TresSugar

Company Starts Up America's Patriotic Purchasing Power

CitizenSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:00:48 -0700

I was flipping through The Economist this weekend when I read about a start-up company that plans to appeal to patriotism. My American Jobs plans to certify products that are made by American labor and with American materials.

The Federal Trade Commission offers the "Made in America" label for goods that meet its criteria, but My American Jobs will offer fancier labels. Each qualifying product will get a three, four, or five star rating. A complicated standards guideline is available on its website.

The company says: "American economic stability, growth and prosperity rests squarely on the shoulders of American companies, their employees and products." Do you agree? Would you pay more for that guarantee?

People Checks In With Polygamous Ranch Children Year Later

CitizenSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:00:47 -0700

Last April, authorities in Texas seized 439 children from their homes, thanks to suspected sexual abuse on the FLDS polygamous compound where they lived. The children were returned to their homes after the Texas Supreme Court found that the state had illegally seized the children from the FLDS ranch. One year later People magazine has checked back in with the families that captured America's attention.

The parents are still transitioning the children back into life on the compound, after the kids were kept from their families for two months and "exposed" to mysterious modern marvels like baseball, bikes, and TV.

The caretakers dressed them in mainstream clothes such as shorts(!) and introduced the children to a different way of life. One mother said her children "had so many toys thrown at them. Toys tend to teach children to be selfish. We make it real and useful to them. Gloria loves to do the dishes. If you cultivate that, then they're happy."

Will you be picking up this issue of People to learn more about life on the polygamous ranch?

Michael Steele Chats About Choices in GQ

CitizenSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:23:51 -0700

Michael Steele's interview with GQ provides a lot of insight into the man who left the Catholic seminary to become a politician. The new RNC chair has been getting mixed reviews from his fellow Republicans. His somewhat unorthodox stance on abortion, which he shares in this interview, might not go over too well with the GOP faithful. Here are some highlights from the lengthy interview:

On abortion: The choice issue cuts two ways. You can choose life, or you can choose abortion. You know, my mother chose life. So, you know, I think the power of the argument of choice boils down to stating a case for one or the other.
On whether a woman should have a right to choose abortion: Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice.

On why Roe v. Wade was still a bad decision: The states should make that choice. That’s what the choice is. The individual choice rests in the states. Let them decide.

On whether he ever voted for a Democrat: Oh yeah. Absolutely.

To see what Steele had to say about homosexuality, working with Democrats, and how Obama dismissed an invitation from him a few years ago, read more.

On whether homosexuality is a choice: Oh, no. I don’t think I’ve ever really subscribed to that view, that you can turn it on and off like a water tap. Um, you know, I think that there’s a whole lot that goes into the makeup of an individual that, uh, you just can’t simply say, oh, like, “Tomorrow morning I’m gonna stop being gay.” It’s like saying, “Tomorrow morning I’m gonna stop being black.”

On trying to get to know Obama after he became senator His office told my staff they didn’t see any need for the two of us to meet. So I’m like, “Oh-kay. All right. I don’t know what that’s all about, but that’s fine.”

On common ground: Economic recovery - that’s the common ground.

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Firsts! Oprah Shares Her First Cover With First Lady

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:03:50 -0800

For the last nine years Oprah has been a regular face and figure at the grocery store check-out line. The media mogul has been the sole cover girl on O magazine since its inception. But the upcoming April issue is a different story - Oprah is sharing(!) with First Lady Michelle Obama.

In the issue, which hits newsstands March 17, Michelle dishes on her new life in the White House. Here are some highlights:

On her first weekend in the White House: Well, we still had family here, so it was almost like a wedding. A huge, very complicated wedding. The last visitors didn't leave until Sunday. And then the first Monday was kind of weird. You know: Now we live here, and Barack is getting up and going to work, and it's just us. This is our home now.

On who the White House really belongs to: When you go out and come back, especially at night, with all the white lights on - it's just beautiful. We feel privileged, and we feel a responsibility to make it feel like the people's house. We have the good fortune of being able to sleep here, but this house belongs to America.

Will you encourage Oprah to share more by picking up this issue?

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Dad in Chief Obama Writes Open Letter to His Daughters

CitizenSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:00:05 -0800

A letter from Barack Obama to his daughters Malia and Sasha will run in this weekend's issue of Parade. In the letter, the president-elect explains why he took his family on their journey to the White House, and what he wants for his daughters, and every child in America.

Obama writes:

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me - about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. . . . I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for president: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential - schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college - even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

The soon-to-be first father, goes on to touch on tough subjects like race, war, and every citizen's obligation to America. Do you think Obama's love for his daughters will make him a better president?

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Barack Obama Adds Time's Person of the Year to Win Column

LibertySugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:30:39 -0800

The suspense has finally ended. We now know that Time magazine's Person of the Year is, drum roll please, Barack Obama! The President-elect beat out US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, director of the Beijing opening ceremonies Zhang Yimou, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The magazine cites Obama's ability to overcome a lack of experience, a funny name, two candidates who are political institutions, and America's racial divide to become President as evidence that he's the person of the year. If you're worried that the feature holds few surprises, Time does pull through with a playful 1980 photo shoot of college freshman Barack Obama. And in the interview, Obama details his views on the economy, his mandate, and his temperament.

