Vice President Joe Biden Announces Kareem Dale As Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

This makes me really happy the Obama administration has done what no other US President has done:

  Appoint a Special Assistant for Disability Policy! :D 

   One of my friends was telling me how Obama is  the first President to address disability rights (If you think about former Presidents that had a disability, like Roosevelt, tried to hide it, and tried to fit into mainstream society as much as possible).

    It is about time that America realizes that it's ok to be who we are, and us people with "disabilities" should always be proud of who we are and smiling! :)

Blessings 

Stephanie 

Vice President Joe Biden Announces Kareem Dale As Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President
________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2009

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES KAREEM DALE AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR DISABILITY POLICY

First Time a President has had a Special Assistant Focused Exclusively on Disability Policy

BOISE, ID – Vice President Joe Biden today announced Kareem Dale as Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. The Vice President, who was leading a Presidential Delegation at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, made the announcement during a stop at the Special Olympics’ Healthy Athletes Event, a worldwide program in which athletes receive a variety of health screenings and services.

"The commitment that the President and I have to Special Olympics and people with disabilities is deep and abiding. And we are backing up those words with real action at the White House,"said Vice President Biden.  "This is our first step to ensure that we have a strong advocate for people with disabilities at the highest levels of our Administration."

Dale, who is partially blind, will have direct access to the President in this role and he will coordinate the Administration’s efforts to see that people with disabilities are on a level playing field with all Americans.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Dale previously served as the National Disability Director for the Obama for America campaign.  He also served on the Arts Policy Committee and the Disability Policy Committee for then-Senator Obama. 

Dale graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising in May 1995.  He received his JD/MBA in May 1999 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating Cum Laude. While attending law school, Dale was also active in community service, including serving as president of two organizations, the Black Law Students' Association and Open Forum.

Nerd Love

   "Nerd Love"

    by Stephanie Chase 

Nerd Love

Everything was clear, even without me glasses

Time was running out for me.

Minutes tearing into ‘em seconds

Seconds almost ready to explode

For I never experienced such a love ever!

I have searched all the ends of the earth, only to be with you.

I wait on the hard cement

Forlorn, hoping, waiting forever, anxious

The only thing that exists in me

Is the serenity of a fine young lad that I just met

Your impression was the greatest, never had I ever met

Such soft, pale skin; robust at ye cheeks

The most pale green eyes

The only sea that I had ever seen be green

But beautiful, I felt I was sucked into him.

I have searched all the ends of the earth, only to be with you.

A miracle!

It must have been a gift from G-D, the heavens above

For all of a sudden, I see ye walking merrily

 Alas,

The love! Laughing 

Noting the beauties of nature, as ye chuckle at some squirrels playing together

I have searched all the ends of the earth, only to be with you.

I wear my cute smile.

I try to wave, but I don’t know if ye see me, or I’m too shy.

My ride comes, and ye are vanished forever.

I am falling down a cliff, stumbling, losing everything that I gained

To find you

I am back to where I started

Only hoping to find you through the forest of my awkwardness

And spontaneity of life.

I have searched the ends of the earth, only to be with you.

My pensive thoughts and lements for the dead mouse (it is a Very Short Story!)

A trail of blood covered the ground. My eyes followed each droplet until it came to this object. I jumped. Lying on the smoothly, paved, creme- colored sidewalk laid a dead mouse. My intial instict would be to run away,  but instead I remained where I was. Myeyes focused on the dead corpse.

       The mouse's tail was shaped like a spiral noodle. I wondered if its tail was ever straight. I  continued to investigate it. I then thought to myself, "More animals and insects  die than people do per day. When a person dies, a few people show up at their funeral to honor them for the things that they have done; but when an animal dies, an innocent, little mouse, no one stops to lament, honor or remember the mouse at all. The world does not care. I then realized that I must mourn for this mouse if no one else would.

     An autumn breeze blew, as the mouse's tail rattled. I attempted to look even more closely than I had ever, trying to contemplate over what it must be like to be a mouse. What was its soul like? Another breeze blew. I realized that I had to be on my way to visit Kim. I blew a kiss to the mouse, which swayed into the breeze.

Saudi Arabia appoints first female minister

This is probably some of the best news that I have heard all day! :)

I really hope that she will be an inspiration for ALL WOMEN EVERYWHERE! :)



http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/16/saudi-cabinet-woman-min...

Saudi Arabia appoints first female minister
BY Julian Borger




An expert on girls' education became Saudi Arabia's first woman minister on Saturday as part of a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle by King Abdullah that swept aside several bastions of ultra-conservatism.

Nora bint Abdullah al-Fayez, a US-educated former teacher, was made deputy education minister in charge of a new department for female students, a significant breakthrough in a country where women are not allowed to drive.

"This is an honour not only for me but for all Saudi women. In the presence of a comprehensive operational team, I believe I'll be able to face challenges and create positive change," she told Arab News. Fayez said she would study the state of girls' education in Saudi Arabia before commenting on the task before her.

