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The Morning After: Our Reactions to Obama's Change Promise

LibertySugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:30:34 -0700

Liberty: Last night I saw Americans who have been hiding in the shadows of apathy or cynicism come out and get excited about the future of their country. Americans who showed that they can wait in a line for hours, just to participate in a celebration of their power to make a difference.

Barack Obama's speech stressed individual and mutual responsibility. He said Democratic leadership, and an Obama presidency, would not do everything for Americans. It would, though, help them accomplish the things they cannot do for themselves, like protect the country from national security threats in Afghanistan, and give those who do not have bootstraps a pair so they can pull themselves up into the promise of middle-class prosperity. And while he was at it, Obama fiercely made the case that John McCain has and will turn his back on America's urgent needs because he just doesn't get it.

Whenever a politician claims that government can make peoples' lives better, critics become skeptical. But last night I saw a candidate that will, and did, make a commitment to ordinary people. Who did the best he could to offer specifics, without falling prey to a typical Democratic weakness of ignoring an emotional argument. Democracy became an action verb, not something that the well-connected took care of for you.

To see Citizen's reaction and more pictures we took at the event,

Mexico's Prisoners Struggle and AIDS Drops in Malawi by 75%

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:30:02 -0700

While acceptance is growing in the United States, homosexual relationships in Mexico are still very taboo. Because of the stigma, Mexican prisoners with HIV or AIDS is really not a topic for discussion either, including prevention. In fact, many prison administrators deny that sex among inmates exists apart from specifically dedicated conjugal visits.

The prisoners certainly tell a different story. “We are a population of men, and it’s normal for men to have sex with whoever is around.” Ignorance and denial of this prison reality means that no scientific surveys of AIDS rates among prisoners exist. In fact, official statistics place the number of HIV-positive inmates in the capital’s prisons at a mere 62. There is no testing of the prisoner population and in many cases, convicts think that it is spread by mosquitoes, kisses, or even shared toothbrushes.

To find out what they're doing about it, and how similar methods have triumphed in Malawi,

Few Immigrants Self-Deport, Bishop Says Jesus Wouldn't Raid

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:02 -0700

The federal "self-deportation" pilot program ends today with a scant handful of illegal immigrants volunteering to return home. The three-week program gave illegal immigrants facing court orders 90 days to plan their departure rather than face being arrested, detained, and deported. The program was well-publicized, but in the first week only six signed up.

Immigrant advocates cite few incentives and no consideration for immigrants' ties to family in the US for the reason it was so unpopular. Given the failure of the program, they're worried now that it will be used as a reason to step up the raids since the ICE made an effort to enforce the law in a gentler way.

One religious figure is playing the WWJD game with immigration raids. To see what he has to say,

Laptops & Role Playing: Is Technology the Answer to Poverty?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:00:39 -0700

Though Dungeons and Dragons has weirdly wormed its way into the campaign, technology is popping up worldwide as not an escape from the drudgery of every day, but as an escape from poverty. Laptops and role-playing games are a double click of cure.

One Laptop Per Child, a program designed to bring technology and opportunity to kids in developing nations has completely fulfilled that mission in the tiny South Pacific island of Niue. Every single kid, 100 percent of them, now has access to the Internet on the inexpensive, rugged, waterproof (and pretty cute!) laptops. Though Niue is a developing nation, they've been ahead of the technology curve — in 2003 they were the first territory to offer free wireless to all residents.

Once you've mastered the web, can gaming be a golden ticket? Oh yes. To find out how,

What's That Disgusting Mess? Oh. It's Just School Lunches

CitizenSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:45:14 -0700

So what are you fixing for dinner? Taco Patty perhaps? How about a Round Wedge Pizza or Chicken Fryz? That's what's on the menu in the Harrisonburg, VA, school system. They're so proud of their fare, the posted big ol' pictures of them in all their glory on their website. I was hungry — right up until the point I saw these pics. Count 'em 22 different meals, and I only saw one green thing in the whole lot. The saddest lunch? The Italian Dunkers. Or, Cut Up White Bread With Sugary Spaghetti Sauce.

No wonder we're facing a childhood obesity epidemic. What makes this all the more alarming, is that so many kids rely on these meals to combat hunger. In the 2006-2007 school year, 16.3 million kids got free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program, a stat that's particularly poignant here in the midst of Summer. Reports show that Summer nutrition programs aren't meeting needs, and sponsors are backing out as rising food and fuel costs makes it impossible not to lose money.

