My Beauty Best Teacher

Liberals often talk about being anti-war, about promoting peace and love and togetherness, but when it comes down to it, liberals love war and conflict and get us into more than even neo-conservatives do. I know what you're thinking- "Iraq!" (if you are a liberal, you brain is probably shouting that word in some sort of knowledgeable self-righteousness, as if you know anything about anything). In reply I yell back- "Vietnam! WWII! WWI!" Oh, but that's old news, right- remember under Clinton, everyone just held hands and sang love songs? Oh yeah- Serbia, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan- Clinton had us involved in more conflicts than even that 'war-monger' Bush did. So, when I read the following story about how liberals are no longer protesting wars now that Obama is in office, I was not surprised- the only reason (THE ONLY REASON) liberals were against the War in Iraq is because they play petty political games with America to increase their personal power.

The story appeared in The American Conservative (link to it here), and goes like this:

The antiwar rally at the University of Iowa was sparsely attended. The below 30 degree weather might have had something to do with it...The big truth is that the antiwar movement has largely collapsed in the face of Barack Obama’s victory: the massive antiwar marches that were a feature of the Bush years are a thing of the past. Those ostensibly antiwar organizations that did so much to agitate against the Iraq War have now fallen into line behind their commander in chief and are simply awaiting orders.

Take, for example, Moveon.org, the online activist group that ran antiwar ads during the election—but only against Republicans—in coalition with a group of labor unions and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. These donors are no doubt wondering what Obama is doing escalating the war in Afghanistan and venturing into Pakistan.

As Greg Sargent noted over at WhoRunsGov.com, a Washington Post-sponsored site, “Don’t look now, but President Obama’s announcement today of an escalation in the American presence in Afghanistan is being met with mostly silence—and even some support—from the most influential liberal groups who opposed the Iraq War.”

In response to inquiries, Moveon.org refused to make any public statement about Obama’s rollout of the Af-Pak escalation, although someone described as “an official close to the group” is cited by WhoRunsGov as confirming that “MoveOn wouldn’t be saying anything in the near term.” A vague promise to poll their members was mentioned—“though it’s unclear when.” Don’t hold your breath.

The Center for American Progress, a liberal-Left think tank that sheltered many foreign-policy analysts who opposed the Iraq War and was beginning to develop a comprehensive critique of global interventionism, has recently issued a report on Afghanistan that includes a number of short-term, medium-term, and long-term (ten-year) goals, including among the latter: Assist in creating an Afghan state that is able to defend itself internally and externally, and that can provide for the basic needs of its own people. Prepare for the full military withdrawal from Afghanistan alongside continued diplomatic and economic measures to promote the sustainable security of Afghanistan.

Simply substitute Iraq for Afghanistan, and what we get is the war policy of the Bush era. That the center is run by John Podesta, who served as Obama’s transition chief, is perhaps explanation enough for the complete turnaround. One wonders, however, if the center’s more anti-interventionist scholars, such as Matthew Yglesias, whose popular blog has attracted a substantial audience, will be forced to toe the new line—or be forced out.

One also wonders when this administration will decide to let the American people in on the news that the Af-Pak war is slated to last at least a decade, if not more. During the campaign, and well before that, Joe Biden was self-righteously denouncing the Bush administration and its journalistic amen corner for not “leveling with the American people” and admitting the magnitude of our commitment in Iraq. Yet the administration of which he is now part is just as evasive on the question of an exit strategy and timeframe in Afghanistan and now Pakistan.

Biden’s counsel of restraint apparently lost out in the internal debate, and the Hillary-Gates escalators triumphed. It is inconceivable that the vice president would go public with his criticisms—he’s no Cheney. And opposition among the Democrats in Congress is low-key, minimal, and effectively marginalized.

A recent headline in The Hill tells the whole sad story: “Anti-war Democrats remain silent about Obama’s policies.”

President Obama is often compared to FDR or John F. Kennedy, but I agree with Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, who worries that he’s more likely to turn out to be another Lyndon Baines Johnson—a president who triumphed against a perceived warmonger at the polls and embodied liberal hopes on the domestic scene but was then driven from office by a war-weary electorate and an insurgency within his own party. Add a rapidly expiring economy at home to an increasingly unpopular war—or series of wars—abroad, and you have a recipe for disaster: Obama’s Vietnam and the Democratic Party’s Waterloo.

Paul Collier in FP asks?:

Those of us who studied political systems presumed they must be right: Elections would empower citizens against the arrogance of government. And with the fall of the Iron Curtain, elections indeed swept the world. Yet democracy doesn’t seem to have delivered on its promise. Surprisingly often, the same old rulers are still there, ruling in much the same old way. Something has gone wrong, but what?...[continue reading]

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• Wars, Guns, and Votes (marginalrevolution.com)

As Daniel Howes says in his latest Commentary- Federal control of General Motors is game changer. You might know that GM is being 'bailed out' by the federal government- you might be upset that the government is taking a larger role in businesses in our country- but you might not realize how different and revolutionary the federal takeover of GM is.

(The Executive Branch of the US Government will now control) 50 percent of General Motors Corp. with the United Auto Workers set to gain another 39 percent of the automaker. The feds would select GM's directors, effectively giving this White House (and the others to follow) control over GM's strategic direction, top management and even high-level product decisions. That's just the beginning.

