TresSugar

Secret Deal to Keep US in Iraq Forever? Why Is the US There?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:00:51 -0700

What do you make of this story? According to the Independent, a secret deal is being negotiated in Baghdad that would extend the US military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the presidential election.

It's being reported that President Bush is asking for 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000 feet, legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors, the right to pursue the "war on terror" in Iraq, and the authority to arrest anybody it wants and to launch military campaigns without consultation. That's quite a list.

Iraqi officials fear the agreement will destabilize Iraq's position in the Middle East and ensure an unending conflict in their country. Though Iraqi ministers have said they will reject any agreement limiting Iraqi sovereignty, political observers in Baghdad think they will relent and sign in the end, only protesting now to establish their credentials as defenders of Iraqi independence by a showing defiance.

Not only impact in Iraq, the secret accord threatens to provoke political tumult in the US. President Bush aims to push it through by the end of next month so he can declare a military victory and claim his 2003 invasion has been vindicated. Any long-term solution in Iraq would undercut pledges by Barack Obama, to withdraw US troops if he is elected president in November, and give a boost to McCain who's pointed to a coming victory in Iraq.

With this news of a possible long-standing presence, I'm actually curious - we've heard lots of reasons for the conflict - why do you think the US is there?

Source

Group Therapy: Looking For A New Job

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I moved to a new area in a few months ago and started a new job. Well, it was a small family business with a total of 5 employees (including the owner) and long story short, it was an absolute nightmare and a very unstable work environment. I quit today because I simply could not take anymore. My question is this-- how do I find a new, better job?

Click here to

Does anyone have interview tips? I'm a wonderful (and very skilled) employee with lots of experience but I always get incredibly nervous during interviews. Also, what questions can I ask the interviewer to help determine whether or not the job is right for me?

Another major issue is that before I moved I'd only been with the company for 3.5 months. I gave more than two week's notice before quitting that company and the only reason I left was because my boyfriend (somewhat unexpectedly) asked me to move in with him (we'd been in a long distance relationship for awhile at that point.) Now I am leaving my current position after only a few months. How can I explain my less than incredibly stable work history as of late? I also know the question of why I left my most recent job will come up and I'm not sure how to explain it without bad-mouthing the business (which is clearly a bad idea!)

Also-- how do you negotiate salary? When they tell me to give salary expectations I'm never sure what to ask for, especially if I'm unsure what the company normally pays. There is a big range in salary here for the positions that I am applying for, anywhere from 8-17 dollars an hour depending on the employer. I have 3 years of experience in my field, and although I don't have a degree I do have 2.5 years of college experience.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much ladies!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: To be involved in more GROUP THERAPY, click here]

First Couple Had to Negotiate Their Roles in Marriage

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Last night, President Obama spoke to NBC about how he and Michelle had a discussion about gender roles and marriage once they had kids. He explained:

"Michelle was trying to figure out, OK, if the kids get sick why is it that she's the one who has to take time off of her job to go pick them up from school, as opposed to me? What I tried to do was to learn to be thoughtful enough and introspective enough that I wasn't always having to be told that things were unfair."

Based on the Obamas's visibly happy marriage, and the new study that suggests splitting housework leads to a better sex life, it seems that sharing responsibilities for the family and house can only be a win-win for spouses. Still, the president admits that because she's a woman, Michelle still had to make sacrifices he didn't have to. Have you ever spoken to your partner about expectations based on gender roles?

To see video of the president talking about his relationship with Michelle, read more.

The How-To Lounge: Negotiating Your Family and Your Significant Other

DearSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:00:00 -0800

It seems like there are at least a few of you out there who feel caught between your family and your boyfriend. There's nothing more difficult than trying to negotiate the tricky terrain between the people that you love who dislike one another. Often times it seems impossible to satisfy both sides of the equation, leaving you feeling like you have to choose between the two. Truth be told, this is always going to be a hard situation to deal with, but there are ways to ease some of your stress and anxiety. To get some tips, read more.

For better or worse, your parents will always be your family. Thus, trying to keep your boyfriend separate from them will likely cause just as much angst as letting any awkward encounters take place. So I say, embrace the uncomfortable. Let them be around each other. Often just time and familiarity can truly change opinions.
Give your parents the benefit of the doubt; listen to what their complaints are without getting defensive. Once they've stated their case, give yours. Calmly enlighten them in the areas that they might be completely wrong, but acknowledge their concerns.
Go ahead and put it all out there. Explain how the situation is hurting you. Let them know that you will always want to make them happy, but you have no intention of breaking up with your boyfriend. See if they won't give him another try. But make sure your boyfriend is willing to start over, too.
As for your boyfriend, is it possible he's giving off the wrong impression? See if there aren't some things you both can do to reveal a more accurate portrayal of him and your relationship to your parents. Come up with ways he can connect more personally with your parents through hobbies or common interests.

