Annual Check-Up

From USA Today: 

"A year in, has Pope Francis really changed the church?"

For Vatican watchers, it was immediately apparent the 266th pope was different. Introduced to the faithful for the first time after the conclave that elected him, the new Pope Francis wore a simple white cassock adorned only by a plain metal cross he kept from his days as the "bishop of the slums" in his native Argentina. He stood, at once dazed and humble, before uttering a simple buona sera — Italian for "good evening" — before bowing his head and asking the excited throng in St. Peter's Square for their blessing. "It was an astonishing statement," recalled Father Alistair Sear, a retired church historian, who a year ago watched the events from London. He recalled that eight years earlier, a new Pope Benedict XVI presented himself clad in red velvet and brocaded silk, wearing a large gold cross encrusted with jewels. "The tone for the papacy was set by Francis that first night."

The humble and open-minded tone has been carried forward without fail through the first year of Francis' papacy this Thursday, from one of his first acts, the highly symbolic washing and kissing for the feet of detainees at a juvenile detention center near Rome, to one of his most recent, calling the mythology growing around him as a kind of Superman "offensive." I am "a normal person," Francis said in a recent interview. In between, he said that if atheists followed their conscience and acted morally, they could go to heaven; he blasted the "tyranny" of capitalism; and when asked about gays, the pontiff famously asked, "Who am I to judge?" He was named person of the year by Time magazine, and, according to bookmakers, is a favorite to win the next Nobel Prize for peace. "We all wanted change and reform," said Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of England. "But I don't think any of us expected so much fresh air!" While there is little doubt that the image and tone of the Roman Catholic Church have changed under Francis' leadership over the past year, there have been only limited changes to church doctrine along the way. Rules governing the role of gays, divorced Catholics and women are unchanged. The powerful Roman curia, the church's main bureaucracy, remains entrenched. And while Francis has taken steps to confront chronic financial corruption at the Vatican Bank and the problem of sex abuse among the clergy, those steps have yielded little so far.

In the end, how much has really changed? "It's stylish to say that little has changed, but I believe that Francis' style is what is making the difference," said Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert with Italy's L'Espresso news magazine. "He knows he cannot wage a frontal assault on the church's culture, and so he's conducting a kind of guerrilla war, using the force of his personality." Rank-and-file Catholics could not be more enthusiastic about Francis' papacy. Polls show sky-high approval levels, and the term "The Francis Effect" has been coined to explain the pontiff's impact on everything from rising church attendance to the newfound popularity of various forms of the name "Francis." "It is such a source of pride to have such a spiritual and holy man in the papacy," said Alberto Branca, a 52-year-old university administrator, in St. Peter's Square for the last Sunday before Francis' first anniversary.

Anna Maria Polli, 40, a nurse, agreed. "My faith has been renewed since Francis became pope."

^  I knew that Pope Francis would bring about change within the Catholic Church. I also knew that not everything would change overnight as the Church is centuries old and doesn't always respond well to change (for good or bad.) Hopefully, the Pope will keep up his reforms and the Church will once again become a place that people willingly flock to. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/09/pope-francis-analysis-vatican-catholic-church/6169441/

Health Deadline

From USA Today:

"5 things to know for March 31 health exchange deadline"

Americans have until March 31 to sign up for health insurance or face a penalty when they file their 2014 taxes next April. Millions of uninsured people qualify for subsidies to pay for their insurance, but there are still — even after months of advertising, community meetings, door-to-door information sessions and even speeches by the president — many who don't know about the exchanges, don't know they're eligible for financial help, or who don't know the Affordable Care Act still stands. Others simply haven't gotten around to enrolling yet. "More than likely, we're going to see more individuals who perhaps do not speak English as their primary language," Connolly said. "There's a belief that young people tend to wait until the last minute."  Another impediment, said Katherine Hempstead, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is that many people still don't know if they're eligible for financial help to buy insurance. "People tend to under-predict their own eligibility; they don't know how much help they can get," she said. A recent Urban Institute survey found that about half of the uninsured have at least visited the exchange websites, but that one out of four of the uninsured hadn't heard of the exchanges at all.

Here's what you need to know to enroll:

1. Start now

While state and federal websites are, for the most part, operating properly, there could be wait times as a throng of people decide to sign up in the last week of March. While enrolling takes an average of 35 to 40 minutes, some people will need more time to enroll if they have complex family situations or aren't familiar with basic insurance terms.

2. Start at www.HealthCare.gov

Even those who live in states with state-based health exchanges can start at the federal site to get to their state sites. The state and federal exchanges are simply websites that tell people if they are eligible for subsidies, and then allow consumers to compare private health insurance plans — including from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna and UnitedHealth — by benefits and prices. There is no "Obamacare" plan. All of the plans are private. Often, people call and say, "'I want insurance, but I don't want an Obamacare plan,'" said John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a nonprofit group helping small businesses. They don't understand, he said, there is no such plan and people have more options to choose from because more insurers, including new co-ops, may now participate without trying to break into a market with an insurance stronghold. Still, those who are not eligible for subsidies and who don't want to participate in an exchange may buy their insurance directly from an insurer. Because of the law, people with pre-existing conditions may no longer be precluded or charged more for their insurance.

3. How much will it cost?

According to a recent study by PWC, premiums for exchange plans cost the same or less than employer-sponsored plans, and that's before a subsidy. A family of four with a household income of less than $95,400 qualifies for a subsidy, as does a single person who makes less than $46,680. In states that have not expanded Medicaid, such as Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina, families with incomes lower than $23,850 may not be eligible for subsidies. Hempstead said Consumer Reports has a good tool that allows people to check their eligibility without having to fill out all of their basic information first. The Affordable Care Act was written with the assumption that all states would expand Medicaid, but the Supreme Court struck down that portion of the law in 2012. So, those who do make less than 100% of the poverty level in those states will not receive subsidies.

