Article: Republican Rivalry Simmers as Paths and Styles Diverge

Republican Rivalry Simmers as Paths and Styles Diverge
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/02/us/politics/republican-rivalry-simmers-as-paths-and-styles-diverge.html

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Article: For Some Miners, Black Lung Proof Comes Only in Death

For Some Miners, Black Lung Proof Comes Only in Death
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/miners-black-lung-proof-death/story?id=20714445

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Article: Cory Booker Wins New Jersey's Special Senate Election

Cory Booker Wins New Jersey's Special Senate Election
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/10/cory-booker-wins-new-jerseys-special-senate-election/70631/

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What to do

We all want to be entrepreneurs on some level. Even the simest person can be successful. The problem I often face is that I have too many ideas and I'm not sure where to begin and how to go about making it work.

Rape culture and Amanda Lindhout - Dawg's Blawg (Blog)

http://drdawgsblawg.ca/2013/09/rape-culture-and-amanda-lindhout.shtml

Syria On My Mind

I'm not sure how I feel about Obama's decision to strike Syria.  On the one hand it is a tragedy that chemical weapons were used in the Syrian civil war, but on the other hand what is the point of getting America involved in this conflict?  If the Saudis, Iran, the UAE and the other powerful rich countries in the region are not willing to flex their muscles in Syria, and if the United Ntions is not willing to strike Assad, then America should stay out of it.

In Syria there is no clear line defining who is a bad guy and who isn't. We can claim that Assad is the only bad guy,but the problem is that there is no true leader on the other side ready to steady the ship and keep Syria from a decade in the wilderness.  Attacking Syria is only going to flame the fire of hate against America in the region.  On top of that what will happen is that a lot of civilians will be killed.  This will create an entirely new generation of young people who hate America and want to see it destroyed.  Syrians are not going to hate America for not getting involved.  What is happening in Syria is not America's business.  It is time for the US to stop behaving like an empire and start taking care of business at home.

Obama is in a tough spot because no one with a heart can look at what is happening and just sit back, but he must refrain from getting the US involved, and truly earn his Nobel Peace Prize by allowing the rest of the world to take care of it.  And if the rest of the world decides to ignore it, it will not be America's burden to bear.

North Korean Singer's Death by Firing Squad

Kim Jong-un's ex-lover 'executed by firing squad'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10272953/Kim-Jong-uns-ex-lover-executed-by-firing-squad.html

Nidal Hasan gets death penalty!

'A coward, a traitor, and a murderer': Fort Hood gunman sentenced to death
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/28/20232450-a-coward-a-traitor-and-a-murderer-fort-hood-gunman-sentenced-to-death?lite

Article: Anatomy of a Publisher

Anatomy of a Publisher
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2013/08/12/130812crbo_books_gottlieb?currentPage=all&src=longreads

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Article: Airport wars are underway in the Middle East

Airport wars are underway in the Middle East
http://qz.com/113741/airport-wars-are-underway-in-the-middle-east/

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Mourning Detroit

I’ve never been to Detroit. I don’t know much about the city or anyone who lives there to be honest. All that I have learned about the city of Detroit has been from TV series or newspaper stories about corruption, degeneration, and overall the death of a once great American city. I can’t help but mourn the slow death that Detroit has experienced. I’m a big fan of the urban jungle and I always want every city to thrive. That Detroit has been allowed to die off says a lot about how the state of Michigan feels about the city of Detroit and its people, but it also says a lot about the citizens of Detroit. This city’s demise brings up questions about autonomy. Can cities really thrive on their own without the involvement of the state government? Are there enough good people around to make sure that funds that are made available to a city are used properly? Are there enough trustworthy and hopeful people to make business people want to invest in the city and its population?

If you’re lucky enough to live in a place like New York City, you’d agree that cities can and should be autonomous. NYC after all is a great hub for business and attracts some of the best minds in the world to its blocks and skyscrapers. But there are other cities that don’t fare well. The problems of Detroit can be placed squarely on the shoulders of a decayed auto industry, but that would be an incredible sleight of hand that does little to unearth the true problems of a city like Detroit. Take a city like Pittsburgh for instance. It was once a great steel town, and then all the businesses moved away. Yet Pittsburgh has survived and rebranded itself, so much that it is viewed across the United States as one of the best cities to live in. One thing that Pittsburgh has that Detroit lacks is an educated population. There are few residents of Detroit who have a college education. In this fast paced world we live in, a college education is vital. Businesses need an educated workforce to be successful. And perhaps that is one way to explain the decline of Detroit. But there certainly has to be other reasons. Detroit has been in decline for such a long time. And because of this property value has plummeted. So why haven’t businesses in need of space moved some of their operations to the city of Detroit? Why haven’t the likes of Apple, Google and countless other tech companies in need of massive campuses sought to buy space in Detroit? Here we come back to the case of education. Surely these companies worry about having a work force. But Ann Arbor is not too far from Detroit, and it has a massive college educated network.

