Hace unos días encontramos ésta noticia de EFE: Los detractores de Obama le perciben más oscuro que sus votantes. Lo que nos lleva a una conclusión: en realidad, nadie quiere un presidente negro en la Casa Blanca.

La Ciudad en Llamas da fe de que el estudio es certero, pues a Zapatero lo vemos mu negro, muuuu negro. Me pregunto si ésto servirá para otros líderes. ¿Cómo de negro verían a Amín Dada en Uganda? Porque nosotros lo percibimos también bastante cercano al negro absoluto, como al gótico faisán.

Por otra parte, ¿cómo saben los autores del estudio cuál es la negritud de Obama?¿Quién nos dice que ellos mismos están libres de distorsiones ideológicas? Y más aún: ¿quién nos dice que obama no es blanco? En cuyo caso, nosotros seríamos albinos. Toda una exclusiva.

Y en este momento, elucubrando en tales términos, salta la bomba informativa: Angelina Jolie no soporta al amigo Barak. (Por cierto, y saliéndonos del tema, qué chulo el nombre de Barak. Parece un personaje de Tekken, o un malo de 24).

Parece ser que Brad Pitt y Angelina han discutido en relación a Obama. Brad, que debe de ser una versión de nuestra zetapenska ceja, le adora, y Angelina no tanto.

Suponemos que la bronca no habrá llegado a mayores. Y, aunque está feo meterse en asuntos ajenos, tomamos partido por Angelina.

¡Dí que sí, Angelina! Y Brad al sofá, a dormir como un bendito.

My latest piece in Zeek Magazine explores the implications of the threatened unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians and the Israeli decision to expand the settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem. I explain how it amounts to one of the final challenges and opportunities for the Obama Administration to save the two-state solution.

Ad ogni nuovo Presidente degli Stati Uniti d’America si chiede implicitamente o esplicitamente di rivelare una volta per tutte la verità sugli UFO.
Il tam tam info-mediatico nella rete stabilisce che la data del 27 novembre p.v. sia quella fatidica dell’annuncio tanto atteso: Obama rivelerà i segreti degli X-Files !

Io non lo so. Ma quel che so è che il mondo sarebbe ormai pronto ad accettare la presenza di visitatori lontani. Diamine! Ormai gli ometti verdi non farebbero paura a nessuno! Personalmente, correrei a stringere le loro mani (zampe, escrescenze…chissà). Da pilota di linea sarei ben felice di poter “provare” i loro cosi…e farmi un giretto fra Marte e Giove (schivando gli asteroidi) o ancora più lontano. I nostri aerei di linea, in confronto, sono dei giocattoli paragonabili a carri trainati da buoi.
Ricordate, quindi, 27 novembre 2009 !

Daily Bible Reading, Thoughts, and a prayer for November 14th

Today is the 14th of November.  This is the Daily Bible Reading, thoughts, and prayer starter for today.  Today we are reading from the New Living Translation Version Bible.  We’ll begin today from Ezekiel 29:1-30:26.  We will continue with Hebrews 11:32-12:13, Psalms 112:1-10 and Proverbs 27:17.

Ezekiel 29:1-30:26

¹ On January 7, during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of man, turn and face Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt. ³ Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:

   “I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—
      you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.
   For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine;
      I made it for myself.’
 ⁴ I will put hooks in your jaws
      and drag you out on the land
      with fish sticking to your scales.
 ⁵ I will leave you and all your fish
      stranded in the wilderness to die.
   You will lie unburied on the open ground,
      for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.
 ⁶ All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
      for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds.
 ⁷ When Israel leaned on you,
      you splintered and broke
      and stabbed her in the armpit.
   When she put her weight on you, you gave way,
      and her back was thrown out of joint.

 ⁸ “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals. ⁹ The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.

   “Because you said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it,’ ¹⁰ I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia. ¹¹ For forty years not a soul will pass that way, neither people nor animals. It will be completely uninhabited. ¹² I will make Egypt desolate, and it will be surrounded by other desolate nations. Its cities will be empty and desolate for forty years, surrounded by other ruined cities. I will scatter the Egyptians to distant lands.

 ¹³ “But this is what the Sovereign Lord also says: At the end of the forty years I will bring the Egyptians home again from the nations to which they have been scattered. ¹⁴ I will restore the prosperity of Egypt and bring its people back to the land of Pathros in southern Egypt from which they came. But Egypt will remain an unimportant, minor kingdom. ¹⁵ It will be the lowliest of all the nations, never again great enough to rise above its neighbors.

 ¹⁶ “Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt’s shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

 ¹⁷ On April 26, the first day of the new year, during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: ¹⁸ “Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors’ heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work. ¹⁹ Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army. ²⁰ Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign Lord, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.

 ²¹ “And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

 ¹ This is another message that came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord:

   “Weep and wail
      for that day,
 ³ for the terrible day is almost here—
      the day of the Lord!
   It is a day of clouds and gloom,
      a day of despair for the nations.
 ⁴ A sword will come against Egypt,
      and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground.
   Its wealth will be carried away
      and its foundations destroyed.
   The land of Ethiopia will be ravished.
    ⁵ Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia,
   and all their other allies
      will be destroyed in that war.

