Micro-blogging and Net-Culture

The Good Times (a free Santa Cruz weekly) just ran a cover piece on Twitter and general disgust at this idea of micro-blogging.

“The phenomena is growing so fast that 2009 may come to be known not as the year America swore in its first black president or nationalized its banks, but the year America learned to think and communicate in 140 characters or fewer.”
“What was once just a colorful special-needs classroom on the Internet is starting to look like a steel spike aimed at the heart of what remains of our ability to construct and process complete grammatical sentences and thoughts.”
- Alexander Zaitchik

While I agree the limiting communication down to one-hundred and forty characters is not beneficial to good human communications, I believe many simply fail to understand that Twitter has the ‘TINYURL’ feature to solve this exact problem.

I can write a lengthy blog of much deliberations and manifestations … then I might Tweet of this link to the Tweeters that Follow this Twitter user.

And suppose someone is quite pleased with this confine of characters. Then they need never open a full-blown weblog, and be satisfied with micro-blogging to their heart’s content.

All else sounds like a natural side-effect of the impounding growth of Net-Culture.

Net-Snobbery.

I am also mildly offended that Zaitchik seems to not ever become familiar with the Terms of Service and Site Policies of the very topic of his article. It may not be so but it appears he simply didn’t do his homework.

Water-Boarding is Torture

It disturbs and disgusts me that so many American conservatives refuse to address all empirical evidence regarding practices like water-boarding while supporting these failed and immoral policies enacted under the Bush Presidency in the aftermath of the attacks of 2001.

Political partisanship aside, our nation has long stood as a global role model of a free republic and a just democracy by which the policies of fledgling democracies might observe and hopefully mimic.

A country claiming moral superiority must have reflective policies as pertaining to these morals. Any country that approves of a policy such as legal water-boarding of detainees cannot hope to claim any degree of civic morality inherent to it’s soil.

Redefinitions of torture as acceptable in any form is counter-intuitive to sound American policy making, in my view. Within political debate the same attempts are contrary to the Spirit of The Constitution itself. Not to mention the practice is specifically banned by the Military Code of Conduct and the Geneva Convention.

Miss California and the Question of Gay-Marriage

Carrie Prejean (Miss California): ”I think it‘s great that we live in a country where you can chose same-sex marriage or [gay-marriage]. .. In my country, and in my house, marriage is between a man a woman,”

I see these words as fair and respectful statements to make, in such a position. In her country, her state and her house she views marriage as an exclusive right for heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the state laws of California currently reflect her point of view over my own. Just as she said herself, I also believe the true beauty of American democracy is the right to chose. The right to chose to repeal the ban on gay-marriage in my case. This battle is yet to fought.

Another vital element of this American Beauty lies in the fundamental Freedom of Speech found not exclusive to this single event, by any means. It can be found all around us.

In the media-aftermath, Perez Hilton (pageant judge) revealed that he desired a more educated response.

Hilton: “What she should have said is: .. ‘We live in a country where the states decide on some laws and the federal government decide on other laws.’”

Hilton is most likely unaware that recent statistics on civic education in America are at all time lows. I doubt he intended to be so, but the question was asking for civics knowledge in a time when such an item is a precious commodity.

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Recent Carrie Prejean Interview From Alan.com

`-` gorgeous neha dhupia `-`

Loyal Opposition No More

For many years I have felt that for all our disagreements between liberal and conservative individuals there was a shared position by both sides. A loyal opposition to the opposition.

For the time being I believe the majority of the conservatives of America have thrown down this national system of civil loyalty in politics in place of a pure obstructionist agenda.

I have not heard any amount of logical rebuttal to an Obama policy or policy proposal, except in very rare cases.

I find I cannot listen to the standard bearers of GOP right wing radio these days. Like most people I have my ‘hang-ups.’

Dismissive attitudes and screaming people down end up on my list.