The truth of the matter is that to get to the root of Detroit’s problems would require an inquiry of considerable depth. At the moment the city appears to be nothing more than a poisonous pill. Yet it is also a sign of hope. Detroit can rise once more, as phoenix does. This is the perfect moment in this city’s history for innovation. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations to come in and rebuild the city of Detroit. This is the perfect time to make this city into what it had always threatened to be. The question that remains, is who amongst the American elite has the courage and the vision to affect change and bring about prosperity to a city long yearning for a savior?

A Lack of Focus

Sometimes you can see something coming a long way away.  Sometimes it is so evidently clear what is going to happen, yet we’re surprised by it when it hits us, when it finally comes and is either more than we expected or different from what we expected.  It is evidently clear that in the United States to expect change is to be naive.  To expect the system to work in your favor is an illusion only the imbecile should be allowed to fall under.  Yet one has to worry about the extreme lack of focus that the general public seems to have.

Yes George Zimmerman was always going to be found not guilty.  This is not because the man was innocent, or even because of some racist plot by the court.  Mr. Zimmerman was going to be found not guilty because the prosecution did not prepare itself well for that case.  He was going to be found not guilty because the prosecution overreached in its attempt to control the media tempest that came with the case.  Mr. Zimmerman was going to be found not guilty because his lawyers put a dead teenager on trial and the prosecution never stopped them from doing so, and the judge never told them to do otherwise.  Mr. Zimmerman was going to be found not guilty because Florida is a backwards state where a woman can shoot a round into the air and get 20 years for trying to defend herself against an abusive spouse.

Yet I reserve all judgment on Mr. Zimmerman.  This is because being found not guilty is not his fault.  Yes he made some poor choices that night –young Mr. Martin would still be alive if Zimmerman had stayed in his car –but the one at blame in this whole situation is the culture in which Mr. Zimmerman is immersed.  The people who are guilty in Mr. Martin’s death are the Florida residents who sat idly as their government passed a law which amounted to nothing more than a license to kill.  The stand your ground law is one which will eventually turn Florida into the Wild Wild West.  Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe every citizen has the right not to be fucked with.  If someone comes into your house uninvited and is a threat to you, I think you should have the right to shoot him.  If someone approaches you in the street and threatens you or tries to still from you, I believe you have the right to defend yourself.  What I don’t believe in is the regular citizen’s right to carry a gun as he goes out looking for troublemakers.  If the trouble does not come to a man or a woman, he or she has no right to go looking for it.  Mr. Zimmerman went looking for trouble, because the Florida law gave him the impression that it was his duty as a private citizen to do so.

Beyond all the discussions about race and what did or did not happen that night, I think it is vital that we take a close look at the kinds of laws we pass, because arming an already stressed and underemployed population is just asking for trouble.

Article: How to Beat Stress | Men's Health

How to Beat Stress | Men's Health
http://www.menshealth.com/health/chase-away-stress

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Article: Is the south more racist than the north?

Is the south more racist than the north?
http://www.salon.com/2013/06/25/symbolic_racism_may_be_taking_over_the_south_partner/

This pretty much kills the IRS scandal

This pretty much kills the IRS scandal
http://www.salon.com/2013/06/24/this_pretty_much_kills_the_irs_scandal/

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Five Reasons to Stay out of Syria‏

It is becoming increasingly clear that the US is going to find itself involved in the conflict in Syria. We're back once again at the same stage about a decade ago when George Bush convinced us all that we had to go to Iraq. And here we are again. The president of the United States is being pressured by war happy senators that the United States must once again serve as the World's policeman and make things right, even though the international community is not so eager to get involved. But for all the reasons that one can suggest we users viable metrics for why the US should get involved, we can also suggest reasons why we should not get involved.