With or without bankruptcy, a Government Motors partnered with the UAW would be a whole new model for the global auto industry, a nationalized company whose labor union owners would be bargaining with themselves, their interests in positive cash flow to finance retiree health care obligations colliding with political interests to preserve wages and benefits.

Government Motors could be a bulwark of infinitely patient capital married to major stakeholders whose goals aren't shareholder return, operational efficiency and market penetration but the social goals of maximized employment, environmental trend-setting and political (damage) control.

"It is not our desire to either own or run one of the auto companies," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday. It may not be, as if saying so makes it so, but that's the practical effect.

Daniel Howes goes on to talk about how this is going to change the game for everyone, not just GM. How is a company like Ford supposed to compete with Government Motors- whenever they produce a better car, they have to worry that the government is going to subsidize cars produced by GM- or let's say the Ford F-150 does really well- maybe the government will get upset and pass laws that make the Ford F-150 'environmentally' incorrect? There are conflicts of interest all over the place with this arrangement, and no one is going to win.

No one, no country, has ever nationalized an industry in this manner- it is shocking. Not only that, but the deal that the government is forcing GM to take is also a mobster deal- the banks (who GM owes money to) and the shareholders (who invested in GM by buying its stock) get nothing out of this deal, and instead ownership of the company goes to the labor union and the government. This is organized looting of private companies by mobsters.

And all of this for what? To produce cars that are not competitive? To operate factories that are too expensive? To prop up a failing whip-and-buggy industry? It's not like this is the GM of years ago- this is a company already destroyed, already shed of jobs and capital and industry- we are sacrificing our morals, beliefs, and ideas about the role of government society to save the dried up dead husk of an industry that has seen its best days already. That deal, made in this manner, is shocking.

Those who voted for Change last election- all those who failed to vote Republican for President/Congress/County/local- you're getting it- nationalized Government Motors competing and driving private companies out of business all for the benefit of politically connected people in our nation. That is change that I can't believe is happening in the United States of America.

From G. Pascal Zachary in Africa Works:

As a political tendency, “populism” seeks to challenge the wealthy, redress gaps between rich and poor, and improve the self-esteem and pride of the have-nots. Populists also tend to attack elites for looking down at the ordinary ban, and for using their superior education to make policies more complicated than they ought to be. Zuma is clearly populist in the traditional sense. The trouble with populism, historically, has been the abuse of the movement by its leaders. In practice,, populism can quickly slide into dictatorship...[continue reading]

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• Educating Africa (my-beauty-best-teacher.blogspot.com)
• "Solving Africa" (my-beauty-best-teacher.blogspot.com)

From the Goldman Prize website:

Marc Ona led efforts to publicly expose the unlawful agreements behind a huge mining project threatening the sensitive ecosystems of Gabon’s equatorial rainforests. Ona’s efforts led to an unprecedented victory for civil society in Gabon, with the government adopting new environmental oversight regulations and significantly reducing the size of the mining concession...[continue reading]

Teachers Deserve a Union President That is Good 4 Teachers

The Washington Teachers' Union under the leadership of union president George Parker is in dire straights. Too often Mr. Parker is as petty as they come. A DC teacher I know and longstanding and actively involved union member frequently refers to Mr. Parker as "Petty Eddie." I now understand why.

After a 4/27/09 entry on the DC Wire blog titled 'WTU Veep Sent Back To School,' WTU General Vice President Nathan A. Saunders sent an email to our executive board and board of trustees. I have learned based on reading Nathan's email that teachers' union president George Parker has yet to approve his leave of absence application to continue on in his elected role as the vice president of our union. What's interesting to note is that Parker , an elected official like Mr. Saunders, approved leave of absences for himself and certain members of the WTU staff.

Parker's delay tactic is not uncommon. He often fails to acknowledge board members concerns unless we email American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. It is not uncommon for Parker to also ignore constituents emails, or claim he is just so busy tending to union business that he is unavailable. Parker's latest act is unconscionable.

As a member of the union board of trustees, building representatives for teachers and related school personnel, as well as one who has served on union committees- I have seen first hand Parker's refusal to comply with motions passed by our executive board. He frequently fails to represent teachers in the media as required by our constitution , often doesn't make timely business decisions, fails to communicate, mismanages our union office, regularly cancels board and representative assembly meetings, excludes critical union stakeholders from having input and withholds portions of the truth from our membership. As noted on this blog earlier this year, members of our WTU executive board passed a motion in spring 2008 to seek the assistance of the American Federation of Teachers (our parent organization) due to board members concerns regarding Parker's poor management of our local.

DC teachers continue to complain that our union office under the sole helm of Parker has been ill equipped to respond to members telephone calls, complaints and concerns. With an increase in teacher complaints due to Rhee's 90-day-termination plans, Parker has been unwilling to compromise with board members requests that an administrative assistant is desperately needed for union field representatives. It is common knowledge that many who have been placed on 90 day termination plans by the Rhee administration still lack the promised administrative supports (i.e. helping teacher, etc). Little wonder why chief negotiator Parker couldn't negotiate a teachers union contract with Rhee without the assistance of the AFT.

While it pains me to post this email from WTU V.P. Nathan A. Saunders, I do so because I believe that DC teachers deserve a union president who is willing to act in the best interests of our union members and not like some woman suffering from PMS. (Posted by The Washington Teacher).

