Monday, February 28, 2011

RECIFE ROYALTY

On Saturday, Yuri Meneses and Mayara Menezes (no relation) were elected Rei e Rainha do Carnaval Multicultural in Recife, Brazil. Runners-up for Rainha were Geane Fernandes and Isis Santos. Runners-up for Rei were Diógenes Alexandre and Ivan Pereira. Dean Harris was quite disappointed that the Rei was not crowned in his sunga this year.

How do you understand your own disillusionment?

I understand my own deep feelings of disillusionment and hopelessness when it comes to the student lending crisis and how the problem fits into a broader context  - I am well-acquainted and even comfortable with these patterns of thoughts now. The frequency of these thoughts ebb and flow.  However, I'd like to hear from you. How do you understand your own disillusionment as an indentured educated servant? How does it crop up in your everyday life? 



 



Cathie Black District 14 Town Hall: No Sex, but Plenty of Lies and Videotape


District 14 Principal Brian De Vale with Teddy Bear pal
LAST UPDATE:
Tues., March 1, 8AM

Links to coverage of last night's meeting:
Parents and community members lambasted Chancellor Cathie Black in Williamsburg. (Brooklyn Paper)


Preamble
I was able to view tonight's events from a different perspective than I usually do since I knew the scene and the players so well, having spent over 35 working in District 14 (Williamsburg/Greenpoint). To me this was a sign that BloomKlein did not totally stamp out the old and bring in the new. But even one of the new Leadership Acad grads who I know (and like very much) seemed to be on our side. See videos in upcoming posts.

I returned to the scene of the crime tonight when I attended the CEC 14 Cathie Black town hall meeting at IS 71, the home of the old district 14 office and the monthly school board meetings where I and other radicals used to question the basic policies of the old school board. It was old home week as I saw so many people from the old days - principals, teachers, parents - even a former student - who now has 2 grandchildren - does that make me a great grand teacher?

And now we were all on the same side - opposing the policies of Black & Bloom. Many of the schools seemed to be represented and anger was pulsing throughout the auditorium.

There was to be no direct questions from the audience but the usual tactic of having people write questions on index cards to keep Black from having to look her questioner in the eye.  I didn't know what to expect from the CEC, which consists of parent leaders. Would they cull the questions to be less confrontational. But they came up BIG, with one question after another directed right at the gut of Black, most of them anti-charter school in nature.

The audience hooted and hollered at Black and her responses and there were pro-unions signs all over the place.

And then Principal and District 14 Council of Supervisors head Brian DeVale took took the mic to confront Black directly., holding a Teddy Bear to symbolize President Theodore Roosevelt who created the civil service system. When he finished, Black said, "Don't I even get the bear?" Brian came up and offered it to her but she told him to give it to a child.

This will be making the news and NY 1's Lindsey Christ was there to get it - so check out her reports. I got all the video too but it will take my a day or more to figure out what to do with so much good material.

After Brian's speech most people left but there was some great stuff to follow.

Question: Do charters have the same disciplinary code as public schools?
Answer: No.
Duhhh!

I had some fun with Santi Taveras when he tried to pull a political stunt when he expressed outrage that one question on a card said, "Why can't we fire the kids?" I asked him directly: Don't charter schools fire kids every day? He wouldn't answer.

Another principal asked him directly if he actually believed the PEP was listening to the community or was the question pre-decided. Taveras staked his educational rep on the fact that it was an honest process. The principal looked at him incredulously. Taveras immediately jumped 10 spots up the food chain of dishonest Tweedies.

Here are some pics taken by GEM's Lisa North.






Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Alan Nasser (Part III)

Part III of my conversation with Alan Nasser about capitalism, the Obama administration, U.S. democracy, student loan debt, and so forth. 


If you haven't read Part I or Part II, I encourage you to do so before reading the next installment below. 



CCJ: Speaking of appealing to regular people, you write a lot for publications like CommonDreams.org and Counterpunch.org. Could you tell us why that is? 

AN: I've mostly quit writing for professional journals. I want to talk in plain, direct English, and I try to do that.

CCJ: You do a great job of that.

AN: Well thank you. So, that is why I write for Commondreams and Counterpunch. I want to reach more people. Education is a task that is very important. It's overwhelming. For instance, I know that in public schools, they still promote anti-communism, portraying preposterous depictions of what communism is supposed to be. And the Soviet and Chinese 'threats' don’t even exist any more! I don't think they do much better with fascism. History is not a well-taught discipline.

