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I flew Virgin Atlantic for the first time this holiday and I loved it. And not because they give you fun free stuff and they are actually nice and friendly (they do and they are) but because of the selection of movies and music they have on board, which brings me to the motivation for this post - the 2 movies I saw on board. 
Hello Alexander,Thanks.
We wanted to let you know that the first round of voting for the Ideas for Change in America competition will end this Wednesday, December 31 at midnight Pacific Time.
The idea you have voted for, "Equal Immigration Rights for same sex binational couples," is currently in 2nd place in the Immigration category. The top three ideas from each category will make it into the final round, so if this idea remains in 2nd place, it will qualify.
We expect a lot of last-minute voting, so you may want to consider making a final push on behalf of this idea to ensure it remains in the top three. The easiest way to increase the number of votes for this idea before the deadline is to email the following link to friends and encourage them to vote:
www.change.org/ideas/view/equal_immigration_rights_for_same_sex_binational_couples
You may also want to try posting the link on Facebook or any blog you may write.
If you have any questions, please let us know. Also note that the final round of voting will begin next Monday and end just before the Presidential Inauguration in mid-January.
Best of luck!
- The Change.org Team
The Pope is the worst kind of Tranny -a self-loathing one who is in denial. Take off the Vera Ellen dress and the Rosemary Clooney fur hat and what's left? It's no longer 'White Christmas" in glorious technicolor or even "The Greatest Story Ever Told", it's just another ridiculous power-hungry old man who doesn't know any more about God, family or how to love than the next person. We're all trying to make sense of things, trying to find a way to live in peace and maybe -if we're capable- reaching out for love in the darkness of a cold and unforgiving world. A world made all the more cold and unforgiving by people like that vicious Sorcerer who resides in Vatican Square.
Turns out this city can be quite pretty early in the morning right before the sun comes out. Good Christmas Eve morning, Slovak edition.
Greetings from Slovakia where I have spent the last 5 days shopping, drinking and eating. Above, the latest accomplishment of my mom: caramel wafer torte. Every bite shortens your life by at least 13 minutes. Finally, she agreed to start compiling her recipes and photos and I need to teach her how to blog it all. Until then, I will gladly serve as her proxy.
The countdown starts: 10 trading days left in 2008, a crazy crazy year, which I can't wait to put to rest and reminisce about in retrospect. Meanwhile, there is an explosion of stories which I'd like to revel in, if I only had more time. So instead, my three greatest hits:ZAKARIA: Let me ask about one social issue that you were associated with, which was "don't ask, don't tell," the policy toward gay people being in the military openly. Do you feel like the country has moved to a place where we could reevaluate "don't ask, don't tell"?
POWELL: We definitely should reevaluate it. It's been 15 years since we put in "don't ask, don't tell," which was a policy that became a law. I didn't want it to become a law, but it became a law. Congress felt that strongly about it.
But it's been 15 years, and attitudes have changed. And so, I think it is time for the Congress, since it is their law, to have a full review of it. And I'm quite sure that's what President-elect Obama will want to do.
But people have said to me, well, then, what do you think? I said, well, what I think is, let's review it, but I'm not going to make a judgment as to whether it should be overturned or not until I hear from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the commanders who are responsible for our armed forces in a time of war.
And so, I have to hear what they think and what the secretary of defense thinks before I would come down on one side or the other.
Because I've always felt that the military is a unique institution. It is not like any other institution in our system. You are told who you will live with. You are told who you will share your most intimate accommodations with. You are told whether you will live or die.
And for that reason, the courts have always upheld the ability of the armed forces of the United States to put in procedures and rules that would not be acceptable in any other institution.
So, the Congress, I think, has an obligation to review the law, and I hope that it's a very spirited review. And I hope that President-elect Obama, in one of his first actions, will ask the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take a look at the policy and the law and to get their recommendations before he makes a judgment with respect to the administration position.
But times have changed. This is not 1993. It is 2008. And we should review the law.
ZAKARIA: Do you think we should consider the fact that other countries -- the Israeli army, for instance, the British army -- has gays serving openly, and it does not seem to have produced any negative effects to their morale and effectiveness?
POWELL: I certainly think we should look at all the examples of countries where this is the case, and see if it is relevant to the armed forces of the United States. We are unique not only as a country, but as an armed forces. And so, yes, I would look at all of that. But that doesn't necessarily drive the decision.
