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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210836732014-08-31T21:35:37.570-07:00Mirror On AmericaBrian E.http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-42256420007712154662014-08-17T21:56:00.000-07:002014-08-17T21:56:22.781-07:00I Am Tired of the Rioters and Chaos in St. LouisI have been tired of the chaos since before the Michael Brown situation. Urban terrorists have been laying siege to the St. Louis Metro area for years.

There was no Al Sharpton, no response from Civil Rights Inc. when a grandmother, Juliette Cleveland-Davis, was gunned down like a dog by thugs in front of her grandchildren just a couple of weeks ago. Not a peep from them.

Brian E.http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-28148936042431420132014-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:002014-07-04T08:00:03.414-07:00Happy 16th Birthday to First Daughter Malia Ann Obama!! Today is the 16th Birthday of the President's Eldest Daughter - Malia Ann Obama.

 Happy Birthday to someone who is blossoming into a beautiful young woman right before our eyes.

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-41290653606760008062014-06-12T11:39:00.001-07:002014-06-12T11:39:19.128-07:00Actress/Activist Ruby Dee Dead at 91

 Another Legend has gone home.

 Ruby Dee dead at 91: Legendary stage and screen actress — and Civil Rights leader — frequently costarred with husband Ossie Davis

Family member confirms death. Dee was living in New Rochelle.

 BY Joe Neumaier , Joe Dziemianowicz , Nancy Dillon /

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS /

Stage and screen legend Ruby Dee, who personified grace, grit and progress at a time when African-American women were given little space in movies and on stage, died Wednesday in New Rochelle, N.Y. She was 91.

The death was confirmed Thursday by a family member, who declined to answer any questions pending the release of a statement.

 "She died late (Wednesday) with her whole family around her," family friend Latifah Salahudin told the Daily News. "All three kids and seven grandkids were there, surrounding her with so much love. She went peacefully from natural causes. We should all be so lucky."

"She was so full of life and so strong. Such a powerful woman. We're all going to miss her," Salahudin added.

 The Cleveland-born, New York-raised actress and activist — winner of an Emmy, a Grammy and a Screen Actors Guild award, among others — not only starred on Broadway ("Take It From the Top!" "Two Hah Hahs and a Homeboy"), film (Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever"), and TV ("All God's Children," "Feast of All Saints"), but, with her husband and collaborator Ossie Davis, was a major figure in the Civil Rights movement.

 Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/ruby-dee-dead-91-article-1.1827040#ixzz34RwXxx4q

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-36409581969433790382014-06-10T07:32:00.000-07:002014-06-10T07:32:00.282-07:00Happy 13th Birthday to First Daughter Natasha " Sasha" Obama!Happy 13th Birthday to Sasha Obama!

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-61575037401630153632014-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:002014-06-07T12:12:30.392-07:00The Homegoing for Dr. Maya Angelou

rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-73555065751445027562014-05-28T07:16:00.003-07:002014-05-28T07:16:50.266-07:00Dr. Maya Angelou has passed away at the age of 86

 Maya Angelou, Lyrical Witness of the Jim Crow South, Dies at 86

 By MARGALIT FOX

 MAY 28, 2014

 Maya Angelou, the memoirist and poet whose landmark book of 1969, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" — which describes in lyrical, unsparing prose the author's girlhood in the Jim Crow South — was among the first autobiographies by a 20th-century black woman to reach a wide general readership, died on Wednesday in her home. She was 86 and lived in Winston-Salem, N.C.

 Her death was confirmed by her longtime literary agent, Helen Brann. No immediate cause of death had been determined, but Ms. Brann said Ms. Angelou had been in frail health for some time and had had heart problems.

 As well known as she was for her memoirs, which eventually filled six volumes, Ms. Angelou (pronounced AHN-zhe-lo) very likely received her widest exposure on a chilly January day in 1993, when she delivered the inaugural poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," at the swearing-in of Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd president, who, like Ms. Angelou, had grown up poor in rural Arkansas.

  She has received over 50 honorary degrees and was Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

 Angelou is famous for saying, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Bar sketch, with Pryor as an alcoholic named 'Willie', and featuring John Belushi as the bartender. Willie arrives at home, where his wife (Maya Angelou) expresses her feelings on her husband's behavior, as he's passed out on the sofa

 Maya Angelou and Malcolm X

 13 of Maya Angelou's best quotes

 American author and poet Maya Angelou has died, according to media reports.

 She was known for her prolific words. USA TODAY Network lists 13 of her best quotes.

 1. "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."

 2. "I am a Woman Phenomenally.

 Phenomenal Woman, that's me."

3. "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

 4. "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

 5. "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

 6. "My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return."

 7. "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."

 8. "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back."

 9. "We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."

 10. "You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive."

 11. "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest."

 12. "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."

 13. "Nothing can dim the light which shines from within."

 Maya Angelou and Coretta Scott King

 Maya Angelou and James Baldwin

 Maya Angelou and Betty Shabazz

 Maya Angelou at Oprah's Legends Ballrikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-87664457624948582452014-05-17T11:19:00.000-07:002014-05-17T11:24:05.110-07:00Why Brown v. Board of Education Is STILL the Most Important Court Decision of the 20th CenturyThis week has been the Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

The First Lady went to Topeka, Kansas to deliver a speech about the Anniversary.

On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision, First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at Senior Appreciation Day in Topeka, Kansas, where the historic civil rights case began.

 On this commemoration, there is a tendency in some quarters to take the glass half-empty approach to what's happened in the past 60 years.

Yes, schools have gone back to being re-segregated.

Yes, there continues to be inequality in the schools, and it's still a funding issue. If the discrepancy in funding didn't seem to follow the re-segregation, I don't think it would be that much of an issue.

 But, don't let anyone tell you that Brown is outdated.

That Brown wasn't necessary.

Brown was absolutely, positively necessary.

 Brown v. Board of Education was the death knell to what I call the ' Delusional World of Mad Men'.

 Where we had a group of people believing that they were big fish in a big pond.

 When, in actuality, they were fish in a pond where 90% of the rest of the fish were shoved into sardine cans.

 Brown v. Board opened those sardine cans and let all the rest of the fish come out and swim in the pond. To be given the chance to swim in the pond and make it.

 There is a underlying lie, that there simply weren't qualified Black people to do jobs, and suddenly, after the Civil Rights Movement, all these folks just 'happened' to appear.

 That's a DAMN LIE.

 The truth is, there were generations upon generations of highly qualified Black people who never got the chance to dream. To fulfill their 'passions'. To explore ' possibilities'. All things that the youth of today do routinely.

  I never forget that my father was a man who graduated from college with honors, then went on to score in the top 1% of the CPA exam, and couldn't find a job. Not because he wasn't QUALIFIED, but because he was BLACK. He was condemned because of the year of his birth.

 I never forget that my mother and her three sisters, all honors graduates, with graduate degrees before Brown came down, literally had two professions from which they could choose: TEACHER or SOCIAL WORKER.

 That's it.

 PERIOD.

My Aunt had a PhD in CHEMISTRY, and the best she could hope for was to be a High School Teacher. That's the closest she would ever get. No teaching in colleges; no going into ' research' - whether for a private firm or for the public sector.

 No. She could take her PhD and either become a teacher or a social worker. Unless she decided to join her fellow PhD's at the United States Postal Service, where she would not have remotely been alone.

 Brown isn't a mere courtcase.

 It is the foundation from which the building of dreams and aspirations were built. It opened the ENTIRE WORLD for people, who before had nothing but wasted potential and frustrations. How many dreams died. How much potential was murdered. How many souls were crushed because of American Apartheid? And how much did this nation lose because of that wasted potential? What cures took longer to find? What inventions came later than they should?

 There's a reason why the right wing hates Brown, because the world of their delusion has been dismantled, brick by brick, since that decision, and they can't stand it.

 Don't let people box Brown in as just as educational decision. Don't let the evaluation about Brown be done on such a narrow focus. The broader focus on Brown must always be studied and validated. The positives brought to this society because of Brown must never be allowed to be denigrated or disrespected.

 We must always fight for a better, more just society. That will never stop. We must always gird ourselves to fight for the betterment of this country. To expand opportunity for all. Thurgood Marshall is a true American Hero. He and his colleagues NAACP Legal Defense Fund brought about the legal foundation for the dismantling of American Apartheid. This country must never be allowed to forget that. And, I will always hold him and his colleagues in the highest of respect and honor.

MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry joined her fellow MSNBC host Joy Reid on Friday to talk about the anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic decision in Brown v. The Board of Education and modern racial dynamics in education. Harris-Perry, an educator herself, said that the metrics used to assess the quality of an education need to include diversity as well as factors like test scores and college attendance.