The conundrum of course is what's cost effective and what will kids eat? For kids weaned on Cheetos and corn dogs, the goop in the pictures probably tastes fine. It's far from fine for them though.

To see which schools are combating the Italian Dunker,

Is Osama bin Laden Winning?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:00:40 -0700

It's a dicey question, but consider this: a military superpower engages a desperate and religiously motivated army in a remote desert nation. They spend years attempting to crush this insurgency only to be driven into economic ruin. Does it sound familiar? It happened to the Soviet Union after facing the CIA-backed mujahideen fighters and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in the 1980s. The question America perhaps should be asking itself is: Are we next?

On September 11th, 2001 America faced the worst terrorist attack in its history — but the stated target of al Qaeda that day wasn’t America’s military might, it was the economy itself. Osama bin Laden declared in December 2001, “If their [the American] economy is destroyed, they will be busy with their own affairs rather than enslaving weak peoples. It is very important to concentrate on hitting the US economy through all possible means.” I hate to wonder, but has bin Laden achieved that goal?

Here's why one might think so: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the second quarter of 2008 saw nearly 300,000 workers get laid off as the national unemployment rate reached a two year high of five percent (seven percent in California and Ohio). The total outstanding public debt is 9.5 trillion dollars and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which stated in its second quarter report is “suffering a malaise not seen since the Carter Administration, the US Stock market staggered by accelerating inflation and a stagnant economy."

Of course, the US is facing more challenges than just these. To see how those could point to a bin Laden victory,

Eco-Nudists Go Naked to Save the Planet & Paltrow's Fur Furor

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:46:39 -0700

Want to help the planet? Then what are you doing sitting there all dressed and everything? The newest wave in eco-activism is all natural, sans a stitch of clothing. Gwyneth Paltrow may be wishing she'd followed that example after her deal with Italian designer Tod's and resulting ad showing her wearing fox fur and fur-lined boots has earned her heat from animal rights groups.

Gwyneth has been known for her embrace of holistic practices, yoga, vegetarian husband, and pal and vegan designer, Stella McCartney — but this campaign stands to erase that cred. The director of Respect for Animals, said: "Gwyneth Paltrow should be ashamed. I can only assume that Paltrow either is ignorant of the facts or lacks human decency and compassion." Friends have even said that Gwyneth's decision will flay her close friendship with Stella McCartney.

If Gwyneth wants to get back on track, maybe she can embrace the naked eco-movement? To see the story and a cheeky protest,

Answer to Crime? Keep People Off the Streets With Curfews?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:30 -0700

It's just like being a teenager, except your parents are the police! And instead of grounding, they can put you in jail! Curfews are popping up in tons of places, aimed at controlling crime. With goals similar to the police checkpoints in Washington DC, the newest towns getting an early bedtime: Helena, Arkansas and Hartford, Connecticut.

Sparked by violence, Helena, AR has implemented a 24-hour curfew in a troubled neighborhood, questioning all passers by. The city council voted unanimously to allow police to expand the program to any area of the city, despite ACLU claims that the police action is unconstitutional. The patrols have resulted in 32 arrests since they locked down the 10-block radius. The council acknowledges the hardship of the curfew but says those living in the city want the random and drug-fueled shootings to stop, regardless of what it takes.

To see what's happening in Hartford, and whether it actually works,

Are We There Yet? Long Campaign Devolves Into Party Favors?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:16:22 -0700

It seems impossible to remember a time BC: Before Campaign. That may be because we've been at this game seriously since 2006. By the time the US votes, it will be a vote two years in the making (at that rate, isn't it time to start the 2012 campaign?) Perhaps because of this stretched out schedule, the capacity for substantive debate has been also stretched — to the snapping point.

Whether a function of the campaigns themselves running out of ways (gimmicks?) to keep themselves in the public eye for an interminable amount of time, the media's fatigue with covering yet another town hall in yet another town, or the public's appetite for newer, better, flashier, the campaign we're seeing now, well it's a little stinky.

Case in point: the Obama Energy Plan tire gauge. I admit, I saw it and winced. Because now that we've seen it all, every move, especially during these lazy days of summer, is heightened in import to a major event — and when McCain is actually out there and talking about his plan in a more conventional way.

