TresSugar

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize: Deserved or Premature?

TresSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

This morning, a humbled President Obama said he did not expect to wake up to the news that he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Maintaining that he did not feel that he deserved to be in the company of the transformative figures previously honored by the prize, Obama said he would accept it as "a call to action, a call for nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."

The Nobel committee cited Obama's rare ability to have "captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future." The committee also strongly criticized Obama's predecessor, revealing that the award may have been a rebuke of President Bush.

But some aren't so convinced that Obama was deserving. RNC Chairman Michael Steele offered his opinion: "It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights."

Front Page: Barack Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

TresSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:50:21 -0700

In an unexpected move, President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, thanks to his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." - BBC News
David Letterman apparently invited one of his mistresses on a family vacation with his wife and son. - New York Post
Jim and Pam got married last night on The Office. - BuzzSugar
Looking for hidden ice, NASA bombed the moon twice earlier today. - Huffington Post
A virus that causes chronic fatigue has been identified. - New York Times

Front Page: Global Markets Rally, Krugman Wins Nobel for Economics, Afghanistan Commander is Hopeful

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:56:07 -0700

Global Markets Rally:
Banking stocks in Asia and Europe jumped this morning after European leaders announced plans to inject capital into banks and guarantee interbank lending. Rising between 5 and 10 percent, the rallying world markets are hoped to have a positive impact on the US market which opened moments ago, up, but with the Dow still in the 8,000s.

Krugman Wins Nobel for Economics:
US Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has won this year's Nobel Prize for Economics. He won for his analysis of trade patterns and new theories that answer questions on free trade and globalization. Krugman says he hopes the $1.4 million prize won't change his life: "I hope it does not lead me into going to a lot of purely celebratory events."
Afghanistan Commander is Hopeful:
The top American commander in Afghanistan said yesterday he wants doubters to believe that the war against the Taliban can be won. Gen. McKiernan leads over 65,000 troops and said at a conference in Kabul that there have been "too many" reports about losing the war in Afghanistan. He says, “I absolutely reject that idea, I don’t believe it. It is true that there are many places in this country that don’t have an adequate level of security. We don’t have progress as even and as fast as any of us would like. But we are not losing in Afghanistan.”

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Front Page: Nobel Peace Prize Awarded, Dow Falls Below 8,000 at Opening, NATO to Attack Opium Labs

CitizenSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:54:05 -0700

Nobel Peace Prize Awarded:
The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded this morning to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. Chosen from a group of 197 people for his decades of cautious diplomatic work, the Nobel committee says he was picked, “for his important efforts in several continents and over three decades to resolve international conflicts," specifically his work to end South African domination in Namibia.

Dow Falls Below 8,000 at Opening:
Moments after the opening bell this morning, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below 8,000 amid news that the global markets are in a selloff. European markets fell more than 10 percent at opening and shares in Asia continued to decline amid fears of a huge global recession. One expert says, “We are fighting really dire fundamentals. It will require restoring trust and confidence before a sustained rebound will be possible.” Perhaps addressing that confidence, President Bush is set to give an address at 10:25 a.m. ET.

NATO to Attack Opium Labs:
NATO has just agreed to allow its troops to attack opium factories in Afghanistan for the first time. According to a NATO spokesman the troops will be acting "against facilities and facilitators" to stop those using the drugs to finance the Taliban. Some NATO members have expressed concern that the crackdown will cause a backlash against the troops. Afghanistan supplies more than 90 percent of the world's opium.

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Front Page: Unemployment Might Create a Lost Generation

TresSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:22 -0700

The job crisis is hitting young people just out of college especially hard, which could have a long-term negative impact on an entire generation. - Business Week
American Elinor Ostrom has become the first woman to win the Nobel prize for economics. - BBC News
Iraq's National Theater has opened again for the first time in six years, as nightlife begins to return to Baghdad. - Telegraph
Hillary Clinton says President Obama's attitude toward America's role in the world won him the Nobel Peace Prize. - AP
Couples Retreat starring Vince Vaughn had a big opening weekend to come in first place at the box office. - BuzzSugar

Say What? RNC Has a Kanye Moment

TresSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0700

"Michael Steele had a Kanye West moment coming out there and saying Beyonce should have gotten the award. He shouldn't have done that."

