Mary Cheney Having A Baby

God bless her and God bless the baby that she and her long term partner are going to have. Politics aside, a baby is indeed a gift from God above and no matter how you create that gift and appreciate the life that it is I applaud you for it. Any commitment to bare a child and raise it is a huge responsibility and when done right it is always a good thing. Mary Cheney has her head on straight and I wish her and the baby well.

Children need a loving environment to grow up in and with that comes the logic and common sense to do the right thing in their life as an adult. What sexual orientation the parents are is not a factor in the child’s mind. Knowing that two responsible adults cared for them and nurtured them till adulthood is all that is important. Can your religious crap on who is a better parent.

Raising children is not easy and anyone that takes on the responsibility has taken on a life time contract. Having children is ultimately your life long lessons of love and hate that they will take with them to the next generation. You can raise them with love in the family or you can think that there is love but Mom or Dad is a screw up.

Knowing Mary Cheney and her fathers position in politics this is a tough road for her to travel. It makes her father and his political positions on what she is doing look bad. And yet Vice President Cheney will be a Grand Father once more from her baby. Ergo, I do not blame him one bit for putting Wolf Blitzer in his place.

This opinion coming from a die hard liberal is hard to express but the baby is my only concern. I can beat up the VP on any issue every single day but this is different and I happen to agree with his reply to the interview. Parents are parents and there is no red R or blue D on any birth certificate mandating a new born child’s political status.

Decision to Have Baby Isn’t Political, Mary Cheney Says
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: February 1, 2007 - The New York Times

Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, for the first time yesterday publicly defended her decision to become pregnant and asserted that same-sex couples were equally capable of raising children as heterosexual couples.

“When Heather and I decided to have a baby, I knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision,” Ms. Cheney said, referring to her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe.

She then gestured to her middle — any bulge disguised by a boxy jacket — and asserted: “This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate, on either side of a political issue. It is my child.” - The New York Times

Another thing that makes you go hmmmm.

Papamoka

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Screw You Louisiana… Says the Government

I’m not to surprised to find out that our government that is supposed to look out for its people has chucked the bird at our friends and family in the devastated State of Louisiana. Over 18 months after hurricane Katrina and people are still struggling to get back to the basics of life in Louisiana? Why? What is wrong with this picture?

We can spend hundreds of billions on a war thousands of miles away that was built on lies and deception and yet we as a nation can not help our own people? Granted it takes an act of Congress to get anything done but why are these people still waiting for help?

Does the fact that Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the union ring a bell? Why are we still talking about this issue and what needs to be done in Louisiana?


Senators at Louisiana Hearing Criticize Federal Recovery Aid

By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: January 30, 2007 - The New York Times

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 29 — Three United States senators sounded off on Monday about the slow pace of recovery from Hurricane Katrina at a hearing in the French Quarter, criticizing federal officials for perceived inequities in aid to Louisiana and for imposing rules that are halting government assistance.

With Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois and a presidential candidate, expected to speak at the hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, dozens of residents lined up outside the Louisiana Supreme Court building hoping to be admitted. But only a small fraction were allowed inside, where Mr. Obama jousted with Donald E. Powell, the federal coordinator of Gulf Coast rebuilding, about where the money was, and why more of it was not in Louisiana.

Mr. Obama and Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, focused on why Louisiana, which had far more damage than Mississippi, did not receive a larger proportion of federal aid. Mr. Powell said Congress had put a cap on how much aid money any one state could get.
The senators complained about federal rules requiring a local match for aid after disasters; Mr. Powell said that in some cases, like the removal of the tons of debris that inundated the landscape here, the rules had been waived.

The senators, including the panel’s chairman, Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, voiced little criticism of Mayor C. Ray Nagin or other local officials, and Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana was not on the witness list. Ms. Blanco is responsible for the Road Home, a troubled housing assistance program that has made little progress in getting federal rebuilding aid to thousands of homeowners.

Fewer than 300 homeowners have received aid under the program, Mr. Lieberman said, though more than 100,000 have applied. (A program official said on Monday that 359 had received grants.) The program’s failure is cited as a crucial reason for the faltering repopulation effort. - The New York Times

If we can not rely on our government to help out with our own citizens when devastation like what happened in the state of Louisiana then who can we count on for a helping hand? Meanwhile, the people suffering here in these United States of America are passed over so the government can rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan in the tens of billions of dollars.

Something is not right with this scenario.

Papamoka

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It’s Official, Bush has a Religious War On His Hands

In the press today we have more signs that the war in Iraq is nothing more than a religious war of sectarian nature and decent. A war where men of religion and status are military targets of other religions and personal belief. Men of God are targets for attack and selected to be assassinated because they preach the theology of their God.