 ⁶ “For this is what the Lord says:
   All of Egypt’s allies will fall,
      and the pride of her power will end.
   From Migdol to Aswan
      they will be slaughtered by the sword,
      says the Sovereign Lord.
 ⁷ Egypt will be desolate,
      surrounded by desolate nations,
   and its cities will be in ruins,
      surrounded by other ruined cities.
 ⁸ And the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord
      when I have set Egypt on fire
      and destroyed all their allies.
 ⁹ At that time I will send swift messengers in ships
      to terrify the complacent Ethiopians.
   Great panic will come upon them
      on that day of Egypt’s certain destruction.
   Watch for it!
      It is sure to come!

 ¹⁰ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
   By the power of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,
      I will destroy the hordes of Egypt.
 ¹¹ He and his armies—the most ruthless of all—
      will be sent to demolish the land.
   They will make war against Egypt
      until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.
 ¹² I will dry up the Nile River
      and sell the land to wicked men.
   I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it
      by the hands of foreigners.
      I, the Lord, have spoken!

 ¹³ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
   I will smash the idols of Egypt
      and the images at Memphis.
   There will be no rulers left in Egypt;
      terror will sweep the land.
 ¹⁴ I will destroy southern Egypt,
      set fire to Zoan,
      and bring judgment against Thebes.
 ¹⁵ I will pour out my fury on Pelusium,
      the strongest fortress of Egypt,
   and I will stamp out
      the hordes of Thebes.
 ¹⁶ Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt!
      Pelusium will be racked with pain;
   Thebes will be torn apart;
      Memphis will live in constant terror.
 ¹⁷ The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle,
      and the women will be taken away as slaves.
 ¹⁸ When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt,
      it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too.
   A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes,
      and its daughters will be led away as captives.
 ¹⁹ And so I will greatly punish Egypt,
      and they will know that I am the Lord.”

 ²⁰ On April 29, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: ²¹ “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword. ²² Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms—the good arm along with the broken one—and I will make his sword clatter to the ground. ²³ I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world. ²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain. ²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am the Lord. ²⁶ I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the earth. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Hebrews 11:32-12:13³² How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. ³³ By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. ³⁵ Women received their loved ones back again from death.

   But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. ³⁶ Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. ³⁷ Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. ³⁸ They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

 ³⁹ All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. ⁴⁰ For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. ⁴ After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

 ⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

   “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
      and don’t give up when he corrects you.
 ⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
      and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

 ⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

 ¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

 ¹² So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. ¹³ Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Psalms 112:1-10 ¹ Praise the Lord!

   How joyful are those who fear the Lord
      and delight in obeying his commands.
 ² Their children will be successful everywhere;
      an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
 ³ They themselves will be wealthy,
      and their good deeds will last forever.
 ⁴ Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
      They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
 ⁵ Good comes to those who lend money generously
      and conduct their business fairly.
 ⁶ Such people will not be overcome by evil.
      Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
 ⁷ They do not fear bad news;
      they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
 ⁸ They are confident and fearless
      and can face their foes triumphantly.
 ⁹ They share freely and give generously to those in need.
      Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
      They will have influence and honor.
 ¹⁰ The wicked will see this and be infuriated.
      They will grind their teeth in anger;
      they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

Proverbs 27:17

 ¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
      so a friend sharpens a friend.

Daily Bible Reading, Thoughts, and a prayer

Thoughts from Prayer for November 14th Bible reading

That is very very true; that is true in the community that I live in, that is true in this community I hope, I would do that for you, you would do that for me, we sharpen each other, that is so profound if you take a moment to think about it.  Hebrews continues with the theme of faith; but it draws into complete focus the fact that we are God’s children, and that he looks upon us as a Father, that is a difficult thing to accept, at the heart level sometimes, even though we are Christians and we know this, and it’s been pounded in our heads to understand that the God, the one God of all, is our Father, and that he is guiding us and teaching us and disciplining us as a Father is, that’s just big, it’s hard to wrap my head around, but the scripture clearly shows us that God is a loving Father so He may thwart something that we are trying to do out of love for us, and we need to be sensitive to what He is doing in our lives.  He loves us; His heart is good towards us; and what He is after is our freedom, and so sometimes the discipline can be painful.  But it’s to free us of something that is binding us.

Prayer for November 14th

(Prayer) God; thank You for Your discipline, because it is Your love that compels You, help us to be aware of the things You are doing in our lives.  Show us the things that You are doing in our lives so we have an understanding, so we that can we can work in conjuncture and partnership with You to free ourselves, to be free, to live from a full heart, fully alive, awake, and alert, and absolutely serving the Kingdom, this is our desire, to be Men and Women fully completely alive and awake and alert to Your ways.  This is our prayer Jesus; we invite You to do what You need to do, and we trust You.  We pray these things in Your victorious name.  Amen.

Have a great day.  And I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Download today’s Podcast

The discussions are ‘part of regular ongoing exchanges‘ to strengthen bilateral defense ties. The Indian Army Chief will also attend a special ceremony in the Yad Vashem memorial, where he will lay flowers in memory of Holocaust victims.

The visit is also expected to allay fears that the inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into controversial Barak missile deal may disrupt the robust defense ties between the two countries. Israel has become India’s No.1 supplier of arms and ammunition, overtaking Russia with of supplies constituting about 50 percent of Israel’s defense exports and about 30 percent of India’s defense imports.

The visit comes just before the first anniversary of the Mumbai-terror attacks last on 26 November at multiple locations including Chabad House (A Chabad house is a centre for disseminating Orthodox Judaism by the Chabad movement), during which over 170 people were killed, including the Chabad emissary to Mumbai and his pregnant wife. After the attack, Israel and India have increasingly cooperated on security issues especially beefing up the security along Indian coastlines, from where the terrorists had infiltrated during the attacks.

