The Nobel Peace Price Newsletter - October 10, 2009

The Nobel Peace Price Newsletter - October 10, 2009

“The best part of Obama winning the Nobel isn't the winning. It's getting to watch Limbaugh seizing continuously maxed out on Oxy, Dilantin, Topamax, Keppra and propofol. Someone try to pull Beck's head out of the oven, and finding Hannity unconscious in a gutter with a blood ethanol of .500. Plus or minus Bill Clinton getting titrated on a high dose thorazine infusion.” David Crippen

New York Times Editorial: The Peace Prize. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 9, 2009. President Obama responded to the news of his Nobel Peace Prize the right way. He said he was humbled, acknowledged that the efforts for which he was honored are only beginning and pledged to see them through, not on his own but in concert with other nations. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/opinion/10sat1.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1255197745-ydviMLWPcLM5pf+PDgkl0w

Obama Says He’s ‘Surprised and Humbled’ by Nobel Prize By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and WALTER GIBBS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

World Reaction to a Nobel Surprise By SHARON OTTERMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. October 9, 2009, 8:04 AM http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world-reaction-to-a-nobel-surprise/?ref=global-home

President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize – Nobel Committee announcement http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/10/09/VI2009100901161.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize – Obama’s Speech http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/10/09/VI2009100901161.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

The Top 25 Republican Reactions to Obama Winning the Nobel Peace Prize http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/top-25-republican-reactions-to-obama.html

Alan Grayson: Republicans "probably wish there were a Nobel Prize for fear" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9459P8daPng





International


US clashes with EU and China on trade By Sarah O’Connor in Washington, Alan Beattie in London and Justine Lau in Hong Kong. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/us-clashes-with-eu-and-china-on-trade.html

Central Banks in Europe Hold Rates Steady By CARTER DOUGHERTY and JULIA WERDIGIER. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/business/global/09rates.html?ref=global-home

Polish President Ratifies European Union Treaty. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: October 10, 2009. Filed at 8:41 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/10/world/AP-EU-Poland-EU-Treaty.html?ref=global-home

Italian Court Overturns Prime Minister’s Immunity. Copyright By REUTERS. Published: October 7, 2009. ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top court ruled on Wednesday that a law granting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution violates the constitution, in a verdict that could reopen trials against him and undermine his government. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/07/world/international-uk-italy-berlusconi-court.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Herta Mueller Wins Nobel Prize in Literature. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/08/arts/AP-EU-Nobel-Literature.html?_r=1&emc=na

North Korea May Be Open to Talks By CHOE SANG-HUN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009. SEOUL — The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, told the visiting prime minister of China that his government was ready to return to six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program if it sees progress in bilateral talks with the United States, state-run media in North Korea and China said Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/world/asia/06korea.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Japan and S. Korea Agree to Joint Stance on North By CHOE SANG-HUN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/asia/10korea.html?ref=global-home

More than 160 Killed in Landslides in Philippines By CARLOS H. CONDE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/asia/10phils.html?ref=global-home

Burmese Dissident Leader Meets Western Diplomats By THOMAS FULLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/asia/10myanmar.html?ref=global-home



China

China Yearns to Form Its Own Media Empires By DAVID BARBOZA. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Published: October 4, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/business/global/05yuan.html?th&emc=th

China Aims to Steady North Korea By CHOE SANG-HUN. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 6, 2009. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader gave an unusually exuberant welcome this week to the prime minister of China, whose trip was intensely monitored by the rest of the world for progress on efforts to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/world/asia/07korea.html?th&emc=th

Beijing’s Afghan Gamble By ROBERT D. KAPLAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. IN Afghanistan’s Logar Province, just south of Kabul, the geopolitical future of Asia is becoming apparent: American troops are providing security for a Chinese state-owned company to exploit the Aynak copper reserves, which are worth tens of billions of dollars. While some of America’s NATO allies want to do as little as possible in the effort to stabilize Afghanistan, China has its eyes on some of world’s last untapped deposits of copper, iron, gold, uranium and precious gems, and is willing to take big risks in one of the most violent countries to secure them. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/opinion/07kaplan.html?ref=opinion


Mess-o-potamia

Elite Guard in Iran Tightens Grip With Media Move By MICHAEL SLACKMAN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world/middleeast/09iran.html?th&emc=th