CCJ: I know that all too well! Your comment also reminds me of the way in which Obama is portrayed with a red flag behind him, which is obviously a Communist flag, and then has a Hitler mustache slapped on his face. I have news for these people: Fascists hated Communists. They were the first to be put in camps by the Nazis. But let’s move away from how these –isms are so poorly and laughably conflated. What do you think of this idea that Obama is a socialist? 

AN: It’s not true. Let’s look at a few things. When it comes to home energy programs, Obama has twice cut back on these programs. So many people die from the cold or from fires, because they can't afford heating. That's another way I see this administration engaged on a frontal assault on the most vulnerable people. They are cutting aid to the disabled. But why bother providing energy assistance to people who are of no use to the vested interests, whether it is at the ballot box or in terms of campaign contributions? And perhaps most ominously, Obama stacked his Deficit Commission with people who have made a career of working to reduce or privatize Social Security. He now wants people to work longer for lower benefits.

CCJ: Yes. That’s quite troubling. Let’s talk about a group now that actually helped President Obama win the election. Well, at least a portion of them (those who are between the ages of 18 - 24+). You are obviously interested in the student loan issue. I call it a student loan debt crisis. How does this relate to the broader problems of the economic crisis that many Americans, and most people around the world, are still experiencing today? 


AN: I think at one basic level it fits in with the economy de-industrializing not completely of course, but substantially.  The economy has become increasingly financialized, leaving less and less real and productive activity. You and I both grew up seeing those familiar pictures of presidents surrounded by his advisory entourage. They were mostly CEOs from Ford, US Steel, General Motors, Alcoa, that is, those sorts of industrialists. Now you see the same the pictures, and there might be an industrialist or two in that entourage, but the majority of them are finance capitalists and generals. I think that you know that America is turning into an economy in which the principal thing sold is not widgets but debt. That’s what banks do: they sell debt. Debt is becoming the principal product sold in the U.S. Student debt is a big component of that total debt. Defaults on student loans far exceed those on any other types of loan. The student borrower is saddled with debt for a longer stretch of their life than those with home mortgage loans.

The burden of student loans is not infrequently a lifetime burden. Student debt is taking a terrible toll on people. The victims of the collapse of the housing market won’t be as oppressively burdened for as long a time as student debtors will be. This is consistent with the typical wage earner becoming a permanent debtor.

The impact of the assault on the public sector and public sector workers hit state and local governments as well as public colleges. Public colleges have been forced to drive up their tuition. Over-enrollment is forcing students into schools that are even higher tuition costs just in order to get that college degree, a degree that is becoming worth less and less. According to the most recent projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most future jobs will not require a college education. Most of those jobs will also be low-paying. The general trend in industry is to both reduce and de-skill the labor force. The economic crisis, which really began in 2006, and was evident in 2008, hit the public sector very hard. Over-enrollment and an increased rush to other alternatives really set in the fall of 2008, so it stands to reason that for- profits would proliferate.

CCJ: I have to say, I have only been gone from the U.S. for 11 months, but I have been shocked by how many for-profit schools I’ve seen here. When I returned from South Korea in late December of 2010, I drove from Los Angeles, California to Dallas, TX. I was also in Washington, D.C. in mid-January. I am speaking to you from downtown Chicago. In all of these places in the country, there seemed to be a for-profit school is practically on every block. Downtown Chicago is filled with them, and I mean on every block. I realize that might be anecdotal, but I’ve been really taken aback. 

AJ: I’ve noticed something similar. I’m from NYC, and I get back there on a regular basis. In the last 2 years I’ve noticed a change on the subway. The advertisements for these schools are just everywhere!

CCJ: I have noticed the same thing here in Chicago when taking public transportation, too. It’s disturbing. 

AJ: Being away puts you at an advantage. Changes that others might not notice will strike you.

CCJ: I agree. Speaking more about the for-profits or proprietary schools, there has been a great deal of scrutiny on the for-profits or proprietary schools lately. Do you feel that they are a bigger problem than the non-profits?

AN: The Department of Education is looming now as a more serious problem, because the Department is the biggest student lender. Moreover, the department is raking it in with defaults – they recover 120% of every defaulted loan. And they know that the default rates they've backed are between 25% - 40%. They are not warning people about this. They aren't doing credit checks. The department is making a killing, so I think I'd like to see people focus on that, without losing sight of the for-profit issue. It is just as salient, but I think the Department is looming very large as a real predator, a really horrible predator. That’s something we should pay attention to and not allow the for-profits to distract us from this. After I wrote about student loans, so many people wrote to me. I felt that I needed to respond in some way, and, as you know, the horror stories are astounding. Garnishing disability payments and their tax refunds? It's stunning. It's horrific. I don't know how these poor folks . . . what they are going to do. A lot of people who have signed off on loans, for their sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, never suspected that the debt would be compounded and compounded.