Now, the gauge itself, kind of funny. Obama did say we should inflate our tires. The doohickey just takes a statement and gives it legs in a party favor format. And I don't doubt it was meant as a joke — McCain is famous for them, like when Obama was on his big trip abroad, and the McCain team handed out gag press credentials to the domestic-bound crew traveling with him that read "JV Squad: Left Behind to Report in America." I mean just using the word "JV" in an adult setting is inherently funny — but what does it say about the discourse? To find out, and see Paris Hilton's response to the celebrity ad with an energy plan of her own,

Energy Faceoffs Spark Police Raids and Surprising Couplings

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:58:52 -0700

Grab a Redbull, it's a big week of energy match-ups: Obama vs. McCain, Protesters vs. Police, and Pickens plus Gore?

While Barack Obama may be declaring it "energy week" in a speech in the US today, in the UK police have cracked down on a camp of eco-activists protesting a new coal-fired power station. Police made arrests today during a second raid of the campsite.

Earlier, around 200 officers raided the climate camp, taking custody of hundreds of items they said could be used to break the law. The week-long camp out is being held at the proposed site of the UK's first new coal-fired power station in 30 years.

To see their difference in opinion, plus the green team of Pickens and Gore,

She Said, She Said: RNC Rolls Out Obama/Celeb Quote Game

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:45:59 -0700

The game rolled out by the RNC today called "Who Said It? The Celebrity Edition" takes a quote, and makes you choose who said it between three Hollywood-famous types and Obama, my favorite quote being: "Who knows what a hitch ball is? This is a hitch-ball cover. We don't know what a hitch ball is. Anybody know?" It's harder than you'd think.

Given the prevalence of the big c-word this week (that's celebrity, dirty minders) and the fun-meaning yet controversial nature of the game, Liberty and I found ourselves at odds on what to make of it, so here we go: She Said, She Said: Obama vs. The C-Word.

Citizen: Perhaps the question is not what a celebrity is, but the behaviors we associate with someone seeking fame — rather than someone seeking service. Lest we forget, that's the essence of all of this. This game is designed to be a lark (and it is) but truth under it remains: famous is, as famous does. There are scads of people who behave as, and we follow as "celebrities" who don't follow any definition of celebrity — but because they act the part, and we respond accordingly. "Celebrity" is not tied to wealth, or fashion, or time on screen. Celebrity is the cultivation of adoration, plain and simple, and Obama has that in spades.

Anyone seeking fame knows they have to be seen by as many people, as often as possible, regardless of propriety — and the stunt of giving his nomination acceptance speech in the Thunderdome-setting of Denver's Mile-High stadium, affecting rock concert rather than party business, is an appalling display of hubris that completely circumvents the meaning of humbly accepting the nomination to serve one's country. There is a difference between political showmanship, and spectacle bordering on farce.

How many covers of Us Weekly and People has John McCain graced? None have crossed my desk, but I know of at least two Obama covers, (including the issue that hit the week before this ad was released) plus a fashion spread, plus debuting his kids' first interview on Access Hollywood. Not Meet the Press, not C-SPAN — but a show specifically designed and devoted to following celebrities. Ahem. I call your Maria Menounos and raise you a Scarlett Johansson. Obama is, and carefully curates, that very celebrated image.

Don't agree with me? You're in luck. To see what Liberty has to say,

Stacked Deck? McCain Camp Says Obama Played Race Card

LibertySugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Well there you have it — the first overt infusion of race into the general election. Barack Obama's comments at a town hall meeting yesterday, warning voters against scare tactics, caused McCain's camp to allege that Obama "played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck." Here's what Obama said:

Nobody thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. So what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me. You know, he's not patriotic enough, he's got a funny name, you know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.

Obama's side says that Obama wasn't talking about his race, rather he was referring more generally to all the things that make him a different sort of candidate like his age, newcomer status, and overall background. For more on the controversial issue of race, and how Obama might not actually be the first "black" president,

World War II Vet Fights Off Robber — Veterans in the News

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:02:26 -0700

Not just because my own personal WW II vet will be 90 on Monday, I've been thinking about not only the people, but the history that's leaving us at a rate of over 1,000 a day. They're not Spring chickens anymore, and that's what makes these stories of WW II vets in the news so striking.

