Germany + France = Germance

While the Carnegie Endowment provided a very thought-provoking analysis of the Euro crisis today, Seth Meyers' SNL analysis last Saturday takes the cake for the most hilarity and cheek in a humorous portrayal of the crisis.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. What a power couple!


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Link Dump!

Hodgepodge of links for Halloween:

Breaking news: UNESCO has voted to give Palestine full membership, and the U.S. cuts funding, which consists of about 20% of UNESCO's budget. Here's how the voting panned out.

Eco-friendly: The House of Plastic Bottles in Argentina, giving new life to reduce, reuse, recycle

Current events: Devastating floods in Thailand, called PM Yingluck's Katrina, and the calamity of certain administrations when dealing with natural disasters

Economy: Poland is still holding strong and is turning more to shale gas for increased energy independence

Immigration: 50 years of Multikulti in Germany

Trade: Discontent between U.S. and China, trade relations, and China's devalued currency so that a weaker currency leading to a stronger economy

Divided State: Kosovo's future? But where does the sub-division stop, and how to avoid a Pandora's Box of ethnic tensions? And in a state that has defined itself by the current borders?

Language tools: Linguae Live.ca

Fun: Pie and Prosperity (1902 NYT article)

7 Billion

Countdown the last few hundred thousands of people being born over the next few days with the UN's 7 Billion and Me page. BBC is also offering this chart to look at the world population when you were born and how each individual fits into the picture.

The world is due to reach a population of 7 billion people this weekend.

Documented Development: Japan

This collection of photos demonstrates the recovery in one field in northern Japan over a six month period. The first photo was taken in March, just days after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the area; the second was taken in June; and the third in September.

As residents attempt to return to daily life, there is still a long road of recovery ahead, but the results after 6 months are truly incredible. If only those same methods could have been applied in Haiti...

The Price of Exchange

Cultural work exchanges in the U.S. are a wonderful thing, and many young people from other countries have benefited from these programs and gained a very unique and personal view of America-- from horseback in Wyoming, from amusement parks around the country, and from ocean resorts. But that being said, these foreign workers are NOT merely cheap labor, nor are they an opportunity to out-source in-country.

While the majority of sites for cultural exchanges provide a positive experience, there are still a disturbing number of young people working slave-like 16-hour shifts or being partnered to nanny with families that are unstable or unsafe for the foreign student. The terror at the Hershey plant seems to be yet more proof that these programs need careful review and reform.

It should also be noted that most of these programs cost the foreign student multiple thousands of U.S. dollars to participate, often not including airfare. The argument is that participants will earn back the cost of the program in wages, but the majority of these jobs pay only minimum wage. Indeed, the nannying positions offered through the cultural exchange groups pay foreign nannies in America only a fraction of the market price, with large cut going back to the organization. Perhaps the price is justified in the stability, security, and support system offered by finding a job through a cultural exchange organization. But let us ensure that that support system is actually in place.

When did partisanship trump terrorism?

When will we stand as a nation and shout, "ENOUGH!" ?

Rush Limbaugh and Uganda's LRA

Remembering 9/11

The media has been filled with commemorations of this somber tenth anniversary. For Americans, especially those of us who lived close enough to know the Towers well, the shock has never really gone away. Perhaps the world did change after these attacks, or at least the individual world for many people. Suddenly the world did not seem to secure, and the home that had always seemed safe, that had never been invaded, that was half a world away from any horrors of war-- suddenly war had come to our shores, killing thousands of innocent civilians.

We never will forget, and every five or ten years we will focus all of our energies again on contemplating this anniversary, remembering where we were and considering how the world has changed since that date. The victims and heroes will always be honored, and I hope that future generations who do not have personal memories of the horror will still keep this day hallowed. We will look back to Sept. 10, 2001, and all the days before it as the golden era, the days free from fear or threat. They were not, but with the nostalgia of hindsight, they will seem calm and serene in the chaotic decade that followed.

