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Celebrating Spring....

March 20th 2010 05:21

At the Dawn of Spring, I wanted to share this beautiful YouTube Video I received from my oldest Friend, Sal. It was so beautiful that I had to share with the ever-growing Orble Community and remind all of the beauty of life and the possiblities of life. Happy Spring!!!

"Outsiders" will return on March 23!!!

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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Some Brief Personal Reflections

March 19th 2010 22:47

I have been reflecting upon my work here and in KP's sister sites, Outsider Views and Smooth Political. I have a lot to be thankful for and wrote about it earlier. As I work to hopefully take this project to the next level, I took some time as we approach Spring. Springtime is a time to reflect and strive to renew. As I shared Mother Teresa's Prayer earlier in KP sister sites, Outsider Views & Smooth Political, I wanted to share the original version of it here for all to reflect upon as we continue to assess our World and our Role in it:

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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Healthcare Reform In Sight?!??!?

March 17th 2010 05:31

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It appears likely that the fight for Healthcare reform will be over soon. The attacks by the right as depicted in this clip is proof that the right is profoundly concerned. The attacks that conservative luminaries laid out today was frankly sickening. It is these attacks that proves to me that it will pass.

The President hit the road to make his point. Putting real people behind the suffering has been the right thing to do. It is heartbreaking to hear this 11 year old having lost his mother. What also gives me hope is that Dennis Kuccinch, the left-wing gadfly in the Congress, will come out in favor of healthcare. I am with all pundits in that it is not perfect. But it is a start.

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, war

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The Week-End Killings in Mexico

March 16th 2010 04:07

As America continued to execute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I continued to remind the the world and the US Adminstration about the soft underbelly that was Mexico. Mexico launched a drug war after Caledron took office. That war has claimed thousands of lives. The reports I reviewed just today noted that 42 people in the resort City of Acapulco were murdered just over the week-end. I have had the good fortune to visit Acapulco twice and it is just a tragedy to see this carnage going on as it is.

Although I am certain that the U.S. Government has been aware of the problem, this came to a head when the drug thugs struck again in Ciudad Juarez. For those who may not know, Ciudad Juarez borders El Paso. It is the murder capital of Mexico. The thugs killed two US Cousulate employees in their car in broad daylight with their one year old child in the back seat. They then killed the husband of a Mexican Employee of the Consulate

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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KP Week-End (3/13/2010): Another Intifida in Palestine?

March 13th 2010 22:27

The True State of the Peace Talks (Source: http://www.economist.com)

Israel has had quite a week. As I write this, Israel has shut down the West Bank and Jerusuleam. There is a massive Security Crackdown which I have been assessing throughout the day. I have to wonder what Israel is thinking by adding fuel to the underlying fire. There was the diplomatic fiasco of the additional homes while Joe Biden was in Isreal which I reported on in KP's sister site, Smooth Political. The Economist' KAL captured this in such a way that leaves me simply speechless. Now, there is Jerusleam

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, war

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KP Newsflash (3/13/2010): California Elections (An Update)

March 13th 2010 07:08

Gavin Newsom is the Mayor of San Francisco. He was one of the first candidates to run for Governor. For whatever reason, he could not get things off the ground. But, some of the innovative things he has done in San Francisco is worth notng. There is no question that a touch of humanity has been brought into Government. Now, he has decided to run for Lt. Governor.

I have been amused by how the San Francisco Standard has been decried by the Radical Right in the United States as to what not to do. What is wrong with having Universal Healthcare? What is wrong with having a livable City that is free of crime? What is wrong with schools that are world class? What is also wrong wtih a City that has extended a helping hand to busineses and is seeing the results. I see nothing wrong with what he's done in San Francisco. Some decry it as "big government". I call it "Smart Government". Government is the partner, not the enemy. For those who do see something wrong with what Gavin has done, I really like to see what their argument is. If they have a way to debunk his achievement, I'm all ears

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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Public Education's Death March

March 12th 2010 09:25

Public Education in the United States seems to be on a Death March that is worrisome. The most extreme of it is what is going on in the Kansas City School System. Over half the schools will be shut down as part of a "Right Sizing Plan" proposed by the city's School Board. This is a very unfortunate development that underscores the immense challenge being faced by all States in how to fund their public schools.

I have written extensively about it. I was moved enough to even generate a "Smart Schools" proposal to the New America Foundation to see how schools can be truly transformed. With what teachers in my local school district I see every day, I think there is indeed possiblities to transform. But, if there is a move to destroy in the name of reform, there may well not be a public school sector left. There is enough opposition to this wonderful experiment and the apparent policy objectives of the Obama Adminstration is fueling that fire. Investment in education will insure a better future. I have to wonder whether the systematic dimantling of public education by pushing charter schools and vouchers will be the answer to supposed mediocore performance by schools.

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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Rachel Corrie's Plight & The Fight 4 Justice

March 12th 2010 06:43

Rachel Corrie was a young college student who decided to go to Gaza to fight for Palestinian rights. She stood in front of a house in Gaza to prevent it from being razed. She was crushed by an Israeli Army Bulldozer. After 7 years, the family has finally been able to bring a case against the Government of Israel. The family talked about it with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now:

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, law, war

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Iceland's Modern Media Initiatve (A Brief Update)

March 10th 2010 06:45

I wanted to provide an update on Iceland's Modern Media Initiatve. It is very, very exciting to see one country provide an infrastucture to truly resurrect a dying profession that has been on the attack from infotainment advocates for the longest time. This overview is quite amazing:

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, law

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Iceland's Modern Media Initiative

March 9th 2010 07:51

Iceland is a country in crisis. It is trying to figure out how to pay back billions to the UK and Netherlands as its own banking system collapsed. Yet, it is also trying to figure out a way to create a haven for journalists. This provides a shield law so that they can hopefully live to be true journalists. If they are able to pull this off is another matter.

What is clear is that Journalism is changing. I have struggled with trying to undestand it as I have talked about our World and tried to fashion some centrist realistic response to it. The 4th Estate has to truly live up to be the conscious of the World. It has failed miserably. How it redeems itself is going to be challenging to say the least. Iceland is at least trying to do the right thing for the sake of us all.

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Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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