(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/paycheck-fairness-act-senate-vote_n_1571413.html)
". . . Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a bill that would have ensured women are paid the same amount as their male counterparts.
The Senate failed to secure the 60 votes needed to advance the
Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have required employers to
demonstrate that any salary differences between men and women doing the
same work are not gender-related. The bill also would have prohibited
employers from retaliating against employees who share salary
information with their co-workers, and would have required the Labor
Department to increase its outreach to employers to help eliminate pay
disparities.
The final vote was 52-47, with all Republicans opposing the bill.
That included female Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Susan Collins (Maine),
Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Olympia Snowe
(Maine).
President Barack Obama called it "incredibly disappointing" that Republicans would block a bill relating to equal pay for women. . . "
Note: Guess Ayotte, Collins, Hutchinson, Murkowski and Snowe have no problem being second-class citizens at the mercy of a 'Man's World'. Opponents say this is a political move designed to court the womens' vote. I say GOOD. Who was it that said, "Women are people too."?
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I've always thought that ego and self-confidence were pretty much the same thing. And as in all other things, moderation must be practiced in implementing either.
My music gives me pause in this regard quite frequently. Truth is, my self-confidence increases daily and reassures me that I am doing what I am supposed to with regard to the music.
In fact, I envy young, creative people (musicians in particular) who have a self-confidence that I could never have dreamed of at their age. That self-confidence is the fuel that will help the truly talented (and even the marginally-talented who possess it) achieve success.
In my case, I have finally developed a sufficient amount of self-confidence after years of honing my skills. So one complements the other; the skills combined with the confidence enable me to perform. In the case of the younger ones mentioned above, their inverse amounts of self-confidence and skills will help them persevere, while those skills they need are developed.
The difference between us is, had I possessed quantities of both of these qualities earlier, I would have had more time to develop my market.
But still I am conscious of allowing the confidence to become too great, in which case the delicate balance would surely be ruined.
Shareholders of Air France-KLM and Safran voted against big pay-offs for chief executives at the part French state-owned groups as public resistance to lucrative executive pay grows on a continent traumatised by financial turmoil, reported Reuters.
Four-fifths of Air France-KLM shareholders opposed about US$500,000 paid to ex-CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, who also received $1.39 million when he was ousted in October following the airline's poor performance. The stock lost 71 percent last year.
Just over half of shareholders in aerospace group Safran voted against awarding chairman and chief executive Jean-Paul Herteman two years of pay and an extra pension when he steps down. He was paid $1.77 million last year.
The moves, encouraged by the government, are the latest in a series of revolts over pay at annual general meetings as part of the so-called "shareholder spring", which has seen the chief executive of British insurance group Aviva lose his job.
Governments in France and the UK are among those who have promised to get tough on top executive pay as voters grow weary of bank bailouts and the impact of government austerity measures on spending power as the euro zone debt crisis drags on.
France's new Socialist government has said it will flesh out plans to cap the pay of top executives at state-controlled companies by mid-June. President Francois Hollande pledged in his election campaign to limit senior executives' salaries to a maximum of 20 times that of their lowest-paid employee.
In Britain, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron has promised legislation this year to tackle high executive pay and leaned on bosses to give up bonuses at banks that were partly nationalised in bailouts after the 2008 financial crisis.
Pierre Moscovici, France's new finance minister under Hollande, earlier welcomed the Safran shareholder vote while calling for similar action at Air France-KLM. The state owns 30 percent of Safran and 15.9 percent of Air France-KLM.
"The government is thus again giving a strong signal of its will for change on the question of remuneration," Moscovici said in a statement.
Ex-Air France-KLM CEO Gourgeon was given the additional $500,000 in return for not working for a competitor for three years. He received an annual salary of close to a $1 billion plus a bonus of $324,731.
Current Air France-KLM CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta told shareholders that Gourgeon had the legal right to keep the money, adding that it was justified because Gourgeon had been approached by several competitors, notably Gulf carriers.
In an interview with France Inter radio earlier on Thursday, however, Moscovici called on Gourgeon to reimburse the payment."Indeed, morally Pierre-Henri Gourgeon should himself pay it back," Moscovici told France Inter. "The bonus has already been paid, but we are saying very clearly that this is not the right thing to do."
Hollande said before his election that several measures were needed to restore fairness in France, a dig at predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, whose policies Hollande alleged favoured the rich.
The measures included a top income tax rate of 75 percent on income above $1.23 million, in addition to the senior executive pay cap.
