the xomiele project

Forgotten Errands: Put Policy Before Politics to Reform American Immigration

2013-04-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

All we want is freedom, by xomiele

Forgotten Errands: Put Policy Before Politics to Reform American Immigration

"Several months ago, I wrote an article discussing theoretical frameworks for immigration policy, discussing global utilitarianism and international labour markets in the context of globalisation and human rights. I attempted to avoid contentious applications of these theories in an effort to hold the attention of more conservative readers, and allow open-ended questions to marinate in the mind with a bit more ease. Even so, I managed to elicit a response from a commenter who suggested I was some sort of demonic profit of the ‘Dark Enlightenment’, and linked me to a blog post which identified minorities and women as fundamentally sub-human. So it goes."

Continue Reading on St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review.

A “Strong Intervention”: How Personalized Music Helped Lemon Grove Cut Antipsychotic Use in Half

2013-04-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Lemon Harvest, by xomiele

A “Strong Intervention”: How Personalized Music Helped Lemon Grove Cut Antipsychotic Use in Half

"Whenever Judy Ely sits down with a new resident at the Lemon Grove Care Center to learn about his or her favorite foods, she also asks about a different sort of preference: What kind of music do you love? Director of Dietary Services for the San Diego long-term-care and rehabilitation complex, Ely is the driving force behind the 152-resident facility’s Music & Memory iPod program. “I speak to our residents every day,” says Ely. “I know how much it would mean to me, to be able to hear my personal music favorites if I lived here. The iPod program is part of our company’s ongoing efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of our residents.”

Continue reading on Music and Memory

Fondi avvoltoi vs Argentina, si decide tutto a New York

2013-02-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

No Al Pago de la Deuda Externa by xomiele

Fondi avvoltoi vs Argentina, si decide tutto a New York

"Il Financial Times lo ha definito in maniera molto enfatica “il processo del secolo”. Senza dubbio quella che è in corso in queste ore presso la Corte Federale di New York, e che vede contrapposti due cosiddetti fondi avvoltoi e lo Stato argentino, è una causa che potrebbe avere profonde ripercussioni a livello internazionale, fissando un precedente di assoluto rilievo nei casi di ristrutturazione del debito da parte di un Paese in difficoltà."

Continue Reading on ReCommon

Does the Public Really Oppose Gun Restrictions?

2012-12-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

"Guns", by xomiele

Does the Public Really Oppose Gun Restrictions?

"In the wake of the horrific massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, there is a sense that this time there could be some concrete policy changes when it comes to guns. One issue that comes up in much of the coverage is the notion that the public's view on gun control has shifted towards the "pro-gun" side in recent years. It's important to look at that assumption."

Continue Reading on Fair.org

Mr. President, Tear Down This Wall

2012-12-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

No Bombs by xomiele, on Flickr

Mr. President, Tear Down This Wall

"This piece originally appeared at TomDispatch. Read Nick Turse’s introduction here.

Let’s start with the obvious but important: on entering the Oval Office in January 2009, President Obama inherited a seemingly impregnable three-decade-long “Wall of Mistrust” in Iran-U.S. relations. To his credit, that March he directly addressed all Iranians in a message for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, calling for an “engagement that is honed and grounded in mutual respect.” He even quoted the thirteenth century Persian poet Sa’adi: “The children of Adam are limbs of one body, which God created from one essence.”

Continue Reading on Truthdig.

Gästinlägg: Sänka arbetstiden istället för att höja lönen?

2012-11-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

Commute Work, Commute, Sleep... Photo by xomiele

Gästinlägg: Sänka arbetstiden istället för att höja lönen?

"Dagens gästinlägg kommer från Oskar som regelbundet medverkar här på Köpstoppsbloggen.

