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Mira
Mira's Journal
Mira's Journal
June 11, 2013
The photo shows my friend Anne Wilson, who is married to a minister, getting arrested. I had lunch with her a couple of days ago, and she talked about the potential of it happening to her Monday. She talked about it with steely grit, yet I could sense she was understandably nervous about it as well. Anne is a local activist, a hero in my eyes. She works tirelessly for local and state wide Democratic causes, and is an inspiration to me.
By Anne Blythe and Caitlin Owens — [email protected]
RALEIGH — Despite tornado warnings across the state, several thousand demonstrators gathered Monday under rainy skies to continue the weekly protests of the new policies and laws coming out of the General Assembly.
This week, religious leaders from around the state led the rally that resulted more than 80 arrests, according to Jamie Phillips, an state NAACP attorney. A reporter with The Charlotte Observer, who was interviewing demonstrators, was among those detained.
Many arrested were clergy.
“We’re here to stand on the side of the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed,” said Jason Williams, a clergyman from Charlotte who was not among those arrested.
Seven rabbis from temples in Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill issued a letter on Monday in support of the “Moral Monday” movement that has led to more than 350 arrests since April 29 and brought thousands of demonstrators to Raleigh to voice their ire about cuts to Medicaid and unemployment benefits that affect more than half a million North Carolinians. Their grievances also include: voter ID, women’s rights, the elimination of the estate tax and private school vouchers.
Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, Rabbi Ariel Edery of Temple Beth Shalom in Cary, Rabbi Jen Feldman of Kehillah Synagogue in Chapel Hill, Rabbi Frank Fischer of Chapel Hill, Rabbi John Friedman of Judea Reform Congregation in Durham, Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, of Yavneh in Raleigh and Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh issued a statement on Monday, as individuals.
“Many of us have previously attempted to reach out to Assembly leaders for dialogue, and we have been ignored,” the rabbis said. “We therefore endorse the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to draw attention to the reckless and heartless policies currently passing into law in Raleigh. ... We recognize the need for solidarity at this time in North Carolina. The Jewish vision of social justice is broadly shared by all people of faith who are mobilizing this Monday, and now is the time to speak out.”
Read much more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/11/2954059/clergy-lead-moral-monday-demonstration.html#storylink=cpy
Clergy lead Monday protests at General Assembly - here my friend Anne gets arrested
The photo shows my friend Anne Wilson, who is married to a minister, getting arrested. I had lunch with her a couple of days ago, and she talked about the potential of it happening to her Monday. She talked about it with steely grit, yet I could sense she was understandably nervous about it as well. Anne is a local activist, a hero in my eyes. She works tirelessly for local and state wide Democratic causes, and is an inspiration to me.
By Anne Blythe and Caitlin Owens — [email protected]
RALEIGH — Despite tornado warnings across the state, several thousand demonstrators gathered Monday under rainy skies to continue the weekly protests of the new policies and laws coming out of the General Assembly.
This week, religious leaders from around the state led the rally that resulted more than 80 arrests, according to Jamie Phillips, an state NAACP attorney. A reporter with The Charlotte Observer, who was interviewing demonstrators, was among those detained.
Many arrested were clergy.
“We’re here to stand on the side of the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed,” said Jason Williams, a clergyman from Charlotte who was not among those arrested.
Seven rabbis from temples in Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill issued a letter on Monday in support of the “Moral Monday” movement that has led to more than 350 arrests since April 29 and brought thousands of demonstrators to Raleigh to voice their ire about cuts to Medicaid and unemployment benefits that affect more than half a million North Carolinians. Their grievances also include: voter ID, women’s rights, the elimination of the estate tax and private school vouchers.
Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, Rabbi Ariel Edery of Temple Beth Shalom in Cary, Rabbi Jen Feldman of Kehillah Synagogue in Chapel Hill, Rabbi Frank Fischer of Chapel Hill, Rabbi John Friedman of Judea Reform Congregation in Durham, Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, of Yavneh in Raleigh and Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh issued a statement on Monday, as individuals.
“Many of us have previously attempted to reach out to Assembly leaders for dialogue, and we have been ignored,” the rabbis said. “We therefore endorse the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to draw attention to the reckless and heartless policies currently passing into law in Raleigh. ... We recognize the need for solidarity at this time in North Carolina. The Jewish vision of social justice is broadly shared by all people of faith who are mobilizing this Monday, and now is the time to speak out.”
Read much more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/11/2954059/clergy-lead-moral-monday-demonstration.html#storylink=cpy
June 11, 2013
NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—In the event that the U.S. government is monitoring your conversations, here are some useful phrases to insert into your phone calls, texts, or e-mails:
www.borowitzreport.com
Andy Borowitz comes to our aid: Useful Phrases for the Surveillance State
NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—In the event that the U.S. government is monitoring your conversations, here are some useful phrases to insert into your phone calls, texts, or e-mails:
I think the N.S.A. is awesome.
I just reread “Nineteen Eighty-Four”—it actually has a lot of good ideas in it!
There’s no such thing as a “bad” drone.
