Published four times a year in hard copy, ISRAEL HORIZONS magazine is the periodical of Meretz USA. Previously associated with Americans for Progressive Israel, it has been published more or less continuously since 1952.
Unfortunately, we've fallen behind in our publication schedule, but a preview of the Spring 2009 issue is newly available online by clicking here. Learn with a click of your mouse how to enjoy its entire contents by receiving it regularly.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
F.F. Bruce on Textual Criticism
The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:
F.F. Bruce, "Textual Criticism," The Christian Graduate 6 (1956): 135-139.
Bruce's study is still useful to the Bible student.
F.F. Bruce, "Textual Criticism," The Christian Graduate 6 (1956): 135-139.
Bruce's study is still useful to the Bible student.
Reform in haste, repent at your leisure
You know a country is in trouble when it starts messing with its constitution. Rejigging the rules was a regular activity in Latin America. Does anyone know how many constitutions Peru or Argentina has gone through? Political scientists stopped counting decades ago.
Brown is now talking about a new constitutional reform bill. What he has in mind isn't clear, but term limits for MPs and an elected Lords look two likely reforms. In a belated attempt to calm voter anger over corruption in the Commons, he is going to cobble together a bill before autumn, so that Parliament can quickly approve it when it returns from its recess. Whatever he conjures up, it will be ill-conceived. and largely driven by a panic and fear.
It is ironic that in the dying months of this discredited government, that they should be pushing for constitutional reform. Since the day it was elected, New Labour has been messing with the rules; we have new parliaments in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, elected Mayors, the removal of hereditary peers, the abolition of the Lord Chancellor plus a host of restrictions to civil liberties.
Any constitution reform can only do three things. It can; a) restrict politicians, b) empower politicians, and c) redistribute power amongst politicians. If, for example, we have an elected Lords, the Commons will be weaker. With any change in the rule book, there are always winners and losers.
Constitutional change will not make our politicians more honest. It won't pay off our debts and it won't resolve our economic difficulties. Moreover, once you start reconfiguring the rules, it is hard to stop. This is the key lesson that Latin America and their experience of constitutional change.
Besides, Brown has no mandate to mess around with the constitution. At the last election, there was nothing in the New Labour manifesto about a new reform bill.
However, this difficulty could easily be resolved if he called an election for the autumn. He would present his ideas for change to the electorate, who could approve it by re-electing him and New Labour.
Somehow, I doubt that his commitment to empowering the people extends that far.
Brown is now talking about a new constitutional reform bill. What he has in mind isn't clear, but term limits for MPs and an elected Lords look two likely reforms. In a belated attempt to calm voter anger over corruption in the Commons, he is going to cobble together a bill before autumn, so that Parliament can quickly approve it when it returns from its recess. Whatever he conjures up, it will be ill-conceived. and largely driven by a panic and fear.
It is ironic that in the dying months of this discredited government, that they should be pushing for constitutional reform. Since the day it was elected, New Labour has been messing with the rules; we have new parliaments in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, elected Mayors, the removal of hereditary peers, the abolition of the Lord Chancellor plus a host of restrictions to civil liberties.
Any constitution reform can only do three things. It can; a) restrict politicians, b) empower politicians, and c) redistribute power amongst politicians. If, for example, we have an elected Lords, the Commons will be weaker. With any change in the rule book, there are always winners and losers.
Constitutional change will not make our politicians more honest. It won't pay off our debts and it won't resolve our economic difficulties. Moreover, once you start reconfiguring the rules, it is hard to stop. This is the key lesson that Latin America and their experience of constitutional change.
Besides, Brown has no mandate to mess around with the constitution. At the last election, there was nothing in the New Labour manifesto about a new reform bill.
However, this difficulty could easily be resolved if he called an election for the autumn. He would present his ideas for change to the electorate, who could approve it by re-electing him and New Labour.
Somehow, I doubt that his commitment to empowering the people extends that far.
Brown's offended conscience
It seems he didn't know that MPs were taking the taxpayer for a ride. However, he promises a new constitution and a code of conduct to clean up the House of Hypocrites.
Lloyds - shareholders demand some payback
The Lloyds-HBOS tie-up was arguably the worst merger in UK corporate history. It was inspired by New Labour, who were anxious to avoid a second banking collapse after Northern Rock. The Lloyds bank management agreed to it because they thought they could dominate the retail lending business in the UK.
It was tawdry deal that went badly wrong; Lloyds management thought they were going to monopolise the market. Instead, the bank nearly sank under the bad loans they took over from HBOS. The government ended up owning almost half the bank.
The shareholders were misled, and suffered huge financial losses. Now, the UK Shareholders’ Association (UKSA) is taking legal advice over the circumstances surrounding the deal. They hope to launch a legal campaign against the directors of Lloyds TSB over their decision to rescue HBOS.
But why hit the monkey when you can clobber the organ-grinder. Lloyds shareholders should sue the government.
It was tawdry deal that went badly wrong; Lloyds management thought they were going to monopolise the market. Instead, the bank nearly sank under the bad loans they took over from HBOS. The government ended up owning almost half the bank.
The shareholders were misled, and suffered huge financial losses. Now, the UK Shareholders’ Association (UKSA) is taking legal advice over the circumstances surrounding the deal. They hope to launch a legal campaign against the directors of Lloyds TSB over their decision to rescue HBOS.
But why hit the monkey when you can clobber the organ-grinder. Lloyds shareholders should sue the government.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Little Havana's All-Aboard Family Literacy Center serves community
This Literacy Center is helping parents learn English and also learn to help their children do better in school. The teacher in this Center received the 2009 Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year award. There is a very long waiting list of families trying to join the classes. - - Donna Poisl
BY CHRISTINA VEIGA
She likes to think of it as the ``Little Havana Country Club.''
But with a waiting list of more than 135 families, supervisor Maria Piñón only wishes the All-Aboard Family Literacy Center in Miami was big enough to accommodate all those who want to be a part.
For five years, the center at 145 SW 11th Ave., has served as a gathering place to celebrate birthdays, mourn deaths -- and most importantly, learn. The center teaches parenting skills and literacy for families with children up to age 7 in the Riverside Elementary area in Little Havana. The program provides parents with the academic foundation that will lead to self-sufficiency while ensuring their children acquire the skills needed at their grade level.
''Many are new immigrants, so they find here a family,'' Piñón said.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
BY CHRISTINA VEIGA
She likes to think of it as the ``Little Havana Country Club.''
But with a waiting list of more than 135 families, supervisor Maria Piñón only wishes the All-Aboard Family Literacy Center in Miami was big enough to accommodate all those who want to be a part.
For five years, the center at 145 SW 11th Ave., has served as a gathering place to celebrate birthdays, mourn deaths -- and most importantly, learn. The center teaches parenting skills and literacy for families with children up to age 7 in the Riverside Elementary area in Little Havana. The program provides parents with the academic foundation that will lead to self-sufficiency while ensuring their children acquire the skills needed at their grade level.
''Many are new immigrants, so they find here a family,'' Piñón said.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
NRK - they knew in 2004
From today's FT:
Banking regulators identified Northern Rock as the weak link in Britain’s banking system during secret “war games” held as long ago as 2004, the Financial Times has learned.
The risk simulation planning, conducted by the Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and the Treasury, made clear the systemic risks posed by Northern Rock’s business model, and its domino effect on HBOS, then the UK’s largest mortgage lender.
The revelation is at odds with the notion that no one could have foreseen the September 2007 collapse of Northern Rock or the subsequent rescue of HBOS, which was sold to Lloyds Bank.
Remind me again; how much did the taxpayer lose with NRK? Has anyone taken responsibility for this catastrophic mess?
Banking regulators identified Northern Rock as the weak link in Britain’s banking system during secret “war games” held as long ago as 2004, the Financial Times has learned.
The risk simulation planning, conducted by the Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and the Treasury, made clear the systemic risks posed by Northern Rock’s business model, and its domino effect on HBOS, then the UK’s largest mortgage lender.
The revelation is at odds with the notion that no one could have foreseen the September 2007 collapse of Northern Rock or the subsequent rescue of HBOS, which was sold to Lloyds Bank.
Remind me again; how much did the taxpayer lose with NRK? Has anyone taken responsibility for this catastrophic mess?
Car industry comes back for more
The unions are not happy with New Labour. Apparently, it isn't piling in with the German government to save jobs as GM goes down the pan. From Reuters:
LONDON, May 30 - Union leaders on Saturday urged the government to do more to safeguard British jobs after Germany announced a deal to save the European arm of stricken US car giant, General Motors.