_________________________________________________________
April 28, 2009


WTU Executive Board and Board of Trustees:

This email is written to inform you that Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson has issued a “report for duty or be terminated” directive to me dated April 20, 2009. Her letter states the reason for this directive is that the official “DCPS leave of absence application” I submitted, is “not sufficient.” She asserts that “proper application” requires a memorandum of agreement signed by the WTU President. I have provided WTU President George Parker with a memorandum of agreement for his signature but, he has not signed it thereby negating my ability to submit the leave of absence application.

Article XVIII (E)(5) states “upon proper application, permanent teaches may be granted a leave of absence without pay for (1) school year to serve as a full time employee of the Union….” Deputy Chancellor Henderson states that WTU President George Parker’s signature is required for DCPS to grant my leave of absence.

In my attempt to secure his signature, he informs me that it may take some time “due to his heavy workload.” (see email attachment)

It is my responsibility to notify you of these matters and request you to demand his immediate action. I can be reached at (202) 213-7081.

Thank You

Nathan A. Saunders
General Vice President
Washington Teachers' Union
490 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW Suite 7200
Washington, DC 20024
nsaunders@wtulocal6.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment #1

On Apr 27, 2009, at 7:27 PM, Nasaunders wrote:

George,

As indicated in my previous email to you, on April 24, 2009 I left documents-for your signature- pertaining to my leave of absence from DCPS, with your assistant Herb Thomas. To date, I have not been notified that those documents have been signed by you and ready for pick up.

Please notify me as to the date and time that those documents, with your signature, will be ready for me to pick up from the WTU Office. If there are any other concerns regarding this matter, please advise me of such.

Thank you.

Nathan A. Saunders
General Vice President
Washington Teachers' Union
490 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Suite 7200
Washington, DC 20024

On Apr 27, 2009, at 8:03 PM, Randi Weingarten, AFT President wrote:

What needs to be done here ?
Randi

On Apr 27, 2009, at 9:22 PM, George Parker wrote:


Nathan,

I am in receipt of your envelope around 4 pm today left on my desk by Herb Thomas on Friday. I have not had an opportunity to review the information but will do so ASAP given my heavy workload ( preparation for negotiations, placement of excessed teachers, transition to People Soft, 90-day plan, school restructuring, teacher certification notices, etc.). Once I have had an opportunity to review the documents and consult with the WTU attorney, I will get back with you immediately.

In the meantime, if there exists any reason why you feel I should not take reasonable time to review and investigate all documents and information associated with this issue, as well as seek appropriate legal counsel from the WTU attorney, before taking any official action on behalf of the WTU, please provide the reasoning behind such urgency.

As you are aware, leave of absence to work for the union is a collective bargaining issue and how we resolve associated conflicts can possibly become precedent setting for future contract interpretation. Therefore it is critical that we analyze all facts that led to this unfortunate incidence, how to avoid this in the future, and legal options for resolution.

Finally, to date, as WTU President I have received no official notification from you that you have reported for duty as a full-time DCPS ET15 WTU bargaining unit member at Eastern SHS, although rumors are that you reported. Please advise. I will get back to you within the next 72-96 hours.

George Parker
President

From Changemakers:

Welcome to the “Champions of Quality Education in Africa” collaborative competition. We are building a network of innovative education entrepreneurs who are focused on improving the learning of African students. We are looking for entrepreneurial African educators and organizations who are working to ensure that pupils in Africa are learning the reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills that they need to succeed. If you are a successful and innovative teacher, administrator, or education organization, we invite you to apply...[continue reading]

via KenyanPundit

Fran Osseo-Asare at Betumi Blog writes:

It is said that when the renowned South African food writer Laurens van der Post was approached in the 1960s to write the Russian volume of the ambitious Time-Life "Foods of the World" series, he was suffering from a medical condition that prevented him from using his hands to write. Instead, he offered the editors an alternate suggestion: that he travel the continent and do the one on Africa (dictating his notes, I believe). Apparently the editors of the series were stunned: they had no idea there was such a thing as "cuisine" in Africa, and had no plans for such a book in their "comprehensive" series. Van der Post assured them it existed...[continue reading]

photo courtesy of Betumi Blog

Influenced by Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, I've often looked to the stars and wondered if the Earth going communist is a forgone conclusion and maybe the best bet is to flee to the moon and the planets and the asteroids, and build a conservative paradise there. Although I feel that getting to outer-space can best be accomplished by free-market entrepreneurs, I still feel that the government can play a role in this process, and that is why I still keep on eye on NASA news.

The big news regarding NASA is what to do with its $230 billion shuttle fleet. This is a big decision facing this executive agency, and after years of neglect by the Bush White House it is a decision that many expected Obama to demonstrate his incredible leadership skills in making. But sadly, as the article details, NASA still does not have an agency chief- in fact, "NASA seems so far off the White House radar, said one presidential expert, that it might as well be on Pluto." Apparently meeting with Chavez and Castro and touring the world bashing the United States is more important to President Obama than doing the real work of appointing qualified administrators to handle government agencies and bureaus.

So far, the Obama administration has nominated nearly 200 officials, including an undersecretary of agriculture for rural development, an assistant labor secretary for veterans employment and training, and actor Kal Penn as a White House liaison. But at NASA, Obama has not nominated a single manager who requires Senate confirmation.