4. What do I need to get started?

You will need income information for you and your family members, as well as Social Security numbers and ages. If you need to see a specialist or go to a specific hospital, you should know which plans cover those providers, which could mean calling the providers and asking. "I think it definitely smooths the process if you've already done your homework," Connolly said. That starts with understanding how insurance works. For example, a premium is the monthly payment for insurance, while a co-pay is the amount paid for each doctor visit. Studies have shown that many insurance customers still don't understand these terms. People who are generally healthy might chose a low-premium, high-deductible plan because they don't expect to go to the doctor often or to spend any time in the hospital. Those with chronic issues, such as diabetes or heart disease, might chose a plan with a higher premium to avoid high out-of-pocket costs. All of those elements are explained at the state and federal websites, but most insurers also have education resources, as does the Kaiser Family Foundation and Families USA.

5. And if I don't?

After March 31, you will not be able to enroll in any health insurance plan — through the exchanges or through the insurers — unless you have a big life change, such as a new job or adding a member to your family. At tax time next year, those who did not buy health insurance in 2014 will pay either 1% of their yearly household income or $95 per person for the year — whichever amount is higher. In 2015, the fine increases to 2% of your income or $325 per person. The penalty continues to increase after that. People who have insurance for nine months or more do not have to pay a penalty. Remember, to have coverage beginning April 1, you must choose a plan by March 15.

^ It's nearing the end where you have to sign-up or else and yet as I expected the majority of people (from the top-down) still have no clue of what is going on. This is one big, hot mess that the ordinary people will have to bear. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/08/5-things-to-know-for-march-31-health-exchange-deadline/6161047/

Paralympic Opening

I as randomly searching through channels and saw that the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony was going on (well it was being broadcast hours after the fact.) I DVRed it, but missed the first 15 minutes - so I can't talk about that first part.

It is annoying that the Paralympic Games aren't getting the same promotion or air-time as the Olympic Games did. The Olympic Opening Ceremony was nearly three times longer than the Paralympic Opening. Also, they only had English and Russian (the same creepy, old Russian guy as the Olympics) and not French. Considering that the Soviets refused to host the Paralympic Games in 1980 when they hosted the Olympic Games (because they claimed to have no disabled/handicapped in their country) it was nice to see that the Russian Federation hosted it this time.

They didn't have the same cool floor map for the Parade of Nations as they did before - which was one of the best parts of the Olympic Opening. They had very slow and boring music as the countries came out.

I didn't see if the Canadian team walked out (since I missed the first part.) I did see the US team, which had a lot of athletes (they wore the same uniforms as the Olympic Games.) The Russian team came last (as is tradition.) The part I thought was the best out of the whole Opening Ceremony was when the lone Ukrainian, Mykhaylo Tkachenko, (the other 22 Ukrainian athletes boycotted the Opening) wheeled himself out carrying the Ukrainian flag and the stadium went wild with excitement. The camera showed Putin at that moment and he didn't look please - as though he was upset that here he was trying to invade and occupy the Ukraine and yet people still strongly supported the Ukrainian people. That symbolic picture did more to bring the world closer to the Ukraine than anything else could.

The President of the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) spoke and mentioned the 1980 Soviet refusal to host the Games and ended with saying he hoped these Games would give people "barrier-free minds." That could be taken two ways: one way is to support barrier-free living for the disabled around the world and the other way is to not impose your will on those around you (ie the Ukraine) and blockade  - make barriers keeping them in.

Putin then officially opened the Games. He looked very worn, tired and upset. That was followed by some cool fireworks.

They had a short presentation of an "ice breaking dance" where an ice-breaking ship called "Mir"  - which in Russian means both "World" and "Peace"  - went across the stadium.

The show ended with the Paralympic flame lit.

I'm glad that I got to see the Opening for myself since you don't get the same experience as when you simply read about the event. Like I already said, the main picture that will stick with me from this Opening is the lone Ukrainian flag bearer.

Women's Day

From the BBC:

"Where's the Best Place to Be a Woman"

For five years in a row, Iceland has been rated the country with the world's smallest gender gap by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The rating means Iceland is the country where women enjoy the most equal access to education and healthcare. It is also where women are most likely to be able to participate fully in the country's political and economic life. Iceland is joined at the top of the The Global Gender Gap Report, 2013 by its Nordic neighbours Finland, Norway and Sweden. Overall, the gender gap narrowed slightly across the globe in 2013, as 86 of 133 countries showed improvements. However, "change is definitely slow", says one of the report's authors, Saadia Zahidi.

Overall gender gap:

Europe has seven countries in the top 10. The UK is 18th and the US is 23rd.The Philippines, at fifth, is the highest ranking Asian nation and Nicaragua is the highest-placed country from the Americas, at 10th.  The G20 group of leading industrial nations has no representative in the top 10, nor do the Middle East or Africa.