NowPublic

I penned the following in italics a few moments ago as a comment on someone else’s post concerning the murder of patriots at Fort Hood.  The more I thought about it, the more I thought to myself how true it is.

I am ashamed of President Barak Obama.  I am ashamed of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.  IMMEDIATELY after additional troops were requisitioned by the commander in Afghanistan, they should have been deployed.  Let the military run the military.

What we need is a Congress, Legislative Branch and Executive Branch (Fat chance) made up of individuals that pattern their governmental actions after George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Adams, etc. How long will the United States of America put up with danger to our children, grandchildren and ourselves in exchange for Political Correctness? As a white, conservative male, I’m villified constantly and it’s no big deal. Somebody on the tube said it pretty nicely, “The Catholics are not likely to rise up and slaughter people in the name of the Pope.” Patriotic Muslims who are assimilating in the American Culture are silent when they should be kicking the extremeist’s asses along with the rest of us. Got a brain? Have cajones? Better have a couple of guns and a good supply of ammo stored in your home (out of reach of little kids) or, be prepared to give everything you have to the ignorant, maggot infested liberals and left wing illegitimates. Damn it.

We are not at war or in imminent danger from those of all cultures who are trying to make a living and provide for their families.  WE ARE at war with those who feel that it is necessary to kill the infidel dogs who refuse to convert.  How many people have had their heads sawed off with big knives by closet pork chop munchers with masks on?  It’s time to start using a little common sense and take the bull by the horns.

This son of a bitch who shot our troops at Fort Hood should have the respirator ripped from his windpipe, dragged out back behind the building and put a 40 caliber slug in his head without any damn pomp and circumstance.

FINALLY…SOME ONE ASKED HIM THE QUESTION! YESTERDAY ON “ABC-TV” (BETTER KNOWN AS THE ALL BARRACK CHANNEL) DURING THE “NETWORK SPECIAL ON HEALTH CARE”…. OBAMA WAS ASKED: “MR. PRESIDENT, WILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GIVE UP YOUR CURRENT HEALTH CARE PROGRAM AND JOIN THE NEW ‘UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM’ THAT THE REST OF US WILL BE ON ????” (BET YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER) THERE WAS A STONEY SILENCE AS OBAMA IGNORED THE QUESTION AND CHOSE NOT TO ANSWER IT !!! IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF SENATORS WERE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS: “WE WILL THINK ABOUT IT.” AND THEY DID. IT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY ON THE NEWS THAT THE “KENNEDY HEALTH CARE BILL” WAS WRITTEN INTO THE NEW HEALTH CARE REFORM INITIATIVE ENSURING THAT CONGRESS WILL BE 100% EXEMPT! SO, THIS GREAT NEW HEALTH CARE PLAN THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND ME… IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR OBAMA, HIS FAMILY OR CONGRESS….?? WE (THE AMERICAN PUBLIC) NEED TO STOP THIS PROPOSED DEBACLE ASAP!!!! THIS IS TOTALLY WRONG!!!!! PERSONALLY, I CAN ONLY ACCEPT A UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL THAT EXTENDS TO EVERYONE… NOT JUST US LOWLY CITIZENS… WHILE THE WASHINGTON “ELITE” KEEP RIGHT ON WITH THEIR GOLD-PLATED HEALTH CARE COVERAGES.

En Jerusalén y en Ramallah no se descarta la posibilidad de que el Presidente de la Autonomía Palestina Mahmud Abbas se retracte de su anuncio de retirada de la carrera electoral.
En Israel estiman que dada la oposición de Hamas a la convocatoria a elecciones el próximo mes de Enero, son pocas las probabilidades que los comisios se lleven a cabo a tiempo y de ésa manera, Abbas permanecerá en su cargo presidencial por varios meses más.
Un alto oficial de Fatah, Soufian Abu Zaida, aseguró que la decisión de Abbas podrá ser reversible, de producirse un cambio real en las posiciones de Israel y Estados Unidos ante la reanudación de las conversaciones de paz. “No se trata de un ejercicio ni de una táctica sino de la situación real de Abbas y del propio pueblo palestino”.
El anuncio de Abbas podría ser una herramienta de presión sobre Israel y Estados Unidos, pero si se hace efectiva su negativa a la reelección, el candidato con mayores probabilidades de éxito es Marwan Bargutti, quien está preso en Israel cumpliendo cinco cadenas perpetuas por su responsabilidad en atentados terroristas en los cuales murieron cinco personas.
El Vice Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Danny Ayalon, dijo que no hay ninguna probabilidad que Bargutti séa dejado en libertad mientras el Ministro de Defensa Ehud Barak espera que a pesar del anuncio de Abbas, no fracase el intento de reanudar las negociaciones de paz.
En el entorno del Primer Ministro Netanyahu lamentanron el anuncio y dijeron ver en Mahmud Abbas un socio para la paz.

