paychecks unhindered by government regulations. Bush does it again!
January 20 can not get here soon enough!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Farewell Kiss For President Bush - Iraq Style!
The lame duck presidency of George Bush ends with a really incredible visual. As Bush made a surprise visit to Baghdad, speaking at a press conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki he was pelted with a pair of shoes thrown by a reporter. The reporter shouted, "this is a farewell kiss, you dog" as his shoes narrowly missed Bush's head.
Needless to say chaos ensued.
The truth is what we are calling a "security agreement" the Iraqi's are calling a "withdrawal agreement". They see us as an occupying army and though Bush and his cronies like to think of us as liberators, most Iraqis think differently. So much for being greeted with flowers and sweets! Watch it and try not to laugh.
Needless to say chaos ensued.
The truth is what we are calling a "security agreement" the Iraqi's are calling a "withdrawal agreement". They see us as an occupying army and though Bush and his cronies like to think of us as liberators, most Iraqis think differently. So much for being greeted with flowers and sweets! Watch it and try not to laugh.
A Turd In The Punch Bowl
The recent charges against Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois are not all that surprising, considering the history of Illinois state politics. It is however the "turd in the Punchbowl" prior to the inaugration of Brack Obama, former Junior Senator from Illinois.
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has repeatedly said Obama is not involved, but some are trying to connect him and his campaign. Contact between Obama and the governor would not be surprising when it came to providing suggested names to replace him, and indeed it seems Rham Emanuel did just that. It's a big leap from that to the seedy payoffs sought by Mr. Blagojevich and that is the problem.
Republicans are trying to throw this mess at the Obama Presidency and see if it sticks. The public doesn't seem to be buying that. Approval polls have not changed for Obama going into his inaguration. The celebration in Washington is still going forward and the festivities will be massive. Contrary to the GOPs fondest wishes, that turd doesn't seem to have flavored the punch too badly.
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has repeatedly said Obama is not involved, but some are trying to connect him and his campaign. Contact between Obama and the governor would not be surprising when it came to providing suggested names to replace him, and indeed it seems Rham Emanuel did just that. It's a big leap from that to the seedy payoffs sought by Mr. Blagojevich and that is the problem.
Republicans are trying to throw this mess at the Obama Presidency and see if it sticks. The public doesn't seem to be buying that. Approval polls have not changed for Obama going into his inaguration. The celebration in Washington is still going forward and the festivities will be massive. Contrary to the GOPs fondest wishes, that turd doesn't seem to have flavored the punch too badly.
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