Thursday, February 08, 2007

Race, Gender

The Intersection of Race and Gender Relations: A Contemporary Perspective

by Paramendra Bhagat
May 5, 2000.

SOC 325 Gender and Sex Roles
Dr. Jill Bouma

Introduction: Racism and Sexism as Mirror Images of Each Other

The stubborn persistence of both racism and sexism as dominant worldviews that affect the minorities and women in all walks of their lives might be good reason to explore the unexplored common ground between these two groups. Since there is considerable intersection between race and gender relations almost to the point of overlap, it is in seeking common ground that these two groups can hope to effectively counter the debilitating effects of the ideologies of racism and sexim (Sidanius 1993). These two groups share several attributes like "stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice, and accommodating behaviors" (Kowalewski et al. 1995).

Put the two together with the rest of the ism family - classism, ageism, adultism, elitism, heterosexism, and physicalism - and you have a rainbow coalition and a blueprint for the liberation of the various oppressed groups that each of these terms represent. For the purposes of this paper I hope to focus primarily on the twin sisters of the ism family, racism and sexism, and explore the commonalties between the two and derive rays of hope for women and minorities, as political power, in the ultimate, is the game of numbers and alliances and political power can beget economic power.

Each of these ideologies that go with the ism family is constantly recreated and, hence, can be checked if a sufficient level of consciousness were to be achieved. "Marginality is … not simply a site of oppression, but of radical possibility and a site from where the creations and imaginings of alternatives and new worlds can be formulated" (hooks 1990 as quoted in Matthews 1997). Change for the better is possible if the mechanisms of oppression are better understood.

Literature Review

Allen (1995) suggests that a confrontation of patriarchy is the only sure way to fight racial oppression. Bhopal (1998) focuses on the interplay between racism and health care in the British context. Gewirtz (1991), on the other hand, explores the sociology of education to see how both racism and sexism alter conditions to the detriment of women and minorities. Kowalewski et al. (1995) explore the two explanations of racism and sexism, the structural and the cultural/psychological. They suggest that the former might be much more debilitating than the later. Sidanius (1993) found that "sexism and racism (were) not only strongly correlated but also related to education, academic competence, religious denomination, general conservatism, and anti-egalitarianism."

Racism and Sexism Defined as Tools of Political and Economic Power

The dominant thinking on racism and sexism in Sociology suggests that these ideologies are pathologies of the mind that will hopefully go away with time. Gradualist approaches are suggested to counter racist and sexist practices. The more compelling truth is they are ideologies that help certain groups of people move ahead at the expense of women and minorities in the competition for political and economic power (Kowalewski et al. 1995). It has been shown that the greater the concentration of political and economic power in an institution, the greater is its tendency towards both racism and sexism (Kowalewski et al. 1995). What are described as symptoms of the pathologies are merely the byproduct of these deeply entrenched racist and sexist practices in the corridors of power (Sidanius 1993).

The structural manifestations of racism and sexism are much more debilitating and hindering for the two affected groups than their cultural and psychological counterparts (Kowalewski et al. 1995). Structural racism and sexism deny women and minorities access to opportunities to bring forth the talent and abilities that are evenly distributed among all groups. "(S) elf-interested groups seek power and privilege via control over major institutions" (Kowalewski et al. 1995). That results in overt and covert practices of racism and sexism that have their institutional strains which have characteristics different from when they are practiced in non-institutional settings. Hiring, firing and promotion practices tend not be race and gender neutral.

All major institutions of society - family, school, church, government, military, and businesses - thus can be said to be infected in ways not always admitted in mainstream thinking (Sidanius 1993). The ideologies, values and socialization practices of some groups are adopted while those of other groups are systematically marginalized resulting in patterns of exclusion for such groups.

These major institutions tend to be interlocked with each other, further compounding the problem. At the macro level of mega corporations and big government, the interlocking is even more institutionalized, and that helps the groups in power to perpetuate their privileged conditions at the expense of the marginalized groups making it so much harder for progress to be made in terms of countering racist and sexist practices. "Production is organized in ways that engender racism and sexism" (Institute for Policy Studies/Transnational Institute, 1984, p. 52 as quoted in Kowalewski et al. 1995).

The Symbolic/Psychological/Cultural Manifestations of Racism/Sexism Described as Symptoms rather than the Cause

The psychological-cultural racism and sexism rob the oppressed groups of their true identities and, in so doing, put them at the receiving end of constant barrages on their sense of worth and the confidence that they too are worthy of success. Perhaps the larger disadvantage accrued from such unceasing attacks is that the oppressed groups become less willing to challenge the structural manifestations of oppression.