Iranian Site Reports a Death Sentence for Protester By MICHAEL SLACKMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world/middleeast/09tehran.html?th&emc=th

Militants Storm Seat of Military in Pakistan By SALMAN MASOOD. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 10, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/world/asia/11pstan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Bomb at U.N. Food Office in Pakistan Kills at Least 5 By SALMAN MASOOD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/world/asia/06pstan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Market Is Bombed as Pakistan Plans to Strike at Militants By ISMAIL KHAN and SALMAN MASOOD. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: October 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/asia/10pstan.html?ref=global-home

Afghan Says U.N. Inquiry on Election Was Flawed By SABRINA TAVERNISE and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/world/asia/04afghan.html?ref=global-home

Eight U.S. Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan By SABRINA TAVERNISE and SANGAR RAHIMI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/world/asia/05afghan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

17 Die in Kabul Bomb Attack Near Indian Embassy By SABRINA TAVERNISE and ABDUL WAHEED WAFA. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world/asia/09afghan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home


National

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Senate climate bill. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 4 2009 19:26 | Last updated: October 4 2009 19:26. The outline climate bill introduced by senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer last week is much like the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill passed by the House of Representatives in June. Still, the differences are interesting. This new initiative may in the end do little to spur action on greenhouse-gas emissions in the US. But it is worth noting where the new bill improves on its forerunner, in the hope that its best ideas will stick as the debate grinds on. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/financial-times-editorial-comment.html

The Uneducated American By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009. If you had to explain America’s economic success with one word, that word would be “education.” In the 19th century, America led the way in universal basic education. Then, as other nations followed suit, the “high school revolution” of the early 20th century took us to a whole new level. And in the years after World War II, America established a commanding position in higher education. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09krugman.html

Three Win Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Ribosome Research By DENNIS OVERBYE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/science/08nobel.html?ref=global-home

Three Share 2009 Nobel Physics Prize - Nobel Awarded for Harnessing Light By KENNETH CHANG. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 6, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/science/07nobel.html?hpw

Three Americans Share Nobel Prize for Medicine By NICHOLAS WADE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/science/06nobel.html?ref=global-home



Health Care

Swine Flu Vaccine Reaches an Anxious Nation By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/nyregion/06vaccine.html?th&emc=th

Let Congress Go Without Insurance By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 7, 2009. Let me offer a modest proposal: If Congress fails to pass comprehensive health reform this year, its members should surrender health insurance in proportion with the American population that is uninsured. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/opinion/08kristof.html?th&emc=th

Alan Grayson on the GOP Health Care Plan: "Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!"' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usmvYOPfco

U.S. Losing Ground on Preventable Deaths - Despite High Medical Spending, Results Trail Other Wealthy Countries By Ceci Connolly. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, October 6, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/05/AR2009100503798.html?hpid=topnews

Health-Care Bill Wouldn't Raise Deficit, Report Says - Budget Office Assesses Finance Panel's Plan By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, October 8, 2009. Congressional budget analysts gave an important political boost Wednesday to a Senate panel's health-care overhaul, projecting that the $829 billion measure would dramatically shrink the ranks of the uninsured and keep President Obama's pledge that doing so would not add "one dime" to federal budget deficits. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/07/AR2009100704078.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

The Baucus Conundrum By DAVID BROOKS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009. The longer the health care debate goes on, the more I become convinced that the American system needs fundamental reform. We need to transition away from a fee-for-service system to one that directs incentives toward better care, not more procedures. We need to move away from the employer-based system, which is eroding year by year. We need to move toward a more transparent system, in which people see the consequences of their choices. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09brooks.html?ref=opinion

Health Insurance Exchanges: Will They Work? By REED ABELSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/06exchange.html?th&emc=th

A Heated Debate Is Dividing Generations in AARP By GARDINER HARRIS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 3, 2009. MARINETTE, Wis. — In hundreds of meetings with millions of its members to promote a health care overhaul, AARP, the huge organization for older Americans, has often found itself forced to referee a battle between generations. Its 40 million members are split about evenly between those who have access to Medicare, the federal government’s health program for the elderly, and those who are too young to be eligible for such benefits. The younger members, or those between the ages of 50 and 64, sometimes face terrible choices in the private insurance market, with age and declining health status making premiums high and benefits poor. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/policy/04aarp.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

