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BuzzFlash Mailbag for October 12, 2009

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Mon, 10/12/2009 - 11:49am.

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Subject: Hope reigns supreme

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama is the world commenting on the failed Presidency of George W. Bush. President Obama has demonstrated a willingness to bring back strong diplomacy and not just swagger. It is not a "you are either with us or against us" stupidity, but rather we are willing if, that has brought forth hope for improving relationships with Cuba, Russia, and Iran. In each of these the benefits range from an improvement in the lives of people through simple expanded trade to a reduction in nuclear arms, to preventing another nuclear power on the globe. He has taken a balanced approach to the whirling dervish that is Israel and Palestine. He has prevented further settlements from being built.

The world was fearful of the hate mongers, racists, and war mongers who lead our nation for 8 long years. They resented the trivializing of death and invasion through such evil terms as "Shock and Awe". The resented the lies that promoted and tried to justify the murdering of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. They resented the arrogance and the dangers of fighting wars because "God told you to". This award is a "Thank You" from our neighbors for having the common sense to end the hatred. It is encouragement for President Obama and his support for bringing out the best in America.

Given the anti-American philosophy of the Republican Party the real question is do we try to continue the tough diplomacy? Should Glenn Beck be imprisoned? Rush Limbaugh sent to a Mental Health Hospital? Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity deported? Should Fox News be banned from the air waves as the support those that advocate an over throw of the government? Are they in fact a Communist Cult? Is what they are engaged in any different than yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater? And finally, Why don't we just pass single payer healthcare for those of us who want it? I will gladly pay taxes. Those that don't simply do not enroll and will not be eligble for 10 years.

Jim Ridout
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Subject: Rush, Meet Your Taliban Cellmate

Hi BuzzFlash,

Rachel Maddow showed how the Republicans reacted when President Obama got the Nobel Piece Prize.

Rachel Maddow http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908#33249779

After hearing Rachel's report, I feel it's only fitting that since Rush Limbaugh EQUATES Himself with The Taliban (0:58 on video), he should get sent down to Cuba - IMMEDIATELY!! No, not to get some Cuban Cigars but to room in the same cell at the (still opened) Guantanamo Prison, with another Taliban Prisoner.

With all the Extreme Anti-Vile coming out of his mouth lately in very large doses, it might even be appropriate to do some of that "glug, glug, glug" Water Boarding on him, to make sure he isn't plotting any attack on OUR Country!!

I'm sure he can withstand the waterboarding that he supports for, say, four seconds!!

Tom Wieliczka
Windsor Locks, CT

Subject: Republican Secession From Reality

The incredible message from the republican party: It's been 10 months and Obama still hasn't finished cleaning up the mess we made. It's mind blowing in its temerity. But then what else is new. This is the political party that can't tell the difference between an election cycle and a business cycle or for that matter a tricycle. They're certainly an emotional lot - there's no mistaking their hatred for the President. Just pass them some smelling salts - because frankly my dear - I don't give a damn. Most of it is totally faked anyway - an attempt to incite those who truly are mentally deranged. First they secede from the Union, then the world and hopefully at some point from the planet. They'd all make a great - if short-lived - lunar colony. As complete loony-tunes they're more than halfway there already. According to Michael Steele, the American people aren't going to give the President an award for his handling of the economy. No trace of irony at all that their man would trail even Osama bin Laden in the runner-up category for that particular prize. It's Clinton's fault, it's Obama's fault, it's a normal business cycle - it's a bird, it's a plane. We weren't even there then - you can't prove it. There may have been some excess. The American economy is fundamentally sound. These are the effing experts? You call them gangs, thugs - even worse. I call them patriots. Oh yeah, they're patriots alright. The kind of patriots that cheer when Chicago loses its bid for the Olympic games. The kind of patriots that can't even congratulate a democratic President when he wins a Nobel Peace Prize.