Sure am glad that I never talk to any foreigners.
I wouldn’t know the first thing about making ricin.
The Fourth Amendment is overrated.
If you ask me, Guantánamo is full of nothing but complainers.
Just changed my Facebook status from “Single” to “In a Relationship with America.”
I’m pretty sure my neighbor is cheating on his taxes.
www.borowitzreport.com
June 10, 2013
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The National Security Agency moved swiftly and forcefully today to remind its employees of its longstanding zero-tolerance policy on conscience, warning that any violation of that policy would result in immediate termination.
“When you sign on to work at the N.S.A. you swear to uphold the standards of amorality and soullessness that this agency was founded upon,” said N.S.A. director General Keith B. Alexander. “Any evidence of ethics, decency, or a sense of right and wrong will not be tolerated. These things have no place in the intelligence community.”
To enforce the policy, General Alexander said that once a month all N.S.A. employees will be wired to a computer to take full inventory of what is going on in their minds: “We want to be sure they are spending their free time playing Call of Duty, not reading the Federalist Papers.”
The N.S.A. director attempted to reassure the American people that despite “unfortunate recent events,” the agency remains “one of the most heartless and cold-blooded organizations on the face of the earth.” He added, “We refuse to let one good apple spoil the whole bunch.”
He said that going forward, the N.S.A. would try to recruit people who had already demonstrated “a commitment to invading people’s privacy” by working at Google or Facebook.
N.S.A. Enforces Zero-Tolerance Policy on Conscience (Borowitz tells all)
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The National Security Agency moved swiftly and forcefully today to remind its employees of its longstanding zero-tolerance policy on conscience, warning that any violation of that policy would result in immediate termination.
“When you sign on to work at the N.S.A. you swear to uphold the standards of amorality and soullessness that this agency was founded upon,” said N.S.A. director General Keith B. Alexander. “Any evidence of ethics, decency, or a sense of right and wrong will not be tolerated. These things have no place in the intelligence community.”
To enforce the policy, General Alexander said that once a month all N.S.A. employees will be wired to a computer to take full inventory of what is going on in their minds: “We want to be sure they are spending their free time playing Call of Duty, not reading the Federalist Papers.”
The N.S.A. director attempted to reassure the American people that despite “unfortunate recent events,” the agency remains “one of the most heartless and cold-blooded organizations on the face of the earth.” He added, “We refuse to let one good apple spoil the whole bunch.”
He said that going forward, the N.S.A. would try to recruit people who had already demonstrated “a commitment to invading people’s privacy” by working at Google or Facebook.
June 6, 2013
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Today, President Obama issued the following letter to all Verizon customers:
Dear Verizon Customers,
Yesterday it came to light that the National Security Agency has been collecting millions of phone records from you each and every day. Since that news was released, many of you have called the White House with questions and concerns about this new program. To save my time and yours, here are answers to three of the F.A.Q.s
(Frequently Asked Questions) we’ve been hearing from you:
1. Will I be charged extra for this service?
I’m happy to say that the answer is no. While the harvesting and surveillance of your domestic phone calls were not a part of your original Verizon service contract, the National Security Agency is providing this service entirely free of charge.
2. If I add a phone to my account, will those calls also be monitored?
Once again, the answer is good news. If you want to add a child or any other family member to your Verizon account, their phone calls—whom they called, when, and the duration of the call—will all be monitored by the United States government, at no additional cost.
3. Can the National Security Agency help me understand my Verizon bill?
Unfortunately, no. The National Security Agency has tried, but failed, to understand Verizon’s bills. Pease call Verizon customer service and follow the series of electronic prompts.
I hope I’ve helped clear up some of the confusion about this exciting new program. But if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call the White House. Joe Biden is standing by.
God bless America,
President Obama
www.borowitzreport.com
A letter from President Obama to Verizon customers. Intercepted and presented by Andy Borowitz
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Today, President Obama issued the following letter to all Verizon customers:
Dear Verizon Customers,
Yesterday it came to light that the National Security Agency has been collecting millions of phone records from you each and every day. Since that news was released, many of you have called the White House with questions and concerns about this new program. To save my time and yours, here are answers to three of the F.A.Q.s
(Frequently Asked Questions) we’ve been hearing from you:
1. Will I be charged extra for this service?
I’m happy to say that the answer is no. While the harvesting and surveillance of your domestic phone calls were not a part of your original Verizon service contract, the National Security Agency is providing this service entirely free of charge.
2. If I add a phone to my account, will those calls also be monitored?
Once again, the answer is good news. If you want to add a child or any other family member to your Verizon account, their phone calls—whom they called, when, and the duration of the call—will all be monitored by the United States government, at no additional cost.
3. Can the National Security Agency help me understand my Verizon bill?
Unfortunately, no. The National Security Agency has tried, but failed, to understand Verizon’s bills. Pease call Verizon customer service and follow the series of electronic prompts.
I hope I’ve helped clear up some of the confusion about this exciting new program. But if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call the White House. Joe Biden is standing by.