Science has been used in the past to "prove" the superiority of one race over the other and one sex over the other. For example, attempts have been made in the past to "prove" that African Americans are intellectually inferior to the whites for genetic reasons and that women are consituted weaker at the biological level. Suggestions have been made that social evolution has favored the white male for no fault of their own. Such "scientific" claims attempt to rationalize the persistent inequalities in society.

Thought patterns that exclude some groups from the mainstream discourse of society have concrete impacts: "racism underlies unexplained inequities in health care, including treatment for heart disease, renal failure, bladder cancer, and pneumonia," to look at just one sector of many (Bhopal 1998). Education is another sector that can be similarly described:

Women are required to take on men's definitions of the world, which enhance their image and increase the value of men, and in the process women are required to deny their own experience, to accept men's definitions of them as inferior, to believe that they are less valuable. (Spender 1982, p. 26 as quoted in Gewirtz 1991)

These two examples from the education and health sectors help us see how the psychological-cultural manifestations of racism and sexism can easily blend into having structural impact. When women and minorites for the first time enter in significant numbers institutions that have historically been the domain of the white males, they fnd themselves trying to fit into the straitjackets that were not designed for them. Often that requires that they be less respectful of the differences that make them stand out from the dominant group. That might be minority students who find their histories are denied mainstream attention or women who find that the contribution of women in the academic disciplines and other human endeavors end up marginalized over time (Gewirtz 1991).

The Intersection between Racism and Sexism: The Unrealized Common Ground

There is anything but realized common ground between women and minorities today as the two groups are juxtaposed in ways that hurt both groups. However that should not be a reason to forego efforts towards meaningful coalition building. White women who choose to act racist and minority men who choose to act sexist are dancing self-defeating tangos in that they are undermining whatever common ground could be established between the two groups to mutual macro-political advantages. Allen (1995) points out that for black men to subscribe to male supremacy is to prepare themselves to accept the larger, more dominant white supremacy. Allen supports Minister Louis Farrakhan's call to disavow "wife abuse, abuse of children, and the use of misogynist language" as acts of self-interest.

Internalized racism and sexism is when minorities and women themselves subscribe to the distorted identities that get ascribed to them by the dominant groups. That acceptance of the status quo on the part of the members of the two groups results in a basic disunity among women and minorities themselves. Such internalization and the associated acceptance of distortions bring forth a failure on the part of the two groups to seek common ground among them. Therein emerges the contradictory scenario of most women denying the very existence of sexism and most minorities lacking sufficient consciousness to challenge racism.

Such internal disintegration of the collective psyches of the two groups is compounded further by the constant hits they take from the oppressor groups. This makes the challenge of seeking common ground between the two groups twofold: one, to counter internalized forms of oppressive worldviews, and, two, to challenge the ideologies of the oppressor groups. Even so it is not easy to reach out across the barriers that so divide the women as a group and the various ethnic minorities as a group. The disintegration stems from the lack of pride these two groups might feel in their collective identities. But then the glimmer of hope is that it has been shown white men, across the spectrum, tend to be more prone to racism than white women (Sidanius 1993). It might be an odd hope to see in the mindset of white women the lesser evil, but at least that glimmer could be a starting point for coalition building and to confront racism itself.

Political Power: To do with Numbers and Alliances

Women and minorities might have the numbers but, as of now, both groups lack strong alliances within themselves and between them that would sow the seed of common purpose between the two groups. Any firm bridge between the two at the macro level can only be built by understanding racism and sexism as ideologies subscribed to by certain groups as leverages in the tussle for economic and political power. Any meaningful challenge of the twin ideologies of racism and sexism will be made possible only with a sophisticated understanding on the part of women and minorities of the way power, both political and economic, play out. Countering the "pathology" of the two oppressive worldviews, as manifested in stereotypes and distorted images of members of the two groups, might also be worthy goals, but they are secondary exhibitions and should be understood as such.

Kowalewski et al. (1995) suggest that "all four dimensions of establishmentism - wealth, monopoly, economic connections, and political involvement - proved to be related to racism and sexism."

This implies that a political platform stressing (a) decentralization of wealth into a greater number of smaller firms; (b) antitrust efforts to combat monopolistic markets; (c) restrictions on director interlocks and joint shareholdings; and (d) constraints on corporate political action committees, lobbying influence, and revolving doors may prove an effective strategy for undermining the twin discriminations.

