WF/News - Republic of Angola Xyami - AN/Today - Obama Team Takes Two Shapes - A Choice to Redefine the Schools Debate - Howard Dean: The Prophet - What's Obama Hiding About Blagojevich? - Joe Conason, Salon

Obama Team Takes Two Shapes - Gerald Seib, Wall Street Journal
A Choice to Redefine the Schools Debate - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
Howard Dean: The Prophet - Ari Berman, The Nation
Who Will Be the Next Paul Weyrich? - Jennifer Rubin, Pajamas Media
What's Obama Hiding About Blagojevich? - Joe Conason, Salon
Caroline's Calculations - Margaret Carlson, Bloomberg
Camelot Is Not A State - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

World Futur News / Republic of Angola Xyami / Africa News Today - Politics Daily: Obama Speechwriter Helps Make History - Rihanna to Perform on Obama's Inauguration Night?

 

	Politics News & Analysis  Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 Obama Speechwriter Helps Make History (By Eli Saslow) The Inaugural Poet: Selection Provides Civil Rights Symmetry (By Michael E. Ruane) Trust in GOP Reaches Record Low (By Behind the Numbers) Obama to Add GOP's LaHood to Cabinet (By Michael A. Fletcher and Philip Rucker) The Obama Presidency: A Transition to Power • Mary Schapiro Chosen to Head SEC • Meeting of Ex-Presidents' Club in the Works • LaHood Accepts Transportation Secretary Job The Fix by Chris Cillizza • The Denouement of Howard Dean? • Wag the Blog Redux: Is the Obama Cabinet Too Conservative? • 2010: The Year of the Dynasty? Capitol Briefing by Ben Pershing • And the Winner (Loser?) Is ... Illinois • Rep. Hoekstra to Retire, Eyeing Bid for Governor • Young Out in GOP Housecleaning The Sleuth by Mary Ann Akers • I Barack Hussein Obama Do Solemnly Swear... • Rihanna to Perform on Obama's Inauguration Night? • Ghost of Hanukkah Past Crashes President Bush's Last Bash Best of the Web > Powered by RealClearPolitics.com Today's top political news and commentary: Auto Rescue Takes Shape (John Stoll, Wall Street Journal) The Return of Intellectualism in Politics (Peter Beinart, The Daily Beast) The Media's Failure to State the Obvious (Christopher Hitchens, Slate) Bush Looks Back (Byron York & Rich Lowry, National Review) Paul Krugman's Depression Economics (Andrew Leonard, Salon) Campaign 2008: The Presidential Field > The Candidates Bios and full Post coverage of the 2008 candidates. Campaign Tracker Track the candidates as they campaign across the country. Campaign Issues Track media coverage of the candidates talking about issues. More Political Headlines Chrysler Shutting Down for One Month: With Rescue Unresolved, Other U.S. Automakers Also Plan Production Cuts (By Peter Whoriskey) Washington Sketch: Protesters Give Bush the Boot (By Dana Milbank) Blagojevich's Attorney Assails Proceedings: 'Zero' Evidence Supports Effort to Impeach Governor, He Tells Illinois House Panel (By Peter Slevin and Kari Lydersen) Opinions The Perils Of Special Elections (By Joshua Spivak) Seeking a Ford in Our Future (By George F. Will) Live Discussions Thursday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m. ET: National Security (Dana Priest) Thursday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m. ET: Inaugural Balls (Roxanne Roberts) Thursday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m. ET: Washington Sketch (Dana Milbank)
World Futur News / Republic of Angola Xyami / Africa News Today

Learn English - Slang of the Week: 'hardcore' - "On the day we broke up, I was like, 'I don't want to look pretty anymore. I want to look hardcore.'"

 

Dec.18.08

	"hardcore" "On the day we broke up, I was like, 'I don't want to look pretty anymore. I want to look hardcore.'" - Actress and singer Miley Cyrus on how she changed after her break-up with Nick Jonas from the Jonas Brothers. (E!)
	Next Week's Ebaby! Slang of the Week is... "ham" "I was a ham in school. I was just a ham. That’s all we really are, actors and musicians or performers, we are all just hams." - Justin Timberlake on what made him get into show business. (Hollywood.com)

Mondays Music

Tuesdays Eavesdropping

Wednesdays Movies

Thursdays Slang

Fridays Real Life

English Lessons| Find Friends| English Chat

 

