Forgotten Errands: Put Policy Before Politics to Reform American Immigration

All we want is freedom, by xomiele

Forgotten Errands: Put Policy Before Politics to Reform American Immigration

"Several months ago, I wrote an article discussing theoretical frameworks for immigration policy, discussing global utilitarianism and international labour markets in the context of globalisation and human rights. I attempted to avoid contentious applications of these theories in an effort to hold the attention of more conservative readers, and allow open-ended questions to marinate in the mind with a bit more ease. Even so, I managed to elicit a response from a commenter who suggested I was some sort of demonic profit of the ‘Dark Enlightenment’, and linked me to a blog post which identified minorities and women as fundamentally sub-human. So it goes."

Continue Reading on St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review.

A “Strong Intervention”: How Personalized Music Helped Lemon Grove Cut Antipsychotic Use in Half

Lemon Harvest, by xomiele

A “Strong Intervention”: How Personalized Music Helped Lemon Grove Cut Antipsychotic Use in Half

"Whenever Judy Ely sits down with a new resident at the Lemon Grove Care Center to learn about his or her favorite foods, she also asks about a different sort of preference: What kind of music do you love? Director of Dietary Services for the San Diego long-term-care and rehabilitation complex, Ely is the driving force behind the 152-resident facility’s Music & Memory iPod program. “I speak to our residents every day,” says Ely. “I know how much it would mean to me, to be able to hear my personal music favorites if I lived here. The iPod program is part of our company’s ongoing efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of our residents.” 

Continue reading on Music and Memory

Fondi avvoltoi vs Argentina, si decide tutto a New York

No Al Pago de la Deuda Externa by xomiele

Fondi avvoltoi vs Argentina, si decide tutto a New York

"Il Financial Times lo ha definito in maniera molto enfatica “il processo del secolo”. Senza dubbio quella che è in corso in queste ore presso la Corte Federale di New York, e che vede contrapposti due cosiddetti fondi avvoltoi e lo Stato argentino, è una causa che potrebbe avere profonde ripercussioni a livello internazionale, fissando un precedente di assoluto rilievo nei casi di ristrutturazione del debito da parte di un Paese in difficoltà."

Continue Reading on ReCommon

Does the Public Really Oppose Gun Restrictions?

"Guns", by xomiele

Does the Public Really Oppose Gun Restrictions?

"In the wake of the horrific massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, there is a sense that this time there could be some concrete policy changes when it comes to guns. One issue that comes up in much of the coverage is the notion that the public's view on gun control has shifted towards the "pro-gun" side in recent years. It's important to look at that assumption."

Continue Reading on Fair.org

Mr. President, Tear Down This Wall

No Bombs by xomiele, on Flickr

Mr. President, Tear Down This Wall

"This piece originally appeared at TomDispatch. Read Nick Turse’s introduction here.

Let’s start with the obvious but important: on entering the Oval Office in January 2009, President Obama inherited a seemingly impregnable three-decade-long “Wall of Mistrust” in Iran-U.S. relations. To his credit, that March he directly addressed all Iranians in a message for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, calling for an “engagement that is honed and grounded in mutual respect.” He even quoted the thirteenth century Persian poet Sa’adi: “The children of Adam are limbs of one body, which God created from one essence.”

Continue Reading on Truthdig.

Gästinlägg: Sänka arbetstiden istället för att höja lönen?

Commute Work, Commute, Sleep... Photo by xomiele

Gästinlägg: Sänka arbetstiden istället för att höja lönen?

"Dagens gästinlägg kommer från Oskar som regelbundet medverkar här på Köpstoppsbloggen.

När jag gick ut skolan och började jobba för drygt 10 år sedan var min ingångslön knappt 20 tusen kronor, vilket gjorde att jag fick ut ca 13 000. På detta hade jag en bra bil, en liten lägenhet och i övrigt levde jag ett bekvämt liv. Nu drygt 10 år senare har min lön gått upp en del, samtidigt har livet förändrats, jag är nu gift och har två barn. Min fru har också ett heltidsarbete och tillsammans drar vi in hyfsat med pengar men har ganska lite tid. Samtidigt känner jag att heltidsnormen i samhället är stark och att ett deltidsarbete inte riktigt är ett alternativ då det innebär två saker, nämligen:"

Continue Reading on Köpstoppsbloggen

Distilling Diesel from Sugar; Tokelau Islands Go Fully Solar

Gas Pump Pesos by xomiele, on Flickr

Distilling Diesel from Sugar; Tokelau Islands Go Fully Solar

"Discovered: Brewing renewable fuels from simple sugar; New Zealand-administered islands powered only by the sun; engineers study butterfly textures; sardines dying off in the Caribbean. Sweet, sweet renewable gas. 