We'll never get over it, nor should we; the anniversary from a New Yorker's POV

The Man in the Red Bandana

Chomsky's views on 9/11 and the aftermath

Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden, book promotion interview

Remembering United 93, let's roll

The Life and Fall of the Towers, photo montage from the 28 year life of the World Trade Center

My first visit back to Ground Zero, summer 2008 before any construction on the memorial had begun

Smoleńsk: A Year Later

A year ago today, the plane carrying Polish President Kaczyński, his wife, and countless other senior officials in the Polish government crashed in the forests of Smoleńsk, Russia. The leaders of the Polish government were on their way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyń massacre. All 96 people on board the plane were killed. Many consider this one of the worst tragedies Poland has suffered since World War II.

The tragedy has since become politicized, including the debates over a cross in front of the presidential palace in Warsaw, where Kaczyński should be buried*, the heated divisive politics of twin brother Jarosław Kaczyński and others, and even clashes over the wording of the memorial plague and how the solemn anniversary should be commemorated. Relations between Poland and Russia, which initially seemed to thaw, have since returned to a questionable state, though leaders from both countries continue to commemorate the 2010 Smoleńsk tragedy as well as the 1940 Katyń tragedy this year.

* Rather than being well-loved by all, he was a rather divisive figure, yet he was buried with Polish kings and heroes in the Wawel Cathedral of Kraków, a place considered to be THE heart of the Polish nation

Shut it Down

The deadline for a likely federal government shutdown in the U.S. is rapidly approaching. 5.5 hours remain, and counting...

It's late for me, so all I will say is this. If it's an issue of disagreement on spending as Republicans claim, then our politicians really need to get their acts together (but we knew this already), and they should start acting on the proposition that's floating around on some social media sites that all elected officials take a 20% cut to their own salaries for each day that they can't reach a compromise. Wishful thinking, but still.

But if it's like Democrats claim and the impasse is the question of Planned Parenthood... well, I'm at a loss. I believe in women's equality and women's rights, but I'm against abortion. That being said, I support Planned Parenthood. How many times does it have to be said that federal money is not and CANNOT be used to fund abortions?! Instead, the money to Planned Parenthood is used to fund basic rights of women for health, including screenings for breast and cervical cancer, HIV testing, treatment of STDs and more. And yet, according to the Washington Post, Republicans are claiming that "federal funding for those services frees up more private funds for abortions". You have got to be kidding me. Federal funding for those services also frees up women's ability to, you know, pay for food and bills and care for the children that they do have.

I do not support everything that Planned Parenthood does, especially if the stories are true that some employees coerce women going through a difficult time to have an abortion. But at the same time, I do not support the so-called "emergency pregnancy centers" started by anti-abortion groups that provide only limited information to pregnant women, and, in the end, provide no help to her to give a healthy life to her child.

The abortion debate in the U.S. has reached an impasse, much like the budget debate in Congress. The situation has been polarized to for and against, with no middle ground. And yet, how are pro-lifers protesting outside of abortion clinics (or worse, bombing them) helping life? If pro-life activists and politicians are truly pro-life, where are the programs to actually support women and their children after they are born? Pro-life does not stop after the child leaves the womb, but indeed, this is perhaps the time when the life needs even more attention and support. Similarly, pro-choice advocates and politicians must reconcile with the facts of science that there is indeed a separate creature in the womb from the early days of pregnancy with all the early features of a full-grown human being. This is a separate life, not simply an extension of the woman's body. Is it really simply her right to decide what happens to this separate creature? But if it is not solely her right, then society must provide the support necessary for her to care for it and be able to continue her life fully while providing for another. Unfortunately, I can't see this happening any time soon.

In the end, I must conclude that a proposal to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood is decidedly anti- pro-life. The services that are funded are those very services (limited though they are) that enable women to have a healthy life and care for the children that they bring into the world. Isn't that what pro-life means?

EDIT: Also, mind you, this whole debate is only $80 million in the federal budget. In terms of the federal deficit and other federal spending, that is mere pennies! Yes, a penny saved is a penny earned, but have you looked at our defense budget recently?


*And I haven't even touched on the correlation between birth control and dramatic increases in women's equality in developing (and developed!) countries.

Today's News

Mubarak is out, and the results of the referendum of Southern Sudan are in.

Edit: here are some amazing pictures during the revolution (via FB) and jubilation after.