A Texas-Sized Health Care Failure By CAPPY McGARR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/opinion/06mcgarr.html?ref=global

The Public Imperative By ROGER COHEN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. NEW YORK — Back from another trip to Europe, this time Germany, where the same dismay as in France prevails over the U.S. health care debate. Europeans don’t get why Americans don’t agree that universal health coverage is a fundamental contract to which the citizens of any developed society have a right. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html?th&emc=th

Health care for all -- even Republicans By Garrison Keillor. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2009. OK, it was wrong of me to say last week that we should deny health care to Republicans except for aspirin and hand sanitizer, and thank you to the many readers who kindly took me to task. It was so wrong. And I withdraw the idea that death panels should circulate through red states searching for the obese and slow afoot, the wheezy and limpy, spray-painting orange stripes on their ankles, marking them for future harvest. That was very, very bad. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1007keilloroct07,0,3627821.column


GOP Bashing


Losing the Latino Vote - In the Long Run, the GOP Must Be Inclusive By Michael Gerson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Mel Martinez's recent resignation from the U.S. Senate was for personal and family reasons. But the departure of the Republican Party's most visible Hispanic leader crackles with political symbolism. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/06/AR2009100602835.html

Bush Administration’s Tourist Visa Policy May Have Cost America The 2016 Olympics By By Andrea Nill. Copyright by Think Progress. Oct 2nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/02/chicago-olympics-bush/

Borger: Republicans don't really want to work with Obama By Gloria Borger. Copyright by CNN News. October 8, 2009. Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown," "AC360°" and "State of the Union With John King" as well as other programs during special event coverage. Gloria Borger says President Obama is trying to fix problems that have gone untouched for decades. (CNN) -- In my next life, I'd like to be an opposition party leader. What fun to go to work every day knowing you will always be right, largely because your ideas will remain untested. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/07/borger.opposition/index.html

An American polity blinded by rage By Clive Crook. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 4 2009 20:39 | Last updated: October 4 2009 20:39. Last week, in his column in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman broached a subject that nags at many Americans. “I have no problem with any of the substantive criticism of President Obama from the right or left,” he wrote. “But something very dangerous is happening. Criticism from the far right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination.” http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/politics-of-spite-by-paul-krugman.html

The Politics of Spite By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago’s bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games. “Cheers erupted” at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine’s staff, with the headline “Obama loses! Obama loses!” Rush Limbaugh declared himself “gleeful.” “World Rejects Obama,” gloated the Drudge Report. And so on. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html?th&emc=th

President Barack Obama and the 'socialist' fabrication By Steve Chapman. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. October 8, 2009. Since he's under attack for allegedly being a covert socialist, you would think President Barack Obama would get some love from the overt socialists. But they sound about as enamored of him as Sean Hannity is. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1008chapmanoct08,0,6061831.column

Bill Maher: RT Palin Book 100209 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDEDwXHLP2U

Texas Governor Rick Perry On Executing An Innocent Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRkl42Cwpjo&feature=player_embedded



Immigration

Immigration Hard-Liner Has His Wings Clipped By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. PHOENIX — The Maricopa County sheriff, who has drawn scorn and praise for a running crackdown on illegal immigrants in this city’s metropolitan area, said Tuesday that federal officials had taken away his deputies’ authority to make immigration arrests in the field. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/us/07arizona.html?th&emc=th

Ideas for Immigrant Detention Include Converting Hotels and Building Models By NINA BERNSTEIN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: October 5, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/us/politics/06detain.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1254823514-CWtrTpSGiXvuuA3/B4+H/A

Will LGBTs be in new immigration measure? by Sam Worley. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-10-07. Congressman Luis Gutierrez, who represents Illinois' 4th Congressional District, plans to introduce comprehensive immigration-reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives within the next couple of weeks. LGBT groups are seeking to make sure that it includes protections for same-sex couples and families. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23099




Chicagoland


Focus in Chicago: Students at Risk of Violence By SUSAN SAULNY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. CHICAGO — The new chief officer of the public schools here, Ron Huberman, a former police officer and transit executive with a passion for data analysis, has a plan to stop the killings of the city’s public school students. And it does not have to do with guns or security guards. It has to do with statistics and probability. The plan comes too late for Derrion Albert, the 16-year-old who was beaten to death recently with wood planks after getting caught on his way home between two rival South Side gangs, neither of which he was a member, the police said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/us/07chicago.html?th&emc=th