Concluyendo sus conversaciones diplomáticas en El Cairo, la Secretaria de Estado de Estados Unidos defendió las posiciones de su país frente a las de Israel en el tema de la construcción en los asentamientos en la Ribera Occidental, pero acentuó que Washington no reconoce la legitimidad de los mismos y deséa ver su construcción congelada para siempre.
Mientras tanto, Israel obtuvo un logro propagandístico éste Miércoles en su lucha contra el contrabando de armas de Irán a Hamas y Hizballah.
Una fuerza comando de la armada israelí detuvo durante la noche un buque mercante con bandera de Antigua, que portaba varios contenedores de armas y municiones provenientes de Irán y destinadas a Hizballah en Líbano.
La detención se produjo en el mar Mediterráneo, a 150 kilómetros de las costas de Israel y la embarcación fué conducida al puerto de Ashdod, cerrándose parte del mismo al público.
De acuerdo con un portavoz militar, el buque tenía por destino un puerto sirio, desde el cual serían transferidos los pertrechos bélicos, principalmente cohetes y armas livianas, a la organización chiíta libanesa.
Se trata del tercer envío de armas iraníes a las organizaciones terroristas, desbaratado desde el comienzo de 2009.
El Ministro de Defensa Ehud Barak aseguró que la captura del envío de armas había evitado su transferencia a la “arena de terror en el norte”, mientras Irán continúa sus esfuerzos por armar a Hizballah y a Hamas frente a Israel.
Por su parte, el ex Ministro de Defensa Shaul Mofaz dijo que se trata de un intento iraní de contrabandear armas para el terrorismo, misiles destinados a hacer impacto en la población civil”.
El Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Siria, Wallid Mualem acusó a Israel de piraterismo que molestan al comercio entre Irán y Siria y desmintió la presencia de armas en el barco.
Sin embarco el ejército israelí continuaba hasta el atardecer descubriendo más y más contenedores cargados de armas, entre ellas mas de 4000 cohetes de mediano alcance, una cantidad suficiente para que Hizballah mantenga un mes de guerra contra Israel.

Where were you when Obama won the seat for presidency? Check out Edward Norton’s movie,”By People: Election of Barak Obama.” It’s pretty damn good! www.hbo.com

O site da Casa Branca, que durante a administração George Wilson Bush era baseada em um gerenciador de conteúdo proprietário, agora é baseado no gerenciador de conteúdo livre Drupal.

Depois de meses de planejamento, diz uma fonte da administração Obama, a Casa Branca substituiu o sistema de gerenciamento de conteúdo proprietário, que estava sendo utilizado desde o início da administração Bush, em favor da última versão do software de código aberto Drupal. Dries Buytaert, fundador da empresa Aquia e criador do software Drupal, disse: “este é um sinal claro de que este governo entendeu que o código aberto não colocar riscos adicionais, comparado com o software proprietário e, além do mais, afastando-se do software proprietário, eles não estarão presos a uma tecnologia em particular, e que podem se beneficiar da inovação que é o resultado da colaboração de milhares de desenvolvedores que contribuem com o Drupal”.

A grande mudança para o Drupal veio depois que a equipe de novas mídias de Obama, com poucos meses de trabalho, decidiu que eles precisavam de um ambiente de desenvolvimento mais maleável para a presença da Casa Branca na web. Eles queriam ser capazes de construir sua visão de um governo interativo de forma mais rápida, fácil e elegante. O General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), com sede na Virginia, que implantou o software proprietário de gerenciamento de conteúdo em uso na era Bush, foi encarregado pela administração Obama de oferecer uma solução mais flexível. A plataforma ideal seria uma onde características dinâmicas como fóruns de discussão, vídeo sob demanda e ferramentas de colaboração pudessem trabalhar em conjunto de maneira mais fluída com a infraestrutura do site. A solução, diz a Casa Branca, tornou-se o Drupal.

Se até a casa branca está mudando para o software livre, por que não a sua empresa? Seja Livre!

Fontes:

• http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/10/25/1126210/White-House-Website-Switches-To-Open-Source
• http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/whitehousegov-goes-drupal
• http://buytaert.net/whitehouse-gov-using-drupal
• http://news.slashdot.org/submission/1100115/Whitehousegov-switches-to-Drupal

Q: What’s the main problem with Barack Obama jokes? A: His followers don’t think they’re funny and everyone else doesn’t think they’re jokes.

Q: What’s the difference between Rahm Emanuel and a carp? A: One is a scum sucking bottom feeder and the other is a fish.

Q: What does Barack Obama call lunch with a convicted felon? A: A fund raiser.

Q: What’s the difference between Obama’s cabinet and a penitentiary? A: One’s full of tax evaders, blackmailers and threats to society. The other is for prisoners.
Q: What’s the difference between a large pizza and the typical Obama backer? A: The pizza can feed a family of four.

Q: If Pelosi and Obama were in a boat and it started to sink, who would be saved? A: America!

Q: What do you call the US after four years of Obama and the Liberal congress? A: An Obama-nation.
Q: What’s the difference between Obama and Hitler? A: Hitler wrote his own book.
Q: What’s another difference between Obama and Hitler? A: Hitler got the Olympics to come to his country.
Q: Why doesn’t Obama pray? A: It’s impossible to read the teleprompter with your eyes closed.

——————————————————————
Understanding TV News Acronyms
a.. NBC: New Barack Channel b.. ABC: Another Barack Channel c.. MSNBC: My Seriously New Barack Channel d.. CBS: Continuous Barack Show e.. FOX: Flagrant Obama Xenophobes
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WARNING:  THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND/OR ADULT THEMES

Late yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, announced he would be supporting a new Health Care Reform bill that has a modified public option included, citing strong public opinion in favor of such an option.  Additionally, he said he would consider using “reconciliation” in order to only require a 50% majority, rather than the usual 60%, to pass the bill.