Presspass - News Edition

	Charleston.net News Commercial Real Estate Residential Real Estate Subscribe to the Post & Courier Place a Classified Ad	Maersk shipping out
			Maersk Line, in a potentially staggering blow for the Port of Charleston and the South Carolina economy, followed through Thursday on a threat to pull of all its business from the local waterfront. The Denmark-based company, which is the port's biggest customer, said it would phase out all operations in Charleston over the next two years because it was unable to reach a cost-saving arrangement.
Enjoy a every Sunday Only In The Post & Courier find locations		Black, white Santas draw some criticism Students at St. Stephen Elementary School found out last week that Santa Claus can have the same skin color as them. That's because two Santa Clauses â€" one white, one black â€" were invited to the rural Berkeley County school at separate times last Friday to take pictures with students of the same skin color. Student gets 15 years on terrorism charge Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt felt vindicated Thursday when he learned that a Florida college student his department arrested in Goose Creek last year on explosives charges had been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. The routine traffic stop in August 2007 uncovered a trunk full of bomb-making materials and led to terrorism-related charges against Ahmed Mohamed. Crime spree brings 35 years in prison A man who confessed to a four-county crime spree that included shooting a companion in the head and leaving her body to be run over on a North Charleston railroad track was sentenced to 35 years in prison Thursday. Dale Warsop's guilty plea to 14 criminal offenses led to a sentence of less than life behind bars. Otherwise, Warsop, 31, could have clogged courts from Charleston to Lancaster County if he sought multiple trials, largely for armed robbery cases. Blind father overwhelmed by medical bills Leon, 35, is legally blind because of retinitis pigmentosa. As a single parent, he does his best to raise three children ages 8, 13 and 17. Until recently, the family struggled to get by without health insurance. Although Leon now receives Medicaid benefits, medical expenses have caused him to fall behind on his mortgage payments. He is now facing a possible foreclosure.
Today | News | Sports | Entertainment | Features | Web Extras | Editorial | Obituaries | Blogs | Archives The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | 134 Columbus St. | Charleston | SC | 29403

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Presspass - Sports Edition

	Charleston.net News Commercial Real Estate Residential Real Estate Subscribe to the Post & Courier Place a Classified Ad	Stitt giving the Tigers what they have been lacking
			CLEMSON â€" Demontez Stitt glides down the court with his head up, always looking to make a play. When the sophomore point guard reaches the top of the key, there's one player standing between him and the basket. With a subtle head fake and a wicked crossover dribble, Stitt gets to the basket in two smooth strides, leaving the baffled defender in his wake. The next time down the floor, Stitt penetrates into the lane, but instead of taking the short jump shot, he shuffles the ball out to a wide-open Terrence Oglesby, who hits the easy 3-pointer.
		Davidson helping ticket sales Last season, Davidson's run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament raised the visibility of the Southern Conference. This season, the Wildcats and their All-America guard Stephen Curry are helping raise SoCon ticket sales. The College of Charleston reports that its Dec. 29 home game against No. 22 Davidson is already a sellout in the Cougars' new 5,100-seat Carolina First Arena. Bucs no match for Seminoles TALLAHASSEE, Fla. â€" Facing its second major-conference opponent this week, the Charleston Southern men's basketball team was no match for the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State (11-1) never trailed en route to an easy 71-48 victory over the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Soloman Alabi scored 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to pace the Seminoles, who shot 45 percent from the field and outrebounded CSU, 44-37. Boyd's Epiphany CHARLOTTE â€" In isolation, and in a city and state he didn't know very well, Cory Boyd ran up against one of those turning-point moments a couple of months ago. Those moments aren't uncommon among us. But Boyd's life has been anything but common. The madness all started with Frankie Bobby Cremins, fresh from his 500th victory, goes for No. 501 tonight at "The House John Kresse Built" â€" Cremins' pet name for Carolina First Arena â€" against a UNC Wilmington team from the town Michael Jordan made famous. Seems like sweet coincidence that Cremins, Kresse and MJ all have ties to Frankie McGuire, who died at age 57 Sunday night in Columbia. But the College of Charleston's current head coach, the Cougars' legendary former head coach and the star of "Space Jam" are just three of thousands of basketball lives significantly influenced by Frank McGuire's beloved son, who was jolly and loyal and intensely interested in friends and sports.
Today | News | Sports | Entertainment | Features | Web Extras | Editorial | Obituaries | Blogs | Archives The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | 134 Columbus St. | Charleston | SC | 29403

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Presspass - Business Edition

