There is a new kid on the block, and that new kid is taking over the neighborhood. That “kid” is China, which is rapidly becoming a major economic power. A hundred years ago, it was the United States that was the emerging economic power to be reckoned with; today, it is China. According to many economic forecasts, China is on course to challenge the U.S. economy to a greater extent than any other country ever has. Many economists predict that China, which is already making 70 percent of the world’s toys, 60% of its bicycles, half its shoes, and one-third of its luggage, will surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy within 20 years.
This is a Chinese propaganda film featuring electro beats and an arrogant text narrator who taunts our weak American work ethic. Equal parts mesmerizing, hysterical and humiliating, this film is a sure sign that our American empire is on the ropes. It is over 16 minutes in length and the language might be offensive to some viewers; but those of you who choose to view the entire film will gain some valuable insights into what is happening to the economies of China and the United States.
It all started on February 18, when Michelle Obama said, “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.
Here she is making the speech:
Now go back and listen to the speech again. Did you notice that the word “really” is blipped out of the speech? Does that make a difference in what she was saying? Is there a difference between saying, “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because..." and “For the first time in my adult life, I am REALLY proud of my country because…” In other words, Michelle Obama has always been proud of her country, but now she is REALLY proud, meaning even more so than she was before.
Next, note what the Bill O'Reilly Slime Machine did with the speech. Here is Fox News:
Now go back and listen to the speech again. Did they leave the word “REALLY” out of the speech when they repeated it? Why?
Michelle Obama clarifies her remark.
When asked about the speech, this was Cindy McCain’s reply:
Well, Cindy, you might be proud of your country, but I doubt that your country was proud of you when, in 1994, it read about how you, while raising four young children as a drug addict, had been stealing Percocet and Vicodin for five years from your non-profit American Voluntary medical team to support your drug habit. The Drug Enforcement Agency uncovered your misdeed, but you never had to serve any prison time for it. Instead, the political influence of your husband resulted in no charges or prison time for you, and you entered a diversion program.
Cindy, unlike you, Michelle Obama didn’t grow up as Cindy Hensley, heiress to the Hensley liquor fortune She didn’t have the time to be a rodeo queen or a cheerleader. Michelle was raised in a one-bedroom apartment that she shared for a while with her brother. After high school, she majored in sociology at Princeton University, graduating with cum laude honors in 1985. From there she attended Harvard where she earned her law degree in 1988 and later accepted a position at a downtown Chicago law firm.
Would you like to see Michelle Obama’s resume. Here it is:
Michelle's impressive resume includes: Former associate dean at the University of Chicago; a member of six boards of directors including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods; and Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. In this position she was responsible for all programs and initiatives that involve the relationships between the hospitals and the community as well as management of the hospitals' business diversity program.
Now Cindy, what do you have on your resume, I mean besides being a rodeo queen, a cheerleader, and a former drug addict?
Here is a revealing interview with Michelle Obama:
Michelle, I would be REALLY proud to have an accomplished, well-educated, intelligent, and articulate woman such as you as First Lady.
Yesterday while shaving, I was listening to “Fresh Air,” the PBS radio talk show hosted by Terry Gross. She was interviewing a man who was discussing Cambodian Rock and Roll, and the discussion was followed by the playing of a Rock and Roll performance by a Cambodian group. I was so captivated by the music performance that I went to my computer and did some research on the topic. This post deals with what I found.
During the Vietnam War in the 1960s, one could hear a mix of rock n’ roll and soul music being played on the airwaves of Vietnam by American Forces Radio stations. Cambodian artists began blending American rhythms and instruments with their own traditional music. The favorites were Credence Clearwater Revival, the Temptations and, of course, Elvis. Soon, the musicians of Phnom Penh fused this new American sound with their traditional Khmer stylings and thus Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and funky rock n’ roll scene was born. The music is a mix of surf and psychedelic rock combined with the distinctive melodies and soaring vocal styles of Cambodian folk music.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the growth of this fusion of rock n’ roll continued to thrive in Cambodia until Pol Pot took over the country. On April 17, 1975, after taking over the country, the Khmer Rouge began one of the most brutal genocides in history, killing 2 million people - 1/4 of the Cambodian population. The entire population of Cambodia was forced into subhuman living conditions. Intellectuals, artists and musicians were murdered simply for their status. Only a few miraculously survived to tell their story.
Now that music, which was virtually destroyed by Pol Pot, is making a comeback. Several American musicians and filmmakers, captivated by this music, have formed a band, gone on tour, and made movies to preserve this once vibrant genre of music.
Video 1. Let’s listen to a performance of traditional Cambodian music:
Video 2. Here we have a fusion of traditional Cambodian music with rock’n roll:
Video 3. Again, traditional Cambodian music (first song):
Video 4. Here is another fusion of traditional Cambodian music with rock’n roll:
Video 5. Don't Think I've Forgotten (Cambodia's Lost Rock And Roll)
Video 6. In this interview, Roger H. Brown, President of Berklee College of Music, discusses the time he spent doing relief work in Cambodia after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime, and the flowering of traditional musical culture he witnessed in the wake of its passing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 60% of American adults are obese or packing too many pounds-- and most adults are about 25 lbs. heavier than people were in the 1960s. As a result of consuming too many calories and exercising too little, obese Americans are more prone to cardiovascular disease, which kills about 440 of every 100,000 people each year in the United States. Obesity can also lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis, hernia, gallbladder disease, diabetes mellitus and liver diseases. Researchers also believe that obesity can increase the risk of many types of cancer, including colon cancer, cancer of the uterus and female kidney cancer.