 Harris-Perry and Reid wrestled with the history of segregation in education and eventually moved on to discuss the rise of charter schooling which both noted are now attracting minority students as well as white students. Reid noted that this phenomenon leaves public schools with fewer students who may not be of the highest academic caliber

 rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-835795503045720352014-05-10T07:26:00.000-07:002014-05-10T07:26:20.585-07:00First Lady Michelle Obama Gives the Weekly AddressIn this week's address, First Lady Michelle Obama honored all mothers on this upcoming Mother's Day and offered her thoughts, prayers and support in the wake of the unconscionable terrorist kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls.

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-90405262344599906262014-04-02T07:19:00.000-07:002014-04-02T07:19:40.468-07:00Kwasi Enin Is Accepted at *ALL* 8 Ivy League Universities!Hat tip-3CHICSPolitico:

 Let it be know that Kwasi Enin APPLIED to and was ACCEPTED into *ALL* EIGHT (8) Ivy League UNIVERSITIES. He's a high school senior, IVY LEAGUE COLLEGES or UNIVERSITIES, NOT schools. Got it?

 Kwasi Enin has made HISTORY, beacuse he is the FIRST student to achieve this phenomenal feat.

 CONGRATULATIONS, KWASI!

 Long Island high school student is accepted at all eight Ivy League schools

 Excerpt here:

  Kwasi Enin, a senior at William Floyd High School in Mastic, applied at each of the eight Ivy League schools and got accepted into all of them. The acceptance rate for upcoming freshmen at these elite schools ranges from 5.9% at Harvard to 14% at Cornell.

 "I think my preference is Yale," he said. "They seem to embody all the kind of things I want in college. The family, the wonderful education, the amazing diverse students and financial aid, as well. I think Yale has all that for me right now. It's tough to compare all these wonderful schools," he ended.

 Kwasi Enin and family- LOL Ya'll know Kwasi's sister is a NERD.

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-89431922815232591452014-03-04T09:12:00.000-08:002014-03-04T09:25:04.295-08:00John Kerry In Ukraine - Old Thinking Has Renewed The Cold WarJohn Kerry is now in Kiev getting the U.S. more deeply involved in a Cold War conflict.... pledging Billions of dollars and making more promises of help. It is U.S. meddling since Clinton that led to this confrontation in the first place (pushing NATO eastward when it was not necessary... creating more U.S. defense obligations in the process... while antagonizing the hell out of the Russians; U.S./EU trying to control former Soviet Republics, etc). The U.S. has an interest in maintaining the Cold War so that the massive defense industry will continue to have customers (The U.S. government & other Nation States). Now there is a new line across Europe. Most Americans don't have a clue about the history of Ukranian-Russian relations.

I would rather see Obama & co take that money and invest it in much needed projects here at home. Where are the billions of dollars for Americans who desperately need it? It's ironic that while offering aid overseas... money for food stamps for Americans was slashed in the recent Farm bill. We need money to build community centers, job training centers, increase the number of job opportunities and to rebuild urban cores like Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Camden....cities all across the Country. We need money to improve education, put more officers on the street (& give them better training), & weed/seed blighted areas. We need money to build/re-build infrastructure, and put together a comprehensive & strategic energy policy (like Germany has done). Money is also needed to fix the debt (a looming crisis). But when it comes to taking care of the homefront... these jackasses can't seem to find the money. But the 'meddling in conflicts & adventures overseas budget' always seems to be limitless. Americans have spent at least a trillion dollars (a trillion....just think about that for a moment) on Iraq & Afghanistan alone (and still counting). And a trillion is a lowball estimate.

American priorities are out of order.

Sadly... Americans (who don't know any better) believe that Hillary Clinton would be a great candidate for President. But we can't afford another Clinton. (She's a warhawk like her husband... but even more inclined to go to war). Biden is a joke.... and is too old. There seems to be no good viable candidates.

Hopefully another progressive will emerge (one with a fresh vision for the Country). Nation is screwed otherwise.Brian E.http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-46717852325598015572014-03-01T11:18:00.001-08:002014-03-02T07:34:30.084-08:00Huge Mess In UkraineThe situation in Ukraine has exploded into a huge crisis. I have written here many times on the subject.... and have pointed out that Ukraine was one of the most dangerous flashpoints on earth. Now everyone is seeing why.

 The U.S. & Europe are largely to blame. Meddling and engaging in a Cold War tug of war with Russia (something not in our interests) has basically created this situation. Years of bad foreign policy from the Clinton administration, through the Bush era, and now with Obama, has now led to this. Most Americans, including diplomats & Obama advisers, don't understand Ukraine... so bad policy on Russia and Ukraine was the natural result. This has the potential of being another Berlin or Cuba. Hopefully that can be avoided with diplomatic efforts.

Wider U.S. policy on Russia over the past 20+ years, particularly under Clinton, created the conditions in Russia that allowed a cowboy like Putin to come to power. The people of Russia once supported the U.S., especially in the 1980's... to around 1991. But years of antagonizing Russia, ignoring Russia...and pushing Russian interests aside...basically disrespecting Russia... the U.S. turned into an enemy once again. The U.S. missed an opportunity in the 1990's to bring Russia into the Western sphere (if you can call it that)...and into the normal community of nations... aligned more closely with traditional Europe. Clinton is largely to blame. I will never understand why Americans want to see another Clinton. The USA can't afford another Clinton. We are indeed still paying the price for Bill Clinton's policies.

Follow the Ukraine situation on Twitter. Welcome to follow my twitter page.

 E-mail/call your member of Congress and let them know that you want the U.S. & Europe to keep out of Ukraine...with the exception of negotiation/mediation.Brian E.http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-14494497017861832272014-01-30T05:53:00.000-08:002014-01-30T10:03:16.359-08:00The Infamous Human Chair Photo: Racist or Misunderstood?

The photo of Russian socialite, art critic and Garage Magazine editor Dasha Zhukova , has sparked an outcry both online & off. The photo above, originally published in the Russian magazine 'Buro 247', shows Zhukova sitting on a human chair made from a Black model. Cautious observers point out that the photo is a remake of a style and a series from previous artists. However, that context doesn't overcome the context regarding race. Racism is rampant in Russia, so how could Zhukova or anyone else believe that this would be viewed as acceptable? Then again, their aim may have been to shock. They were definitely successful at pissing off a large number of people. The aim may have been to gain more exposure for her magazine. If that is the case, then it's like adding salt to the wound. It just makes it that much worse. It has also been reported that the human figure is simply a mannequin... not a real model. Looks like a model to me. But I don't think that makes a huge difference either way.

I think it's racist just in terms of the publisher not recognizing the social context and environment in which it was put out.

Any thoughts? Is this defensible? Brian E.http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-84997480641244057352014-01-30T05:34:00.000-08:002014-01-30T05:34:51.918-08:00A Less Ambitious State of The Union

 For the first time in several years, I was not glued to my TV screen for the annual State of the Union. There was not much anticipation surrounding this years speech.

 This was definitely a speech from a President who is on his way out. Unfortunately a Republican Congress was at least partially successful in its mission to block or disrupt most of his major initiatives. At least for the time being, they have at least partially won the argument on healthcare reform.... in part because they have a much better PR game, and Progressives still cannot seem to sell their ideas to a public that, for the most part, already believes in core Progressive principles. This is astonishing to me.... but I predicted as much. The PR surrounding the Affordable Care Act has been a train wreck. Progressives could not sell a lifeline to a drowning man. The fact that Obama and Co outsourced one of their most important projects to a bunch of tech amateurs and didn't triple check the work also didn't help their cause.

 In this speech, President Obama seemed to focus on remaining goals that were actually reachable.

Unlike previous State of the Union messages, there were no repeated demands in this speech for Immigration Reform. I think Obama & Co has accepted the reality that getting something done regarding comprehensive immigration reform is unlikely. A good PR campaign could help (the public has consistently expressed support for immigration reform), but the Democrats, being so bad at PR, are not even putting up much of a fight, even though it could help them in midterms, and in 2016. It's an illogical approach on their part.

Most of the speech was trite... much of the same blah rhetoric. I did hear a few positives.... or at least President Obama seemed to lean in a positive direction in a few areas, particularly in foreign policy. He expressed a willingness to stand up against Congress on at least some of his foreign policy moves. He expressed a desire not to allow Congress to interfere with negotiations on Iran. He also seemed to raise the bar, although slightly, on the future use of force, at least until the next pro-war American President takes office. For the first time, in about 15 years (since Bill Clinton's Kosovo adventure) an American President emphasized the need for the U.S. to "move away from a permanent war footing". First, he acknowledged that this was a problem, and secondly, he pointed out other means of asserting American influence besides using military force. However, there were several points where he ended up negating or contradicting those statements. The best example would be the obligatory declaration of support for Israel at all costs (even at the cost of America's best interests and security)...an obligatory declaration that all American Presidents must give because Israel has such a strong influence over money and politics within the U.S.