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Madeleine Albright Had Her Diplomatic Message Pinned Down

TresSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0700

As secretary of state, Madeleine Albright could use carrots and sticks to further the US foreign policy agenda. But as the first woman to serve as top diplomat, Albright also used broaches to get what she wanted! In her new book, Read My Pins, Albright explains how her jewelry box turned out to be one of her greatest arsenals.

Albright discovered the power of the pin back when she was the US ambassador to the UN. After the Iraqi government called her an "unparalleled serpent," Albright decided to make a fashion diplomatic statement by wearing a snake pin the next time she met Iraqi officials.

In the description for her book, we get a taste of how broaches went on to become Albright's signature as secretary of state.

International leaders were pleased to see her with a shimmering sun on her jacket or a cheerful ladybug; less so with a crab or a menacing wasp. Albright used pins to emphasize the importance of a negotiation, signify high hopes, protest the absence of progress, and show pride in representing America, among other purposes.

NYC's Museum of Arts and Design is also showcasing more than 200 of her pins and the stories behind them. Are you impressed that Madeleine Albright used jewelry as a diplomatic weapon?

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Tufts to Dorm Dwellers: Get a Room!

TresSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:00 -0700

Tufts University has just instituted a policy you'd think wouldn't need to be an official rule: don't have sex in your dorm room while your roommate's present, and don't "sexile" (sex + exile) your roommate, say at 3 a.m., because you want to get it on with your college sweetheart (or random hookup). So basically, if you're dwelling in a dorm, either have enough money to get a hotel room, find a comfy broom closet if passion strikes, or go without.

The Tufts policy arose because students were complaining that their horny roommates were intruding on their privacy and interfering with their studies by either having sex while they were present (ewww!) or asking them to leave for a few minutes. I am so glad I never stayed in a dorm - I just moved in with the boyfriend when I was in college! Problem solved.

How was dorm sex negotiated when you were in college?

Mad Men: Do One-Night Stands Make You Feel Worse?

TresSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:05:00 -0700

Peggy! So good at your job, so bad at choosing men. Back in the first season of Mad Men, she skittishly flirts with Don, her boss, on her first day because she's told he needs to like his secretaries to keep them. That fails, and she sleeps with smarmy Pete Campbell, who just happens to be getting married that weekend.

Then last night, she has a "go-round" with - spoiler! - middle-age Duck. BuzzSugar touches on the pure ickiness of this in their 5 Maddest Moments, but I have something to add. I know she's young and negotiating the power of her sexuality, but she sleeps with almost anyone who is willing.

It felt OK when she went home with that college boy earlier this season, because she was clearly in control and having fun. She even said no to sex because he didn't have a condom. Last night, though, it didn't feel like fun anymore. The look on her face the next morning progresses from $%*! to uneasiness and, finally, regret. But who knows, because they do it again! Duck "loves mornings."

Let's hope this tryst doesn't bring any ducklings.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Dick Morris: Clinton's Deed Comes at Too High a Cost

TresSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:30:57 -0700

Now that Bill Clinton has helped bring journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling home safely from North Korea, prominent politicos are speaking out against the way the release was handled. Appearing on Fox News today, former Clinton adviser Dick Morris argued that negotiating with North Korea gives the rogue state "an opportunity to rehabilitate its image globally simply to get two reporters out of jail."

Former UN ambassador John Bolton makes a similar argument that the trip is a "propaganda victory for North Korea," claiming that involving dignitaries like Clinton could create more danger to Americans in the future.

So what should we do with the journalists, just leave them there? Pretty much, says Morris: "What were they doing in North Korea in the first place?" Well, here's what I think.

North Korea Pardons Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee

TresSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:37:37 -0700

North Korea has pardoned American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who might return to the US with former president Bill Clinton tonight. Clinton arrived in North Korea earlier today to negotiate the release of the American journalists. He met with the country's communist leader Kim Jong Il.

The journalists, who were reporting along the Chinese-North Korean border, had been convicted of crimes against the nation and sentenced to 12 years hard labor. North Korea had made two demands if they were to be released - First, an apology, which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a few weeks ago. And second, a visit from a high-profile emissary, which Mr. Clinton fulfilled today. So, if you ever get stuck in a North Korean jail, you can hope that the Clintons will bail you out. I'm sure the families of Ling and Lee are very happy to hear this news.

Front Page: Bill Clinton in North Korea For Reporters' Release

TresSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:58 -0700

Bill Clinton has arrived in North Korea to negotiate the release of American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. He reportedly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il today. - Huffington Post
The number of Americans on antidepressants has doubled over the last decade to a total of 27 million. - USA Today
President Obama turns 48 today. - NPR
Goldman Sachs's CEO has told employees not to show off and avoid making big purchases. - NY Post
The Obama administration has continued to pursue an aggressive strategy against illegal immigration. - NY Times

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