Interesting point to make here is that the “Terrorists” that launched this attack were in fact religious zealots. My God is better than your God and so on and so forth. Where does it end? This is in fact a religious war now and our troops have no business being in the middle of that never ending scenario. One thousand years from now they will still be killing one another over who’s God is true and who the infidels are that must die. Pick any side and it is the same opinion. The New York Times had this piece on it today…

Shiite Cult Aimed to Kill Clerics in Iraq

By DAMIEN CAVE and JOHN O’NEIL
Published: January 29, 2007 - The New York Times

BAGHDAD, Jan. 29 — The gunmen who battled Iraqi and American forces near Najaf on Sunday were members of a Shiite cult that planned to storm the city during a religious festival and kill the nation’s top Shiite clerics, Iraqi officials said today.
About 200 members of the group, which called itself “Soldiers From Heaven,” died in the fighting, which lasted until about 4 a.m. today. Iraqi officials said that 60 others were wounded and as many as 120 were captured.

Two American soldiers died in the fighting when their helicopter was shot down, and about 10 Iraqi soldiers and police officers were killed.

Abdul Hussein Abtan, the deputy governor of Najaf province, gave an interview to Iraqi television from the battlefield, saying he was standing next to the dead body of the group’s leader. Mr. Abtan said the dead man had claimed to be the Imam Mahdi — the missing spiritual leader whom many Shiites believe will return someday to restore justice.

Snip

Iraq’s national security minister, Sherwan al-Waeli, told reporters that the group’s followers were told that the killing of the clerics would be a sign that the Imam Mahdi was returning.
“No sane person could believe it,” Mr. Waeli said. - The New York Times


Same day and same storyline and you have to wonder what the President is thinking. Iran is offering Iraq an olive branch and yet the President finds the fact of opening up an Iranian owned bank in Baghdad a very bad thing.

Something about the Presidents position and the Iranian position isn’t sitting well with me? I don’t know what it is but there is something there. Granted the Iranians are seeking out nuclear technology but if it is for power generation that President Bush is pro on and the Iranian government has no problem with outside inspectors then what is he really talking about? Is he died in the wool that Iran is a perpetual axis of evil card carrying member? If Iran is actively participating in sending in forces into Iraq against our troops let the people of America know the facts and not the rhetoric. Mr. President, your word is no longer trustworthy of your people and you brought this on yourself.

This is what the Washington Post had to say about this…

Bush Warns Iran Against Action in Iraq

By William Branigin
Monday, January 29, 2007; 3:46 PM - Washington Post

President Bush said today he has no intention of sending U.S. forces into Iran, but he vowed to "respond firmly" if Iran steps up a campaign that the United States charges is aimed at killing U.S. troops and derailing democracy in Iraq.

Bush told National Public Radio that he is willing to do "whatever it takes" to protect U.S. troops in Iraq from what the White House says have been attacks with weapons supplied by Iran.
White House spokesman Tony Snow later said the administration was taking a wait-and-see approach to a statement by Iran's ambassador to Baghdad that his country was prepared to offer the Iraqi government economic and military help to promote reconstruction and security. The ambassador, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, told the New York Times Sunday that the plans include establishing an Iranian national bank branch in Baghdad, the newspaper reported today. -Washington Post

Things that make you go Hmmmm?

Papamoka

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AGLOCO and Papamoka Straight Talk

I'm testing out some stuff to help pay for the old blog here. I came across this thing called AGLOCO and thought I would give it a try. It's in the Beta stage and it is the first thing I've come across that pays you the blogger for belonging to the network. How it works is that they charge the advertisers up front for placing ads on a tool bar that you can soon download.

If you as a reader has heard anything about this I would appreciate a heads up in the comment section. I've provided a permanent link to it in the left hand side if you want to check it out further. It was recommended by John Chow over at John Chow dot Com.

One thing that did not impress me was there was not a logo to download to post on my blog for it. I believe the sales pitch so far and it would be nice to have a professional logo rather than me just typing AGLOCO Member - Make the Internet 4U

I signed up just for shits and giggles and here is what the company site has to say about the program and promoting to people like yourself...

Why does AGLOCO use a referral system?

“The most valuable part of AGLOCO is its Members. By referring others to AGLOCO, you provide them with value and for that, AGLOCO thinks you should get some of that value you provide.

It makes sense. Think about YouTube. The first, most active users were on the site when the software was buggy and there were few videos available, but their Membership (and referrals to others) is what made the site a success. When it was sold for $1.65 billion, how much of that did these first users see? Nothing. With the AGLOCO referral system, Members get more for building the network.”

Member Privacy

“AGLOCO takes privacy very seriously and keeps all of your personal information strictly confidential and secure. Some other popular Internet companies take your personal information, use it, profit off it, sell it to others, and then give you nothing. AGLOCO will not share ANY of your Membership information with any unauthorized third party, and YOU share in the profits made from more personalized advertisements.