 I guess it has not dawned on him that putting Israel ahead of the U.S. and blindly supporting and defending Israel, even to the detriment of this country, means that the U.S. will literally be on a war footing forever. So which is it? The U.S. can't have it both ways. Unfortunately with Israel, it's an either/or proposition.

In describing what America is all about, he went on to say we "free other nations from tyranny and fear. He was basically reiterating America's role as global cop. But I would argue, that's not our job. You cannot really hope to end the state of perpetual war, while at the same time, continue to push the role of the world's police force. So unfortunately, there was no groundbreaking shift from war in this speech at a time when we should have heard something more definitive. All I heard from the President on this front is that for the next couple of years, he was hoping to avoid any wars, and that we might.... just might... be able to avoid a big disastrous war with Iran. It was not the convincing message that I wanted to hear. There were no signs that the country was making a fundamental shift from outdated & nonsensical cold war, Truman Doctrine, or Bush Doctrine foreign policy. The U.S. is still headed in that wrong direction. Meanwhile, the U.S. will not be able to pay down its debt and will continue to fall behind in education, energy, education and tech.

 I would have liked to hear more about student loan debt relief and reform, patches to healthcare reform, immigration, job creation, a national energy strategy that makes sense; and investment in urban communities in terms of eliminating blight, providing jobs and job training.Brian E.http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-15332374134769542672014-01-20T14:06:00.002-08:002014-01-20T14:06:51.433-08:00Happy Birthday, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Today is the national holiday honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 There are plenty of speeches that one could post about Dr. King, but here's a passage from A Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

 LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

 April 16, 1963

 MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:

 We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

 We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you go forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-43201529652554690272014-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:002014-01-17T06:13:00.058-08:00Happy 50th Birthday to our wonderful First Lady: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama!Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was born 50 years ago today!

 She makes 50 look fabulous!!

Thank you Mrs. Obama. You are a wonderful First Lady and represent our country so well. You will never know how deep you are in our hearts, and how much they swell everytime you step into the spotlight. We are blessed to have you and for you to be the bedrock of our wonderful First Family.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance with students during a celebration of Divali during a visit to the Holy Name High School in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama poses for a photo with young women leaders during a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa June 21, 2011. REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SOCIETY POLITICS)

First lady Michelle Obama tours the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

  rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-92086842137870684642013-12-25T00:30:00.000-08:002014-03-02T07:41:30.499-08:00Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas from everyone at MOA!
rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-45935587590670427822013-12-05T17:03:00.001-08:002013-12-05T17:03:15.520-08:00Nelson Mandela - Dead at the Age of 95Nelson Mandela - a worldwide hero

 Thank you, Madiba

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's rights activist, dies

Source: The Associated Press

Katharine Lackey, USA TODAY

William M. Welch, USA TODAY 4:54 p.m. EST December 5, 2013

Nelson Mandela, whose successful struggle against South Africa's apartheid system of racial segregation and discrimination made him a global symbol for the cause of human rights and earned him the Nobel Prize, died Thursday. He was 95.

Mandela spent 27 years in South African prisons before his release in 1990. He negotiated with the nation's white leaders toward establishing democracy and was elected South Africa's first black president in 1994, serving one term.

"He probably will be remembered both inside and outside South Africa as a political saint," said Michael Parks, the former editor of the Los Angeles Times who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for his coverage of Mandela and South Africa's struggles.

"He had flaws that he had to overcome. He had a temper he had to deal with. He had to deal with what was going to be life imprisonment. Not all his decisions were great decisions, but what political leader's are," Parks said.

As a young man, Mandela worked as a lawyer and political activist to dismantle white minority rule under which blacks were denied political rights and basic freedoms. He began by emulating the non-violent methods of India's Mahatma Gandhi. But a turn to violence as the leader of the armed wing of the African National Congress that included a bombing campaign against government targets led to his imprisonment for over a quarter-century.

A worldwide campaign against apartheid pressured the regime into releasing Mandela in 1990 at age 71. He vowed to seek peace and reconciliation with South Africa's whites — but only if blacks received full rights as citizens.

 "He probably will be remembered both inside and outside South Africa as a political saint."

— Michael Parks, the former editor of the Los Angeles Times

Amid tense negotiations with the government and the threat of violence on all sides, Mandela emerged as a leader who guided South Africa to a new democratic government guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens. Four years later, Mandela became his nation's first black president.

Mandela's charisma, stoic optimism and conciliation toward adversaries and oppressors established him as one of the world's most recognizable statesmen of the 20th century and a hero of South African democracy.

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy," Mandela once said. "Then he becomes your partner."

Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with South Africa's president at the time, Frederik Willem de Klerk, for working together to dismantle apartheid.

...............................

 Nelson Mandela's Life Story

 Nelson Mandela giving a speech in Court in 1964 stating that he is prepared to die as he was being sentenced to death.

BBC News Nelson Mandela released from prison

Nelson Mandela speech delivered at the Nelson Mandela: An International tribute to Free South Africa concert on 16/4/1990,at Wembley stadium, two months after his release from prison on 11/2/1990

 Nelson Mandela Congressional Gold Medal Speech

 http://youtu.be/AO1y1n-XSVs

Nelson Mandela elected President of South Africa (Millennium Minutes)

Nelson Mandela Speech after being elected President

[caption id="attachment_46302" align="alignnone" width="540"] Nelson Mandela and his third wife Graca Machel[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_46276" align="alignnone" width="550"] Nelson Mandela's Prison Cell[/caption]

 Nelson Mandela - on OPRAH WINFREY

 Nelson Mandela at the United Nations

 [caption id="attachment_46303" align="alignnone" width="219"] Nelson Mandela with first wife Evelyn[/caption]

 [caption id="attachment_46300" align="alignnone" width="545"] Nelson Mandela meets with the family of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [/caption]

rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-34059368080994381252013-12-05T06:26:00.000-08:002013-12-05T06:26:22.230-08:00Exclusive: Arrested Rochester teens speak outExclusive: Arrested Rochester teens speak out

Three teens arrested while waiting for their bus, along with the basketball coach that came to their aid, tell their story to Lawrence O'Donnell.

 rikyrahhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-64355804169045153082013-12-05T05:44:00.000-08:002013-12-05T05:44:11.109-08:00Obama: Income inequality is defining challenge for the U.S. Published on Dec 4, 2013

 Speaking at an event sponsored by the left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress, President Barack Obama said the income gap between America's rich and poor is a "defining challenge of our time."Income inequality has jeopardized the nation's middle class, he added.The president is also urging Washington to take steps to ensure that the economy benefits everyone.

 rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-42271683245993011192013-10-30T05:46:00.001-07:002013-10-30T05:46:11.710-07:00Trayvon Martin's mother- Sybrina Fulton- testifies to Senate Judiciary Committee rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-29524695940431422332013-10-30T05:43:00.000-07:002013-10-30T05:43:06.504-07:00Democratic Congressman Blows Up At GOP During Obamacare Hearing: 'Are You Really Serious?'Democratic Congressman Blows Up At GOP During Obamacare Hearing: 'Are You Really Serious?'

 Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) slammed Republicans for failing to support the Affordable Care Act once it became law, challenging them to go back to their districts and tell their constituents that they'll be taking away their coverage

 rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-79482320377186227622013-10-11T17:05:00.001-07:002013-10-11T17:05:58.201-07:00Malala Yousafzai in the Oval Office

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughter Malia meet with Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban a year ago, in the Oval Office, Oct. 11

---Official White House Photo by Pete Souzarikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-29240722630539609062013-10-10T06:40:00.002-07:002013-10-10T06:40:39.489-07:00This Shutdown isn't about Obamacare...it's about OBAMAI've said something for a long time and I will open this piece with it:

The Republican Party DECIDED to commit ECONOMIC TREASON against this country beginning January 20, 2009.

The very night of Barack Obama's inauguration, a group of GOP leaders met, and decided, in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression that they only would not work with this President to try and fix the economy, but that they would actively work against ANYTHING that he brought forth.

THAT is why, when one looks back at the list of accomplishments by President Obama in his first term in office..

 They were done WITHOUT GOP votes.

That CHOICE of ECONOMIC TREASON has continued throughout the Presidency of Barack Obama.

It is the reason why this recovery hasn't gotten as far as it could have. While the private sector has rebounded, the GOP, specifically, the GOP in the STATES, took a buzzsaw to Government Employees, and it is the downturn in PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT that drags the economy down.

They took 43 votes to repeal Obamacare

 But couldn't put the President's American Jobs Act forth for ONE vote. Nor, have they brought forth ONE single jobs bill since they took over the house in 2011.