It’s really a whole new kind of misery.


Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church, built in the Gothic revival style in 1911. Photograph from the collection, "Detroit In Ruins," by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre. Special thanks to Mr. Marchand and Mr. Meffre for agreeing to let me use their photographs for these next installments of my conversation with Alan. 



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Synopsis de Toy Boy


Véritable séducteur, Nikki mène une vie facile : belles nanas, grosses voitures et villas de luxe. Tout en multipliant les conquêtes, il se fait entretenir par une riche avocate d'Hollywood, chez qui il passe le plus clair de son temps à faire la fête et à prendre du bon temps. Tout se passe bien pour Nikki jusqu'au jour où il rencontre Heather, une somptueuse serveuse qui lui fait tourner la tête pour de bon. Il commence à croire à l'amour lorsqu'il s'aperçoit qu'elle joue au même jeu que lui...

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Synopsis de Manhattan Samourai


Lee Choe est un redoutable assassin de l?ombre au service de la mafia. Le jour où son parrain le lâche et élimine sa femme, la rage s?empare de lui. Rien ne pourra pas désormais l?arrêter : ni les flics véreux que le parrain envoie à ses trousses, ni les meilleurs services de sécurité. Le samouraï silencieux crie vengeance.

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Synopsis de Un seul deviendra invincible 3


Huit combattants d?élite sont réunis dans une même prison par un mystérieux syndicat qui organise des combats clandestins avec à la clé : la liberté pour le vainqueur et des millions de dollars aux organisateurs. Blessé physiquement et moralement par son dernier combat, Boyka débarque dans cet enfer et il devra montrer tous ses talents pour conquérir sa liberté.






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Synopsis de 16 Wishes


Abby Jansen est une fille qui rêve de son 16e anniversaire depuis qu’elle est toute petite et durant toutes ces annnées elle a gardé une liste avec tous ses vœux. Le jour de son 16e anniversaire, une fée nommée Celeste lui offre des bougies magiques numérotées et chaque bougie correspond à un vœux. Sauf que un de ses vœux va tout changer et elle a jusque minuit pour tout réparer.

Sakit Langka, Separuh Wajah Gadis Ini 'Mati'

Berita terbaru.Keceriaan Christine Honeycutt terpancar setiap kali berkunjung ke dokter. Di balik keceriaannya, siapa sangka gadis 11 tahun itu mengidap sebuah gangguan kesehatan sangat langka.

Gadis asal China Grove, North Carolina, ini mengidap sindroma Parry-Romberg. Penyakit langka ini ditandai dengan gangguan sistem kekebalan yang menyerang balik tubuh penderitanya. 

Penyakit ini mulai terdeteksi saat Christine berumur lima tahun. Diawali dengan munculnya tanda berwarna abu-abu di batas dahi dan leher, serta memar di area leher. Lewat beberapa kali pemeriksaan medis, dokter menyatakan kemunculan tanda itu tak membahayakan. 


Namun, sebuah kejang hebat membuat naluri ibunda Christine, Vicki Honeycutt, bekerja. Sang bunda curiga ada penyakit misterius yang menyerang putrinya. Setelah menjalani pemindaian MRI, terlihat penyusutan di wajah bagian kiri. Sakit itu menggerogoti jaringan subkutan antara tulang, otot dan kulit.

Kulit akan kehilangan elastisitas dan kekencangan akibat sistem imunitas yang menyerang balik. Ini membuat tulang tak dapat tumbuh secara normal. Seiring waktu, satu sisi wajahnya akan menjadi lebih kecil, dan berubah menyerupai kerangka. Tubuh bagian kirinya pun tidak akan berkembang dan mengecil. 

Dokter sempat memberitahu bahwa belum ada obat penyakit ini. Karenanya, Christine harus menunggu hingga penyakit mencapai puncak kerusakan sebelum dokter bedah mencoba memperbaiki struktur wajahnya. "Saya merasa ngeri, dan berpikir apakah nantinya anak saya akan terlihat sangat menyeramkan," katanya. 