AGLOCO’s privacy policy stipulates exactly what information might be collected. It is 100% transparent and spyware-free. Moreover, while you are paid for the time the Viewbar is up, you can turn it off at any time. To ensure that your privacy is kept paramount, AGLOCO has hired a Chief Privacy Officer, Ray Everett-Church. Ray was the Internet’s first Chief Privacy Officer, and co-author of ‘Internet Privacy for Dummies’. You can trust that our privacy is safe with AGLOCO.”

Where AGLOCO makes money

“There are a whole bunch of ways AGLOCO makes money on behalf of Members. Here are just a few quick examples.

First of all, the Viewbar has a search function you can use to search yahoo, google, etc. Every time you use this search bar, the AGLOCO community makes money.

Second, the Viewbar has space for a text-only ad (no loud, flashing banners – just unobtrusive text). These ads make money for the AGLOCO community.

Third, AGLOCO has affiliate programs with a number of online retailers. Buy from one of these sites and AGLOCO makes money.” - Blog.AGLOCO.com

Let me know what you think? I would appreciate it if you sign up under the Papamoka members network if you think it just might be for you. Especially, if you are a simple little blogger like me.

Papamoka

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Thank You Prince Charles and Camilla

America has an appreciation for royalty from foreign lands that are our greatest allies in the world. Every young girl in America dreams of being a Princess and marrying the Prince that will one day be King. Prince Charles with his recent tour of America is a welcoming event for this blogger. The future King of Great Britain has given us the gift of his presence and we should be appreciative of it. Charles is a wise man, schooled in the ways of the world that President’s of these United States are not. President’s only have to last a four year term. Being a future King is a life long commitment.

Being a King for life is a burden that I would not wish on my worst enemy but it is a position in life that many can learn and grow from. It is a position much like the office of President of the United States of America but it has one catch, you can never leave it.

Many men and woman have tried to be respected as leaders of their given nations but have failed because they never saw the bigger picture of what life in and on this planet really is all about. When push comes to shove, one father and one mother will defend their children to the death. That is the simple fact that will never win over the terrorist mentality that demands that we be a servant to them.

With this visit from Prince Charles comes the chance to meet our true allies in the perpetual dilemma of the terrorist mentality and why we as a people should never be afraid to reach out and ask a friend for help. Great Britain has been a friend to our nation for many years and I can’t see any reason why the nation that the sun never sets on will ever change her mind.

Prince Charles Shoots Hoops in Harlem - The New York Times

NEW YORK (AP) -- Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited Harlem Sunday during their whirlwind American weekend, making a stop at a charter school where they answered children's questions and the prince took some time to shoot hoops with a basketball team.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in New York from Philadelphia by a private train and visited the Harlem Children's Zone's Promise Academy. The royal couple are on a weekend visit to the United States that focuses on youth development, urban renewal and environmental stewardship.

At the school, they visited an after-school program that teaches middle school students about finances. The participants receive money if their virtual stock investments are successful, and don't lose any money if their picks tank.

Papamoka

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Bush, Cheney and Nixon… These Three Think Alike

Few of the younger generation can recall the dread that people felt during the Watergate investigations and the relevance of it to the highest office in the land. It was indeed a time of great shame for our nation when the person entrusted to uphold the laws of the land broke them when he felt it suited him.

Does this ring a bell? Something sound a little to familiar about that situation thirty plus years ago and what is happening in Washington D.C. today?

Ex-Cheney aide shares media manipulation - Palm Beach Post

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A smorgasbord of Washington insider details has emerged during the perjury trial of the vice president's former chief of staff.

For example, when Dick Cheney really needed friends in the news media, his staff was short of phone numbers.

No one served up spicier morsels than Cheney's former top press assistant. Cathie Martin described the craft of media manipulation - under oath and in blunter terms than politicians like to hear in public.

The uses of leaks and exclusives. When to let one's name be used and when to hide in anonymity. Which news medium was seen as more susceptible to control and what timing was most propitious. All candidly described. Even the rating of certain journalists as friends to favor and critics to shun - a faint echo of the enemies list drawn up in Richard Nixon's White House more than 30 years ago.

The trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby owes its very existence to a news leak, the public disclosure four summers ago of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity. - Palm Beach Post

Our Vice President did the dirty deed of leaking Valerie Plame’s identity and her connections to the C.I.A. because he was pissed off over her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, and his report in The New York Times that the yellow cake uranium in the Presidents State of the Union address was a lie. Once the deed was done, Cheney pointed the fingers everywhere but at himself. Tenet was supposed to be the fall guy for the Vice President but he didn’t by the cow.