1. Agency

If there is anything that we know about revolutions it is that they often cannot exist without some spilt blood. The people of Syria have decided they want nothing more to do with their government. And that government has decided it intends to continue ruling these people. This is bound to cause a fight. And this fight must be fought. Just as America fought against the British and the North fought the South, the Syrians must fight this out. The people of Syria, if they get out of this conflict alive, will appreciate what they have achieved much more if they did it on their own. It will be an achievement they will talk about for generations, because they will know that at the end of the day the will of the people, even in an oppressive environment, overrules the beliefs of a few powerful people. The Syrians have made the choice to fight, and while the government might have better weapons and trained soldiers, you just have to look at Fidel Castro to see what a focused dedicated leader can achieve with a revolution.

2. Domestic Issues

One of the biggest problems America has right now is that it doesn't seem to be able to prioritize. The American educational system is one of the worst in the world compared to other first world countries. And with all the problems America has with unemployment and children constantly falling behind, and towns dying due to a lack of investment, how can it focus any of its resources towards fighting someone else's war? You cannot pretend you're in a good position to help or even advise someone else when your house is not in order. It I'd nice to feel like you're the big man on campus and the one everyone and their mother turn to, but you have to fix home first. Imagine what America would be like if more resources went towards education rather than war. Imagine what America would be like if instead of giving billions of dollars to other countries where people want to harm Americans, we funneled that money into our system and paid our teachers a good living wage. What if we used that money to provide help for parents with young children who cannot afford the astronomical child care prices? There is a lot that has to be done at home, and it does not make sense that we constantly use taxpayer money to help other people but cannot afford to help our own people.

3. What Happens After Assad?

No one is suggesting that Assad is a good man. No one disputes the fact that what he has put his country through is horrible, but I must question whether the people who are so eager to get rid of him have thought hard about what will happen after him. Sure you can get Assad out of the picture, but what do you replace him with? What is next? Is Assad simply going to be replaced by an over zealous religious nut job? Are the Syrian people going to be better off without Assad? Freedom is a wonderful thing, but what kind. Of freedom are the Syrian people going to have? Getting rid of Assad is not going t make the sectarian violence go away. And America will never be in the position of understanding the complexities of the Sunni versus Shiite debate. Before we even entertain the idea of getting ourselves dragged into something we do not understand or fully grasp, we should be careful to look at the potential aftermath. The Syrian people cannot hate America for not getting involved. After all, it is not the United States's job to fight other people's wars for them, even if they're viewed as underdogs.

4. Increased Strain

If there is one lesson we should have learned from all that we have been through, it should be that American involvement in conflicts throughout the world does nothing but create more strain on its relationships with people around the world. People do not like the Idea of being dictated to, which often happens when mighty militaries get involved in the lives of everyday citizens. You add to the issue America's imperialist behavior throughout history and you get a picture of a country too powerful for its own good walking around with its chest pumped out trying to tell other people how they should live their lives and what sort of democracy they should implement. What America needs is to heal its relationships with the world, not add to the problem. The Syrian conflict is tragic, but it is not a burden the United States has to take on its shoulders.

5. Another Decade of Influence

One clear reason why the US should stay clear is the fact that the international community is not keen on getting involved. He United Nations was created so that the world community can decide how best to deal with crises like the one in Syria. The UN cannot fulfill the terms of its charter if the United States is always present as the alternative. The burden of the Syrian conflict rests squarely on the shoulders of the United Nations, and the international body must be allowed to do its work. I'm a firm believer in the UN, especially given the fact that the Middle East is not a place where America has too many allies. If we do not avoid getting involved in Syria, we're faced with another decade of influencing global politics with the risk of abandoning the hopes of the taxpaying American citizen who has lost faith in his government and who is waiting for the time when politicians will decide they still want to work for the people they are supposed to represent.

The Fight for Black Men - Newsweek

http://nswk.ly/11nch3t

The Fight for Black Men

There are more African-Americans on probation, parole, or in prison today than were slaves in 1850. It is not a crisis of crime. It is a crisis of people being left behind.