I think the president will have a view on this, many people will have a view on it. But one view that we should not ignore is the view of the Joint Chiefs of Staff representing not just themselves, not just a bunch of generals and admirals, but representing a very large, complex organization.
When we went through this in 1993, it wasn't just the generals, it was the chaplains, it was family members. You have issues of domicile. You have issues of marriage. And, you know, look at the debate we're having now with respect to same-sex marriage.
All of that comes in to the military, if you change the law. That may be fine. But let's study it carefully as we examine this 15- year-old law.
It was late 2005, and this three-time ambassador had just been interviewed for a top post at the Department of State.
Her interviewer was part of a large corps of 20-somethings — some were in their early 30s — who ran the Office of Presidential Personnel. Many of them were sons or daughters of supporters of President George W. Bush. Others had connections through congressmen. With few exceptions, they had one thing in common: very little experience and a very big attitude.
Another top foreign service officer called me after his interview to be ambassador to a volatile African country. “The problem was,” he told me, “the kid interviewing me could not pronounce the name of the country I was being interviewed for. It made for an awkward interview until he just started saying ‘the country we are considering you for.’”
And this is just the beginning. Every year, she makes roughly 30 different varieties of cookies and cakes. Last year I dodged the Christmas bullet by avoiding dairy and eggs. This year I am considerably more lax and - more importantly - she has figured out the wonders of vegan baking. Between that and my dad's wine-tasting plans, the only thing I can do is bring my running shoes and pray that it doesn't snow.
365 Gay asks "Was 'Calling in Gay' a bust?" It is referring to Day Without a Gay which was supposed to take place yesterday. I am saying "supposed to" because I don't know anyone who took it seriously. It could be that people aren't willing to put their jobs on the line because unemployment is already spreading around like a virus. However, it got some coverage in the media which by itself is not bad. This interview, for example, is kind of cute.
I had to dash out this morning and fly to Columbus, OH, for meetings but I did manage to capture the scariness above. Dipping into the teens is when I officially go into hibernation, so I guess I will see you all on the other side of the winter.
Nothing like a mugging to get the day started. 
As a follow up to the previous posts (1, 2) about Homeland Security, it may be helpful to explain why I care so much about immigration reform in the US, or more precisely, why Americans should care more about immigration reform in the US.Over the longer term, an aging population, a decline in the number of workers per beneficiary, and increasing life expectancy will present fiscal challenges for Medicare. From 2010 to 2030, the number of people on Medicare is projected to rise from 46 million to 78 million, while the number of workers to support beneficiaries is projected to decline from 3.7 workers per beneficiary to 2.4 workers per beneficiary.And Medicare is just one example. Social security is another headache or, in government budget speak, unfunded liability. Combined and rounded up, all these babies add up to about $57 trillion, a figure so large that the only thing you can do about it is pray that you never have to worry about it, or that you die before you do.
Because one mortgage-related bubble per decade is clearly not enough, why not create another one?
Psychedelic angels by the Rock. Oh, holidays and kitchy public art, how I missed you. Good morning, Hebrew edition.
No investment bank owned by its employees would have levered itself 35 to 1 or bought and held $50 billion in mezzanine C.D.O.’s. I doubt any partnership would have sought to game the rating agencies or leap into bed with loan sharks or even allow mezzanine C.D.O.’s to be sold to its customers. The hoped-for short-term gain would not have justified the long-term hit.
Wall Street never has been—and likely never will be—paid primarily for capital preservation. However, in the days when Wall Street firms were funded primarily by capital contributed by individual partners, preserving that capital in the long run was understandably a higher priority than it is today. Now Wall Street firms are primarily owned not by partners with personal capital at risk but by demanding institutional shareholders examining short-term results.
"Three-quarters of U.S. adults (75%) favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples."That's it, done. Thanks GLAAD.
My support for gay adoption will surely be met with hostility and, no doubt, charges of RHINO’ism by many of my colleagues, but the Grand Old Party is at a crossroads and now is not the time for an echo chamber. Homosexual demagoguery is not the answer to the Party’s woes, particularly when gay men and women represent the only demographic in which John McCain bested President Bush (27% to 19% based on exit polling). And as Daniel Blatt notes, gay-hostile rhetoric no longer resonates in suburban areas with soccer moms, many of whom have gay friends or family members, and plays even worse with young voters, 61% of which voted against stripping gay couples of the right to marry.I have a strategic idea for the Republican Party, as they are soul searching right now, trying to figure out a new direction for the Party in the new millenium: go gay. And I don't mean literally, of course, I mean: make gay rights one of your top priorities.