Top countries

1. Iceland

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Sweden

5. Philippines

6. Ireland

7. New Zealand

8. Denmark

9. Switzerland

10. Nicaragua

^  Today is International Women's Day (a non-working holiday in Russia, the Ukraine and most of the former Soviet Union.) This list is not that surprising to me (although I was surprised to see the Philippines and Nicaragua) and not even Canada or the UK. Even though Women's Day isn't celebrated in most of the world-  since it is seen as a Communist holiday - it is still a good day to remember the women in your life. At the same time you are doing that you should take a minute to remember the grandmothers, sisters, daughters, wives, girlfriends in Russian-occupied Ukraine who only want to celebrate this holiday in peace and can't this year. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-24650912

Service Changes

From USA Today:

"Service dog owners still hounded despite change in law"

Tennessee law changed last year to make travel with service dogs easier — but if a law changes and few people know, has it really changed? The new law aims to protect people with disabilities from having to show documentation about their disabilities or their service dogs when entering businesses. It's a change that brought Tennessee in line with long-standing protections in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark 1990 federal law that gave equal standing in public accommodations to disabled people. But some Tennesseans with disabilities continue to be asked for proof, forcing them to argue that the law is on their side. Attorneys at the Disability Law and Advocacy Center worry that not much has changed. Among the concerns still rolling in: a man with a service dog asked by staff to leave a funeral home; a woman with epilepsy told not to bring her dog to medical appointments. "The complaints seem to be coming in at about the same rate regardless of the change," said Martha M. Lafferty, advocacy center legal director. "It may be that businesses are not yet aware." The advocacy center and the Tennessee Disability Coalition want to change that in a way that will make the new law stick. They'll soon host classes about protections within state and federal laws for people with disabilities. The state chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is hosting a training session in Nashville, with local police and emergency response officials scheduled to attend. "We've been finding that even some of the police don't know what the current laws are," said Jimmy Boehm, a 34-year-old student at Middle Tennessee State University and a leader in the state's chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. Boehm, who is blind, often gets the chance to spread the word about Tennessee's law change. It even came up while he searched for a hotel to host the guide dog conference. A hotel employee tried to remind him that attendees would need to bring paperwork about their animals. He explained that the law had changed and offered to give a talk to the staff. "We don't just say, 'Hey, you're wrong,' " Boehm said. "We try to educate." Many people who use service dogs don't carry any kind of documentation. There's no standard format. But for years, people with disabilities have run into challenges, particularly at restaurants, movie theaters, hospitals and hotels. One conflict still sticks with James Brown of Antioch, Tenn. His dog Jordan, a German shepherd, helps with his travel around downtown Nashville, where he works and exercises at the YMCA on lunch breaks. A few days before the documentation law changed on July 1, Brown was turned away from a downtown Italian restaurant. He called the police, who eventually helped him get his meal — after a delay of about 30 minutes. "I don't get upset about it, but it's another nuisance I have to go through," said Brown, president of the Tennessee affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. "The law's on your side, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to go inside and enjoy a nice meal. You might get that later on." Brown never has problems at the YMCA, where he's a regular. He checks in without hassle, and Jordan guides him through the locker room and then to the gym. For years, the wording of Tennessee law planted the idea that people with disabilities could be questioned by business owners, said Lafferty, the disability rights advocate. A Tennessee attorney general's opinion in 2001 added to that thinking by supporting the state law despite its difference from the federal disabilities act.  Understanding of the disabilities act has now evolved, Lafferty said. Last year's change, which firmly established in law that such questions were inappropriate, sailed through the legislature. The new law also gives business owners the ability to ask that service animals be removed when out of control. Lafferty says people have to change the way they think about service dogs. "Look at the dog like it's a wheelchair," Lafferty said. "Would you ask someone a bunch of questions about a wheelchair? No. You'd let them come into your business." Boehm, in his fifth semester at MTSU, doesn't often encounter problems when he travels with his service dog, Shep. Shep knows how to guide Boehm to door handles and elevators, and straight to his classroom desk. The other students have grown accustomed to Shep's quiet presence. The two of them also roam around Murfreesboro, often aided by taxis. Boehm shops for groceries and frequents a barbershop and restaurant. At the mall, Shep guides Boehm to the shops, where Boehm listens for the cash register area and asks employees for the name of the store. If it's one he wants, he asks for shopping assistance. If not, they move on. "I view it like we're explorers," Boehm said. "That way, it doesn't get frustrating or anything. We just travel a little bit different." Boehm uses all his senses when he travels — sometimes in ways hard to put into words. "You can hear a building," he said. "You'll hear an echo or feel the wind. Or the sun, sometimes, the way the sun's hitting me." Together, man and dog travel freely and mostly unassisted. But a bit of understanding from others, especially about the inherent challenges of traveling without sight, does help, Boehm said. At the Boulevard Bar and Grille, owner Jeff Nebel offers his elbow and guides Boehm to a spacious table where Shep can curl up, practically invisible, down below. When people do see Shep — a skinny German Shepherd — they tend to be friendly. Service dogs actually aren't supposed to be petted while they "work," but Boehm doesn't mind. He prefers the feeling of being welcomed to the sting of being questioned.

Myth: Only people who are blind or deaf use service animals.

Fact: People with many types of disabilities can use service animals.

Myth: Any animal can be a service animal.

Fact: In Tennessee and under federal law, only dogs are service animals. The federal law does treat people assisted by miniature horses similarly to those assisted by dogs.

Myth: Service dog users must show documentation to prove a disability to enter businesses.

Fact: It is illegal for business employees to ask service dog users for documentation since Tennessee law changed in 2013 to match federal law.

Myth: Housing providers follow the same service dog guidelines as other businesses.

Fact: The Fair Housing Act applies to the use of service animals by people with disabilities, and is actually broader than the American Disabilities Act and Tennessee law. The housing act allows people with disabilities to have untrained assistance animals in housing, and a variety of animals in addition to dogs and miniature horses.