Illiana Expressway: Proposed interstate tollway would link Illinois, Indiana - Road could ease traffic congestion on southern corridor By Richard Wronski. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. October 5, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-illiana-expressway_monoct05,0,2942620.story

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Sun-Times will continue to serve you, Chicago. Copyright by the Chicago Sun-Times. October 9, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1815344,CST-NWS-edit09b.article

Bankruptcy judge approves Sun-Times Media sale to Tyree group. Copyright by The Chicago SUN-TIMES. October 8, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/business/1814098,sun-times-bankruptcy-sale.article

Sun-Times Media Group unions vote to approve concessions BY CHRIS FUSCO. Copyright by The Chicago SUN-TIMES. October 8, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/business/1811775,sun-times-sale-guild-union-agreement-100709.article

Council curbs anti-abortion activists, who vow to fight on By Kristen Schorsch, Hal Dardick. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. October 7, 2009 12:28 PM. The Chicago City Council today voted 27-11 to pass an ordinance creating a so-called bubble zone requiring anti-abortion activists to keep their distance from people entering clinics. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/10/considerable-activity-is-expected-inside.html

Gay and Lesbian Politics Dominate the primary race for the 7th district Senate Race in Illinois by Carlos T Mock, MD. October 9, 2009 http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/gay-and-lesbian-politics-dominate.html

Steans files same-sex marriage bill By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. October 8, 2009 http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3962

Letter to the editor: Copyright by Windy City Times. 2009-10-07. I am writing in response to the views for equal marriage rights by State Sen. Heather Steans and State Rep. Greg Harris. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23113




Economy


US growth could pass 3%, says Greenspan By Anna Fifield in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 4 2009 22:29 | Last updated: October 5 2009 13:19. US growth could exceed 3 per cent this quarter as the economic recovery takes hold, Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chairman, said on Sunday, in spite of a rise in unemployment numbers. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/us-growth-could-pass-3-says-greenspan.html

ISM: Service Sector Grows in September. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: October 5, 2009. Filed at 10:41 a.m. ET. NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. service sector grew in September for the first time in 13 months, an encouraging sign for the fledgling economic recovery although jobs remain scarce. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/05/us/AP-US-Economy.html?scp=1&sq=US%20services%20sector%20grows%20in%20September&st=cse

US retailers show signs of improvement - September same-store sales beat expectations By Jonathan Birchall and Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 8 2009 14:54 | Last updated: October 8 2009 14:54. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/us-retailers-show-signs-of-improvement.html

Fed Is Split Over Timing of Rate Rise By EDMUND L. ANDREWS. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/business/economy/09bernanke.html?th&emc=th

Support Is Building for a Tax Credit to Help Hiring By CATHERINE RAMPELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. The idea of a tax credit for companies that create new jobs, something the federal government has not tried since the 1970s, is gaining support among economists and Washington officials grappling with the highest unemployment in a generation. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/business/07tax.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

After More Job Losses, Democrats Move to Extend Benefits. Copyright By THE NEW YORK TIMES. Published: October 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/us/politics/04jobless.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: A Good Return on Investment. Copyright by The new York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. The recession has dealt a heavy blow to low-income families. Many have had to move in with relatives; those still lucky enough to live on their own typically are spending too much of their meager incomes on rent and utilities, which places them at clear risk of homelessness. The problem will only get worse as more people who have lost their homes to foreclosure flood into the rental market, driving up rents and putting even more pressure on lower-income families who are barely making ends meet. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/opinion/07wed3.html?ref=global

U.S. Trade Gaps Narrows Unexpectedly. Copyright By REUTERS. Published: October 9, 2009. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade gap narrowed unexpectedly in August as trade in services pushed exports slightly higher and imports fell by a fractionally larger amount, a U.S. Commerce Department report showed on Friday. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/09/business/business-us-usa-economy-trade.html?scp=1&sq=US%20trade%20gap%20unexpectedly%20narrows%20in%20August&st=cse