One way to cut down on obesity is to adopt a diet plan. Some of the most popular diets over the past 25 years include the Atkins Diet, Beverly Hills Diet, Scarsdale Diet, South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers Diet, and the Vegan Diet. To that list of diets, I would like to add the name of my new diet plan-- the Incredible Edible Insect Diet.
To those who think that the words edible and insects don’t belong together, you should be reminded that we already eat insects every day. That black speck in your slice of bread might be part of a flour beetle, weevil, or other insect pest that is milled along with the grain that goes into the making of the bread. Perhaps you have eaten a bug infested apple at one time or another. Before I realized what was happening, I once ate a considerable number of live ants that had gotten into an open bag of potato chips. Actually, they had an acidic taste that wasn’t bad, but I found their crawling around inside and outside of my mouth and into my nostrils to be an unpleasant experience.
Entomophagy is used to describe human insect-eating habits that are common in some cultures in the world. We sometimes forget that before humans had tools to hunt or practice agriculture, a most important part of their diet consisted of insects. There are 1,462 recorded species of edible insects, but only a few species that are especially palatable while also being nutritious. Many species of insects are lower in fat, higher in protein, and have a better feed to meat ratio than beef, lamb, pork, or chicken. 100 grams of cricket contains: 121 calories, 12.9 grams of protein, 5.5 g. of fat, 5.1 g. of carbohydrates, 75.8 mg. calcium, 185.3 mg. of phosphorous, 9.5 mg. of iron, 0.36 mg. of thiamin, 1.09 mg. of riboflavin, and 3.10 mg. of niacin. Compare this with a serving of ground beef, which, although it contains more protein (23.5 g.), also has 288.2 calories and a whopping 21.2 grams of fat!
Insects are tasty. Really! Even if you are too squeamish to have them as a main dish, you can make insect flour and add it to bread and other dishes for an added protein boost. The public needs to be educated about the value of insect protein.
Insects can be easily obtained at pet shops, bait shops, or by raising your own. Commonly eaten insects and arachnids include grasshoppers, crickets, termites, ants, beetle larvae (grubs), moth caterpillars and pupae, spiders, tarantulas, and scorpions. For the best flavor, one should feed the insects for a few days on fresh grain.
QUESTION: What would be required in order to persuade you to go on an insect diet?
Video 1. Eating Bugs in Thailand. They're actually not that bad. The grasshoppers were crispy and salty with only a little bit of a weird after taste, but the red ants were actually delicious! Jing jing! No kidding! They had a creamy, lemony taste and when mixed with onions and herbs they tasted really, really good.
Video 2. Eating a Witchity Grub. Tastes like scrambled eggs and almonds.
Video 3. Eating a Cricket. Tastes like sunflower seeds.
Video 4. A delicacy! Lightly toasted fat little bugs.
Video 5. Eating Deep Fried Bugs on an Asian Street
Video 6. Eating Escargot in Paris. "Escargot" is French for "snail," a delicacy enjoyed in the Mediterranean countries, especially France, where the best snails are harvested.
Some Funny Things Happened On the Way to the White House
Some Funny Things Happened On the Way to the White House
In the midst of this dismal political season, I present herewith a collection of humorous YouTube videos about Hillary, Obama, McCain, and Huckabee guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Video 1. Obama on the Run. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama musically argue it out over who is the better candidate in this song satirizing "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better."
Video 2. The Rodham Rap. Not only do we get to see Hillary's untapped hip-hop talents in full effect, but you'll learn so much about her political agenda. To view the entire video, copy this film URL and paste it on Google:
Video 3. Georgie W Onka - or - More Fun With Hillary Obama and McCain. More fun with the current political trials.
Video 4. Barack Obama (The Candy Man)
Video 5. Political Cartoons for 02/02/08-02/09/08
Video 6. Sexy! Flashy! Wonky! Super Obama Girl!
Video 7. MoveOn.org ad against McCain: "Bomb Iran" song
UPDATE (February 24, 2008): WASHINGTON - Ralph Nader said Sunday (today) he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will "shift the power from the few to the many."
Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged Iraq war and a shaky economy. The consumer advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class people in debt.
Video 8. Bill Maher Interviews Ralph Nader
Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?
1. HILLARY CLINTON: "I have vast experience with chickens and if elected, I will ensure that EVERY chicken has the ability to cross any road it desires.
2. BARACK OBAMA: "This chicken felt the need for change and sensed that change lay on the other side of the road. It had the audacity to hustle."
Many Blogstream members are there
already! Quotes from members: "It's like blog lite!" -- "I like the instant
gratification!" -- "Stop spectating, get in the game!"
If you have not joined in, you are really missing out!