Conclusion

The interplay between the law and the ongoing cultural conversation at any particular period in time will be the twin barometers that will measure our collective progress in terms of both race and gender relations. We might be able to put an end to racism and sexism as we know them today. On the other hand, continued dialogue on the two central relations can help us appreciate the diversity among us to deeper levels than can be imagined while we fear more than appreciate each other.

References

  • Allen, Robert L. "Racism, sexism and a million men." Black Scholar. 25.4 (1995): 24-27.
  • Bhopal, Raj. "Spectre of racism in health and health care: Lessons from history and the United States." British Medical Journal. 316.7149 (19980: 1970-1974.
  • Kandal, Terry R. "Revolution, racism and sexism: Challenges For World-System Analysis." Studies in Comparative International Development. 25.4 (1990): 86-103.
  • Kowalewski, David; Judith S. McIlwee and Robin Prunty. "Sexism, Racism, and Establishmentism." Journal of Black Studies. 26.2 (1995): 201-215.
  • Gewirtz, Deborah. "Analyses of racism and sexism in education and strategies for change." British Journal of Sociology of Education. 12.2 (1991): 183-202.
  • Matthews, Julie Mariko. "A Vietnamese flag and a bowl of Australian flowers: Recomposing racism and sexism." Gender Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography. 4.1 (1997): 5-19.
  • Sidanius, Jim. "The interface between racism and sexism." Journal of Psychology Interdisciplinary and Applied. 127.3 (1993): 311-323.
  • Tate, George A. "Structured Racism, Sexism, and Elitism: A Hound That 'Sure Can Hunt' (The Chronicity of Oppresssion)." Journal of Counseling & Development. 77.1 (1999): 18-21.

© 2000 Paramendra Bhagat


In The News

10-day relief for Nepal as protesters call off strike Times of India the protesters who kept the kingdom's lifeline, the highway connecting Nepal
with India, closed for nearly three weeks. ... Upendra Yadav, the 48-year-old lawyer leading
the new protests on behalf of Madhesis, Nepal's neglected plains community, announced the
bandhs would be called off for 10 days, starting from Thursday night. ..... "It is the first, historic
victory for Madhesis," a jubilant Yadav, flanked by nearly a dozen plains leaders, said, referring
to the midnight appeal made by prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala Wednesday for the
withdrawal of the strikes. "This victory should be written in our history in golden letters," he
said.
Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani Lead NH 2008 Poll
NewsMax.com
Gingrich has said he may announce his decision to run in September. ..... Clinton currently has the support of 35 percent of likely Democratic primary voters followed by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama with 21 percent, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards with 16 percent ...... Obama has a positive net rating of 55 percent. "He has wide support and is viewed most favorably by voters with high levels of income and education. His lowest favorability ratings come from voters with lower levels of education ..... "Giuliani and Obama are the wild cards - [they] could go up or plummet
Black voters still unsure about Obama
Independent Online he lags well behind Democratic rival Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York among black voters, the most loyal Democratic voting bloc, and his candidacy has been greeted cautiously by some veteran black leaders uncertain about his experience and views....... Outside of Illinois, black voters and everybody else are asking, 'Who is this guy? ...... Springfield, Illinois, where the man who freed the slaves as president, Abraham Lincoln, delivered a famous 1858 "House Divided" speech decrying the country's divisions over slavery. ..... Obama's status as the first black presidential contender considered to have a real shot at winning the White House has not translated into automatic black support. ....... blacks oppose the Iraq war at higher percentages than white voters, making Obama's early opposition to the war a potential selling point. ........ Black voters constitute about 10 percent of the US electorate, and they often make up more than 40 percent of the Democratic primary vote in key Southern states like South Carolina ....... Obama has plenty of time to win over black voters.
Senator Barack Obama to Announce in Springfield, Illinois February ... Associated Content
Barack Obama announces presidential bid schedule WQAD
Obama to bypass public financing for presidential run WQAD
Obama asks permission to use public financing
ABC7Chicago.com Strategists estimate the 2008 race could cost each nominee 500 million dollars.
Obama preserves public financing option Centre Daily Times
Clinton Aims to Raise $75M Before 2008
Business Portal 24 (press release)
Business Pulse results: Clinton Dems' candidate for president Charlotte Business Journal
Clinton, McCain and Giuliani Top NH Poll Crosswalk.com
Poll Shows Clinton, Obama Gaining and McCain, Giuliani Dropping LifeNews.com
Early presidential poll shows Giuliani, Clinton lead in Pa. Allentown Morning Call
Iraq War Vote Could Dog Clinton on Campaign Trail NPR
Hillary Clinton's Flip-Flop Chronicled NewsMax.com