What we have here people is an administration that is deceptive, dishonest, and without a doubt no backbone. Supporting the lie in the State of the Union address was far more important to the administration than telling the truth to the American people. What else were they covering up? Well from what I see in the funny papers they are going to need to invest in a ton of those bright orange jump suits that prisoners have to wear.

Papamoka

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Have You NOT Driven a Ford Lately?

Do you think the CEO’s in the automotive market will ever learn the lessons of the past? Every single time that oil supplies are threatened in the world smaller economic vehicles sales soar in America. It doesn’t matter what model or make it is. Americans vote with their wallets and when the price at the pump is cutting into the family budget then they go shopping for a vehicle that reflects the current circumstances. With the war in Iraq surpassing the five year mark and oil and gas prices that are up and down and all over the place you would think that Ford would have learned the lessons of the past and pushed economy over the full line of gas guzzlers they have on the lots. Nope, they are pushing bigger and bigger trucks that suck the go go juice down to no end.

Surprise of all time, the big three in Detroit are in trouble again. Ford and its profits are in the negative billions of dollars again and the stock is hovering around eight bucks a share. Just for fun Toyota is expected to surpass General Motors as the largest automaker in the world. Makes you wonder who was really looking at the big picture and who was partying it up with huge bonuses and corporate greed during the hey days of the recent past? This was posted over at the Washington Post about Ford...

Ford Motor yesterday reported a $12.7 billion loss for 2006, its biggest in its 103-year history, as the company struggles to correct strategic mistakes, fend off Asian rivals and remake itself into a smaller, more competitive automaker.

The loss, compared with a profit of $1.4 billion in 2005, underscores the difficulty of Ford's campaign to slash costs, reduce its workforce, close plants and re-engineer its assembly lines to adapt quickly to shifts in the marketplace. Ford hopes to emerge from its restructuring with a stronger lineup of smaller vehicles that offer better gasoline mileage. The strategy also would leave Ford with as little as 14 percent of the market in 2008, compared with 25 percent in the late 1990s. - Washington Post

Although it is a couple of years late, Ford will rethink its position in the market and focus on economic vehicles and what it does best. Selling a solid line of cars that are going to be more economical for the commuting middle and lower class that is loyal to a fault to Ford products.

Welcome back to the real world Ford!

Papamoka

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State of the Union Just might not be Sound?

Did anyone else notice that the President never said that the "State of the Union was Sound"? Did I miss something. I watched the speech but he really didn't say we were okay did he?

"As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: We've been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly-elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.

Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world.

Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our nation an active force for good in the world -- the state of our union is confident and strong."


Just wondering...

He covered Healthcare and taxing those of us with great employers like mine that take on the lion share of the cost and taxing us for it the more generous the plan.

He covered our dependency on foriegn oil and cutting back on gas but then he wants to double our capacity in the Strategic Oil Reserves? Huh?

He covered new energy solutions to our nations electric needs that are environmentally friendly like wind power, solar power, Clean Coal power, and Nuclear power? HUH?

Things that make you go HMMMM?

See my post over at Gun Toting Liberal for a break down on the State of the Union address to the Congress and the people of America.

Papamoka

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School stabbing blamed on “Asperger syndrome”?

The story listed below was contributed by my sixteen year old daughter. Here in Massachusetts there recently was a fight in one of our public schools where one of the participants was stabbed to death by a fellow student with Asperger Syndrome. My daughter wanted to speak out and have her opinion heard. Here is what she thinks about this issue…

School stabbing because of “Asperger syndrome”?

By: Papamoka’s Teen

This is outrageous! From experience the label of any disorder has no excuses for any behavior that can lead to death. If this teen has the ability to be in main stream school with “normal teens” then he should not be able to use the excuse of it’s the Aspergers syndrome.

The reason why I picked this subject to talk about is because once, I was a troubled teen that needed help and didn’t seek it in all the positive ways. What I am trying to get at is that not all kids seek help in the best ways and most of the time the person needing that help gives little hints like this boy did. If people see anything weird in someone then you have to take action. I think kids with any kind of disorder should have a chance in a “normal” main stream school because they just might have the ability to overcome and do very well in the school.

But there are also schools that kids with a “special problem” can go to and get help where they need it. When kids spill out things that sound weird there should be a place in school where people can feel safe to talk about these things. Because I know for a fact that there are schools that do not have a special place for kids to talk to a grown up and seek help. This makes me mad!

That people do not take action on these things and sometimes the problem explodes into a much bigger problem, and so many different problems emerge and as it gets worse. This is the second bad thing that happened in a school that had signs which kids and teachers saw a problem developing and didn’t take a jump at getting the student help.

Just these reasons are why I support therapy and help for kids. Not all kids with emotional and mental disorders need help and special accommodations but some do.