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I know I’m basically not much different from anybody else; not terribly special; not too good but not too bad either. But even as I look around and feel as though I look like and act like everybody around me, I still feel like I'm different. Something’s wrong. Something is unusual and I just can’t seem to put a finger on it.
I've felt this way for most of my life. During adolescence I thought I didn't belong; that I was something of an outcast. I had friends. But I didn't belong to, or at least I felt like I didn't belong to the 'group' at least the 'group' to which I wanted to belong.
I learned at the end of high school that being an outsider wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I slowly began to realize that I didn't need to belong to anything. I certainly did not need to belong to anything to which I didn't want to belong or to anything where the members did not want me to belong.
And now it's not so much a matter of belonging to anything, it's more a matter of my perceptions, observations, analyses and choices. Now I like being different.
I well know the importance of a healthy economy. I know its importance to me personally, to my family and to the future of the country. But it seems to me that the (it's not THE LIBERAL, its just THE) press, not to mention numerous and sundry consultants, economists, pundits and 'forecasters' (which may very well be redundant), are exploiting the details of our current crises and consequently, stirring up some sh. . . . . . let us say anxiety.
Case in point (from MSNBC). . .
"The Labor Department reported Friday that the unemployment rate edged up to 8.2 percent, its first increase in 11 months, as American employers fretted over Europe, higher pump prices and the persistent problems in the housing market. . . " It's first increase in 11 months!!! The first ANYTHING doth not constitute a TREND. And there's the "F" word (no not that one), I mean "fretted". Who would know better about "fret" that these guys/girls who cultivate it like Jimmy Carter does peanuts.
". . . Non-farm payrolls rose by 69,000, the lowest increase in a year and well below the 150,000 jobs that economists had expected. . . " Economists EXPECTED. So what? Until they tell my why, how and everything else about why they expected that, why should I fret about what they say?
". . . "It's an awful number. Not only is it awful in its numerical terms, it comes at a very skittish time in the markets because of the European crisis," said Rick Meckler, president of Libertyview Capital Management. . . A number like this brings concern about a global slowdown. The time has probably come to for some new government action in the U.S., Europe and China," . . . " YEAH! Prolly IS, Rick. (Who the hell is THIS GUY? C'mon press. What makes Libertyview special?) Of course Rick is upset!!! And furthermore, ". . . the time has PROBABLY come to(sic) for some NEW GOVERNMENT action in the U.S. . . "???? I do believe Rick may be a Socialist. (Strange line of business for a Socialist.)
". . . The news came after a government report Thursday that showed the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.9 percent annualized rate in the first quarter, below the initial estimate of 2.2 percent and much slower than the 3.0 percent pace clocked in the fourth quarter. . . " 1.9%; 2.2%; 3%??? A fraction of a percent here and a fraction of a percent there and pretty soon we're talking 3.1%!!!!
". . . "Today's weak jobs report is devastating news for American workers and American families," Romney said in a statement shortly after the data was released. . . " Exactly what I expected Romney would say. What else is new?
". . . The Obama administration said that while the jobs data was unacceptable, Congress needed to act to help the economy. "Congress has to take some action because while we see the unemployment rate where it is, it's not acceptable," Solis told CNBC. . . " (Hilda Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor) Well put Hilda. What does Congress do anyway?
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“Whew!! Mmm, mmm,” I faintly heard from the curb as the car, which came from behind the utility truck in the right lane across the intersection at about forty miles-per-hour, zoomed by me not three feet ahead. “Not a very good case. Outside the crosswalk AND against the light. Not much I can do with this one! Ah, now it’s green. Of course I’m still OUTside the walk but you’re inside. Too many lawyers in Baltimore!”
I said nothing. In spite of coming within twenty-eight inches of my life, all I could do was laugh.
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(from the Associated Press)
Rescue and recovery workers who helped in the aftermath of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks are planning to gather at the 9/11 memorial this
month to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the official end of the
cleanup at ground zero.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the May 30 evening event on Tuesday, and warned spots are limited.
Bloomberg
is the chairman of the 9/11 memorial. He said in a statement the event
will honor the sacrifices made by first responders and recovery workers
whose efforts "were nothing short of heroic."
The event gives
officials the chance to focus on the workers who toiled in the days
after the attacks. Some first responders objected when only the family
members of 9/11 victims were allowed to attend anniversary observances
on Sept. 11, 2011.
