Clipmarks | General interest Clips

Advance To The Rear!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:53:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: (Well, in fairness, even if the president did declare back in 2008 this war was a vital national security interest, and he did signal last spring he was on board with counterinsurgency, and even if he did appoint Gen. Stanley McChrystal to get the job done in May, the general’s recommendations only arrived in August, and the president didn’t look at them until, what, late September, and he’s been really busy this whole time letting Congress bollix his health-care initiative, throwing Eastern Europe under the bus and flying to Copenhagen, that kind of thing, so he’s only been able to squeeze in seven high-level national security meetings, or is it eight? Is it so unreasonable to ask for new options on top of the new options that he asked for on top of the new options that McChrystal gave him? Meanwhile, China’s ass wants kissing and then we’re into the holidays … )

OK, I get that the political piece is vitally important, and for Eikenberry, up to his armpits in scheming

Clip Source: www.julescrittenden.com

But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama’s thinking.

Never mind whether he’s going to commit more troops. He isn’t ready to commit to whether he’ll commit to commiting more troops. This part is fun:

Military officials said Obama has asked for a rewrite before and resisted what one official called a one-way highway toward war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendations for more troops. The sense that he was being rushed and railroaded has stiffened Obama’s resolve to seek information and options beyond military planning, officials said, though a substantial troop increase is still likely.

ha, his resolve to keep dithering has been stiffened! Good one. AP scribbler with a keen sense of irony or AP scribbler without a clue?

Tags: afghanistan, ambassador karl eikenberry says no, general mcchrystal, president karzai

Anime Japan’s Manga Hentai Wonder Festival

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:38:06 GMT

clipped by: AbattVerner
clipper's remarks: Wonder Festival was first held in 1985. Japanese animation was still very much a niche interest even in its home country, and the major kit manufacturers were only interested in major TV franchises.
It seems, even organizers do not foreknow, who and how many figures will decide to parade. Heroines numerous anime, video games, comics, manga,hentai with own hand created characters. Practically any figure has an erotic hentai orientation.

Clip Source: hentaigirls.biz

Japan’s Wonder Festival

anime, video games, comics, manga,hentai

The fans who founded Wonder Festival had started running science fiction conventions in Osaka in 1981, with Daicon III, whose opening animation has become famous among anime, video games, comics, manga,hentai fans. They used the experience and contacts they gained to set up General Products, Japan’s first specialty science fiction store. Wonder Festival was a logical extension of the store. A number of the group went on to form anime studio GAINAX, creators of such hits as Evangelion, and in 1990 General Products withdrew from Wonder Festival and merged with GAINAX to focus on animation. They later fictionalized their memories of the period in Otaku no Video.

Posted by maria on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 8:14 am
Filed under News · Tagged with anime, comics, hentai, manga, video games, Wonder Festival

Tags: anime, comics, hentai, manga, video games, wonder festival

10 steps to portfolio

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:30:51 GMT

clipped by: jrs1985

Clip Source: www.smashingmagazine.com

10 Steps To The Perfect Portfolio Website

1. Logo

2. Tagline

Once the user sees who owns the website, they’ll want to know what it is you do. This is where you explain what you do with a tagline. Your tagline should be short and snappy, summarizing what you do.

3. Portfolio

This is a personal portfolio website after all, so your portfolio will determine whether the website is interesting or not. People will want to see your previous work to decide whether you’re good or not and for general interest, to see what you’ve been up to in the past.

4. Services

5. About me

It’s all about you. Let people see the man or woman behind the mask (i.e. website). Share your background, where you came from, how many years you’ve been in the business, etc. The more details you give, the better your users can form a bond and build trust with you.

6. Contact

7. Blog

8. Call to action

9. Use social networking websites

10. Language and communication

Other tips:

40+ beautiful personal portfolio websites

The Federalist No. 10

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:18:19 GMT

clipped by: katsteevns
clipper's remarks: Daily Advertiser
Thursday, November 22, 1787
[James Madison]

Clip Source: www.constitution.org

Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.

But the most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property. Those who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society. Those who are creditors, and those who are debtors, fall under a like discrimination. A landed interest, a manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a moneyed interest, with many lesser interests, grow up of necessity in civilized nations, and divide them into different classes, actuated by different sentiments and views.

The Federalist No. 10

Daily Advertiser
Thursday, November 22, 1787
[James Madison]

Fraud Could Undermine Housing Tax Credit as Troubling Report Emerges

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:20:52 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: The Government Accountability Office reports that $10 billion had been spent on 1.4 million credits as of late August.

As the economy hit trouble in 2008, Congress passed a $7,500 tax credit for first-time homebuyers as a no-interest, long-term loan to stimulate the housing market. The credit was expanded under the economic recovery act passed in February to $8,000, not as a loan, but a fully refundable credit.