^ On the one hand I agree that anyone who says they are disabled should get equal and fair access and then on the other I have seen first-hand people abuse the laws who aren't disabled. In my state if you are disabled you have a "handicapped" icon on your driver's license/non-driving id so you can easily show that you are disabled (even if it isn't physically noticeable.) I don't have an issue with that. I believe that people with service animals should have a similar icon/document (given out free) regardless of what state they live in and that once shown all businesses, people, etc have to accept it or else be found breaking the law and punished/fined accordingly. Even though it is the second decade of the 21st Century many Americans don't care to know what laws and responsibilities they have to follow  - whether for the disabled or not. Also many Americans still don't see or want to see the disabled even when they are right in front of them. I'm not saying that there aren't those who hold doors open for the disabled or things like that, but I have personally experienced more people run to the door ahead of a disabled person and slam it shut rather than hold it open. The disabled are here to stay and are no longer going to hide in their homes so everyone else needs to accept that, know the laws, follow the laws and be as helpful as they can when they see someone (anyone) needing some help. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/07/service-dogs-law/6163211/

Paralympic Ukrainians

From USA Today:

"Ukraine decides to compete in Sochi Paralympics"

Ukraine will compete in the Winter Paralympics in Sochi despite Russia's military moves in Crimea.

The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee decided against boycotting the games, announcing a few hours before Friday's opening ceremony that its athletes would stay. The decision came after discussions between Ukrainian officials and athletes over whether to pull out in light of the crisis back home and Russia's military takeover of the Crimean peninsula. "We are staying at the Paralympics," Valeriy Sushkevich, president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, said at a news conference.

However, he added that the circumstances were far from ideal. "I don't remember a situation when the organizing country during a Paralympics started an intervention on the territory of a country taking part," Sushkevich said, according to the R-Sport agency. "I don't know what to extent the team can focus on the result now." The Ukrainian official said the team would leave Sochi if there is any escalation of military conflict. "I declare should this happen we will leave the games," Sushkevich said. "We cannot possibly stay here in this case." He said he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night to discuss the situation and request peace during the games. Suskevich said he did not receive any guarantees but it was important that Putin agreed to listen. Putin and IOC President Thomas Bach are expected to attend Friday's opening ceremony. Several countries have decided not to send political leaders or dignitaries to the ceremony in protest of Russia's actions in Ukraine. Ukraine's decision to compete in Sochi was welcomed by the International Paralympic Committee. "We want sport to prevail and a full complement of teams to compete in what we are confident will be a fantastic Paralympic Winter Games," IPC President Phillip Craven said. "All week the IPC has been working closely with the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee in an effort to keep them here in Sochi. The talking point of Sochi 2014 needs to be great sport and great athletes, not global politics." The IPC has appealed for Russia to recognize the U.N.'s Olympic Truce, which asks warring parties to cease hostilities during the Olympics and Paralympics. About 575 athletes from 45 countries are due to compete in the 10-day Paralympics. Five sports are on the program — alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. Ukraine has entered 23 athletes for the Sochi Paralympics. It finished fifth in the medals table at the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver in 2010, with a total of 19 medals and five gold. Ukrainian athletes chanted "peace to Ukraine" as they apparently walked out of a flag-raising ceremony in Sochi on Thursday night. That is now under investigation by the IPC as a possible breach of rules banning political protests. "What we're trying to do is gather the evidence, gather the transcripts and then we will see if any steps are necessary," IPC spokesman Craig Spence said. "If there was a political protest, obviously we'd be disappointed by that because we have said all week that this is about sport, not politics."

^ Good for you Ukraine! I don't see why you, the victim, should be forced to withdrawal just because it is being held in Russia, the occupier. I hope that the Ukrainian athletes win lots of medals and return home with their heads high. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2014/03/07/ukraine-competing-sochi-winter-paralympics/6157497/

VA Mistakes

From USA Today:

"VA didn't pay some veterans' health costs, report says"

Even as the Obama Administration works to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, government investigators uncovered dozens of cases where the VA failed to cover emergency hospital costs for uninsured disabled veterans. Government Accountability Office investigators say the series of errors committed by the VA could be examples of a broader problem in a specialized area of compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs must reimburse non-VA hospitals that provide emergency care to disabled veterans -- such as for car accident injuries -- if the veteran is uninsured, enrolled in VA healthcare and has received recent treatment at VA. Federal law requires that such emergency expenses be covered by the federal government even if the injury or illness is not related to the veteran's service-connected disability. But when GAO looked at a sample of 128 of these claims brought by non-VA hospitals in 2012 seeking reimbursement and that were later denied by the VA, investigators discovered mistakes in half of them, the report says. The claims were brought to four VA hospitals -- Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center, White River Junction VA Medical Center in Vermont, Black Hills VA Health Care System in South Dakota and the North Texas VA Health Care System. The GAO said its investigation "raises concerns about the extent to which other VA facilities nationwide may be inappropriately denying claims." VA spokeswoman Victoria Dillon said the department is taking steps to better educate employees about handling these claims and better informing veterans about the benefit and how it works. The VA has since gone back and paid claims in 25 of the cases uncovered by GAO. In two-thirds of the claims GAO examined, there was evidence the VA never informed disabled veterans that their health care expenses would not be paid by the VA, leaving them unaware of appeal rights. When private hospitals were not reimbursed by the VA, they were left to bill the uninsured veterans directly. "These are not wealthy veterans," says Randall Williamson, the supervising GAO investigator for the report. Some of the mistakes by VA staff included failing to promptly date-stamp claims, sending them to the wrong payment office, routing them to the wrong VA facility and incorrectly concluding that veterans were not eligible. "They were sloppy," Williamson said of the VA processors. A 15-year-old law known as the Millennium Act was designed to discourage disabled veterans from racing long distances to the nearest VA hospital when they need emergency treatment, the GAO report says. The VA estimates it will spend $580 million on this benefit in 2015. "This report confirms what we've suspected for some time: VA's weak oversight of Veterans' Millennium Act claims is placing an undue burden on veterans," says Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, which requested the investigation.