War stance raises issues about Clinton's candidacy Attleboro Sun Chronicle
Major Madhesi Group suspends stir in Nepal, ready for talks
Zee News
Southern Nepal group threaten more strikes Monsters and Critics.com
NEPAL: Background of the Terai's Madhesi peopleReuters AlertNet
Schram: No joy on McCain's presidential trail
Daily News Tribune Pro-surge in Iraq. Pro-choice in America. Pro-gay rights everywhere. Pro-family values everywhere ....... he seems to be enjoying his first fling at presidential politics ..... strongly at odds with the Republican hard-core base on all things social. ..... McCain is a strangely joyless presidential hopeful these days. ...... The remaking of McCain has included a shaving of policies and a shredding of principles. ...... he promoted an ex-Bush strategist, Terry Nelson, whose group was behind those ugly 2006 Tennessee Senate campaign ads that used a racially suggestive appeal (blond woman, bare shoulders) to help defeat then-Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a black Democratic bachelor who had once gone to a Playboy magazine party. ....... Somewhere along the way, he deep-sixed his political zest. On the TV news and Sunday talk-fests, where he once talked boldly, he now weaves and wavers. His cadence is much slower, voice much quieter. He has gone from combative to defensive. He comes into your parlor appearing not just unconvincing but unconvinced.
McCain, Feingold push Senate in opposite directions on Iraq The Reporter
Bihar asks Centre to review NSG cover to Rabri Devi Hindustan Times
Decision of NSG cover for Rabri triggers row Times of India
Gosh, Rabri's already a fortified home Times of India
Bill Gates' foundation to assist Bihar development Andhra Cafe
Edwards keeps controversial bloggers Chicago Tribune Partisan bloggers on the right and left get and keep their followings with their edgy, take-no-prisoners approach to political commentary. They are true believers speaking to other true believers which means they don’t necessarily feel the need to temper what they say.
Edwards to Keep Bloggers Who Regret Anti-Catholic Postings WRAL.com
Envoys optimistic on North Korean nuclear talks San Jose Mercury News
Baghdad security sweep nets top official New Straits Times
US urges wary NATO allies to boost Afghan fight Reuters
Analysts: Alliance Between China, North Korea Strained Over ... HULIQ
China, Mozambique issue joint communique on bilateral ties ... Xinhua
Top US official urges China to do more to help Darfur
International Herald Tribune
China wants peace in Darfur Sunday Times
Syria holds US responsible for humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq
Xinhua
Big windfalls from YouTube, Google pact
Centre Daily Times
YouTube Founders Reaped Massive Windfalls From Google Pact E-Commerce Times
YouTube: Will TV networks call Google’s bluff? ZDNet.com blogs
Princeton University joins Google book-scan project BizReport
Amitabh gifts Bentley to Abhishek IndiaPost.com
What does the praise from Amitabh Bachchan means to Abhishek Apun Ka Choice “`My father's opinion means the world to me.” ... The State Government has in the past granted tax exemption to several Amitabh and Abhishek movies.
Guru to get tax exemption in UP Business Standard Acceding to the request of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group-owned Ad labs, the UP government has decided to exempt the movie Guru, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, from the entertainment tax. ...... The exemption will cost the state exchequer over Rs 1 crore. .... Ever since the Samajwadi Party-led government came to power in UP in August 2003, all the films starring Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan have been exempted from the tax by the state government.
ON SOCCER Cuban weighs in on MLS, TV and Beckham Houston Chronicle
Soccer: Becks to kick off in Toronto New Zealand Herald
Dell begins selling Sony TVs Globe and Mail


Michael Dell comes out swinging Reseller News plans to remain as CEO for several years, trim the number of managers reporting directly to him and eliminate bonuses...... an overgrown bureaucracy and operating expenses that had grown too fast ..... we also have a new enemy: bureaucracy, which costs us money and slows us down. We created it, we subjected our people to it and we have to fix it!" Dell said. "I am asking each of you to look across your organizations and eliminate redundancies." ....... the accusation in a lawsuit by investors on Friday that 15 top executives had garnered millions of dollars by selling their stock after propping up the company's faltering revenue with secret payments from Intel. ..... a reorganization plan that calls for US$100 million in spending to improve the customer service practices that allow it to bypass retail stores ...... "Dell 2.0," trying to move beyond an enormous notebook PC battery recall in August by focusing on industrial design, overseas factories and a move to diversify its computers by using chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) as well as those from Intel...... focusing on the small and medium business (SMB) sector, enterprise servers and storage, shorter design cycles for new products and increased sales in emerging markets. ...... I remember what it's like to start a company. ...... Dell handed the title of world's largest PC vendor to Hewlett-Packard this year ...... "When I started back in 1984, it was just me. But now we are blessed to have an awesome team, many great assets and $11 billion or so," Dell said.