Chilean Rescue

In the midst of all the tragedies and bad news that usually fill the cover stories, it is a relief to see that one that ended happily. As the world watches with joy today, Chile is slowly and carefully bringing each of the 33 miners who were trapped under the earth for two months back to the surface. Watch BBC's live feed here.

It Gets Better

Columnist Dan Savage has launched the It Gets Better Project in response to the disturbing numbers of recent teen suicides related to sexuality and bullying. GLBT individuals from across the world are sharing their stories through YouTube in an attempt to encourage young people to hold on.

The tragic story of Tyler Clementi, musician and Rutgers freshman, has probably received the most international media attention, but he is only one of many. These are only the names that we know about, and from September alone, and four within the last week.

Billy Lucas (15) September 9, 2010. Indiana
Cody J. Barker (17) September 13, 2010. Wisconsin
Seth Walsh (13) September 19, 2010. California
Tyler Clementi (18) September 22, 2010. New Jersey
Asher Brown (13) September 23, 2010. Texas
Harrison Chase Brown (15) September, 25 2010. Colorado
Raymond Chase (19) September 29, 2010. Rhode Island
Felix Sacco (17) September 29, 2010. Massachusetts
Caleb Nolt (14) September 30, 2010. Indiana

A number of projects are being launched across the US. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres are speaking out (here's the resources she mentions), the Chalk Messages project has declared that Monday 4 Oct will be the next nationwide event to write these public messages of love and support, and The Trevor Project continues to offer help via a professional and anonymous hotline for GLBT who may be contemplating suicide.

Regardless of what you may think of the gay, lesbian, bi, or trans lifestyle, no one can argue that teen suicide is a tragedy and an epidemic to which thousands of young people lose their lives every year, often triggered by bullying. And while the projects listed above are specifically geared toward GLBT youth, as they are often the most at risk, many of the messages of hope, such as the stories from It Gets Better, are universal for anyone who has experienced bullying.

"There is No 'Ground Zero Mosque'"

Thank you for some common sense at last, Mr. Olbermann



Countdown with Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, 16 August 2010

Almost a month later, and this over-politicized issue remains blown out of proportion, affecting even the mourning of yesterday's 9th anniversary, as stereotypes, prejudice, and misinformation continue to dominate. When will we learn?

Pakistani Floods

Are we tired of hearing about natural disasters this year? Earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, floods across Europe, countless other disasters that have not been given mainstream media attention, and now floods in Pakistan with destruction considered "greater than the damage from the 2004 Asian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined." The hard work to build up the infrastructure of this failed state has been washed away. And yet the donors have kept their purses closed. Why doesn't the world care about Pakistanis? If this were a different country, despite the recession and all the other disasters in recent years, it's likely that if would have received media attention more comparable to Haiti or the tsunami, and it's likely that we would all be more generous. Don't get me started on the mosque near the WTC site debate.

For what it's worth, here's yahoo's list of How to Help.

A couple links from the news

It's been a month without posts again. Just a few links to share tonight.

Krugman insightfully provides some much needed perspective (and common sense!) to the current impasse in the Senate: America is Not Yet Lost

Also, looks like Viktor Yanukovich is poised to win the presidency in Ukraine. When's the last time we heard his name on the world stage? During the so-called Orange Revolution in 2004, when Viktor Yushchenko (complete with a blotched face from conspiracies) won in Ukraine's first truly democratic elections. Some have called Yanukovich's success a reversal of this Orange Revolution. Yet the elections were judged to be fair and very successful, so the perhaps democratic legacy continues despite the election of a Russia-leaning candidate. Perhaps this is the balance that Ukraine needs.

The End of a Decade

As 2009 draws to a close, bloggers, artists, and journalists everywhere are scrambling to reflect upon the past ten years. Naturally, in this decade of the Blog, of Google, of YouTube, and of Facebook (it's hard to believe that none of these concepts existed ten years ago), this reflection is taking many diverse forms.

First, there's the usual collection of different lists of favorites (videos, music, theater, etc.) from the year. As usual JibJab released a comical video immortalizing 2009 in song and dance. Dave Barry wrote his annual year in review.