Papamoka’s Teen

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Openly Accepted Terrorism in Iraq

Over at The New York Times they have a great piece on openly accepted terrorism and insurgent activities in Iraq. It comes as no surprise to me when every single visiting Congressional member of our government comes home and says flat out that we need to ultimately pull out of Iraq!

Our President has other plans and they include sending more of our children in to fight in a society that places no value on any human life. American soldiers are below that threshold.

Banned Station Broadcasts Voice of Rebels in Iraq

By MARC SANTORA and DAMIEN CAVE
Published: January 21, 2007 - The New York Times

BAGHDAD, Jan. 20 — The video starts with a young American soldier patrolling an Iraqi street. His head is obscured by leaves, so a red target is digitally inserted to draw the viewer’s eye. A split second later, the soldier collapses, shot. Martial music kicks in, a jihadi answer to John Philip Sousa. The time and place of the attack scrolls at the bottom of the screen.

Such tapes, along with images of victims of Shiite militias and unflattering coverage of Shiite leaders, are beaming across Iraq and much of the Middle East 24 hours a day, broadcast by a banned Iraqi satellite television station that has become a major information center for the Sunni insurgency — and the focus of a cat-and-mouse hunt that has exasperated and infuriated American and Iraqi forces.

Making the situation even more galling for the authorities, American and Iraqi officials say that money stolen from the United States probably helps pay for the station.

“They do not have programs but buffoonery, blaspheming and support for terrorism,” said Jalal al-Din al-Sagheer, a senior member of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, a Shiite party. “The source of funding for the channel is theft.”

The channel’s founder, Meshaan al-Juburi, is a former Sunni member of Parliament who was indicted last February on charges of embezzling millions of American dollars meant to pay for a vast pipeline protection force he had been assigned to help build with recruits from Salahuddin Province. He was accused of collecting salaries for thousands of soldiers who did not exist. - The New York Times

I have three words how to stop this insanity and they are Central Intelligence Agency. I do not honestly care how they get it done but somebody needs to pay this Meshaan al-Juburi a visit. Take him for a trip to some undisclosed location and inspire him to the ways of true justice in the region that he is sucking every dollar for personal profit from.

What pisses me off most about this story is that the people in the Arab world we call the Middle East are laughing at the death of one of our kids in uniform and probably shouting out loud to Alah on it being a good thing. Meanwhile a mother in Kansas or New York or Texas will get a visit from the United States Military to announce the death of her twenty year old son or daughter.

As much as I detest this war I am appalled at the people of the region finding it of any entertainment value to see an American soldier being assassinated for the sake of something to watch on television. The whole region is a loss and America should pull all of our troops out to a neutral zone. If the current administration doesn’t want to play hardball with these pukes and use every resource our government has to find murdering camera crews of our troops then they are not facing reality.

There is no way to change the mentality of the people in Iraq, Syria, Iran and even Saudi Arabia when it comes to America. We will always be the unclean infidels and they will always be in their minds far more spiritually enlightened and closer to God. I don’t honestly know which side is right but I want our troops out of their religious war. That in fact is what is going on now in Iraq.

Papamoka

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Time Inc. Layoffs vs. Bloggers

There is a lot of talk around the web that bloggers like myself and others are replacing the information source of magazines and the need to subscribe to those magazines. I have to say first and foremost that bloggers are nothing without the dedicated staff of writers and reporters at any publishing news venue. Without the investigative staff of reporters there is no news or opinion of that news to blog on!

I don’t do any research or investigating into any story I write my opinion on other than reading a well written piece by a dedicated professional reporter. My postings are the easy part simply because someone has put a very huge personal effort into getting the story out and in print on their media source.

The publishing media is changing and the Web is a large part of it. Time Inc. is looking at that changing market and reacting with layoffs for many people on many of the companies they own. Katharine Q. Seelye from The New York Times has this to say in her investigative report of Time Inc. layoffs…

The New York Times

Katharine Q. Seelye

The cuts, including some at Sports Illustrated and Fortune, were announced at each magazine individually this morning.

The 172 editorial jobs eliminated represent more than 5 percent of Time Inc.’s editorial staff of 3,300 around the world. Taking the company as a whole, the 289 jobs eliminated amount to about 2.6 percent of the company’s 11,000-strong work force. Taking into account the 530 employees who work for other magazines that are being sold, including Field & Stream and Parenting, Time’s total work force will fall to about 10,500. Time Inc. cut 600 jobs last year.

The retrenchment comes as Time Inc., the nation’s biggest magazine publisher, seeks to expand its branded properties on the Web, where the company sees its future. - The New York Times

I’m not sure that bloggers like myself could exist without dedicated writers from any media source you or I could think of. We tend to quote many a main stream media publishers with every post. Can one exist without the other? I tend to think not.
Bloggers are becoming a point of view given any story out there because we are telling it from someone not on the payroll of any media source. Our opinions are just our opinion. Our posts are from the heart and how we feel about any issue. Our spin as bloggers is just that, our spin.