Dell rescue plan Leaked in memo Techworld.com restructuring its operations
Dell Adds Anti-Theft Security for Notebook Computers TechWhack
New York Mulls iPod Ban on City Streets Top Tech News one lawmaker wants device devotees to wake up and hear the traffic. He's pushing a proposal to make plugging in on New York streets a crime. ...... ban the use of handheld devices such as BlackBerries, iPods, and portable video games while crossing streets in major New York cities, such as New York City, Buffalo, and Albany. ...... the death of a 23-year-old Brooklyn man who donned his iPod headphones and walked into the path of a city bus. ...... In one case, according to Kruger, a plugged-in device blocked someone from hearing warnings from fellow pedestrians to stop. .... iPods and Walkmans don't kill pedestrians; reckless driving does. .... extending the time for crossing streets and passing tougher laws for reckless driving and failing to yield to pedestrians ...... "New York City is a walking city," he said. "To somehow restrain or prevent pedestrians from engaging in everyday activities is anticity and antipedestrian."
Windows Mobile 6 Taps New Exchange Features PC World a richer e-mail experience ......a visual experience for e-mail that is similar to the one they have on PCs
Hannibal Rising Chicago Tribune


Facebook: The Matrix Reloaded












The Matrix, Vision, Spread Democracy, Revolution

Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)
Barack Obama for President in 2008
Barack Obama for President
America for Barack Obama
Barack Obama for President
Barack Obama In '08? A much needed change in America?
Barack Obama - The Next President
Barack Obama '08
Barack Obama is amazing!
Barack Obama for President 2008
Barack Obama For President 2008
Barack Obama Will Save This Country
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008!!!
~BARACK OBAMA for first black PRESIDENT 2008~
Barack Obama for President 2008
Barack Obama for President 2008
Barack Hussein Obama for President
Barack Obama
Barack Obama For President
Barack Obama for President!!!
Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. for President
Barack Obama for President
WALL STREET FOR BARACK OBAMA

Wikipedia icon Madrasah Madrasah (Arabic:مدرسة) is the Arabic word for any type of school, secular or religious (of any religion). It is variously transliterated as madrasah, madrash, medresa, madreseh, madrassa, medrusha, or madressa.

In The News

Barbra Streisand to Give Money to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama ... FOX News
Obama makes push for his Iraq legislation WJBC News
John Edwards touts health care plan while in Downs
Clinton, Edwards and Obama: Strike Iran Barack Obama has also been upfront about how he would deal with Iran, arguing that he would not rule out the use of force and supports surgical strikes of alleged nuclear sites in the country if diplomacy (read: coercion) fails.
In Honolulu, young Obama was part of a multiethnic existence The Southern one of the state's top private schools. .... Everybody in Hawaii is a minority. ..... At Punahou, Barack Obama was known primarily for his appealing personality, his honesty and his aggressive play on the basketball court. ...... In 1971, she sent Obama, then 10 ..... Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, a bank vice president, and grandfather, Stanley Dunham, a salesman ..... let his grades slip in his final years of high school. ...... friends and teammates said he didn't appear to be discontented and always seemed to fit in. .... "He never let that show, so maybe it was more of an internal struggle," said teammate Alan Lum, who now teaches at Punahou. ....... At school, Obama was surrounded by the island's richest and most accomplished students. America Online founder Steve Case, actress Kelly Preston and former Dallas Cowboys lineman Mark Tuinei, who died in 1999, attended the school around that time. Pro golf sensation Michelle Wie, 17, is a student there now. ...... A lanky, left-handed forward, Obama became known for his elusive moves on the basketball court. ........ As a backup forward, Obama helped Punahou win the state championship in 1979. Teammates described him as charismatic, a somewhat quiet leader and outspoken with coaches when he didn't agree with them or understand their methods. ....... "He wasn't afraid to challenge authority," Lum said. "Sometimes I couldn't believe he would say it, but I would be thinking the same thing. I remember him being honest and courageous. I respected him for that." ........ brought books to read on road trips, served on the school literary magazine's editorial board and sang in choir as a freshman and sophomore. ....... "He also told me to stick to my studies because they'll take me where I want to go. And I did, and I got to where I wanted to be." ...... even though Obama wasn't a straight-A student, they had high expectations for him. ....... His keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention prompted Eric Kusunoki, Obama's homeroom teacher for four years, to pull out a dusty maroon scrapbook stored away since 1979. ....... the teenage Obama _ carving pumpkins, volunteering for class activities, celebrating birthdays, even writing a nice goodbye note to his teacher. ....... "He was very gifted, and I knew he'd do great things. But this well? On this stage? I never expected that." ........ Obama still spends most Christmas holidays in Hawaii visiting old Punahou friends, his grandmother, 84, and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband. ...... "The opportunity that Hawaii offered _ to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect _ became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."
Rudy Giuliani - the GOP’s Barack Obama MSNBC The six candidates who top the polls right now fall into three bipartisan pairings. I’ll call them the Charismatics, the Practicals, and the Base-Wooers. ...... Obama’s pitch is: Because of my background and my skills, I can bringing disparate peoples together. If the problem is that America is a pariah, I am, by my nature, the antidote. ....... I got on Facebook and saw the Obama action there. It was fast and furious - and utterly spontaneous
Clinton and Obama offer contrasting political styles
Bradenton Herald Clinton talks tough about Republicans. She went after President Bush by name in her kickoff campaign speech .... "I want to run a positive, issue-oriented, visionary campaign. But you can count on me to stand my ground and fight back." ....... "It's going to be cynicism that we're fighting against," he said to applause. ...... "Obama appears to be a compromiser," said Joan Bouchard of Davenport, Iowa. "As much as I'd like to knock down my opponents, I've learned in life that you have to work with people to get things done." ...... "She (Clinton) knows how politics works. She knows it's a knock-down, drag-out fight."