When an industry tells the government that it needs to "do more", it means it wants to dip into the taxpayer's pocket and pull out some cash.
The answer to this kind of pressure should be NO. I fear it will be yes.
LONDON, May 30 - Union leaders on Saturday urged the government to do more to safeguard British jobs after Germany announced a deal to save the European arm of stricken US car giant, General Motors.
When an industry tells the government that it needs to "do more", it means it wants to dip into the taxpayer's pocket and pull out some cash.
The answer to this kind of pressure should be NO. I fear it will be yes.
David Byrne Reviews "Pedaling Revolution"
I can ride till my legs are sore and it won’t make riding any cooler, but when attractive women are seen sitting upright going about their city business on bikes day and night, the crowds will surely follow.
NY Times
David Byrne Reviews "Pedaling Revolution"
I can ride till my legs are sore and it won’t make riding any cooler, but when attractive women are seen sitting upright going about their city business on bikes day and night, the crowds will surely follow.
NY Times
Happy car owners, miserable tax payers
Why hasn't the car scrappage scheme generated mass protests from taxpayers? It must be because we have become totally numb to this kind of fiscal stupidity. Nothing shocks us anymore.
This scheme has a budget of £300 million. Since the payment for each car scrapped is £2,000, this means that 150,000 lucky new car owners will benefit. There are approximately 35 million taxpayers. This scam will take approximately £8.50 from each one of them and arbitrarily give it to a tiny minority of people who want to buy new cars.
What is the logic of this brazen redistribution of wealth? According to Mandelson, it is to boost the car industry. Why is car production so special? Why shouldn't fish and chip shops or pubs be protected with tax payers money? How about internet cafes? There are plenty of firms suffering right now, yet there are no taxpayer financed product scrappage schemes designed to boost sales.
There is also a spurious environmental argument floating around. Cars older than ten years are supposed to pollute more. Yet, we all know that the reduction in CO2 emissions from this scheme will be marginal. Besides, new car owners will have an extra £2,000 in their pockets, part of which will be spent on petrol, negating the minimal reduction in C02 emissions.
So why did the car industry receive this unpardonable subsidy? They shouted the loudest; they complained the most; they scared New Labour with hairy stories of job losses, while other firms were silently shedding jobs. It was a classic case of corporate welfare, with ordinary taxpayers silently subsidizing the personal consumption of a minority.
Burn the Bed Nets & Flush Vaccines - Spray DDT in Africa
The clinical drug experiment being conducted in Africa to address malaria is a waste of time, effort and money. The clinical trial is being conducted in seven African countries and is being sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline PLC and the Parth Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), a charitable group funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If we had Gates' money, we would spray DDT until the mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite were eliminated. Then we would end the spraying. It worked in the United States and it could prevent millions of deaths each year. Then the vaccine would not be needed. If the Gates kids had been at risk they would have sprayed too. Malaria is the leading cause of death of infants and children in Africa.We get apoplectic every time we hear about using bed nets to prevent malaria too. Or spraying a little insecticide 'in the house' to keep the mosquitoes away. Please. Americans would not go for these ridiculous 'solutions' for one minute. Neither should Africans. If outsiders want to help, work to eliminate the malaria carrying mosquitoes completely and then cease or significantly reduce the use of DDT. Bed nets and vaccines are poor substitutes for the effective and efficient use of DDT to save lives. Bill & Melinda Gates should get a clue and not worry about what the politically correct will think about them. Children are dying while they fund non solutions. (WSJ, 5/30/09)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Most U.S. Hispanic Kids Have Immigrant Parents
Census numbers are showing that 52% of Latino children in this country are children born to immigrant parents. - - Donna Poisl
By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post Staff Writer
A majority of Hispanic children are now U.S.-born children of immigrants, primarily Mexicans who came to this country in an immigration wave that began about 1980, according to a report released yesterday.
The analysis of census data by the nonpartisan, Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center charts a substantial demographic shift among the nation's 16 million Hispanic children, who constitute one of the fastest growing child populations in the United States and account for more than one of five U.S. children. As recently as 1980, nearly six of 10 Latino children were in the third generation or higher, meaning that their parents, and often their grandparents and great-grandparents, were native-born U.S. citizens. Only three of 10 were in the second generation -- born in the United States to parents who immigrated.
Now those U.S.-born children of Latino immigrants account for 52 percent of all Latino children, according to the study.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post Staff Writer
A majority of Hispanic children are now U.S.-born children of immigrants, primarily Mexicans who came to this country in an immigration wave that began about 1980, according to a report released yesterday.
The analysis of census data by the nonpartisan, Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center charts a substantial demographic shift among the nation's 16 million Hispanic children, who constitute one of the fastest growing child populations in the United States and account for more than one of five U.S. children. As recently as 1980, nearly six of 10 Latino children were in the third generation or higher, meaning that their parents, and often their grandparents and great-grandparents, were native-born U.S. citizens. Only three of 10 were in the second generation -- born in the United States to parents who immigrated.
Now those U.S.-born children of Latino immigrants account for 52 percent of all Latino children, according to the study.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Center reaches out to women
This city received a grant and is using it to help immigrant women learn English and a skill they can use to get a better job or even open their own business. - - Donna Poisl
'Mother's Club' » Immigrant women gain skills to increase their income levels.
By Jennifer W. Sanchez, The Salt Lake Tribune
Midvale » Patricia Blazquez worked at a pizzeria and later cleaned houses when she moved from Mexico to Utah almost 10 years ago. Now she is excited about the possibility of opening her own business. Blazquez is one of some 20 Spanish-speaking women enrolled in the city's Mother's Club, a new program teaching them English and how to sew.
Blazquez, a wife and mother of two, said she hopes to use her sewing skills to get a job she enjoys, maybe open a shop. But, she's especially working hard to learn English.
"It's the only way someone can progress in this country," she said, speaking in Spanish.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
'Mother's Club' » Immigrant women gain skills to increase their income levels.
By Jennifer W. Sanchez, The Salt Lake Tribune
Midvale » Patricia Blazquez worked at a pizzeria and later cleaned houses when she moved from Mexico to Utah almost 10 years ago. Now she is excited about the possibility of opening her own business. Blazquez is one of some 20 Spanish-speaking women enrolled in the city's Mother's Club, a new program teaching them English and how to sew.
Blazquez, a wife and mother of two, said she hopes to use her sewing skills to get a job she enjoys, maybe open a shop. But, she's especially working hard to learn English.
"It's the only way someone can progress in this country," she said, speaking in Spanish.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
A lifeline for elderly Irish immigrants
Many immigrant communities should have outreach programs helping their elderly residents. It is not only the Irish people who have this problem - - Donna Poisl
By James F. Smith, Globe Staff
A few years back, after two elderly Irish immigrants died alone in their homes on the South Shore and the bodies weren't discovered for days, the Irish Pastoral Centre in Quincy resolved to prevent it from happening again. The center launched an outreach program to confront the isolation that can afflict the aged when spouses die and neighbors move away.
The elderly program now draws more than 400 Irish-born seniors into weekly and monthly activities in Quincy, Canton, and Brighton, keeping people involved and connected.
President Mary McAleese of Ireland, speaking yesterday at a brunch in Dorchester honoring the outreach program, said the work is especially valuable for the Irish diaspora.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By James F. Smith, Globe Staff
A few years back, after two elderly Irish immigrants died alone in their homes on the South Shore and the bodies weren't discovered for days, the Irish Pastoral Centre in Quincy resolved to prevent it from happening again. The center launched an outreach program to confront the isolation that can afflict the aged when spouses die and neighbors move away.
The elderly program now draws more than 400 Irish-born seniors into weekly and monthly activities in Quincy, Canton, and Brighton, keeping people involved and connected.
President Mary McAleese of Ireland, speaking yesterday at a brunch in Dorchester honoring the outreach program, said the work is especially valuable for the Irish diaspora.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Oil hits a six month high
Oil prices today hit $66 a barrel. It is a fresh six-month high and it is the biggest monthly gain in more than 10 years.
The recent fall in UK inflation is due to two factors. The first was the temporary reduction in VAT rates. That comes to an end in December. The second was the fall in oil prices. That has come to an end this month.
To summarize; the UK central bank is printing cash, the fiscal deficit is heading for 12 percent of GDP, and the price of oil is rising rapidly. Put it together and what have you got?
It begins with I.
Flashman Cash
While watching Newsnight last night, I heard Bill Cash defend his dodgy arrangement with his daughter. This is what I heard:"Blah,....blah,....., tenancy agreement,......blah,.....did nothing wrong,....blah,....,within the rules,.....blah,......which was all approved by the Fees office."