Article: 5 Arab Spring Opportunities For Israel

5 Arab Spring Opportunities For Israel
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/20/5-arab-spring-opportunities-for-israel.html

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Spooks and the Spooked: Snowden and the Fear of Big Brother

Let’s try and run away from the news of the last few weeks if we can. The matter of fact is that we can’t escape it. Espionage is the story du jour. So much has been told lately about Snowden and the secrets he spilled. Some people view him as a hero and others view him as a traitor. It all depends on the angle you’re playing. Snowden to me, is a glory hound. We can all discuss whether it is okay for the government to collect our phone records, but the truth of the matter is that the general public does not need to know everything, unless it is something that is risking their lives. The collection of phone numbers, is not exactly illegal.

First off, the people who are getting so upset about the news that Verizon is giving up their phone records need to sit down and shut up for a second. When the Patriot Act was passed, very few people raised their voices against it. People sat by as congress gave the government the power to pretty much do anything and everything it wants to do in the name of catching terrorists. And now that the government is actually making use of the power it was given everyone wants to cry about it? Let’s be grown ups about it. Whether we like it or not, we gave these people the power to tap our phones and do everything they can to catch those who would harm us. If the American people were so against this sort of practice, they should have fought a little harder to stop things like the Patriot Act.

Second, if you don’t have anything to hide, you don’t really need to be too worried about the government collecting phone numbers, or reading e-mails. The innocent don’t need to bark at the top of their lungs, because they know they’re protected by the law. Those who are doing evil deeds are always and will always be looking over their shoulders wondering what is going to happen next. If the government was not using every tool at its disposal and something catastrophic happened, the people will rise, asking why more wasn’t done to get ahead of the terrorists, or why links weren’t drawn to stop further damage. So how can we complain when the government is doing what we gave it the power to do?

Third, the reality we face now days is that we have no idea where the next terrorist is coming from. If you look at the events in London recently, we can conclude that Africans are increasingly becoming radicalized. Your next door neighbor who appears to be as American as they come, just might be the next guy who wants to blow up an American landmark. We have to be able to fight against invisible forces. Unlike in the past, now days the terrorists do not need to announce themselves. They can operate in sleeper cells and attack when they find the right opportunity. How do you fight against an enemy you cannot see? You have to go through extremes to make sure you get all the information available out there and get the enemy before they have the chance to act upon their plans.

As much as I love being able to claim freedom, the fact is that 9/11 has scarred the United States. Those in power have a responsibility to their constituents to make sure that people who want to harm Americans are stopped and brought to justice. This is one of the reason why Mr. Snowden should have thought carefully about what he did.

Because of Mr. Snowden, more and more terrorists will pay attention to what they do on the phone. They will now be forced to devise new ways to operate completely in the dark. Plus Mr. Snowden’s actions jeopardize the U.S. in terms of its relation to its allies. Now France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will be forced to tone down their cooperation with the U.S. in terms of intelligence information. Mr. Snowden is a glory hound and nothing more. If his aim was simply to provide the information out there, he could have done it and remained silent. Instead he has sought to become the next Julian Assange, by making himself the news story, rather than the information he shared with the world. He could have quietly gone about his life and let the media blitz over the issue of NSA spying work itself out. Instead, more and more people have come out to defend the government and denounce him.

Big Brother is nothing to fear. At the end of the day people still have the power to vote for their officials. And if the American people were so set on denying the government the power to spy on them, they can petition the Supreme Court or sue to have the Patriot Act overturned. Until people are willing to go the distance, they have absolutely no reason to complain.

Article: 4-year-old boy accidentally kills dad in Arizona

4-year-old boy accidentally kills dad in Arizona
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4-year-old-boy-accidentally-kills-dad-arizona

Article: Obama Administration On PRISM Program: 'Only Non-U.S. Persons Outside The U.S. Are Targeted'

Obama Administration On PRISM Program: 'Only Non-U.S. Persons Outside The U.S. Are Targeted'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/obama-administration-prism-program_n_3399858.html

This is disturbing.

Article: Virginia candidate E.W. Jackson: Yoga leads to Satan

Virginia candidate E.W. Jackson: Yoga leads to Satan
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/ew-jackson-virginia-lieutenant-governor-yoga-satan-92321.

Fitness On My Mind

It can be quite jarring when you suddenly realize that you’ve put on weight.  For me there has never been a fear of weights.  I’ve been skinny my entire life.  Yet when my wife had a baby, I found that I had less and less time to go to the gym.  I used to go to a Planet Fitness regularly.  At least twice a week I used to find time to get to the gym, or at least find time at home to work out.  But now, even when I’m home, the only thing on my mind is sleep.  I can never get enough sleep even though I try my best.  For some reason, having a young child at home somehow means that you are no longer guaranteed at least a minimum of five hours of sleep. 