When a young man knocked on the door of WW II vet Art Iwasaki looking for school donations, Iwasaki had no idea he'd wind up 15 minutes later with a gun pointed to his face. The young man was back and demanding money. Iwasaki feigned deafness pointing to his hearing aids and told the kid to write it down. Stalling until he could shout to get his daughter's attention (who was upstairs working) the robber was caught off guard. While the robber's attention was on Iwasaki's daughter, Iwasaki picked up his bamboo cane and brandished it at the robber, pushing him out the door.

The bravery is nothing new for this vet: he served in the most decorated Army infantry group in US history.

Unfortunately those decorations can also be prime targets for thieves. To see how, and the powerful kindness of strangers,

Gender Bending: Are Girls & Boys More Alike Than We Think?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:45:12 -0700

I've always thought that gender is more of a sliding scale than a binary choice — you're not just one or the other, but that everyone falls somewhere in the spectrum between fairy princesses and Hulk Hogan. It's a snips, snails, and puppydog tails day in the news — gender, and our perception of it, is hot.

Ever wanted to know what gender your computer thinks you are? With a tiny click you can find out what your browser history says about your skirt or pant-wearing habits (gross generalization, noted.) Using data from the web demographic wizard Quantcast, the tricky program will analyze you in a second. Perhaps proving my sliding scale theory (apologies to the scientific theory) I scored 50 percent male and 50 percent female. How about you?

Really who wouldn't want a tutu and a wand? To see what else is happening in the world of gender (hint: Third-Sex toilets and naked parades!)

Dirt Cakes & Ding-Dongs: Haiti & US Face Unique Food Crises

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:00:58 -0700

With my appetite sufficiently dampened by the up-to-the minute reports of McCain's facial growth, this story erased it completely, and the picture reduced me to tears. These children live in the Haitian, Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil. Some kids make mud pies for play — but the children in the picture survive on dirt cakes. They eat them.

Like in the pictures below, the cakes are molded of mud and fat and allowed to dry in the sun, the only form of sustenance many Haitians can afford after rice and bean prices have risen 100 percent. One woman who makes the dirt cakes says, "it stops the hunger. You eat them when you have to."

The Director of the aid agency Christian Aid says, "food is available but people cannot afford to buy it. If the situation gets worse we could have starvation in the next six to 12 months." Food aid has been delayed.

While more than 50 percent of Haitians are undernourished, a new study about the state of the future of the US waistline is even harder to stomach. To see it and a clever way you can help feed the hungry,

$1 Million on Syrian Hookah Use Amid Depression-Era Bailout?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:14 -0700

Hookah pipes and the housing crisis? Oh yep, just stuff Congress is spending money on. I'm going to wager you probably don't remember the Great Depression — but Congress gave us a little romp through nostalgia this weekend by passing the biggest rescue package since FDR sat in the Oval Office. We might not be on the same page if we're saying "recession" but no matter. We're funding it like it's the big D.

The bailout gives the treasury big authority to prop up the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by raising the ceiling on the national debt to $800 billion. The hope is by raising the country's credit limit, another wave of foreclosures can be stopped. More than 740,000 homes fell into foreclosure in the second quarter of this year.

Think that's depressing? To get a load of the other pipe Congress is smoking,

States Struggling: Budget Crises Lead to Desperate Measures

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:01:09 -0700

If you thought your wallet was feeling light, it's not just you — states are feeling the budget crunch just as hard — with unique ways to manage the money meltdown.

In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has just threatened to pay state employees federal minimum wage in an effort to push lawmakers to agree on a budget. Even though minimum wage hikes up today, it would still mean thousands of workers would only take home $6.55 an hour (which is still $1.45 an hour less than CA's minimum wage.)

The budget stall comes as Republicans and Democrats battle to bridge the $15.2 billion budget shortfall California is facing. Republicans want to deal with money crisis through cuts, Democrats are angling for more taxes. Schwarzenegger says he won't sign a budget unless it contains improvements like a rainy day fund to help the state through tough times. Hmm. Just like we're supposed to have at home!

Also in the category of, "Governments! They're just like us!" Gas! Though consumers have been concerned about the price of fuel for months, state budgets — especially for driving heavy departments, like the police — are way overdrawn on fuel bills. To see how cops have to carpool,

CBS News Edits Out McCain's Misunderstanding of Iraq

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:30:40 -0700

John McCain may mock the media's love affair with Barack Obama, but CBS attempted to give him a generous pass by editing out McCain's incorrect account of crucial events in Iraq. Last night CBS replaced the plainly wrong assertion that the "surge" prompted the Sunni (Anbar) Awakening, which happened before the idea of a surge even existed, with a completely different answer.

