February 3, 2009
February 1, 2009
January 23, 2009
President Barack Obama orders shutdown of Guantanamo Bay
WASHINGTON—Moving to claim what he described as "the moral high ground," President Barack Obama took a series of steps Thursday to dismantle the most widely condemned components of the Bush administration's war on terror.
Obama issued three executive orders to shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba within a year, close the CIA's network of secret overseas prisons and end the agency's use of interrogation techniques that critics describe as torture.
But on a day meant to demonstrate a clean break with the policies of his predecessor, Obama put off many of the most difficult decisions on what the United States will do with detainees and left room to revisit whether the CIA should still have permission to use coercive methods when questioning captives.
Nonetheless, human-rights advocates hailed the steps, and Obama was applauded during a State Department visit when he said, "I can say without exception or equivocation that the United States will not torture."
In a ceremony in the Oval Office, Obama described the orders as more than the fulfillment of a campaign commitment. He said they also reflect "an understanding that dates back to our Founding Fathers: that we are willing to observe core standards of conduct not just when it's easy, but also when it's hard."
The flurry of orders prompted immediate changes at the CIA and elsewhere. Hours after the documents were signed, CIA Director Michael Hayden issued a statement to the agency's workforce instructing officers to comply "without exception."
Although the orders left the impression of swift action, many of their key provisions will take time to implement.
The Obama administration will give itself a year, for example, to close the Guantanamo Bay facility, a timeline that will allow the government to determine which detainees should be tried, which should be transferred to other countries, and what to do with new accused terrorists captured by the U.S.
There are 245 detainees in the prison. The question of what to do with them is a delicate one that balances the desire to close a facility widely seen as damaging to the United States' international standing with the risks of releasing people who many believe pose a serious threat.
Some Republicans accused the White House of acting rashly and without sufficient concern for potential risks.
"This is an executive order that places hope ahead of reality—it sets an objective without a plan to get there," Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
A second order banned the use of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. For the first time, CIA interrogators would be required to abide by a U.S. Army field manual that limits interrogators to 19 approved techniques and eschews harsh questioning practices.
But Obama appeared to leave an opening for the CIA to again have expanded authorities. The order calls for the creation of a special task force, led by the attorney general, to study whether the field manual is adequate and to recommend "additional or different guidance for other departments or agencies."
Administration officials stressed that there was no intent to create a loophole.
TECH OF THE DAY: SOUNDBULB
Soundbulb
Designed by Hoang M Nguyen, Poom Puttorngul & Anh Nguyen, essentially, what you’re looking at is a light bulb that includes a small driver along with an embedded wireless module that would enable it to receive streaming audio from a transmitter. Now of course you couldn’t get so soul shakin bass from these things but just think about the cool factor. Walk around your house and the same song is playing everywhere.. No complex wire-hiding speaker setup. A couple of cool features to note: you control the volume via the screw top, and the speaker is replaceable.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S INAUGURATION SPEECH [IN TEXT]
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S INAUGURATION SPEECH [IN TEXT]
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
“Notorious” Soundtrack Debuts High On The Charts, Ludacris Offically Goes Gold
With the release of the Biggie biopic Notorious hitting theaters last Friday (Jan. 16), Christopher Wallace fever is in full effect as fans picked up enough copies of the accompanying soundtrack to have it land at the no. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 chart this week.
According to the Nielsen SoundScan the compilation, which features unreleased demos from the beloved Brooklyn rapper as well as new tracks by Jay-Z and Jadakiss, managed to move 42,950 discs off the shelves in its debut week.
The movie has been all over the news as of late. The Los Angeles Times reports that it pulled in $21.5 million over the 3 day weekend despite several negative incidents that marred one screening in Greensboro, North Carolina and an unofficial after-party for the premiere in BK. Just today reports also surfaced describing an old domestic abuse case involving Gravy, the rapper-turned-actor who portrays Big in the flick, and his wife.
Following the Notorious Soundtrack is Kanye West who’s 808s and Heartbreak falls down two spots to the no. 5 position on the charts. West, who performed at yesterday’s Youth Inauguaral Ball in celebration of the Presidential induction of Barack Obama into office, sold an additional 39,530 albums this week. This brings the Chi-Town super producer/rapper’s total sales figures to 1,184,870.
