Here is a fun little story in between all the serious issues of the day. In a story I was reading online, reported that on Sunday, dozens of women posed naked on their bicycles on a bridge over one of Amsterdam’s historic canals. This in a city famed for its relaxed attitude toward nudity and sex.
They were among 2,000 men and women who participated in a series of four nude group photos in the city in the early hours of the morning as part of the latest project of U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick.
This is a bit of good fun that should occur daily around the world instead of all the violence and death. Maybe Mr. Tunick will grace our fair city with a visit sometime in the future.
I promise the next post will get back to serious issues. Smile and have a Great Day!!
nudes
Showing posts with label funding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label funding. Show all posts
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
New 7 Wonders Of The World Contest
There is an excellent story at yahoo news today about an internet campaign to choose the “new” wonders of the world. It states that over 45 million people have already voted for the top seven out of twenty-one from which to choose.
I had never heard of this campaign but it sounds like fun and I am going to go vote as soon as I finish this post, and I encourage you to do the same. Even though it is a quick bit of fun, it is founded on serious events. Swiss filmmaker, curator, and traveler, Bernard Weber, begin this contest to raise global awareness of the world’s heritage after the destruction of the giant Buddha statues at Bamyan, Afghanistan, by the Taliban in 2001.
As of May 7, the top 10 were the Acropolis in Greece, the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Petra in Jordan, the statues on Easter Island, Britain's Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal in India.
The second tier of choices are the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Kiyomizu Temple in Japan, the Kremlin and Red Square, Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany, New York's Statue of Liberty, the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Sydney Opera House and the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali.
You would think that everyone would be onboard, but there are serious misgivings, by the Egyptians in particular, due to the “popularity” vote aspect instead of historical significance. There has been awarded “honorary” New 7 Wonders status given to the Pyramids so they will not be on the list to vote for as the Egyptians said there importance could not be put into question by such a publicity stunt contest. I think no matter what that this contest isn’t hurting anyone and if it brings awareness of the sites listed and to others not listed it can only be a good thing.
It was nice to see the Statue of Liberty as one of the choices, but I am sure that all of the sites listed are important as historical reference points. We receive too little history in school and I hope that school officials will read about this contest and get their children involved so they may appreciate our world history more then is currently the case.
I know that too a great many people history is boring and who needs to know about it, but I guess because I do like history I want others to enjoy it too. I think that we are better people when we know of how we got to this point in time. The other day in my rant on amnesty I let anger guide my words and was rightfully called on it by varsity blogger James Eaves-Johnson in his From Right 2 Left blog.
Part of being an American is knowing that we can be a great nation, but our past is full of pride, arrogance, atrocities, lots of blood, prejudice of other immigrants, races, religions, and cultures. We are in imperfect country that has on occasion risen above the evil of our past and did great good, such as defeating Nazi Germany and Japan, and championing the cause of freedom and democracy. We have had many failures as we saw with Vietnam, another war that should not have been fought, and we have done evil such helping Saddam remain in power when he was gassing his own people, because he was fighting our enemy Iran, and the contras in Nicaragua, etc. We need to be a little longer sighted when we decide to help or intervene, because invariably it sets in motion events that often turn around and bite us.
Anyway I think that anything that gets people thinking about history is good, so if you have a chance read the story and then perhaps you will want to vote as well. Thanks.
NEW 7 WONDERS
I had never heard of this campaign but it sounds like fun and I am going to go vote as soon as I finish this post, and I encourage you to do the same. Even though it is a quick bit of fun, it is founded on serious events. Swiss filmmaker, curator, and traveler, Bernard Weber, begin this contest to raise global awareness of the world’s heritage after the destruction of the giant Buddha statues at Bamyan, Afghanistan, by the Taliban in 2001.
As of May 7, the top 10 were the Acropolis in Greece, the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Petra in Jordan, the statues on Easter Island, Britain's Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal in India.