^ I will never understand why soldiers, veterans and their families always have to struggle to get the benefits they are entitled to. It is a sad day when those that are serving/have served are forced to "fight" their own government. The VA has been making it hard for vets and soldiers for decades: causing back-logs, not paying for services, etc and something needs to be done immediately to make sure they do not continue their disgraceful practices. If people can't or don't do their jobs then they should be fired and replaced by those that can. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/07/va-veterans-disabled-insurance-claims-denied-millennium/6133691/

Binding Ties

From JP:

"US bill 'dramatically strengthens' Israel alliance"

The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that declares Israel a "major strategic partner" of the United States, reinforcing the broad relationship between the two nations and laying the groundwork for more expansive strategic cooperation. The bill would expand the delivery of forward-deployed US weapons to Israel, as well as other military technologies, and would commit Congress to further funding of the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system. Controversially, the bill would also invite Israel into a visa waiver agreement with the US, which has been opposed by members of the intelligence community and the Democratic caucus for multiple years. The bill passed 410-1 in the House. The Senate has taken up a similar measure, which is still in the committee process.  Just a day after its annual policy conference in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee declared the bill's passage a victory, and characterized the measure as "dramatically strengthening the US-Israel relationship." "This designation lays the foundation for expanded US-Israel cooperation in a wide variety of spheres, including defense, intelligence, homeland security, energy, agriculture and trade," AIPAC said in a statement, applauding the bill as "critical" and calling on the Senate to act with similar haste. The second half of the bill, which focuses on US-Israel energy relationships, was authored by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and aims to strengthen collaboration between the two countries on energy projects. The United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement Bill first passed through the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on December 11, and a Senate companion bill passed through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on December 20. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was responsible for the Senate companion bill, alongside Se.s Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).  This portion of the bill officially determines that "United States-Israel energy cooperation, and the development of natural resources by Israel, are strategic interests of the United States," recognizing Israel specifically as a partner in water technology, safety and security arenas. Encouraging the US National Science Foundation to collaborate with the Israel Science Foundation, the text also encourages more robust academic cooperation in a variety of energy-related fields. Advocating "open dialogue and continued mechanisms for regular engagement," the bill calls for continued energy partnerships among government and academic institutions as well as the private sector from both sides. Some particular topics of interest include identifying priorities for developing Israeli natural resources, discussing best practices to secure cyber energy infrastructure, leveraging natural gas to positively impact regional stability and improving energy efficiency, the bill says.  The bill also acknowledges the important role of the US-Israel Binational research and Development Foundation (BIRD) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation, and commits continued multiyear funding "to ensure the continuity of the programs of the foundations." “I am pleased this important measure was included in the legislative package and encouraged to see it received such overwhelming support," Upton said, following the bill's passage. "With a simple amendment to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, this legislation will help bolster the partnership between Israel and the US on energy production and help enhance energy security." With American assistance, Israel will be able to continue making advancements in developing its natural resources, Upton stressed. He also committed to working on future "commonsense energy solutions" with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, as occurred while drafting this legislation. "Today the House passed an important bill that will expand the partnership between the U.S. and Israel," Waxman agreed. "Israel is a close ally, and it is in our national interest to help the Israelis development their natural resources in a responsible way that protects the environment."

^ This bill, if passed, only strengthens the ties the US and Israel have shared over the decades. Funding the Iron Dome will not only save more Israeli lives, but can also be used in the US if the need ever arises. Also, Israel should be added to the US Visa Waiver Program. ^

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/US-bill-dramatically-strengthens-Israel-alliance-344651

Slow Response

From MT:

"Global Reactions to Ukraine Intensify"

NATO urged Russia on Thursday to call back to bases its forces on the Ukrainian Crimea peninsula, saying it stood by Ukraine's territorial integrity in the face of the greatest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War. The warning came on the heels of a flurry of activity, including a U.S. announcement of a travel ban and discussions with China, EU comments about ending talks on visa-free travel for Russians, counter criticisms by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry and a Russian Government Security Council meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin. In the NATO statement Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, "Ukraine is a valued and long-standing partner for NATO. In these difficult moments NATO stands by Ukraine, NATO stands by Ukraine's sovereignty, integrity and by the fundamental principles of international law."  The crisis in Ukraine escalated on Thursday after the parliament in Crimea, which has effectively been seized by Russian forces, voted to join Russia. "This crisis is not just about Ukraine, this crisis has serious implications for the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area as a whole. We clearly face the gravest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War," Rasmussen said. "Above all we call on Russia to step up its international commitments and halt the military escalation in Crimea. We call on Russia to withdraw its forces to their bases and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine," he said.  Meanwhile, the White House said it was able to secure Chinese agreement about Ukraine's territorial integrity. China agrees with the United States that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected in its dispute with Russia, the White House said in statement after top-level contacts between the two countries. In comments posted on its website, China's Foreign Ministry said that State Councilor Yang Jiechi had urged all sides to exercise restraint and said the crisis must be resolved through political and diplomatic means. The legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups in Ukraine must be taken into account, added Yang, who spoke to President Barack Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice. China is treading a cautious path in the Ukraine dispute, withholding criticism of strategic partner Russia while adhering to its traditional policy of not interfering in the affairs of other countries. The U.S. has engaged in global diplomatic efforts to gather opposition against Russia's deployment of troops in the Crimea region of southern Ukraine. Obama spoke earlier to British Prime Minister David Cameron as Washington sought to mount pressure on Europe. Vice President Joe Biden talked by phone with Latvian President Andris Berzins to underscore the U.S.' commitment to peace and security in the Baltic region.