Bush defends actions against Iranian agents
Houston Chronicle
NEWSWEEK POLL: Bush Job Approval at All-Time Low: 30 Percent Yahoo! News (press release)
Bush critical of war critics Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Dyer: China's satellite-killer test - should we be worried?
Salt Lake Tribune
Ex-Cheney Aide Shares Media Manipulation
FOX News
Rep. Rush Backs Obama For Presidential Nomination
CBS2 Chicago
Obama seeks health care for all Jackson Hole Star-Tribune Obama said while plans are offered in every campaign season with "much fanfare and promise," they collapse under the weight of Washington politics, leaving citizens to struggle with the skyrocketing costs. ........ Americans pay $15 billion in taxes to help care for the uninsured. ...... Democrats "need to cling to the core values that make us Democrats, the belief in universal health care, the belief in universal education, and then we should be agnostic in terms of how to achieve those values." ...... she criticized Bush's proposal to make health care more affordable through tax breaks, arguing that it would lead to less funding for hospitals. ...... I'm going to send him a suit of armor because I know anybody who puts a foot in the health care debate is gonna need that. I've got the scars and experience to show for it
Obama Vows Plan to Provide Universal Health Care By 2013 International News Service
Obama + Hillary = Ka-Ching! Broadcasting & Cable (subscription) after bringing in close to $15 million for his 2004 Senate bid, Obama now has a Murderers' Row of wealthy Democrats and independents falling all over themselves to fund his White House run. ..... Any K Street consultant will tell you that the entry fee to be taken seriously in the primary is $100 million. ..... In the 2004 primary race, Democratic candidates spent close to $400 million, with the lion's share—$235 million—coming from John Kerry. By the time George W. Bush won reelection, both parties had spent north of an astounding $1 billion, most of it in the primary season. It could easily be 50% higher this time around. ..... the Internet will no doubt play a part in everyone's campaign—it was on their respective Websites that Obama and Clinton made it official—most of the cash will be targeted at TV buys ........ Clinton and Obama, with their movie-of-the-week biographies ..... Both Clinton and Obama are as comfortable sitting across the table from Chris Matthews as they are sharing a couch with Oprah Winfrey. ..... Ever since John Kennedy brought the presidency into the TV age, we've had candidates who injected a little Hollywood into Washington. ..... no two candidates with this kind of spark have faced each other yet. I know I'll be watching.
Sen. Barack Obama receiving Hollywood attention ToTheCenter.com
• The Obama Madrassa Hoax
Newsweek
Barack Obama refutes Islamic claims New Zealand Herald (Subscription)
Huge Fuss Over Obama's 'Ordinary' Public School ABC News
Clinton Arrives in Iowa
Washington Post
Clinton Aiming To Overcome Iowa Obstacles Playfuls.com
Hollywood stars choose between Clinton, Obama Reuters India Obama launched his exploratory committee 10 days ago, and Clinton quickly followed suit. ....... registered Democratic voters favor Clinton over Obama by 40 percent to 21 percent, though Obama drew far greater support across party lines. ...... Some Democratic activists have privately expressed anger at Clinton's early support for the Iraq war. They worry she may prove too divisive a candidate to win at election time or that some voters are facing "Clinton fatigue." .... Barack Obama is going to learn things about himself that he himself never knew
Clinton, Giuliani Hit the Campaign Trial ABC News
Hillary Clinton Wins Dinner Invite Poll Post Chronicle
Entertainers flock to Obama Bradenton Herald George Clooney calls him a friend. Halle Berry has said she'd "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear." Oprah Winfrey says he's her man. ..... three of the most powerful men in Hollywood - Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen - have just invited Democrats to a truly high-profile fundraiser: a Feb. 20 reception for Obama at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a dinner later at Geffen's home for top donors...... it's Clinton who's the clear front-runner at this point, with the long-term relationships, the financing, the network of support dating to the early '90s ....... Spielberg isn't picking favorites yet. He and other major Los Angeles donors, including producer Steve Bing, media mogul Haim Saban, supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and investment banker Sim Farar, will be co-hosting a fundraiser for Clinton in the spring ...... "If you could take Barack Obama's image, add Hillary Clinton's money and John Edwards' voice, that would be my candidate" ....... "What I'm finding interesting is that Obama is not the immediate favorite of a lot of African-Americans - he came up through the system, not the grass roots like Jesse Jackson.
Did Microsoft want to 'whack' Dell over its Linux NewsForge company executives were swapping e-mails suggesting Dell deserved a beating for its growing interest in Linux
Europe Not Friendly To Apple's Itunes Post Chronicle
Google and YouTube: A Catch-22 BusinessWeek
Google leads Apple in global brand ranking; YouTube, Wikipedia in ... Indiantelevision.com
Google Wins as Top Brand in 2006, But is There More to the Story? AXcess News
YouTube videos are part of picture in Google search
Indianapolis Star
Google Offers YouTube Video in Searches International News Service
Google Starts Integrating YouTube Content All Headline News online video-sharing service will remain the domain of YouTube while the Google Video shifts its focus to search. .... "Google Video will become even more comprehensive as it evolves into a service where you can search for the world's online video content, irrespective of where it may be hosted" .... intends to put its resources and ad revenue-generating prowess to work for YouTube while leaving it free to operate independently. .... "YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen and the rest of the YouTube team will continue to innovate exciting new ways for people to broadcast themselves."
Yahoo`s new ad system to boost growth: Analysts Zee News its new system, dubbed Panama, would be fully introduced in the United States as of February 5 ...... The ad system brings Yahoo in closer league with Web search leader Google Inc. , honing the technology that allows advertisers to pay for search terms based on their popularity. .... Panama also helps advertisers target the ads sent to specific audiences on the Web or rotate ads based on their effectiveness, capabilities Google has offered for several years. ..... I do think they (Yahoo) will narrow the gap
IBM, Intel pace each other with improved transistors Macworld
Intel, IBM announce insulation "overhaul" for faster, cooler chips
engadget
IBM and Oracle Agreement Strengthens Mainframe Computing, IDC Says TechWhack
Oracle Makes Another Blow At Red Hat EFYTimes
Oracle sneaks out E-Business Suite 12 Techworld.com
Oracle's ‘Web 2.0’ interface coming this month Computerworld Malaysia Oracle will release WebCenter this month, a tool for building user
interfaces that include Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis. .....
an add-on to Oracle Application
Server Enterprise Edition for US$50,000 per CPU. ..... WebCenter Services, for embedding
services such as Oracle Enterprise Search, VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calling and
wiki-building tools into the interface. ...... click on the employee's name and initiate a VOIP
call ...... WebCenter's appeal lies partly in its close ties with Oracle's database and application
server ..... Oracle customers can use those existing infrastructure products to deploy the blogs
and wikis. .... the default interface for Oracle's Fusion applications, a merger of its Oracle,
Siebel and PeopleSoft applications due in 2008. ...... WebCenter is essentially the opposite of a
portal: It allows developers to put portal elements into an application (or application interface),
rather than putting applications content into distinct portal product. ...... IBM also entered the
game this week, announcing plans to bring Web 2.0 capabilities to its Lotus Notes collaboration
software. ..... "Oracle WebCenter is the most ambitious attempt from a large established vendor
to enable IT and end users to create mashups from any applications and information sources,
not just Oracle's" ..... each of its applications suites -- the E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, JD
Edwards and Siebel.
Sun Microsystems swings to profit
The Brunei Times