It's not enough to besmirch the President. MSM, CNN in this case, even goes out of its way to belittle the prize itself, specifically its namesake, Alfred Nobel. They somehow felt it necessary to point out that Mr. Nobel was the inventor of dynamite. Of course that is true, but isn't it also true that his invention saved thousands of lives, specifically Chinese immigrant workers using nitro-glycerin to build the Santa-Fe railroad through the Sierra Mountain range in the American west? These workers, weren't just allowed to immigrate. Ships were sent to pick them up and bring them here because there was no one else willing to do this extremely dangerous work. Stanford, Crocker and other stake-holders in the Santa Fe drew a lot of criticism at the time for their callous acceptance at the number of casualties amongst these brave workers. It's all part of the history of the American West:

http://cprr.org/Museum/Fusang.html

Not of course that I expect many "S"outhern patriots to take that great an interest in actual history. If they did they wouldn't be quite so critical of France which was virtually the only European country willing to conduct trade with the confederacy during the American Civil war. Oh well, there's gratitude for you. I hope that this will not be seen as just an extraneous bit of information. I mention it as an example of how MSM, even when their reporting is not completely inaccurate, has little merit in representing the truth because its bias is obtained through its incompleteness. An incomplete truth can be one of the most insidious forms of a lie.

Today's republicans are like a wind-blown rain - you don't know where the hell they're coming from - you just know that you're getting soaked. If they're fealty to their country had anything like the consistency of that for their wallets and their lust for power life would be much less irksome for everyone everywhere.

Congratulations President Obama! I look forward to hearing your acceptance speech from Oslo.

Tim Mooring
San Francisco, CA

Subject: Republican mob mentality be damned

I have had enough of this Republican Mob mentality, and the likes of Liar Limbaugh, crazy Beck,rogue Palin, and all of faux news, and those who think like they do.Hateful, hateful, disgusting people. How dare they call our President vile names, how dare they threaten to harm him and his family? President Obama was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, what an honor, and he is deserving of it. When did any Republican bring together the people in other countries and was cheered by millions, time and time again. That is called Peace! But how would Republicans know what peace is? Anyone who extends a hand of peace to a Republican Congressman,or Senator gets that hand slapped down!

Republicans froth at the mouth like a rabid animal, being a Republican talking head or one elected to a seat, at any mention of the good President Obama has done.

Racist, hateful, disgusting!

Republican mob mentality be damned. In other words WE DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK, and by the way go to hell, as far as saying NO to a public health care plan!

We don't need you or your kind of thinking, called stinken thinken to tear our President and America down. There are more of us than you, and regardless how you try, we will be here to keep America strong, yes with Peace, and the Public Health care plan, and any other thing that will help our people. Who will be the first in line to reap the benefits we will fight for? REPUBLICANS! And in the end they will say it was all their idea! Funny, do we hear any Republican claim the Bush/Cheney years? Speak up, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU! God Bless President Obama, and the United States Of America.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Wealth and commerce.

Sometimes we have to remember two things. Money is like manure, you have to spread it around to make things grow. And secondly, most of the wealthy people I know still have their first dollar they ever made. So taxing the rich is the only way to really accomplish anything.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Support for BuzzFlash

In regard to the difference between right wing support for their causes and left for progressive. Very simply, we're poorer. The lying right has all the money, thanks to the corporations and their lobbyists.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: For Whatever Reason

Here's a nice - even cited - quote from a WaPo article on trade relations with China:

"If foreign governments are subsidizing products, for whatever reason, we are benefiting by lower prices," said Daniel J. Ikenson, a trade specialist at the Cato Institute. You've got to love the "whatever reason" part. Just a stab in the dark here - but what about putting American companies out of business? How does that fit the bill? While we're stating the obvious it might be noted that people without jobs aren't very well positioned to take advantage of "lower prices". This is the kind of "expertise" that gives me a headache. It's also brought the American economy to its knees.

