“Lou Dobbs to Leave CNN - Daily Beast” plus 4 more |
- Lou Dobbs to Leave CNN - Daily Beast
- Out in the spotlight - State News
- New coral reef found near Phuket - Phuket Gazette
- More Militant Vegans, Less Ethical Butchers - Dissident Voice
- MSU hopes to receive part of urban education grant - State News
| Lou Dobbs to Leave CNN - Daily Beast Posted: 11 Nov 2009 08:31 PM PST The longtime anchor, whose views on immigration and the Obama "birther" movement caused controversy at the cable news network, announced Wednesday that he is departing CNN. Lou Dobbs, the controversial prime-time populist, said on his show tonight that he's leaving CNN, to "engage in constructive problem-solving" at a destination unknown. "As for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in that conversation," said the longtime anchor, who has been a champion of immigration opponents and the "birther" movement, which questioned President Obama's citizenship.
Dobbs told his staff about the decision today, according to a source who attended the meeting. Although the anchor didn't say where he'd be going, there has been considerable speculation that he'd follow fellow popular conservative host Glenn Beck to the Fox News empire, perhaps as an anchor for the long-struggling Fox Business Network. Dobbs reportedly had lunch with Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes in September. • The Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove asks, What Happened to the Real Lou?Dobbs, a former business anchor, reinvented himself as a cheerful nativist only in recent years, finding fame with his nightly rants about illegal immigration. He clashed openly with CNN President Jon Klein this year for giving credence to questions from some on the far right about whether Obama was born in the United States. In July, Klein sent Dobbs' staff an email citing research that proved Obama was indeed born in Hawaii. "It seems this story is dead—because anyone who still is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef," he wrote, adding that he did not expect to see it on the show again. Shortly thereafter, openly flouting Klein's request, Dobbs returned to the birther story. Since then, there has been speculation that Dobbs would leave CNN, perhaps for the friendlier airwaves of Fox News. In recent weeks, Dobbs made headlines for another reason: A shot was fired outside his New Jersey home, which he attributed to left-wing rage. "My house has been shot and hit...," he said. "This shot was fired, with my wife not 15 feet away. It's part of life. The anger, the hate, the vitriol." Rebecca Dana is a culture correspondent for The Daily Beast. A former editor and reporter for the Wall Street Journal, she has also written for the New York Times, the New York Observer, Rolling Stone and Slate, among other publications. For more of The Daily Beast, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Out in the spotlight - State News Posted: 11 Nov 2009 08:24 PM PST LGBT community members take on drag personasBy Ian Johnson (Last updated: 13 minutes ago)It was Tyler Cooper's last chance at happiness. When he was 19 years old, Cooper's aunt bought him a ticket, helped him pack his bags and sent him on a weeklong vacation to Florida. He had dedicated his entire life to being on stage, and after a serious knee injury put his future in jeopardy, Cooper thought everything he had worked for was gone. Years of dancing instructors telling him that he wasn't good enough made him self-conscious about his body, his personality and his sexuality. That's when Cooper attempted to take his own life. Immediately afterward, he was on his way to Florida to find peace of mind. "It was my last-ditch effort to try and save myself," he said. What he found was a collection of performers who were not all that different from himself. Cooper, who now goes by the stage name Sabin, found new life as a drag performer. "I don't drink, I don't smoke and I've never done a drug in my life," he said. "Performing is my passion — performing is my drug. When I walk on stage, it's my high." Cooper, who works at Spiral Video Dance Bar, 1247 Center St., in Lansing, is one of many Lansing-area entertainers who have found careers performing in drag shows. Behind the hours of makeup and wardrobe preparation are the people who dedicate endless hours to entertaining while dressed as the opposite sex. The transformation Drag performers have been victims of discrimination for as long as the style has existed, said Brent Bilodeau, the director of MSU's Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Resource Center. "GLBT people are often targeted with harassment due to perceptions that they fail to meet society's expectations for what men and women should be," Bilodeau said. "Drag symbolizes a fierce liberation from gender stereotypes and roles." Although drag has a history of persecution, Bilodeau said he's seen the performances become more popular at MSU. MSU hosts several drag shows during the school year, and People Respecting the Individuality of Students at MSU, or PRISM, hosted its annual drag show "So You Think You Can Drag?" Tuesday night at Wonders Hall. PRISM president and psychology senior Mandy Klein said the event has grown from about 75 attendants to about 200 in only three years. "It's the whole concept of gender-bending that drag provides," Klein said. "It's the curiosity that draws people." Student affairs administration graduate student Charlie Runyan was the only student performing alongside the professionals Tuesday