Observers wonder how Wal-Mart will regain edge Columbus Dispatch
The world’s largest retailer is struggling ...... a disappointing 2006. The top question now is whether the company will continue an 18-month-old strategy of prying more money from affluent shoppers with trendier products or return to low-priced basics. ..... Efforts to improve its image with trendier fashion brands and home fashion accessories have fallen flat, although its push for higher-price electronics, such as flat-panel TVs, has done well. ...... Wal-Mart reported the worst holiday season on record even as the company started to reemphasize its low prices after months of playing down its discount strategy. That has left customers and observers confused about what Wal-Mart is trying to be. ....... They have to be crystal clear that they are a low-price leader ...... the retailer is starting a two-year effort to tailor its stores to local communities, offering different selections of merchandise to six target demographic groups, including Latinos and blacks. ....... Fleming, a veteran of fastergrowing rival Target Corp., will oversee the buyers who stock Wal-Mart in most of the categories the company considers key for growth: grocery, entertainment, apparel and home furnishings. ....... two new divisions, one aimed at improving the customer experience and the other focused on planning, pricing and replenishment. ....... "Conceptualizing is one thing, but executing is another thing"
Iran installing 3000 nuclear centrifuges, MP says Reuters.uk
WTO ministers pledged to put Doha Round back on track Xinhua
'Rush' for Windows Vista is more like a stroll
Seattle Post Intelligencer
YouTubers to get ad money share
BBC News a mixture of adverts, including short clips shown ahead of the actual film. ..... The offer applies only to people who own the full copyright of the videos that they are uploading to the YouTube website. .... currently working on "audio fingerprinting" technologies to identify copyrighted material ..... YouTube was still working out the technology and processes involved - both for the rewards system and the video clip advertising system. ..... various features would be rolled out one by one over the next few months. ...... a clip of three seconds length was one of the options
YouTube co-founder says site will begin sharing revenue with users USA Today
YouTube to share revenue with users: AP MarketWatch
Intel, IBM separately reveal transistor breakthrough International Herald Tribune
What You Need To Know About Windows Vista
Playfuls.com
Is Fox Preparing to Fight YouTube?
Playfuls.com
Spitzer: Reform NY health care now BusinessWeek
State of the Union? Divided
The Japan Times
Freeways' tainted air harms children's lungs, experts say
Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