“I think the California proposition and the recognition that entities with large amounts of money who oppose same-sex marriage have decided to be large players in this have a lot of people going back to the drawing board.”
Nothing much to add here except a recommendation for a great book I started reading recently that chronicles the epidemic in the most detailed and gripping fashion - And the Band Played On, by Randy Shilts. The book does a great job of placing the disease in a broader political context, which makes it a must-read for anyone interested in the political aspect of gay rights today.
But if terror groups are to be defeated, it is national governments that will have to do so. In nations like India (and the United States), governments will have to call on the patriotism of citizens to fight the terrorists. In a nation like Pakistan, the government will have to be persuaded to deal with those in their midst who are complicit. This can happen if those nations’ citizens decide they don’t want their own country to be dishonored by allegiances with terror groups. Otherwise, other nations may have to act.Such is Kristol's response in his oped today to Jim Leach who posted some thoughts on the terrorist attack on Politico over the weekend. The short entry is worth reading, if only to allow for a full understanding of what it is that Kristol is taking an issue with. This bit I thought was particularly noteworthy:
Patriotism is an indispensable weapon in the defense of civilization against barbarism. That was brought home over the weekend in an article in The Times of India on Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a major in India’s National Security Guards who died fighting the terrorists at the Taj hotel. The reporter spoke with the young man’s parents as they mourned their son: “His father, dignified in the face of such a personal tragedy, was stoic, saying he was proud of his son who sacrificed his life for the country: ‘He died for the nation.’ ”
.. a response that is the least nationalistic is likely to be the most effective. Accordingly, the civilized world should announce a oneness with the citizens of Mumbai and all the innocent victims of this unconscionable act. The challenge will be to hold accountable those responsible without escalating vengeful violence against innocents anywhere. If the goal of a hateful few is to precipitate a wider conflict, isn't it self-evident that the best way to debase their efforts is to insure that a response is comprehensive as to individual accountability but does not itself spark a war on the Indian subcontinent?
"Milk or sugar?""I like it black.""Ohh, you're making my heart beat."
A view that makes you want to go back to bed and spend the rest of the day right there, maybe, eventually, slowly move to the living room to see what the talking heads have to say about the mess we're in. Oh, Donna Brazile has a new show on CNN. Remember her? The forever undecided/uncommitted/spineless superdelegate from the democratic primaries who milked milked milked the election? Good, because we need another moderator to observe the new administration appointments and ask insightful and original questions like "What is with all the Clinton people? What happened to change?" Thank God for those who see that non sense narrative and confront it head on. Anyway, good morning, Hindi edition.
The tree is up, decorated and revealed! The countdown to Depression Christmas has started! Good post-T-day morning, Middle English edition.
The best live-action mainstream American movie that I have seen this year... Harvey Milk was an intriguing, inspiring figure. “Milk” is a marvel.Quite a rave from A. O. Scott. Christopher Orr over at TNR's Plank, while liking the movie, makes the following criticism:
So why did the movie leave me so cold? Largely, I suppose, it is a question of belatedness. Milk was murdered 30 years ago. The exceptional The Times of Harvey Milk won the Oscar for Best Documentary 24 years ago. The Dead Kennedys recorded their Dan White-themed "I Fought the Law (and I Won)" 21 years ago. Yet, all this time later, after the world has shifted under our feet, Hollywood wants us to applaud its courage for finally--finally--telling this story? Really? I can't help but think there will be something cheap about the inevitable Oscar nominations (and probable victories) with which the movie industry will advertise its moral elevation come February.Good point. Regardless, I can't wait to see it tonight.
Sunrise in midtown, for a change. Here's a special good morning to my Bulgarian friends especially that one I haven't heard from in a while - until last night!
Based on the evidence presented from experts from all over this country and abroad, it is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person’s ability to parent. Sexual orientation no more leads to psychiatric disorders, alcohol and substance abuse, relationship instability, a lower life expectancy or sexual disorders than race, gender, socioeconomic class or any other demographic characteristic. Qualities indicative of good parenting include attentiveness, involvement in a child’s educational development, the ability to sooth, offer comfort, advice and a secure base for a child, the provision of resources and maintaining a warm, harmonious environment. The most important factor in ensuring a well adjusted child is the quality of parenting.Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman, Nov 25, 2008, judgement in the matter of the adoption of John Doe and James Doe.
