In the words of IFE Fellows, here is what 2010 was all about:
Sports
Dog killer or MVP? Michael Vick, in his second season back after serving 23
months in jail for dogfighting, lit up the NFL with his MVP-type performances.
Vick's comeback is fascinating because it makes sports fans ask questions that
make them very uncomfortable. Can I root for a dog killer? What is more
important to me: my love for my team or my love for dogs? Does jail really
rehabilitate a person, and since he paid his debt to society, should I forgive
Vick?
When you get up in
morning and you are trying to find your cell phone, you probably aren’t thinking
about neodymium, but maybe you should.
Neodymium is a rare-earth element that plays an essential role in making certain that your cell phone
works. Without neodymium and other rare-earth elements, cell phones wouldn’t be as
small or as powerful as they are, televisions wouldn’t be as big and as thin as
they are, and many other of the creature comforts that we now rely on wouldn’t be
around.
Get a load of this, folks. A sitting United States senator is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to pull the plug on cable networks such as MSNBC and Fox. You heard right, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) lamented recently that programming by Fox and other cable daysides apparently gets in the way of politicians and their ability to obfuscate and deceive the public.
While holding a hearing on the FCC, Rockefeller was reported saying, “It would be a big favor to political discourse; to our ability to do our work here in Congress; and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future.”
Since when did having more scrutiny of politicians and their activities by news organizations lead to the travesty of justice Rockefeller is claiming? Apparently, Sen. Rockefeller and his colleagues don’t like to be bothered by a meddling media, investigating their moves and challenging them on questionable actions.
I guess it’s a relief that Rockefeller failed to realize the FCC has no jurisdiction over cable airwaves.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Become a fan on Facebook- www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside.
CrisisCamp is a global network of
hybrid barcamp/hackathon events which bring together people and
communities who innovate crisis response and global development through
technology tools, expertise and problem solving. Since 2009,
CrisisCamp volunteers have created crisis response and learning events
in over 10 countries with volunteers of all backgrounds who collaborate
in an open environment to aggregate crisis data, develop prototype
tools and train people on how to use technology tools and problem
solving to aid in crisis response and global development.
Throughout the world, people view America as the place to find a better life,
still feeling that we are "the shining city on the hill." People
aspire to be part of our vital and large middle class.
That was true of my family two generations ago and is still true for much of
the world. You work hard, you play by the rules, you move ahead. It works.
Sure, in past years politicians and tax policy have been fairly successful
transferring wealth from the middle class to a small upper class. That's the
point of tax breaks for the rich. However, I see a lot of vitality in the
American middle class.
The great coming issue is privacy. The great sucking sound you hear is government and business wanting to know what you write in e-mails, what condoms you purchase at the pharmacy, what books you read in the library and what credit cards you use at the store. Privacy is the issue that should unite Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) and Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold (D) while bringing together Matt Drudge and Frank Rich.
Google is one of the great inventions of modern history. But do you want anyone willing to pay and the government that wants to watch what you have Googled or searched for on the Internet? This is a great debate that needs to happen.
The Open Government Initiative has a lot to do with telling people
what's going on in Washington and providing way better return for the
taxpayer dollar.
One next step is the Federal Register 2.0,
a site that communicates what's going on in ways that make for a more
natural read. They say it's like USA.gov meets USAToday.com
The new
healthcare stuff sounds way more complicated than it is, but like with
any kind of insurance, there's always a need for a little help.
healthcare.gov just launched, and the folks doing it are serious about getting it right, and helping us all with what we need to know.
The
site brings together all pertinent information regarding health
insurance plans, and makes it reasonably easy to compare what plans
might work for you. It also addresses your rights, and how the
Affordable Care Act will help you.
Read more...
The
online grassroots democracy thing is real, and gathering momentum. Here's
another example of a notable effort, focusing on the national budget.
As
I recall, nearly half of the deficit is from tax cuts for the rich, and
half regarding the war in Iraq, including missing cash and big-ticket
items. (I wish more of that had gone to support the troops, but my bias
is showing.) (Please fact-check me.)
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