Since taking over the House in 2011, there hasn't been ONE piece of meaningful legislation that has been brought forth by the GOP.

Rachel Maddow did a terrific piece on this. She opens up the segment explaining and detailing all the legislation that the President was able to bring forth when he had a Democratic House and Senate. The list was more than impressive.

Then, she brought up what the GOP has done since retaking the House...absolutely nothing.

Since they took over the House, there has been nothing meaningful coming out of there, including a BUDGET.

This country has been forced to run itself on continuing resolutions.

The President said the other day that the two things the House of Representatives are charged with are the following:

1. Produce a budget

2. Pay the bills the United States runs up

 And, they have DELIBERATELY been AWOL with both duties.

The party that inherited a BUDGET SURPLUS from Bill Clinton and didn't two shyts about budget deficits as they:

1. Lied us into not one, but TWO wars that were kept ' off the books'

2. Put in place tax cuts during wartime - something NEVER EVER done before

3. Put in place the unpaid for Medicare Part D

 THAT Party began screaming about deficits once a Black man was elected President. But, since they didn't open up their mouths about it before hand as George W. Bush spent us into all this debt, I never took them seriously and saw them for what it was.

 They were negligent about doing their duty because they wanted to SABOTAGE THE ECONOMY as to harm the President's re-election chances. It's as plain as day. They CHOSE to betray this country because they thought a bad economy would be a great way to run against President Obama. In addition to this, they also planned using unlimited financial resources - hence, the Citizens United decision, and a willing MSM media - remember the Study confirming that NINETY PERCENT of the President's coverage was NEGATIVE. On top of this, don't forget the Voter Suppression bills put forth by the GOP that the MSM, save for a few hearty and loud souls, kept quiet about during the 2012 election.

So, let's look at the stacked deck:

1. Sabotaging the American Economy - check

2. Unlimited financial resources - check

3. Compliant MSM Media that wouldn't report Willard's lies - check

4. Attempted Voter Suppression from coast to coast - check

 ALL this, so that the Black man wouldn't win a second term.

 When President Barack Obama won his second term, and did so convincingly, some of us thought, FINALLY, they would get the message.

 This is one of my favorite pieces after the election. Rachel Maddow's opening segment the night after the election. While now, the GOP pretends that there were no clear issues discussed during the 2012 campaign season, Maddow breaks it down.

 So, fast forward to now.

We have a federal government that is shutdown and we are barreling towards the default of the United States of America.

This is nothing organic.

This didn't just happen.

This was planned and calculated.

 And NOTHING that the President did or did not do would have avoided this moment. Let's make that absolutely clear.

 From the New York Times:

A Federal Budget Crisis Months in the Planning

 By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and MIKE McINTIRE

 Published: October 5, 2013

 Shortly after President Obama started his second term, a loose-knit coalition of conservative activists led by former Attorney General Edwin Meese III gathered in the capital to plot strategy. Their push to repeal Mr. Obama's health care law was going nowhere, and they desperately needed a new plan.

 Out of that session, held one morning in a location the members insist on keeping secret, came a little-noticed "blueprint to defunding Obamacare," signed by Mr. Meese and leaders of more than three dozen conservative groups.

 It articulated a take-no-prisoners legislative strategy that had long percolated in conservative circles: that Republicans could derail the health care overhaul if conservative lawmakers were willing to push fellow Republicans — including their cautious leaders — into cutting off financing for the entire federal government.

 "We felt very strongly at the start of this year that the House needed to use the power of the purse," said one coalition member, Michael A. Needham, who runs Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation. "At least at Heritage Action, we felt very strongly from the start that this was a fight that we were going to pick."

 Last week the country witnessed the fallout from that strategy: a standoff that has shuttered much of the federal bureaucracy and unsettled the nation.

To many Americans, the shutdown came out of nowhere. But interviews with a wide array of conservatives show that the confrontation that precipitated the crisis was the outgrowth of a long-running effort to undo the law, the Affordable Care Act, since its passage in 2010 — waged by a galaxy of conservative groups with more money, organized tactics and interconnections than is commonly known.

 This shutdown was bought and paid for by the Koch Brothers.

 THE EXCUSE that they wanted to use was Obamacare. They wanted to shut down the United States Government in order to deny 30 MILLION AMERICANS the access to healthcare.

So, that's what this group of evil asses chose as an excuse.

 But, they really wanted the DEBT CEILING.

 They are mad that this country, despite all the ways that they set it up, shot them down and RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OBAMA.

 They want to PUNISH this country for re-electing this President.

 So, after the shutdown, they sent out a ransom letter. The ransom letter to this country was nothing but Mitt Romney's platform.

 In this country, we have a transfer of power from one President to another through elections.

We might not like the results of the election, and we might feel rotten if our candidate loses, but we accept the process. And, sometimes, accepting is harder than others - like when George W. Bush was SELECTED President by the Supreme Court...that was as bitter as bitter gets, but he was declared President, and it is what it is.

But, not this group.

They are attempting with this debt ceiling ransom note to invalidate the Presidency of Barack Obama.

 I am not the only one thinking this.

This is a brilliant piece by zizi at The Obama Diary:

 COUP D'ETAT: KOCHS ARE WARLORDS

@zizii2

I have lived through 5 coups d'état. I know a coup d'état when I see one. USA is living through one right now as we speak. A Coup doesn't have to have guns (yet) and a military takeover of power to be one.

 ****

 A nation is manipulated through a series of fiendishly planned rolling crises. Inchoate mass fear grows but its targeting is skillfully re-directed toward infighting, such that it becomes diffuse and rather impotent against the actual instigators. Trust for government and national institutions grows rancid.

 Then a messiah runs to the rescue, suspends the constitution, promises to get rid of "waste, fraud, & abuse." Says the abrogation of said Constitution is only "temporary." Commandeers media to support "the people" in their new "Freedom, Liberty, Fraternity". Flag and anthem totems resurge in fresh parades glorifying the mother/fatherland. Power has been seized. Resistance is futile.

 ****

 My native country went 5 times through this familiar choreography in its first 24 years after independence from colonial rule. Western Scholars of "the Third World" posited that these upheavals were the result of societies that had yet to build:

 1. Strong Democratic governing institutions, rather than strongmen

 2. Consensus of the governed

 3. A national Identity rather than ethnic loyalties

 4. An educated ruling elite that creates mechanisms for distributing political power efficiently among different constituencies

 5. Capitalist ethos that productively harnessed and competitively rewarded the nation's talents

 6. Rule of Law and a Constitution that balanced majority rule with protecting minority rights

****

 Well then, so why is the good old USA, the "oldest democracy" hurtling toward the fissures that cause a FAILED STATE, ripened for a coup d'état? It is no hyperbole to identify all the symptoms of a coup d'état in the making, from the GOP hostage taking underway.

No 2, "Consensus of the governed" is a key linchpin in how a Democracy works. But it also the weakest link in the components of a functioning Democracy. In the founding of this country a lot of quill pens were nubbed in structuring how this republican form of government would function democratically without giving all power DIRECTLY to the governed for 2 reasons. First, fear of mob rule and secondly, the dissolution of a fragile union of disparate states.

...............

 First, like an opportunistic disease the Kochs took over the Republican party completely and ravaged its innards, and implanted the suicide caucus, plus a choir of well-heeled local luminaries in towns and red states to enact their agenda. Now they have used their bought national pols to enact phase 2 of their planned disbanding of constitutional rule, damn the consequences save their narrow greed.

***

 So why destroy America? What America? The warlords of Somalia in the aftermath of Siad Barrre's ouster in 1992 provide a clue. They have no use for the notion of sovereign state with obligations to the people. The Kochs just want the spatial USA as a staging ground for their Bircher dystopia, not the sovereign country governed by it's restraining 'Constitution, and certainly not the people within it that they consider undesirable.

****

Folks we have to take this Koch threat seriously. Many of us have seen this menace on a comparatively smaller scale and it is not to be trivialized. They already showed us what that dystopia will look like. It's the Ryan Social Darwinist budget unfettered.

 Please read the entire piece.

 Found this over at DailyKos about what American Default will accomplish for the GOP:

GOP Wants Nothing We Dems Have To Offer In Trade...

Thing is, the President doesn't seem to be very good at destroying America. So the Tea Partiers, the energizing heart of the modern Republican Party, are very thoughtfully helping him fulfill the destiny they've assigned him.

 You might wonder what does default get them?

 One, it destroys the reputation of Obama's presidency.

 Two, it moots any issue about Obamacare; defunding's a given.

 Three, it defunds everything else.