Tim Mooring
San Francisco, CA

Subject: Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Committee said he won it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". Obama hasn't DONE anything (maybe he will but nothing as of) YET. Just when you thought things couldn't become any stranger... Up is down... so why not turn it inside out too? With two wars (and possibly a third on the way?) and no end to any in sight… Obama REALLY wins a Peace Prize??? (I think I need a few more question marks here to emphasize my amazement to this announcement) ??????? I could understand these Nords "IF" they had given one to Hitler in 1941... After all, they were conquered by Hitler back in 1940. And it would have been a "Self-preservation" act. But they didn't. They had integrity back then.

In fact I think if the world has lost anything, it is INTEGRITY. There's None in (our) Congress. None in (ANY of) the financial institutions. None in most educational institutions. There's Some actually in our mental institutions now, But that's because those with none have put some there (This would be a joke if it wasn't so true!) But, alas poor York, the Noble hath fallen! “Oy Vey!” and insert any other sigh of despair you can think of. So why this stunning and perverse idiom to Peace? I just don't get it. I was one of those who had high hopes for Obama when I voted for him. But “What's Next”? Probably Nuking L.A. and parts of the U.S. just to solve the water shortage problems? I can see the NEWS on FOX now (oops, no I can't - I haven't watch FOX since 2003) Millions of People saved from thirst by being turned instantly to pillars of salt! – “Obama wins (the act like) God award from Religious institutions – News at 11”. Hey, maybe Norway IS making a pre-emptive strike for self preservation??? Here's to Peace, despite what it isn't, anymore.

LPrevolt
Mission Viejo, Ca

Subject: President Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

Quoting Wolf Blitzer on CNN this afternoon, "President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but his critics ask, 'But what has he accomplished?'"

How could anyone accomplish anything with war-mongering mad-dog republicans intent upon destroying him?

I think Obama's response to the award was admirable, and that it is indeed more about the promise of change than about actual accomplishment to date.

Perhaps it is an indicator that there sure as hell haven't been any other contenders for the past eight years.

Creed Ballew
Arkansas

Subject: President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

President Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize!?

I sent this letter to my local newspaper. Many of my fellow Georgians are tea-baggers and 'birthers and won't like that the president received this award. However those who lost their homes in the big flood that we had here a few weeks ago are no longer talking against receiving aide from the hated "federal 'guvment". Dee

Congratulations to President Barack Obama on receiving the Nobel Peace prize. Indirectly, compliments also are due to the American people. As a candidate for the office of the presidency Mr. Obama campaigned as an advocate for world peace through diplomacy. Once he took office he immediately extended a hand of peace and cooperation towards other nations, unlike the previous president who employed what became known as "cowboy diplomacy". Obviously President Obama did not seek the Nobel Prize and seemed humbly surprised upon hearing that he was the recipient. As a US citizen I am always honored when my president (regardless of party affiliation) receives such an honor. I am sure that others in this Christian nation feel the same way.

Dee Turner
Atlanta, Ga.

Subject: Nobel Prize

ENOUGH SAID...EVEN THOUGH THE K*#@ RIGHTWINGERS IN OUT TOWN ARE HAVING S*** FITS ABOUT IT..."HE DID NOT EARN IT, HE HAS ONLY BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 10 MONTHS!" AH THE WHINES OF THE RIGHT....BUT, THEY CAN SURE BLAME HIM FOR CRAP THAT BUSH AND CHENEY DID, FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS, BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED. SUCK IT UP RIGHTIES...THOSE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO LOVE IT, ARE MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THE WAY THE OTHER COUNTRIES FEEL NOW! AND THEY ARE RIGHT!!!

Lib
S'hampton

Subject: about that nobel prize...

Think about it. Mccain promised more wars, war for a hundred years, war without blinking an eye. That Obama won the election -- under his own steam, by going around the system, by taking the election back to the people -- should still be stunning. What the Nobel Committee recognized today is the difference between where the world would be under Mccain, verses where it is now -- by virtue of Obama. The award works to seed the future for peace, a peace hopeless without leaders who hope.

deborah conner
in the hills of roanoke va

Subject: Why Don't Progressives Stop Rewarding Rightwing Propagandists?

