In these days of increasing disposable commodities, few people would bother with the effort of trying to repair a broken item, or perhaps not even imagine it to be possible. Most consumers are habituated to trash the old, and buy a new one without thinking twice.
One group of curiously creative individuals is setting out to end this cycle of growing garbage.
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March 11, 2010
March 10, 2010
Healthcare Is a Moral Right
I find it absolutely absurd when I hear people, especially elected officials, saying, "The debate on healthcare has been too short. How can we expect to figure out such a massive change in our country with such a short conversation?" For those that don't realize -- a group that I hope would not include elected officials -- we have been talking about healthcare and fixing our system since the beginning of the 20th century. Almost 100 years! Is that a short debate? Is that not enough time to understand that corporations making billions of dollars on the health of our citizens is an immoral and irrational way to render care? Is it not enough time, from Presidents Theodore Roosevelt to F.D.R to Truman to Eisenhower to Kennedy to Johnson to Nixon to Carter to Clinton and now Obama, to figure out that we need to overhaul and change how we provide insurance and healthcare for our citizens?
The "not enough time" argument is just a smoke screen for the "we are not interested in doing this" argument, which opponents of healthcare reform are too afraid to say out loud. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "we get millions of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other industry lobbyists and we like that money" argument. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "those who can afford healthcare are doing fine and those can't, well, work harder" argument that perpetuates a horrible trend in America that the wealthy dictate what the rest of the country has access to. It is time for this to end, and we are very close to making that happen.
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The "not enough time" argument is just a smoke screen for the "we are not interested in doing this" argument, which opponents of healthcare reform are too afraid to say out loud. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "we get millions of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other industry lobbyists and we like that money" argument. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "those who can afford healthcare are doing fine and those can't, well, work harder" argument that perpetuates a horrible trend in America that the wealthy dictate what the rest of the country has access to. It is time for this to end, and we are very close to making that happen.
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Intelligence Community Must Build Greater Trust
Recently the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dennis Blair, testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee about the suspect accused of trying to detonate explosives on a Christmas Day flight. What was widely reported and roundly criticized was that Blair suggested a special interrogation group be used despite the fact that such a group does not yet exist. What received less attention was that according to the Washington Post, Blair and the heads of the FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and Department of Homeland Security were not consulted about the decision to charge the suspect in a civilian criminal court. This incident has reopened debate about the role of the DNI and the intent of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. While this debate plays out, there are three actions that should be taken to build the Intelligence Community (IC) into a stronger and more cohesive unit and improve oversight of it.
First, leaders from both parties of the House and Senate intelligence committees should team with the administration to formally review and assess the effectiveness of the Intelligence Reform Act in order to implement midcourse corrections. Only five years since it became law, a thorough review would ensure it is fulfilling congressional intent and is properly implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report. An undeniable fact is that at least one key recommendation of that Report has not been acted upon -- a call for a unity of effort in Congress that would be the "most difficult and important recommendation" to implement.
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First, leaders from both parties of the House and Senate intelligence committees should team with the administration to formally review and assess the effectiveness of the Intelligence Reform Act in order to implement midcourse corrections. Only five years since it became law, a thorough review would ensure it is fulfilling congressional intent and is properly implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report. An undeniable fact is that at least one key recommendation of that Report has not been acted upon -- a call for a unity of effort in Congress that would be the "most difficult and important recommendation" to implement.
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March 9, 2010
Diane Von Furstenberg Celebrates Me … I Mean Women
Last night my friends at HL Group (only the hottest PR company in toooown!) invited me to an event thrown at the Diane von Furstenberg studio in the Meatpacking District. The event was the Proud to Be Woman CD Release Party -- hosted by DVF herself -- spotlighting singer (and aspiring DJ) Estelle, and Brazilian grafiti artist Panmela Castro-Anarkia. My girl DJ Kiss was also on the one's and two's -- it was a celebratory night all around.
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Liz Cheney ‘Al-Qaeda 7′ Ad Disgusts More Conservatives
A group of 19 prominent Bush administration officials and other lawyers launched an offensive Monday, attacking Liz Cheney for a recent ad by her group, Keep America Safe, that questioned the loyalties of Department of Justice lawyers that had represented Guantanamo detainees.
In a statement signed by nine former Bush officials and 10 other lawyers, critics condemned the ads as a "shameful series of attacks...both unjust to the individuals in question and destructive of any attempt to build lasting mechanisms for counterterrorism adjudications."