Economists worry that the tax break is going to those who would have purchased homes anyway, and filling homes by vacating others " as renters become buyers " without benefit to the economy as a whole.

Estimates are that more than three-quarters of the expected 1.5 million taxpayers who will have tapped the program would have bought homes even without the tax credit, putting the price to the government at about $43,000 per homebuyer who would not have bought a house without the credit.

The Government Accountability Office reports that 59 percent of those claiming . .

Clip Source: www.lasvegassun.com

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN file

Washington — Nevadans have responded to the government’s offer of up to $8,000 in first-time-homebuyer tax credits with gusto, filing more claims and receiving more in tax breaks per capita than residents of any other state.

Nevadans have claimed $146 million in tax breaks from the credit.

But according to new federal reports released Thursday, the program nationwide is littered with potential fraud, threatening its future.

Claims for the tax credit are being filed by those who may not be first-time buyers, those who haven’t yet bought houses, and those who are under 18, according to an inspector general’s report. More than $500 million in claimed credits are being questioned.

The Internal Revenue Service has opened 115 criminal investigations, has frozen more than 110,000 refunds pending further examination and is stepping up audits of questionable claims.

Tags: first-time-homebuyer tax credits, i.r.s. opened 115 criminal investigations, littered with potential fraud

How To Consolidate Debt

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:52:41 GMT

clipped by: stanwa30
clipper's remarks: Debt consolidation is usually the ideal alternative during this situation, because it may help debtors pay off each secured or unsecured loans.

Clip Source: understanding-debt-consolidation.info

How To Consolidate Debt

Debt consolidation can even provide debtors the opportunity to reorganize their lives together with their debts. If they opt to go with a| debt consolidation program, then a professional company can help them merge their bills into one monthly instalment. The debt management solutions may help you by terminating your interest rates on personal loans, mortgage loans, credit cards, plus other loans. The general idea of debt consolidation then is that you’ll pay off your debt sooner plus have extra money to spend later.

UK Basic Bank Accounts

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:31:00 GMT

clipped by: tukili
clipper's remarks: However, you can still have your own bank account with what you call "basic bank accounts".Basic bank accounts are a type of account given out to a client for purposes of receiving salary to or arranging auto-debit payments

Clip Source: basicbankaccounts.jimdo.com

Banks are a part of people's everyday lives. Wherever you are and whoever you maybe, you might just be in need of a bank to help you carry out financial tasks. But getting a bank account isn't really that easy because of strict bank rules. For starters, banks do not just give out accounts to their clients because they have to protect their general interest by making sure that their clients are of perfect credit history. This poses a great problem for many of us who don't exactly have a perfect credit history to start with.

Tags: bad credit bank accounts, basic bank accounts, bad credit, adverse credit bank account

Urge World Leaders: Vote No to Biased Goldstone Report

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:19:07 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: I'm here at the emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, facing a draft resolution by the Arab and Islamic blocs that seeks to endorse the biased Goldstone Report"a 500-page document that falsely accuses Israel of “deliberate attacks” against civilians during its defensive war against Hamas rocket attacks last January. (For details, see www.unwatch.org/goldstone.)

Adoption of this dangerous text will trigger proceedings toward the indictment and prosecution of Israeli leaders and officers in the International Criminal Court. What’s at stake is the very survival of democratic societies under the assault of terrorists"enemies of human rights who cynically invoke its protective cover.

The debate began yesterday and reaches its climax today. UN Watch will be there to address the assembled delegates.
Representing us will be none other than Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan,

Clip Source: www.unwatch.org

Take Action

The U.N. Human Rights Council is about to vote on an Arab-sponsored resolution seeking to endorse the biased Goldstone Report. If this dangerous text is adopted, the U.N. Security Council will be asked to begin proceedings on the indictment of Israeli leaders and officers in the International Criminal Court. The crime? Defending civilians from 10,000 Hamas rocket attacks. If adopted, terrorism will win, democracy will lose, and more innocents will die. The U.S. will oppose the text, but the European Union votes remains critical. Act now: urge E.U. leaders to vote No.

Areas of interest General UN Affairs
Promoting Human Rights
Combating Anti-Semitism

UN Watch Briefing
News Updates & Action Alerts

Newsletter Subscriptions

Topics of Interest

You will receive an email confirming that your message was sent. Check the box if you would also like to receive a copy of this letter.

Tags: arab-sponsored resolution, indict israeli leaders and officers, u.n. human rights council, u.n. security council

Films today, books tomorrow?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:52:13 GMT

clipped by: walski69
clipper's remarks: by Mariam Mokhtar

"But the scariest thing is how the Puteri Umno motion was passed without debate. An important call such as this should have warranted a little more scrutiny. If the Government were to accede to their request, then it is all Malaysians, who will suffer. Not just Muslims.