"Reward them in what way?"

"Responding to their every distortion, smear and lie."

"How does that reward them?"

"By keeping us perpetually on the defensive and enabling them to set the agenda."

"What instead?"

"We put them on the defensive and we set the agenda."

"How?"

"With a vision as to what sort of world were it up to us, thereby capturing the public's imagination, such that, only a few diehards will pay attention to rightwing propaganda."

"We'll be setting the agenda alright, but how will that put the rightwingers on the defensive?"

"What'll they say when people ask them 'OK, you're against the progressive vision and agenda, but what do you propose instead?'"

"Same old same business as usual status quo incrementalism or worse?"

"Exactly."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: New Web Site Design

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new design. Much more professional looking and inviting. It will be more likely to intrigue NEW visitors to BuzzFlash, which is FAR FAR FAR more important that appealing to long-time regulars.

The left needs converts. It's one of the main (if not THE main) reason for the existence of our beloved BuzzFlash. The new site is, in my opinion, much more likely to accomplish that critical goal.

Please ... change is always uncomfortable, and always tends to stir up more negative reaction than positive. Do NOT react in knee-jerk fashion and revert to the old format. Take a couple of months. See what happens to donation statistics. I think you'll see them go UP ... not down ... as a result of the recent changes. Without allowing for time, you'll miss the opportunity to obtain objective evidence of the actual effects of the new site design (e.g. increase/decrease in donations, site hits, etc.).

Don't do a poll. Wait a short while, and check the numbers, first.

My two cents.

thedemocraticactivist
Sausalito, California

Subject: New Format

Dear Buzz, Much of my teaching career was spent as a reading specialist at a high school. One of the ways I helped poor readers improve was by teaching them to expand the number of words they took in at one time. Just as small children force out one word at a time, poor readers continue to encounter words this way as they get older, though it is less obvious because they are usually reading silently. They work hard moving their eyes- and sometimes their heads- across each line. Good readers, on the other hand, have learned take in a much greater span of words with less eye movement. They take in entire lines (speed readers, entire paragraphs or pages),with minimal horizontal eye movement.

My goal for students with this bad reading habit was to DECREASE the number of EYE FIXATIONS per line. I even used a computer program that started with one square or letter in the middle of the page, which gradually increased the number of letters or words to be taken in at one glance with no head or horizontal eye movement. The new BUZZFLASH format does everything to frustrate the eye movement of good readers. The gray boxes are effectively trapping otherwise efficient eye scans into each box, forcing the reader to hesitate and circle-read trying to decide which way to proceed--down, or to the right--often going back to the same box, like a drunk trying to find his way home in a development where all of the houses look the same. No reader on any level benefits from lack of contrast between type and background, which is the effect of your light type on gray--it's basically just two shades of gray! Similarly, masses of blue take away contrast as well. Occasional blue does stand out on a black and white page, but an entire area of blue in relatively small type is nothing but a blur.

Every once in a while, I would acquire a student who was very poor reader of textbooks, but could read anything having to do with computer directives with LIGHTENING SPEED! Paragraphs on a computer were not to be read; they were to be cut and pasted. Often this was done with such alacrity that the process was barely noticed. Yet these same students would stumble through a page of text, unable to tell what they had just "read." They had poor reading comprehension. These students were the toughest to work with as they seemed to have enhanced their possible learning disabilities with an overload of computer time already logged into their young lives. While it is true that keyboarding helps students who have difficulty writing and spelling, it can, unfortunately overtake the time that should have been spent on reading practice. In recent years, however, I was relieved to learn that these computer whizzes were, in fact finding jobs, if not going into business for themselves! They have become computer programmers, web page designers.........