night. Runyan, whose stage name is Athena Ferosh, donned a wig, makeup, a dress and stuffed his bra with socks for his first-ever performance. "It's an art form," he said after the show. "It's really like theater. You're putting on a different face — you're playing a different persona." But the lives of professional performers extend beyond their three-minute sets Tuesday night. Many work day jobs, some struggle to pay the bills and often their larger-than-life personas don't emerge offstage. Family matters Lindsey Bradley's family didn't take the news that she is a lesbian well. Bradley grew up in Jackson, Mich., and as soon as she graduated from high school in June 2008, her parents kicked her out of the house. She bounced around to several cities in Michigan trying to find a steady job and a place to live. After six months on her own, Bradley met a drag king in a Grand Rapids bar. The king, which is a woman performing as a man, convinced her to try drag. Once she did, Bradley said she knew she discovered something great. "The first time I ever performed was when I got it," she said. "As soon as I did my first song, it felt like I was doing it my whole life." Bradley, or Kamin Cider, said she lacked the refinement to make decent money performing — until she met Delicious. Delicious, or Montrell Jackson, has been a Lansing drag queen for 12 years and adopted Bradley as one of his own. Jackson became Bradley's drag mother and showed Bradley how to dance more like a man, choose wardrobe, book shows and create her own beard using hair from her head. Bradley even said it's common for drag parents to pass on stage surnames to their kids. Supporting Bradley and going to her shows is just part of the culture, Jackson said. "I'm there to give them courage or whatever they need," he said. "They need to talk about something, I'm there." The second life The life of a drag artist is two different lives, Cooper said. Before he created Sabin, Cooper said he was so timid, his friends thought he was a mute. Being able to become another person helped Cooper get in touch with his own life, he said. "Without Sabin, I wouldn't have become the person I am today — the person that is confident in who I am as a person," he said. "I'm not the prettiest, I'm not the richest, I don't drive the best car, I don't have the have the nicest clothes — but what I have is mine." Cooper now is the stage director for Spiral Video and Dance Bar's weekly Sunday night drag show "Drag Queens Gone Wild." Cooper emcees, coordinates performers, handles music and choreographs special events for many Lansing drag performers, such as Bradley. After about a year of being on stage, Bradley said she wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. "It feels really good to be able to go some place and be your first time there and make sure that people are going to remember you," she said. Although Cooper said Sabin has caused many problems in his personal life, he wouldn't want to do anything else. "(Sabin) has cost me so much, but at the same time, he has given me my life," he said. "And I love my life." Originally Published: 43 minutes agoThis content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| New coral reef found near Phuket - Phuket Gazette Posted: 11 Nov 2009 07:34 PM PST
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New coral reef found near Phuket
The reef was discovered by fishermen around five nautical miles west of Kho Khao Island in Phang Nga's Takuapa District. The reef lies at a depth of about 21 meters. Mr Chaimongkol Yaemarunpattana, a coral researcher at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), was part of a diving team that surveyed the reef on Monday. "The reef's fertility is average," he said. "We found mostly encrusting corals, tabulate corals, several species of fish and four or five octopi." Mr Chaimongkhol said the reef was 'very attractive for diving in general'. The Phang Nga Tourist Association, together with the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Department (MCRCD) and the Department of Fisheries, has started a project at the new reef and others in the province called 'Nemo Returns'. The project will involve introducing new fish to the reefs and carrying out cleanups in order to improve dive spots, thereby reducing the number of divers around the popular Similan Islands.
Phuket reds, yellows ready to roll
Phuket child protection agency seeks donations The 2009 Red Cross Fair will take place at Saphan Hin for 10 days, starting on December 26. A house will be the this year's top prize in the annual auction. The Juvenile Observation and Protection Center's goal is to educate and rehabilitate youths who run afoul of the law, giving them a chance to successfully reintegrate into society and lead normal lives. Center director Sukporn Udomsin said the center, located near Phuket Polytechnic College at Saphan Hin, is currently home to 60 youngsters. There are also 400 more teens at the larger regional center in Surat Thani. "Our budget isn't really enough to look after them all," she said. In addition to the second-hand goods sale, the center is also accepting cash donations to help buy the food needed to improve the teen's diets. Roughly translated, the initiative is known as the "Children Full of Food, Adults Full of Merit' project. For the report on PGTV, click here. For more information contact the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (T: 076-250352-3). To make a donation transfer funds to Kasikorn Bank account number 102-2-92222-6.