Movies like the Harry Potter films will not be screened. Lord of the Rings, and even The Wizard of Oz will have to be banned. And what about science fiction films? Alien, Predator and others, may be full of horror, or lack unexplained traditional elements, and thus, will not fit in any religious teaching."

In short - ban fucking everything. Would that make 'em happy?

Clip Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

One outcome of the Puteri Umno general assembly was a call for the Government to ban the production of “horror, mystical and superstitious” movies. It was claimed that films of this genre could weaken the faith of Muslims in the country.

The movement also wanted the authorities to issue a similar ban on all foreign movies of such genres, and also to empower the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to take action against such productions.

Now, if watching a scary movie is enough to weaken the religious faith of a person, then something is wrong somewhere.

The precedent of banning films, of this specific genre, may set an unhealthy trend.

It will stifle creativity and imagination. It may stop some of us from reading books. It will smother interest, or curiosity.

So I repeat, might it be films today, and books tomorrow?

Tags: umno, puteri umno, ban, film, books

Historic Suckupness, Poor Judgment

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:59:29 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: That Nick the Turk is one astute observer. I got whacked with something and spent yesterday on the couch, nose in Robert Harvey’s The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France: 1789-1815* when not dozing. Fascinating reading with not a few lessons regarding war and politics in general.

Now, Obama’s no Bonaparte. They are no matched historical set. But as you examine the totality of Obama’s career to date, there are some curious parallels. Not so much the part about being an outsider shouldering his way in … Napoleon of course was a Corsican with an Italian accent, which made him a foreigner and a provincial bumpkin though integrated into French society through political connections and education. Obama, of Kenyan and white American descent, raised in part overseas, after all was welcomed and acclaimed exactly for reasons of his minority status, due to the nation’s and his political party’s interest in recognizing and elevating

Clip Source: www.julescrittenden.com

Guess who else went to Cairo and addressed a big historic suckup speech to the Islamic world

Then, through ineptitude, lost the means of his own resupply, bungled the whole operation and saw the greater Islamic world turn against him anyway. Fill in the blanks

__________ seemed to win no local supporters through his loudly proclaimed tilt to Islam. Instead, he merely witnessed the decline of his own forces. The ____________ had been emboldened by the __________ of the _________. As Nicholas the Turk put it: ‘[the people] knew for certain that the _____ had lost all hope of receiving aid from their own country … All we have to do is resist them, and we’ll be rid of them in the end, for whatever does not grow must diminish.’

No, it’s not “Obama,” “Taliban and al-Qaeda,” ”abandonment” of the “counterinsurgency strategy,” and “the Americans and their allies.”

If you guessed “Napoleon Bonaparte,” ”Egyptian resistance,” ”destruction” of the “French fleet,” and the “French,” you guessed right!

Tags: napoleon bonaparte, destruction of french fleet, egyptian resistance, obama, taliban & al-qaeda, abandon the counterinsurgency, americans & their allies

Twitter Talks Data With Microsoft, Google — All Things Digital

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:53:07 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: All this without tarnishing the noisy service as a shill, because it lets you listen to only what you want.

The deals would be nonexclusive and may not happen, All Things Digital reports " which only feeds the casual cred Twitter has been cultivating, taking its time about coming up with a business model that produces operating revenue, while it rakes in VC money at a level that values the three-year-old private company at about $1 billion.

The “Let them do it” philosophy works like a charm for Twitter, whose content comes from the general public and whose best interfaces come from third-party developers making full use of the company’s freely available API. Along with the recently announced “lists” initiative, Twitter seems to be carefully setting the table so that partners can leverage its data " and the way it is organized " to enter new markets, while it sits back and maintains a server farm.

Clip Source: www.wired.com

Twitter is in talks with Google and Microsoft to make Tweets accessible in the real-time searches of the two major search engines, The Wall Street Journal blog All Things Digital is reporting.

Together Google Search (No. 1) and Microsoft’s Bing (No. 3) own about an 80 per cent market share, with No. 2 Yahoo accounting for almost all of the rest. With Microsoft providing the underlying search for Yahoo under their proposed tie-up, a Twitter deal would essentially make the microblogging service’s output available to virtually the entire searching public in one fell swoop (well, two).

The main interest in real-time search lies in Twitter’s emergence as a remarkable if still messy news-discovery service. But as a disclosure system — also a component of news — a ubiquitous, free service like Twitter could give a run for their money to the closed, paid, press-release distribution networks and even news services that circulate company press releases.

Tags: enterprise, media, social media, startups

Facts are in fact irrelevant

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:27:08 GMT

clipped by: jmora
clipper's remarks: It is often more important how is something said than what is actually said. Probably that's the way the human mind works, the memes that are propagated are not the most factual, but the most appealing, intriguing, amusing or surprising.