Poor old Bill, he is going to have to go. Cameron never liked him and his articulate Euro-skepticism. The expenses scandal presents a wonderful opportunity to push Bill overboard.
Nevertheless, Bill Cash now has a wonderful opportunity to become an honest man. He could quit the Tories and join UKIP. It is where he really belongs. So go on, Bill, jump ship and become a pirate.
The future of British Politics
Oh Lordy.....
Lets face it, the British electorate and Esther were made for each other.
It is over
House prices have risen in two out of three months. The property market is carving out a bottom. The crash is over.
Today's Nationwide data is alarming. Prices posted a 1.2 percent increase. With interest rates at historically unprecedented lows, we could quickly see the house prices accelerate uncontrollably.
There is a curious feature about the UK property market that makes this scenario likely. Even at the height of the bubble, sales volumes were surprisingly low. Since the crash began, volumes have fallen further. It won't take much of an uptick in sales volumes to see some very rapid increases in property price indices.
If property prices recover quickly, it will translate into a dramatic increase in demand. The transmission mechanism will be mortgage equity withdrawal. Again, with interest rates at historical lows, any gain in housing equity will lead to a surge in lending. With the Bank of England generating huge amounts of liquidity, and the government desperate to see banks increase lending volumes, all the conditions are in place for a surge in spending.
However, the supply side of the economy isn't ready. Firms have been cutting back inventories, reducing capacity and firing workers. As such, the UK economy could be best described as about to see a huge positive demand shock coupled with a contractionary supply shock.
In other words, the UK is primed for inflation.
Today's Nationwide data is alarming. Prices posted a 1.2 percent increase. With interest rates at historically unprecedented lows, we could quickly see the house prices accelerate uncontrollably.
There is a curious feature about the UK property market that makes this scenario likely. Even at the height of the bubble, sales volumes were surprisingly low. Since the crash began, volumes have fallen further. It won't take much of an uptick in sales volumes to see some very rapid increases in property price indices.
If property prices recover quickly, it will translate into a dramatic increase in demand. The transmission mechanism will be mortgage equity withdrawal. Again, with interest rates at historical lows, any gain in housing equity will lead to a surge in lending. With the Bank of England generating huge amounts of liquidity, and the government desperate to see banks increase lending volumes, all the conditions are in place for a surge in spending.
However, the supply side of the economy isn't ready. Firms have been cutting back inventories, reducing capacity and firing workers. As such, the UK economy could be best described as about to see a huge positive demand shock coupled with a contractionary supply shock.
In other words, the UK is primed for inflation.
HUD Secretary Donovan Announces That the New $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit Can be 'Monetized' and Used for Downpayment
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers homebuyers a tax credit of up to $8,000 for purchasing their first home. Until now, families could only access this tax credit after filing their tax returns with the IRS.
HUD Secretary Donovan’s announcement details FHA's rules allowing state Housing Finance Agencies and certain nonprofits to "monetize" up to the full amount of the tax credit (depending on the amount of the mortgage) so that borrowers can immediately apply the funds toward their down payments.
Home buyers using FHA-approved lenders can apply the tax credit to their down payment in excess of 3.5 percent of appraised value or their closing costs, which can help achieve a lower interest rate.
Read HUD's news release.
Read FHA's new mortgagee letter.
HUD Secretary Donovan’s announcement details FHA's rules allowing state Housing Finance Agencies and certain nonprofits to "monetize" up to the full amount of the tax credit (depending on the amount of the mortgage) so that borrowers can immediately apply the funds toward their down payments.
Home buyers using FHA-approved lenders can apply the tax credit to their down payment in excess of 3.5 percent of appraised value or their closing costs, which can help achieve a lower interest rate.
Read HUD's news release.
Read FHA's new mortgagee letter.
MADDIES GUITAR PROMO
In the Philadelphia market, the music program kicks off tonight at Maddies in Frazer, PA. Come out and join Yuengling and WMMR for the start of this exciting program and enter to win a custom made, limited edition Martin Guitar that was crafted in honor of our 180th Anniversary. Maddie's is a great spot to come and meet friends, and tonight's Yuengling promo is sure to bring out a crowd. The promotion runs from 6-8pm and the bar will be open all night! For more information on Maddies, visit their website here. To view the entire Philly music promo schedule click here.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
WOC Team - Who's Running What
We had the team settled, and now we've got the details!
Team coach Mike Waddington and WOC team leader Tom Hollowell have announced "who's running what" for WOC 2009. Start memorizing and making those big signs!
Men
Middle: Eddie Bergeron, Eric Bone, Wyatt Riley
Long: Eric Bone, Ross Smith, Clem McGrath
Sprint: Ross Smith, Wyatt Riley, Clem McGrath
Relay (in running order): Ross Smith, Eric Bone, Eddie Bergeron
Women
Middle: Sandra Zurcher, Pavlina Brautigam, Viktoria Brautigam
Long: Samantha Saeger, Sandra Zurcher, Cristina Luis
Sprint: Viktoria Brautigam, Samantha Saeger, Cristina Luis
Relay (in running order): Samantha Saeger, Sandra Zurcher, Viktoria or Pavlina Brautigam
Team coach Mike Waddington and WOC team leader Tom Hollowell have announced "who's running what" for WOC 2009. Start memorizing and making those big signs!
Men
Middle: Eddie Bergeron, Eric Bone, Wyatt Riley
Long: Eric Bone, Ross Smith, Clem McGrath
Sprint: Ross Smith, Wyatt Riley, Clem McGrath
Relay (in running order): Ross Smith, Eric Bone, Eddie Bergeron
Women
Middle: Sandra Zurcher, Pavlina Brautigam, Viktoria Brautigam
Long: Samantha Saeger, Sandra Zurcher, Cristina Luis
Sprint: Viktoria Brautigam, Samantha Saeger, Cristina Luis
Relay (in running order): Samantha Saeger, Sandra Zurcher, Viktoria or Pavlina Brautigam
F.F. Bruce on Archaeological Confirmation of the New Testament
The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:
Bruce's article stands the test of time better than Wiseman's in this volume. Well worth reading.
Bruce's article stands the test of time better than Wiseman's in this volume. Well worth reading.
Cannes, this year
Life Magazine has pictures of the annual Jorge Gallegos Boules Tournament, during the film festival.Look at the fancy blue woven ribbon along the borders. It is certainly not to protect the wooden beams, nor the boules. Maybe to prevent boules from bouncing back into the play area? Or just to make it look pretty?
Life Magazine
Cannes, this year
Life Magazine has pictures of the annual Jorge Gallegos Boules Tournament, during the film festival.Look at the fancy blue woven ribbon along the borders. It is certainly not to protect the wooden beams, nor the boules. Maybe to prevent boules from bouncing back into the play area? Or just to make it look pretty?
Life Magazine
NIV Archaeological Study Bible – A Review
Ever since I first read the archaeological supplement in my Thompson Chain Reference Bible I have found the subject of Biblical archaeology fascinating. For that reason I was delighted when Zondervan sent me a copy of the NIV Archaeological Study Bible
to review.The main feature of the Archaeological Study Bible is the inclusion of 500 articles of various lengths (200 words). These are placed under several thematic headings:
Ancient Peoples, Lands and Rulers
These include “The Location of Eden,” “Josiah, Zechariah and Neco II,” “The Annals of Sargon II,” “Babylon,” “Antiochus IV Epiphanes,”
Archaeological Sites
These include: “Beth Shemesh,” “Sheba,” “Hezekiah’s Tunnel,” “Gezer,” "Byblos,” “Thebes,” “Adullam,” “The Pool of Siloam,” “Masada,” “Crete,”
Ancient Texts and ArtifactsThese include: “Ancient Creation Narratives,” “The Sumerian King List,” “Ugaritic Liturgy Against Venomous Snakes,” “The Teaching of Amenemope,” “the Apocrypha,”
The Reliability of the Bible
The include: “The Documentary Hypothesis,” “Alternative Theories About The Exodus,” “The Chronology of Ezra and Nehemiah,” “The Canonicity of Esther,” “The Problem of the Septuagint Version of Jeremiah,” “The Unity of Amos,”
Cultural and Historical Notes
These include: “The Golden Calf,” “"The Jewish Calendar,” “The Judges Period,” “Dagon,” “Siege Warfare,” “Idols and Idol Making,” “Baptism in the Ancient World,”
Ancient Voices
Short quotations of ANE writings showing a parallel theme to the passage next to which they are placed.
There are also some helpful charts, a glossary of terms used and the usual complement of maps.