The second tier of choices are the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Kiyomizu Temple in Japan, the Kremlin and Red Square, Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany, New York's Statue of Liberty, the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Sydney Opera House and the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali.
You would think that everyone would be onboard, but there are serious misgivings, by the Egyptians in particular, due to the “popularity” vote aspect instead of historical significance. There has been awarded “honorary” New 7 Wonders status given to the Pyramids so they will not be on the list to vote for as the Egyptians said there importance could not be put into question by such a publicity stunt contest. I think no matter what that this contest isn’t hurting anyone and if it brings awareness of the sites listed and to others not listed it can only be a good thing.
It was nice to see the Statue of Liberty as one of the choices, but I am sure that all of the sites listed are important as historical reference points. We receive too little history in school and I hope that school officials will read about this contest and get their children involved so they may appreciate our world history more then is currently the case.
I know that too a great many people history is boring and who needs to know about it, but I guess because I do like history I want others to enjoy it too. I think that we are better people when we know of how we got to this point in time. The other day in my rant on amnesty I let anger guide my words and was rightfully called on it by varsity blogger James Eaves-Johnson in his From Right 2 Left blog.
Part of being an American is knowing that we can be a great nation, but our past is full of pride, arrogance, atrocities, lots of blood, prejudice of other immigrants, races, religions, and cultures. We are in imperfect country that has on occasion risen above the evil of our past and did great good, such as defeating Nazi Germany and Japan, and championing the cause of freedom and democracy. We have had many failures as we saw with Vietnam, another war that should not have been fought, and we have done evil such helping Saddam remain in power when he was gassing his own people, because he was fighting our enemy Iran, and the contras in Nicaragua, etc. We need to be a little longer sighted when we decide to help or intervene, because invariably it sets in motion events that often turn around and bite us.
Anyway I think that anything that gets people thinking about history is good, so if you have a chance read the story and then perhaps you will want to vote as well. Thanks.
NEW 7 WONDERS
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Veto Part Deux
We are going to revisit the Bush veto as we heard from the President and the nonsense that the Democrats are going to pull by only funding the troops until July is not going to go anywhere.
The warnings came as Gates also told reporters that his evaluation of force levels in Iraq in September will not lead to a rapid troop withdrawal, and that at least some U.S. forces are likely to be in Iraq for a protracted period of time.
He said he didn't know if it will take 25,000 troops or another number, but it would probably include intelligence officers, logistical support and air power, and they would be needed to maintain stability in the war-wracked country.
"The evaluation in September will not lead to a precipitous decision or actions, but would point us in a new direction ... either because the surge is working, or because the evaluation is that it's not," said Gates. Earlier Wednesday he told senators he would consider reducing U.S. troop levels in Iraq in the fall if the Iraqi government begins to make progress.
The developments occurred as officials disclosed that 11 moderate House Republicans had met unannounced with the president and top aides at the White House on Tuesday. Several participants described a remarkably blunt discussion in which lawmakers told the president the war was unsustainable without public support and was having a corrosive effect on GOP political fortunes.
Rep. Charles Dent of Pennsylvania said he told the president that many of his constituents are "impatient, and in some cases have a sense of futility" about the war.
Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia said he presented recent polling data from his suburban Washington district showing Bush's unfavorability ratings exceeded his approval ratings.
"We asked them what's Plan B. We let them know that the status quo is not acceptable," he said. Davis said the president responded that if he began discussing a new strategy, the current one would never have a chance to succeed.
Defiant Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, wrestled with how to support the troops but still challenge Bush on the war. Bush has requested more than $90 billion to sustain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September.
"With this latest veto threat, the president has once again chosen confrontation over cooperation," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
House Democratic leaders are pushing legislation that would provide the military $42.8 billion to keep operations going through July, buy new equipment and train Iraqi and Afghan security forces. Congress would decide shortly before its August recess whether to release an additional $52.8 billion to fund the war through September.