När jag gick ut skolan och började jobba för drygt 10 år sedan var min ingångslön knappt 20 tusen kronor, vilket gjorde att jag fick ut ca 13 000. På detta hade jag en bra bil, en liten lägenhet och i övrigt levde jag ett bekvämt liv. Nu drygt 10 år senare har min lön gått upp en del, samtidigt har livet förändrats, jag är nu gift och har två barn. Min fru har också ett heltidsarbete och tillsammans drar vi in hyfsat med pengar men har ganska lite tid. Samtidigt känner jag att heltidsnormen i samhället är stark och att ett deltidsarbete inte riktigt är ett alternativ då det innebär två saker, nämligen:"

Continue Reading on Köpstoppsbloggen

Distilling Diesel from Sugar; Tokelau Islands Go Fully Solar

2012-11-09T20:40:00.001-08:00

Gas Pump Pesos by xomiele, on Flickr

Distilling Diesel from Sugar; Tokelau Islands Go Fully Solar

"Discovered: Brewing renewable fuels from simple sugar; New Zealand-administered islands powered only by the sun; engineers study butterfly textures; sardines dying off in the Caribbean. Sweet, sweet renewable gas.

Israel's first president Chaim Weizman also happened to be a chemist, and he invented a fermentation process nearly 100 years ago to turn starch into explosives. His method hasn't been in use much, until now, with UC Berkeley scientists reviving the process to turn simple sugars into diesel fuel. "

Continue Reading on The Atlantic Wire

D’Obama à Sarkozy, l’inconstance des médias français ?

2012-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama 5 by xomiele, on Flickr

D’Obama à Sarkozy, l’inconstance des médias français ?

"Hier soir, se tenait le premier débat télévisé entre les deux candidats à la présidence américaine, Barack Obama et Mitt Romney. L’occasion de revenir sur le phénomène de la Obama-mania qui pétrifie toujours d’extase les salles de rédaction françaises. Pourquoi une telle côte de popularité pour un homme politique étranger ?"

Continue Reading on Inactuels

Niña de 13 años huye de casa y, en auto de hermano, viaja 700 millas para encontrar novio de internet (él tiene 12)

2012-09-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

Route 66 by xomiele, on Flickr

Niña de 13 años huye de casa y, en auto de hermano, viaja 700 millas para encontrar novio de internet (él tiene 12)

"Para los padres de adolescentes con acceso libre a internet, esta nota les debe dar de qué pensar.

Una chiquilla de 13 años de edad tomó el auto de su hermano y se fue a buscar a un muchacho que había conocido por internet mientras jugaba Xbox.

Informa Houston Chronicle que la menor había tenido una disputa con sus padres y decidió irse durante la noche, saliéndose por la ventana."

Continue Reading on El Molino

Immigration and LGBT activists attacked at Romney/Ryan event

2012-08-31T21:14:00.001-07:00

DREAM Act Protester. Photo by xomiele.

Immigration and LGBT activists attacked at Romney/Ryan event

"When protesters from immigration and LGBT rights groups spoke up at a rally for the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan presidential campaign Friday, video showed them quickly getting shouted down and shoved away from the event by Romney supporters.

The demonstration, organized by the DRM Capitol Group, Presente.org and the Get Equal campaign, attacked Romney’s opposition to both the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented immigrants a way to earn permanent citizenship through either good academic performance or joining the U.S. military, and same sex marriage."

Continue Reading on The Raw Story

Palin Set Free From Cage: RNC Cancels Day 1

2012-08-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Sara Palin from the Vice Presidential Debates. Photo by Xomiele

Palin Set Free From Cage: RNC Cancels Day 1

"TAMPA – The first day of the Republican National Convention was canceled earlier today much to the dismay of it’s supporters.

“It has come to our attention that party mascot Sarah Palin has been set free from her holding cell and is roaming freely around Tampa,” a spokesman for the RNC said Monday."

Continue Reading on The Washington Fancy

Why Do Murderers Use Three Names?

2012-08-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Police Line. Do Not Cross. Photograph by xomiele.

Why Do Murderers Use Three Names?

"I found this article today from Slate.com and found it very interesting. The question they posed – Why do so many murderers use all three of their names? I always thought it was the media that referred to these criminals in this way as a means to prevent mistaken identity. While that is partly true, it’s interesting to me that many “famous” murderers used all three of their names to refer to themselves before they ever committed a crime."

