Diálogo Plural

Read this feature from USA Today on the decline of the American Male. I don't know whether this is a concern for government as the article suggest. Instead, while it is a concern for people who hold traditional and/or conservative points of view, to me it is just a reflection of the increasing diversity that American liberals have embraced for a long time. Change is happening slowly and gradually. Nevertheless we should celebrate that the workforce and the workplace is diverse (I don't see any problem with the following phrase from the article more American women will have jobs than men ). And while it is true that particular sector of the population have different needs American males need to be conscious of their situation. Should they embrace this new diversity? yes; Should they be self-conscious of their particular needs? definitely. In any case, read the rest of the article, it is quite interesting, and tell me what you think...

This article by French daily Le Monde tells of how cultural, sporting and general spectator events are on the decrease thanks to the A-flu (H1N1). Insurers just don't want to take the risk. Tell me what you think...

With all the news that are coming out of Afghanistan these days especially in Helmand Province ... ...it's hard to notice that in some places of the country there are better tidings. I found this reportage from The New York Times titled 'In Poverty and Strife, Women Test Limits', in it journalist Carlotta Gall narrates the conditions in which women of Bamiyan gained considerable ground thanks to a tolerant shiite culture and situation of relative peace before, during and after the Taliban regime. Read the article, it is very interesting and watch the related video below. Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com. I know this is small comfort especially for the recent loss in British and US soldier's lives. But as the narrator and the newspiece says Bamiyan can provide a working model for inter-ethnic, interfaith and gender relations in this war-ravaged country. Tell me what you think...

Neo-nazis in Mongolia??? Oh my God!!! Human beings can still surprise you in the weirdest (and worst) ways. Click on the link below and tell me what you think... The Neo-Nazis of Mongolia: Swastikas Against China

This article by Jeffrey Toobin from The New Yorker is an after the fact reflection on the almost uneventful confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. See the link below and tell me what you think. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/07/27/090727taco_talk_toobin?printable=true -- Post From My iPhone

In a major health concern such as the one brought forth by the H1N1 flu virus one can never be too misinformed or uninformed. I'd like to direct you to the link below, it takes you to a CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) page with considerable amount of information on the virus and the measures people can take to avoid contagion. It riles me that this virus has altered substantially our social protocols and interactions. But as much as it bothers me to keep my distance from people I care about I'd rather have them alive and healthy. Eventually, when this flu crisis is over, I can embrace them again. Tell me what you think. http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm# Sent from my iPhone

I saw this extraordinary article from Herbert Brooks of the New York Times. Titled 'The End of Philosophy brooks makes an argument about how social and cognitive scientists as well as philosophers underestimate the driving power of human emotions. Tell me what you think...

I recently posted on my Facebook profile a brief comment on this Wall Street Journal editorial heavily criticizing resigning governor Sarah Palin . The severeness of this newspaper's piece centered on Palin's wisdom for such a move and whether it helps her chances at challeging President Barack Obama in 2012 (conservatives seem to be up in arms already for this event still three and a half years away, which tells you a lot about how much they care for America's well being). The editorial also centers on Palin's competence and capacity to handle tremendous amounts of political and media pressure. Something which, judging by her resignation, is evident. I want to direct your attention towards this other opinion piece in NPR from Women in Media and News' (also, check out WIMN's blog ) Jennifer L. Posner titled 'Hot And Bothering: Media Treatment Of Sarah Palin'. In it Posner criticizes the highly sexist remarks directed at Palin from various...

To the Christian Science Monitor Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation is already a given. After all the sniping, the condescention, the defense, often emphatically, of her judicial point of view by Senators Leahy and Feinstein, the unhelpful remarks by Senator Schumer (read my comments and the article by The Nation's Richard Just, on the negative spin given to the term 'Empathy'), and the ease of tensions thanks to Senator Franken the American republic and it's people are on track to welcome a Justice of Hispanic descent to its highest court. Tell me what you think... http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/07/17/sotomayor-on-track-to-easy-supreme-court-confirmation/ Sent from my iPhone, re-edited with BlogPress

It seems Microsoft has competition and Google's got their work cut out for them. I bid them good luck and hope that they know what they're doing. Taking on Microsoft is never easy and for the challenging company failure has dire outcomes. I'd really hate to see Google permanently damaged because of this. All the best. See below and tell me what you think... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/technology/companies/08operate.html?_r=3&WT.mc_id=fb_nyt351&WT.mc_ev=click Sent from my iPhone