Get Flash to see this player.

Here's how it actually went down:

Katie Couric: Senator Obama says, while the increased number of US troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?

McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is as — such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel MacFarland was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar Awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history.

The record overwhelmingly shows that McCain was wrong. For example, the military official cited by McCain actually discussed the Anbar Awakening four months before the surge was even announced. To see how McCain's camp responded,

London Opera Gimmick to Bring Culture to Tabloid Masses

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:15:15 -0700

For a publicity stunt at London's Royal Opera House, the controversy may not be over 'til that fat lady, you know whats. It's elite vs. lowbrow, and it's hard to see who's in the right.

Here's the gimmick: the opera house limited tickets to a prestigious premiere to readers of The Sun, a tabloid newspaper, in a bid to attract a more diverse audience and upset the image that the opera is just for the elite. Ticket prices for good seats usually run $400 (that's a high note!) so the Sun deal reserves all 2,200 seats for readers at prices from $15 to $60. The head of the opera says, "we have so many opportunities to open up our doors to more people and I'm thrilled that we're able to invite those who have never been to the Opera House before to experience a first-night performance."

Nice right? Who can find fault with that? To find out,

New Jersey Law to Require Organ Donor Decision, Education

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:37 -0700

Ever thought of being an organ donor? Well pretty soon New Jersey drivers will be forced to confront that question — a new law will require drivers to say yes or no to organ donation.

Under the "New Jersey Hero Act" those who say no will have to review information about it, and check a box that says: "I have reviewed the importance of organ donation.” Individuals who can't decide may designate someone else to decide for them (that's a lot of pressure!). Hoping to dispel myths, the law also includes mandatory organ donation education in New Jersey high schools, and colleges will have to provide information at campus health centers.

Currently 24.5 percent (1.75 million) of New Jersey drivers authorize organ donation. To find out how many people need transplants, and how this law could go even further,

Girl Power? Couric Claims Sexism More Common Than Racism

CitizenSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:50:20 -0700

In the fight for girl power, three women have jumped into the ring in the past 24 hours with very different viewpoints. Katie Couric, in Israel covering Obama's world tour made this striking proclamation:

I find myself in the last bastion of male dominance, and realizing what Hillary Clinton might have realized not long ago: that sexism in the American society is more common than racism, and certainly more acceptable or forgivable.

Sexism trumps racism? So what's a girl to do? Oh! I know! We'll ask Brooke Hogan (of the dubiously-named Brooke Knows Best) what the role for women should be! Here's her take:

I think it's kind of crazy that a woman is running because I think that women deal with a lot of emotions and menopause and PMS and stuff. Like, I'm so moody all the time, I know I couldn't be able to run a country, because I would be crying one day and yelling at people the next day, you know?

Surely a gal has to be Wonder Woman to exist in both realms, fighting for a world where woman can and should be allowed to do it all, amid the utterings of a generation of Brooke Hogans who glimpsed the dream of equality and said, "nah." That superhero fighting could be the very element that's undoing feminism. To see how,

By Obsessing Over Obama, Media Might Love McCain More

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:36 -0700

Fifty percent of Americans think the media hearts Obama more than McCain. Recent coverage supports this belief, at least on the surface — All three nightly news anchors are tailing Obama on his Middle East tour, and the New York Times just refused to print McCain's response to Obama's Iraq op-ed saying that it lacked specifics and provided no new concrete information regarding his plan.

But if you take a closer look, plastering the media with all things Obama might actually help McCain. Here's how: while everyone focuses on whether the young Obama might make a foreign policy gaffe, McCain has the space to provide a plethora of rookie mistakes that go relatively unnoticed.

Yesterday, McCain told Diane Sawyer that "we have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border." (Iraq does not border Pakistan — Afghanistan does.)

Last week he kept talking about Czechoslovakia, a country that hasn't existed since 1993. I can't help but think how a supposedly Obama-obsessed media would react if Obama demonstrated this lack of geographical carefulness.

For more regarding how attention on Obama may be a blessing in disguise to McCain,

Should the Military Program JROTC Be in High Schools?

LibertySugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:40 -0700

As JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps) enters its last (and ninetieth) year in San Francisco, a non-binding measure intended to show support for the program has qualified for the November ballot. Mayor Gavin Newsom backs the efforts to save the high school program. In 2006 the SF school board decided to stop JROTC, even though there were no complaints, mostly because they disagreed with the military's policy on gay and lesbian soldiers.

The stated purpose of JROTC is "to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment." Many students across the country take the course as their physical education (PE) credit.

For arguments on both sides of the debate,

Want to Live Tax Free? Then I've Got an Island to Sell You. . .

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:15:51 -0700

The craggy and wind-swept Aran Islands, found 10 miles off of the west coast of Ireland, could soon join the Cayman Islands as a shining, tax-free haven. With a declining population, a higher cost of living, and a remoteness from lifestyle treats like movie theaters, a proposal to go tax free could encourage folks to come back.

One local thinks it's a lucky charm of an idea: "There are a lot of disadvantages because of distances and cost of living and travel — but this tax plan could be the reason for people to return here. And, for any island, even to get one family [back] home — it makes a huge difference."

Extra dough to spend could mean the survival of local culture and heritage, like this Aran Islands' family, seen here in 1969. The proposal being considered in Dublin would let Aran Islands residents earn up to $158,000, tax free, and give tax breaks to businesses — the deal could be a boon to the islands' 3,000 residents.

While a break from taxes sounds like finding a pot of gold, of course, there's a catch. To see what,

AIDS Bigot to Get HIV-Research Funding Amendment Tribute?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:15:32 -0700

While the Senate is working to pass a $50 billion AIDS package, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole has introduced an amendment to name an HIV/AIDS relief bill after the man whose seat she currently holds, the late Jesse Helms. The tribute is not without its sticking points: to say Senator Helms was not a friend to AIDS awareness and prevention is an understatement tied with a big, red ribbon.

Here are the Greatest Hits of Helms's record on AIDS:

"There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy." (1988)
Seven activists from ACT UP put a huge condom on Helms's home with a sign reading, "Helms Is Deadlier Than a Virus."(1991)

That's not all. To see the rest and what else the Senate is doing on AIDS this week,

Bush Says No Funding For Hospitals Who Deny Pro-life Staff

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0700

The Bush Administration wants any recipient of federal money given through the Department of Health and Human Services to sign a certification that they will not refuse to hire nurses or other healthcare providers who morally object to abortion or even certain forms of birth control, perhaps including the pill and emergency contraception like Plan B.

The plan would cover hospitals, clinics, researchers, medical schools, and state and local governments. The department's proposal said federal money must not "support morally coercive or discriminatory practices or policies in violation of federal law," which it says ensures that doctors, hospitals, and health plans cannot be forced to preform abortions. For more, including how it could impact rape victims,

Arizona Lawmakers Want Ethnic Studies Out of Classroom

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:15:01 -0700

Ethnic studies curriculum may be under siege in Arizona. Some state lawmakers want to pass a bill (SB 1108) preventing public schools, including community colleges and universities, from teaching lessons that "denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization." The backers oppose curriculum that "overtly encourages dissent" from democracy, capitalism, pluralism, and religious tolerance. Hm . . . not sure how you have a thriving democracy without dissent.

Tucson Unified District's Raza Studies sits at the center of this controversy. The bill's author, Republican State Representative Russell Pearce, calls the curriculum — which includes text book entries about a 1915 Mexico plan to reclaim the Southwest — "hate speech." Pearce has been known to call babies born in the US to foreigners "anchor babies" or "jackpot babies."

A temperate critique of Tucson's ethnic studies, as espoused by the National Review, maintains that Hispanic students do not benefit from an education predicated on their ethnic identity. Yet I think even this line of thinking does not require that the Hispanic perspective be stricken from Arizona academia. Instead it should be part of an inclusive, diverse, and very American education.

Some Arizonans view the bill and rhetoric as xenophobic. Do you agree, or do think ethnic studies could spawn hate or revolution?

Source

Paging Dr. Phil: The US is a Nation of Bitter Whiners! Right?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:53:14 -0700

Former Senator Phil Gramm, economic adviser to John McCain, has seemingly unleashed a "bitter" comment of his own. The damning Gramm economic quote alleged that the US was "a nation of whiners" in that the country is feeling a "mental recession." Though he quickly clarified that he had been referring to some of the nation's leaders, the bitter was already out of the box.