----------------------------------------------------
(from http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041221155307646) Top 10 (of the Top 40) Reasons to doubt the official story
1) AWOL Chain of Command - a. It is well documented that the officials topping the chain of command
for response to a domestic attack - George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld,
Richard Myers, Montague Winfield - all found reason to do something
else during the actual attacks, other than assuming their duties as
decision-makers.
b. Who was actually in charge? Dick Cheney, Richard Clarke, Norman
Mineta and the 9/11 Commission directly conflict in their accounts of
top-level response to the unfolding events, such that several (or all)
of them must be lying.
2) Air Defense Failures - a. The US air defense system failed to follow standard procedures for responding to diverted passenger flights.
b. Timelines: The various responsible agencies - NORAD, FAA, Pentagon,
USAF, as well as the 9/11 Commission - gave radically different
explanations for the failure (in some cases upheld for years), such that
several officials must have lied; but none were held accountable.
c. Was there an air defense standdown?
3) Pentagon Strike- How was it possible the Pentagon was hit 1 hour and 20 minutes after
the attacks began? Why was there no response from Andrews Air Force
Base, just 10 miles away and home to Air National Guard units charged
with defending the skies above the nation''s capital? How did Hani
Hanjour, a man who failed as a Cessna pilot on his first flight in a
Boeing, execute a difficult aerobatic maneuver to strike the Pentagon?
Why did the attack strike the just-renovated side, which was largely
empty and opposite from the high command?
4) Wargames - a. US military and other authorities planned or actually rehearsed
defensive response to all elements of the 9/11 scenario during the year
prior to the attack - including multiple hijackings, suicide
crashbombings, and a strike on the Pentagon.
b.
The multiple military wargames planned long in advance and held on the
morning of September 11th included scenarios of a domestic air crisis, a
plane crashing into a government building, and a large-scale emergency
in New York. If this was only an incredible series of coincidences, why
did the official investigations avoid the issue? There is evidence that
the wargames created confusion as to whether the unfolding events were
"real world or exercise." Did wargames serve as the cover for air
defense sabotage, and/or the execution of an "inside job"?
5) Flight 93 - Did the Shanksville crash occur at 10:06 (according to a seismic
report) or 10:03 (according to the 9/11 Commission)? Does the
Commission wish to hide what happened in the last three minutes of the
flight, and if so, why? Was Flight 93 shot down, as indicated by the
scattering of debris over a trail of several miles
6) Smoking Gun - Did cell phones work at 30,000 feet in 2001? How many hijackings were attempted? How many flights were diverted?
7) Demolition Hypothesis- What caused the collapse of a third skyscraper, WTC 7, which was not
hit by a plane? Were the Twin Towers and WTC 7 brought down by
explosives? (See "The Case for Demolitions," the websites wtc7.net and 911research.wtc7.net, and the influential article by physicist Steven Jones.
8) What did officials know? How did they know it? - a. Multiple allied foreign agencies informed the US government of a
coming attack in detail, including the manner and likely targets of the
attack, the name of the operation (the "Big Wedding"), and the names of
certain men later identified as being among the perpetrators.
b. Various individuals came into possession of specific advance
knowledge, and some of them tried to warn the US prior to September
11th.
c.
Certain prominent persons received warnings not to fly on the week or on the day of September 11th.
9) Able Danger, Plus - Surveillance of Alleged Hijackers - a. The men identified as the 9/11 ringleaders were under
surveillance for years beforehand, on the suspicion they were
terrorists, by a variety of US and allied authorities - including the
CIA, the US military''s "Able Danger" program, the German authorities,
Israeli intelligence and others.
b.
Two of the alleged ringleaders who were known to be under surveillance
by the CIA also lived with an FBI asset in San Diego, but this is
supposed to be yet another coincidence.
10) Obstruction of FBI Investigations prior to 9/11 - A group of FBI officials in New York systematically suppressed field
investigations of potential terrorists that might have uncovered the
alleged hijackers - as the Moussaoui case once again showed. The stories
of Sibel Edmonds, Robert Wright, Coleen Rowley and Harry Samit, the
"Phoenix Memo," David Schippers, the 199i orders restricting
investigations, the Bush administration''s order to back off the Bin
Ladin family, the reaction to the "Bojinka" plot, and John O''Neil do
not, when considered in sum, indicate mere incompetence, but high-level
corruption and protection of criminal networks, including the network
of the alleged 9/11 conspirators. (Nearly all of these examples were
omitted from or relegated to fleeting footnotes in The 9/11 Commission Report.)
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