Continue Reading on 96X

Application for Deferred Action for DREAM-Eligible Immigrants Will Cost $465

2012-08-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

DREAM Act by xomiele, on Flickr

Application for Deferred Action for DREAM-Eligible Immigrants Will Cost $465

"Despite all the fanfare over the Obama Administration’s announcement of deferred action status for DREAM-eligible youth, it hasn’t actually begun. Eligible applicants must fill out a form to get the deferred action status for themselves, and that process will commence on August 15. And US Citizenship and Immigration Servicesannounced yesterday that the immigrants will have to pay the US government $465 for the privilege."

Continue reading on Big Education Ape or FDL News Desk

Executing a Social Media Exit Strategy

2012-07-31T18:11:00.000-07:00

Exit by xomiele

Executing a Social Media Exit Strategy

"It’s a fact of life. Everything comes to an end sooner or later. The same goes for social media campaigns and accounts. The trick is knowing when to pull the plug and move on to something bigger and better.

One of the biggest reasons to hit the delete button is to avoid a social media time suck that drains budget resources and doesn’t provide a healthy return on your investment. You also may find that the property has exceeded its shelf life and you’re not generating optimal levels of traffic and engagement anymore. Whatever the reason, you’re now faced with the decision of what to do."

Continue Reading on TonyObregon.com

Will Racist Emails Obtained by ACLU-AZ Help Put the Final Stake in SB1070?

2012-07-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

STOP 1070 City of Phoenix by xomiele, on Flickr

Will Racist Emails Obtained by ACLU-AZ Help Put the Final Stake in SB1070?

"The ACLU hopes so; I hope so. Governor Jan Brewer signed the hideous law in April of 2010.

Almost a month ago, the SCOTUS reviewed Arizona vs. United States, the lawsuit challenge brought by the Obama DoJ for Arizona’s usurping the federal government’s authority to regulate immigration laws and enforcement, not because they found the law particularly racially suspect. The sole provision they left standing was Section 2(B), or what’s being called ‘the show us your papers’ section. A majority of the Justices had concluded that federal law supersedes state laws in matters of immigration, and struck down the other provisions. But they seemed to believe that the Obama DoJ that had brought the case failed to make a case for the section being unconstitutional. 2(B) mandates that Arizona law enforcement officers check the immigration status of every person they stop, detain, or arrest over the course of a day if there is ‘reasonable suspicion’ they are in the US illegally."

Continue Reading on My Firedoglake

Arizona SB 1070: Most Latinos disagree with Supreme Court ruling

2012-07-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Stop Arizona's SB 1070 by xomiele, on Flickr

Arizona SB 1070: Most Latinos disagree with Supreme Court ruling

"A majority of Latino voters opposed the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld the controversial Arizona immigration law’s “papers please” provision, according to a new poll Thursday.

Sixty-six percent of Latino registered voters nationwide said they are against the ruling and 29 percent said they support it, according to a Latino Decisions poll conducted for the liberal Center for American Progress and America’s Voice, a left-leaning immigration-reform group."

Continue Reading on Univision News Tumblr

McCain on Romney

2012-07-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin by xomiele, on Flickr

McCain on Romney

"John McCain in 2008 judged Sarah Palin a better candidate for VP than Mitt Romney. Why? Was John McCain so devoid of judgment that he thought Sarah Palin was more qualified for the office or was it that Palin can fire up a crowd while Mitt puts people to sleep. Mitt can always counter that 2012 is not 2008, or that the requirements for the office of president are different from those of the office of vice president. Good luck on that one."

Continue Reading on Bell Book Candle

Ten Thousand Questions: Faking it

2012-07-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Straw Man by xomiele

Ten Thousand Questions: Faking it

When do you have to pretend to be someone or something that you aren’t?

Most of the time on Facebook with my family and friends. There is a powerful familial push to make peace rather than cause a stir with opinions that go against the grain. My family is ultra-conservative, rabid Obama haters, anti-gay, anti-government, blah, blah, blah. So to keep the peace, I tread carefully when posting opinion on said social medium.