Belgian beauties bound for Phuket
Chalong - Patong road 'coming soon' Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop was addressing a meeting at Provincial Hall to discuss progress on the controversial project, a key part of his plan to improve Phuket's road network. There are three possible routes to complete the road, all of which have already been partially cleared, Gov Wichai told the meeting. "They're all pathways," he said. "Whichever route we choose to develop, there won't be many trees cut down." Lower stretches of the road on the Chalong side pass through the entrance of Luang Pu Supha Temple. The same valley is also already home to a golf course and is slated to become the location of the island's third reservoir, the 5.7-million-cubic-meter Klong Krata basin. The 4.6-kilometer route would reduce the island's fuel consumption to the tune of an estimated one million baht per day, the governor estimated. Currently, a road trip from Chalong to Patong road is around 20 kilometers long. The new road would reduce traffic and accidents along Patak and Phra Barami roads, the two existing access roads to Patong that are both 'quite dangerous', according to Gov Wichai. However, the project still needs Cabinet approval to go ahead. Gov Wichai said Cabinet had asked that the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) be revised before the project can get started. The road is legally problematic because parts at the highest elevations need to pass through national forest land, much of which is above the 80-meter building limit put in place in 1994 to prevent erosion, encroachment and flooding. Once the EIA revision is completed in about one month's time, Cabinet backing is expected to follow within two months, Gov Wichai said. "Once the project gets a Cabinet resolution, I am sure the construction could be finished within nine months," he said. Twenty-six million baht in funding for the project would come from the government's 100-billion-baht Thai Khem Kheng (strong Thailand) stimulus package for 2012. Another 14 million baht would be provided by Patong Municipality and Chalong Tambon Administration Organization (TAO). Yesterday's meeting was attended by Department of Rural Roads Region 18 Director Chock Nualdaisri, who has responsibility for the project, as well as Chalong TAO President Nattapong Wimolphan and representatives from the Patong Public Works division. Patong Municipality is also conducting a controversial 40-million-baht feasibility study into the feasibility of boring a tunnel under Patong Hill to create another new route to Patong.
Phuket blackout schedule announced
Phuket FC tryout rescheduled The trial will now take place at the FIFA Tsunami Memorial Center at Ao Makham this Saturday from 4pm to 6pm. Phuket FC are looking to bolster the squad ahead of the 2010 season. Several players, including Thai premiership veterans, have contacted the Phuket Gazette with a view to playing for the Sea Dragons next season. Phuket FC finished their maiden season second from the bottom in the Thailand Regional Division Two South, winning just twice all season and failing to record a victory at Surakul Stadium. Organizers are hoping the trials will attract a number of quality players from around the island as Phuket FC tries to achieve promotion next year. "There is going to be work done to improve the pitch and the squad will be much stronger next year," said Eam Thavornwongwongse of the Kata Group last week. "The setup is going to be much more professional. There are also ongoing negotiations with a couple of foreign players we hope will join us." Anyone interested in representing the Sea Dragons should attend the trials next week. Foreigners are welcome to try out. For more information about Phuket FC contact Daniel Ogunshakin by email or visit the Facebook group 'Phuket FC Supporters Club'.
