What we need is leadership. Mr. Bush would do wonders for his legacy - and, above all, wonders for the poor - if he'd summon the moral vision to launch a high-profile Global War on Poverty. That is one American-backed war that nearly all the world would thunderously applaud.

Waging a War We Could Be Proud Of - New York Times

With the departure of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from the political scene, some things are suddenly becoming a great deal clearer between Israel and the Palestinians.

And it isn't necessarily very comforting to our old habits of thought.

scary stuff from a very eminent journalist

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mid-East peace realities after Sharon

They want me to promise that under the Conservatives, the NHS will be transformed beyond recognition into a system based on medical insurance....
Under a Conservative government, the NHS will remain free at the point of need and available to everyone, regardless of how much money they have in the bank."

of interest probably only to people in the Uk but this looks like a major shift in Uk politics
the Conservative Party is returning to the UK political mainstream and reasserting a major building block of the post war (WW2) consensus
the "new Right" have been cast into the wilderness by their UK political home
a realignment on the European issue and then maybe the leopard has changed its spots and we can have a centerist realignment
bad news for Blair
good news for British democracy

BBC NEWS | Politics | Cameron vows to defend 'free' NHS

I’m doing this for the child in Africa who is going to use free textbooks and reference works produced by our community and find a solution to the crushing poverty that surrounds him. But for this child, a website on the Internet is not enough; we need to find ways to get our work to people in a form they can actually use.

And I’m doing this for my own daughter, who I hope will grow up in a world where culture is free, not proprietary, where control of knowledge is in the hands of people everywhere, with basic works they can adopt, modify, and share freely without asking permission from anyone.

Personal Appeal - Wikimedia Foundation

The words "hero" and "patriot" focus on the death, not the life. They are a flag-draped mask covering the truth that few want to acknowledge openly: Death in battle is tragic no matter what the reasons for the war. The tragedy is the life that was lost, not the manner of death. Families of dead soldiers on both sides of the battle line know this. Those without family in the war don't appreciate the difference.

A Life, Wasted

In Saddam's time, the days before Saddam's rule were called the “Good Times.” Now, the “Good Times” extend to envelop even Saddam's time. But amidst the blackness of time and the wounds of fate, Iraqis still find a way to crack a smile, even if it hurts. Despite my cynicism, I believe in God (or Allah or whatever you care to name Him), and I pray for the well-being of this country every day. And every day I listen to Metallica and read Philip K. Dick.

Baba Noel, Metallica and Philip K. Dick - Day to Day in Iraqi - NYT Web Journal

Happy New Year, everyone!

Want some advice for 2006? Well, look no further. Illegal Art placed suggestion boxes in California and New York and invited passers-by to offer a word (or two) of guidance.

A selection:

NEVER give a gun to a duck

Fish closer to the shore

Listen to some old school PUNK ROCK

This is awesome

Your Suggestion Here

StumbleUpon is an intelligent browsing tool for sharing and discovering great websites. As you click Stumble!, you'll get high-quality pages matched to your personal preferences. These pages have been explicitly recommended (rated I like it) by friends and other SU members with similar interests. Rating these sites shares them with your friends and peers – you will automatically 'stumble upon' each others favorites sites.

StumbleUpon uses / ratings to form collaborative opinions on website quality. When you stumble, you will only see pages which friends and like-minded stumblers () have liked. Unlike search engines or static directories, this allows for a true "democracy of the web" – all SU members have a say ( or ) as to whether a page should be passed on.

In effect, StumbleUpon's members collectively share the best sites on the web. You can share any site by simply clicking I like it. This passes the page on to friends and like-minded people – letting them "stumble upon" all the great sites you discover.

Elonka ... Here is where that traffic is from... I use it for killing idle time....

:)

About StumbleUpon

The most outspoken of President Vladimir V. Putin's senior advisers abruptly resigned today, warning that Russia's nascent political freedoms have been lost and the Kremlin's economic choices have been poor.

Putin's Senior Economic Adviser Abruptly Resigns - New York Times

In a world beset by terrorist violence, natural disasters and war, small signs of progress are often overlooked. So it's no surprise that even as Western donors spend millions to foster the "rule of law" from Baghdad to Bolivia, recent advances across three continents have attracted little notice.

the real meaning of the rule of law
the former dictator or the government or a global corporation stands on a level playing field with the victim, the oppressed, the abused and the poor
this is the march of progress
hail to the law

Some quiet victories for human rights - Editorials & Commentary - International Herald Tribune