In his first reshuffle since assuming the throne in 2005, King Abdullah also replaced two powerful enemies of reform, the chief of the Saudi religious police, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith, and the country's most senior judge, Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan. Ghaith, who runs the commission for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, known as the mutawa, which enforces bans on alcohol and drugs, has gained a reputation for brutality. Luhaydan ruled last year that it was permissible to kill owners of satellite television channels broadcasting "immoral" programmes. Several other hardline judges were sacked as part of a challenge against the kingdom's hardline religious establishment.

The grand Ulema commission, an influential grouping of religious scholars, will be reconfigured and opened to moderate clerics, breaking the grip of the ultra-conservatives.

King Abdullah also appointed a new head of a 150-seat consultative body, the Shura council, and replaced his ministers of education, health, justice and information.

Abdul Aziz al-Khoja, the new information minister, said: "The most important thing is that the kingdom's voice should reach the entire world, convey the message of peace and stability and portray the kingdom's stance of moderation, tolerance and flexibility."

He told the Saudi Gazette he was open to debate with the country's journalists and intellectuals, adding: "I welcome their opinions and suggestions because they constitute the pillar of the Saudi media and represent the shining face of the country within and outside the kingdom."

The reshuffle was broadly welcomed in the Saudi press, with the Saudi Gazette calling it a "boost for reform" and al-Hayat describing the changes as "bold reform".

Saudi schools have long been criticised as breeding grounds for extremism, and the monarchy's western allies are likely to claim the reshuffle as a sign that the kingdom has the capacity to reform itself.

"This is the true start of the promises of reform," said Jamal Khashoggi, editor of al-Watan newspaper. "They bring not only new blood, but also new ideas."

I feel the excitement and the revolution that Chavez is making.
Granted, I don't know enough about him, but from what I have read, he seems to be "by the people, for the people."
I know this is a stupid question, but did Venezuela just have an election?
(My knowledge is limited, but I have a great hunger and thirst to learn more about Latin America-- a continent that I hope to explore someday, and it looks pretty promising in the forseeable future! :) ).

Blessings

Stephanie

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/17/hugo-chavez-venezuela-referendum

Victorious Chávez promises action on crime and services as he sets sights on ruling beyond 2030

Hugo Chávez has vowed to advance his "Bolivarian revolution" after winning a referendum to abolish presidential term limits, boosting his ambition to rule Venezuela for decades.

The president declared a renewed mandate for his effort to transform the Opec country into a socialist state fused with the spirit of Simón Bolívar, South America's 19th century liberator.

"Those who voted yes today voted for socialism, for revolution," Chávez told cheering supporters outside the presidential palace in Caracas on Sunday night.

Electoral authorities said 54% of voters in Sunday's referendum backed a constitutional amendment allowing indefinite re-election, with 46% rejecting it - a margin of almost 1 million voters.

Chávez, 54 and a decade in power, signalled he will run again when his term ends in 2013. He has spoken of ruling beyond 2030. Unlike previous ideology-infused victory addresses, his speech on Sunday promised improved governance - a concession to complaints about crime, uncollected rubbish and creaking public services.

"We must revise everything we have done in previous years, we have to start rectifying, adjusting, strengthening. If we reinforce what we have already done, then starting next year we will be in a much better position to open new horizons."

The opposition accepted defeat, but complained that the president had hijacked state resources and hobbled the no campaign. "It was David against Goliath, and Goliath won," said Leopoldo López, an opposition leader.

One of the first to congratulate Chávez was his mentor, Fidel Castro, who from his sickbed in Cuba commended a victory that was "impossible to measure". Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras and other regional allies also congratulated Chávez.

The EU commission "noted" the result, but conservative members of the European parliament accused Chávez of eroding democracy. A Spanish MEP, Luis Herrero, was expelled from Caracas last week after he called him a dictator and questioned the referendum's fairness.

The US made no immediate comment but the Obama administration will be dismayed that a fierce critic of Washington "imperialism" has been emboldened.

Celebrating government supporters in red T-shirts filled the streets of Caracas, but the rapture may ebb if tumbling oil revenues squeeze spending on social programmes, which have bolstered the president's popularity.

Some analysts predict stagflation and devaluation of the bolívar currency ... the kind of grim cycle that undid previous Venezuelan leaders. "With plummeting revenues and widespread dissatisfaction with government performance, Chávez will be far from invincible," said Michael Shifter, of the Inter-American Dialogue thinktank.

The government said it had enough reserves to tide Venezuela over until oil prices recovered.

On Supporting the US Troops

 While I am against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan (while I feel that attacking Afghanistan was somewhat justified, I still don't know enough nor am well versed to make a good opinion on the war;  there is a lot I need to learn to understand Afghanistan; however half of the weapons they are fighting with, we gave them to fight with against the Soviets, so if you think about it, it's kind of ironic that we are fighting against them in a sense), I  do support the troops. I feel that many make so many sacrifices to make other peoples' lives better. And we need to focus on their intentions for joining the military; many join to protect other people. 