I have to say that despite reading some of the negative reviews of this Bible on-line, I thought that the notes were generally helpful and balanced. They take a conservative view in most cases, presenting the argument well for an early Exodus, the unity of Isaiah and a 7th Century date for the composition of the Book of Daniel. There are obvious difficulties involved in reducing these complex arguments to a 200 word summary, but in most cases this has been achieved while still admitting the possibility of a different interpretation of the evidence. I say in most cases, because the notes take a strongly egalitarian view of the gender passages in the New Testament and do not admit any possibility that this might be not what the archaeological evidence points too, or indeed, that there is any other way of viewing the passages at all!
One of my favourite notes is found on page 1594: "The Legend of the Needle's Eye Gate". It correctly argues that the existence of a 'Needle's Eye Gate' in the wall of Jerusalem is based not on archaeology, but on a medieval legend. Far from illuminating one of Jesus' "Hard Sayings" the legend of the Needle's Eye Gate actually weakens its meaning. Preachers, take note!
So, on the whole, I would recommend this Bible to anyone with an interest in archaeology, as long as they use it to whet their appetite for other more detailed works on the subject. One final caveat: unless you are younger than me or have exceptionally good eyesight I would not recommend the use of the "Personal Size" Version without access to a strong magnifying glass!
Bibi Meets Obama (by Dr. R. O. Freedman)
The following is by Meretz USA board member, Robert O. Freedman. Dr. Freedman is a Visiting Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Among his publications are: Israel In the Begin Era, Israel Under Rabin, and,most recently, Contemporary Israel: Domestic Politics,Foreign Policy And Security Challenges (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2008).
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu met US President Barak Obama on Monday, May 18th, there were a number of issues on the table for discussion, including questions about Netanyahu's willingness to accept a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel's building of settlements and settlement outposts on the West Bank, and, of course, what to do about Iran. In addition, there was the question of rapport between the two leaders, one on the right wing of the political spectrum and the other on the left wing. While the meeting, which lasted 30 minutes longer than expected, did not solve any of the issues being discussed, it may have established a positive working relationship between the two leaders, both of whom are at the beginning of their incumbencies.
Obama made a number of gestures to Israel and to the American Jewish Community to set a positive tone for the meeting. Thus the United States refused to participate in the Durban II anti-racism conference because it appeared to be taking an anti-Israeli position. This decision involved some political cost to Obama because the Congressional Black Caucus was pushing for the US to participate. In addition, The US Justice Department dropped its four year old case against two ex-AIPAC staffers, Keith Weissman and Steven Rosen who had been accused in 2005 on the very vague charge that they had conspired to disclose national defense information to those not authorized to receive it. The fact that the case was dropped on the eve of the annual AIPAC conference in Washington could only be seen as another gesture to Israel and to the American Jewish Community. Finally, in the press conference following the meeting, it appeared that Obama went out of his way to flatter Netanyahu, praising his "political skills" and "historical vision"
While these gestures were important, the fact remains that Netanyahu is a right- of- center Israeli politician and Obama is a left- of- center American one, and there is a real question as to how they will get along in the long run. Gone are the warm personal relations between the conservative politicians George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon, and between the slightly left of center politicians Bill Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin. Indeed, Netanyahu faced a similar problem when he was Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, when he had to deal with Clinton. Fortunately for Netanyahu at that time, he had the support of the Republican-dominated US Congress, and for most of the Netanyahu period, Clinton was bogged down with the Monica Lewinsky affair. Netanyahu has no such cover this time. Obama is a very popular US President with a strong Democratic Party majority in both houses of Congress, so Netanyahu's room for maneuver is much more limited. The most Netanyahu can hope for, if he chooses to stonewall on the peace process, is that Obama will be so bogged down with the problems of the US economy and the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that he will have little time to devote to the Middle East peace process.
ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION
1. The Two State Solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict: Obama has been pushing hard for Israel to accept the two-state solution, and he did so again in the post-meeting press conference. Vice-President Joe Biden, in recent comments to the AIPAC conference stated that: "Israel has to work for a two-state solution... The status quo of the last decade has not served the interests of either the United States or Israel very well." Netanyahu made no formal committment to a two-state solution his meeting with Obama, and the Israeli government has been arguing that with Hamas controlling Gaza and a weak and corrupt Mahmud Abbas running the West Bank, the time is not right for the creation of a Palestinian State
2. Settlements and settlement outposts: Obama, as many US Presidents before him is strongly opposed to the expansion of settlements and the construction of settlement outposts, and he made this very clear during the press conference. The US government has been arguing that the expansion of the settlements takes away land that the Palestinians want for their state, and causes despair among the Palestinians. As Biden told AIPAC, "You're not going to like me saying this, but don't build more settlements,.dismantle existing (settlement) outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement". Perhaps as a gesture to Obama, immediately upon his return to Israel, Netanyahu ordered the settlement outpost of Maoz Esther destroyed, but whether he will prevent it from being rebuilt, as other destroyed settlement outposts have been, remains to be seen.
3. Iran: This is perhaps the most difficult of the issues which the two leaders face. Obama has been trying to use diplomacy to get the Iranian leadership to cease enriching uranium and answer IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) questions about their nuclear weaponization program. For their part, the Israelis claim that the Iranian leaders are stalling, and will continue to string out the US in the talks until their nuclear weaponization program is completed. On this issue, Obama's proposed deadline of the end of 2009,would appear to be an important gesture to Netanyahu.
A related question is the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Some in the Obama Administration have been pressing Israel to sign the agreement so as to have its nuclear facilities inspected. The idea here seems to be that were Israel to sign, Iran would have one less excuse for its stalling. The problem from the Israeli perspective is that until Israel is at peace with all of its neighbors, including Iran, Israel needs its nuclear program as a deterrent against those countries, and especially Iran, that have sworn to destroy it.
Finally, in relation to Iran there is the question of timing. Netanyahu has been pushing for an Iran-first policy, arguing that if the Iranian nuclear program can be halted, that would weaken Hamas and Hezbollah which are enemies of both Israel and the peace process. The Obama Administration has countered that if there were a genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace process underway, it would weaken the appeal of Iran to the Sunni "Arab Street," and thus facilitate the peace process, a point Obama repeated during the press conference.
4. The Arab Peace Plan: The Obama Administration has been praising parts of the Arab Peace Plan, which basically calls for Arab State recognition of Israel in return for Israel's withdrawal to its pre-1967 war boundaries and a "just" settlement of the Palestinian refugee problem. The Israelis object not only to a complete withdrawal, which would conflict with Israel's need for "secure borders" as noted in UN Resolution 242, but also to the Arab interpretation of the solution to the Palestinian refugee problem which involves the return of the refugees to Israel, not to a Palestinian State on the West Bank and Gaza. The Obama Adminstration has been pushing the Arabs to agree to aspects of normalization before a full Israeli withdrawal, but the Arab World is split on this with Jordan favoring the US idea and Syria opposing it.
5. Arab recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state": While Netanyahu has agreed not to push for this as a prerequisite for negotiations to begin, he wants it as part of a final agreement, as he made clear at the press conference. The Arabs, citing the 20% non-Jewish Arab minority in Israel oppose it. To Netanyahu, this is a case of Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state and Israel's acceptance in the Middle East, so it will be interesting to see if the US is willing to expend any political capital to try to bring the Arabs around to the Israeli position on this.
6. US aid to a Palestinian national unity government that includes Hamas representatives: Netanyahu has been opposing such aid because it would serve to legitimize Hamas, even as the organization continues to refuse to recognize Israel and calls for Israel's destruction. The US has gone back and forth on this issue, and Congressional pressure has limited Obama's flexibility on it. While at the present time this is just an academic question because Hamas and Fatah are far from forming a national unity government, the issue may well come up in the not-too-distant future.
In sum, Obama and Netanyahu began their dialogue on these key problems during their 18 May meeting in Washington. Whether they will succeed in solving them, however, remains to be seen.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu met US President Barak Obama on Monday, May 18th, there were a number of issues on the table for discussion, including questions about Netanyahu's willingness to accept a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel's building of settlements and settlement outposts on the West Bank, and, of course, what to do about Iran. In addition, there was the question of rapport between the two leaders, one on the right wing of the political spectrum and the other on the left wing. While the meeting, which lasted 30 minutes longer than expected, did not solve any of the issues being discussed, it may have established a positive working relationship between the two leaders, both of whom are at the beginning of their incumbencies.