Hainan delegation tours Phuket The Hainanese delegation held talks with Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai and other officials at Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon. It was the final day of their three-day stay in Phuket, which included tours of the Laguna Phuket resort complex and the Phuket FantaSea cultural theme park. Hainan, the smallest Chinese province, comprises some two hundred islands. The vast majority of residents stay on the main island of Hainan Dao. The delegation included Hainan Vice Governor Jiang Sixian, Hainan Tourism Development Commission Division Director Zhou Ping and Foreign Affairs Office Director Gen Wu Shicun. Yesterday's meeting began with a Chinese-language video presentation extolling the tourism opportunities and cultural background of Phuket and surrounding provinces. Before beginning talks, Mr Jiang officially congratulated Gov Wichai on his being appointed as governor of Phuket. Mr Jiang then invited a delegation to visit Hainan on March 20 to 22 next year, when the island will host a tourism promotion event. Official visits between leaders of the two islands date back to 2002, when then-Hainan Governor Wang Xiaofeng led a delegation to meet then Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi, who is now Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. Hainan has a rapidly expanding tourism industry, with the vast majority of visitors being mainland Chinese. "The numbers are increasing annually. We already have two airports, but it is not enough to meet demand so we are planning to build another," Mr Jiang said. Noting that Hainan has 70 times the land area and 25 times the [official] population of Phuket, Mr Jiang said he wanted Phuket business people to be aware of the investment opportunities Hainan has to offer. Gov Wichai said he would be happy to attend next year's event – if he is somehow still assigned to Phuket. That seems unlikely, as he must take mandatory retirement from the civil service when he reaches his 60th birthday in mid-March, 2010. Gov Wichai told reporters the Hainanese delegation 'learned a lot from us'. The possibility of sending a delegation to attend the March event would be discussed with the TAT and Phuket Chamber of Commerce. In addition to being island resort destinations, Phuket also has cultural ties with Hainan. A considerable portion of Phuket's ethnic Chinese can trace their roots back to the island, which is pronounced 'Hailum' in Thailand. The Hainanese Shrine in Phuket City is one of the few Chinese shrines on the island that does not take part in the annual Vegetarian Festival. Phuket Hainan Association President Chaovapong Mekarakul, also publisher of Siangtai Daily newspaper, told the Gazette Phuket and Hainan were officially linked as sister cities several years ago when then Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura signed a memorandum of understanding with his Hainanese counterpart at the time.
More trouble at Panason City in Phuket Four of the houses were still occupied, 50-year-old local woman Yaowaluck Promsiri said. The incident caused outrage among local residents, 30 of whom are understood to have gone to Phuket Provincial Hall today to demand an audience with Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop. The development has been the subject of numerous protests over the past year, with residents claiming the developers are trying to drive them out of their homes against their consent. Two weeks ago a crowd of about 60 protesters gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to demand that the governor step in to resolve the conflict. For our previous report, click here. The project owners claim a number of families are living on the 78-rai plot without title deeds and are thus trespassing on company land. Mrs Yaowaluck, who has lived in a house in Ketkaew village with her husband and daughter for over 10 years, said she left her house this morning on a salaeng (motorcycle with illegal sidecar) to find her path blocked by a mound of dirt. The dirt, which had been previously piled up elsewhere, was now covering seven local residents' homes. Mrs Yaowaluck said residents of Ketkaew village didn't have any title deeds, but had residency contracts with the company that originally sold them the houses. She claimed the Panason City project owners had agreed not to go ahead with any more work on the project until a scheduled meeting with local residents was held on November 30. "Until then they shouldn't do anything," she said.
Pa Khlok man named Phuket's 'Outstanding Citizen' Jeerasak Torthip was named an 'Outstanding Citizen' for his work in securing a simple, sustainable way of life for the people of Bang Rong Village, a coastal community of about 1,000 Muslims in tambon Pa Khlok. Mr Jeerasak was awarded the honor through a project called Thaen Khun Paen Din ('Showing Gratitude to the Country') 2552, run by The Nation Group together with the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. He was credited for his devotion over the past decade to restoring and protecting the natural environment in Bang Rong and ensuring the community sticks to a traditional, Islamic way of life. Mr Jeerasak said he encourages his neighbors to resist the temptations of materialism, stressing the importance of mangrove forests to their way of life. "In the past, the people of Bang Rong earned a living through rubber tapping, sea fishing and farming fish in mangrove forests," he said. "Eighty percent of village people use mangroves as a source of food. Besides that the mangroves played a role as a barrier to the 2004 tsunami." Materialism destroyed this traditional lifestyle, he said. "Villagers sold their land to property developers in exchange for money to buy cars and live lavishly," he said. When the mangrove forests started being destroyed it became harder and harder for villagers to make a living, he said. "Then we became aware of the mangrove's importance and realized it was time to start recovering these treasures and our old way of life," he said. He uses his position as a leader at Bang Rong Mosque to instill the community with Islam-based beliefs about conserving nature. In 2002, Mr Jeerasak and other mosque leaders created a project called 'Bang Rong Agrotourism'. The project is based at Bang Rong pier, which is surrounded by over 2,000 rai of mangrove forest. Tourists can hire canoes and boats to explore the forests, take a bicycle tour of the village or go trekking. "We use tourism activities as a tool to manage community resources on both land and in the sea, through a process of informal learning," he said. "The villagers are offered an opportunity to remain in the community rather than seek work elsewhere. They also learn to value their own resources." Around 50 tourists visit the Bang Rong mangroves every day, he said. Fish raised in floating baskets in the mangrove forests are caught by local fisherman then sold to tourists at the Krua Chumchon Bang Rong (Bang Rong Community Kitchen) restaurant. "All the guides for tourism activities are people from the community. Everything runs in a cycle," he said. Mr Jeerasak's community projects don't stop at agrotourism, however. The mosque committee started a savings fund with 30 villagers back in 1997. The fund now has more than 700 members with almost 30 million baht in savings, Mr Jeerasak said. "With this fund, we've bought back many plots of land from investors and given scholarships to poor but smart students so they can get a university education," he said. Mr Jeersak talked of his feelings on receiving the 'Outstanding Citizen' honor. "I never expected to receive it," he said. "Everything I've done is for my neighbors, and because of my love for the land and – especially – my love for His Majesty the King." He would put his award on public view at Bang Rong Mosque, he said. "Because without the contribution of Bang Rong residents, we could never have won this honor," he said.