My personal prediction for Time Inc. is they will move online with a full force to overcome the bloggers and sell the stories they want to put out there. It doesn’t work that way but I give them credit for recognizing that the people just don’t buy the main stream media line of opinion. Something about the corporate connections loses the credibility behind the message for the common internet blog reader. People trust that a blogger is telling you the reader an opinion that is in mesh with your own opinions. That is why blogs like this one and others are such a large part of the peoples choices for information on the world they live in.

Papamoka

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Together We Can Make A Difference

This Liberal Democrat is on the Obama band wagon for President one hundred and ten percent! He is the only one talking about what WE as Americans can do together. Not what the Republican Right can only do, not what the Democrat Left can only do but what all of us together can do. United as one America to serve one purpose. Giving the people back their government as it should be.

Senator Barack Obama (D) IL has it in him to do just that. Bring the people back to the government rather have them fighting and bickering over whom is to blame for any given situation. The man has the ability to speak to a crowd and make a unique connection with every single person in that audience. Few people with that God given gift are out there even looking at the possibility of running for President of these here United States of America.

Then you have to look at his education and background and you just have to sigh with a great sense of relief. Harvard Law school. It would be so nice to sleep at night just knowing that the decisions made from the most powerful office in the world are not made over a rock, paper and scissors game.

WASHINGTON – Senator Barack Obama took his first step into the Democratic presidential race today by opening an exploratory committee to raise money and begin building a campaign designed “to change our politics.” He said he would make a formal declaration Feb. 10 in his home state of Illinois.

“Running for the presidency is a profound decision – a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone,” Mr. Obama said in a video address e-mailed to his supporters. “So before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.”

Mr. Obama disclosed his decision on his Web site and was not planning to make other statements today. Instead, he was making a series of telephone calls to key Democratic leaders in Iowa, New Hampshire and other states with early contests on the party’s 2008 nominating calendar.

Mr. Obama, 45, was elected to the Senate two years ago. He becomes the fifth Democrat to enter the race, joining Senators Joseph R. Biden of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut as well as former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Tom Vilsack, who stepped down this month as governor of Iowa. - The New York Times

I was listening to talk radio today from Boston 96.9FM because you can no longer get Air America in Boston but that is another post from a few days back. What bothered me was the banter over the fact that Senator Barack Obama is Black? Personally, I don’t care if a candidate is Purple. If the message and the ability to get the job done right is there then you have my vote!

The Senator from Illinois is honest to a fault and that is something I admire. I consider him the best candidate from the Democrats in decades. I believe it was Frank Rich whom made a good point when he offered the fact that the Senators voting record is not long enough to convict him with negative political advertisements and his time to run is now.

Senator Barack Obama for President from this Liberal Democrat in Massachusetts! Together We Can Make A Difference!

See the video here at Senator Obama’s Web Page

Papamoka

Sorry Small Town Girl aka Lisa for Pres in 08

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GOP Members Not Towing the Party Line

Republicans in the House are finally free to vote as their constituents would trust them to vote and not as a hardline party member. The days of Tom DeLay forcing all members of the party to vote as he pleased are hopefully long gone. This past election proved to the House members that your national party is not going to get you re-elected, the people in your district will. Piss the people off enough and you can pretty much kiss your comfortable public servant job in the House goodbye.

House GOP Shows Its Fractiousness In the Minority
By Jonathan Weisman

House Republican leaders, who confidently predicted they would drive a wedge through the new Democratic majority, have found their own party splintering, with Republican lawmakers siding with Democrats in droves on the House's opening legislative blitz.

Freed from the pressures of being the majority and from the heavy hand of former leaders including retired representative Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), many back-bench Republicans are showing themselves to be more moderate than their conservative leadership and increasingly mindful of shifting voter sentiment. The closest vote last week -- Friday's push to require the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare -- pulled 24 Republicans. The Democrats' homeland security bill attracted 68 Republicans, the minimum wage increase 82.

"You're freer to vote your conscience," said Rep. Jo Anne Emerson (R-Mo.), who received an 88 percent voting record from the American Conservative Union in 2005 but has so far sided with Democrats on new budget rules, Medicare prescription-drug negotiations, raising the minimum wage and funding stem cell research. "Or, really, I feel free to represent my constituents exactly as they want me to be."