"Saya tak dapat membayangkan apa yang akan terjadi padanya, bagaimana pergaulannya nanti. Saya berpikir semua hal buruk tidak akan terjadi jika wajahnya dapat dipertahankan," ujarnya seperti dikutip Daily Mail.

Naluri keibuan membuat Vicki terus mencari kesembuhan bagi putrinya. Ia tak menyerah dan diam melihat separuh wajah putrinya hancur. Semangat inilah yang mempertemukannya dengan dokter bedah perintis, Dr John Siebert. 

Di tangan Siebert, Christine menjalani operasi mengganti jaringan mati dan akan menjalani tiga kali pembedahan untuk menghaluskan rahangnya. Dampak penyakit memang berlangsung terus menerus, namun Siebert menyatakan operasi dapat mengontrol dampak kerusakan. 

Penyakit langka ini diperkirakan hanya menimpa 700 pasien di seluruh dunia. Penyakit otoimun progresif kebanyakan mempengaruhi anak perempuan usia antara lima hingga 15 tahun, tapi bisa juga terjadi pada orang dewasa.

Dari pengalamannya, Vicki Honeycutt berharap untuk membantu orang lain yang mengalami kondisi langka dan memulai sebuah organisasi nirlaba Christine Champion's for Hope. "Anak ini sangat luar biasa. Kami ingin membantu anak-anak lainnya."

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Synopsis de The Tourist


Pour se remettre d?une rupture amoureuse, Frank, simple professeur de mathématiques, décide de faire un peu de tourisme en Europe. Dans le train qui l?emmène de Paris à Venise, une superbe femme, Élise, l?aborde et le séduit. Ce qui commence comme un coup de foudre dans une ville de rêve va vite se transformer en course-poursuite aussi énigmatique que dangereuse?

Horoskop 28 Februari - 6 Maret 2011 (II)

TAURUSBerita terbaru Anda terlalu dingin dan acuh pada pasangan, sebaiknya renungkan apa yang terjadi pada hubungan Anda. Komunikasi secara terbuka perlu Anda lakukan dengan dia. Karir cukup melejit, Anda pantas mendapatkan jabatan yang sesuai dengan prestasi. Menjadi tulang punggung perusahaan jangan membuat lupa diri. Hindari kebiasaan istirahat terlalu larut malam. Anda memerlukan istirahat yang cukup untuk melakukan aktivitas yang sangat padat keesokan harinya.

Cinta: Makin cinta
Keuangan: Cukup
Kesehatan: Lemak merajalela

GEMINIKehidupan asmara Anda tetap mengasyikkan meskipun biasa saja. Ini karena Anda berdua dapat menciptakan suasana yang harmonis. Keterbukaan kunci hubungan Anda. Hindari membuat kesalahan walau sekecil apapun, hal ini dikarenakan saat ini atasan selalu mengawasi kinerja Anda. Sebisa mungkin untuk tidak tertekan. Kesehatan Anda membutuhkan perawatan secara intensif dan rutin. Kelalaian membuat anda sering merasakan gejala yang cukup sakit pada bagian tubuh.


Cinta: Kecewa
Keuangan: Habis sudah
Kesehatan: Perlu renang

CANCERJangan ragu bila Anda ingin merealisasikan rencana untuk jalan berdua.  Cari tempat yang lebih romantis, semuanya akan baik-baik saja. Tugas Anda sedang menumpuk di depan mata. Kalau memang membutuhkan bantuan rekan kerja yang lain jangan gengsi untuk minta tolong, mereka pasti dengan senang hati menolong. Jangan mendekati tempat yang menurut Anda cukup kotor, rentan penyakit menular, agar kondisi tubuh anda selalu fit. Jangan lupa untuk selalu mengonsumsi vitamin.

Cinta: Cocok
Keuangan: Stabil
Kesehatan: Ketergantungan

LEOBiasakan untuk melakukan komunikasi dengan pasangan Anda, jangan menunggunya memulai. Sesekali beri kejutan untuknya, agar tambah lengket. Ritme kerja Anda saat ini sangat santai, hal ini yang membuat atasaan sedikit khawatir. Ditakutkan bos besar Anda mengetahuinya, karier anda sedikit terancam. Kondisi kesehatan sangat baik. Belum ada tanda-tanda yang dapat mengganggu kestabilan tubuh Anda. Yang penting Anda memperhatikan setiap hal sekecil apapun.