State Of The Union Watch Parties













There were two locations to go to.
  1. Dewey's Flatiron – upstairs
    210 5th Ave, between 25th and 26th
  2. The Irish Rogue - upstairs
    346 W 44th St, between 8th and 9th Aves
I wanted to go to both. So I did. I first went to the one nearer. Other MYD officers won uncontested. Lee Motayed won handy. She had an opponent. She is of Indian heritage. She looked awfully happy. She is amazing.

Then I took the train to the other site. It started nice. Then closer to nine, the place was so full. I missed the idea of space. I actually stepped outside. I thought I would go back to the other place. Closer to Times Square I turned back. I figured I might miss the speech.

On my way out, I crossed the two DFNYC women Tracey and Heather. I don't think they saw me. They were looking good.

So, Heather, how do you feel about the war in Iraq?

Justin Krebs and Lewis Cohen spoke at the beginning, and the ACT Now guy.

Made peace with Cohen.

"Hello Paramendra, nice to see you. How are you doing?" Is all it takes. I totally want DFA to get behind Barack Obama. That is the original antiwar candidate.

As soon as the speech ended, I went back to the first place. Looks like I missed the rebuttal. CNN was on, but the sound was on for MSNBC upstairs.

I met Jenny from Chicago. I had met her the first time the same place. (
MYD Month)

"So you went home for Christmas? To Chicago?"

"Yes. You?"

"I am Buddhist."

I should have asked for an email address.

Also met Kenny Augusto and David Pollak. Kenny was pretty high up in the Fernando Ferrer for Mayor campaign. David is a big shot guy. He runs DL21C. He told me he is now also on the national DNC, Democratic National Committee.

My first conversation with David was months back. We were both strongly for Hillary. I have switched to Obama since.

"It is hard to go against Hillary if you are a New Yorker, especially when she is such a good candidate."

"Oh, she is excellent. What do you think of Obama as Hillary's running mate though?"

David thought the ticket would be heavy enough with a woman on it. I instead got the impression he wants Hillary in for eight years, and then he wants Spitzer to step in.

I am looking at Obama as president, Hillary as vice, and Spitzer as Attorney General, America's Sheriff.

Claire bought me a drink. "I make a lot of money," she said.

I just googled up Lee and emailed her through Friendster. I like it when I can google people up. Works better with foreign sounding names.