GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

The nation of Libya recently overthrew the regime of leader Muammar Gaddafi. In a joyous celebration the transitional government has declared the country officially “liberated.” It’s a beautiful day for the Libyan people. As well, it is a solemn time of remembrance for the lives sacrificed in attaining that freedom.

The one thing I disagree with in the entirety of the coup, the rebellion, and the liberation is the celebration of the execution of Gaddafi. Granted, there is nothing redeeming about any leader who doesn’t take care of his people. However, does no one find the way people rejoiced at the news of his execution disturbing? I can understand being relieved. I could understand the satisfaction of vengeance. I can understand rejoicing at the new found freedom. However, fist-pumping, high-fiving, “and I hope they burn in hell” style celebration because you killed a guy makes me question your judgment. Morally, how is that justified? You can do better. Shouldn’t you want to be better person?

I can understand the Libyans rejoicing at the death of Gaddafi, but people over in the United States are truly elated. Granted, Gaddafi committed many crimes and I mean no solace in that but really?! Keep your composure. A man was executed. It seems antithetical to be so uncivilized when promoting the virtues of democracy. If not antithetical, then merely hypocritical.

Source: Obama releases ‘long form’ birth certificate

Unfortunately, the President believes facts and a majority of the nations acceptance of such will finally stop the relentless extremists unwilling to acknowledge his eligibility and therefore Presidency. These fundamentalists also known as “birthers” have flamed rumors that Barack Hussein Obama II was born outside of the United States and thus ineligible to be President despite prior presentations of proof.

We will not be surprised if the fanatical birther members chalk this release of President Obama’s birth certificate up as a conspiracy. Donald Trump, don’t quit your day job(s).

Source: The Bing-Facebook Alliances

In case you didn’t notice, Bing is the official search engine for Facebook. Which gives Bing access to your Facebook info and thus the ability to try to mold the search results it feels relevant to the things you deem relevant. While the Google brand is still a verb synonymous with web searching itself, the Bing-Facebook deal may finally add credibility to the much-ignored Microsoft search engine.

Andrew Cuomo defeated challenger Carl Palidino for the New York Governorship.

Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Christine O’Donnell essentially handed Democrat Chris Coons the Delaware seat.

Democrat Richard Blumenthal defeated WWE entrepreneur Linda McMahon to win the Connecticut Senate seat in what became the most expensive race in the country.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, surprisingly, held on to his Nevada Senate seat.

Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, won the Kentucky Senate seat.

Nikki Haley, has become South Carolina’s first female and first Indian-American governor with endorsements from Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin.

Obama’s vacant Senate seat went to the GOP candidate Mark Kirk.

House Minority Leader John Boehner is the predicted Speaker of the House for the 112th Congress.

West Virginia was carried by Democrats as Governor Joe Manchin won the Senate seat left open by Democrat Robert C. Byrd who died in office.

Barbara Boxer held on to her Senate seat extending her decades of public service.

Arguably, the Tea Party helped the Democrats. Pundits have said that their burgeoning presence in the elections split the conservative vote. If those seats had gone to the GOP then the Senate would most likely be in control of the Republicans.

The big swing back to the right is mostly the result of disenchanted independents. Media reports say conservatives and independents are “fed up with the gridlock” in Washington, however a conservative house and liberal senate equate to a legislative brick wall. The next two years of the Obama administration will be expectedly impotent presenting bills attempting to blur party lines to deliver on campaign promises but will be expectedly stalled or shot down by the conservative House. Similarly, the conservative House will have a hard time infusing its agenda past the liberal Senate.

Tea Party congressmen/women are promising to introduce a bill everyday to repeal the historic Health Care bill passed by President Obama. Meanwhile, Republican top brass is putting on airs of victory claiming that this is a message from America to President Obama that they want… change? Democrats are ululating that they survived one of the best onslaughts the Republicans and the Tea Party could muster and still retained power in the Senate. President Obama is taking the elections in stride and moving forward with day-to-day business. And now that midterm elections are done, so can the rest of us.

Source: GOP roars back to take U.S. House; Democrats cling to Senate majority

Lewis Hamilton won his second grand prix in a row this weekend in Montreal. This win puts him atop the leader board with 109 points. There have been eight races in the series. Hamilton seemed to have a vigorous battle pushing his McLaren Mercedes past the field. His teammate Jenson Button, who finished the race second, sits three points behind Hamilton in the standings. Hamilton is the youngest Formula One World Champion in its history as of 2008.