McCain immediately hopped on the repudiation express saying, "I strongly disagree [with Phil Gramm's remarks.] Phil Gramm does not speak for me. I speak for me." Adding that a person who just lost a job "isn't suffering from a mental recession."

Obama made hay with the comment saying, "America already has one Dr. Phil. We don't need another one when it comes to the economy. It's not just a figment of your imagination. Let's be clear. This economic downturn is not in your head." Adding, "it isn't whining to ask government to step in and give families some relief."

Ahem. It isn't? "Bitter" vs. "Whiners?" Who wins in that match up? Oh, there's a clear victor — to find out who,

"Is This Thing On?" Live-Mic Oops Crank Up Bush and Jackson

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:01:38 -0700

Live microphones are turning controversial remarks up to an "11" this week. Jesse Jackson used the N-word — the one for the dangly part of the male anatomy — when dishing about Obama during a break from taping a segment on Fox & Friends on Sunday. Jackson was, he thought secretly, gossiping with his co-guest about Obama's position on black churches and his support for faith-based charities. Jackson made the rude (and puzzling) remark, "I want to cut his n**ts off," into his live mic, moments before going on air.

Jackson didn't know his words had been picked up at the time, but by yesterday the clip was ready to air on The O'Reilly Factor and Jackson was in full damage-control mode, apologizing at a news conference in Chicago and releasing a statement saying:

For any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused, I apologize. My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal.

Barack Obama has accepted his apology. His spokesman said, "[Obama] will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Rev. Jackson's apology."

Not all hot-mic trouble results in hot water. George W. Bush had an uncharacteristically endearing private/public address series of moments at the G-8 Summit this week. To see what everyone heard him say,

George W. Bush Is Getting Results, Even If No One Notices

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:00:11 -0700

I'm sending around an apology card for everyone to sign — it seems a lot of us have been selling Bush short. In an editorial opinion from the Wall Street Journal (newly purchased by Rupert Murdoch) Bush’s commitment to helping the poor and sick abroad has been largely ignored. The piece asserts that once the G-8 summit, now wrapping up, completes its country tally on who is providing the most money to combat disease and hunger, the US will emerge as the conclusive leader — thanks in large part to Bush.

According to the piece, AIDS relief is booming. Before President Bush launched his Emergency Program for AIDS Relief in 2003, only about 50,000 afflicted in sub-Saharan Africa were getting medical treatments. Since the implementation of his plan, the program has expanded to $15 billion reaching an estimated 1.5 million people. And then there's this big rock we call home. To see how Bush's environmental leadership has been overlooked,

After FARC Rescue One Says End Hate, One Says "Terrorist"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:28 -0700

After the stunning rescue last week of 15 hostages held by FARC rebels in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt — the most well-known of those rescued after being held hostage for six years — has urged the end of a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

She says:

I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being.

Though her sympathy for her captors sounds a little Stockholm Syndrome-y, she says she has no illusions as to the true nature of the group, but that a honey trap of kindness would be a better way to ensure more hostage releases.

And there are many more to be released from the group one American is calling "terrorist." To see the extent of the situation,

Is the War on Drugs Being Waged From the Wrong Battlefront?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:51:03 -0700

Just consider me Mary Poppins this morning: a little sweet Prince William to help the War on Drugs go down. The Prince is on the front lines of the battle — the warship the Prince is serving on just seized $80 million worth (almost two tons) of cocaine from a speedboat just north of Barbados.

William's ship is patrolling the waters of the West Indies looking for drug runners, and this score came early on in their mission. The ship's commanding officer said, "to have had a direct impact on the flow of cocaine into Europe just four days after we arrived in theatre shows the benefit the Royal Navy can have in the area of maritime security and counter drug operations."

Sounds like Prince William is saving the world from drugs, right? Well, the war is a little more complicated than that — and we may be focusing efforts at the wrong stage of drug production to make any difference. To see what I mean,

9 out of 10 Agree: To Save Gas, No Left Turns Into Brothels

CitizenSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:21 -0700

Well, it's more unanimous than Trident gum: Nine out of 10 people are expecting gas prices to gut them financially in the next six months according to an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll out yesterday.

The poll has tracked the same 2,000 people since last fall to follow how their opinions have changed throughout the campaign. The latest data shows the price of gasoline has equalled or triumphed every other issue and it has become more than a politcal topic, but a real-life problem. I'm sure you don't need me (or the AP) to tell you: gas sucks.