        

    My older brother joined the US Navy after 9-11 with the intentions to protect his nation. He had already gone to college, but wanted to give back to his countries all of the oppurtunities that he was given.  My brother even came from a priveledged back ground, and to see someone from a priveledged background do that deserves all of my respect.

      My older brother is currently in Afghanistan, and it was his 29th birthday the other day. I really hope that it was one of his best days in Afghanistan, since he is thousands of miles away from his family, friends in loved ones, in a very depressing place. That is my one wish.

     I am writing this out of good will to thank all of the soldiers that have sacrificed their time, and know that I am thinking about them, and they all have a very special place in my heart.

    I am getting sick of people thinking that soldiers have it easy, or are bad people. They're not. They all have a heart and soul and are people too. Some of the nicest people I have met have been in the military.

Here is something that I found to give people a "food for thought" about what it's like to be in the military, and the struggles that they have to go through:

____________________

You stay up for 16 hours

They stay up for days on end.
_________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

They go days or weeks without running water.
__________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

They get shot at as others are hit, and keep moving forward.
__________________________

You put on your "Code Pink" t-shirt and go meet up with your friends.

They still fight for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________

You talk trash about your "friends" who are not with you.

They know they may not see some of their buddies again.
__________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls/guys.

They patrol the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
_________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

They wear their heavy gear, not daring to take off their helmet to wipe their brow.
__________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

They may not get to eat today.
__________________________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

They wear the same things for weeks, but makes sure their weapons are clean.
__________________________

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.

They don't have time to brush their teeth today.
__________________________

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.

They're told they will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________

You call your boyfriend/girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

They wait for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend/boyfriend, like you do everyday.

They hold their letters close and smell their loves' perfume/cologne.
__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

They get a letter with pictures of their new child, and wonder if they'll ever meet
__________________________

You criticize the military, and say that war never solves anything.

They see the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why they are fighting.
__________________________

You hear the jokes about war, and make fun of men/women like him/her.

They hear the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
__________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

They see the broken bodies lying around them.
__________________________

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.

They do exactly what they are told.
__________________________

You stay at home and watch TV.

They take whatever time they are given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.

They try to sleep but get woken up by mortars and helicopters all night long. __________________________

You sit there and judge them, saying the world is probably a worse place because of people like them

If only there were more people like them
___________________________

     

Technology and how it dominates us, and how it has made society its slave

"Your basic person wants to talk about material culture, internet culture. I think about God, cats, nature."-- Billy Corgan

 After being away  for some time,  I have begun to discover how much the computer  dominates our lives, and how so many people have succumb to it.

   It just really saddens me how the only way that people want to communicate with others is through an electronic medium.  I have met people on facebook who think that I am the coolest person ever, and become obsessed over me, telling me that we are going to be best friends; cook together; go to protests together; do things that best friends do. I met one of these  so called "friends" at an activist meeting, and this friend acted so distant. I know that I was critical towards the topic that was brought up, but I wanted to understand both sides of the issue that was being brought up. 

  I really don't care what others think, since I am a free thinker. I know who I am.  Maybe they don't, and they need me as a sort of way to identify with themselves, and as a medium to channel their identity.

    Maybe I am just as lost as everyone else in this world. But aren't we all? We're all floating around the universe, trying to find answers that only lead to asking more; our minds change; our perspectives change; people change us; we grow; we mature;  society changes us; we have to conform to point where we have no idea who we were in the first place.

       But  what really irks me is when I hang out with people, and instead of talking with me face to face, all they want to do is go onto instant messenger, facebook chat and converse with friends on different issues, ideas, needs, priorities, etc. I just get really frustrated when this happens, since I feel that I am not important, not worth their time. Plus, I have the rest of my life and can go onto facebook, instant messenger or  youtube any time. When I hang out with people, I want to talk to them, eye to eye, heart to heart. I want to hear people's stories-- what do you want to do? How do you want to change the world? What are you passionate about? What do you think of love? Do you love people?  What do you think of life? 

       I will never know whom you are, unless we talk in person.

     Some of the people that I was hanging out with not long ago were just interested in watching crap on tv, such as reality tv shows. There was this one reality tv show, that my peers were watching called "The Principles Office," which is about kids getting sent to the principle's office, mostly for the most ludacris reasons. And I mean, it wasn't just one or two episodes that they watched. It was more like eight or nine. It was rediculous. They all went out to party afterwords, I went to bed. I just was too sleepy. Everyone seems too fixated on partying. I can't take it. 

    I feel like people these days don't want to get to  one another. Let's get drunk, fuck eachother, and  we still don't know who the hell we are. 

         Plus I am on a tight budget, and I can't waste my money on alcohol. (Seriously, the last time that I had alchohol was in September, and even then I couldn't even finish the  can of beer. I've never really been that much of a big fan of alcohol).

      People seem to hung up on their blackberry phones,  to the point where they might as well be that sort of electronic medium, and no longer exist as a human being.

     But you know what I say? Fuck 'em. I still have a heart and a goodwill for others. I want to live life to the fullest and have to succumb to these fake, artificial materialistic cultures that everyone is subscribing too.