This is a huge gamble for the Nevada Democrat, but one he is apparently willing to back with the rarely invoked “reconciliation” which would give the one-finger-salute to any attempt at bipartisanship.  Since the exact details of his proposal have yet to be released, and will be reviewed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, I won’t discuss the merits of it here …yet.  But, the bold move does deserve some examination.

Is Harry Reid getting “Mavricky” on us?  Suddenly grown a huge set of balls?  Or, just emboldened by the growing public opinion consensus?  I think the evidence points solidly towards the latter.  ”Public Option” wasn’t even part of his vocabulary when the Health Care debate began in earnest several months ago.  Then, when President Obama stated that he would prefer a bill with the PO, Reid pretty much poo-pooed it, saying he doubted he could get it passed.  Then, when Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) suggested a PO back-up plan if certain thresholds were not met over the next 5-7 years, Reid said it was a “pretty darn good idea”.  In other worlds, he has waffled more on this subject than breakfast at IHOP!

Regardless of his motivation for the sudden discovery of backbone, Reid’s daring move deserves some applause.  While his bill may not ending up being a full-fledged PO that drives real competition in an overweight, out-of-shape Health Care system, it is a start in the right direction that will certainly drive the debate truly needed on this issue.  Most of all, though it took some time, it’s refreshing to see some of our elected officials seemingly inclined to heed to the will of the majority of the American people.

It remains to be seen if the Majority Leader can stick to his guns and get a bill done that will jive well with what the Pelosi-led House has proposed.  My suggestion to Senator Reid is to add some extra starch to his shirts in order to stand erect during the heated battle that is sure to follow, because I’m not sure if that is a faux Public Option in his pants pocket, or truly a new set of cojones.

The Book of Psalms is a collection of Hebrew songs and poems used in both worship and personal devotion. Throughout it’s chapters are many themes with praise being a common reoccuring focus. One of it’s key authors was David, yet in his writings he never used the word we translate as praise.

The English language can be limited in its form, often only having one word to express many different feelings and actions. For example, the word love can mean to like, adore, fancy, affection, unconquerable goodwill, unconditional love.

Similarly, when we read the book of Psalms, we consistently come across the word praise and understand that Psalms is a collection of songs that include songs of praise. Yet the word praise is not used by David. Instead, seven different words are used, with the various root words each having a different meaning and dramatic expression. Not only that, but each of the words includes an action.

When we sing our praises before God, we often sing about lifting our hands up, dancing, bowing down before God. However, how often do we, particularly in the Western world where we tend to be more reserved or falsely humble, just sing the words rather than participate in the whole action of praise. The words used in Hebrew include an instruction, so that when the words were declared or sung, everyone corporately followed the given instruction as part of their praise. As the Hebrew words were sung, the people engaged with the word they were singing, instructing them to demonstrate their praise in movement as well as words.

Praise is faith in action and requires us to act. Firstly we need to believe in God and through praising, we come before Him. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6.

If we diligently seek Him through praise, which is our action of faith, our reward is that He will reveal Himself. Praise is a decision and when we make that decision, we not only give action to our faith, but we open the door for the manifested presence of God. This is our reward, as God inhabits the praises of His children. Psalm 22:3.

In praising God there is a physical engagement, as praise is always a body function. This can involve clapping, kneeling, shouting, dancing, singing, moving around a room or building, etc. It requires our flesh to come under submission to the Spirit and the Word, resulting in an engagement of our whole being.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6

The Seven Hebrew Words For Praise

Halal – To rave, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, radiate, shine, celebrate, act madly

Towdah – literally means an extension of the hand in adoration, affirmation or acceptance. It is apparent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for things not yet received, as well as things already at hand.

Shabach – to address in a loud tone, to commend, to triumph, to exclaim, glory, shout.

Barak – to kneel, to bless God as an act of adoration, to salute. The scriptures even imply that as we do so, to do so expecting to receive a blessing from the Lord.

Zamar – to make music, to sing, to play, to pluck, to twang, to touch the strings. For hundreds of years, it was inappropriate to use the Book of Psalms without the acomplement of music. You could not say, speak or teach the Psalms, they had to be sung. There is an authority when the word of God is sung.

Tehillah – spontaneous lauding, to sing with impulsive worship, to release the spontaneous song that burst out of the overflow of your heart. This is the kind of praise that the Bible says God inhabits, the spontaneous praise. He responds to all, but this is the only one that He inhabits – the TEHILLAH of His people.

Yadah – praise the Lord with uplifted hands, to extend our hands, to throw out the hand, to worship with extended hands. Yad refers to our open hands, with direction. Ah refers to Jehovah, resulting in Yadah – praising with our hand to God.

It’s worth highlighting these seven different Hebrew words for praise in your Bible. Find out what expression of praise is being used when you see the word or expression of praise. Highlight, underline or place a dot next to each one, using a different colour, so you know what the word is saying.

Netanyahu and Barak will not allow soldiers to be probed!

Israel will not set up an inquiry committee that will question soldiers about the war crimes allegations contained in the Goldstone Commission report, but will rather fight the legitimacy of that report and work to change the laws of war, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Photo: AP [file]

Barak’s comments came after a meeting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened in his office to weigh the ramifications of the report, and come up with a strategy to combat it.

In addition to Barak, senior officials from the Justice, Foreign and Defense ministries and the IDF were also present at the meeting, where it was decided to establish a committee to come up with effective ways to deal with the Goldstone Report. Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman is expected to be heavily involved in the process.