The one thing that I have been able to do with some consistency has been eating.  It appears that even when I’m struggling to find time for sleep, somehow my mouth is never too far away from food.  Part of it is undoubtedly due to the fact that I never know when I’m going to be able to eat.  Even when I’m at work, it seems as though my schedule is so messed up that I have to grab a bite to eat whenever I find an opportunity.  Sometimes that ends up being at 11 or 12 at night, which is not good for anyone, even if you’re naturally skinny.

So now I’m thinking more and more about fitness.  I don’t know how parents with children are able to stay fit.  I don’t partake in a lot of the activities that used to keep me healthy when I was younger, so naturally my body is going to change.  I can accept that, but it is hard to find the time to do something as simple as fifty push ups or sit ups.  I have an ongoing gym membership that is simply drawing money out of my pocket.  I keep telling myself that I’m going to find a way to work out at home.  I keep telling myself that I’m going to get back into the groove of things, but I know that is a lie.  For now I’m going to try my best to get in at least fifty push ups a day or sit-ups, to try to halt the weight gain.  This is not going to change much.  I will not get my body back the way it used to be, but damage control is key right now.  I have to give credit to those who manage to get their children through life and still find a good balance.  I’m not sure I can find the balance right now.  Being sleep deprived has a way of messing with you.  A friend of mine is going to do the 30 day squat challenge, and I hope it works for him, though I’m not too confident that will help a guy much.  Yet I’m all too aware that desperation can sometimes force you to try anything.  They weren’t joking when they said children change your life.

Michele Bachmann's Exit

In the world of American politics, very few people decide not to run for reelection. In fact it seems as if people in congress are constantly looking forward to the next election rather than work on what they were sent to Washington to do. Michele Bachmann is an anomaly any way that you look at it. She is extremely popular among right wing politicians for some of the things that she has said and done in office, while the rest of the country understands that Michele Bachmann is essentially a dumbass. She represents the modern day Republican Party which thinks that working for the people is not quite as important as working for corporations, and not as important as making up things to accuse their opponents of.



Michele Bachmann is making her exit. This simple sentence is of the most important events in the history of American politics. It might seem outrageous to tout her exit as this monumental even, but bar the hyperbole, Michele Bachmann's exit means that their is a slight reduction in the brain drain that is the United States congress. Bachmann's exit means that their is now space for some level minded person to come through and work for the people. Yet her exit is not all good for all people. Bachmann's exit leaves a void for craziness. Someone else with crazy ideas will come through and perform just like her.

 

The hope, for any level headed human being is that with Bachmann moving on, Republicans will finally realize that getting the crazies out of their party is sound business. No doubt she will reappear soon as a Fox News contributor. I mean what else is a has-been Republican congressman supposed to do? For her sake and for her family's sake I hope Bachmann gets away from the limelight and goes on to live a quiet fulfilled life and not tread the path taken by the likes of Sarah Palin and countless other Republican losers.

Article: How to Think Like a Genius

How to Think Like a Genius
http://news.menshealth.com/how-to-think-like-a-genius/2013/05/31/

Interesting.

Article: Carl Hart, Columbia University Scientist, Confronts Drug War In 'High Price'

Carl Hart, Columbia University Scientist, Confronts Drug War In 'High Price'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/carl-hart-high-price_n_3355555.html

Good reading.  It is rare that someone is so forthcoming about their past like the author does. 

Article: Arkansas senator takes on Mayor Bloomberg in new ad

Arkansas senator takes on Mayor Bloomberg in new ad
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/morning-joe/52054619

I'm not a big fan of Bloomberg pumping ads in other cities, but I don't think it is such a terrible idea. More and more "liberal" groups should start doing what conservative groups and PACS have been doing for a long time. I'm not sure how effective Bloomberg's ad campaign is going to be, but if he manages to take down one or two gun crazy politicians, I'd consider it a success.

The Christie Issue

Chris Christie is in a very peculiar spot in American politics.  The New Jersey governor is a noted Republican.  He spouts many ideas that are quintessentially Republican, yet his actions prove themselves to be a betrayal of modern day Republicans.  Now one might be inclined to believe Christie is not a Republican because of some of the things he does, like compromising with Democrats, high-fiving President Obama, and accepting government funds to help his state due to hurricane Sandy's damage.  All these things, when looked through the prism of modern day Republicans -the ones that have fooled other Republicans into voting for them -can be viewed as a betrayal of the party.