This piece from Congressional daily The Hill narrates the funny exchange between Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and recently-sworn Senator Al Franken. Click on the following link: http://bit.ly/m1anM The Perry Mason pun did, if nothing else, ease the tensions of the room. The charged atmosphere provoked by yesterday's condescending questions by several conservative senators whose aim was to distort, ridicule and provoke Sotomayor into disqualification. Tell me what you think. Sent from my iPhone

In this excelently written article (below) from The New Republic magazine Richard Just laments the whole tirade of GOP and Democrat senators on the term empathy. In their obnoxious and condescending remarks towards Sonia Sotomayor, the fine senators from the 'republican' party (the quoting and small letter are deliberate, these men DO NOT, represent the Republic that is the United States) vilified empathy utter uselessness; a word and disposition that judges should stay away from. Richard Just argues precisely that the precedent set in these hearings against such an useful attitude will prevent judges from applying the law in a wide-range and inclusive perspective. How else, Just says, can a justice's opinions be sound, if he/she doesn't put him/herself in the position of groups not like his/her own? Some democrats didn't help either, they are so hung up, for example Charles Schummer of New York, on not being branded leftist or extremely liberal, that in assuming ...

This editorial from CQ Politics nails effectively republican Senator's patronizing attitudes towards Judge Sotomayor. In the end, this may seem like a good idea trying to ridicule or provoke the nominee, at least for the extreme-conservative lunatic fringe, but these pyrrhic victories makes the GOP out of touch with reality and - definitely - the political mainstream. Tell me what you think. http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/smiling-gopers-ought-to-be-fro.html Sent from TwitterFon Sent from my iPhone

This interview below features PBS' Jim Lehrer and two law professors talking about the highlights of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court Hearing.  Both academics agree that the July 14th hearing was civil. Perhaps they didn't see the exchange between the judge and the 'gentleman' Senator from Alabama which was anything but civil.  You be the judge...wow that sounded like a pun.  Tell me what you think.  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec09/sotoanalysis_07-14.html Sent from TwitterFon Sent from my iPhone

In the link below you'll find some of the petty remarks made by republican senators in order to provoke an angry and disqualifying response from judge Sonia Sotomayor. In their attempt to reveal an evil, temperamental, and biased judge, the 'Senators' from Alabama and South Carolina revealed something far more uglier and disturbing: their true selves. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/us/politics/15judge.html?_r=1 Sent from my iPhone

I saw this feature recently on the New York Times Magazine . It narrates the efforts of Rabbi Capers Funnye, an African-American Jew, to open his congregation the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago towards, and reach out to, mainstream Judaism. It is indeed a story to read. Tell me what you think...

See this article from congressional newspaper The Hill and see proof that people can - still - surprise you, even in politics. Tell me what you think. http://mobile.thehill.com/leading-the-news/dems-won-unexpected-gop-support-for-climate-bill-2009-07-04.html Sent from TwitterFon Sent from my iPhone

This article by UK daily The Guardian reviewing the work of Scottish-American historian Linda McDonald-Lewis touches upon that very subject. The argument goes along the lines of tracing American ideals of liberty and democracy not on ancient Greek philosophy, nor the Magna Carta , and deeper and more ancient than the Scottish Enlightenment , but on the Declaration of Arbroath in the Fourteenth Century (1320). See also this link from the portal Gateway to Scotland and versions of the Declaration in the original Latin and English . http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/05/declaration-independence-arbroath-wordsmiths More on the Scottish Enlightenment Scottish Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry Northern Lights: How modern life emerged from eighteen-century Edinburgh - Article from The New Yorker Sent from my iPhone, re-edited on Blogger

This Michael Jackson obituary from The New Yorker (see the link below) is the most balanced I've read since his passing. The thing is that, no matter how much you liked or loved Michael Jackson, you couldn't help being taken aback by his eccentricities or saddened by his legal troubles, especially the sexual abuse charges. In the end, a lot of us were put off by this and decided to move on always wondering: how did it come to this? This is a weird kind of sad. I mourn, not the man that just died, but the charismatic kid who did vocals for the Jackson Five, the sad kid exploited by his father, the scrawny-looking young star who compelled us to move and dance to contagious rythm. And finally, I will mourn the man who became legend when in 1983 he released an extraordinary album, and the world of pop would never be the same. That's the Michael Jackson I will mourn... Michael Jackson, 1958-2009: Goings On: Online Only: The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goi...