Chinese takes top honors in Phuket programming meet The Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM-ICPC) took place at Prince of Songkla University on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sixty teams of three students each from universities in Thailand, China, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea and Hong Kong competed to solve computer programming problems. A team from Shanghai Jiaotong University in China eventually triumphed. They will compete against the winners of other regional contests at next year's finals in Harbin, China. A team from the National University of Singapore were runners up, followed by a Vietnamese team from Ho Chi Minh City University of Science. Of 27 Thai teams, the highest placing was to a team from Kasetsart University that finished 19th. PSU's four teams finished 54th, 57th, 58th and 60th. The ACM-ICPC contest has taken place every year for more than 20 years. This year's face-off at PSU was the first time the contest has taken place in Thailand. It was sponsored by IBM and SIPA, the Thai software promotion agency, Dr C J Hwang, ACM-ICPC Asia director, praised the enthusiasm of the PSU and SIPA staff who organized the event. "Although this was the first time, I was very satisfied with their world-class performance, including the problem setting, judging and management," he said. There are now 300,000 students competing in the contest across the world, he said. "The contest aims to raise the potential and skill of the students, training them to apply theory to practical problems," he said. Siripon Mektanatip, manager of SIPA's Phuket branch, was pleased with the performance of the Thai students. "It's obvious that Thai students are now very smart computer programmers" he said. "The contest is like a stage from which they can show off their talent and develop their potential." He said SIPA hoped a Thai university could host the ASM-ICPC World Final in 2014. "The chance of being chosen is quite high," he said. For more information about the contest click here.
Road to encroachment divides Phuket Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization built the 28-million-baht road, which is 3.5 kilometers long and skirts the boundary of Jik Forest. Mai Khao TAO President Sarawut Srisakhukham said the road was built for two reasons: "to serve the convenience of both tourists and local villagers, and to protect the forest from encroachment by investors." Nevertheless, he admitted the forest had shrunk from 102 rai to 77 rai since the road was built. The road served as a boundary, protecting what remained of the peat swamp forest, he maintained. "Private land and the forest are clearly separated by the road," he said. "If we didn't build it, I'm sure all the forest would be gone." But villagers complained that the road had actually caused the destruction of a large portion of the forest because new developments have sprung up along it. Responding to their concerns, Phuket MP Chalermlak Kebsup asked the Natural Resources and Environment Committee of the House of Representatives to launch an investigation into the project. Committee President Waruj Siriwat, Vice President Narit Khamnurak, Mr Chalermlak and Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai visited the site on Thursday. Mr Waruj confirmed that encroachment had occurred. "Villagers are afraid the road has damaged the forest and that it will bring more property construction into the area," he said. "We have to check whether there was a public hearing and environmental impact assessment before the construction started," he said, adding that the committee would have the answers by its next meeting on Wednesday. Mr Waruj noted that the peat swamp and mangrove forests in the northwest of Phuket had been nominated by Thailand as a Ramsar Convention site, meaning they were of international importance and should be protected. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty aimed at conserving the world's wetlands to which Thailand is a signatory. "In the future, these forests will become very important tourist attractions," Mr Waruj said. "I told President Sarawut I hoped this forest would be the last site to be encroached upon because it takes about 100 years to recover from the loss of biological variety," he said. His committee was determined to put an end to forest encroachment, he said. When interviewed by the Gazette, Mr Sarawut was quick to defend the Jik Forest road project. "I've confirmed that this project has been very useful to people coming to the beach, fishermen looking for fish and crabs, as well as investors," he said. After the committee finished its survey of Jik Forest, members went on to view an 8-rai plot of mangrove forest in Muang Mai, Village 5, tambon Thepkrasattri, part of which had also been destroyed. A wide area of forest and a former canal had been filled with soil, while a pile of tires was set nearby in preparation to burn the trees. Coconut trees were ready to plant in the plot as a sign of ownership. The land belonged to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Mr Waruj said. "We don't understand why Phuket's executives let these problems happen," he said. "I told Vice Governor Smith [Palawatwichai] to focus on stopping encroachment and punish those responsible," he said. Villagers said the soil, tires and coconut trees had been brought to the site at night. "We heard the truck running from the main road, but nobody dared check who was actually doing this…Many calls were made to the police, but there was no response," one villager told the Gazette. "We feel very upset because we love this land and plant more trees every year on Mother's and Father's Day… But now there's no fish left in the canal for us."