But is Christie really the traitor here?  Is the New Jersey governor a traitor for asking the government for some help to fix his state when a natural disaster destroyed most of the shore?  I mean is that not what an elected official is supposed to do for his constituents?  Isn't it his job to represent the people of New Jersey and make a case for them and what they need?  Is he supposed to worry about what the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the knuckleheads at Fox News think, while his citizens are struggling to stay afloat?  is Christie a traitor for compromising with Democrats?  How do you govern any given entity if you cannot work with the people you disagree with?  If all you do is work with people who agree with you it is unlikely that you will unearth anything important to history.  If you only work with those that are just like you, you will always have the same solution to every problem, and no one will think outside of the box.  Republicans like to pick on Christie because they view him as a traitor, but I dare say it is these modern day Tea Party Republicans that are the traitors.  It is these few voices of dissent who are stalling progress in the Unites States.

A lot of talk will continue to go on about Christie's presidential hopes.  I for one have a hard time looking seriously at Republicans as leaders.  Very few, if any of them have shown that they can lead while in congress.  When it comes to Christie, I think a lot of people in this country would love to see him detach himself away from the modern day Republicans, or at least create a coalition of Republicans with enough backbone and organizational strength not to be afraid of the Tea Party Republicans.  When an elected official decides they would rather do nothing than to compromise, it is time for them to step away from public office and become a consultant.  As a politician, your primary role is to serve the people who voted for you.  More and more politicians need to go back to the basics of public life.  This is not supposed to be a career.  It is supposed to be a service you render to the public, because they entrust you with all their hopes about the future.

It will be easy for people to paint Chris Christie as a weak Republican because of the work he has done in office with Democrats.  But the truth of the matter is that Christie is doing exactly what he was elected to do. He is representing New Jersey to the max.  Christie is an example for other politicians.  It is a real shame that he feels he belongs in the Republican party, because the party of today is quickly endangering the party's future.

Syria Is Gone

The conflict in Syria does not look like it will subside anytime soon.  It seems every single day there is a new story about the atrocities taking place in that country.  It is amazing to think that this conflict started out because the Syrian people protested against their government.  Those of us living in the West take it for granted that we can protest against our government whenever we're unhappy with what they're doing. Yet in this Middle Eastern country, a smile protest tut s into a civil war which is taking for longer than it needs to.  

There is no guarantee that if President Bashar Assad had stepped down the country would be better.  As we can see in a lot of countries where a dictatorship cedes control, the country struggles to form a new identity for itself.  But despite the uncertainties that come along with newly unveiled democracy (see Egypt) Assad should have given his people the  opportunity to realize this fleeting dream of democracy, but as is  the case throughout history, the ruling class always underestimates the resolve of those they seek to control.

The bigger issue coming out of the conflict in Syria, has little to do with whether Assad will step down or not. The fact of the matter is that the Syrian regime is bound to lose.  Assad himself must know by now that doom is written in his future.  Assad's decision not to step down when the conflict started has created a future for Syria which no Syrian would have wanted.  Because of Assad, sectarian division and violence will become the norm.  And a Syrian identity will cease to exist.

It might seem unfair to lay all the blame at Assad's feet, after all the rebels have a role to play in the distinction just as much as anybody else.  But when you're a leader, it is your responsibility to make sure that you lead, and that you keep things from getting out of hand.  Assad's biggest problem is a failure to manage.  And beyond that, it is the erroneous decision not to have a proper exit strategy at hand.  War is the worst exit strategy any manager can have, and the end will not look good for Assad.  Unfortunately for Syrians, their next chapter is going to be equally demure.  Many people will die before this conflict ends.  Neighbors will kill one another, and each other's children.  In the end the Syria they know will no longer exist.  In its place will be a populated land struggling to identify itself in a region troubled by the melange of modernity and tradition.

Chuck has shared a Huffington Post article with you

Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/catherine-meeks-phd/a-threat-to-justice_b_2865161.html

Sent by Chuck

You have received a YouTube video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsRmAAtEDWQ&sns=em

Incredible human ability with the body.

What Would The World Be Like Without Religion?