"Times have changed. I don't want to be someone who they say is too stubborn to change too," said Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.), whose 92 percent conservative rating did not stop him from voting with Democrats on the homeland security and minimum-wage bills. - Washington Post

It will be very interesting to see how much the bipartisanship voting continues down the road. Many moderate voters could consider themselves a member of either party based on individual issues. For all intents and purposes I consider myself a moderate Liberal but there are issues that I could be called a strong Conservative. I’m pretty confidant on some issues and my opinion can be swayed on others if the arguments are presented properly and with a clear link to facts and not party rhetoric.

Papamoka

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Bush's New Iraq Plan in 2007`

I'm not a large supporter of this President by any means. He has lied to us so many times on so many issues that I don't know if I can trust his word anymore. That being said, I believed his speach this evening on the change in plans for the war in Iraq. President Bush made it clear in his chat with the American people that our commitment to the Iraqi government is not open ended. That is a first for this President.

That one statement tells me that the end of this war is on the horizon and the withdrawl of our troops may in fact happen before this sitting President leaves office. How I came to that assumption is strictly based on what he said. The government of Iraq has to come up to the plate and bat. Finally, he has told them to stand up or shut the hell up. The Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Al Maliki is doing just that. He is putting his people to work on the cleaning up of the vigilante mentality of his own country. It's about friging time!

Iraq needs to be schooled and face the laws of Iraq by the people of Iraq. No foreign presence will ever be able to do that for them. I believe the President when he said that he has given them tasks to meet and if they can not meet those tasks then America can no longer fight their battles for them.

This is a major gamble for this President. His political reputation and legacy is on the line for this last push in Iraq. He is relying on the people of Iraq to not make him look like a fool. I'm sorry but I would have folded that hand if this was a game of poker. However, I do not have the information that this President has so I may just be the one betting against four aces when all I have is two pair.

Papamoka

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Saddam and His Crew Were the Devil Incarnate

I was reading this story over at the Washington Post on Saddam and his cousin proudly discussing the potential effects of gassing thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq. Seemed old Saddam liked to tape some of his conversation, does that sound remotely familiar? The tapes were killed when his cousin started reading from the Koran. From this little meeting some folks say that over 180,000 people were murdered. That noose is still available for the rest of these co-conspirators.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein and his cousin "Chemical Ali" discussed killing thousands with chemical weapons before unleashing them on Kurds in 1988, according to tapes played on Monday in a trial of former Iraqi officials.

Nine days after Saddam's hanging, his front-row seat in the dock was conspicuously empty, but Ali Hassan al-Majeed and five other Baath party officials remain on trial for their roles in the 1988 Anfal, or Spoils of War, campaign in northern Iraq. - Washington Post

For the record I am not a supporter of this war. I am however a very large and appreciative supporter of all our troops serving in this war. Our troops were ordered into this field of battle by the President and the Congress and there is no greater fighting force in the world than our kids in all of the branches of the United States Military! That being said, while our kids are there lets have them gather up and arrest as many participants in this crime against humanity. Let the Iraqi courts dispense justice as their customs and traditions suggest.

If these monsters want to consider themselves martyrs then so be it. Personally, I find it very morbid to want to watch the hanging of Saddam Hussein video but that is human nature. We all suffer from this condition whether we like to admit it or not. Your guilty if you ever did the head jerk while passing an accident on the highway to hopefully get a peak. It’s part of life, feel free to forgive yourself for it. The only thing that pisses me off is that the government didn’t call dibs on the video of Saddam on the gallows. I’m pretty sure the rental fees could have paid for a huge chunk of this war that President Bush has us in.

I do have one fear, the fear for our kids in uniform in Iraq will pay the highest price in serving their nation. The greater the publication of the hanging of the Iraqi monsters, the greater the chance that the insurgents will find a new source of support from a population that cares not for the truth but sees an Iraqi at the end of the rope that has been put there by America.

Papamoka

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Separation of a Marriage

Sometimes after many years of marriage it becomes a convenient avenue to accept the fact that the person you married no longer loves you. Even if it isn’t true. You can look at statistics and believe the failure rate and accept the fact that you do not deserve a lifetime commitment any more. People in the relationship convince themselves that that is the fact and react accordingly. Human nature is what it is and tactics of trying to evoke jealously are engaged to get a reaction but back fire. The grass is not always greener over the septic tank! The septic tank has its own problems that is self explanatory for its purpose and its existence.

If you ever think that your relationship with your life time partner is over then you can’t just look at what is happening today in your life. Tomorrow is another day. The person you swore an oath of faithfulness today is not the same person on the day of your wedding five or ten or twenty years ago. People grow, people change, its what we as humans do. We grow. Sometimes we grow apart faster than our partners but you have to have faith in the ones that stood by you while you grew. Helped you grow and knew the reason and understanding of self. Backed you when others thought you would fail because they simply believed in you. Tossing them aside because you have grown to fast is a crime not easily forgiven.