But U.S. and Russian diplomats have been unable to find a common language. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday there was no agreement as yet between Moscow and Washington over the crisis in Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported. "For now we cannot tell the international community that we have an agreement," Lavrov was quoted as saying after meeting his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry, in Rome. Russia on Thursday dismissed as "primitive distortion of reality," cynicism and double standards a U.S. Department of State fact sheet that dismissed Putin's comments on the crisis in Ukraine as "false claims." "It is clear that in Washington, as before, they are unable to accept a situation developing not according to their templates," Alexander Lukashevich, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement.

In Washington President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered the freezing of U.S. assets and a ban on travel into the U.S. of those involved in the Russian military intervention into Crimea.

Obama signed an executive order aimed at punishing those Russians and Ukrainians responsible for a Russian move into Crimea. The order, the White House said in a statement, is "a flexible tool that will allow us to sanction those who are most directly involved in destabilizing Ukraine, including the military intervention in Crimea, and does not preclude further steps should the situation deteriorate." In addition, the State Department is putting in place visa bans on a number of officials and individuals responsible for or complicit in threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Putin is not among those targeted under U.S. sanctions announced in response to Russia's incursion into Ukraine, a senior Obama administration official said Thursday. "It is an unusual and extraordinary circumstance to sanction a head of state, and we would not begin our designations by doing so," the official said.  The order was announced as Kerry and Lavrov began their meeting.

A senior State Department official said the U.S. had informed the Europeans beforehand about the sanctions. The U.S. wants Russian troops to return to their bases in Crimea and for Moscow to allow international monitors into the region to ensure the rights of ethnic Russians there are protected. "We call on Russia to take the opportunity before it to resolve this crisis through direct and immediate dialogue with the government of Ukraine," the White House said. The Obama order targets any assets held in the U.S. by "individuals and entities" responsible for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, threatening its territorial integrity or seeking to assert governmental authority over any part of Ukraine without authorization from the Ukrainian government in Kiev. The White House also said it is prepared to consider additional steps and sanctions as necessary. In Moscow, Putin discussed Ukraine, including the Crimean parliament's appeal to let the region join Russia, at a meeting of his Security Council on Thursday, his spokesman said, RIA Novosti reported.

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the situation upped the ante by saying they were considering freezing talks with Russia on a visa-free regime — something Moscow has demanded for some time. The Foreign Ministry said such moves were "politicized, unconstructive and ungrounded" and expressed hope it would not happen. "We still hope that at the end of the day our partners will not go for such a move," the ministry's spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

^ It's "nice" to see that world governments are slowly, but surely starting to do more than just talk. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/global-reactions-to-ukraine-intensify/495812.html

Dirty Photos Law

From the BBC:
"Massachusetts bill outlaws Peeping Tom photos"

Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill targeting those who take photographs of "the sexual or other intimate parts" of people in public. It comes a day after a state court ruled a man who took photos up the skirts of female passengers on Boston's subway did not break the law. The bill makes such offences punishable by up to two-and-a-half years in jail and a $5,000 (£3,000) fine. Governor Deval Patrick has already said he will sign the measure into law. After the legislation's unanimous approval on Thursday, state Senate President Therese Murray said: "Women and children should be able to go to public places without feeling that they are not protected by the law." The bill states that anyone who "photographs, videotapes or electronically surveils" a person's sexual or intimate parts without consent should face a misdemeanor charge. The crime becomes a felony - punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine - if the accused secretly takes indecent photographs of anyone under the age of 18. The bill was prompted by the case of Michael Robertson, who was arrested in August 2010 after police received complaints that he had used his mobile phone to take photos and videos up the skirts of female passengers on the Boston subway. On Wednesday, the state's Supreme Judicial Court found the existing Peeping Tom law did not apply to "photographing (or videotaping or electronically surveilling) persons who are fully clothed and, in particular, does not reach the type of upskirting that the defendant is charged with".

^ This sounds like a no-brainer. I'm surprised that it is only being considered in one state and no where else. I think people who take sexual photographs without the other person's knowledge should be illegal. I am curious to see if this bill allows the same pictures for those that consent. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26476983

Punishing The Truth

From MT:
"Bill Criminalizing 'False Anti-Russian Information' in the Works, Report Says"

 State Duma deputy is preparing to submit a bill that would allow editors and media executives to be prosecuted for the "publication of false anti-Russian information," Izvestia reported Thursday.

United Russia's Yevgeny Fyodorov said the bill is a response to recent publications in the Russian media invoking inappropriate historical analogies and interpretations of events taking place in Russia and Ukraine. The bill would also criminalize media "providing information support to anti-Russian extremists and separatist forces, including the representation of events beyond Russian borders." The journalists writing the articles will not be targeted for prosecution. Instead, the bill pursues legal action against managers and editors that persistently green-light the publication of articles that the Interior Ministry considers to be lies, Fyodorov told Izvestia, adding that the violations would fall under laws governing "crimes against the state" such as treason and espionage. The deputy said the amendments were designed to combat "deliberate deception of audiences by media professionals, intending to support terrorism, intervention, separatism and genocide." Fyodorov has a history of pursuing restrictive legislation. In 2012 he drafted a law requiring foreign-funded NGOs to register as foreign agents, which has been criticized by human rights organizations as repressive. He said that he has considered expanding the provisions of the law to foreign-funded media outlets. Independent media has come under fire from conservative politicians. The opposition-leaning television station Dozhd was dropped by the majority of Russian cable providers last month after it published a controversial poll asking if surrendering Leningrad to the Nazis might have saved thousands of lives. Legislators accused the poll of denigrating history. Victor Shenderovich, a columnist at Ekho Moskvy, also came under fire for comparing the Sochi Winter Olympics to Nazi Germany's 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