My favorite 2009 tribute goes to DJ Earworm, who created this clever mash-up of the top 25 pop songs of the year:

However, reflections on the decade as a whole present additional challenges. To start with, what should we call these past ten years? We've had ten years to decide how to pronounce the '00s, and with perfect procrastination, we failed to reach any consensus. Personally, I'm a fan of reviving the term "aught", which was used to describe the years of 1900-1909. (For example, '05 was pronounced "aught five"). Paul Krugman argues reflects on all the negative trends between 2000-2009 and thus suggests that the decade should be remembered as the "Big Zero".

The past decade certainly did bring a lot of challenges, and it bears careful remembrance and reflection. For those with only a few minutes to spare, Newsweek released a comical fast-talking review of the decade in seven minutes through headlines and old news reels. For those with a bit more time to spare, the Daily Show released a fantastic year-by-year review of the decade through old Daily Show clips to sum up the main events.

NYT is again seeking photographs from readers, this time in order to document the images of the decade. (EDIT: Here's the collection of a decade of photos). Paste considered fashion and examined the evolution of the hipster in this past decade through images.

However, my favorite tribute so far is the You Aught to Remember blog. This blog has been posting an entry a day for the past hundred days in order to reminisce about various events and (pop) cultural phenomenon that were quintessential parts of 2000-2009. Though this blog will be completed in the next few days (only 4 more entries to go!), the archives provide a comprehensive look back over the past years.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Happy 2010.

20 Years - Die Berliner Mauer

By this hour, 20 years ago tonight, the Wall had opened and East Germans flooded into the West. They say that most simply crossed in order to say they did, in order to walk on Western streets, in order to buy something from a Western store; then, after wandering for a few hours, they crossed back over the barrier that no longer carried any meaning.

The commemorations and reflections have been almost exhaustively numerous on this historic anniversary. (Also check out the concert by the Brandenberg Gate). It was a time to remember the images of the day but also consider the boundaries and debated legacy that remain.

Lest Americans forget, Ronald Reagan's famous words were uttered more than two years before the Berlin Wall opened, and he played next to no direct role in the opening. However, his relationship with the reformist Gorbachev epitomized the thaw of the Cold War. Gorbachev did not attempt to crush revolutions, as his predecessors had, but instead embraced reform even as the hard-line East German leaders dug in their heels. Poland had already elected a democratic government, Hungary had torn the Iron Curtain by opening borders with the West, and the Czech Republic would soon follow. However, in the end, it was a mistaken word at a press conference that caused the Wall to open so suddenly, unleashing the flood of humanity into the streets of West Berlin on the night of November 9-10.

The rest, as they say, is history.

A Step Toward a United States of Europe?

... or perhaps just a breath of fresh air to make the unwieldy EU structure a bit more manageable. Either way, the Lisbon Treaty has now been signed by all 27 EU member states and may take effect as soon as December 1. The Lisbon Treaty updates the original 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which formed the European Union, and provides a permanent presidency and foreign minister.

This has been a long time in coming; the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by all the EU member states has taken almost two years--one could argue that that delay itself emphasizes the need for such a treaty. (Indeed, the origins of the Lisbon Treaty can be seen in the proposed and rejected European constitution, which goes back to 2005). Will the creation of a permanent EU presidency and unified foreign affairs activity gradually rob member states of national sovereignty, as many fear? Time will tell.

Frankfurt Book Fair

The world's largest international book fair is held every October in Frankfurt, Germany. The 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair was this past week, featuring trade publishers from around the world and open to the public October 17-18. Every year, the Book Fair chooses one Guest of Honor in order to highlight the books and literature from that country; this spot can be controversial, and has previously been awarded to Catalan culture and Turkey. This year proved tense as well; China was the Guest of Honor and, according to the NYT, seemed to exhibit its struggle between desiring Western markets but despising Western dissidents.

The Boy and the Balloon

Some stories do end happily. The nation held its breath as the events unfolded this afternoon regarding a Colorado boy and an escaped weather balloon, which he was playing inside of before its tether broke loose. It was scary to think of a 6-year-old thousands of miles up in the atmosphere, but when the balloon descended without the boy inside, many feared the worst. It was a relief to come home tonight and read that the boy was actually safely on the ground the whole time.