McCain did not talk enough about how Obama is all talk or flash and no action or substance- this guy has been in office 100 days and only nominated 200 officials- and many of those have been tax cheats, unqualified, or otherwise scandal-plagued. Very poor work, and let's indeed judge him on his inability to do the job well.

I am Simon Jester

Marshall Ganz in an MIT lecture titled 'Distributed Leadership in the Obama Campaign' stated:

Leaders recruit, motivate and develop others, constructing a community around common interests, and building capacity from within the community. And unlike businesses, which tend to rely on rigid hierarchies, and systems and procedures, effective volunteer-based organizations must engage and enable lots of people to become innovators, adaptive in the face of uncertainty.

What could African democratic movements learn from the promise of organically grown grassroots organizations? Grandiose Parlor points us to a quote by Abba Kyari where he discusses options available to Nigeria's opposition parties:

There is no royal ride to success. The people properly enlightened, educated, mobilised and adequately led will reject and revolt against a situation that has all but enslaved them and condemned them to poverty. Sardines do not applaud their can.

"Corruption kicked me out of Nigeria"-Nuhu Ribadu
The Movement of Movements the rise of 'Social Entrepreneurship'-The Yale Globalist
Politics versus the law in South Africa-The Economist
"Africa needs younger leaders"-Kofi Annan
"Yar'Adua administration is corrupt"-Nigerian Bar Association. Really?-via Turenchi
The Congo, too big to fail?

Via theblogprof, who always has great stuff:

So, if Obama is like Carter (and he is), what can we expect? High gas prices? Emboldened enemies? Allies in trouble? Inflation? Low growth? Rise in civil conflicts (race or sexuality)? Rise in crime? Rise in debt? I think all of these are coming- I'm sorry if that doesn't sound cheerful. There is good news though- after Jimmy Carter defeated the moderate Republicans, we responded by electing Reagan. I know we can't expect that again, but after the smashing the moderates took last election, maybe we indeed will go back to our roots and elect a good conservative. I suggest a former Governor in 2012, someone who lost his primary like Reagan did in '76, but someone who is educated and knowledgeable enough to lead us forward as a nation after the disastrous Obama years- I suggest we keep the Carter/Reagan analogy going by choosing Romney to run against Obama in '12.

Responding to comments made in the papers and elsewhere, I would like to correct a misconception about the recent Tea Party events- they were not Republican events.

Although many Republicans jumped on the Tea Party movement, the Tea Parties themselves were not 'Republican' events- in fact, I would contend that a good percentage of those who attended the Tea Parties didn't vote Republican for President last election, and many voted Libertarian, voted Constitution, or just sat home and grumbled about Ron Paul.

This statement comes from my own interviews with those students of mine who went to the Tea Party in Lansing, MI- I had over 40 of my students attend this event after I let them know about it. As more proof, I saw this video over at theblogprof where South Carolina Republican Congressman Gresham Barrett was booed off the stage for voting in favor of stimulus bills and TARP and other spending packages.

Those who were booed- those who raised taxes and spending. Those who were not- those who didn't. The Tea Parties were not partisan.

If you want to watch the video yourself (there is one guy in the crowd who impressively shouts 'go home' the whole time), here it is on youtube.

In the Guardian Jeevan Vasagar reviews Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's The Settler's Cookbook:

I long for the day when an Asian history can be written without mentioning curry - but perhaps it can't be done. Here, food makes all the connections. For Alibhai-Brown's children, Africa is beautiful but distressingly violent and poor. Knowledge of its languages fades with time. But just as food crosses barriers between cultures, so it passes history down the generations to her son and daughter. The cuisine recorded here blends Africa and Asia: there are plantains with peanut curry, posho and rice. The first recipe is for fried mogo, cassava chips with salt and chilli, a hallmark of her people's cuisine. Its presence on an Indian wedding menu in Britain is a sure sign that the caterers are Ugandan Asians...[continue reading]

From Walrus Magazine:

Emmanuel: Alice is the last person I cut. I cut off her hand and made a scar on her face. I thought I killed her. And then I stopped killing. Something had begun to bother me...[continue reading]

photo courtesy of Lionel Healing

The Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is proposing legislation to establish procedures for a possible Constitutional Convention, a move that prepares Michigan if next year voters call for one.

Voters decide every 16 years whether a convention will be convened to revise Michigan's Constitution, and that means that the question will be on the 2010 general election ballot. Land's proposal ensures that a process is in place should the ballot question be approved.

You can read the proposed rules here, but I would like to comment that they seem fair and acceptable. Michigan has had 4 Constitutions since it became a state- 1963, 1908, 1850, and 1835, so as you can see, we are due for a new Constitution that updates our government and refocuses it.

As a side note, I would like to point out that voters in the 1850 Constitution took away the state's power to make internal improvements because of the disasters of state boondoggles such as a canal across the state- apparently, we are now ignoring this directive from the voters and letting the state government direct the economy in our state through the MEDC and other unconstitutional state-endorsed boondoggle creators (SEBC's?).

It is going to be important that if we do have a Constitutional Convention, we get the right people there- it is going to be important that voters put aside their partisan differences and vote for the candidates who promise lower taxes, lower fees, less regulation, more freedom, more liberty, more justice, and a better society- it is going to be important that voters vote this election.