January 22, 2009
Stax Documentary
PBS presents Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, which highlights the rise of Stax Records, death of Otis Reading, and the seizure of the entire Stax catalog by Atlantic Records, the label’s eventual recovery, and Isaac Hayes’ rise to stardom. (RIP)
It's SWAGG TIME!
The Uni wristwatch from qixen-p design studio is customized by the user. By using the accompanying software, the user can choose the fonts, colours, backgrounds, positions of the digits and the design of the hands. Universality is attained in that each user will display individuality and creativity. The watch is made of soft coated plastic that contains a 96 x 96 pixel OLED display, a mini USB and a built-in accelerometer to activate it with a flick of the wrist. Unfortunately, this award-winning product design is not yet available.
TROLL TOUCH ADDS TOUCHSCREEN TO APPLE'S 24-INCH LED DISPLAY
Troll Touch announcing a touch panel integration kit to convert the 24-inch LED display into a touchscreen. Powered internally by a USB, the touchscreen enhancement for the display isn’t any obvious unless the user starts manhandling the display. But then this touch is going to be a touch expensive, with new touch-enabled version available at $2,299
YOUNG JEEZY BELVEDERE'S "CIRCULATE" CAMPAIGN BY TERRY RICHARDS
Circulate - Behind The Scenes from standardatl.com on Vimeo.
American hip hop artist and rapper Young Jeezy will be featured in Belvedere Vodka’s upcoming “Circulate” ad campaign. The campaign will also feature photography done by Terry Richardson who has previously worked with Belvedere in the past. Here’s a video of some behind the scenes footage of Young Jeezy and Terry Richardson on the set.
CADILLAC WORLD THORIUM FUEL CONCEPT
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Cadillac, designer Loren Kulesus has floated a unique car, called the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel, that will keep you mobile for 100 years and that too with no fuel and maintenance cost. It’s amazing! Featuring modern technology and high-quality equipments, the concept car comes with an alternative mechanism for all major organizations, keeping it in working condition even if some part fails or stops functioning. Largely known as the Cadillac WTF, the vehicle includes 24 wheels with individual internal induction motors, which just needs to be regulated once in 5 years without adding or subtracting any material.
HALLE BERRY BY TONY DURAN
Via: designscene
"Model": Halle Berry
Photography by Tony Duran
Website: tonyduran.net
Joaquin Phoenix Rapping??? WTF
Joaquin Phoenix took to the stage at Vegas nightclub Lavo this weekend to debut three hip-hop songs from his upcoming album. Joaquin’s rapping leaves much to be desired and he finishes off his performance by tripping and falling into the crowd. Watch Joaquin Phoenix’s rapping video and see photo gallery below.
Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix did say he planned to retire from acting to pursue a career in music. But who would have believed Phoenix would want to be a rapper?
Joaquin Phoenix made his “rapping debut” with a public performance in Las Vegas. Friends and family gathered at club LAVO to encourage Joaquin in his new career. Joaquin performed three songs from his debut album that supposedly was produced by Sean Combs. The crowd actually seemed to enjoy his performance.WTF has Hip Hop come to?
OBAMA @ WORK
President Obama in the oval office
After Tuesday’s historic events, U.S. President Barack Obama gets to work in the Oval Office on Wednesday morning in Washington, DC.
President Obama (joined by Vice President Biden) signed his first five executive orders on Wednesday. Obama’s orders dealt with a freeze on some government salaries, a ban on lobbying his administration after leaving, and loosening of the way the federal government interprets the Freedom of Information Act.
president obama signed his first five executive orders as vp Biden looks on.
The Youth Inaugural Ball
MTV Host Sway and Kanye West appear on the MTV & ServiceNation: Live From The Youth Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington on Tuesday night in Washington, DC. The Youth Ball was one of the ten balls that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stopped by while celebrating the historic day.
Performers included: Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, Kid Rock and appearances by Usher, Rosario Dawson, Tobey Maguire and more. (view video from this ball @ www.swaggnews.com)
PRESIDENT OBAMA & THE FIRST LADY SHARE A DANCE
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama danced their way through 10 official inaugural balls Tuesday night, after a historic day in American history.
The Obamas were serenaded by Beyoncé during their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball, where she sang Etta James’ “At Last,” from her role in the movie “Cadillac Records.”