Every time I have been listening to conservative talk radio, or GOP responses, since the election of Barack Obama I am disgusted by the complete lack of integrity and grace in politics.

Reducing everything down to simply ‘name-calling’ is not the issue. Though it is important thing to avoid as much as possible.

Not sticking to the facts about our democratic representatives and our recent national historical history is unpatriotic.

I wish it were not so. And no group can claim to innocent of some form of vitriol in these times.

But not having an actual political dialogue and instead presenting vague facts along with connect-the-dots logic is simply dirty pool.

Weekly Hot Pics - 3

Bank Stress Tests

The Obama administration is considering making public some results of the stress tests being conducted on the country's 19 largest banks, said people familiar with the matter, a move that could help more clearly separate healthy banks from the weaklings.

Until now, the government has tried to treat all banks equally, pouring cash into both strong and struggling institutions to prop up the financial sector. The strategy has provided cover for beleaguered banks, which received funds along with their stronger brethren.

This possible move, combined with first-quarter bank earnings and the push by some financial institutions to raise new capital and repay their bailout funds, could lay the groundwork for a new phase in the financial crisis. Within weeks, the stronger banks could emerge free of government shackles and flush with new funds, with weaker ones still reliant on federal largesse. That would transform how investors and the government view the financial sector.

STRESS, RELIEF: Shown last month, Wells Fargo's John Stumpf, BofA's Kenneth Lewis, US Bancorp's Richard Davis, Morgan Stanley's John Mack, PNC's James Rohr, State Street's Ronald Logue and Citi's Vikram Pandit. Since announcing the stress tests earlier this year, the government hasn't made clear what, if anything, would be disclosed about the assessments. The Treasury originally suggested it would defer to individual banks to disclose results. But some regulators worried about banks selectively leaking information, causing a possible bias against rivals.

The stress tests were designed to build confidence that the nation's largest banks could weather a severe and prolonged economic downturn. Regulators are trying to determine how much assistance banks might need to continue lending in such circumstances. Banks that need more capital will get six months to raise it from private investors or take cash infusions from the government.

It isn't clear precisely what information the government might disclose. It remains possible the data won't be specific to individual banks. But some within the administration believe a certain amount of information needs to be released in order to provide assurance about the validity and rigor of the assessments. In addition, these people also are concerned that the tests won't be able to fulfill their basic function of shoring up confidence unless investors are able to see data for themselves.

Staff at the various regulatory agencies have been discussing the matter for several weeks and are expected to brief top regulators as soon as this week. One possible solution: Aggregating the data provided by the banks so the government could provide a broad snapshot of the banking industry's health without disclosing firm-specific data.

Last month, Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan said "there will be definitely some information that will be provided" once regulators make their decisions. "Exactly what that will be and when it will be provided will come forth later," he said at the time.

Several small banks have already repaid their bailout funds. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. successfully raised $5 billion in equity aimed at helping it repay $10 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, capital it received in October. Other large financial institutions don't appear to be keen to tap the equity markets any time soon, but the recent revival in their stock prices has made the concept more appealing.

A senior U.S. Treasury official said the government will accept repayment of rescue funds from any institution whose regulator dubs it healthy enough to operate without federal capital.

The move to stop treating banks equally is sparking concern about the effect on specific institutions seen as weaker than peers. "You can create a run on a bank pretty quickly," said Eugene Ludwig, chief executive of consulting firm Promontory Financial Group and a former Comptroller of the Currency.

Wayne Abernathy, executive vice president of financial institutions policy and regulator affairs at the American Bankers Association, said the government needs to provide information about the results but also protect examination data.

"I don't think they can ignore the appetite they have created for this information," Mr. Abernathy said. Having the government publicize some information would allow policy makers to control the message. "It's what can we say that is meaningful while still protecting the quality of that exam data," he said.

Mr. Ludwig cautioned that any information could give rise to mischief. "Bank exams are confidential for good reason," he said. "Given the kind of confidential information they contain, there is always the possibility of misuse or misinterpretation."