Program to Buy Bad Assets Nearly in Place, U.S. Says By EDMUND L. ANDREWS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department said on Sunday that its scaled-down program to help banks unload their troubled mortgages and mortgage securities would begin operating at full strength by the end of this month, more than a year after Congress authorized $700 billion for that purpose. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/business/economy/05tarp.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Prepaid, but Not Prepared for Debit Card Fees By ANDREW MARTIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 5, 2009. Buying a prepaid debit card these days is just about as easy as picking up a bottle of shampoo or a candy bar. Walk into a Wal-Mart or almost any major drugstore, and rows of plastic worth $25, $100 and even $500 beckon from kiosks alongside prepaid phone cards and gift cards for retailers. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/your-money/06prepay.html?th&emc=th

Fannie and Freddie Continue to Struggle, Lawmakers Told By JACK HEALY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/business/economy/09loan.html?hpw

U.S. Begins Antitrust Inquiry of I.B.M. By ASHLEE VANCE and STEVE LOHR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/companies/08antitrust.html?ref=global-home



Housing


Treasury Hails Milestone in Home Loan Modifications By PETER S. GOODMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009. Half a million troubled homeowners have had their loan payments lowered under an Obama administration relief plan, the Treasury announced on Thursday, claiming a significant milestone in the effort to spare families from foreclosure. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/business/09home.html?hpw

Democrats May Extend Tax Credit for Homes By JACKIE CALMES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 7, 2009. WASHINGTON — Democratic Congressional leaders are working with the White House to extend an expiring $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, and aides said Wednesday that they were considering making it available to current homeowners who purchase a new residence. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/us/politics/08stimulus.html?th&emc=th

Office leasing activity soars in Manhattan By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 7 2009 05:04 | Last updated: October 7 2009 05:04. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/office-leasing-activity-soars-in.html


Commodities


Financial Times Editorial Comment: A strong US needs a weakened dollar. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 9 2009 22:23 | Last updated: October 9 2009 22:23. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/financial-times-editorial-comment_10.html

Asian countries step in to support dollar - Fears of weak US currency’s impact on exports grow By Kevin Brown in Singapore. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: October 8 2009 15:09 | Last updated: October 8 2009 15:09. Asian central banks intervened heavily in the currency markets on Thursday to slow the slide of the US dollar amid growing concern about the potential impact on the region’s export driven economies. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/asian-countries-step-in-to-support.html

“Dollar demise”: Inexorable but not sudden By Neal Kimberley. Copyright by Reuters. 03:57 October 6th, 2009. LONDON (Reuters) - An article in Britain’s Independent newspaper on Tuesday rightly attracted a lot of market attention with its provocative heading “The demise of the dollar.” While subsequent and almost co-ordinated denials from numerous capitals have taken the steam out of the story, the dollar’s role is again under scrutiny. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2009/10/06/dollar-demise-inexorable-but-not-sudden/

Stocks and Gold Gain as Investors Shun the Dollar By JACK HEALY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009 Investors clamored to buy pretty much anything on Tuesday — as long as it was not the dollar. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/stocks-and-gold-gain-as-investors-shun-the-dollar/?scp=2&sq=Stocks%20and%20Gold%20Gain%20as%20Investors%20Shun%20the%20Dollar&st=cse




GLBT


New York Times Editorial: The Damage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 3, 2009. Sixteen years after passage of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, there is reason to hope that the military is edging away from its destructive opposition to allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly. At the very least, a prize-winning essay in a prominent military journal suggests that the issue is open to debate and even dissent. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/opinion/04sun2.html?th&emc=th

Gay Marriage Bill Unveiled Before Packed D.C. Council Chambers By Tim Craig. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, October 6, 2009; 3:12 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/06/AR2009100602259.html

The Gay After Tomorrow http://www.hulu.com/watch/100678/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-the-gay-after-tomorrow

Rights Still to Be Won - Why we March By Julian Bond. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, October 9, 2009. The civil rights struggle for legal equality in America today is no less necessary, nor worthy, than a similar struggle fought by blacks several decades ago. Now, as then, Americans are denied rights simply because of who they are. When lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans gather in Washington on Sunday for the National Equality March, they will invoke the unfulfilled promise in our Constitution that they, too, are due equal protection under the law. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803292.html

Views: The March on Washington by Wayne Besen. Copyright 2009 Wayne Besen. 2009-10-07. Fresh off its wing nut wingding on the National Mall, the far-out fringe held its "Values Voter" summit in Washington last week. The highlight was jilted former Miss California, Carrie Prejean, starting a brand new religion—"MEvangelical Christianity." In her remarkably self-centered, narcissistic speech, she cast herself as a martyr on a mission and repeatedly had to remind the audience that she wasn't as stuck up as she appeared on stage. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23111