Similarly, a child in need of love, safety and stability does not first consider the sexual orientation of his parent. More importantly, sexual orientation, solely, should not interfere with a child’s right to enjoy the accoutrements of a legal family. John and James, due to no fault of their own, were removed from an environment perilous to their physical, emotional and educational well being. Their biological parents relinquished them to the State, which in turn placed them into an environment that allowed them, eventually, to heal, and now flourish.
The quality and breadth of research available, as well as the results of the studies performed about gay parenting and children of gay parents, is robust and has provided the basis for a consensus in the field. Many well renowned, regarded and respected professionals have reduced methodologically sound longitudinal and cross-sectional studies into hundreds of reports. Some of the longitudinal studies have tracked children for six, ten and fourteen years. The starting ages of the children in the longitudinal studies has varied from birth, six to ten years old and followed them throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. The studies and reports are published in many well respected peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Child Development, the Journal of Family Psychology, the Journal of Child Psychology, and the Journal of Child Psychiatry. Each of the studies and hundreds of reports also withstood the rigorous peer review process and were tested statistically, rationally and methodologically by seasoned professionals prior to publication.
In addition to the volume, the body of research is broad; comparing children raised by lesbian couples to children raised by married heterosexual couples; children raised by lesbian parents from birth to children raised by heterosexual married couples from birth; children raised by single homosexuals to children raised by single heterosexuals; and children adopted by homosexual parents to those raised by homosexual biological parents, to name a few. These reports and studies find that there are no differences in the parenting of homosexuals or the adjustment of their children. These conclusions have been accepted, adopted and ratified by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatry Association, the American Pediatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America and the National Association of Social Workers. As a result, based on the robust nature of the evidence available in the field, this Court is satisfied that the issue is so far beyond dispute that it would be irrational to hold otherwise; the best interests of children are not preserved by prohibiting homosexual adoption.
Going back to my bad prediction, if the financial crisis hadn’t taken place at the moment that it did, if it had been delayed a couple of months, I suspect that prediction would have been correct. But not speculating, one thing surprising about the election was that it wasn’t a landslide. By the usual criteria, you would expect the opposition party to win in a landslide under conditions like the ones that exist today. The incumbent president for eight years was so unpopular that his own party couldn’t mention his name and had to pretend to be opposing his policies. He presided over the worst record for ordinary people in post-war history, in terms of job growth, real wealth and so on. Just about everything the administration was touched just turned into a disaster. [The] country has reached the lowest level of standing in the world that it’s ever had. The economy was tanking. Several recessions are going on. Not just the ones on the front pages, the financial recession. There’s also a recession in the real economy. The productive economy, under circumstances and people know it. So 80% of the population say that the country’s going in the wrong direction. About 80% say the government doesn’t work to the benefit of the people, it works for the few and the special interests. A startling 94% complain that the government doesn’t pay any attention to the public will, and on like that. Under conditions like that, you would expect a landslide to a opposition almost whoever they are. And there wasn’t one.At the risk of placing this blog to the extreme progressive end of the political spectrum, this speech by Noam Chomsky is worth a read for some dissenting views, a rare thing these days. In addition to the point above (which I think is an angle that has not been explored enough; somewhat understandably there may not be much popular interest in that), also provides an interesting perspective on the notion that "this could only happen in America", something I (or rather the article I linked to) explored in this entry.
The response for the election was interesting and instructive. It kept pretty much to the soaring rhetoric, to borrow the cliché, that was the major theme of the election. The election was described as an extraordinary display of democracy, a miracle that could only happen in America and on and on. Much more extreme than Europe even than here. There’s some accuracy in that if we keep to the West. So if we keep to the West, yes, it’s probably true. That couldn’t have happened anywhere else. Europe was much more racist than the United States and you wouldn’t expect anything like that to happen. On the other hand, if you look at the world, it’s not that remarkable.Go read what he's talking about, including some thoughts on the first Obama appointments.
If only it were 45 celsius and it would be like a Mediterranean summer. Alas, no. Good morning, Greek edition.