Americans cash in on Phuket volleyball win The top-seeded Kessy and Ross finished their four days of competition by downing compatriots Angie Akers and Tyra Turner with clinical precision in the 37-minute final, 21-12 and 21-17. Playing with the poise of true champions, it was all business for Kessy and Ross. The match was the seventh FIVB meeting between the two teams and Kessy and Ross have finished on the winning side each time. Yesterday's championship match also marked the third-straight all-American finale for the Phuket Thailand Open. It was the sixth SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal for Kessy and Ross since forming their partnership in 2007. Ms Akers was competing in her first-ever gold medal match. She and Turner split the US$21,000 second-place prize. Turner was competing in her second Phuket Thailand Open title match. Ms Turner also appeared in last year's final with Nicole Branagh, losing to Kessy and Ross 18-21, 21-14 and 15-12 in 63 minutes. In the bronze medal match, 22nd-seeded Maria Bratkova and Evgenia Ukolova secured Russia's first-ever women's podium finish, much to the delight of a large contingent of Russian supporters who turned out for the match. Riding the wave of support, the pair struggled back from one set down to win 15-21, 22-20 and 15-9 win in 53 minutes over 17th-seeded Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy of the United States. The win denied the Americans what would have been their third podium sweep in the 18-year history of the international beach volleyball circuit. Bratkova and Ukolova were crowded by autograph seekers after the exciting win. But the undisputed star of the tournament was Ms Ross, who was awarded the tournament MVP prize. Her powerful, laser-like serves put Akers and Turner on the back foot as they did the five pairs that fell before them. After a great deal of passion in the third place final, the final came off more like an exhibition, as there was no national partisanship in the all-American encounter. Among the VIPs in attendance were Permanent Secretary for Interior and Former Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi, current Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and his wife Taiseka, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Paiboon Ubatising, Kata Group Director and sport tourism pioneer Eam Thavornwongwongse, event organizer Geoffrey Rowe of Pentangle Promotions and Karon Mayor Tawee Tongcham. Karon Deputy Mayor Sompong Darbpeth said after the match that he was very happy with the all of the organizational elements of the event, though he was a little disappointed with the crowd turnout. The stadium was only about 75% full for the free-admission final match. About half of the crowd was made up of foreigners. Asked whether the stadium construction harmed the large sand dunes that largely spared Karon from the 2004 tsunami disaster, Mr Sompong said the improvements had been carefully carried out with respect to the environment. No concrete or permanent structures were involved and the dunes face more damage from erosion from heavy monsoon-season surf, he said. This year's tournament was the largest on the 16-stop SWATCH FIVB tour, with 66 teams from 28 countries taking part.