- Conservative pundit Pat Buchanan said yesterday that RNC chair Michael Steele had a Kanye West moment when he came out early against President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. Steele said that the prize should have gone to those people who have made "real achievements working towards peace and human rights."

To see the video of Pat, which includes hilarious pronunciations of "Kanye" and "Beyonce," read more.

Not Evil Just Wrong - New Film to Take on Al Gore

LibertySugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:30:42 -0800

The new documentary Not Evil Just Wrong challenges so-called "global warming hysteria." The Irish filmmakers behind the project believe the effort to save the planet only hurts the poor, and they hope the film will discredit "alarmists" like Al Gore.

The film presents some alleged inconvenient truths that counter Al Gore. In the trailer, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is presented as a dark fearmongerer demanding that people drastically change the way they live, or that factories close and take away millions of jobs. Those in the documentary emotionally explain that such efforts destroy industry and ultimately cost people's lives.

Do you think this documentary could change your view of global warming?

Briefing Book! McCain Advisers Split on Rev. Wright Attacks

LibertySugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:30:42 -0700

Race: Should he go there? McCain advisers divided over Wright attack, because it could come off as desperate or racist. -Politico
Economy: Again with the trickle down!?! Critique of John McCain's economic plan. - Huffington Post
Food: Do you care about Michelin stars? Europe's best-known guide announces its 2009 starred restaurants in New York and San Francisco. - YumSugar
Congress: Why should the GOP keep the Democrats under 60 in Senate? There will be no compromises. - Redstate
Conservatives: Columnist tries to one-up her colleague by aiming for Nobel Peace Prize for ending the war among conservatives. – NY Times
China: Got what he was asking for? Drunk Chinese student picks fight with drunk police officers, beaten to death. - Shanghaiist

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Majority of Students Drop Out of One LA High School

LibertySugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:15:47 -0700

LA's Jefferson Senior High School, which boasts Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ralph Bunche as an alum, also has the nation's second highest drop-out rate. Six in 10 students at Jefferson drop out. A perfect storm of factors unfriendly to education makes Jefferson a problem school.

Many of students come from transient families who have just immigrated from Mexico or Central America. Over 90 percent qualify for the school lunch program, and 45 percent are still learning English. Tons of students do not live with their parents and work to support themselves.

American inner-city schools in general get a failing grade, too - 50 percent of students at inner-city schools nation-wide do not get their diplomas. To find out how the LA school district tries to address the bleak situation, read more.

The LA school district launched a pricey marketing campaign last year to convince youth that school is cool. The school district stressed the message that high school graduates can earn $175 more per week than dropouts using commercials on hip-hop radio stations, text messages, a MySpace website, and YouTube videos. Taking a less hip approach, Jefferson also puts its ninth-graders through a week of conflict resolution and peer mediation training. Do you have any other ideas to offer this troubled school?

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Al Gore Is the New Spring!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:00:18 -0700

The next time some dumb bunny chirps, "Spring has sprung!" at you, feel free to tell her this: Al Gore is the new Spring. How? He's everywhere, warm verging on hot, and everybody likes him. He's also launching a huge new bi-partisan ad campaign shedding light on global warming.

How huge? $300 million huge. He's using the proceeds from the book and movie An Inconvenient Truth and his Nobel Peace Prize loot to finance the snazzy campaign from the same folks who do the Geico ads.

The spots are part of the plan called WeCanSolveIt.org and feature odd couples, like Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson, coming together to help the planet. If Al Gore and climate change can bring those two together maybe we should have tried this a long time ago.

The campaign starts tomorrow, but it's already heating up backlash from the blogosphere.

It's also the perfect kick-off for our "Daily Planet" month here at Citizen (thanks Al!) Check back for stories (inconvenient or otherwise) about this pile of rocks we call home.

To take a peek at Al's first ad, read more.

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