Obama made a number of gestures to Israel and to the American Jewish Community to set a positive tone for the meeting. Thus the United States refused to participate in the Durban II anti-racism conference because it appeared to be taking an anti-Israeli position. This decision involved some political cost to Obama because the Congressional Black Caucus was pushing for the US to participate. In addition, The US Justice Department dropped its four year old case against two ex-AIPAC staffers, Keith Weissman and Steven Rosen who had been accused in 2005 on the very vague charge that they had conspired to disclose national defense information to those not authorized to receive it. The fact that the case was dropped on the eve of the annual AIPAC conference in Washington could only be seen as another gesture to Israel and to the American Jewish Community. Finally, in the press conference following the meeting, it appeared that Obama went out of his way to flatter Netanyahu, praising his "political skills" and "historical vision"
While these gestures were important, the fact remains that Netanyahu is a right- of- center Israeli politician and Obama is a left- of- center American one, and there is a real question as to how they will get along in the long run. Gone are the warm personal relations between the conservative politicians George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon, and between the slightly left of center politicians Bill Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin. Indeed, Netanyahu faced a similar problem when he was Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, when he had to deal with Clinton. Fortunately for Netanyahu at that time, he had the support of the Republican-dominated US Congress, and for most of the Netanyahu period, Clinton was bogged down with the Monica Lewinsky affair. Netanyahu has no such cover this time. Obama is a very popular US President with a strong Democratic Party majority in both houses of Congress, so Netanyahu's room for maneuver is much more limited. The most Netanyahu can hope for, if he chooses to stonewall on the peace process, is that Obama will be so bogged down with the problems of the US economy and the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that he will have little time to devote to the Middle East peace process.
ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION
1. The Two State Solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict: Obama has been pushing hard for Israel to accept the two-state solution, and he did so again in the post-meeting press conference. Vice-President Joe Biden, in recent comments to the AIPAC conference stated that: "Israel has to work for a two-state solution... The status quo of the last decade has not served the interests of either the United States or Israel very well." Netanyahu made no formal committment to a two-state solution his meeting with Obama, and the Israeli government has been arguing that with Hamas controlling Gaza and a weak and corrupt Mahmud Abbas running the West Bank, the time is not right for the creation of a Palestinian State
2. Settlements and settlement outposts: Obama, as many US Presidents before him is strongly opposed to the expansion of settlements and the construction of settlement outposts, and he made this very clear during the press conference. The US government has been arguing that the expansion of the settlements takes away land that the Palestinians want for their state, and causes despair among the Palestinians. As Biden told AIPAC, "You're not going to like me saying this, but don't build more settlements,.dismantle existing (settlement) outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement". Perhaps as a gesture to Obama, immediately upon his return to Israel, Netanyahu ordered the settlement outpost of Maoz Esther destroyed, but whether he will prevent it from being rebuilt, as other destroyed settlement outposts have been, remains to be seen.
3. Iran: This is perhaps the most difficult of the issues which the two leaders face. Obama has been trying to use diplomacy to get the Iranian leadership to cease enriching uranium and answer IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) questions about their nuclear weaponization program. For their part, the Israelis claim that the Iranian leaders are stalling, and will continue to string out the US in the talks until their nuclear weaponization program is completed. On this issue, Obama's proposed deadline of the end of 2009,would appear to be an important gesture to Netanyahu.
A related question is the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Some in the Obama Administration have been pressing Israel to sign the agreement so as to have its nuclear facilities inspected. The idea here seems to be that were Israel to sign, Iran would have one less excuse for its stalling. The problem from the Israeli perspective is that until Israel is at peace with all of its neighbors, including Iran, Israel needs its nuclear program as a deterrent against those countries, and especially Iran, that have sworn to destroy it.
Finally, in relation to Iran there is the question of timing. Netanyahu has been pushing for an Iran-first policy, arguing that if the Iranian nuclear program can be halted, that would weaken Hamas and Hezbollah which are enemies of both Israel and the peace process. The Obama Administration has countered that if there were a genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace process underway, it would weaken the appeal of Iran to the Sunni "Arab Street," and thus facilitate the peace process, a point Obama repeated during the press conference.
4. The Arab Peace Plan: The Obama Administration has been praising parts of the Arab Peace Plan, which basically calls for Arab State recognition of Israel in return for Israel's withdrawal to its pre-1967 war boundaries and a "just" settlement of the Palestinian refugee problem. The Israelis object not only to a complete withdrawal, which would conflict with Israel's need for "secure borders" as noted in UN Resolution 242, but also to the Arab interpretation of the solution to the Palestinian refugee problem which involves the return of the refugees to Israel, not to a Palestinian State on the West Bank and Gaza. The Obama Adminstration has been pushing the Arabs to agree to aspects of normalization before a full Israeli withdrawal, but the Arab World is split on this with Jordan favoring the US idea and Syria opposing it.
5. Arab recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state": While Netanyahu has agreed not to push for this as a prerequisite for negotiations to begin, he wants it as part of a final agreement, as he made clear at the press conference. The Arabs, citing the 20% non-Jewish Arab minority in Israel oppose it. To Netanyahu, this is a case of Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state and Israel's acceptance in the Middle East, so it will be interesting to see if the US is willing to expend any political capital to try to bring the Arabs around to the Israeli position on this.
6. US aid to a Palestinian national unity government that includes Hamas representatives: Netanyahu has been opposing such aid because it would serve to legitimize Hamas, even as the organization continues to refuse to recognize Israel and calls for Israel's destruction. The US has gone back and forth on this issue, and Congressional pressure has limited Obama's flexibility on it. While at the present time this is just an academic question because Hamas and Fatah are far from forming a national unity government, the issue may well come up in the not-too-distant future.
In sum, Obama and Netanyahu began their dialogue on these key problems during their 18 May meeting in Washington. Whether they will succeed in solving them, however, remains to be seen.
NeighborWorks America Launches Social Media Presence
NeighborWorks America announced this month the launch of a new social media program. NeighborWorks is now engaging in a range of social media platforms – from this news blog and Facebook to Twitter and Flickr – to better connect with our audiences and to more rapidly disseminate news and information about the organization and the housing and community development field.
“The addition of a social media presence to our communication strategy enables NeighborWorks to interact with our target audiences about the issues that are important to them. It will continue to raise the profile of NeighborWorks as a leader in the nonprofit industry and give us the opportunity to build audience feedback and needs into our strategic planning,” said Linda Cotton Perry, director of Development and Communications at NeighborWorks America NeighborWorks America.
Learn more about how you can stay connected with NeighborWorks America
“The addition of a social media presence to our communication strategy enables NeighborWorks to interact with our target audiences about the issues that are important to them. It will continue to raise the profile of NeighborWorks as a leader in the nonprofit industry and give us the opportunity to build audience feedback and needs into our strategic planning,” said Linda Cotton Perry, director of Development and Communications at NeighborWorks America NeighborWorks America.
Learn more about how you can stay connected with NeighborWorks America
BBC R4 The Report on FOI and MPs' expenses
28 May 2009 20:00 on BBC Radio 4:
Listen to the programme again or download the podcast here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jkr1q
See also:
Michael Martin was put under 'severe pressure' to fight expenses case, Guardian 28/5/09
Simon Cox gets behind the headlines engulfing MPs about their expenses and explores how the system of allowances was allowed to get out of control. The programme charts the origin of the row back to the enactment of freedom of information laws and reveals how proposed changes, which could have averted the crisis, were repeatedly thwarted by MPs themselves.Well worth listening to. Simon Cox speaks to Sam Coates of The Times and John Stoneborough, the former media adviser to the Speaker and House of Commons Commission, who says "there was total horror at the idea of FOI".
Listen to the programme again or download the podcast here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jkr1q
See also:
Michael Martin was put under 'severe pressure' to fight expenses case, Guardian 28/5/09
Petanque in .......
Earlier this year I noted that several boules orders went to the same street address in Dulles, VA. "Great", I thought, "time for another marker on our map".Yes, but not in Virginia. The State Department uses overseas city names for street addresses to simplify the huge flow of correspondence that transits through their services. And thus the pétanque enthusiasts in this case are not in Virginia, but in Mozambique!
Pétanque players at our Embassy in Maputo have regular weekend meets with colleagues from other Embassies and international organizations. Apparently the Deputy British High Commissioner is quite an aficionado. Often the French Gendarmes contingent has the upper hand. Honestly, I would let them win too (once in a while), when I hear that they usually bring goodies like saucisson and pâté!
Many thanks to Brendan (USAF) for the pics!Petanque in .......
Earlier this year I noted that several boules orders went to the same street address in Dulles, VA. "Great", I thought, "time for another marker on our map".Yes, but not in Virginia. The State Department uses overseas city names for street addresses to simplify the huge flow of correspondence that transits through their services. And thus the pétanque enthusiasts in this case are not in Virginia, but in Mozambique!