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| More Militant Vegans, Less Ethical Butchers - Dissident Voice Posted: 11 Nov 2009 07:27 PM PST A friend of mine recently brought to my attention a former vegan who has now re-invented himself as the "Ethical Butcher" (a title right up there with Peacekeeper missiles, limited autonomy, and military intelligence). The butcher writes: "After 14 years as a vegetarian, a few of those as a quite 'militant' vegan, I became a butcher. The factors that went into me taking the position are many, but the result was maybe quite predictable. Within a month I was a full-fledged meat eater. What has not changed is my passion for the welfare of animals. Through my work as a butcher and chef, I now see a more direct way to influence and work for change in the meat industry and to improve the quality of life for all of the animals we rely on for food." Such backlash in the face of compassionate evolution is not uncommon. For example, just as more and more women begin to challenge gender roles, the patriarchal culture countered with Howard Stern, Maxim, and Spike TV. But I digress… Becoming a butcher in the name of animal welfare is like joining the Marines to promote peace. What's next, the Ethical Executioner with his "passion" for the "welfare" of prisoners? Surely, he'd just be choosing a "more direct way to influence and work for change," following the lead of his butcher comrade. In a society less and less capable of critical, independent thought, this pro-meat character will probably be widely praised as the antidote to "militant" vegans. You know, the food Nazis. By current standards, you could pack a calf into a veal crate or pump food down a goose's gullet or grind up live male chicks to fertilize your fields and run no risk of being called militant. For that matter, you can clear cut forests, blow off mountain tops in search of coal, and drop white phosphorous on villages filled with brown children and garner virtually no attention at all…let alone be labeled a militant. Choose a lifestyle of compassion and logic, speak out against vivisection, or protest the use of fur? You, my friends, are a worthy of a Hitler mustache. With the global economy collapsing like a house of cards, 80% of the world's forests cut down, 90% of the large fish in the ocean gone, more military conflicts than anyone can count, and our eco-systems rapidly approaching the point of no return, there's never been a more urgent time to be a truly militant vegan. At some point, we each have to decide: Do we respect all life or not? If we choose life instead of death, then we must view the culture holistically. To divide issues of animal suffering, eco-destruction, and human rights, is to fall into the trap of the dinosaur Left. For example, ZNet founder Michael Albert, who writes:
Let's be clear: Attempting to separate sexism from violence against animals (and all nature) is like trying to separate the human circulatory system from the respiratory system. If such obvious connections are not being made by the entrenched Left, I have to wonder: Why is anyone wasting even 5 minutes of their time on such myopia? Since Michael Albert can't seem to stop quoting Dylan, this song excerpt is for him, the Ethical Butcher, and all those who seek to fragment and obscure the big picture: Don't criticize what you can't understand … your old road is rapidly agin' Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand For the times they are a-changin' This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| MSU hopes to receive part of urban education grant - State News Posted: 11 Nov 2009 08:24 PM PST By Marissa Cumbers (Last updated: 41 minutes ago) MSU's College of Education is drafting a proposal to receive part of a $16.7 million grant that encourages graduates to become teachers in urban schools. The grant, announced by Gov. Jennifer Granholm last week, aims to overhaul training for math and science teachers in Michigan and encourage teachers to work in struggling urban schools. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship will choose six Michigan colleges as partners in the fellowship. Suzanne Wilson, MSU's chairwoman of the Department of Teacher Education, said this program might encourage graduates looking for a career change to consider education. "We are proposing that we would work with fellows that have some life experience," Wilson said. "It might be relevant to people that have already graduated from Michigan State that didn't think about teaching." Wilson said the College of Education wanted to propose a program that would complement MSU's current undergraduate education program and serve a different student population. The foundation also will select 240 students to receive a paid master's degree in teaching if they agree to teach three years in urban areas. "This fellowship will be transformational not only for teachers and students, but also for the Michigan universities that will educate the new math and science teachers," Granholm said in a statement. The colleges have not been selected and will be named in January, said Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman for Granholm. To be considered, universities must produce a high proportion of the state's math and science teachers, be willing to rethink math and science programs, commit some matching funds to these programs and demonstrate partnerships with local schools, said Beverly Sanford, a spokeswoman for the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. The fellows will receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a master's program, Boyd said. Urban schools have trouble retaining new teachers because the teachers might not feel prepared for the schools' challenges, said Ed Sarpolus, director of governmental affairs at the Michigan Education Association. "It's challenging to work in an environment you aren't used to because of language and cultural barriers," he said. "A lot of times, these students in urban schools need a lot more attention." The master's incentive of this program would appeal to the young teachers needed to revitalize urban schools, education junior Rachel Stewart said. "A lot of qualified teachers choose to stray away form inner city schools," Stewart said. "But those teachers are needed in inner city schools because those students need the most help." Originally Published: 41 minutes agoThis content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
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