But! I can tell you wacky ways people are saving the gas! It involves avoiding left turns and hookers! I know! To see what I'm talking about,

What Motivates Female Suicide Bombers?

LibertySugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:13 -0700

Last week's terrorist bombing in Iraq, carried out by a woman, made many of you question the logic behind suicide bombings. While men are still far more likely to be suicide bombers than women, more and more women are ready to die and ready to kill. Male or female, the endgame is always the same, but what leads them to a crowded square with a bomb strapped on is not.

Time magazine tells the story of Hasna Maryi, a suicide bomber who found her calling after her brother died en route to his mission when a fellow jihadis's belt prematurely exploded. She was devastated: he would never be a martyr. His only path to salvation, she decided, was for her to complete his mission. Religion was not her motive (she hardly cracked the Koran growing up), but redemption was.

Hasna's story is not an anomaly. Research findings reported in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism found female suicide terrorists were more motivated by personal reasons and more likely to be recruited through peer influence, exploitation, and self-promotion than men, who found their fury in religion and nationalism and were recruited through religious persuasion.

In eJournal USA (as in paid for by the US government, just a disclosure . . .) the article "Women As Victims and Victimizers" examines the complicated question of why? To find out,

Anatomy of a Gaffe: McCain Adviser's Quote Exposes Pattern

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:59:59 -0700

Controversial statements on the campaign trail are sparking a lighting-quick trend, the standard cycle of apology becoming an expected, relay-race reflex. Here's the most recent example: Charlie Black, a top adviser to John McCain, has apologized for this passage in a profile on McCain in Fortune magazine:

As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black.

As is usual in the current political climate, the problematic statement, that a terrorist attack would be an advantage to McCain, was followed quickly by an apology from the source, with Charlie Black saying:

I deeply regret the comments. They were inappropriate. I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration.

The next step in the pattern follows the distancing by the candidate, with McCain saying:

I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true. I've worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America.

With his campaign officially seconding that emotion. To see what happens next,

Food or Fighting? Is the US Spending Its Tax Money Wisely?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:52:22 -0700

We're all feeling the sting of skyrocketing grocery bills — but families living at or below the poverty line are seeing their food stamps purchase less and less — and they're going hungry. About 1.3 million New Yorkers identify themselves as “food insecure,” concerned about their ability to keep themselves and their families adequately fed.

In the past year the price of what the government recommends as the minimal nutritional diet has risen 7.2 percent, with the prices of particular staples rising even more. Eggs alone have gone up 20 percent.

Food stamp allocations on the other hand, haven't changed since last fall — and won’t increase again until October.

The decrease in buying power of food stamps has been recognized in Washington — Congress passed a farm bill in May that would raise raise the minimum amount of food stamps families receive beginning this fall, passing despite President Bush’s veto.

The director of food assistance for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says of the difference between food stamps and cost of food, “we know food stamps are falling short $34 a month [of the monthly $576 that the government says it costs a family of four to eat nutritional meals.] The sudden price increases on top of everything else like soaring fuel and health care have meant squeeze and strain that is unprecedented since the late 1970s.”

To see how the amount spent on food compares to that spent in Iraq,

Punishment vs. Human Rights — Are Prisons Going Soft?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

Though I don't know of many prisons guarded by the likes of the two pictured below, with the changes happening to crime and punishment in the US, it might not be long. With one out of every 100 Americans behind bars, and prisons turning criminals out to meet their budgets, the debate between what's a human right, and what liberties need be taken away as punishment is a tricky one. Several states have just come to some conclusions — on the side of rights.

In New York's juvenile detention centers, transgender youth are now allowed to wear whatever gendered-uniform they associate with and be called by whatever name they request, as well as receive access to special housing under a new anti-discrimination policy. The enhanced rights are drawing praise from advocacy groups. A spokesman for Governor Paterson said the policy reflects the state's intent to be "tolerant, responsive and respectful" of gender identity and gender expression issues.

Hawaii and California join New York among the small list of states that have taken steps to afford specific civil rights protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth in juvenile detention. This comes after a 2001 report found that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth routinely experienced discrimination, harassment and violence in New York's juvenile justice system.

Got Milk? To find out what happens if you're a vegan behind bars,