Alfred Moisiu për Nanon, Berishën

Sipas ish-presidentit Moisiu, i cili, sipas meje, ka qenë një nga politikanët më të zotë dhe më të arsyeshëm gjatë këtyre dy dhjetëvjeçarëve të fundit, Nanoja është «i papërgjegjshëm», ndërsa Berisha «i etur për pushtet». Nuk kam si t'i kundërvihem.

When David Brooks is Right

It doesn't happen often, but he did it twice today on Meet the Press:

In calling Limbaugh's fear- and hate-inciting rhetoric 'insane,'

... and in calling Sarah Palin's latest assessment of the healthcare plan 'crazy.'

I also happen to think those qualifiers describe the original speakers, not just what they said.

For the Internet Neophyte

Here's the list of the most commonly used internet abbreviations and acronyms.

I must say, I only use the occasional 'brb' or 'btw' and I have never—not once—used 'lol.'

The Necessity for Better Healthcare

NPR depicts this necessity in only one part of the country in this article. Many more await the same treatment across the country. As an example, 10,000 individuals are expected in Los Angeles in a similar project.

Heart-wrenching to hear that people in such dire need do not forget to be thoughtful and considerate of others: 'Somebody may need them more.' Why can't more Americans act that way?

The audio is below.

Massachusetts Ain't Half Bad

We all know that. And the same could be said about its healthcare system. It has been a success much more than it has been a failure. As a matter of fact, it was (and granted, still is) merely a challenge, and not a failure at all, as this New York Times article will attests.

Many people in my talks about the immediacy of a national public health insurance option have brought up the example of Massachusetts on the side of 'failed government-run plans.' Consider this as another part of my continuing answer and counter-argument to that fallacious and misinformed statement.

Fainting Goats

While I catch up on the news, some entertainment is warranted.

For your pleasure, the popular and quite funny fainting goat, the product evolution would never have allowed. Don't ask me why they exist and survive, then, if they're such easy prey. If you don't know the answer, bury your head underground and just faint with them.

Once a Queer...

The American Psychological Association passed a resolution yesterday (Wednesday) stating that they condemn attempts at 'reparative therapy' for homosexuals in order to turn them into heterosexuals. Any attempt to conduct this kind of therapy is detrimental to the person's health and it tends to result in suicidal tendencies in patients. The resolution passed by a vote of 125-4 in the association's governing council.

I doubt this will change anything among those who have been advocating and conducting these 'therapies' and the sensible people already knew this. But it is bound to catch on with time, as did the APA's 1975 resolution to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses.

Press reports on this are to be found on the Associated Press, The New York Times, and CNN. The APA's 130-page report is here (.pdf format) in its entirety.

Pee In the Shower

I don't speak Portuguese, but the message of this ad is hard to miss.

«Majtas dreqër, djathtas djaj»

Më gjurmon dikush patjetër
Dhe vërtet s'di nga t'ia mbaj;
Majtas vrap më dalin dreqër,
Djathtas vijnë e presin djaj.

Nga dollapi nxjerr një pjepër,
Thela-thela nis ta caj:
Gjysmë e pjeprit plot me dreqër,
Gjysma tjetër mbushur djaj.

Mbreh një laps e hap një letër,
Sytë e mi nga letra s'ndaj:
Sipër letrës shtrihen dreqër,
Përmbi lapsin hipën djaj.

Ku të futem, s'gjej vend tjetër,
Ku të qesh e ku të qaj?
Majtas vrap më dalin dreqër,
Djathtas vijnë e presin djaj...

Dritëro AGOLLI

Rushed Bigotry

The great values defended by that huge megaphone of conservatism... all within the space of two days:

Homophobia (there's no ambiguity he's targeting gays here more than any other group):

Racism (black man subverting white establishment):

Sexism (this one needs no explaining):

Unemployment Figures

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a chart outlining unemployment rates for all fifty states for the month of June 2009.

On two different columns, they also publish the historic highs and lows of unemployment for each state, accompanied by the month and year of their occurrence.

Sobering to think that thirty-four of the highs in unemployment (that's low employment for the duller among you) occurred during the Reagan years (1981-1989), the president so many today claim to revere as a beacon conservative.

And here's a color-coded map of the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates in all states. Paul Krugman interprets the numbers and explains that the most affected areas show that manufacturing jobs are the hardest-hit.

Atdhe dhe arsim

Tirana Calling boton një thirrje nga Ismail Qemali të botuar në vitin 1900 ku ai i fton të gjithë shqiptarët të mos rrinë «këmbë kryq», por të marrin pjesë në përhapjen e shkollave kombëtare në gjuhën shqipe.

Për të shkuar përpara në rrugën e qytetërimit e të përparimit, kemi nevojë për dituri; dhe për dituri kemi nevojë për mësime. Pra kemi nevojë të ngrehim në gjithë Shqipërinë shkolla kombëtare për ta përhapur dhe për t’u lexuar kudo gjuha shqipe. Kjo nevojë shkollash është më e para e reformave që kemi detyrë të kërkojmë. Kurrë një popull nuk mund të rritet më vehte pa shkolla e pa arsim.