Sunday’s meeting, according to government officials, dealt with a wide range of sensitive matters stemming from the report, such as the laws of war, diplomatic issues, international law and world public opinion.

Israel Radio reported that as an alternative to opening an independent Israeli commission, Netanyahu and Barak discussed the possibility of establishing a team to reevaluate the IDF investigations into the military’s conduct during Operation Cast Lead.

According to the proposal, the team, which would be headed by a well-known legal expert, would ensure that the military investigation was thorough and serious and that no facts were ‘covered up.’

Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski [file]

During the meeting, Netanyahu made clear that IDF soldiers and officers would not be brought before an investigatory committee. He said that the investigatory mechanisms in place today were more than sufficient to deal with the situation.

Barak – an adamant opponent of establishing an inquiry committee – issued a statement after the meeting saying, “We sent the fighters on their missions, and they deserve complete backing.”

Read Full Article …

ESCUCHAR (RTVE): Programa de Radio: Asuntos Propios- ¿Obama Masón?- (05/11/08).

Programa de radio Asuntos Propios habla sobre Obama:

“El escritor e investigador Javier Sierra comenta el debate que se ha generado alrededor de Barack Obama y su supuesta condición de gran maestre del grado 32 de una importante logia masónica. 22 de los 43 presidentes que ha tenido Estados Unidos se han declarado masones illuminatis.”

President Obama has stated that his administration will not seek criminal action to those using medical marijuana under their state’s laws.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/new-medical-marijuana-pol_n_325426.html

IT’S ABOUT FUCKING TIME.

This would have never, ever happened in the Bush administration. Even if it’s not complete decriminalization, it’s a step forward and I applaud our President for making that step. I am over joyed, as we have been waiting for this day for a long, long time. Do you understand how much money this will save? Hopefully we will see patient rights given proper respect.

I worked at a medical marijuana dispensary for years and am very passionate about our right to use marijuana. I have seen people benefit from MMJ and disappointed that it took ’til now for presidential administration to recognize what a waste of energy, time and money they had on their hands.

Obama, I heart you.

Vijest koju vam imam čast najaviti na mom blogu se dogodila juče, negdje oko tri, tri i po ujutru, kada je međunarodna zajednica bila još uvjek pod utiskom bombe oko ovogodišnje Nobelove nagrade za mir.

Naime, juče je oko dva i po sata po ponoći Sveta Stolica odlučila da napravi presedan u 265 papa dugoj istoriji – Benedikt XVI je smijenjen sa mjesta Pape i na to mjesto je, u rekordno kratkoj konklavi, postavljen predsjednik Sjedinjenih Američkih Država Barak Obama. Sveta Stolica se nije mogla strpiti dok Benedikt XVI umre iz očiglednog razloga – stari Papa bi ionako malo kome nedostajao, nezanimljiv je i konzervativan, a bio bi to odličan način da se da podstrek harizmatičnoj ikoni Obami na svom putu da promijeni svijet. Iako je u posljednjih nekoliko stoljeća pravilo takvo da Papa mora imati iza sebe višedecenijsku karijeru humaniste (Obama je predsjednik SAD tek godinu dana) i da u najmanju ruku bude katolik (Obama je protestant), niko ne spori da je ovoga puta papstvo pošlo u prave ruke.

Ova na prvi pogled nemoguća priča je metafora nečega što se dešava na stvarnoj sceni međunarodne zajednice – idolopoklonstvo nadi čiji je Obama simbol, do te mjere da se zaboravljaju svi konteksti i okviri, bez kojih jedno idolpoklonstvo postaje tiranija idola. Ja mislim da je dodjeljivanje Nobelove nagrade za mir američkom predsjedniku Baraku Obami bilo potpuno neosnovano i pretjerano. Prvo, zato što se zaboravlja sama svrha Nobelove nagrade za mir, pretvarajući nagradu u kredit pri čemu se delegitimiše ovo priznanje. I drugo, zato što se zaboravlja trenutak u kome se američkom predsjedniku daje ovo priznanje, i opravdana sumnja da bi se Nobelova nagrada mogla iskoristi kao oružje političke borbe, pri čemu bi se dodatno delegitimisala ova nagrada.

Otkad je Barak Obama primio Nobelovu nagradu za mir, postalo je jasno da se njegovoj administraciji daje mirovna stipendija. A zašto? Činjenica je da je Obama predsjednik SAD tek godinu dana. Dva njegova prethodnika, Vudro Vilson i Teodor Ruzvelt, takođe su dobitnici Nobelove nagradu za mir. Vilson je zaslužan za stvaranje Lige Naroda, prethodnice Ujedinjenih Nacija, a Ruzvelt je bio uspješan medijator Rusko-japanskog rata. Ni jedan ni drugi nisu bili nikakvi pacifisti – Nobelove nagrade Martiju Ahtisariju, Jaseru Arafatu i Simonu Peresu su takođe diskutabilne, ali svi ti ljudi su imali cijelovitu višedecenijsku političku karijeru. Potpuno je jasno da se nagrada Obami ne dodijeljuje za ono što je već uradio, već za ono što može (namjerava) tek da uradi. Jednom riječiju, dodijeljuje mu se – stipendija. Da li ovo delegitimiše pojam Nobelove nagrade? Da. Hajde da prvo pogledamo etimologiju riječi „nagrada“, koja je sastavljena od prefiksa na i glagola graditi, što pokazuje kako se nešto „nadgrađuje“ na nešto već postojeće, pa se stoga nagradom „kruniše“ već izgrađeni uspjeh. Obama tog uspjeha još uvijek nema. A sada, da vidimo istoriju ove konkretne nagrade – Nobelove nagrade za mir i njenih laureata. Postoji li i jedan jedini slučaj kada se Nobelova nagrada dodijelila isključivo kao podstrek za laureatov rad, a ne kao nagrada za dotadašnja djela? Ne postoji ni jedan jedini primjer. Dakle, ovogodišnja nagrada predstavlja svojevrsni presedan u istoriji Nobelove nagrade za mir. Uzevši u obzir tradiciju ovoga najprestižnijeg svjetskog priznanja, Nobelova nagrada za mir ipak nije stipendija, i ovakav odnos prema njoj predstavlja delegitimisanje institucije Nobelove nagrade za mir.