Even if Time made a predictable choice, do you agree that Barack Obama is the person of the 2008?

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Not the Greenest President: Bush's Environmental Sins

LibertySugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0800

Even some conservatives believe that the US President-elect should put the environmental crisis at the top of his presidential to-do list, because addressing that crisis has bipartisan approval. Yet despite an apparent citizen yearning for leadership on green issues, President Bush has neglected the topic during his eight years in the White House.

Salon put together a list of Bush's seven environmental deadly sins. The authors argue that Bush made a mockery of the US's environmental laws and values. Here are the seven pieces of supporting evidence for their indictment:

Blew hot air on global warming: Bush refused to agree to mandatory greenhouse gas emission reductions, thus erasing any credibility the US had to persuade China and India to cut their emissions and also leading to a rise in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
Failed to regulate greenhouse gases at home: Bush vowed to veto any bill that would limit greenhouse gases. He also refused to regulate CO2 as a pollutant, even though the Supreme Court ruled it was a pollutant and said he could regulate it.
Failed to develop clean energy sources: While doing nothing to further renewable energy, Bush gave regulatory support to polluting industries like coal, oil, and gas.
Abandoned endangered species: The only additions to the endangered species list, such as the polar bear, came from private parties who sued the government. The administration also tried to build roads without considering harm to these species.

To see the rest, read more.

Carved up the American West for oil and gas excavation: Bush leased combined public lands bigger than the state of Kentucky for oil and gas onshore drilling, even though already leased lands have not been developed.
Not seeing the forest or the trees: The Bush administration tried to subject forests to "thinning" aka cutting down tress for logging or in order to build roads.
Choked clean-air standards: The Bush administration weakened clean-air standards and is currently working to permit more pollution near national parks and allow power plants to increase emissions without adding pollution controls.

If you check out the entire piece, it offers a mission for Obama for each specific sin. Which problem would you like to see the new president atone first?

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Rumors Fly After Election: Which One Shocks You More?

LibertySugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Now that the election has ended, members of the campaigns aren't quite as tight lipped. It's like getting a retroactive backstage pass when happy, or disgruntled, aides start revealing happenings that didn't make the talking points or headlines. The latest issue of Newsweek takes a look at the secret battles waged on the path to the White House, and the private events are a doozy! Of these leaks featured in the expose, which one surprises you the most?

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Keeping the Faith: Are Abstinence-Only Pledges Unrealistic?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0800

Ever think evangelical teens are most likely to be the next Juno? You might be onto something. While religion may be a good gauge for attitudes towards sex, it is not for sexual behavior.

A national survey talked to 3,400 teens between 13 and 17 and found that evangelicals are the most likely to say they do not believe in sex before marriage, yet they are just as likely to have it - if not more. Seventy-four percent say they do not believe in premarital sex, compared to 50 percent of mainline Protestants and 25 percent of Jewish teens. Second only to black Protestants, they lose their virginity on average shortly after turning 16.

While the effectiveness of abstinence pledges that are so popular among evangelicals has long been contested, I never knew inflation was a problem. A pledge movement often collapses in a school when it becomes too popular. As soon as it loses its magical minority milieu - 30 percent is the tipping point - teens feel less unique and pledges get tossed aside like last year’s yellow.

Minding the gap between sexual beliefs and behavior becomes even harder when looking at the outcome of abstinence pledges. To find out how effective they are, read more.

According to a 2001 estimate, 2.5 million people in the US pledged to abstain from premarital sex, yet more than half of them do it anyway. Pledges do have some impact though. Teens who take them lose their virginity 18 months later than those who do not and have fewer partners on average.

Once religious conviction gets factored in, pledges sounded even more effective. Those who scored high on religiosity - defined by behaviors like going to church and praying at home - are more likely to abstain. But better indicators are the strength of social networks and quality of relationships with parents. Teens who live with both biological parents and feel their families understand them, pay attention to their concerns, and have fun with them are the most likely to delay sex - regardless of how religious or what religion they are.

What do you think about abstinence-only pledges? A good guideline? Or unrealistic and only for the most religious?

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Don't Take No For an Answer: Protecting Against Election Theft

LibertySugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:53 -0700

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Greg Palast wrote in the Huffington Post yesterday, that while Republicans had the media searching for links between Barack Obama and ACORN, RNC operatives were completing one of the most massive voter suppression and purging efforts in US history. RFK, Jr.'s piece asserts that none of ACORN's bad registration signatures will impact the election; but an obstacle course of barriers for November 4 voters, including purging legitimate voters from the list, and creating mayhem and long lines at the polls, has been created on behalf of Republicans.

In its story about what might go wrong on Election Day, Time Magazine offers advice of what you can do to make sure your vote counts. Tips include: contacting your local registrar or going to canivote.org to verify your info; making sure you know your polling location and ID requirements; not taking no for an answer. If you get turned away, request an emergency paper ballot or cast a provisional ballot if you must. You can also call 866-OUR-VOTE if you have an issue.

Here's to hoping both sides play fair on Election Day!

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