 Four, if the government ever plans to borrow ever again it will have to do so at much higher interest rates. That will crowd out ALL domestic spending programs, even force the government to lapse some of them

 Five, there will be far less money to fund national security initiatives among them drones and NSA super surveillance

 Six, because it kicks Democrats' asses, that's why. Less crassly, it's a specific, achievable goal with immense impact that accomplishes specific ideological ends in which Republicans and Tea Partiers in particular embrace.

 Seven, a hollowed-out catastrophically underfunded Federal government will be incapable of stopping subsequent initiatives toward the goal of creating a much more conservative-friendly regime.

 Eight, yeah about 2014 elections. We'll probably have them but, wow. Polling places are expensive to maintain so we'll be consolidating those. You know, since the default... there's just no money...

 And this is why I think Democrats have nothing to offer in trade that Republicans want in lieu of the default.

 They get everything they want by pushing America over the edge.

 On top of this, if the President uses his Executive Power, through the Constitution to prevent default, make no mistake about this:

 THEY WILL IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT.

 Which is something they've also wanted to do since the day he was inaugurated. So, when this President saves this country - AGAIN - just get ready for it.

 And, just in case you have doubts about what the debt ceiling default, further explanation about how serious this is.

This is what's at stake with debt ceiling default: what it means for the FULL FAITH AND CREDIT of the United States to be in doubt for the first time in this country's history.

 From Daniel Gross

Debt-Limit Disaster Is Exponentially Worse Than 2008 Lehman Debacle

by Daniel Gross Oct 8, 2013 5:45 AM EDT

A U.S. debt default, or the whiff of one, would be a much more significant financial event. As Yalman Onaran of Bloomberg noted, "The $12 trillion of outstanding government debt is 23 times the $517 billion Lehman owed when it filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 15, 2008." True. But the increase in damage wouldn't be arithmetic, it would be exponential—Lehman to the 10th power rather than Lehman times ten. A debt default, even if momentary and partial, wouldn't be like blowing up a much bigger stick of dynamite. As Warren Buffett suggests, it would be like detonating a nuclear bomb.

 Why would a default be so much worse than Lehman Brothers? It has largely to do with who owns U.S. government debt and how much debt those companies and institutions have. Lehman caused a company to fall, a sector to fall, and stocks to fall a bunch. A U.S. government default—or again, even the whiff of one—would cause all that to happen, plus it would bring down a bunch of governments and possibly ignite a revolution and a couple of wars.

 Most people who own stocks pay for them with cash. Sure, some hedge funds use leverage, and some investors buy stocks on margin (effectively borrowing money from their broker), and certain exchange-traded funds allow investors to make leveraged bets on stocks. But the leverage surrounding stocks is never that great. So in the event of a sharp downdraft in stocks, even a very severe decline of 30 percent or 40 percent, several hedge funds and mutual funds might be wiped out and there would be widespread pain. But it wouldn't cause massive institutions to fail.

........................

 So anything that would reduce the value of government or agency debt rapidly overnight would unleash a tsunami of value destruction around the world. These central banks would suddenly find themselves sitting on hundreds of billions of paper losses. Any analyst who says he or she knows with certainty what the social, economic, and geopolitical impact of the overnight destruction of hundreds of billions of dollars in value would be is likely blowing smoke. Perhaps highly nationalistic countries would take this kind of financial damage lying down. Perhaps they wouldn't.

 Ultimately, the Lehman damage, while massive, was limited. And that's because once the bank fell, the government—the Federal Reserve, Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the taxpayers—was waiting with its printing presses, guarantees, and bailout facilities. In September and October 2008, the U.S. government effectively substituted its credit for that of the private sector. That was enough to stop the panic. But it's unclear how effective the Fed could be in a situation where its assets are shriveling. A debt default would be much more like September 11, 2001, than September 15, 2008. The first responders would be among the hardest hit.

 Bruce Bartlett piece

Getting back to the potential problems in financial markets, many Wall Street analysts emphasize the unknown factor. As financial relationships have become more complicated, the full implications of a severe shock to the system cannot be fully anticipated. As UBS Bank economists Maury Harris and Drew Matus have explained:

 The main impact on markets would come from sharply reduced liquidity in the U.S. Treasury market, as financial firms' procedures and systems would be tested by the world's largest debt market being in default. Given the existing legal contracts, trading agreements, and trading systems with which firms operate, could U.S. Treasuries be held or purchased or used as collateral? The aftermath of the failure of Lehman Brothers should be a reminder that the financial system's "plumbing" matters. All the legal commitments and limitations in a complex financial system mean a shock from an event that is viewed as inconceivable – such as a U.S. Treasury default – can cause the system to stall. The impact of a U.S. Treasury default could make us nostalgic for the market conditions that existed immediately after the failure of Lehman Brothers.

 Voicing a similar opinion, Wells Fargo Bank economist Scott Anderson has said of a default, "It would be an earth-shattering event. It's taken as given that U.S. Treasuries are a safe asset. Once you question that assumption, it shakes the foundations of global finance and the way it's been established over the last 50 years."

 University of California, Berkeley, economist Barry Eichengreen, a world-renowned expert on the international monetary system, warned that a debt default could lead to a run on the dollar if foreigners come to feel that the U.S. is being run by irresponsible leaders. As he put it:

 If there is a threat to the dollar, it stems not from monetary policy, but from the fiscal side. What is most likely to precipitate a dollar crash is evidence that U.S. budgets are not being made by responsible adults. A U.S. Congress engaged in political grandstanding might fail to raise the debt ceiling, triggering a technical default. Evidence that the inmates were running the asylum would almost certainly precipitate the wholesale liquidation of U.S. Treasury bonds by foreign investors.

 On July 22, 2011, Macroeconomic Advisers, a well-known economic forecasting company, warned its clients that a one-month delay in raising the debt limit would reduce real gross domestic product growth by 0.6 percentage points in the second half of the year and the unemployment rate would rise by 0.4 percentage points. Interest rates would rise 20 basis points and the stock market would fall 5 percent. The result would be a "growth recession."

 Congress finally acted in the nick of time and the debt limit was raised on August 2, 2011. Three days later, Standard and Poor's lowered its rating on U.S. Treasury securities from AAA to AA+. It cited continuing political difficulties in raising the debt limit in a timely manner as a key factor in the downgrade. As it explained:

More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011.

Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics any time soon.

 This shutdown is NOT about Obamacare.

 It's about President Barack Obama and attempting to destroy HIM and HIS PRESIDENCY. rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-53199100186478498052013-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:002013-10-03T05:00:15.442-07:00Happy Anniversary to the First Couple: President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama

 They were married October 3, 1992 at Trinity UCC in Chicago, Illinois.

Many blessings for a continued long and happy and loving marriage.

rikyrahhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-52467031236947000442013-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:002013-10-01T09:00:00.674-07:00Obamacare Exchange Enrollment Opens Today: Know the FACTS

President Obama, Vice President Biden, and senior staff applaud in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, as the House passes the health care reform bill, March 21, 2010

----Photo by Pete Souza

 In March 2010, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), into law.

Every Democratic President, since Harry Truman, has wanted to do healthcare.

But, it took Barack Obama to get the ACA through and into law.

Remember, Truman failed at it because of racism and Jim Crow - because the Southerners feared de-segregated hospitals. If there was Universal Healthcare, that healthcare was a RIGHT, then they couldn't keep up American Apartheid.

Today is the first day where millions of Americans can sign up for medical health insurance at the Medical Healthcare Exchanges.

I can't begin to tell you the simmering rage that has been building within me, as I have watched the GOP posture and threaten not only a government shutdown, but the possibility of default on the full faith and credit of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA because of Obamacare.

And, from here on out, I will call it OBAMACARE.

Because, I will take what the GOP began as a slur and turn it around on them.

I want those dumb, ignorant hicks from RedStateLand, who are quoted in their local papers about how great their new state exchange is, to know, contrary to their IGNORANCE, that state exchange and all of it's benefits are OBAMACARE.

That's right.

When you are sitting at your doctor's appointment for the first time in years because you finally have insurance - SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

When your prescriptions don't cost you an arm and a leg because you finally have insurance - SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

When your wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, daughter, goes for their mammogram and they have no co-pay - SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

When your wife, sister, granddaughter, niece, doesn't have to worry about contraception and how she's going to pay for it - SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

When your grandmother and grandfather now go for their wellness checkups with Medicare and have no co-pay -SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

When the family members that have some sort of pre-existing condition can finally get health insurance - SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

The President said last week that he doesn't care what they call it, as long as people get the benefits.

He might not, but I do. I and millions like me, who understand the monumental accomplishment of what he did, and our utter resentment of the assholes that have spent over a HALF BILLION DOLLARS, first to try and defeat the bill, and then to spread LIES about it.