Not one soul alive today is perfect in any relationship. Be it a friendship or a life long marriage. We all have our demons to face and some people can face them more easily than others. Some people choose to never face them. Others can confront them and put them where they belong in the relationship. Your wife is not your mother, your husband is not your father. Whatever the demon is, you alone have to overcome it and understand that the person you married and fell in love with is not that demon.

If there is violence in your relationship of any kind then you need to get out and get as far away as possible. No man should ever strike a woman, and no woman should ever strike a man. Equality works both ways. When it comes to violence in any relationship then the exit sign should be well lit.

Communication between the two loving adults is key. Don’t ever lose the keys to your current vehicle of your relationship if you see a car that might be newer or better if it isn’t a reliable source of a relationship vehicle.

Just my opinion.

Papamoka

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Serious Issues

I'm not afraid to talk about serious issues here and this was brought up in conversation today. The technology to know the sex of your future baby still in the womb is out there. Ultrasound and all of that. Now they can tell you the sex of your baby fairly accurately. They can also tell you if the baby has any detectable defects with other technology. Down syndrome just being one example. Personally, a new life is a new life but that is just me.

Survey to you from me. What would you do if the baby was not the sex you wished for or if you paid the extra coin for the genetics testing for possible defects?

Comment any way or form you want... This is not a political survey or religious rant. For the record I am Pro Choice but you might just be... A woman with a mind of your own.

Papamoka

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Scammers are Out There...

I realize that the majority of readers to this site are in fact very intelligent men and woman but I just wanted to and felt the need to have to warn you about scammers out there looking to get your personal info. Think of this as a Papamoka public service contribution. It’s the new year so we want all of our readers to be internet savvy. We have all gotten an email from an African Prince wanting to divert funds from the nations treasury for a cut of the money. Sometimes your junk mail just doesn’t toss them out.

I found a link to a great guy that is exposing all of these links and it is worth checking out. Especially, if you are gullible, anyone told you were gullible or you even remotely think you are… gullible. Click on this site and get yourself educated on scams.

In Search of Eutopia

Email and online facts to know. No part of the United States Government will ever contact you initially. Not going to happen ever. Delete, delete, delete. No Bank in America is ever going to contact you initially. Delete, delete, delete. Anything coming from Africa in your email… Delete, delete, delete. Anyone begging you for any of your personal information and especially your banking or social security number… Delete, delete, delete.

This message has been sponsored by… me. Keep your fire walls burning as much as you do the fireplace. Stay warm and keep you personal computer and personal information to yourself.

Papamoka

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2007 and Remembering All of Our Troops

With the new year comes the hope and prayers that we should all have for all our fighting men and woman in service to our nation. Many have given the ultimate sacrifice for America and we should never forget them. I found this great piece over at The New York Times honoring all that have gone on. It’s based on a pixel by pixel format to form the face of one of our military service members that lost their life since the beginning of the war in Iraq. With the selection of any given pixel however the overall picture changes to the person that was lost. It tells you who they were and where they were from. It touched me in the fact that most military folks never look at them selves as an individual, they are a part of a unit. Check it out at the link provided below. Pass it on to your friends and family.

Casualties of War - NY Times

God bless them all and may they rest in peace. My own personal thoughts and prayers go out to all the families left behind from a very appreciative American citizen.

Papamoka

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Two Lives, Two Deaths, Two Very Different Men

It’s kind of ironic that on the Washington Post website that they have back to back stories of Saddam Hussein and President Gerald R. Ford‘s funerals. Two world leaders and yet so very different men. One lead his people by killing off any opposition and the other by bringing his people together as one after a long nightmare. In the end Saddam is buried with very few mourners with little if no pageantry while President Ford is bestowed the respect and dignity even in death of a very grateful nation.

BAGHDAD, Dec. 31 -- Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was brought to his home village early Sunday morning in a simple wood coffin for burial, less than 24 hours after his execution. A few hundred mourners paid their respects in the pre-dawn darkness to a man who led their nation over three decades of fear, brutality and war. - Washington Post

Then there is this story…

Washington, D.C. -- Outside the Capitol and elsewhere in the Washington area, the new year marched in to the usual soundtrack of high heels clacking, alcohol sloshing, music thumping and fireworks exploding.
But inside the Capitol Rotunda -- where Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, lay in a flag-draped coffin -- there was stillness removed from the celebration. -Washington Post

Post mortem both of these men have many lessons for the world to remember. Saddam Hussein will be remembered as a tyrant and very evil man that ruled his people with a shotgun at his side. Thousands if not millions of his own people died simply because he wished it so.

President Ford will be remembered as a world statesman and healer of his nation. Not ruling his country by might but by political reason and honesty. A task that not many people truly understood for decades after he left the office of President. He returned the White house and the office back to its rightful owners, the people.

Papamoka

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