As a former fundamentalist I understand this mindset. America breeds it, especially when all you watch on television is Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh on the radio. I used to do both. The tone on these programs is hysterical liberal baiting and bashing. Rather than reasoned discussion, they offer alarmist scenarios that use straw men and slippery slope arguments to get the public riled up.

Continue Readng on Pilgrim Outskirts

If the Lord Say So: A Call for World Healing by 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

2012-06-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Praying Hands by xomiele, on Flickr

If the Lord Say So: A Call for World Healing by 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

"My great-grandmother, Nana, was famous for one-liners.

Perhaps it was years of raising children, 73 years of marriage or just living in her body that reduced convoluted explanations for life’s occurrences to its simplest forms.

“If the Lord say so,” she’d respond in her thick as peanut butter Southern accent (despite 50 years of living in Newark, New Jersey)—to anything that appeared overwhelming.

That saying drove me crazy because of its passivity and lack of intention. I needed clear, defined goals; I couldn’t accept her throwing her expectations to the wind. A saying I was just starting to understand in the months before she transitioned."

Continue Reading on Elephant Journal

More on Today’s Arizona Immigration Ruling

2012-06-26T16:49:00.001-07:00

Wanted: Sheriff Joe Arpaio

More on Today’s Arizona Immigration Ruling

"I could be accused of being too optimistic about the Supreme Court immigration ruling. I recognize that the portion of the law the Court left intact, the “show me your papers” measure, was most certainly the most important. But the Court didn’t “uphold” that part of the law in any way. They basically let it work its way through the lower courts, based on actual enforcement actions, while saying they did not have the authority to pre-empt it at this time. What’s more, the Court specifically warned Arizona that detentions based on immigration status alone would bring Constitutional scrutiny..."

Continue Reading on Green Bee Collective, or Free Instinct

What does the SB 1070 ruling mean for South LA?

2012-06-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

A female protester holds up her sign as a group of Phoenix bicycle cops watch the crowd pass.

What does the SB 1070 ruling mean for South LA?

"Most of Arizona's controversial immigration law known as SB 1070 was struck down Monday morning by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But one of the four provisions in question was upheld, though narrowly: the authorization of local law enforcement to check the immigration status of people they encounter in a lawful stop, arrest or detention if there is "reasonable suspicion" that she or he is in the country illegally."

Continue Reading at OnCentral

Palin: The Revolution Starts with You

2012-06-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin. Rephotography by Xomiele.

Palin: The Revolution Starts with You

"The battle for America’s political future will be won online, and the late Andrew Breitbart and Sarah Palin – the former Alaska Governor, vice presidential candidate, and current North Star of grassroots conservatives and Tea Partiers – were pioneers in understanding the power of the Internet in influencing political change and combating the mainstream media’s false narratives."

Continue Reading on The Jeenyus Corner.

591PhotographyBlog: Sign Days Exhibition

2012-06-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Keep Left: Traffic sign at the bottom of an empty lake. Photo by xomiele

591Photography Blog:

"Sign Days" Photo Exhibition on 591PhotographyBlog. Now on Show! featuring 3 images by Xomiele from "Signs of the Times"

View Complete Gallery, "Sign Days" on 591PhotographyBlog

Majors : dénoncer ceux qui partagent de la musique…

2012-06-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Skull and Crossbones photo by xomiele

Majors : dénoncer ceux qui partagent de la musique…

"Hop, après avoir payé des étudiants pour manifester pour Acta, les Majors paieraient des étudiants pour dénoncer leurs camarades pirates.

Certains pensent que c’est un fake, mais au vu de l’historique en matière de respect de la loi de la part des Majors, ça ne m’étonnerait en rien que ce soit vrai…"

Continue Reading on Le Hollandais Volant

Who's crowding California's jails

2012-05-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

24 Hour Bail Bonds, photograph by xomiele.

Who's crowding California's jails

"California's county jails are overcrowded, and a new report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, a criminal justice reform think tank based in San Francisco, says much of the blame lies with California's commercial bail bond system. In "The Commercial Bail Industry: Profit or Public Safety?" author Amanda Gullings warns that jails will remain overcrowded until they develop alternatives to monetary bail."

Continue Reading on SCPR.org