In a historic vote last night, Congress passed H.R. 3590, more commonly known as the “Healthcare Reform Bill.” After rancorous debate that seemed more akin to the dozens game than an exchange of facts and opinions in the hope of agreement, including a parliamentary tongue-lashing delivered to Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) by Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the House moved to vote by electronic device. For approval, the bill needed a total of 216 votes. As the 216th vote came in, the House erupted into cheers of “Yes, we can!” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) celebrated with the Democrats. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and fellow Republicans fumed. In the end, the votes tallied up to 219-212 with zero Republican support.

The bill, called “the most significant Democratic triumph in 40 years,” is now on its way to President Obama’s desk. He has stated that he will sign it on Tuesday. Certain changes will happen immediately while the full effects of the bill won’t manifest until 2014. Included among the soon-to-occur changes are:

Children with preexisting conditions are eligible for coverage

The coverage gap for prescription drugs will be closed

Being a woman will no longer be considered a preexisting condition

Children currently insured through their parents’ health care plan will be covered up to age 26

While there are unpopular measures included in the bill, such as an individual mandate of coverage subject to fines, supporters of the bill liken protests to those against other health care reforms, like Medicaid and Medicare, which were opposed by the GOP in the 60s. Seeming to harken back to those times, protestors hurled racial and homophobic epithets at representatives known to support the bill. Representative Andre Carson (D-Ind) shared his account with the Associated Press:

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., told a reporter that as he left the Cannon House Office Building with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights era, some among the crowd chanted “the N-word, the N-word, 15 times.” Both Carson and Lewis are black, and Lewis spokeswoman Brenda Jones also said that it occurred.

“It was like going into the time machine with John Lewis,” said Carson, a large former police officer who said he wasn’t frightened but worried about the 70-year-old Lewis, who is twice his age. “He said it reminded him of another time.”

It is said that history repeats itself. Only time will tell the fate of this legislature; nevertheless, Barack Obama is already being called a “consequential” president.

Source:
US House passes key healthcare reform bill
Giles: Health Care Vote Is the First Step
The Most Significant Democratic Triumph in 40 Years
Boehner: Anti-gay, racial slurs ‘reprehensible’

EDITORIAL:
Hope in the unseen. The bill isn’t perfect, but it can be fixed and is far better than doing nothing, or, as the GOP argues, waiting for the “right time,” since this really should have been done in 1965.

You are already taxed for the poor/uninsured under the current system. So at least HR 3590 is a step forward in getting America covered, if not healthy. As well, the bill was worked on by both GOPs and Dems, zero Republican votes doesn’t mean much beyond strategy for eventual elections. If you want to be useful find out who included the fine with the individual mandate, which is quite similar to what Mitt Romney enacted in Massachusetts only his didn’t attempt cost controls like this bill does, but that’s what’s going to bank roll this (certain businesses are about to get PAID and that fine will really create $$$$ when the GOP is in office again).

You’re not going to get a perfect bill (even if you wrote it) nor are you going to make everyone happy. Even though this one probably doesn’t help you, it helps a lot of people; more than what most recently existed. Granted, this bill is going to hurt a lot of people too, but mostly in the same way doing nothing was going to hurt those people. That’s government.

And to the people complaining about giving hand-outs to the poor because of how hard they work, so what? There are always plenty of people (from all walks of life) working harder than you and STILL worse off. Beyond that, we just gave hand-outs to the wealthiest companies in the nation (started under Bush, finished by Obama). At the very least this might help some kids and some elderly.

The bill really doesn’t go far enough, nor is it what it used to be. (Public option, gone.) Big businesses will always get taken care of by special interests. So that idealism can be ignored. As well, the only bills that ever get passed grease the palms of everyone, remain just vague enough not to hurt anyone politically and hopefully attempt some good. That said, this IS an impressive achievement. Not even for the right reasons.

That said, call your representative or run for office yourself. (If you believe that, I know this prince who needs a little money but will definitely pay you back.)

Furthermore, the fallout of this bill highlights a growing concern of mine, which is how crazy the Right is getting. Be afraid, be very afraid.