God bless America,
President Obama
www.borowitzreport.com
June 5, 2013
At times I am just forced to laugh
even in inappropriate places...
like in a cemetery in Greensboro, on Saturday.
June 5, 2013
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) sought today to explain his controversial remarks about sexual assaults in the military, telling reporters that his comments were the result of “declining levels of brain function created by nature.”
“There are old men sitting in the United States Senate who are seventy or seventy-five or eighty,” he said. “Gee whiz, the declining levels of brain function created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur.”
While acknowledging the controversy that his remarks created, Mr. Chambliss made no apology for them, saying, “It’s always a good thing when a Republican brings up a more nuanced view of rape.”
“If my memory serves, that’s been a winning issue for us in the past,” he said.
www.borowitzreport.com
Saxby Chambliss Blames Rape Remarks on Nature -- Andy B can barely wrap his brain around such crap
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) sought today to explain his controversial remarks about sexual assaults in the military, telling reporters that his comments were the result of “declining levels of brain function created by nature.”
“There are old men sitting in the United States Senate who are seventy or seventy-five or eighty,” he said. “Gee whiz, the declining levels of brain function created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur.”
While acknowledging the controversy that his remarks created, Mr. Chambliss made no apology for them, saying, “It’s always a good thing when a Republican brings up a more nuanced view of rape.”
“If my memory serves, that’s been a winning issue for us in the past,” he said.
www.borowitzreport.com
June 5, 2013
Tom Donilon to Resign as Obama’s National Security Adviser -- Susan Rice to be appointed
In a major shakeup of President Obama’s foreign-policy inner circle, Tom Donilon, the national security adviser, is resigning and will be replaced by Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, White House officials said on Tuesday.
The appointment, which Mr. Obama plans to make on Wednesday afternoon, puts Ms. Rice, 48, an outspoken diplomat and a close political ally, at the heart of the administration’s foreign-policy apparatus.
It is also a defiant gesture to Republicans who harshly criticized Ms. Rice for presenting an erroneous account of the deadly attacks on the American mission in Benghazi, Libya. The post of national security adviser, while powerful, does not require Senate confirmation.
A central member of Mr. Obama’s foreign-policy team since he first took office, Mr. Donilon, 58, has exerted sweeping influence, mostly behind the scenes, on issues from counterterrorism to the reorientation of America to Asia from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
READ MORE »
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/us/politics/tom-donilon-to-resign-as-national-security-adviser.html?emc=na
June 3, 2013
I wanted to insert it in that thread, but there was no fitting place.
I really like it a lot!
After I got it, they used me for a model in the ad in the link.
The "camera" thread by Nadine prompts me to show what I got for Mother's day
http://joby.com/camera-straps/ultrafit-sling-strap-for-women?gclid=CKKIrLTryLcCFQqf4Aod-iEAGgI wanted to insert it in that thread, but there was no fitting place.
I really like it a lot!
After I got it, they used me for a model in the ad in the link.
June 3, 2013
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) today called for hearings to investigate why no one has paid any attention to him in the weeks of hearings he has called for thus far.
“There is mounting evidence that no one listens to me, not even one little bit,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The goal of these hearings is to find out why.”
He said that he first became aware that people might not be listening to him when he read a recent poll indicating that Americans’ primary concerns are jobs and the economy.
“Anyone in his right mind would know that this nation’s No. 1 problem right now is Benghazi talking points,” he said.
The California congressman said that he also intended “to investigate the chain of events that have led to people changing the channel the moment they see my face.”
“There is a consensus out there that I am an odious, self-serving tool who uses congressional hearings to advance my own petty political agenda,” he said. “I think it’s important to know who created that impression.”
Finally, Mr. Issa said, he hoped that the new hearings would “determine, once and for all, to what extent my moral authority has been undermined by allegations that I have been involved in car theft and arson.”
“The question is, what do the American people know about me and when did they know it?” he said.
www.borowitzreport.com
Borowitz tells it first: Issa Demands Hearings Into Why No One Listens to Him
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—The House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) today called for hearings to investigate why no one has paid any attention to him in the weeks of hearings he has called for thus far.
“There is mounting evidence that no one listens to me, not even one little bit,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The goal of these hearings is to find out why.”
He said that he first became aware that people might not be listening to him when he read a recent poll indicating that Americans’ primary concerns are jobs and the economy.
“Anyone in his right mind would know that this nation’s No. 1 problem right now is Benghazi talking points,” he said.
The California congressman said that he also intended “to investigate the chain of events that have led to people changing the channel the moment they see my face.”
“There is a consensus out there that I am an odious, self-serving tool who uses congressional hearings to advance my own petty political agenda,” he said. “I think it’s important to know who created that impression.”
Finally, Mr. Issa said, he hoped that the new hearings would “determine, once and for all, to what extent my moral authority has been undermined by allegations that I have been involved in car theft and arson.”
“The question is, what do the American people know about me and when did they know it?” he said.
www.borowitzreport.com
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Gender: Do not displayMember since: Thu Oct 21, 2004, 06:06 PM
Number of posts: 22,380