Pétanque players at our Embassy in Maputo have regular weekend meets with colleagues from other Embassies and international organizations. Apparently the Deputy British High Commissioner is quite an aficionado. Often the French Gendarmes contingent has the upper hand. Honestly, I would let them win too (once in a while), when I hear that they usually bring goodies like saucisson and pâté!
Many thanks to Brendan (USAF) for the pics!WV STATE JOURNAL ARTICLE
Yuengling's entry into the Charleston market is proving to be a great success. Check out the article below by Ann Ali of The State Journal. Our wholesaler Carenbauer tells how fast the beer is moving in their market!
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
Obama orders review of government secrecy
Associated Press
28 May 2009
28 May 2009
Expanding his drive to open government, President Obama is ordering two studies of whether the government is classifying too much information and using too many different ways to keep it from public view.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_SECRETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-05-27-18-41-26
He wants the answers in just 90 days, and it's no secret which way he's leaning.
In a memo Wednesday, Mr. Obama ordered national security adviser James L. Jones to consult relevant agencies and recommend revisions in the existing presidential order on national security classification that lays out the rules under which agencies can stamp documents "confidential," "secret" or "top secret."
That same memo also ordered Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to set up a governmentwide task force on standardizing so-called controlled but unclassified information. This is data with stamps like "for official use only" or "limited official distribution" that are not authorized by the executive order but have grown up over the years to keep sensitive data from the public even if it doesn't meet standards for national security classification.
Mr. Obama noted that there are now 107 different stamps for such data, also known as "sensitive but unclassified" information, and 130 different procedures for applying those stamps. He said a 2008 order by former President George W. Bush had "a salutary effect" in establishing a framework to begin standardizing these designations for sensitive terrorism-related data, but he asked the task force to recommend whether that work should be expanded to cover all sensitive but unclassified information governmentwide.
The tone of the memo suggested Obama thought a governmentwide effort would be a good idea. Mr. Obama also directed this group to study the procedures for handling sensitive but unclassified data to be sure that "information is not restricted unless there is a compelling need."
While Mr. Obama didn't order any changes in government secrecy Wednesday, his memo contained language and set agendas for the two studies that hinted strongly at moves he might take. It was greeted with cheers from open government advocates who have long argued that government classifies too much information.
Echoing language he used earlier to open more government information to the public under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr. Obama said "a democratic government must be as transparent as possible and must not withhold information for self-serving reasons or simply to avoid embarrassment."
David Cameron on transparency and opening up politics
David Cameron speech on Fixing Broken Politics
Tuesday, May 26 2009
Tuesday, May 26 2009
TRANSPARENCYRead the full text
Everything I've spoken about - redistributing power to people, re-instating accountability in our politics...all of it will, I hope, help get more people involved in politics and public policy and help end that despairing sense of powerlessness that pervades our society.
But there's one more item on the agenda: transparency.
Ask most people where politics happens and they'd paint a picture of tight-knit tribes making important decisions in wood-panelled rooms, speaking a strange language.
If we want people to have faith and get involved, we need to defeat this impression by opening politics up - making everything transparent, accessible - and human.
And the starting point for reform should be a near-total transparency of the political and governing elite, so people can see what is being done in their name.
EXPENSES AND SPENDING
First because transparency tears down the hiding places for sleaze, over-spending and corruption.
Soon enough all MPs' expenses are going to be published online for everyone to see...I and the rest of the Shadow Cabinet are already doing it.
And if we win the next election, we're going to do the same thing for all other public servants earning over £150,000.
Just imagine the effect that an army of armchair auditors is going to have on those expense claims.
Indeed, the promise of public scrutiny is going to have a powerful effect on over-spending of any variety.
A Conservative Government will put all national spending over £25,000 online for everyone to see, so citizens can hold the Government to account for how their tax money is being spent.
And we will extend this principle of transparency to every nook and cranny of politics and public life because it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to transfer power to the powerless and prevent waste, exploitation and abuse.
That's why, for example, all our Conservative candidates for the European Parliament have signed a pledge setting out new standards of transparency and ethical behaviour.
Every Conservative MEP elected next week will publish online a breakdown of all office costs, all travel, names of each member of staff they employ, and details of all meetings with businesses, lobbyists and other interest groups.
OPENING UP POLITICS
But transparency isn't just about cleaning up politics, it's also about opening up politics.
Right now a tiny percentage of the population craft legislation that will apply to one hundred percent of the population.
This locks out countless people across the country whose expertise could help.
So why not invite them in on the process?
We'll create a right of initiative nationally, where if you collect enough signatures you can get your proposals debated in the House of Commons and become law.
And we'll open up the legislative process in other ways too.
The way bills are published online today is stifling innovation and blocking democratic engagement.
So a Conservative government will publish all Parliamentary information online in an open-source format.
This will help people easily access Bills and other legislation in order to create useful applications - like text alerts when something you're interested in is debated.
And it will mean many more expert eyes helping to explain laws as they're formed, flagging up flaws and suggestions for improvement.
Anything that acts as a barrier between politics and the public has got to be torn down - including the ridiculous ban on parliamentary proceedings being uploaded to YouTube.
We need a change of government to drive through this transparency agenda because let's face it, we're not going to get it from Gordon Brown and the Labour government...who tried to block the publication of MPs' expenses by exempting Parliament from the Freedom of Information Act.
But this spirit of glasnost needs to extend beyond Parliament and throughout our political parties too.
One of the reforms I'm most proud of is the widespread introduction of open primaries for the selection of Conservative parliamentary candidates in recent years.
I want to see that continue, with much greater use of open primaries for the selection of parliamentary candidates - and not just in the Conservative Party, but every party.
In time, this will have a transformative effect on our politics, taking power from the party elites and the old boy networks and giving it to the people.
Rewarding failure
A sign of the times. From the Guardian....
The boss of BT's corporate IT operation, where a dire performance has forced the telecoms company to axe 15,000 jobs and slash its dividend, pocketed more than £3.5m in his last year, reigniting the furore over rewards for failure.
The award for François Barrault was branded as "outrageous" by union leaders and has forced BT to introduce a clawback scheme designed to prevent any director collecting a huge payout, despite the poor performance of their business, in the future.
Barrault was ousted in October last year as the dreadful performance of his business led to a monumental profit warning by BT. The company attempted to prevent him collecting his cash and shares but after taking legal advice was forced to admit that his contract allowed the payout.
The boss of BT's corporate IT operation, where a dire performance has forced the telecoms company to axe 15,000 jobs and slash its dividend, pocketed more than £3.5m in his last year, reigniting the furore over rewards for failure.
The award for François Barrault was branded as "outrageous" by union leaders and has forced BT to introduce a clawback scheme designed to prevent any director collecting a huge payout, despite the poor performance of their business, in the future.
Barrault was ousted in October last year as the dreadful performance of his business led to a monumental profit warning by BT. The company attempted to prevent him collecting his cash and shares but after taking legal advice was forced to admit that his contract allowed the payout.
The millionaire's club
Anyone lose membership of this particular club?
May 27 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K.’s millionaire club has shriveled by half because of the slump in property prices, falling stock prices and smaller bonuses, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said.
There are currently 242,000 people living in Britain with assets of at least 1 million pounds ($1.6 million), compared with 489,000 estimated in the CEBR’s previous report in 2007, the research group said today in London.
May 27 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K.’s millionaire club has shriveled by half because of the slump in property prices, falling stock prices and smaller bonuses, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said.
There are currently 242,000 people living in Britain with assets of at least 1 million pounds ($1.6 million), compared with 489,000 estimated in the CEBR’s previous report in 2007, the research group said today in London.
The killer blow
It was the collapse in US car sales that finally finished off GM. Since the credit crunch began, sales are down by about half. No industry could survive a collapse in demand of that magnitude. Add to that, the parlous state of the GM balance sheet, and the company was doomed.
MPs expenses - are you bored yet?
There is only so much scandal the British public can absorb. It is day 20 and interest is waning. This will mean that many guilty MPs will evade punishment.
Julie Kirkbride could be the last victim of the expenses scandal.
Its a bad time to be a builder in America
New home construction permits are at their lowest level in decades. In April, permit approvals, which are a leading indicator of constuction activity, were about 75 percent down from the peak during the bubble.Sorry folks, there is no recovery here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Motz Burger in Manhattan!
More than one person has told me that they believe the Motz Burger does not really exist. But as you can see from the photo on the right said burger does in fact exist, and it can now be found at 2 NYC locations. The latest spot my proud burger has popped up is at the new Water Taxi Beach, South Street. Now you won't have to venture into the wilds of Long Island City to indulge in the Motz Burger. And likewise, if you live near Water Taxi Beach, LIC you won't have to venture into the nuttiness of Manhattan. I have no idea what the hrs are of the new beach so good luck to you.Motz Burger in Manhattan!