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In a statement signed by nine former Bush officials and 10 other lawyers, critics condemned the ads as a "shameful series of attacks...both unjust to the individuals in question and destructive of any attempt to build lasting mechanisms for counterterrorism adjudications."
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March 7, 2010
Education News: 100% of the Student Journalism Beat
Student journalist Cameron Burns was recently manhandled by police, handcuffed, tossed to the ground, and bussed off to jail. But he got the story. Late last week, the eighteen-year-old multimedia producer for The Daily Californian at the University of California, Berkeley, joined a large group of anarchists marching roughly eight miles from Berkeley to Oakland to protest public education funding cuts. His mission: capture video and eyewitness observations for a Daily Cal report.
At one point, without warning, a splinter faction of protesters veered onto an interstate highway, suddenly enmeshing Burns in the mother of all journalistic dilemmas: covering a riot without getting caught up in it. He did not have his press pass with him. He did not know what the group had planned. He had no assurances of personal safety. He hesitated only a split second. As his editor shouted into his cell phone, "Go get the story -- go get it!"
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At one point, without warning, a splinter faction of protesters veered onto an interstate highway, suddenly enmeshing Burns in the mother of all journalistic dilemmas: covering a riot without getting caught up in it. He did not have his press pass with him. He did not know what the group had planned. He had no assurances of personal safety. He hesitated only a split second. As his editor shouted into his cell phone, "Go get the story -- go get it!"
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March 6, 2010
Caro Dorvil: A Great American Story (For Now)
Carl Dorvil started Group Excellence in his SMU dorm room. The son of Haitian immigrants, Carl never took his education for granted. He was the first African American president of his high school and balanced four jobs while completing a triple major and starting a business as an undergraduate.
Some good advice from the founder of Macaroni Grill led Carl to pursue an MBA. But when his professor saw the revenue projection for Group Excellence, he suggested a semester off to work on the business.
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Some good advice from the founder of Macaroni Grill led Carl to pursue an MBA. But when his professor saw the revenue projection for Group Excellence, he suggested a semester off to work on the business.
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Hitler Abortion Poster Sparks Outrage In Poland
Polish anti-abortion group Fundacja Pro have launched a new campaign with a somewhat controversial tactic - combining pictures of Adolf Hitler and a bloody fetus, with the slogan "Abortion for Poles: introduced by Hitler, March 9, 1943."
That Poland, a devoutly Catholic country, already has fairly strict abortion laws seems to have not quelled the fears of the pro-life group behind the poster. Instead, the poster is designed to remind the country of forced abortions performed by Nazis in World War II.
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That Poland, a devoutly Catholic country, already has fairly strict abortion laws seems to have not quelled the fears of the pro-life group behind the poster. Instead, the poster is designed to remind the country of forced abortions performed by Nazis in World War II.
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March 5, 2010
Hey Valero: Don’t Mess With California.
Often, despite perhaps intellectually knowing better, voters fall in a simple trap in politics and unintentionally take things at face value. Back in 2006, working with my friends Dave Johnson and Taylor Marsh on The Patriot Project, we uncovered numerous examples of major conservative groups who were attempting to influence the 2006 elections that literally were funded by a single, or very small group, of very wealthy right-wing donors.
For example, there was a group called "Economic Freedom Fund" that was paid for, entirely, with two multi-million dollar checks from Bob Perry, one of the original Swift Boat investors. In fact, the entire Swift Boat operation got the vast majority of its funding from a very small group of wealthy conservatives. (Note to T. Boone Pickens, if you were smarter, you would have supported John Kerry who may well have supported your Pickens Plan, just a thought.)
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For example, there was a group called "Economic Freedom Fund" that was paid for, entirely, with two multi-million dollar checks from Bob Perry, one of the original Swift Boat investors. In fact, the entire Swift Boat operation got the vast majority of its funding from a very small group of wealthy conservatives. (Note to T. Boone Pickens, if you were smarter, you would have supported John Kerry who may well have supported your Pickens Plan, just a thought.)
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Shelly Palmer: The Socio-Techno Divide
Today's most interesting stories in technology, media and entertainment:
The Apple App Censors are out in force. The latest group of apps to be banned -- WiFi locators. Last week it was apps with overtly sexual content, today WiFi finders, what will they ban next week? Only Apple knows for sure.
And, while Apple is busy app burning, Sony is getting ready to launch some new app phones that will play PSP games and, a couple of new tablet/eReader products. They're even getting serious about the Sony version of an App Store, temporarily named Sony Online Service. Don't let the name fool you, Sony is going right after Apple.
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