Komitet dodjeljuje nagradu Obami „za njegove izvanredne napore da ojača međunarodne diplomatske odnose“. Oslanjajući se na pretpostavku o stipendiji, pitanje je da li je u proteklih godinu dana američki predsjednik pokazao dovoljno konzistentnosti i odlučnosti da vjera u njegovu mogućnost da napravi pozitivnu promjenu bude opravdana. Neosporna je činjenica da je Obamina administracija pokazala potpuno drugačiju viziju od Bušove, i da bi njena alternativa predvođena Mekejnom bila siguran dokaz propasti SADa. Sam Obama je smjelom i ljekovitom retorikom pokazao želju da promijeni odnose Amerike i ostatka svijeta i već nakon godinu dana slika o SADu se znatno popravila. Zasluge za to su, bez ikakve sumnje, Obamine. Ali, ukoliko uzmemo prošlu godinu i njegova predizborna obećanja vezana za taj period, vidjećemo da Obama nipošto nije svetac ni čarobnjak. U svom inauguracionom govoru je zaista obećao da će osnažiti međunarodni dijalog – za taj cilj mu je Nobelov komitet i dao nagradu. Može li mu se vjerovati na riječ?

Obećao je da će u prvih šest mjeseci povući trupe iz Iraka. Da li je? Nije. Obećao je da će se situacija u Afganistanu značajno popraviti u toku prve godine predsjedovanja. Da li je? Nije, naprotiv, pogoršala se. Obećao je da će zatvoriti Gvantanamo Bej prvoga dana. Da li je? Nije. Obećao je da će otkloniti porez na dobit za penzionere sa godišnjom zaradom nižom od 50000$. Da li je? Nije. Nije čak ni pomenuto u prijedlogu ekonomskog stimulusa za 2010. godinu! Poenta nije nabrajanje svih obećanja koje Obamina administracija nije održala, već činjenica da je Obama pragmatičan političar, nikako idealista. Istina, ta mu pragmatičnost mu daje šanse da napravi pozitivnu promjenu u ovom pragmatičnom svijetu, ali i podsjeća da je on spreman da pazari svoja obećanja i ideale za druge, konkretnije ciljeve. Nakon svega,  može li se polagati nada u njegovu administraciju da će zaista ojačati međunarodni dijalog, kako stoji u obrazloženju Nobelove nagrade? Da, ali ne u tolikoj mjeri da se američkom predsjedniku daje Nobelova nagrada za mir.

Još jedan razlog da dodjela Nobelove nagrade Obami bude neopravdana jeste trenutak u kome se ona dodjeljuje. Predsjednik SAD trenutno vodi dva rata, u Iraku i u Avganistanu, gdje namjerava da poveća broj trupa. Obama-Bajden administracija, iako Demokrate imaju ogromnu većinu u Predstavničkom domu i Senatu, ozbiljno kuburi sa podrškom njihovom planu reforme zdravstva. Ukoliko taj poduhvat propadne izbori 2012. će biti veliko pitanje za Obamu. Stoga, u ovom trenutku, dodjela Nobelove nagrade Obami jeste davanje političkog oružja u ruke predsjedniku SADa. Da su Obami Nobelovu nagradu za mir dodijelili godinu dana ranije, pri kraju predizborne kampanje – a ta bi imali taman toliko osnova da mu je dodijele koliko i sada – kakve bi razlike bilo između Nobelove nagrade i izborne propagande Demokrata? Da je Nobelova nagrada za mir političko oružije ilustruje činjenica da je od prošle nedjelje Obami podrška skočila sa 50% na 56%, kao i, između ostalog, podrška njegovoj odluci da pošalje još trupa u Afganistan – sa 41% na 48%. Nobelova nagrada za mir je, paradoksalno, postala oružje za rat, i to je najdirektnije delegitimisanje ove nagrade.

Da zaključim, Nobelova nagrada za mir je ove godine, po mom dubokom ubjeđenju, pošla u pogrešne ruke. Šteta što je Obama tek sedmi crnac koji je primio Nobelovu nagradu za mir – gdje bi mu bio kraj da se i tu upisao kao numero uno! Ostalo bi još veoma malo stvari na svijetu u kome on ne bi probio led; jedna od tih stvari je mjesto šefa vlade Crne Gore. Koliko se sjećam, nismo imali crnaca na toj poziciji…ikad. I sa ženama smo tu bili tanki. Tu je, zaista, teško probiti led…