Michael Cook at African Liberty writes:

The assumption is that dismantling so-called North-South trade barriers, cancelling subsidies by rich countries to their farmers and manufacturers, and an end to dumping their products on poor countries will provide a quick but enduring fix that will help the poor to trade out of poverty.
On average, sub-Saharan African countries impose a 34% tariff on agricultural products from other African countries and 21% on manufactured goods--the most protectionist region on Earth. International agencies estimate that eliminating such tariffs would generate immediate gains to sub-Saharan economies of $1.2billion...[continue reading]

Jen Brea at Global Voices provides us with a litany of excerpts that put the Congolese leader to task:

The Congolese blogosphere had harsh criticism for Congolese president Joseph Kabila's recent interview in The New York Times. In it, Kabila talks about Rwanda, AFRICOM, Chinese investment, and his passion for motorcycles.He also talked about how good help is hard to find; many bloggers have blasted him for it. Kabila blames corruption on Mobutu's legacy and the ineptitude of his own officials, rather than taking responsibility for his government's problems...[continue reading]

Happy Lenin’s Birthday! Oh, is it just a coincidence that Earth Day is the same day as former Soviet dictator Vladimir Lenin's birthday? I don’t think so. Earth Day arrives on the exact same day as Lenin’s Birthday. In fact, the very first Earth day celebrations took place exactly on the 100 year anniversary of Comrade Lenin’s birthday. Many former communists saw Earth Day, with its goals and interests, as being very similar to the goals and interests of the great communist Lenin. So, are you convinced that Earth Day is a big communist plot, or do you need more evidence?

The group that founded Earth Day was a group called Friends of the Earth. This group also promotes socialism- just as strongly as it does environmentalism. Some of its stated goals are economic redistribution of wealth, government regulation of nearly all aspects of peoples' lives, communal land ownership, and control of production in the hands of the masses. According to its website, its main bogeymen are: “evil” corporations (especially the Fortune 500 companies,) Big Oil, Wall Street, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and (naturally) George Bush. It is not far-fetched to think that by promoting and celebrating Earth Day, perhaps some of the other aims of Friends of the Earth will be advanced. Still not convinced that Earth Day is a big communist plot? Need more evidence?

The symbol of the first Earth Day is a circle with a broken cross, with the bars pointing downward. It is a New Age symbol meaning the rejection of Christianity. The goal was to replace the worship of the Christian religion with the worship of Mother Earth. Communist ideology demand you worship the state and not a Christian god, and so communists frequently also attack the church. Still not convinced that Earth Day is a big communist plot? Need more evidence?

According to some, the goal of Earth Day is to push for: Total state control of society, especially businesses and industry (to help the environment, I guess), recognition of the sacred nature of Mother Earth, including an almost reverent worship of anything ‘green’ (to help the environment, I guess), the use of force to change people’s behavior (to help the environment, I guess), and stopping or slowing ‘development’ or ‘progress’, to return to a utopian world of equality (to help the environment, I guess). Sounds pretty communist to me- and not the version of communism that naive college students practice- no, this stuff is right out of the Soviet Union. But you say you are still not convinced that Earth Day is a big communist plot? Need more evidence?

Here are some of the goals, issues, and beliefs on http://www.earthday.net/- the official Earth Day website. Those who most support Earth Day want you to “Join the Revolution” and pass laws that give more power to the government in order to ‘stop global warming’, stop building any new energy producing plants of any kind, and “Protect the poor and middle class from unfairly bearing the cost of climate crisis” by increasing taxes on the rich and redistributing that money to the poor and middle class. Also you are encouraged to unite all religions in the name of global warming and teach children in schools less about rights and more about the environment. Somehow fighting poverty is also central to Earth Day. You're still not convinced that Earth Day is a big communist plot? You're kidding me! You need more evidence?

As a teacher, I looked for resources out there for teachers to teach about Earth Day. One of the first searches turned up a group called The Wilderness Society. Here are some of the resources that they provide to teachers and that teachers use in the classroom to teach about Earth Day- they provide a coloring book for 3rd graders with the theme of “Stop drilling in ANWR”, a timeline that 7th graders can construct of all the laws controlling society and business that government passed to see the “progress” of government in 'fighting' global warming, and they publish stories to read about ‘environmental heroes’- also (coincidentally) all good revolutionary communists- that 10th grade English classes can read. Sounds pretty communist to me!

Of course, the official government version of Earth Day is a bit different. According to the EPA website (under President Bush), Earth Day was more about celebrating the gains we have made in protecting the environment, achieving meaningful results in protecting the environment, encouraging volunteer efforts to save energy, reduce or recycle, and educate yourself to be more friendly to the environment, and taking pride in America by maintaining our public lands. This is the official version, and what most people think they are observing. But that's like saying that Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus and is all about Santa- you can't separate Earth Day from its founding and biggest promoters, and all of those clearly are communicating that Earth Day is a big communist plot, and don't kid yourself otherwise.

Oh, I just took a peak over at the new EPA website, where there is a video from a speech by Obama's choice for EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, in which she promises to have the government seize control over production and private business in our nation in order to build a more fair and equal centrally planned green economy. Apparently she wants to make Earth Day into Earth Month, and then Earth Year, and then you can spend every waking moment worshipping the state and giving all of the political and economic power to the state in order to 'protect the Earth.' What a watermelon- green on the outside, but red in the middle! Looks like Obama is unaware that Earth Day is a communist plot- or is he?

Happy Lenin's Birthday everyone!