The reality is that even though the vote is over, the fight over health care reform is not. Opponents, including the attorney generals of several states, are expected to file lawsuits asking the courts to declare the bill unconstitutional. The anger of conservative activists has been stirred to fever pitch — witness the spitting at Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver or slurs directed at Reps. John Lewis and Barney Frank during Capitol Hill protests Saturday — and it will not go away any time soon. At a time when some people feel like losing an election is living under tyranny, the passage of this health care reform bill has taken on significance far beyond the legislation itself.

Golfer Tiger Woods

(BBC News) Police are expected to question world number one golfer Tiger Woods later on Saturday more than a day after a car crash outside his Florida home.
The star was found semi-conscious with facial injuries after his car reportedly hit a fire hydrant and tree.
Officers were told Woods’ wife Elin had used a golf club to break the rear window of the car and help him out after the accident early on Friday.
The 14-time major champion was admitted to hospital and later released.

____________Editorial______________
There are TWO Black men that are not allowed to EVER break the law. Tiger Woods and Barack Obama. Tiger… your f*cking up!!
(And yes, all subtext with the nursery rhyme and it’s various controversial presentations is completely intentional. C’mon now… we’re AfroThought.)

The electronics retailer said it will not honor the $9.99 price posted Wednesday morning on its Web site for a 52-inch Samsung flat-screen TV. By early afternoon, the TV was listed at $1,799.99, almost half off the original $3,399.99 price.

Bloggers and Twitterers lit up the Internet with posts about the offer, some insisting Best Buy must honor it, others making jokes.

Best Buy, based in Richfield, Minn., said it has corrected an online pricing error and will not honor the incorrect price. Orders made Wednesday morning at the incorrect price will be canceled and customers will receive refunds, the company said.

Best Buy did not immediately return a call for additional comment.

Shares fell 27 cents to close at $36.50 Wednesday.

Source: Yahoo News

Cambridge, Mass., Sgt. James Crowley arrested Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his home last week after he responded to a report of two black men attempting to break in to Gates’ home.

It turned out that Gates, head of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, had broken into his own home after being unable to find his keys upon his return from a trip to China.

A police report of the incident written by Officer Carlos Figueroa, who responded to the call with Crowley, says Crowley was already in the house when he walked in. The report says Crowley had asked Gates for some identification and Gates shouted that he would not give any information and called the sergeant a racist.

According to the report, Gates then yelled, “This is what happens to black men in America.” When Crowley tried to calm him down, Gates shouted, “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

The report continues that the shouting went on after Gates and the officers walked out onto the front porch. When Gates allegedly wouldn’t cooperate or calm down, Crowley arrested him.

(Source: Cambridge Police Officer To Obama: Butt Out of My Arrest)

Editorial:
Sgt. Crowley’s side of this argument is “bitchassness” at it’s (and apparently Cambridge’s) finest. How are you going to arrest someone for public disturbance in the privacy of their own home? What public? At best it would have been on this man’s front porch. Was the tongue-lashing that severe? Did he insult your mother/manhood/intelligence to that degree? Even further, to arrest someone for what must of been the most epic verbal abuse ever just makes Crowley look like even more of a wuss. “Creating a public disturbance” eh? Were there formal noise complaints from the neighbors filed? Even just a “keep it down” from anyone not in uniform? Or what he just creating a scene. I see scenes created all the time, but I don’t see people being arrested for those without formal complaints. Maybe that’s why the charges were dropped.

Also, someone called the cops on this man for breaking into his own home. It says something about America that your own neighbors don’t know you. I must admit, I don’t know any of the people that live around me. Not sure that I want to. However, if I lived in a neighborhood like the one in which Professor Gates resides I’m sure my neighbors would know who I was. I may not know my neighbors but I bet they know where I live. Just as I’m pretty sure he stands out as the “different” neighbor near Harvard Square. So then you have to wonder about the relationships and biases of the people in the neighborhood. I’m sure the police were quick to arrive.

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. being arrested essentially for insulting Sergeant James Crowley over his disturbance entering Gates’ home is also a matter of class relations too. By that I mean the role the education Crowley received versus that of Professor Gates plays into the incident. Anyone would have been upset about the situation. Think about the history a man in Professor Gates position has lived through and to get to where he has professionally. Which would lead into a discussion on the hiring practices throughout history of law enforcement, what jobs were essentially “given” to what class of immigrants versus the requirements to become an officer today which also changed with the increase in diversity. As well as professional incomes and why some people are paid more for their education/profession than others. Though I’m sure there would be broad generalizations carelessly cast about in these debates, I know this sure is an EXCELLENT example to reference in the age of Obama.