By DEBORAH SOLOMON and MICHAEL R. CRITTENDEN

Difference Between a Liberal and a Conservative?

We hear this question posed often in our lives, if we are a political person ourselves.

I recently heard a response to this question on the radio that I disagree with, but I still believe desires to be heard. I offer it as but an anecdote:

Question: "What is the difference between a liberal and a conservative?"

Response: “Think in terms of kind and unkind.”

While this sentiment starts to address the huge gap between these ideologies it only touches the most bare and stereotypical edges of the matter.

The truth of the matter is more that historically both liberals and conservatives morph and relocate themselves throughout the political spectrum in all nations. Only certain key values and standards define each group and it is easier to grab one specific location and timeframe than to just say all liberals or conservatives are so.

Modern American liberals are clearly defined against modern American conservatives in terms of their views of separation of church and state.

Modern American liberals are clearly defined against modern American conservatives in terms of their views of the use of military budgets and international policies.

These kind of statements are the only real response to this question and it is obviously verbose to try to answer this question with what sounds like reading a textbook at someone.

It is said sometimes that these groups are defined by the members they attract.

I believe this only partly defines the ideology and the group.

The common views and desires are the true backbone of every movement.

Some claim the liberal movements to attract the more ‘fringe’ elements of society while conservative attracts a more ‘common’ element of society.

That may have been true in days past but in our world, right now, the conservative movement has attracted the truly fringe elements of our society in the past national campaign and to this day on talk radio and certain websites. Unquestionable willful destruction of non-partisan debate is expressly un-American.

I think my own answer to this question is more like an answer one might get from a wandering mystic:

Response: “Ask me again when you know which one you are.”

I think if someone is even asking this question they are just fresh into politics. All political types, even myself, must claw backwards into our memories to a time when we were mostly apolitical and remember that nobody comes out of the womb with a position on taxation rates.

We form all these things we call ‘opinions’ as we go. So cut a break to people who were spacing out on their nation when we needed them the most, because we still need them now that they are paying attention.

This Machine Kills Fascists : Woody Guthrie

Ain't got no guitar. Not no more. Some fellow done run off with it. But this here laptop done be my guitar.

And I aims to kill me some fascists. Got this here on the dime of Uncle Sam.

Fellow named George W. Bush gave little old me a check and here we are.

Do believe I have heard a talker or two call Mr. Bush a fascist. That I do recall hearin' of this man.

But ain't no fascist alive that let's his power slip. Not no how, no way.

Them two fellers Obama and Bush did a just dandy job and handin' over the reigns of Lady Liberty from one to another.

Here in the good ol' US of A we still have a fondness of old fashioned democracy. Letting the folks decide.  

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Woody Guthrie was a singer and songwriter who came of age in Oklahoma as the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression all but destroyed the homes and lives of many of those around him. A natural wordsmith who loved music, Guthrie turned the stories he saw all around him into songs -- some funny, some deadly serious, and nearly all dealing with his vision of a better and more just America. Guthrie roamed the country much of his life, performing with the left-wing Almanac Singers, writing a column for the Daily Worker, publishing a wildly entertaining autobiography called Bound for Glory, working as merchant seaman, and raising a family in between. A handful of the 3,000 songs Guthrie wrote have become standards (most notably "This Land Is Your Land," "Pastures of Plenty," "Deportees," and "Grand Coulee Dam"), and it's all but impossible to imagine the work of Bob Dylan or the rebirth of folk music in the '50s and '60s without his guiding influence. Woody Guthrie: This Machine Kills Fascists is a documentary which offers an honest and unblinking look at Guthrie's life and career, featuring interviews with friends, fans, and historians who offer insight into his music and the man behind it. Mark Deming,   -- All Movie Guide

Weekly Hot Pics - 2

Weekly Hot Pics

`-` kristen modelig pose `-`

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