Okay, so maybe I am not a beauty pageant expert, but I've watched most of the Miss USA's over the years, and although my first choice of West Virginia didn't make the final 10, to me the clear choice for Miss USA was Miss California. She looked great in a swimsuit, looked incredible in an evening gown, and gave a mature and honest answer to the interview portion. The story is here. So why wasn't she chosen? Because she personally does not believe in gay marriage.

Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked by openly gay gossip blogger and pageant judge Perez Hilton when he thought the US would destroy the religious institution of marriage between man and women and start actively encouraging people in the United States to be gay (this is my loose interpretation). That he was allowed to ask this question in such a manner like this upset me quite a bit- it was a set-up. She also seemed taken aback, but gave a good answer- Ms. Prejean said:

"We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Let's deconstruct this- she thinks it is great that we live in a country of choice and opportunity. But she also would point out that she personally thinks that marriage is between man and women, and doesn't mean to offend anyone out there, but that's how she thinks. What is so freaking wrong with that statement?

"The way miss California answered her question lost her the crown, without a doubt!" Perez Hilton told Access Hollywood after the pageant. I guess Miss USA does not support truthful and honest answers- he was upset that Ms. Prejean didn't just parrot back the line he wanted to the pleasure of the adoring masses. Liberals and leftists don't like free speech and free thought, you know, and by not bowing to his will, he punished her by not giving her the crown- how is that for women's empowerment?

Many people, Keith Lewis, who runs the Miss California competition, tells FOXNews.com that he was "saddened and hurt" by Prejean's statement- apparently he does not think it is a good thing that people can choose traditional marriages in their states, apparently he does not think it is okay for someone to personally not believe in gay marriage, and darn it, he is going to be offended if you don't totally support his lifestyle- he does not want gay marriage, he wants to control your beliefs on the issue. And that's wrong.

No offense to Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton who was crowned Miss USA, but she did not stand out in any way in this competition. Miss California did, and she should have won Miss America, and I think the reason she did not was because she refused to compromise her personal beliefs on gay marriage, and that's wrong.

UPDATE: I watched the interview from the Today show with Carrie Prejean and Perez Hilton, and you know what- Ms. Prejean is a moral and good person, and did not deserve to be treated that way by the foul-mouthed dirty-minded Mr. Hilton. I don't care if he is straight or gay- he is intolerant, small-minded, petty, and cruel, and I don't care if Ms. Prejean is straight or gay, she is honest, open-minded, intelligent, humble, and nice. My support of her grew after watching the interview- I encourage you to do so too. Women can be religious, intelligent, and beautiful, and Miss California Carrie Prejean should have been Miss USA.

Ebenezer Obadere answers questions on post-colonial failure:

Kwadwo Osseo-Asare writes:

While I was on sabbatical at the University of Ghana this year, I used to walk to and from work at the Faculty of Engineering Sciences (Torto Chemistry Building) on the Legon campus. One of the things that struck me was the several huge ant hills along the way. I realized that I had no idea how they were constructed...At the same time, I was thinking about how to convey to my students some of the central concepts of materials science and engineering: processing/structure/properties/behavior. How do you teach the concept of microstructure in an environment without microscopes?
Eventually, I assigned my students a project...[continue reading]

Three decades ago the then Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Sheikh Zaki Yamani was quoted as saying that “The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil.” Ever since there have been false dawns on how if at all this would come about. The ever receding but endlessly promising nuclear fusion; renewable's in all forms ;silver bullet crackpot theories derided as 'junk science'. The list goes on and on...
In the past few months however one of those 'junk science' approaches along a number of parallel but somewhat related tracks seems to be re-emerging and gaining credibility (not that it ever went away). This science of LENR and or Cold Fusion (yes that Cold Fusion) is gaining traction and the attention of the US Defense Department amongst many others,something it seems is about to break. From the increased boardroom appointments at Blacklight Power (they choose to not characterize their process as CF) to the fact that 60 Mins is about to profile the resurgence of Cold Fusion one can discern the beginnings of a potential phase transition-A Technological Black Swan.
The potential implications for the oil dependent commodity producing countries-Nigeria,Gabon et. al. if this all came to pass might be construed as catastrophic (they derive over 90% of their revenues from black gold).More sensible folks should beg to differ though,if anything the removal of the Oil Curse would be a godsend for societies that hitherto have been warped and stunted in their socioeconomic development,chronic sufferers of the Dutch Disease or worse.
Update: watch full 60 minutes clip below.

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Over at No Left Turns I spotted this interesting post (originally from The Volokh Conspiracy):

Montana's staunchly pro-Second Amendment Governor, Democrat Brian Schweitzer, has signed Montana HB 246, the Montana Firearms Freedom Act. The bill declares that a firearm which is manufactured in Montana, and never leaves the State of Montana, "is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce. It is declared by the legislature that those items have not traveled in interstate commerce."

Will this mean anything? Most likely, no. The courts will probably use their imperial power of royal decree to force this democratically elected representative of the people to follow the liberal line- mostly likely by applying Wickard v. Filburn or some other court case.

Still, it does show that in spite of the DHS believing that those who support federalism are right-wing extremists, the tide may be going back in favor of federalism as people realize again the wisdom of our founding fathers. The Governor of Texas Rick Perry recently said at a Tea Party that federalism needs to be strengthened in this nation, and I agree with him.