Obama to Reaffirm His Support for Gay Rights - In Speech Tonight, President Aims to Allay Concerns on Inaction By Ed O'Keefe and Michael D. Shear. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, October 10, 2009; 11:52 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/10/AR2009101000627.html?hpid=topnews

Chicago activists to picket Obama HRC address By Matt Simonette. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. October 8, 2009 http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3961

House Votes to Expand Hate Crimes Definition By CARL HULSE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/09hate.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Gay in America: When culture and sexuality collide - Special to the Online Edition of Windy City Times by Bill Healy. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-10-07 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23086

LGBT judicial candidates on slate. Copyright by The Windy City Times. Wed., Oct. 7, 2009. Appellate Court Justice Sebastian Patti & Supervising Corporation Counsel Linda J. Pauel will bring diversity and experience to the Cook County bench. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23136

Scarlet is back in business By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. October 8, 2009 http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3955


Technology


In Test of Water on Moon, Craft Hits Bull’s-Eye By KENNETH CHANG. Copyright by Reuters. Published: October 9, 2009. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — More than 230,000 miles from Earth, a NASA spacecraft hit a bull’s-eye on the Moon on Friday morning. Actually, two bull’s-eyes. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/science/space/10moon.html?ref=global-home

Bug by Bug, Google Fixes a New Idea By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. Even at Google, new ideas do not always go as planned. Danielle VanDyke, a young Google engineer working on the company’s latest mobile ad format, discovered that in August. The ad format was supposed to be ready for introduction in two weeks. But, as Ms. VanDyke told her colleagues in a teleconference, she was finding a bunch of bugs. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/business/media/05adco.html?th&emc=th

Just a Touch Away, the Elusive Tablet PC By BRAD STONE and ASHLEE VANCE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. SAN FRANCISCO — The high-tech industry has been working itself into paroxysms of excitement lately over an idea that is not exactly new: tablet computers. Apple's Newton was withdrawn by Steve Jobs in 1997. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/technology/05tablet.html?th&emc=th

New Amazon Kindle to Download Books Beyond U.S. By BRAD STONE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/technology/companies/07amazon.html?scp=2&sq=kindle&st=cse

Microsoft hopes Windows 7 makes you forget about Vista - The new operating system is more consumer friendly and includes several upgrades, including a lightning-fast search function. By David Colker. Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times. October 4, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-windows4-2009oct04,0,2089099.story

To Start, Push the Windows Logo Button By SAUL HANSELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 6, 2009. When Microsoft decided to revive its ailing cellphone software business, it turned to the marketer who came up with the Staples “Easy Button,” which speaks the tagline “That was easy” when pushed. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/technology/companies/06soft.html?hpw




Other


The Big Surprise of ‘Big Bang’: The Bigger Audience By EDWARD WYATT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: October 4, 2009. BURBANK, Calif. — The most vibrant buzz this summer around the Warner Brothers lot here and CBS Entertainment headquarters in nearby Studio City was not being generated by the slate of new shows on the CBS fall schedule. Rather, it focused on the sudden emergence — during summer repeats, no less — of a series that had been on the air for two seasons. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/arts/television/05bang.html?th&emc=th

So, you think you can ride a bike.... http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=21337502001

Humor


Playing the Race Card http://www.hulu.com/watch/100677/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-playing-the-race-card?c=Comedy

Vasectomy http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/vasectomy.html

How many women with menopause does it take to change a light bulb? http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-many-women-with-menopause-does-it.html







It has come to my attention that you can only read 2 articles per month at the Financial Times if you haven't registered. If you would like to read more of the articles for free, simply sign up for the free account and you can read 10 articles per month. That should be enough. I'll try to keep the FT links to a minimum. - I used a link that will open the Financial Times articles this week. CTM

Ps. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, just go to my website: www.carlostmock.com and go the the subscription link. It will appear in your email every week.



In Pride (orgullo),


Carlos T. Mock, MD
www.carlostmock.com
Author: Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey - Floricanto Press 2003.
Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT
Round Table.
Author: The Mosaic Virus – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Author: Papi Chulo – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Cuba Libre, “Mentirita” To be released late September 2009 by Floricanto Press