Back in March of this year, the bell-weather Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted to a 12-year low of 6547. Many on Wall Street, and certainly most in the right-dominated financial news arena, criticized, and even attacked, Barak Obama as the cause of the stock market meltdown. (We could argue that the cause was actually initiated, perpetuated, and accentuated under the watchful eye of the Bush regime, but that is the subject for another post).
Yesterday, we finally closed back above the “magic” 10K level of the Dow, a whopping 70+% move in just seven short months. Certainly a cause for celebration and a proverbial slap on the back for our President, right? But, for some “odd reason” I didn’t see one mention, in broadcast or print, that lauded Obama or his financial team for getting the market back to this level in such short order.
So, where’s the “Atta boy!”, “Way to go!, or even “Thank you!”??? You’d think with all the “liberal controlled media” that they would be clamoring over one another like Russians in a one-loaf breadline to applaud the President. Well, unless you need the tax loss, don’t go buying futures and options on any type of positive recognition happening anytime soon. All one has to do is look at who owns the news networks, and therefore controls the messages delivered, to realize that there is very little liberal media in this country. Even CNN, which is often characterized in this way, is home to John King and Lou Dobbs – two of the most ardent conservative mouthpieces in broadcast. At least GE, parent company of the NBC family of networks, allows for some balance with the more liberal minded MSNBC vs. the conservative led CNBC.
But, control debates aside, fair is fair. If you are going to blame someone for a problem, then it is only reasonable to commend them when they fix the problem (or at least get things going in the right direction). When America was able to score quick and decisive victories in the early parts of the Afghanistan operation, I was one of the first to admit that my initial feelings about President Bush and his cohorts might have been wrong, and loudly praised the success. Unfortunately, those feelings were quickly dashed when it became clear that they would leave the job unfinished to begin a new, unnecessary war in Iraq.
I’ve heard so many conservatives say that Obama “doesn’t walk on water”. Apparently, it seems he may have to do something along those miraculous lines in order to get any sort of recognition from the right-wingers. Though, even if he does somehow traverse water, I’m sure many will find a way to discredit it.

Isn’t it about time…

And the democracies of the world must not succumb to the filth of Zionism.

Rights council to debate Gaza war

The UN Human Rights Council is set to reopen a debate on the Goldstone report on the conduct of the Gaza war late last year.

Thursday’s session comes at the request of the Palestinian Authority, which had initially agreed to defer a vote on the UN-sanctioned Goldstone report but later backtracked after coming under heavy criticism.

The debate in Geneva is to come a day after the UN Security Council also discussed the report, during which the Palestinian Authority demanded that Israel be punished for war crimes.

Riad al-Maliki, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister, said at the Security Council meeting in New York on Wednesday that the UN should take action against Israel for its “savage attack” on the territory.

“The credibility and foundations of international human rights and humanitarian law as well as of the UN as a whole is at stake,” he said.

“The world has for too long witnessed Israel’s impunity, knowing fully well that this has been repeatedly fuelled by the lack of punishment and accountability.”

The UN Security Council’s regular meeting on the Middle East had been brought forward from its original date of October 20 after it reject Libya’s request for a special session to discuss the Gaza war report.The report, which was written by a panel led by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge, accuses Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It also accused Hamas, which has de facto control of Gaza, of war crime violations, but reserves most of its criticism for Israel.

Palestinians are circulating a draft resolution for the human rights council debate on Thursday, which among other things, calls on Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, to monitor whether Israel and Hamas conduct credible investigations into the alleged abuses during the war.

Ban urged “all of the parties to carry out credible domestic investigations into the conduct of the conflict without delay”, Lynn Pascoe, the UN under secretary general for political affairs, told the security council meeting on Wednesday.

Al-Maliki told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian Authority’s “intention is to shed light on the report and to prepare the stage for what will happen at the UN Human Rights Council”.

“I think it is very important when 44 countries participate in the deliberation, highlighting the importance of the report,” he said.

Report ’supports terror’ [ the audacity of the Zionist mouth!]

But Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister who oversaw the three week offensive against Gaza, condemned Goldstone’s findings.

Oink oink!

In a statement earlier on Wednesday, he said: “The Goldstone report is a lie, distorted, biased and supports terror. Adopting the report might grant support for terror organisations around the world.

“Democratic states need to understand that endorsing it will severely harm their abilities to cope with terror organisations and terror in general.”

Right… you war criminal!

Criminals Against Humanity!

And Gabriela Shalev, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, did not refer at all to the Goldstone report during the meeting on Wednesday, but dismissed its findings before the debate even began.

“I regret to say that the Goldstone report is one-sided, biased and therefore wrong – just as the forum and mandate that established its mission,” she said.

‘Not justifiable’

The Goldstone report recommends that its conclusions be sent on to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor in The Hague if Israel and Hamas do not hold their own credible investigations within six months.

The report accuses Israel of using disproportionate force during its war against Gaza-based Palestinian fighters.

It also accuses the Israeli military of failing to protect civilians during its series of attacks on Gaza.

Israeli officials have condemned the report, saying their country had a right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks.

But Desmond Travers, a retired army colonel who worked with Goldstone on the report, dismissed that response.

“We examined that very carefully … but we ruled that this was not a justifiable argument,” Travers, currently with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations, told Al Jazeera.

“This report has taken the world community at large one lurch forward into the whole question of impunity,” he said.

“We cannot lurch back, and I think the world at large doesn’t wish to do that.”

About 1,400 Palestinians – the majority of them civilians – and 13 Israelis were killed during Israel’s three-week war on Gaza between last December and January, which had the stated aim of stopping rocket attacks by Palestinian fighters from the coastal territory.