A United Nation's report found that both Israeli and Palestinian actions in the Gaza war last winter amounted to war crimes, but it was more critical of Israel's actions. The report recommended that both sides conduct credible investigations into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that the UN Security Council should monitor their compliance. And that the International Criminal Court should consider prosecution if they do not comply. The Palestinians endorse the report. Israel is calling on members of UN's Human Rights Council to reject the resolution endorsing the report. Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said, "Israel's only real crime is that it does not have an automatic majority in the UN." Yikes. (Full Story) (Full Story)
I've been following the Lisbon Treaty's progress, and I came across this article where Sarkozy (France's president) is criticizing the Czech president for not signing the treaty, even though the Czech parliament approved it. The Czech Republic is the only EU country that has not ratified the treaty. I sent the article to Eagan with the subject line "You better Czech yourself before you wreck yourself!"
His response: "Regarding your subject line...the divorce papers are in the mail."
An article on Utah's crazy, not quirky, liquor laws. (Full Story)
In Louisiana, an interracial couple was denied a marriage license by a justice of the peace. This justice of the peace said it was done out of concern for any children they might have, because, in his experience, most interracial marriages do not last long. He also said the children suffer because black society does not accept bi-racial children and neither does white society. "I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves. In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer." Yeah, because of bigoted people like you! But he tried to recover with "but I'm not racist..." by pointing out that he does ceremonies for black people...even in his very own house! See, look at that, progressive. A progressive person would definitely feel the need to point out that they allow black people in their homes. (Full Story)
Some are skeptical about Obama being really involved in things and having a strong presence. "Ever the multitasker, armed with his trademark charisma and eloquence, Barack Obama was everywhere, pitching his plans...As he sells his administration's solutions to the country's problems, is his do-everything, be-everywhere leadership style in tune with the times? ... In doing so, he has created a quandary. Put aside for the moment the question of whether government is actually intruding into people's lives more than before. The point is that many people feel like it is -- in part because Obama doesn't stop talking about his goals. If President George W. Bush got slapped around for being inarticulate, is Obama obnoxiously articulate?" (Full Story)
Wow, that is the worst thing ever: A president that is articulate, talks to the American people about his goals, is publicly visible (unlike Cheney who was in an undisclosed location for eight years, while he pulled the strings in the background), and tries to achieve a lot of things. Too articulate?! That's like saying, "waiter, my water is too wet."
Two unmarried same-sex couples filed a lawsuit against the passing of Proposition 8 in California. They say Proposition 8 is discriminatory under the U.S. Constitution. The lawyer (Charles Cooper) for the group that sponsored Proposition 8 asked the judge to throw out the lawsuit or make it more difficult for these civil rights claims to prevail. The federal judge, Vaughan Walker, refused Cooper's request. And then the smackdown begun. It's so awesome, I have to highlight a bunch of things.
The judge said that when the case goes to trial in January he is expecting Cooper and his legal team to present evidence that shows male-female marriages would be undermined if same-sex marriages were legal. The judge asked Cooper, "What is the harm to the procreation purpose you outlined of allowing same-sex couples to get married?" To which Cooper replied, "My answer is, I don't know. I don't know." Realizing how harmful that was to his case, Cooper tried to backtrack and say that the relevant question is not whether there is proof that same-sex marriage jeopardizes heterosexual marriage [which is what they have in fact been saying all this time], but whether "the state is entitled, when dealing with radical proposals to make changes to bedrock institutions [with a 50% divorce rate!] such as this, to take a wait and see attitude...There are things we can't know, that's my point. The people of California are entitled to step back and let the experiment unfold in Massachusetts and other places, to see whether our concerns about the health of marital unions have either been confirmed or perhaps they have been completely assuaged." [Let the experiment unfold in Massachusetts?! He's acting as if they're trying to decide whether to use a new type of road pavement that may or may not cause health problems. 'Well let's see if the Massachusetts babies are born with two heads first'.]
The judge pressed Cooper for specific adverse consequences. Cooper then cited a study in the Netherlands, where gay marriage is legal, that found straight couples are more often becoming domestic partners instead of getting married. [Wow, that's his evidence!? How does that help his case at all? That's not CAUSED by the legalization of same-sex marriage. That's a common European cultural choice. Many European countries don't have the same beneficial pull to get married. In these countries, material benefits are not usually tied to marriage. People don't need to get married to achieve stability in these countries because they're already provided with these social benefits simply for being an individual. And, besides, these partnerships are not harmful. These partnerships are often long-term and many of these couples still produce children.]
The judge pressed further and asked, "Has that been harmful to children in Netherlands? What is the adverse effect?" Cooper said he did not have the facts on hand [I can tell you right now, it does not have adverse effects on children]. But he did say, "But it is not self-evident that there is no chance of any harm, and the people of California are entitled not to take that risk." To which the judge replied, "Since when do Constitutional rights rest on the proof of no harm?" OH SNAP! (Full Story)
According to the results from the latest nationwide math test (the National Assessment of Educational Progress), only 39% of fourth graders and 34% of eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level. In addition, score gaps between white and minority students did not diminish since the last time the test was administered in 2007. "The gap of 32 points separating average black and white eighth graders represents about three years' worth of math learning." Another interesting finding is that student achievement grew faster during the years before No Child Left Behind, which was instituted by George W. Bush. (Full Story)
More libraries across the country are offering e-books and digitally downloadable audio books. The collections are still pretty small, but they're growing. This year the number of checkouts has grown to more than one million. "As young people become used to reading virtually everything online," said Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library, "that is going to propel a change in terms of readership of e-books rather than readership of physical books." (Full Story)
I think it's good to increase access to books, but I don't want to see the death of the physical book. Or newspaper. I like to touch what I read. I like the smell. (And contrary to what you might think by the abundance of online articles on this blog, I still subscribe to print versions of news.)
Interesting story on how the Taliban is destroying and attempting to shut down schools for girls in the Swat Valley. (Full Story)
If you haven't yet, we recommend you read Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.
The International Criminal Court is now investigating the human rights abuses that went on in Guinea last month. (Full Story)
A polar specialist predicts that the Arctic Ocean could possibly be largely ice-free during the summer in as little as ten years. This would mean the Arctic Ocean could be open to shipping. (Full Story)
"According to Professor Wadhams, faster shipping and easier access to oil and gas reserves were among short-term benefits of the melting." And it comes full circle. The ultimate irony. If ice in the Arctic Ocean starts melting enough that it's open to shipping (!), that should be telling us something. And it's not "Yay! More oil!"Best job ever: Locating radioactive rabbit poop in the desert.
The Hanford Site in Washington is where plutonium used to be produced. Rabbits burrowed in this contaminated area, and then carried these gamma ray emitting contaminants out of the area in their digestive tracts. Now a pilot has to fly over the desert with detectors mounted on the helicopter and record the location of these radioactive feces out in the desert near the site. Then workers come out to scoop up the located droppings. Definitely best job ever. (Full Story)
No comments:
Post a Comment