What would life be like without religion?  That is a very important question.  It is a question that more and more people should endeavor to ask themselves.  It is a question which may have the answer to many of what troubles this world of ours.  For many people religion is an essential part of their existence.  Some people cannot go one meal without praying, thankful for the food that they have.  Some people cannot go the entire day without praying at least once.  On the surface, such a pious existence is commendable.  We should all strive to have the type of discipline necessary to live such a blessed life.  But there is another part of religion which I find troubling, and which has reared its head every few centuries.

Religion has been used as a guide and to a greater extent, a reason for committing all types of atrocities around the world.  From the crusades to modern day terrorism, religion has been the rock which has given people the confidence and the justification for their atrocities.  And while we can condemn the perpetrators of these evil acts, we must be careful not to use religion as the scape goat, the same way the perpetrators use religion as reason.  The very fact that people throughout human existence have used religion as a base for violence, is a betrayal of their religious belief itself.  No religion asks that its followers go out and commit mass murder.  No religion gives any man or woman the tool to go out and take from another, the precious life they have been given.  Yet, every few decades, some people around the world, be they Christian, Muslim or otherwise, have taken up arms in the name of defending a religious belief which does not need to be defended.

In light of the events in London recently, it will not take long before Islam is back in the news, being portrayed by the likes of O'Reilly and the Faux News crew as a religion of murder and terrorism.  It will not take long before innocent Muslims walking down the street of any western country will begin to feel the threat of danger, the otherworldly feeling of being tagged "other", the absence of warmth and the unbearable feeling of displacement.  All this is going to happen, but it shouldn't.  People who claim Islam while committing their crime are betraying their religion, but beyond that, they're betraying their fellow Muslims.  So it is important to pose that question, what would the world be like without religion?

NOT FOR SALE: THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MODERN DAY SLAVERY

Not too many people are aware of the fact that slavery is still going on these days. I mean it’s bizarre to imagine that today’s human beings would find it necessary to sell others or buy others for whatever means necessary. I was searching for something interesting to write about today when I stumbled on www.notforsalecampaign.org and found out about a campaign to end human trafficking. Now I don’t know enough about the issue to pretend to be some sort of expert and spew statistics that would make me appear as such, but I have common sense. I have enough common sense to know that the trafficking of human beings is an atrocious act for which a simple adjective cannot be used. For those who are partaking in this act, it may seem as though life is yours to take, but there comes a time when even the rabbit gets blown out of the whole. For those of you who want to know more about the problem, I suggest you go to the website and read up on it and search for as much information as possible. The more people who know about this the better off the world will be.
The fact is there, as disheartening as it is, it is there for all to see. Let’s re-abolish slavery and this time for good.

Cruz for President

Good old hypocrisy seems to be well and fine in American politics.  One thing that clearly highlights it is the fact that some people think Senator Ted Cruz is a presidential hopeful.  Forget the argument that his politics don't appeal to the general American citizen.  Forget the fact that he was once close to the George W. Bush presidency.  Ted Cruz was born in Canada to a Cuban father and an American Mother.  I find it appalling that people can entertain the idea of a Canadian becoming president of the United States, yet Republican nut jobs have spent a great deal of time since 2008 questioning the legitimacy of President Obama's tenure.  Obama was born in Hawaii, and even that was not enough for the Republicans.  Yet they're okay with a Canadian running for president?  Where is the outrage at suggestion that this overzealous junior Senator from Texas is even thinking about the idea?  Where is Donald Trump and the like?  Why are they so silent about this?  or does it only matter when the Democratic black guy is running?

American race relations have always been terrible, but it is increasingly clear that in this new age we're entering, some people have a real problem with people generally considered part of the minority being in power.  I have nothing personally against Ted Cruz, though I disagree with pretty much everything he stands for politically, but this absurd level of hypocrisy is beyond absurd.

Article: This Indie Rocker-Turned-Congressman Is Ready to Make HIs Name on Immigration Reform

This Indie Rocker-Turned-Congressman Is Ready to Make HIs Name on Immigration Reform
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/this-indie-rocker-turned-congressman-is-ready-to-make-his-name-on-immigration-reform-20130522

Article: The Other Side Of The Story

The Other Side Of The Story
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/The_IRS_Scandal_On_The_Ground?src=rss

While I'm not a fan of prejudice against any one group, it is absurd that a lot of these Tea Party groups are claiming to be doing social welfare work. Who are they kidding here? And who in their right mind is letting them get away with this farce?  The system will never be fixed as long as they're loopholes for the powerful to exploit.