	Charleston.net News Commercial Real Estate Residential Real Estate Subscribe to the Post & Courier Place a Classified Ad	Request for runway money withdrawn
			Urged on by the region's largest business organization, the Charleston County Aviation Authority board voted Thursday to withdraw its application for federal funding to help pay to extend the 7,000-foot-long runway at Charleston International Airport next year. Authority Chairman David G. Jennings said the move "makes sense" before Thursday's vote.
		Company fined $4.3M A Michigan manufacturer that supplied parts to Force Protection Inc. pleaded guilty this week to knowing about an illegal kickback scheme and has been fined $4.3 million for the felony. Court documents filed in Charleston show Spartan Motors Chassis Inc. pleaded guilty this week to lying about its knowledge of the scheme, in which it paid a former Force Protection employee $1,500 for steering business to Spartan. Weekend shoppers expected to fill stores If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping, expect crowded aisles and long checkout lines this weekend. The Saturday before Christmas is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, and 41 million people haven't even started their holiday gift-buying yet, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation, the industry's main trade group. Worries about GE send stocks falling NEW YORK â€" Wall Street extended its losses Thursday, as a negative ratings outlook on financial and industrial powerhouse General Electric Co. shook an already fragile investor psyche. FedEx making cuts as demand slows MEMPHIS â€" FedEx Corp. on Thursday announced more broad cost cuts, including salary reductions, as deteriorating economic conditions continue to drag down demand, warning the outlook for 2009 remains murky.
Today | News | Sports | Entertainment | Features | Web Extras | Editorial | Obituaries | Blogs | Archives The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | 134 Columbus St. | Charleston | SC | 29403

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If only the world were like THIS.

In order to get the change we really need, we will all need to participate. Please make your contribution now. Help secure AlterNet's future. Dear Reader, Hey, that Obama victory was great, wasn't it? He sure creamed McCain and sent the conservatives limping and whimpering back into their holes. Now we can finally rest, kick back and watch progressive social change happen in virtually every area of policy. Peace is at hand, the environment will improve, and the banks will be redistributing their wealth virtually overnight. We will have fabulous cabinet appointments, and special interest lobbyists will be looking for new work. If only. Yes, we know that some change is on its way. And we are happy about that and cheer it on. But just because Obama has been elected doesn't mean that all the world's problems are suddenly fixed. Hardly. We should be expecting peace soon, right? And less spending on the military -- a welcome relief after unbelievable increases in the defense budget during the Bush era, not even counting the hundreds of billions spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. And looking forward to new faces who will make changes swiftly and aggressively in the Department of Defense. But wait. There is talk -- by people close to Obama -- of as many 70,000 troops remaining in Iraq. Hmmm. And Obama wants to send more troops to Afghanistan, where outsiders have not won wars in centuries. And during the campaign, Obama said he wanted to spend more money on the military, not less. And -- holy cow -- the new Secretary of Defense is ... the old Secretary of Defense. Robert Gates. A Republican. Click here if you get the point and know why you need AlterNet. Well, OK -- war and defense might be problems. But surely, after eight disastrous years, we can look forward to major changes in environmental polices, right? After all, the Bush people -- still ramming through ugly changes in the 11th hour -- and other right-wingers -- like McCain and Palin, with their "drill, baby, drill" mantra -- set the bar pretty low. Well, we hate to be the ones who point it out, but Mr. Obama is a fan of "clean coal," which is counterproductive to our need to cut down on burning fossil fuels -- something we must do if we are going to have a chance of fighting the coming climate catastrophe. Hmmm. Actually, a lot of really smart people say "clean coal" doesn't even exist. It is all dirty. And during the campaign, Obama became "open" to new drilling for oil along our coasts. Obama is also open to nuclear power, even though it can take up to 10 years and cost billions of dollars to build a reactor. Oops. And we still don't know what to do with dangerous nuclear waste. Obama has environmentalists even more wary after his recent decisions to name Colorado Senator Ken Salazar -- a friend to mining, ranching, and oil interests -- as Interior Secretary, and Tom Vilsack -- the pro-GMO and pro-biotech former Iowa governor -- to head up the Department of Agriculture. OK, we are all as excited about Obama heading to the White House as the next person. The difference from the last eight years is going to be very noticeable. But we know that one new guy living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue doesn't mean the ways of doing politics in this country are going to change overnight. In fact, there is not going to be nearly enough of the change we need and want unless we all participate. But we can't motivate people to participate -- let alone make life better for millions of people -- until we make it clear why change is so necessary. That's where the media come in. Yes, we need strong, independent media to help keep Congress and the new president's feet to the fire and give you the information you need day in and day out -- no matter who is sitting in the White House. Click here to support AlterNet. Because we're all going to need independent, progressive media as much as ever. Sincerely, The AlterNet Truth Squad P.S.  Make a commitment to AlterNet's future with a monthly gift of $10 or more, and we will send you our newest book, "The Best of AlterNet 2008" -- a compilation of our greatest coverage for the year. Click here to become an AlterNet sustainer.

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