Why? Especially since it was a Republican who added it in yet the GOP couldn't bother to support the bill. How can we afford programs that we know are a waste of time during these economic times?
A little-noticed provision of the health legislation has rescued federal support for a controversial form of sex education: teaching youths to remain virgins until marriage.
The bill restores $250 million over five years for states to sponsor programs aimed at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases by focusing exclusively on encouraging children and adolescents to avoid sex. The funding provides at least a partial reprieve for the approach, which faced losing all federal support under President Obama's first two budgets.
Besides being like a police state, how do they even manage to monitor so many cameras? They've surely crossed the point of being able to properly monitor all of the cameras but that was no doubt long ago. Do they even care about public privacy at all? Click through to see the photos of the cameras. Creepy. (H/T to reader Bruce.)
You can imagine my surprise after I paid my 50pence to use the public bathroom, walked in and found myself staring at not just one but three ceiling mounted video surveillance cameras. I had to get real close to their enclosures to convince myself that I wasn't seeing things. Not only was it really there, but it was a Pan-Tilt-Zoom model with a microphone to top it off. Must get some great noises coming from there. It has also been reported that London officials are now installing cameras with speakers to allow them to talk as well as see and listen. Perhaps its just me, but I had absolutely no idea that this was legal anywhere, let alone in downtown London, UK. Sure I knew that London has more cameras per square mile than any other country on the planet, but in bathrooms?! How are they getting away with that one? It is appalling!
According to the London Assembly of Liberal Democrats, London has been outfitted with over 500,000 surveillance cameras. Other put the number much higher at 1.4million cameras but nobody is telling what the real number is. Another few 10,000 cameras have been installed in taxis and police cars as well.
We had a great time last year with friends eating under candlelight. Friends from Chicago (and Paris) are over tonight so it's time to get more candles. Submit your photos to the Earth Hour site here.
In the US, it looks like things are heavily divided along party lines. GOP states won't participate while Democratic states will. Even if your state is not joining, go ahead and join anyway.
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We're proud to join in today's "money bomb" for Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL), who is a rare in the Congress - he speaks his mind, and it's usually a mind we agree with, a lot. Please visit his new site - http://congressmanwithguts.com/ - and if the spirit moves you, use our ActBlue page to send the congressman a contribution. As you know, Joe and I are very leery of donating to any Democrats at this point. I think Grayson is different - he deserves our support. Please give to his campaign through our ActBlue page (totally secure).
The President, you see, has no role in legislating. Just like he had no real role in health care reform, until he actually got involved, a year late, and made the legislation pass. The President has a role. Can we please stop debating such a bizarre point?
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This is from about a week or so ago. I just got to watching it. It's simply brilliant, and funny as hell. Jon Stewart does his best Glenn Beck impression.
It's freezing in DC this morning. Literally. The temperature is 32 degrees. Last weekend, it was in the 70s. Ugh. I'm starting to train again for another marathon. My running partner, Courtney, and I signed up for the Maine Marathon, which is in early October. I'm much better at keeping in shape when I have a goal.
The President gave his weekly address on the two laws that passed this week. Health care dominated the news, of course, but also there student loan reforms, which got short shrift because health care dominated the news. The reforms were included in the reconciliation package.
A lot of us are waiting to see what's next. The President made a lot of promises that haven't been kept -- yet. And, time is running out. Markos had some suggestions for what to do now to keep the base motivated:
We still face an intensity gap, and one that will make it far more difficult to hold our ground so long as it persists. So Democrats, go full-throated populist against Wall Street, against banks, against obstructionist Republicans. End DADT, pass comprehensive immigration reform (or at least vote on it, let the GOP nuke it if they must), and show Democrats that you kind of like this "victory" thing and want to taste more of it.
If you do all that, we can eliminate the intensity gap. And if the intensity gap is gone, Republicans will be hard pressed to make anything more than just marginal gains.
Spring continues to open up the garden. Our almond jasmine popped open and looks great. We picked it up for nothing a few years ago because it had already bloomed and somehow never opened last year. The rhododendrons have a while to go but they're growing quickly as is our wall of hydrangeas. What's everyone seeing out there?
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They really are pathetic. There are even rules for addressing the story. Don't they realize how weak and ridiculous it makes them appear to the outside world?
These are the rules for news outlets - there are also other instructions for "interactive media", blogs and forums that involve careful monitoring and repression of discussion on the topic.
In addition, CDT also lists a series of extra rules.
Outlets are told "do not report about Google exerting pressure on our country via people or events" and that reporters and writers should not provide material that could be used by Google to attack Chinese government policy. A little ironic, then, that it is the government's own instructions on the subject that end up providing grist to the mill.
Whether you think Google's position is right or wrong, selfless or selfish, it's clear that it has irritated the government even more than has already been documented: the government in Beijing is doing its best to quash any signs of conflict.