^ This is just another attempt for the politicians to cover-up their own lies, the military action being done and to curb freedom of the press. A strong, democratic government can withstand criticism. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/bill-criminalizing-false-anti-russian-information-in-the-works-report-says/495801.html

Cdn Travel Bans

From Yahoo Canada:
"Prime Minister Harper imposes more travel bans to Canada over crisis in Ukraine"

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has imposed travel bans to Canada for individuals connected with the crisis in the Ukraine. Harper said in a release today that the ban will affect "a number of individuals responsible for threatening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine." The prime minister did not identity the individuals in the release, nor indicate whether they had applied for travel to Canada or were regular visitors to Canada. The statement said the ban was to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The Conservative government has said the Crimea region of Ukraine is under "illegal military occupation" and that Canada will not recognize its forthcoming referendum on whether to join Russia. Lawmakers in Crimea have voted unanimously to split from Ukraine and join Russia, and will hold a referendum March 16 to allow voters on the disputed peninsula to weigh in on the decision. Harper described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an act of aggression and a clear violation both of Ukraine's sovereignty and international law.

^  I'm not sure how effective of a response this is considering that the Russians have invaded and occupied the Ukraine, but I guess it is something. I know the US has done the same thing. Hopefully, this is only part of their response. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/prime-minister-harper-imposes-more-travel-bans-canada-173121387.html

Pro Tartars

From USA Today:

"Tatars of Crimea say they stand with Ukraine"

Soon after darkness falls, about a dozen men gather around a community hall on the outskirts of this small city known for its stunning bluffs and grandiose Ottoman-era architecture. The men chew sunflower seeds and smoke nervously, watching for suspicious vehicles amid the tension that's overtaken Ukraine's Crimea region since it was overrun a week ago by pro-Russia forces. "We spend sleepless nights so our children can rest," explains Ernest Bekirov, 48, an ethnic Tatar and member of a night watch group that formed last week after Russian forces began occupying the town. Tatars are a predominately Muslim people who trace their lineage back to Turkic and Mongol tribes. There are millions spread out in eastern Russia and Ukraine. The Tatars once ruled Crimea and their armies and those of the Mongols even sacked Moscow in the 14th and 15th centuries. They fell under Russian domination in 1783 when Crimea was taken from the Turks by Catherine the Great. They were never treated well under Russia, and even worse under the Communist Soviet Union. Soviet dictator Josef Stalin deported 200,000 Tatars to the east, mostly Siberia, in 1944 after claiming falsely that they collaborated with the Nazi invasion of World War II. Half of them died during or after the journey from disease, thirst and hunger. The Tatars returned to Crimea shortly before the Soviet Union fell in 1991, their homes and cultural presence long gone. Though ethnic Russians are now the majority in Crimea, Ukrainians and Tatars make up a third of its population. "Relations have been good for the past 25 years — we've had a peaceful co-existence," said 49-year-old Enver Umerov, an ethnic Tatar who was born in Soviet Uzbekistan but returned with his family and was elected to the local city council. "We've learned how to get along. But currently we are worried about provocations from outside." The "outside" is Russia, which has sent thousands of troops to seize military bases across Crimea, including this town's Ukrainian military barracks. The Russian soldiers don't wear insignias or show identification, and wear knit ski masks even though the days are warm. Heavily armed pro-Russia Crimeans have joined in and surrounded small Ukraine bases of soldiers. "All the people living in Crimea understand that these are soldiers from the Russian Federation," Umerov said. "These uninvited guests with automatic rifles have thrown a tea party on our territory." Russia's quiet occupation of Crimea's autonomous region enjoys support from many ethnic Russians who appear to accept the Kremlin's explanation that its forces are here to provide stability after an uprising in Kiev replaced the government. Ethnic Russians here worry when they see television images of protesters and they chafe under past tensions stoked by Ukrainian nationalists who demand that Ukrainian language and culture take precedence over Russian concerns. But ethnic Tatars, whose political leadership supported the protester-led "Maidan" movement in Kiev, named for the central square where it originated, say pro-Russian activists here are ginning up a threat from Kiev. And they are suspicious of Moscow's intentions. Ruslan, a 37-year-old who asked that his full name not be used out of fear of retribution, said the trouble here is being manufactured by Russia and spread by its Crimean loyalists. "This is a new problem — we didn't have this problem a few days ago," he said. "All this — it's coming from Russia. They have come and brought their war here." Tatars here say there are shadowy henchmen acting on the orders from Moscow prowling about and they may launch violent attacks to prompt ethnic conflict to give Russian President Vladimir Putin justification to intervene further. "The people of different nationalities who live here would never do such a thing, it could only come from elsewhere," said Ahtem Chiygoz, the leader of Bakhchisaray's traditional Tatar council which liaises between the Tatar community and authorities. "We are expecting, according to Putin's plan, people appearing to be Crimean Tatars attacking ethnic Russian families — or just the opposite." Crimea's Tatars oppose separating from Ukraine, said Sulaymanov Mukhamed Ali, a business consultant in Simferopol. "My personal mission is to keep my people from doing anything violent," Ali said. Tatars have connections all over the world, including Muslim nations where extremists and radicals have fought insurgencies during the recent decades, and radicals will flood into the Crimea if fighting starts, he said. He compared Crimea with a keg of gun powder "and someone is standing beside it playing with a lighter." "We are a proud people. We are a bold people, but we don't want any war and are doing everything in our power to prevent it," he said. "But we are men of honor." The men who have taken over the Crimean government have offered Tatars benefits and guarantees, but "fate has decided we are citizens of Ukraine," he said. "We don't want to raise a generation that would call us traitors who sold out for a sack of potatoes." On the street, Chiygoz stands with other men this night and monitors the comings and goings of unknown vehicles. Bakhchisaray is a city of about 33,000, an ancient Tatar capital where tourists flock in summer to see its grand Ottoman-era mosques and palaces. Tatars are still less than a quarter of the population here.