This issue isn't so much political as practical: federalism diffuses political power, reducing the chance of tyranny and improving protection of individual rights; federalism lets local governments deal with local problems, not remote bureaucracies; federalism allows more people to get involved in the democractic process- more offices, more levels of government, more people can get involved- so that our country is not run by unelected bureaucrats, and federalism allows for experimentation and innovation in public policy- more units of government can try innovative solutions to societies problems (laboratories of democracy stuff). This is why federalims should be supported.

In a rebuttal to the FP's 'Does Congo Really Exist', Delphine Schrank writes:

No matter how dysfunctional or failed, Congo exists because the Congolese exist. A shared history of collective suffering, a fear of foreign influence, and a staunchly embedded nationalism have forged a Congolese identity that is real, if messy. On the ground, the country and its people exist, and there's no doing away with either...[continue reading]

Andrew Rice writes in the NYTimes:

Africa is the world’s fastest-growing continent, and Ajayi-Adeniran belongs to one of its most vigorously expansionary religious movements, a homegrown Pentecostal denomination that is crusading to become a global faith. In the course of just a few decades, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, founded in a Lagos shantytown, has won millions of adherents in Nigeria while building a vast missionary network that stretches into more than 100 nations. “The rate of growth,” Ajayi-Adeniran says, “is becoming exponential.”...[continue reading]

Reviews of Daniel Jordan Smith's A Culture of Corruption Everyday Deception and Popular Discontent in Nigeria :

The heart of the book concerns how Nigerians cope daily with the need to 'settle' with those who hold power, but are also experiencing a breakdown of the system that at least allowed for survival. -- Nina C. Ayoub Chronicle of Higher Education [Smith's] book offers a sophisticated and deeply troubling portrait of a contemporary Nigeria. -- Nicolas van de Walle Foreign Affairs Smith has written a sharply critical, yet finely judged, book that every student of African politics should pay heed to. -- Ebenezer Obadare International Affairs [Smith's] primary concern is with the perception of corruption amongst Nigerians and the impact this perception has on the behavior of Nigerians. Anyone who is concerned with the discussion of corruption and how it relates to the development of African economies should read Smith's book-Amazon

And the Award Goes To: Bill Myers, Staff Writer for the Washington Examiner

Kwadwo Osseo-Asare of AqueouSolutions writes:

I was planning the first assignment for my course on "materials science and the future." It was an assignment that left the students, expecting a lecture on "advanced" or "nano" materials, bewildered. They were to select 6 Ghanaian proverbs with a materials connection, translate them into English, and explain the meanings and those materials connections...[continue reading]

Many people are writing and talking about that DHS report (I wrote about it in Tea Partiers- Homeland Security Views You As a Threat), but via The Corner on National Review comes the best comment:

That DHS report warning about all manner of "right-wing extremists" could be considerably shortened if it simply alerted law-enforcement officials to be on the lookout for people from "small towns (who are) bitter (and) cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment."

UPDATE: If you want to see some more coverage of the DHS report, check out the analysis and comments at Hot Air- as they say there, the report is "every bit as bad as reported" and that "the DHS fails to provide any specifics at all (no actual data whatsoever), preferring instead to smear half of the country or more as kooks for criticizing the government’s handling of the economy."

UPDATE II: My brother forwarded me this story- this DHS report has real teeth to it and is not just something to laugh off as right wing extremist paranoia- apparently a report from a government agency ordering law enforcement officials to do something is real (surprise). In Iowa, the National Guard is now training to combat right wing extremist gun dealers, conducting exercises where our military goes door-to-door looking for guns. See the story yourself by clicking here.

No clue who put this together, but this is some of the funniest stuff I have seen. Via Mad Puppy comes this clip that imagines how Obama goes about deciding major issues of the day:

Yao Graham of the Third World Network writes in Pambazuka:

...in the face of the global crisis many African governments are looking only outwards towards their ‘development partners’ rather than exploring the opportunities for deepening regional and continental cooperation and integration. The IMF is offering its pernicious advice that not much needs to change and there seem to be many in African leadership ready to listen. Meantime in the global North, pages are being torn from the rulebooks by which African economies have been run from Washington...[continue reading]

photo courtesy of the BBC

Via theblogprof, there is this interesting article From World Net Daily today:

A newly unclassified Department of Homeland Security report warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed "right-wing extremists" concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats.

The report from DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines right-wing extremism in the U.S. as "divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups) and those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

Those of you attending the Tea Parties, here is what you stand for: America, federalism, 2nd amendment, pro-life, and the military. Here is who opposes your views: the US government, particularly bureaucrats.

This is getting weird- it is almost as if these tea parties were being held back in the pre-revolutionary days, when King George and his bureaucrats and their anti-freedom, anti-liberty, pro-bureaucracy policies were the norm. King George wanted you to stay home and sit out the pro-freedom events like this one- he didn't support federalism, gun ownership, and America. King George is the bad guy.

Today, it is King Obama- to be honest, it's not just Obama and it's not just the Democrats- it's also the big government Republicans and liberal RINO's who collaborate with those who would take our freedom. It is those out there who do not believe that I was given by God the right to own property (as much property as I want and it's a good thing!), that I was given by God the right to liberty, and that God gave me and others the right to live. Liberals and those who oppose these tea parties do not believe that governments were created by men to protect those rights, and that whenever they no longer protect those rights, they are no longer moral, they are no longer good, and they deserve to be changed.