That's why I have no tolerance for incompetent supposed 'journalists' like college dropout Chuck Todd at MSNBC who actually had the never to say last week that it wasn't his job to point out the GOP's LIES about Obamacare.

It wasn't his job?

If it's not YOUR JOB to tell the truth about obvious LIES told about a program that will benefit MILLIONS OF AMERICANS - then that the hell is your job?

The bottom line is that the GOP legislators - ALL OF WHOM ENJOY TAXPAYER FUNDED TOP OF THE LINE HEALTHCARE

Are working overtime - they have voted 43 times to repeal Obamacare....

They are willing to shut down the government, so that 30 MILLION AMERICANS will be denied healthcare.

THAT is their goal.

Mull on that.

How transformational is what President Barack Obama achieved?

Think about this.....healthcare is the final part of the social safety net that every other industrialized country enjoys..and, it took a Black man, Barack Obama, to ensure that, unlike with Social Security and Medicare, THIS part of the social safety net will BEGIN not excluding huge chunks of the American populace. Remember, when Social Security began, FDR excluded professions that ' coincidentally' had large numbers of Blacks employed in them (this was snark - wasn't no coincidence). Same thing for Medicare....65 was chosen as the age, because GUESS WHO had a shorter life expectancy when it was designed....yeah, you know the answer.

But, not OBAMACARE. From the beginning, it will help the broadest swath of Americans possible.

Where to begin with the Obamacare Exchanges?

Here's a video.

You can begin at HEALTHCARE.GOV

Before I begin to drop links, I want to bring your attention to an absolutely fabulous post by zizi2 over at The Obama Diary from last week. The entire post is wonderful, but here's the core of why the GOP is fighting this. Here is the reason they despise President Barack Obama so much:

GOP hates Obamacare Cuz Pres Obama snatched Ayn Rand's wig

With the exception of religious cultists who abdicate control over their own being, we as INDIVIDUALS instinctively strive for SELF-PRESERVATION especially when our life is threatened. It's an existential article of faith. And nothing crystalizes this fact more readily than when we NEED healthcare to prevent or cure illness.

..................................

 In the perverse Ayn Randian philosophy that the likes of the Koch brothers espouse, there's talk of pursuing one's own interests only. But in actuality what they have told their rubes is that they must sacrifice their economic interests in service of ideology. In other words 1%ers preach cultural adherence and ideological purity to their followers while they themselves siphon every public asset and good to themselves. It's a faith-based heist of the commonweal.

****

President Obama co-opted Ayn Rand's idea of rational self-interest, turned it on its head, and the Republican Kochsters HATE him for it. The ACA challenges the ability of the Bircher puppetmasters and their corporate ilk to control their rubes over the single most important and intimate aspect of their lives; healthcare. But worse for them it has electoral implications, at least in the near term. Kochsters know it, we know it, and ordinary Americans will soon know it too. As VP Biden said, it's a BFD, positively for ordinary Americans, and negatively for the Kochsters.

****

Healthcare is ground zero. It's a singular necessity of life in which no one can live vicariously through another person's. In an airplane emergency if your oxygen mask IS working you hold on to yours for dear life regardless of whether the passenger in seat 53G's mask is working or not. That's Rational Self-Interest. You can't bullshit people about what they are getting or not getting. Healthcare is personal. Too intimate. No one ever forgets what that experience is like or costs. The impact is visceral. The numbers don't lie. People know that they paid $1500 out of pocket last year for an MRI and now it is covered under ACA.

..................

President Obama snatched Ayn Rand's wig in that he is redefining those functions that Libertarians allow government to perform, most notably DEFENCE. He is rudely substituting Healthcare for that without an iota of apology. In PBO's redefinition a strong nation state is one filled with HEALTHY people maximizing their potential in pursuit of their rational interests, not fancy munitions. Secondly whereas Rand's binary thinking led her to see "community" as anathema to individual interests, PBO sees it instead as both lifeblood and dynamic marketplace that enables said individual to achieve anything at all. Healthcare is the test ground for his cooptation of Randian self-interest.

.............................

The ACA also breaks the stranglehold of employers on workers, who until now have hung onto miserable jobs for dear life cuz of healthcare, and have traded real wages for "benefit packages" whose worth start depreciating the very moment you start clocking into work. Paltry salaries will be revealed for what they truly are.

The boon will be for those raring to strike out on their own but have dared not take the risk because of healthcare security their employer provides, and the fear of illness bankrupting them should they leave.

 The entire piece was wonderful, but this last part that I bolded, is the heart of why they hate this President.

How many people know someone who is at a job THEY HATE because of healthcare?

How many people know someone that has the years to retire, but are too young for Medicare, so they don't, because of healthcare expenses?

How many people know someone who took a job they really didn't want because of healthcare benefits?

How many people know someone young who wants to take a certain job, that maybe doesn't pay a lot, because of benefits?

How many people know someone who wants to be an entrepreneur, but they have a family, and didn't because they couldn't think of leaving their family vulnerable without health insurance?

 Don't we all know SOMEONE in one of these categories above?

 OBAMACARE has the potential to change ALLL of that.

Many thanks to The Obama Diary for all the helpful links that they got out to the rest of us concerning Obamacare.

ObamaCare Facts

Unbiased Facts on ObamaCare, Health Care Reform, the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Get Covered 101

Want to know how you can get covered? Here's your guide to understanding the basics about health insurance, and your new health insurance options through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

 FamiliesUsa.Org

Do you know what the Affordable Care Act means for you and your family?

 Doctors for America

ObamaCare by Zip Code

Welcome to Obamacare Info for Your State & Zip Code

20 Questions You Have About Obamacare But Are Too Afraid To Ask

By Annie-Rose Strasser and Tara Culp-Ressler on September 29, 2013 at 10:00 am

If you're confused about Obamacare, you're not alone. Over the past several years, every survey on the subject has revealed that Americans consistently fail to correctly identify the provisions that are actually in the Affordable Care Act. In April, a poll found that 40 percent of Americans weren't sure about whether Obamacare was still law at all.

 Administration officials are racing against the clock to reverse those incorrect public perceptions, ramping up their outreach efforts before the health law's new state-level marketplaces open for enrollment this upcoming week. As the open enrollment period draws near, you may be wondering how it affects you or what you need to do. Or you may simply want to understand more about the law that's dominating the news. Here are simple answers to 20 questions about Obamacare that may have you mystified (click on each question to jump down to the answer, or just scroll down to read all of them)

 Also know that Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid are there to help provide you with information about Obamacare. Mostly everyone in this country is near one of these stores.

 ..........................................

 The President has been up against it from the very beginning, trying to get OBAMACARE passed. From the GOP, who had no problems with the status quo, to traitorous Democrats like Max Baucus' wretched ass, it's been a trial. But, it got passed, and was upheld by the Supreme Court, but even then, the corporatists handed down a decision frought with problems - saying that each state had a right to do as they wished on Medicaid. As a result, 7 out of 10 of the poorests states in the nation- with GOP Governors - have refused to expand Medicaid and/or set up their own state healthcare exchanges.

I had my own wish and prayer about how the President and his team would deal with these evil asses, and the prayer was answered:

U.S. Plans to Unveil New Insurance Options

By ROBERT PEAR

Published: September 29, 2013

 The administration plans to unveil the program on Monday, the official said, even as Congress fights over the future of President Obama's health care law, intended to provide coverage to more than 25 million people within three years.

 Federal officials said they had signed a contract with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to offer health insurance next year in the marketplaces, or exchanges, of 30 states and the District of Columbia. In later years, the officials said, they hoped to see at least two multistate plans in every state, as Congress envisioned.

 Under its federal contract, Blue Cross and Blue Shield will offer different products in different states — a total of more than 150 products, including health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations, which give discounts for using selected health care providers. In many of the products, consumers will have access to a nationwide network of doctors and hospitals.

 The federal government negotiated the benefits and premiums for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield products, so this plan carries a federal seal of approval.

 In negotiating with insurers, the Office of Personnel Management leveraged more than 50 years of experience in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the nation's largest employer-sponsored health insurance program, covering more than eight million federal employees, retirees and dependents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans are, by far, the most popular among federal employees, with more than 60 percent of the enrollment.

 Under the 2010 health care law, the federal government was supposed to sign contracts with at least two multistate plans. But the application from Blue Cross and Blue Shield was the only one approved. Five other companies expressed interest and may file applications in the future, federal officials said. By 2017, at least two multistate plans are supposed to be available in each state.

 Why is this so important?

 I'll let Zander answer it for you:

What the multistate options are is the beginning of national, single-payer public option health insurance plans for all Americans. If you're wondering why the Republicans are threatening to destroy America to stop Obamacare, you now know why.

Scandalous with Jennifer Hudson

By Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson is searching for a scandal. Too bad the Affordable Care Act fixes all of them.