"In essence, the bill asks me to run the Department of Defense like a skiff, and I'm trying to drive the biggest supertanker in the world," Gates told senators Wednesday. "And we just don't have the agility to be able to manage a two-month appropriation very well."
The veto threat came from White House spokesman Tony Snow, traveling aboard Air Force One with Bush to tour tornado damage in Kansas.
"There are restrictions on funding and there are also some of the spending items that were mentioned in the first veto message that are still in the bill," Snow said.
House members planned a vote Thursday, just two days after David Obey , D-Wis., chairman of the Appropriations Committee, briefed White House chief of staff Josh Bolten on the plan.
The stern White House response reflected the high stakes involved for Bush, who is struggling to beat back congressional skepticism about his Iraq strategy. In recent days, Bush has tried to shore up support by personally reaching out to moderate Republicans and Democrats.
Democrats face their own uphill battle. Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., say they want to provide troops the resources they need. But other Democrats are pushing to cut off funds for the unpopular and costly war.
Democratic leaders acknowledge the new Iraq bill might pass in the House only to sink in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slimmer majority and are more reluctant than their House counterparts to restrict war funds.
In testimony before the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Gates left open the possibility of bringing troops home soon, even as the Pentagon orders deployments that could maintain a buildup of U.S. forces in Iraq through the end of the year.
"If (we) see some very positive progress and it looks like things are heading in the right direction, then that's the point at which I think we can begin to consider reducing some of those forces," Gates said.
Senators pressed Gates on when a decision will be made.
"What are the prospects for having some light at the end of the tunnel, to see some encouragement which would enable the Congress to have the fortitude to support the president and go beyond September and the full funding of the $500 billion?" asked Sen. Arlen Specter , R-Pa.
Gates replied: "I think that the honest answer is, senator, that I don't know."
Gates told the panel that proposals for a short-term funding bill would be very disruptive and "have a huge impact" on contracts to repair and replace equipment. And if Congress votes in July to pull the plug on war funding, "I would have to shut down significant elements of the Department of Defense in August and September because I wouldn't have the money to pay salaries."
So we can see by this turn of events that they should not even waste our time to play more political games. The troops have already been treated with such contempt and disrespect by the Democrats over this issue that there should be no more showboating.
I sent an email to Hillary Clinton over her recent remarks to undo the war and told her in no uncertain terms that a once strong supporter is no longer a supporter. She is humiliating herself by kowtowing to the hollywood elite cowards and the far left nut bags who think you can reason with the terrorists. They want to kill us! Do not let yourselves believe that if we surrender and leave Iraq that these people will stop killing americans. Just the opposite will be the effect. There will be open season on all of us and this time they’ll be coming to our homes to kill us, not on the other side of the world.
There are brave men and women trying to keep that from happening and they deserve our support and the funding that they will need to see this through to a successful, stable Iraq.
Write your representatives and Senators and tell them to stop disrespecting the troops and fund them. If they want to fight with Bush that is fine, but not on the backs of our troops in harm’s way.
The warnings came as Gates also told reporters that his evaluation of force levels in Iraq in September will not lead to a rapid troop withdrawal, and that at least some U.S. forces are likely to be in Iraq for a protracted period of time.
He said he didn't know if it will take 25,000 troops or another number, but it would probably include intelligence officers, logistical support and air power, and they would be needed to maintain stability in the war-wracked country.
"The evaluation in September will not lead to a precipitous decision or actions, but would point us in a new direction ... either because the surge is working, or because the evaluation is that it's not," said Gates. Earlier Wednesday he told senators he would consider reducing U.S. troop levels in Iraq in the fall if the Iraqi government begins to make progress.
The developments occurred as officials disclosed that 11 moderate House Republicans had met unannounced with the president and top aides at the White House on Tuesday. Several participants described a remarkably blunt discussion in which lawmakers told the president the war was unsustainable without public support and was having a corrosive effect on GOP political fortunes.