Article: Nidal Hasan, Fort Hood Shooting Suspect, Has Received $278,000 In Salary Since Arrest

Nidal Hasan, Fort Hood Shooting Suspect, Has Received $278,000 In Salary Since Arrest
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/nidal-malik-hasan-salary_n_3313519.html

Sent via Flipboard

I guess his constitutional rights protect his wages.

Time Warner Cable

As a long suffering Timer Warner Cable subscriber, I have to say one of the best things to come out of that company has been their TWC app.  This app when used on a tablet, essentially allows you to watch TV on a different tool.  This allows me to watch a different channel when my significant other insists on watching another Monk marathon.  I can't say it has every channel I have on my TV, but I'd imagine it won't be long before they offer even more channels for tablets through the TWC app.  One of the best things this app has to offer is definitely the ability to watch show on demand. While this might be an evolution in Time Warner Cable's business model, it won't take long before they're pushed out of the market as more companies like Netflix and Hulu pop up, offering better content and better service.  It would behoove the headmasters at Time Warner Cable to start focusing on their customer service.  The company has a terrible reputation for how they treat their long term customers.  And until they start providing better customer service in terms of pricing, they will be out of business soon.  Focusing on new customers is smart, but when those customers become long term customers you should still offer them an olive branch or you will lose them to your competition.

Jason Richwine, PhD

Sometimes when people say they'll give a PhD to anyone, you think they're kidding, maybe even half joking. But apparently Harvard gives PhDs to people who ascribe to what is nothing short of eugenics redux. A lot has been made this week about Jason Richwine's work as an academic and as a member of that bastion of intellectual life, The Heritage Foundation. According to Richwine, if you're a Latino immigrant, your children are going to have low IQ and your grandchildren are also going to have low IQ. Furthermore, this is a guy who inherently believes that if you are white you are innately smarter than any black person you come across. To put it into context, if you take a black guy at an Ivy League school and a white guy at your local community college, the white guy is going to prove to be the smarter of the two. A white guy from the trailer parks of Detroit is instantly smarter than a black guy at Oxford.

This sort of bullshit is naturally expected from Nationalists, but for one who dares call himself an expert in public policy, Mr. Richwine is a fucking imbecile. You cannot purport to hypothesize about any given population's intelligence without ever considering the environmental aspects of that population. Take the Castro brothers from San Antonio for instance. They're children of immigrants, yet they graduated from Stanford and Harvard. I suspect they have higher IQs than Mr. Richwine and the douchebags the Heritage Foundation puts together. Genetics have little to do with IQ. You give any child the kind of access to books, good teachers, safe communities that white kids get and you will see just how smart they are. Richwine is a disgrace to Harvard's reputation.

Found Missing

I suppose it is a great thing that these women who were missing in Cleveland have been found. It really is a moment of joy, but we have to wonder why it took ten years for these women to emerge. I'm not suggesting it is somehow the women's fault that they were kidnaped, but much has to be said about the type of police work that went on with these women's cases. The police claimed to have continued their search for these women, but only a fool would believe such a thing.

The women are brave to say the least. After being held for so many years I'm not sure they would ever have thought the day would come when they would be free. It says a lot about the power of the human spirit that these women are able to survive all these years and still make it out. As for the three brothers, the law should throw the heaviest book they can find at them. No mercy for perverted men who have little regard for other people's lives and dignity.

Defeated Gun Bill

I'm not really surprised that the gun bill in the senate was defeated. American politicians are incredible cowards and that's nothing new. What really amazes me is how one group, the NRA, is able to hold the United States government hostage. Elected officials are representatives of the people who voted them into office. Their sole job is to do what is right for their constituents. The fact that the senate could not pass this bill which has been supported by the majority of the populace shows that American politicians can be easily bought. That is really the only conclusion one can come to. You cannot vote a certain way because you're afraid of losing your job. Political office is not supposed to be viewed as a job but rather as a public service. I'm absolutely disappointed but not surprised.

Terror in Boston

There is no clear reason why what happened in Boston yesterday occurred. I'm not convinced anyone will ever be held accountable for what happened, but Boston will live on. It is one of the most durable cities in the United States. The East Coast in general has had to deal with a lot of tragedy, but like the winter this side of the States, we continue to come along with strength and determination.