The House of Reps passed the stimulus bill...without a single "yay" vote from the republican side.
If you're curious about where the money is going, this google doc lays out the spending by agency/initiative:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p-kX0k_KXgtwwzHnvEn4eCA
The vote stats and acutal bill text can be found here:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1/show
In the photo above, Beyoncee is wonderfully out of focus.
Is it me, or do celebrities seem more irrelevant than ever right now? Scrolling through the inaugural photo albums, I couldn't help but cringe when I came across a familiar face from LA. January 20th was a day to celebrate our government and our new president, not a chance to market a film or get a little extra press.
The video below is not for the faint of heart. For those of you who watch 30 Rock, from time to time the "actor" characters on that show get upset when people forget how important they are. They then do something incredibly inane and frequently damaging to remind everyone of their magnificence and relevance.
Behold, life imitates art (ok, I know calling 30 Rock art is a little...much):
Incredible.
If you'd like to d/l the "performance" from Tuesday, it's here.
Was it possible to watch the inauguration on Tuesday and avoid at least a small tug in your gut from the obvious tide of emotion?
Some will say yes, for me, while I was not sobbing with joy I did experience an intense rush of relief. Relief, followed by a looming awareness of intense anxiety. The anxiety one feels when something you very much want to believe in actually has to live up to your expectations. I think that queasy anticipation is what has kept me from writing about Tuesday thus far. I was waiting to see how things would begin to fall out -- to see whether it was actually possible for Barack Obama to live up to his oratory.
Frequently, when I hear President Obama speak, I get the uncanny feeling that he's putting into words something I consider an essential truth -- but couldn't articulate for myself if my life depended on it. Others have pointed out that this is part of Obama's political skill; the generalities he expresses can be interpreted in myriad ways, at once satisfying many disparate outlooks and philosophies. I agree, though it's not necessarily a negative truth. His words resonate with and comfort an undeniable majority. Comfort at a time when so much is uncomfortable has value. However, it is then our responsibility to take these amorphous messages and look beyond his words to his actions when we assess whether our expectations are being met.
So, I cross my fingers and hope that his inaugural address, or my understanding of it, is realized.
Things that I like so far:
-Executive orders that rebuke executive privilege and keep lobbyists at bay.
-Executive orders that shut down Guantanamo, and prisons we didn't even know existed.
-The BarackBerry, because at some point the White House will have to catch up to keep up.
-McCain making trouble.
Things that I do not like so much:
-Partisan ridiculousness in congress, on the part of the Democrats.
-Indications of future P/VP rifts.
I've been searching for an article that can describe what's going on in Gaza in what appears to be an objective lens.
America's new brand of foreign policy: Smart Power
In today's confirmation hearings, future SoS Hilary Clinton (she'll be confirmed easily, her hearing was far from the brawl the press predicted) continuously referred to the concept of Smart Power. ( See: instant media coverage)
I had never heard of it before -- and wasn't even sure it was a phrase to be capitalized as opposed to a less than veiled dig at the Bush Doctrine. Which would, by comparison, be Dumb Power? Heh.
Smart Power "means knowing that the United States’ own hand is not always its best tool: U.S. interests are furthered by enlisting others on behalf of U.S. goals, through alliances, international institutions, careful diplomacy, and the power of ideals" (Nossel, 138).
Smart Power has its roots in liberal internationalism. Liberal internationalism is credited to Woodrow Wilson, who wasn't able to apply the concept nearly as effectively as FDR, Truman, and to a lesser extent, Kennedy.
Flashback to Monday –
Geography has never been a strength of mine. I don’t know how, but I seem to have missed that subject in school (maybe I was playing too much Oregon Trail). As a result, whenever something with a particularly regional bent arises (Georgia/Russia, Israel/Lebanon, Darfur, Congo etc.) I turn to my great friend: Google Maps.
I enter “Palestine” into that ol’ minimal google maps UI and…it returns Palestine, TX?
At this point, I am confused, and I try a number of idiotic variations like “Palestine, Middle East” and “Gaza, Palestine.” I get nothing but Texas. Searches for “Gaza” alone bring me to Israel…but I can’t seem to find its border with Palestine.
Now I feel confused and betrayed – either google is messing with me…or this “country” that I had been lead to believe existed by the news media, in fact, did not. Isn’t Gaza a region of Palestine which is ruled by Hamas? I search for Gaza, and I realize that it’s a city in the Gaza strip, a small region google indicates is PART of Israel. Whoa. Forgive me, but I haven’t heard this conflict referred to as civil war, so what the HECK?
No, Palestine is not a country (at least not according to the USA). And Gaza is not a region in Palestine, it is a city in the Gaza Strip. I found that out this week…because of google. I know that for some of you that statement may seem horribly ignorant. But maybe for some of you, like me, it’s a bit of a shock.
With headlines like:
Israel and Hamas Rebuff U.N. Cease-Fire Call, NYT
Israel Resumes Gaza Assault, WSJ
Israel Expands Gaza Offensive, TIME
Doesn’t this war sound like a fight between established nations?
96 countries recognize the State of Palestine, none of whom are major, Western powers – it’s made up of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Here’s a "non google" map (click on it for a bigger version):
In the context of the decisions my country has made historically, I can hardly judge Israel harshly for their offensive. Nevertheless, looking at the Gaza Strip wedged mainly between Israel and the Mediterranean with a comparatively tiny border with Egypt, I cannot begin to comprehend the desperation Palestinian (?) civilians are feeling.
Many have already pointed out that G. H. W. Bush seems to prefer Obama over W. But, why has no one noticed the buffer zone around Carter? It could be for one or both of two reasons:
1) His views on Israel/Palestine
2) He ripped one (look at that smile!)
Your choice.
UPDATE:
Also, this runner up for favorite photo. (Thanks Sam!):
UPDATE II:
Here's the script to photo 1 -- HYSTERICAL: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/01/what_do_five_presidents_talk_a.html
Identify the two things in this sentence which indicate that Roland Burris is perhaps not the ideal choice for Junior Senator from Illinois:
"There's nothing wrong with Roland Burris and there's nothing wrong with the appointment."
-Roland Burris
On your mark, get set, GO!
UPDATE:
For extra credit: What are the names of Burris's son and daughter?
ɐpuɐןoɹ puɐ puɐןoɹ :ɐ
From the NYT: A Nevada Town Escapes the Slump, Thanks to Gold
As pirates and cowboys have always known -- gold is the key to long term prosperity.
Pack up your wagon, buy supplies at the local store, and make sure you have enough bullets to hunt buffalo.
It's time to hit the Oregon Trail!