Before the dance, Obama addressed the crowd, which erupted in applause when he entered the room.
“First of all, how good-looking is my wife?” Obama beemed.
When DREAMS come TRUE
Playground by artist Tom Otterness
Biography on Tom Otterness.
1952
Born in Wichita, Kansas
1970
Art Students League, New York
1973
Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1977
Member of Collaborative Projects, Inc., New York
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January 21, 2009
OBAMA TAKES THE OATH OF OFFICE TO BECOME THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Via: CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barack Obama delivered a sobering assessment of where America stands and a hopeful vision of what it can become as he gave his inaugural address as the nation's 44th president.
"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time," Obama told hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in front of the Capitol.
"But know this, America -- they will be met," he said.
He also vowed to end the divisiveness and partisanship he said was rampant through Washington.
"We come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics," he said.
In another allusion to Washington's shortcomings, Obama promised to hold accountable anyone who handles taxpayer dollars.
"And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."
The new president, who hugged civil rights stalwart Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, on the inaugural stage Tuesday, also hailed the civil rights movement.
"This is the meaning of [America's] liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath," Obama said.
The address touched on other themes, including a warning to terrorists.
"With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you," the president stated.
Wearing a navy suit and red tie, Obama was sworn in using the same Bible that was used in President Abraham Lincoln's inauguration.
The jubilant crowd became quiet as Obama began his address, with only an occasional "That's right" or "Amen" and scattered applause from the hundreds of thousands in front of him.
Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren delivered the invocation, applauding what he called "a hinge-point in history." Civil rights veteran the Rev. Joseph Lowery gave the benediction.
Aretha Franklin sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" before Joe Biden was sworn in as vice president.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall -- dancing, singing and vigorously shaking flags -- before Tuesday's swearing-in.
"This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesized by King that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes."
Minott was at Lafayette Square near the White House, where Obama and his wife, Michelle, had coffee with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush before heading to Capitol Hill.
The Obamas attended a prayer service earlier at St. John's Episcopal Church to kick off the day of events surrounding Obama's inauguration. Watch the Bushes greet the Obamas »
As many as 2 million people were expected to crowd into the area between the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.
Gerrard Coles of Norwalk, Connecticut, had staked out a position in front of St. John's.
"Everyone's down here -- hopefully to catch a glimpse of Barack, just for a split second," he said. "I think this was a beautiful thing. It's something I always wanted to do. It's not every day that you get to be a part of history. Rather than just watch it on TV, you actually get to partake in it and you have a story to tell your kids."
Nine-year-old Laura Bruggerman also hoped to catch a glimpse of the soon-to-be president. She waited with her mother, Wendy, and father, Jeff, of Bethesda, Maryland, amid an affable crowd that tried to let shorter onlookers and children to the front for better views.
"I want to see Obama. I think that would be really cool. I could tell all of my friends that I got to see him," the youngster said.
Some spectators were more than a mile from the swearing-in ceremony, watching on giant TV screens erected along the National Mall.
The historic event has drawn myriad celebrities and politicians, including actors Dustin Hoffman and Denzel Washington, director Steven Spielberg and former vice presidents Dan Quayle, Al Gore and Walter Mondale.
Former Presidents Clinton, Carter and George H.W. Bush also were in attendance. Clinton and Bush shared an embrace.
Oprah Winfrey and actor Samuel L. Jackson sat on the same row. Winfrey hugged Senate hopeful Caroline Kennedy and later said of the inauguration, "It's behind the dream. We're just here feeling it with the throngs of people. It's amazing grace personified."
After a formal farewell to President Bush and lunch with congressional leaders, Obama will head up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where he and his family will watch the inauguration parade from a reviewing stand. The parade begins at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Organizers have said about 280,000 people can fit into the secure zones around the Capitol and roughly 300,000 into the area around the parade. A mere 28,000 seats are available on Capitol grounds.
The new president and first lady will close the night by attending 10 official inaugural balls.
While Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said Monday there was "no credible threat" to the inauguration events, a security cordon has been put in place around the city's core, turning much of downtown Washington into a pedestrian-only zone.
In addition to Secret Service, the security effort will involve 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, 10,000 National Guard troops, about 1,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
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