Published September 26, 2013

  rikyrahhttp://email@example.com


text:
Non-Disposable Pull Ups
Calling all cloth diapering mamas! Can you provide Susan with any suggestions for an alternative to disposable pull ups?
My six year old is not yet dry all night and has been wearing disposable pull ups. He finds them somewhat irritating and uncomfortable and I would love to find something cloth for him to wear that goes on like a pull up. However, most of what I see is for toddlers. The few things I've come across are very expensive- anywhere from $25 to $40 for one pair. I'd love to know if other people have tried any they think work well before spending that much money.

subset: commoncrawl


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Travel Blogs from Lloret de Mar
Kayaking in Sant Pol
This afternoon we head past the foot of the Pyrenees to Sant Pol to do some kayaking and snorkelling. We wind around the bay on our kayaks and take in the sights. The water is a crystal clear green. Of course we rock each other's boats and splash about along the way. I don't see very many fish around however. But definately a fun outdoorsy afternoon.
A Lot of Catching Up To Do
... and rehydrating so I can keep on going.... Did I forget the beer and wine? Oh yes, and the afternoon naps!
Now so far this is all good if you like cycling but it gets even better because Bike Breaks is promoting a "Cycling Festival" culminating in a first ever "Gran Fondo" starting June 16 to June 21 and it just so happens that I will be here. Just lucky I guess.... I have offered my services as a volunteer for the festivities and I ...
The Lioness' Posterior Tastes Funny.
... previously recommended to them that had been closed the night before.
They arrived at Cal Ros and positioned themselves at a table in the shade of an archway giving them a view onto a small plaza, and beyond that, the steeple of the Cathedral situated on a hill in the distance. They both examined the comprehensive menu as well as the Menu de Migdia, a three course special for twenty-two euros, including bread, a bottle of sparkling water and ...
Big bus trip
(Lily) Today we went on our first Spanish bus from the campsite to Barcelona. The bus trip was fun but it was very long. On the bus we played I-spy. When we got to Barcelona we went on a long walk and we saw a big statue. For lunch we had hot dogs with tomato sauce and lemon and orange Fanta. We were at a marina and we saw a bridge opening to let big sail boats go through. We saw some really big ...
What were Freddie and Montserrat on about?
... a 20min wait from the first room you got into so an actually total of about 1.5 hours of queuing and with four kids with lots of energy and a very grumpy husband i did very well at keeping cool and helping them all keep cool. Anyway you finally get to the cable car only to then be crammed in like cattle so you can move around to see anything and then its about 2mins of time before its over. Don't go on this ever it will drive you ...
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Swimming pool


