Fidel Castro Resign And nothing really changes. I think those hoping for radical change are deluding themselves. It’s doubtful the Cuban government will change so long as Fidel is still hanging around. After all, this is a man who has killed his own family members because they openly talked about normalizing relations with the U.S. and bringing genuine democracy to Cuba because they genuinely believed Cuban Communism could withstand such pressure whereas Fidel did not.
Geriatric Air Force I would make a joke here except that the Air Force did bring about a large part of this problem and now seem to be trying to fear monger their way out of it. Everyone in the aerospace industry knows about the F-22 fiasco which led to the numbers of that plane being severely reduced. Add on top of this an obvious disagreement between Air Force and Pentagon leaders and the Secretary of Defense over numbers of planes needed and I’m left wondering just how exactly the USAF and the military have been squandering the money they get from congress. The military has a history of boondoggle programs and pet projects that go massively over budget and they need to realize they can no longer do this without facing repercussions such as this. Obviously, fighting a conflict such as the Terrorism War is expensive but the problem is the money being asked for is for planes no where near the conflict zones. That said, I think $20 million isn’t too bad of an increase to request.
Musharraf’s Party Concedes Defeat No surprise here given the assassination of Bhutto.
Kosovo Independence Reactions As expected there were some negative reactions to Kosovo’s independence. But really? Blowing up things to make your point? How exactly does that help your cause? It just make most people think maybe the Kosovars were correct in becoming independent rather than remaining part of Serbia. Also as expected, pro-Russian separatists in Georgia want to use this as pretext as well. Equally as expected Russia is curiously silent in it’s criticism of said separatists while vociferous in its opposition to Kosovo. Hypocritical much?
Flap of the Tongue Michelle Obama should realy consider her words more carefully instead of flapping her gums and saying inane comments like this:
“For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback… not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.
Yes, she was talking politically about getting people motivated but it was said in such a way to annoy me. Besides, people where greatly motivated to vote during the Reagan era, the Clinton years, and even more recently with Bush. I simply find the statement boggling considering how much has changed just in her lifetime for the better. So she is not proud about the struggles of her parents and grandparents went through to make it possible for women and minorities to make the strides they have in our society? She’s not proud that the Cold War ended without the bloodshed so many expected? She’s not proud of the advancements that have been made and continue to be made for civil rights for all Americans? Sorry but it’s just annoying when people make blanket statements like hers intended to ignore reality for political expediency. This is especially so for some one who benefited so much from the nation they claim they are not proud of.
I admit I’m not to enthused by Cindy McCain making a jab back at Michelle Obama either as it seemed immature.
Blu-ray the Future So it appears Blu-ray has won the video format wars. I don’t think many consumers really care all that much because regardless whoever wins the consumer still ends up paying for it. In this case the result is now people will have to pay for the more expensive Blu-ray. As I can’t afford either at the moment, I don’t really care one way or the other.
Sexism okay, Racism not Okay that’s not what these people say, but it is disturbing that anyone somehow thinks sexism is less egregious than racism. The only statement that infuriates me is the following:
Mabel Freeman told CNN: “In this country, as awful as sexism has been, people lost their lives for civil rights.”
So centuries of discrimination, denied rights, and abuse are somehow okay when compared to the those killed for civil rights. Does it even occur to Mrs. Freeman that the civil rights movement was not just about eliminating discrimination against black Americans but continues on in an effort to eliminate all forms of discriminatory policies? I find it unfathomable how many people still think of women as nothing but chattel, especially by other women.
Gray3's Thirdsphere 