More than one person has told me that they believe the Motz Burger does not really exist. But as you can see from the photo on the right said burger does in fact exist, and it can now be found at 2 NYC locations. The latest spot my proud burger has popped up is at the new Water Taxi Beach, South Street. Now you won't have to venture into the wilds of Long Island City to indulge in the Motz Burger. And likewise, if you live near Water Taxi Beach, LIC you won't have to venture into the nuttiness of Manhattan. I have no idea what the hrs are of the new beach so good luck to you.Program lets parents learn English alongside their children
The Toyota Family Literacy Program teaches English to parents and also requires them to spend two hours a week in their children's classroom. This helps the parents and also helps the children do better in school. Before this, the parents couldn't even read their child's homework, now they can help them. - - Donna Poisl
by Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune
OAKLAND — It's not unusual in some Oakland communities for children to come home from school with homework their parents can't read.
Seeking to empower and educate such parents, and to demystify their children's schooling, the Toyota Family Literacy Program puts parents directly into their children's classrooms in tandem with their adult English workshops.
"The parents commit to eight hours of English as a Second Language classes each week, but they also commit to spending two hours each week in the classroom where their children are being taught, and two hours in workshops about literacy and development for children," program coordinator Cintya Molina said.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
by Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune
OAKLAND — It's not unusual in some Oakland communities for children to come home from school with homework their parents can't read.
Seeking to empower and educate such parents, and to demystify their children's schooling, the Toyota Family Literacy Program puts parents directly into their children's classrooms in tandem with their adult English workshops.
"The parents commit to eight hours of English as a Second Language classes each week, but they also commit to spending two hours each week in the classroom where their children are being taught, and two hours in workshops about literacy and development for children," program coordinator Cintya Molina said.
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Public More Supportive of Immigration Reform
This new study shows that the public is much more in favor or immigration reform than two years ago. And 63% think illegal immigrants should have a path to citizenship. This is encouraging. Lots of interesting graphs and explanations on this page, click on this headline and take a look. - - Donna Poisl
By Ruy Teixeira
A few weeks ago, this column featured a result from an ABC/Washington Post poll suggesting increased support for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
This was a noteworthy finding on an issue with strong culture wars overtones. Indeed, we might have expected tough economic times to inflame cultural prejudices, thereby promoting intolerance of immigrants. Instead, the reverse seems to be taking place, as confirmed by new polling from the Pew Research Center.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Ruy Teixeira
A few weeks ago, this column featured a result from an ABC/Washington Post poll suggesting increased support for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
This was a noteworthy finding on an issue with strong culture wars overtones. Indeed, we might have expected tough economic times to inflame cultural prejudices, thereby promoting intolerance of immigrants. Instead, the reverse seems to be taking place, as confirmed by new polling from the Pew Research Center.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Old tool, new tricks
I like to think I can do practically anything in a spreadsheet. But it's probably more accurate to say that I like to *try* to do anything in a spreadsheet whether or not I can succeed.
Of course, my spreadsheet of choice is the kind I can access from anywhere and share in real time – in Google Docs. So, some would say that even when it makes no sense, I try to do things in a spreadsheet (case in point – my poker simulator – why'd I do that?) But there are some things I never thought possible, like sending an email or reading my calendar.
That's why we're excited to announce a limited test of a new feature which lets people add customization and automation to Google Apps, starting with spreadsheets in Google Docs. We call this feature Google Apps Script.
Google Apps Script provides the ability to automate a variety spreadsheet actions, such as reading and changing values in cells and ranges, changing formats and formulas, and creating custom functions. It also reaches outside of spreadsheets to allow you to send email or create calendar entries.
Check out the Google Apps Script overview, below, and watch our example of sending email from Google Spreadsheets.
Check out the Google Apps Script overview, below, and watch our example of sending email from Google Spreadsheets.
As Google Apps Script is in limited test, we see it as a puppy who's still in training. In fact, just this week, he learned to fetch (URL content) and speak (translate to other languages). But we think he's ready now for some time outside his yard.
So we're inviting a limited number of Google Apps domains – about a thousand organizations – to start playing with Google Apps Script and giving us feedback so we can quickly understand which tricks would be the most beneficial to learn next.
If you're like me and like to stretch spreadsheets to their limit, and don't mind working with early release features, you can get involved in Google Apps Script now by applying to join this limited test phase.
Posted by Jonathan Rochelle, Product Manager, Google Docs
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Opening up Visualization
Yesterday we released a complete data source implementation for the Google Visualization API open wire protocol in an open source Java library. This enables users of the Visualization API, including enterprises, SMBs and other web application providers, to easily customize their data sources and make them compatible with the Visualization API Open Wire protocol. For some data sources, integrating this library could be an order of magnitude faster and require less resources than having to do a full implementation out of the protocol specification.
Companies can create and use reporting applications from the Google Visualization Gallery that can be integrated anywhere on the web. The gallery offers dozens of visualizations, from pivot tables and heat graphs to the celebrated motion charts and timelines.
We have also opened up the gallery so that any developer can include their new innovative visualizations and make them available to others. To facilitate multiple data sources, we have published an Open Wire protocol that specifies how to make any data source ready for use by the Visualization API. And we recently announced the Google Secure Data Connector (SDC), which enables to keep the data sources behind a company firewall, while serving visualizations and other apps in the cloud.
All of these abilities bring us closer towards Open Visualization in the cloud, and today we take one more big step in this direction. We believe that these enhancements will facilitate innovative and more accessible visualizations of business information, helping enterprises communicate with information in ever-better ways.
Posted by Nir Bar-Lev, Head of Analytics, EMEA, and Yossi Matias, Head of Israel Engineering Center
As business data continues to grow, so, it seems, does the challenge of understanding it. Visualization, or the presentation of data in charts, graphs, tables, and other visual representations, is often the missing piece that people need to make sense of this information.
To address these growing needs, last year we introduced the Google Visualization API, a powerful API that enables anyone to build apps and display data from Google spreadsheets, as well as enabling visualization in the cloud from any data source connected to the web.
To address these growing needs, last year we introduced the Google Visualization API, a powerful API that enables anyone to build apps and display data from Google spreadsheets, as well as enabling visualization in the cloud from any data source connected to the web.
Companies can create and use reporting applications from the Google Visualization Gallery that can be integrated anywhere on the web. The gallery offers dozens of visualizations, from pivot tables and heat graphs to the celebrated motion charts and timelines.
We have also opened up the gallery so that any developer can include their new innovative visualizations and make them available to others. To facilitate multiple data sources, we have published an Open Wire protocol that specifies how to make any data source ready for use by the Visualization API. And we recently announced the Google Secure Data Connector (SDC), which enables to keep the data sources behind a company firewall, while serving visualizations and other apps in the cloud.
All of these abilities bring us closer towards Open Visualization in the cloud, and today we take one more big step in this direction. We believe that these enhancements will facilitate innovative and more accessible visualizations of business information, helping enterprises communicate with information in ever-better ways.
Posted by Nir Bar-Lev, Head of Analytics, EMEA, and Yossi Matias, Head of Israel Engineering Center
Training Camp Update: Canadian Rockies
Last week, US team member Kat Orekhova flew to Calgary to join the Canadians for a week-long training camp. Here is her day-by-day account, complete with maps and links.
Monday, May 18
I arrived in Calgary airport at 2 PM on May 18th, and spent the next 10 hours hanging out in the arrivals hall so that I could get a ride to Canmore with Jon Torrance. We got in sometime after 1 AM and quickly went to sleep.
Tuesday, May 19
After a leisurely breakfast, our group (roughly 10 people) headed out to Mt.Laurie for some technical training. The rain and snow made the control-pick extra challenging.
In the afternoon, we headed out to Barrier Lake for some fast and furious orienteering intervals. This exercise was done in teams of 2 people and the rules were as follows: one person rolls a pair of dice to get a number between 2 and 12, and must then orienteer to the control with that number, punch, and run back as quickly as possible to tag his/her partner. Then the partner rolls the dice and goes through the same process while the first person gets a break. Whichever team gets all 11 controls first wins. If a team rolls a number they have already been to, they have to run to that control again, a disadvantage which adds a bit of luck to the game. However, if a team rolls the same number for a third time, they are allowed to re-roll. This was great fun and really spectator friendly because the start was at the top of a steep hill and all controls went down from there!