The problem are the consequences for science if the focus is set on communication at any expense instead of accuracy. However, a perfect accuracy with no communication is pointless. Thus, as with all conflicting goals, the way to go is probably a compromise, as it doesn't look like we are changing human nature anytime soon.

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

communicating science

"Honesty good. Marketing bad." Those are admirable words to live by in general. But marketing is just a subset of a larger topic: communication

Once you have a good, solid piece of information, you need to accept that in today's information-glutted world, facts by themselves usually aren't enough to capture the attention and interest of the public

First you need to arouse the interest of your audience, then you need to fulfil the expectations that you've created. Arouse and fulfil

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

If you want them to get something, you'd better show them rather than just tell them

Tell a good story and the whole world will listen. And this is a principle that holds for both audiences: academic as well as the general public

Great storytelling is infinitely difficult and elusive

It's a formula old as the ages, and as important today, in the age of information overload, as ever. A good story is like Jello: there's always room for it.

Review: Don't be such a scientist

Tags: appearances, marketing, presentation

Lamar Smith Sent a Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: Investigate Allegations of Criminal Conduct Against ACORN

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:37:31 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: “Because the President’s political ties to ACORN may discourage senior Justice Department officials from authorizing an investigation, I have called on the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel who is independent of the administration and free from any undue political influence.

“Political favoritism has no place at the Justice Department. We’ve already seen this administration dismiss one case against a political ally"the New Black Panther Party"for no apparent reason. I remain concerned that politicization at the Justice Department once again may result in the administration’s political friends getting a free pass. Only an independent investigation can ensure that justice is served in this case.”

Last month, Ranking Member Smith sent letters to Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and FBI Director Robert Mueller calling for investigations into ACORN’s use of federal funds and possible criminal violations.

Clip Source: lamarsmith.house.gov

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Smith: Special Counsel Needed to Investigate ACORN

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Lamar Smith sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder calling for a Special Counsel to investigate allegations of criminal conduct against ACORN. Smith expressed concern that the President’s close political ties to ACORN may prohibit a thorough investigation by Justice Department officials.

Ranking Member Smith issued the following statement along with today’s letter:

“The President’s public support of ACORN creates the appearance of a conflict of interest and could place improper political pressure on DOJ officials to ignore allegations of criminal conduct. In fact, last year, President Obama’s campaign attorney did just that. In a letter to then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey, the Obama campaign’s general counsel urged prosecutors to ignore Republican concerns that ACORN was engaging in voter fraud.

Tags: 0bama's general counsel-prosecutors ignore, acorns activities, 0bama's political ties to acorn, smith-letters to justice ig & fbi director, eric holder

OKCupid answers the question "What do women want?"

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:58:48 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Answer: to be treated like individuals who are valued for more than their looks.

Shazam, shazam, shazam.

Clip Source: contexts.org

Dating site OKCupid has done an analysis of 500,000 inquiry messages in order to determine what keywords correlate most strongly with getting a reply or getting deleted. It has an interesting gender lesson.

Mentioning someone’s level of attractiveness decreased the likelihood of getting a response (for both men and women), though men were more likely to mention looks. But general compliments about one’s profile increased the likelihood of getting a response

when they made sure to differentiate between pretty (meaning “sort of”) and pretty (”meaning attractive”), you can see clearly the way that commenting on looks decreases the recipients’ interest

when men sent messages, the recipient preferred humility to bold self-confidence

women

respond positively to phrases that indicate that he actually read their profile and is interested in the content of their person

The lesson: Treat a woman (on the OK Cupid dating site) like a human being and she will respond positively.

Tags: women, men, relationships, dating, sociology

Profiles in Countermoonbattery: Benjamin Netanyahu

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:22:01 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: Brilliant: if you haven't yet watched the entire speech, you should.

Clip Source: www.moonbattery.com

Last week at the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama resigned the United States from it's role as "Leader of the Free World." Which nation stepped in to fill the vacuum? It appears Israel has. While Chairman O installed himself as Global Community Organizer-in-Chief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took charge as the world's true moral leader:

Mr. Obama's address was the predictable mix of criticism of the past policies of the United States, self-praise for correcting said policies and vague calls to united action on matters of collective interest. It sought to ingratiate rather than offend. But Mr. Netanyahu chastised the United Nations for its "systematic assault on the truth." He spoke truths that Mr. Obama would never whisper regarding the regime in Iran, which is "fueled by an extreme fundamentalism" and an "unforgiving creed."

Netanyahu: Revisiting Auschwitz and chastising the little U.N. Chamberlains.

Find the full transcript of his 24 September 2009 speech here.

Tags: counter-moonbattery, freedom, bravery, truth, love