text:
Discussion in 'The Trash Can' started by Proustable, Jan 20, 2013.
Poor Tessa. I just want to hug her now.
Maybe it's again my idiotic fantasies, but for me in that only press conference picture it looked like Tessa's eyes are a little bit red and she had cried.
Anyways, sending the best vibrations for them.
And the backlash has started. Skaters are complaining on twitter about them not getting penalized. Lol seriously can this get any worse. If they decided to call it quits after this I will completely understand. Apparently Tessa and Scott just wanted a "breather."
Oh man,this is so depressing.I wish her all the best in the world.I hope they can have a few days rest and then focus on their preparation of WCH.
I wouldn't blame them in the least either. Sometimes, you just need to walk away...
Why do you care so much about what people are saying on twitter?
They weren't penalized because the rules don't allow for that. If some people want to make themselves look bad by showing their ignorance of the rules, let them.
If they want the rules to change in the future, then fine. The result will be less risky (and probably more recycled) lifts, because who wants to risk injury and then be penalized for it?
It's not just anybody though, it's their fellow ice dancers.
at the rate this thread is going, we might need a new thread and title pretty soon. any ideas? something inspiring/hopeful for Worlds perhaps?
smh i thought sinead kerr was above that
I don't have twitter. Did she post the same thing when it happened to the Shibs?
Were these same skaters saying the same thing about Shibutani when this happened to him earlier in the season?
Btw, which skaters are saying this?
It doesn't look like she's hating to me. It looks like she's questioning the rule.
I just looked at her twitter page and didn't see much wrong with what she said. She was questioning the rules and why there was no deduction. Frankly, I agree with her and thought the same when it happened to the Shibs earlier. There should be a deduction.
It was Sinead Kerr and she said she found the rule to be wrong there, but what you fail to mention is that she said that she loves Tessa and Scott and she considers them one of the all time greats. I think you take Twitter way too seriously. I see no backlash from the skaters.
Also, what Rafter said.
If Tessa's leg cramps go away and she feels better, I would definitely expect them to compete at Worlds. I can't see them letting the Canadian audience down just because some skaters are complaining on twitter that V/M didn't get penalized.
I can see them skating at Worlds because it's only a month away, but if it's the same problem she had before, I question if they'll be in Sochi.
To me she was really struggling. She wasn't even bowing like normal and seemed to need help getting onto the podium.
IDK if they said the same thing when it happened to them, but IDK I just feel bad for T and S right now. It's Sinead Kerr and some other one (forgot her name). I'll miss them but if they retire I'll understand and everybody will be happy; Tessa doesn't have to deal with leg problems anymore and D/W will get Olympic gold.
Man, I am so glad some of you weren't around in 2009.
i dont remember
but its amazing how when the shibs stop in the middle of a skate because of injury no one complains that they should get a deduction but when v/m do everyone complains
this season does feel like 2009 all over again, doesnt it?
I can understand this, TBH. Not that the Shibs aren't a great team, but it doesn't matter to the same extent. V/M are one of the top two teams vying for every title. People are going to pay more attention.
I can't get the ISU website to function properly on this computer (it flashes all the time) but there is a rule for deductions for interruptions in excess of 5 seconds. It's -1.00 for 6-15 secs and -2.00 for 16-30 secs. What isn't clear is if the deduction is taken when the skater is injured or cramping such as what appears to be the case with Alex in Russia and Tessa here. Either there are exceptions or the referee forgot to take the deduction (maybe they forgot to time it?). So I don't think the system itself is broken but a matter of clarification. It's good that here it didn't affect the results unlike last seasons errors with the lift calculations that did affect results.
The good news (and we all need some) is there were NO timing deductions on the lift and as sad as I am to see the old one go the new spin garnered the marks they wanted. So
I just hope Tessa's legs are going to be OK, and that this is just a transitory problem :
Only after SD she talked about OG and how they want to be there. This girl is a reall fighter.
Maybe i will be more happy, if Tessa will stay healthy and happy, then will fight for second gold, when nobody know - will they get it ot it is in D-W hands already. So i will choose - greate happy life after skating.
But from other hand - she skated really well in first part and in second part. So maybe it was acclimatization and nervous tension? I feel like she felt strong at Nationals, no? Maybe working with close rivals didnt work for her anymore?
So i dont know. Wish her all the best.
Will see - will be they at Gala tomorrow/
I feel its a little different- she skated during all the season.
You know, if they had easy lifts, i am sure Scott could did it along and Tessa could have rest. But they all the time try to made something ober the top.
I've thought a few times this season that it might not be so much of a benefit anymore. I think Krylova was on to something last year. I don't think either team will give up Marina though so I don't see it changing. But I would like to see what each team could come up with next season without the other team watching and with a coach trying to make them #1 instead of trying to make them equal.
No, I don't think so. As Pani mentioned, they have looked way more solid this year.
Look, it is a fact that Tessa has leg issues, cramping is also a reality in this sport, as in any really, but more so here. They continued, let's not forget that. Tessa knows better than to risk a new injury after skating in pain for so many years, so I doubt she would have decided to continue if the pain was shin-related. Also, note how fast it was all going.
The poor things. I have a feeling her compartment syndrome has never and will never be truly fixed.
I agree. It's true that her condition will never go away, but she's wise enough not to risk an injury. If she hadn't been able to, she wouldn't have continued.
I'm really sad that this incident happened. Tessa and Scott were looking great up until that moment and they seemed to have recovered well afterwards. On a side note, isn't it great to see how Scott always supports Tessa and looks protective? If I was skating ice-dance, I wanted a partner just like him. This problem hurt their final score and now we can only speculate how the outcome would have been if both teams had skated clean. Would it be good enough or not (in the eyes of the judges) to beat Meryl and Charlie?
However, I firmly believe Tessa and Scott will be stellar at the world championships. They will be there fighting for the gold. I don't think anybody can say that Meryl and Charlie have it in the bag. Carmen is a much more demanding free dance from a choreographical point of view and it's much original. Considering the changes that Tessa and Scott had in the FD after the GPF plus getting into better form, they may rock the house in London.
Guys, you all saw her at Nationals. did you have feeling she wasnt OK?
I doubt we will ever see or determine if everything is okay or not based on their performances. I mean look at the Olympics. Who knew Tessa was counting steps to save her legs back then? I really, really hope this is just some random cramps all athletes suffers at one point or another in their careers. She was able to continue so that's a good sign. I hope.
But the tendency sometimes is if things like this happen to a team like the Shibs, either people not pay attention or they blame the rules. With V/M being who they are, some people would probably blame both the rules and VM.
And I do hope they will be in the gala, because not only will it mean things are not as bad as some of us are secretly fearing, but for the selfish reason that I need some sweet Hallelujah after this. But only if they can.
I didn't. I felt she skated great at Nationals. I also don't think they would be doing such a demanding, difficult program if she were not healthy. They don't need to do all the things they do to achieve those levels. Just look at the lifts of I&K to see how easy a level four is to obtain. I think it's just one of those horrible moments that happens. Maybe the heat got to her and she suffered heat cramps:
I think she is and will be fine, just a really unfortunate time for that to happen.
I hope she will be ok. Looks like he just could not hoist her into the lift on time without her helping herself.
I don't know about him waving the camera man away. I think they pay a lot of $ to film everything in certain areas of the rink. The reality element and behind the scenes stuff is big right now. (Of course there are exceptions say if a costume falls down and exposes things, etc.).
I hope you are right. Will hope.
And i agree. At 2010 OG they didnt have such difficult program. All Tessas problems start from the OD.
From other hand - they had it year before OG.
But last season they had FF with slow part for the rest, no? I thought Tessa feel better, thats why they made such a difficult FD.
At Nationals i thought they were very light on there fett. And in SD at 4CC.
I don't really understand why Tessa getting a cramp in her leg = she must be on her deathbed. But maybe that's just me.
Because all of her previous problems with chronic exertional compartment syndrome, including 2 surgeries to deal with it?
Normally it shouldn't. I think people overreact in her case because she has had severe problems in the past requiring surgery. I personally think she will be fine and at Nationals and in the SD here they were light on their feet and floating over the ice. To me it looks like one of those "why now" moments which is probably why she looked so gutted.
But it is not like they withdrew from the competition or something.
In 2009 she was in a wheelchair. I don't see how people can compare that to this season.
I think you are right.
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Micromax Canvas GoldCompareThe Micromax Canvas Gold is an Android 4.4.2-based dual-SIM phone. It flaunts impressive specs, which include a 5.5" FHD display, 2 GHz ocra core MediaTek processor, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM, expandable storage via microSD card, 16 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front shooter.+ View Specs
Micromax Canvas Gold
Alcatel OneTouch Fierce 2CompareThe Alcatel OneTouch Fierce 2 is a 5-incher, running Android 4.4. It is equipped with 1.2 GHz quad core processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB memory, and microSD card slot for extra 32 gigs of storage space. Camera-wise it comes with 5 MP one on the back, and 0.3 MP front-facing shooter.+ View Specs
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ARCHOS 80 Cesium
LG G3 StylusCompareLG G3 Stylus is a lower priced version of its LG G3 flagship model. The screen size remains the same as on the LG G3, but with the Stylus, the resolution is 540 x 960 as opposed to the 1440 x 2560 on the flagship model. If you want to look at it another way, the LG G3 Stylus screen is qHD. A quad-core 1.3GHz GPU powers the Stylus, which includes 1GB of RAM and 8GB of native storage. A microSD slot allows you to add memory, and the back and front cameras weigh in at 13MP and 1.3MP respectively. Keeping the phone powered up is a 3000mAh battery. A stylus comes with the handset (hence its name), and Android 4.4.2 is pre-installed, out of the box. The LG G3 Stylus will have 3G connectivity and will be available in black, white and gold.+ View Specs
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LG L BelloCompareThe LG L Bello offers 5-inch glass with resolution of 480 x 854, leading to a 196 ppi pixel density and 8GB of native memory. A quad-core 1.3GHz processor drives Miss Daisy, and there is 1GB of RAM inside. Besides the 8MP snapper on back, there is a 1MP camera in front. Offered in White, Black and Gold, a 2540mAh juicer keeps the lights on. The phone comes with support for HSPA+ connectivity.+ View Specs
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HTC One (M8) for WindowsCompare8 reviewBesides the OS, everything else in the One (M8) for Windows seems to be the same - the screen is still 5 inches big and has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, while the chipset powering the whole shebang is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 - a perfectly sufficient chip that will no doubt enable a very smooth and fluid user experience with Windows Phone 8.1.+ View Specs
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Sharp AQUOS CrystalCompareThe AQUOS Crystal has a 5" 720p display, an LTE-capable quad-core Snapdragon 400 SoC running at 1.2GHz, 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage space, and runs on Android 4.4.2. The battery capacity is 2040 mAh, which might not seem much, but let's not forget that the Crystal display is made with Sharp's IGZO technology, so the company promises three days of battery life with normal usage.+ View Specs
Sharp AQUOS Crystal
HTC Butterfly 2CompareThe HTC Butterfly 2 sports 5-inch, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution Super LCD3 display, a speedy quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 system-on-chip, 2GB of RAM, and 16/32GB of internal storage, expandable via a microSD card. The two front-facing speakers, while restyled, are of the HTC BoomSound type, so expect great results. The battery capacity, at 2700 mAh, is slightly bigger than the one found on the One M8.+ View Specs
HTC Butterfly 2
GIGABYTE GSmart GX2CompareThe GSmart GX2 is a dual-SIM android smartphone with a 5-inch 1080p screen, 1,6-GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 8-GB of storage, 13-megapixel camera and a secondary 2-megapixel unit on the front.+ View Specs
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GIGABYTE GSmart Mika M2
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BLU Dash 5.5
BLU Studio 5.0 KCompareThe BLU Studio 5.0 K is a dual SIM Android phone with version 4.4 of the platform. On the hardware side it offers 5" display with a low resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, 1.3 GHz dual core processor by MediaTek, 512 MB RAM, 4 gigs of storage, microSD slot, and a 3.2 MP camera on the back.+ View Specs
BLU Studio 5.0 K
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BLU Vivo IV
BLU Studio 5.0 CECompareThe BLU Studio 5.0 CE is a Android 4.4-based smartphone. It features a 5" display with a lowly 480 x 854 pixels resolution, 1.3 GHz dual core CPU, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage, and microSD slot. The rear camera is 3.2 megapixels, and the front one is 0.3 MP. Dual SIM card support is available.+ View Specs
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BLU Studio 5.0 CCompareThe BLU Studio 5.0 C is a phone running on Android 4.4.2, with a 5" display, 480 x 854 pixels resolution, 1.3 GHz MediaTek processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 gigs of storage space, and two cameras - 5 MP on the back, and 0.3 MP on the front.+ View Specs
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BLU Studio 5.0 S IICompareThe BLU Studio 5.0 S II is an Android 4.2-powered phone. Its specs include a 5" display and 540 x 960 pixels resolution, 1.3 GHz quad core processor by MediaTek, 1 gig of RAM, 4 GB of storage space, microSD slot, 8 MP camera on the back and 1.6 MP on the front.+ View Specs
BLU Studio 5.0 S II
Samsung SM-G739FCompareThe Samsung SM-G739F is expected to come with a 5.5 inch screen, with resolution of 720 x 1280. Under the hood is a quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with the Adreno 305 GPU handling graphics. The model will also carry 1.3GB of RAM and 16GB of native storage. There will be a 7MP snapper on back, with a 2MP camera in front. Both will be capable of shooting 1080 x 1920 video. Android 4.4.4 is pre-installed, out of the box.+ View Specs
Samsung SM-G739F
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LG G3 s
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ZTE nubia Z7 MaxCompareContrary to its name, the ZTE nubia Z7 Max also has a 5.5" display panel, but it comes with 1080p resolution. The overall size grows, however, to 152.7 x 76 x 8.7mm. There are also 2 GB of RAM, instead of 3 GB, and these seem to sum up the difference between the Z7, and its cheaper Max variation.+ View Specs
ZTE nubia Z7 Max
ZTE nubia Z7 miniCompareThe ZTE nubia Z7 mini sports a 5-inch 1080p display, 13 megapixel shooter with flash and two SIM card slots. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chip featuring a 2GHz quad core processor and 2GB of RAM. The available storage space equates to 16GB and is expandable via a microSD card slot.+ View Specs
ZTE nubia Z7 mini
ZTE nubia Z7CompareThe ZTE nubia Z7 has 5.5" Quad HD screen with the splendid 1440x2560 pixels of resolution, quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, 13 MP camera with optical image stabilization on the back, 3000 mAh battery, and 4G LTE connectivity. As you can expect, it is also a dual SIM LTE device.+ View Specs
ZTE nubia Z7
5 inch or larger phones