Cinta: Yakin di hati
Keuangan: Banyak peluang
Kesehatan: Kelelahan

VIRGOKomunikasikan segala hal yang mengganjal, jangan hanya dipendam di hati. Sesekali beri kejutan untuk mengharmoniskan hubungan yang mulai monoton. Akan ada persaingan yang bertujuan untuk memperebutkan kursi kosong di tempat Anda bekerja. Sebaiknya Anda berhati-hati dalam menyikapinya, jangan terlalu menonjol. Saat ini Anda tak  menemukan masalah dalam hal kesehatan, bahkan berada pada puncak yang prima, namun Anda harus tetap waspada.

Cinta : Orang ketiga
Keuangan: Aman 
Kesehatan: Kurang minum

LIBRAAkhir-akhir ini anda terlalu sibuk memikirkan diri sendiri hingga melupakan perasaan pasangan. Hati hati, ada kemungkinan orang ketiga masuk dalam hubungan Anda. Belajarlah dari pengalaman teman lama, cobalah untuk memahami karakter lawan. Hal ini agar tidak salah jalan. Jangan terbuai setiap perkataan orang. Banyak pekerjaan yang terbengkalai. Anda sedang kehilangan semangat karena tubuh sedang tidak fit. Istirahatkan tubuh agar lebih bugar.

Cinta : Saling suka
Keuangan: Ada tambahan
Kesehatan : Gatal-gatal

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Synopsis de Kaboom
Smith mène une vie tranquille sur le campus – il traîne avec sa meilleure amie, l?insolente Stella, couche avec la belle London, tout en désirant Thor, son sublime colocataire, un surfeur un peu simplet – jusqu?à une nuit terrifiante où tout va basculer. Sous l?effet de space cookies ingérés à une fête, Smith est persuadé d?avoir assisté à l?horrible meurtre de la Fille Rousse énigmatique qui hante ses rêves. En cherchant la vérité, il s?enfonce dans un mystère de plus en plus profond qui changera non seulement sa vie à jamais, mais aussi le sort de l?humanité.




Inggris Sita Es Krim Air Susu Ibu

 Berita terbaru .Pihak berwenang Inggris menyita es krim rasa air susu ibu (ASI), yang dijual di suatu toko di London. Pasalnya, es krim unik itu tidak terjamin higienis.

Menurut kantor berita Associated Press (AP), penyitaan itu diumumkan Dewan Kota Westminster di London Senin, 28 Februari 2011. Mereka bertindak setelah menerima dua laporan dari masyarakat, yang mempertanyakan apakah dibenarkan suatu toko boleh langsung menjual produk yang berasal dari cairan tubuh manusia tanpa disertifikasi dahulu oleh Badan Standar Makanan Inggris. 

Dewan Kota merujuk pada suatu toko es krim, Icecreamists, yang pekan lalu mulai menjual produk baru bernama "Baby Gaga." Menurut penelitian, ASI bisa saja mengandung virus berbahaya, seperti hepatitis.


Pihak penjual mengklaim bahwa donatur penyalur ASI, yang menjadi bahan dasar es krim, telah menjalani uji klinis, termasuk tes darah. ASI yang telah dikeluarkan juga harus menjalani pasteurisasi untuk membunuh kuman maupun virus. 

Hidangan unik itu disajikan dengan vanila dan sari lemon. Disajikan di dalam gelas martini, es krim Baby Gaga satu porsi dijual seharga 14 poundsterling, atau sekitar Rp200 ribu.       

"Sejauh yang kami tahu, tidak ada hukum yang melarang penjualan es krim ASI," kata Matt O'Connor, pendiri Icecreamists. Menurut O'Connor, sejak dijual Jumat pekan lalu, es krim ASI itu laris manis. 

Namun, pihak berwenang di London tidak mau ambil risiko. Mereka menyita produk Baby Gaga yang dijual Icecreamists dan harus menjalani tes di laboratorium Badan Standar Pangan Inggris. 

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Synopsis de Sex Friends


Entre "Sex Friends", il faut respecter quelques règles de base :Ne jamais s’offrir de cadeaux.Ne pas dîner en tête à tête.Accepter la concurrence.Oublier le mot "chéri(e)".Toujours partir avant le petit-déjeuner.Et surtout, ne jamais tomber amoureux !Est-ce bien clair pour Emma et Adam ?




papa Ricky : الحلقة 71:مسلسل بابي ريكي المدبلج 71


المسلسل المكسيكي بابي ريكي يعرض على القناة التانية 

بابي ريكي مدبلج باللغة العربية 

مسلسل بابي ريكي 


بابي ريكي مدبلج 

     المسلسل المكسيكي بابي ريكي