Those of you who are going to Tea Parties this Wednesday- and here is the information you need for that- you are the good guys, you are the freedom fights, you are the right in this world. You are the ancestors of those who fought in our Revolution, you are the sons and daughters of the Revolution, and cheer with pride in knowing that by attending these Tea Parties, forget what the Department of Homeland Security says, you are doing the right thing.

UPDATE: Hot Air has a good story about the DHS report and other issues. Check it out, but don't be too worried- remember, aim to misbehave.

At the TED Blog George Ayittey responds to questions about Dambisa Moyo's provocative book Dead Aid:

If you want to help American farmers, you ask them what sort of help they need and whether such assistance is working. Why don’t Americans ask Africans what type of aid they need and whether the aid Americans have provided is working? So what is wrong with an African, Dambisa, telling Americans that the foreign aid they are providing isn’t working and it is “Dead Aid”?...[continue reading]

Paul Kagame states:

“Without a knowledge base, Africa’s imperative for agricultural and industrial development to create wealth will remain unrealized. Nor will we be able to develop and manage water, energy, resources, health, climate change and biodiversity, to name a few fundamentals.”

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Republicans aren't perfect, but they aren't your biggest threat to life, liberty, and property- the Democratic Party is. Democrats, who run the state and national government, are out to take away your freedom and liberty- and your freedom to learn yoga.

This story is about the state of Michigan has decided that Yoga instructors now need to be licensed. The 1.3K license comes with increased state supervision, rules, and red tape, all designed to make the yoga experience of stretching, breathing, and letting go of tension be more safe. It seems that yoga schools and training is getting popular, and the Democrats who run Michigan are opposed to anything that is popular or profitable, and so has decided to do their best to ruin the 5000 year art of yoga with bureaucratic licensing, fees, and oversight. If yoga instructors do not immediately put their name on the official government list and pay the fee, they will go to jail. This is what Democrats do to yoga:

"At first I wondered if it was some kind of scam. I needed to get more info on what this was. I talked to a lawyer," said (Sondra O'Donnell, owner of Sun Moon Yoga in Ann Arbor, which operates a yoga school), who was out of the country on a yoga retreat when her letter came.

She ended up paying for a license -- reluctantly.

"They said if I didn't take care of it I could be incarcerated or they could shut down my school with the sheriff. I was afraid. That's why I paid it," she said.

George Katito writes in AllAfrica:

African leaders have, however, failed to inspire confidence in their ability thus far to develop "African solutions to African problems." Among a long list of well-meaning development and governance initiatives which Africa has come up with are 20 critical infrastructure programmes. But the continent has battled to raise and manage the financial and human resources needed to bolster them...if sustainable and meaningful solutions to Africa's most pressing problems are to be found, its leaders and activists should not look primarily to crumbs falling off the G20's table. They must rather push for the fulfillment of commitments to develop Africa which are already in place and, more critically, they must clean up government and governance.
...[continue reading]

The Mayor Is Out Of Control !

Norm at Ed Notes on Line has an excellent piece on mayoral control titled: Barron, Klein, Spellings, Sharpton Confrontation: New Video by Angel Gonzalez. I wanted to share this with my readers here in Washington, DC. I believe Norm's piece deserves front page billing. Even though the subject of Angel Gonzalez's video is about NY public schools - it sounds eerily familiar to what is happening right here in the District of Columbia Public Schools . I can't say that that NY parents and teachers didn't warn us before DC Mayor Adrian Fenty started down this very slippery slope of mayoral control of our public school system. I encourage you to watch closely this must see video.

There are many similarities of mayoral control of public schools gone bad in NYC and DC. They include: waiving public school superintendent's credentials, pitting charter schools against public schools, blaming teachers, failing to be transparent as promised, disenfranchising parents and other critical stakeholders, dumbing down the curriculum, teaching to the test/creating test taking mills, and blaming schools when they fail after they have not received required funding , etc. For example, when 31 of DC Public Schools did not receive the funding they were due in SY '08-09, DC Schools Chief Financial Officer , Noah Wepman said that it won't happen AGAIN next school year. Oh Really? It's hard to believe this especially when a plan was not immediately developed by Fenty, Rhee or Wepman over 1 year ago and only some adjustments were made. It wasn't until 1 year later after the release of the study by Mary Levy on DC public school funding was featured in the March 28th WaPO article by Bill Turque titled, "Study Questions Disparities in Funding Among Some Schools"did the general public learn that there was such a problem with funding. This is just not acceptable from an 'administration that vowed transparency' to the DC community.

Courtesy of Ed Notes on Line & Angel Gonzalez: "In a brilliant new video, Angel Gonzalez of ICE and the Grassroots Education Movement exposes the hypocrisy of mayoral control and the phony mantra that their critics are all about adults and they are all about children." Here's Angel's introduction :

4-3-09 "Sharpton-Klein National Action Network / Education Equality Project Forum with pro-mayoral control and pro-charter school panelists from across the US. NYC Councilman Charles Barron condemned their privatization of public schools agenda. After protests from the NO Mayoral Control Coalition, Sharpton conceded Barron's address prior to the speeches of the panelists. Barron condemns the profiteering & the educational devastation promulgated by the Bloomberg/Klein Dictatorial Control of public education in NYC. "- Angel Gonzalez (Posted by The Washington Teacher)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntbFiTXD4Og