Rep. Charles Dent of Pennsylvania said he told the president that many of his constituents are "impatient, and in some cases have a sense of futility" about the war.
Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia said he presented recent polling data from his suburban Washington district showing Bush's unfavorability ratings exceeded his approval ratings.
"We asked them what's Plan B. We let them know that the status quo is not acceptable," he said. Davis said the president responded that if he began discussing a new strategy, the current one would never have a chance to succeed.
Defiant Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, wrestled with how to support the troops but still challenge Bush on the war. Bush has requested more than $90 billion to sustain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September.
"With this latest veto threat, the president has once again chosen confrontation over cooperation," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
House Democratic leaders are pushing legislation that would provide the military $42.8 billion to keep operations going through July, buy new equipment and train Iraqi and Afghan security forces. Congress would decide shortly before its August recess whether to release an additional $52.8 billion to fund the war through September.
"In essence, the bill asks me to run the Department of Defense like a skiff, and I'm trying to drive the biggest supertanker in the world," Gates told senators Wednesday. "And we just don't have the agility to be able to manage a two-month appropriation very well."
The veto threat came from White House spokesman Tony Snow, traveling aboard Air Force One with Bush to tour tornado damage in Kansas.
"There are restrictions on funding and there are also some of the spending items that were mentioned in the first veto message that are still in the bill," Snow said.
House members planned a vote Thursday, just two days after David Obey , D-Wis., chairman of the Appropriations Committee, briefed White House chief of staff Josh Bolten on the plan.
The stern White House response reflected the high stakes involved for Bush, who is struggling to beat back congressional skepticism about his Iraq strategy. In recent days, Bush has tried to shore up support by personally reaching out to moderate Republicans and Democrats.
Democrats face their own uphill battle. Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., say they want to provide troops the resources they need. But other Democrats are pushing to cut off funds for the unpopular and costly war.
Democratic leaders acknowledge the new Iraq bill might pass in the House only to sink in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slimmer majority and are more reluctant than their House counterparts to restrict war funds.
In testimony before the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Gates left open the possibility of bringing troops home soon, even as the Pentagon orders deployments that could maintain a buildup of U.S. forces in Iraq through the end of the year.
"If (we) see some very positive progress and it looks like things are heading in the right direction, then that's the point at which I think we can begin to consider reducing some of those forces," Gates said.
Senators pressed Gates on when a decision will be made.
"What are the prospects for having some light at the end of the tunnel, to see some encouragement which would enable the Congress to have the fortitude to support the president and go beyond September and the full funding of the $500 billion?" asked Sen. Arlen Specter , R-Pa.
Gates replied: "I think that the honest answer is, senator, that I don't know."
Gates told the panel that proposals for a short-term funding bill would be very disruptive and "have a huge impact" on contracts to repair and replace equipment. And if Congress votes in July to pull the plug on war funding, "I would have to shut down significant elements of the Department of Defense in August and September because I wouldn't have the money to pay salaries."
So we can see by this turn of events that they should not even waste our time to play more political games. The troops have already been treated with such contempt and disrespect by the Democrats over this issue that there should be no more showboating.
I sent an email to Hillary Clinton over her recent remarks to undo the war and told her in no uncertain terms that a once strong supporter is no longer a supporter. She is humiliating herself by kowtowing to the hollywood elite cowards and the far left nut bags who think you can reason with the terrorists. They want to kill us! Do not let yourselves believe that if we surrender and leave Iraq that these people will stop killing americans. Just the opposite will be the effect. There will be open season on all of us and this time they’ll be coming to our homes to kill us, not on the other side of the world.
There are brave men and women trying to keep that from happening and they deserve our support and the funding that they will need to see this through to a successful, stable Iraq.
Write your representatives and Senators and tell them to stop disrespecting the troops and fund them. If they want to fight with Bush that is fine, but not on the backs of our troops in harm’s way.
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