Wednesday, May 20
Today we drove into Calgary and spent the day doing sprint training. First a park sprint, then a series of short urban sprint intervals (made extra challenging by an enormous construction site), and finally a sprint around the university campus. This last one was part of a local orienteering event and therefore had SI timing and a nice, newly updated map. Thanks to Sarah Brandreth (the course setter) for a really fun sprint!
Thursday May 21
In the morning, we drove over to the Canmore Nordic Center to run the permanent middle distance O-course there. A lot of parks have such courses available, but this one is special because it is equipped with SI units, which makes it really easy for Canmore visitors to experience real, competitive orienteering and compare times with some of the best in Canada. Brent had a blazing fast run and set a new course record for the 4.2 km, 165m climb course. I was pleased to be only a few minutes behind most of the guys, despite not racing all-out.
In the afternoon, we drove to Banff for a sprint race. There was some construction going on in the urban section of the course, but the forest parts were just as expected - really open and fast!
Friday May 22
Easy morning training on the Bow Valley map, followed by a relaxing afternoon spent in Calgary watching a movie (Star Trek) and then going out for Ethiopian food.
Saturday May 23
First day of the Calgary Spring Cup (also the Canadian Team Trials). The sprint was held in the morning at Fish Creek Park, in perfect sunny weather. The top three results for the elite classes were:
Men
1. Goeres, Patrick 12:46
2. Sorensen, Oystein 12:57
3. Smith, Mike 13:29
Women
1. Louise Oram 13:14
2. Ekaterina Orekhova 13:47
3. Andree Powers 19:27
The middle distance was held several hours later on the southern part of the Sandy McNabb map. The forest floor was really wet due to recent snow-melt, which sometimes made the marshes difficult to distinguish, but the course-setters did a good job of avoiding bingo controls and the course was really enjoyable. The top results in the elite classes were:
Men
1. Sorensen, Oystein 32:05
2. Smith, Mike 33:41
3. Goeres, Patrick 33:53
Women
1. Louise Oram 32:50
2. Ekaterina Orekhova 39:25
3. Marie-Catherine Bruno 41:18
Sunday, May 24
Second day of the Calgary Spring Cup. There was only one race today, but it was a tough long distance. The first part went through some steep hilly sections, and the second went through the same type of flat, marshy area as yesterday's middle distance. Another great course!
Men
1. Sorensen, Oystein 1:22:03
2. Goeres, Patrick 1:24:18
3. Smith, Mike 1:30:53
Women
1. Ekaterina Orekhova 1:09:17
2. Louise Oram 1:10:34
3. Sarah Brandreth 1:34:23
Full results and routegadget from the weekend can be found here.
And a large collection of photos from the week, taken by Adrian Zissos, can be found here.
This was an incredible week of orienteering and I am really grateful to the organizers for making this possible. Also, a huge thanks to the US Team for their support. I couldn't have done it without you!
Are Cars the New Cigarettes?
Just as tobacco has killed millions with different forms of cancer, the automobile industry and the pollution that has spewed from exhaust pipes ever since Henry Ford's Model 'A' rolled off the assembly line, must be looked upon as a carton of cigarettes and a cancer to civilization.
Matthew Modine @ HuffPost
Matthew Modine @ HuffPost
Are Cars the New Cigarettes?
Just as tobacco has killed millions with different forms of cancer, the automobile industry and the pollution that has spewed from exhaust pipes ever since Henry Ford's Model 'A' rolled off the assembly line, must be looked upon as a carton of cigarettes and a cancer to civilization.
Matthew Modine @ HuffPost
Matthew Modine @ HuffPost
Netanyahu trying to get the US to haggle over the price
According to recent reports (in the New York Times and The Jewish Week, for example), the Netanyahu government is trying to get the Obama administration into accepting the legitimacy of some West Bank settlement construction.
In essence, they are trying to get the US to resurrect the Bush approach, which - while rejecting all settlement activity in theory - in practice divided settlements into three categories:
1. Unauthorized outposts - shouldn't be allowed to grow
2. Outlying government-authorized settlements - shouldn't be allowed to grow too much
3. More established settlements would be allowed their "natural growth", especially if they're on the "right" side of the separation barrier.
There's a well-known (and clearly pre-feminist) story involving George Bernard Shaw that seems applicable. It is said that Shaw once found himself seated beside a woman at a dinner party. "Madam," he asked, "would you go to bed with me for a thousand pounds?" The woman indignantly shook her head. "For ten thousand pounds?" he asked. "No. I would not." "Then how about fifty thousand pounds?" he continued. The colossal sum gave the woman pause, and after further reflection, she replied: "Perhaps."
"And if I were to offer you five pounds?" Shaw asked. "Mr. Shaw!" the woman exclaimed. "What do you take me for!"
"We have already established what you are," Shaw replied. "Now we are merely haggling over the price."
Secretary of State Clinton has made clear that, because the US opposes the principle of settlements, all settlement construction must cease, without any exceptions. Netanyahu wants to undermine this principle by playing "Let's Make a Deal": We'll take down a few unauthorized outposts, if you look the other way when we build in Ariel, Elon Moreh and Beit El.
He is trying to get the US to haggle, so that, a la Shaw, he can proclaim: We have already established with Washington that not all settlement is wrong, now we are merely haggling over how much.
But what's most disturbing of late is how figures from outside the Likud and far right are pledging loyalty to the "natural growth" concept. Labor Party chair and Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, who explained that he was joining the government to keep it from drifting too far right seems to be Netanyahu's chief ally on this issue; he'll be promoting the Netanyahu "compromise" when he comes to the US next week.
And President Shimon Peres, who officially represents the great Israeli consensus, educated the 'novitiate' Vice President Biden earlier this month, telling him that, "Israel cannot instruct settlers in existing settlements not to have children or get married."
One of my favorite political columnists, B. (Bet) Micha'el, lampooned Peres' statement in a recent piece. "Mr. Peres," he asks sarcastically, "where does it say that young couples must live near their parents? And where does it say that the State’s duty is to supply every young man and woman with a plot of land at their birthplace?" Michael terms Peres' argument, "demagogic nonsense".
The problem is that sharp-witted, sardonic writing alone won't prevent Israel's government from continuing to pursue this self-destructive path.
In essence, they are trying to get the US to resurrect the Bush approach, which - while rejecting all settlement activity in theory - in practice divided settlements into three categories:
1. Unauthorized outposts - shouldn't be allowed to grow
2. Outlying government-authorized settlements - shouldn't be allowed to grow too much
3. More established settlements would be allowed their "natural growth", especially if they're on the "right" side of the separation barrier.
There's a well-known (and clearly pre-feminist) story involving George Bernard Shaw that seems applicable. It is said that Shaw once found himself seated beside a woman at a dinner party. "Madam," he asked, "would you go to bed with me for a thousand pounds?" The woman indignantly shook her head. "For ten thousand pounds?" he asked. "No. I would not." "Then how about fifty thousand pounds?" he continued. The colossal sum gave the woman pause, and after further reflection, she replied: "Perhaps."
"And if I were to offer you five pounds?" Shaw asked. "Mr. Shaw!" the woman exclaimed. "What do you take me for!"
"We have already established what you are," Shaw replied. "Now we are merely haggling over the price."
Secretary of State Clinton has made clear that, because the US opposes the principle of settlements, all settlement construction must cease, without any exceptions. Netanyahu wants to undermine this principle by playing "Let's Make a Deal": We'll take down a few unauthorized outposts, if you look the other way when we build in Ariel, Elon Moreh and Beit El.
He is trying to get the US to haggle, so that, a la Shaw, he can proclaim: We have already established with Washington that not all settlement is wrong, now we are merely haggling over how much.
But what's most disturbing of late is how figures from outside the Likud and far right are pledging loyalty to the "natural growth" concept. Labor Party chair and Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, who explained that he was joining the government to keep it from drifting too far right seems to be Netanyahu's chief ally on this issue; he'll be promoting the Netanyahu "compromise" when he comes to the US next week.
And President Shimon Peres, who officially represents the great Israeli consensus, educated the 'novitiate' Vice President Biden earlier this month, telling him that, "Israel cannot instruct settlers in existing settlements not to have children or get married."
One of my favorite political columnists, B. (Bet) Micha'el, lampooned Peres' statement in a recent piece. "Mr. Peres," he asks sarcastically, "where does it say that young couples must live near their parents? And where does it say that the State’s duty is to supply every young man and woman with a plot of land at their birthplace?" Michael terms Peres' argument, "demagogic nonsense".
The problem is that sharp-witted, sardonic writing alone won't prevent Israel's government from continuing to pursue this self-destructive path.
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