Susan Lynch
Phoenix, NY

Subject: Minor new format complaint

Home with the flu during all this hubub. Normally BuzzFlash is my home page, and I link to stories off it to pursue other news. Now clinking on a story only changes the page, rather than opening a new window. The old method was much better for me, and I think for a lot of others. Could we have that back again?

Mike Curtis
Greenbrier Ark

Subject: new format

It's IMPOSSIBLE- It's sucking up my time- as well as being less usable because of the ill-advised changes made. You have my email address. Please notify me if you change back. Otherwise, sadly, BuzzFlash is no longer on my daily-checklist.

ESW

Elisabeth
Sarasota, FL

Subject: NEW FORMAT

Within the last month I set up a monthly payment to BuzzFlash, since I have been relying on it for years now and felt I was overdue. Imagine my surprise (horror) when I opened it Sunday and found this new format. Is this what my donation is being used for? And if so, why am I wasting my money? The original format was fine; I could usually open the sites, I could find what I was looking for without having to scroll through one item after another. The color format...well, why would we need color monitors if you plan to give us gray on white or white on gray? As one reader commented, perhaps for younger eyes this is both trendy and easy, but for those of us who read newspapers when they carried news, we sort of liked the color and ease of reading. If a news site is too difficult to navigate, I navigate away from it (and I take my money with me). Please fix this.

Suzan
Pigeon Forge, TN

Subject: new site

Your new site sucks for me as I am on dial up which is slow. In the past I could open several subjects and read one while others were opening. Now I must wait for each site to open. It is more time consuming than I have time for. I can not receive high speed internet in my location. I’m sorry BuzzFlash but I must say goodby.

Henry
Anza california

Subject: New design

Mark, the mobile phone delivery of your new Web site design is extremely slow. I can no long read your site on the train or at work. Thanks for trying to improve but this is a loss to your mobile market without a doubt. It is THE slowest site to load of all!

Mobilebuzzer
MA

Subject: New Format

I do not like your new format. I have been with you as a reader and as a purchaser of your products since 2000. This new format makes about as much sence as the substance between G W Bush's ears.

I liked your witty headlines. I liked seeing some great videos at the top. I liked pulling up the page fast. I have DHL. It pulls up very slowly now.

Quite frankly I like this new format about as much as I like Dick Cheney.

If you want to continue with this new format. That is your choice. It will also be my choice to quit reading your site.

Keith Nichols
Perry, Iowa

Subject: Please restore the front page design to its former effectiveness

I clicked on BuzzFlash again today in hope that the awful redesign had miraculously gone away in the middle of the night. My specific comment is, I hope, helpful: I beg you, put it back the way it was. It worked, was very useful, and easy to look at. The news of the day is hard enough to deal with, but we need to stay informed. Now the reading and navigation is equally difficult and unpleasant. I couldn't detest this situation more, and hope that you will return to the good format you had. I always thought that BuzzFlash is one of the few places I could go where I would never be confronted with trash. The disappointment is great out here in the Community. Thanks for all you have tried to do with the site; I'm very grateful for the ease of getting information you provided for the past seven years. It really hurts to be cut off from that now, but physically I can hardly read the page now. Don't throw so many of us "under the bus," to coin a phrase.

Jalwyn
Florida

Subject: New look - a big mistake

The more I try to use the new BuzzFlash, the more I dislike the new format. It used to be easy to read, now it is not. I miss the way the article headline went from black to gray after you read it. I also liked that when you clicked on an article's link it opened in a new window. You could just click it off without having to wait for the main page to reload. The old, simple layout was also much easier to read. Even your lead articles at the top of the page have suffered: they are in a font almost too small to read. Please go back to your old style. If you actually spent money on your new look, let us know. I know I would be willing to send you some money to cover that loss. I love BuzzFlash but I won't be spending as much time with you if the new format stays. It's just frustrating.

Buzzbird
Wimberley, TX

The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18.

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