Israel's first president Chaim Weizman also happened to be a chemist, and he invented a fermentation process nearly 100 years ago to turn starch into explosives. His method hasn't been in use much, until now, with UC Berkeley scientists reviving the process to turn simple sugars into diesel fuel. "

Continue Reading on The Atlantic Wire

D’Obama à Sarkozy, l’inconstance des médias français ?

Barack Obama 5 by xomiele, on Flickr

D’Obama à Sarkozy, l’inconstance des médias français ?

"Hier soir, se tenait le premier débat télévisé entre les deux candidats à la présidence américaine, Barack Obama et Mitt Romney. L’occasion de revenir sur le phénomène de la Obama-mania qui pétrifie toujours d’extase les salles de rédaction françaises. Pourquoi une telle côte de popularité pour un homme politique étranger ?"

Continue Reading on Inactuels

Niña de 13 años huye de casa y, en auto de hermano, viaja 700 millas para encontrar novio de internet (él tiene 12)

Route 66 by xomiele, on Flickr

Niña de 13 años huye de casa y, en auto de hermano, viaja 700 millas para encontrar novio de internet (él tiene 12)

"Para los padres de adolescentes con acceso libre a internet, esta nota les debe dar de qué pensar.

Una chiquilla de 13 años de edad tomó el auto de su hermano y se fue a buscar a un muchacho que había conocido por internet mientras jugaba Xbox.

Informa Houston Chronicle que la menor había tenido una disputa con sus padres y decidió irse durante la noche, saliéndose por la ventana."

Continue Reading on El Molino

Immigration and LGBT activists attacked at Romney/Ryan event

DREAM Act Protester. Photo by xomiele.

Immigration and LGBT activists attacked at Romney/Ryan event

"When protesters from immigration and LGBT rights groups spoke up at a rally for the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan presidential campaign Friday, video showed them quickly getting shouted down and shoved away from the event by Romney supporters.

The demonstration, organized by the DRM Capitol Group, Presente.org and the Get Equal campaign, attacked Romney’s opposition to both the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented immigrants a way to earn permanent citizenship through either good academic performance or joining the U.S. military, and same sex marriage."

Continue Reading on The Raw Story

Palin Set Free From Cage: RNC Cancels Day 1

Sara Palin from the Vice Presidential Debates. Photo by Xomiele

Palin Set Free From Cage: RNC Cancels Day 1

"TAMPA – The first day of the Republican National Convention was canceled earlier today much to the dismay of it’s supporters.

“It has come to our attention that party mascot Sarah Palin has been set free from her holding cell and is roaming freely around Tampa,” a spokesman for the RNC said Monday."

Continue Reading on The Washington Fancy

Why Do Murderers Use Three Names?

Police Line. Do Not Cross. Photograph by xomiele.

Why Do Murderers Use Three Names?

"I found this article today from Slate.com and found it very interesting. The question they posed – Why do so many murderers use all three of their names? I always thought it was the media that referred to these criminals in this way as a means to prevent mistaken identity. While that is partly true, it’s interesting to me that many “famous” murderers used all three of their names to refer to themselves before they ever committed a crime."

Continue Reading on 96X

Application for Deferred Action for DREAM-Eligible Immigrants Will Cost $465

DREAM Act by xomiele, on Flickr

Application for Deferred Action for DREAM-Eligible Immigrants Will Cost $465

"Despite all the fanfare over the Obama Administration’s announcement of deferred action status for DREAM-eligible youth, it hasn’t actually begun. Eligible applicants must fill out a form to get the deferred action status for themselves, and that process will commence on August 15. And US Citizenship and Immigration Servicesannounced yesterday that the immigrants will have to pay the US government $465 for the privilege."

Continue reading on Big Education Ape or FDL News Desk