"The main goal of the patrols is not to let any group of provocateurs burst into the homes of families — cause bloodshed — and we'll prevent this, unarmed, with our fists if we have to," Chiygoz said.

There is little chance the Tatars can repel a Russian invasion, though. Standing in the glow of headlights from a car idling nearby, Bekirov says the Tatars can try. "We know our efforts are small but we Tatars have a proverb," Bekirov said. "Drop by drop one makes a big lake."

^ It seems that the ethnic Ukrainians are not the only ones who want the Crimea to stay with the Ukraine. The Tartars also want to remain with Kiev's influence. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/06/ukraine-economy/6090567/

Border Chaos?

From DW:

"Much ado about nothing at Ukraine-Russia checkpoints"

Anton only needs 30 minutes to reach the Russian border from his home in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the country's second largest city. He often makes the 80-kilometer (50-mile) trip to Belgorod for business. The Ukrainian doesn't need a visa for Russia; he just needs to show his passport at the border. "My wife and I have an account with a Russian bank," said the 40-year-old, who works as an independent IT expert. And he admitted there is often another reason for his trips to Russia: cheap gas. One liter costs about 60 euro cents ($0.83) in Belgorod, compared to 1 euro ($1.38) in Kharkiv. Since Russia has essentially occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Anton only drives to Russia when he has to. "The Russians have gone mad," he said, requesting that his full name not be published and no photo taken. He said that he sees Moscow's latest moves as a declaration of war on Kyiv and that Russia is trying to use force to keep Ukraine in its sphere of influence. The hilly road to the Russian border crossing passes through some villages where both Russian and Ukrainian flags line the street, together with a string of cafés. "These have always been a welcoming gesture," Anton said smiling. "There is no evidence that people here want to become part of Russia."  Anton said he doesn't believe the Russians will invade Kharkiv as they have Crimea. But he doesn't completely rule out the possibility, since many ethnic Russians live in eastern Ukraine.

By Ukrainian standards, the street to the Russian border is in nearly perfect condition, with hardly any potholes. Local residents are quickly cleared at the border crossing, called "Schurawljowka."

There is no sign of the tens of thousands of refuges reported by Russian television. The road is nearly empty, with only the occasional car passing by. The person in charge of the Ukrainian border control, a major in his late twenties, laughed about the Russian broadcasts. "There is no flood of refugees here," he said, adding that there also is not any Russian military presence. Just a few days earlier, however, Russia held a huge military maneuver close to the Ukrainian border, according to Anton. "Belgorod was full of soldiers," he said. No tanks or military vehicles can be seen on the Ukrainian side of the border. But there are more personnel at the border crossing, according to the major. "We have twice as many customs officials as normal," he said, citing the Sochi Olympic Games as the reason. Anton pointing to Ukrainian guards carrying Kalashnikovs. "That's different," he says.

Anton drives on to the next border crossing, "Hoptiwka," only a kilometer away. No refugees are to be found there, either. The street is so quiet that one wonders whether it's really one of the main arteries between Russia and Ukraine. Hardly any people are present, and only a few dogs run around on the multi-lane road. A young couple, is at a bus stop. They're Russians from Kursk, both in their mid-twenties. They've just crossed the border and are waiting to take a bus to Kharkiv. "There won't be war between Russia and Ukraine," the young woman said. She went on to call the Russians in Crimea "helpers of the Russian population." The Ukrainian government in Kyiv has called the troop "occupiers." Anton, who has been to Maidan Square in Kyiv, was amazed by the woman's comments about the political events in the city. "The people in Kyiv are demonstrating for money," she said, politely adding that they had been given "drugs mixed in their food" in order to use violence against the police. "It's unbelievable how Russian television has brainwashed people," Anton said later.

When the Ukrainian customs officials hear the word "war," they shake their heads. They're finishing their shift and want to return to Kharkiv. "It would be nonsense to wage a war here," one man said. "There are people on both side of the border who are related to each other. How can they be expected to shoot at each other?" That's the same question Ukrainian border guards asked themselves in a small canteen at the Hoptiwka border crossing. Next to the canteen is an old café called Crimea, named after the Ukrainian peninsula. "Crimea doesn't exist anymore - it's been abandoned," a woman said of the café. But the soldiers can't help but laugh.

^ This just shows that the Russian propaganda is just that - propaganda. The Germans claimed the ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia and Poland were fleeing for their lives too and so they took them over to "protect them" when in reality they just wanted more land. The same is true here. Russia is using the Nazis' guidebook and following it word-for-word. ^

http://www.dw.de/much-ado-about-nothing-at-ukraine-russia-checkpoints/a-17480375

German Brats

From TribDem:

"Zachary Hubbard | For military brats, Germany was a magical place"

A long chapter in U.S. history is closing. The once behemoth U.S. military forces in Germany are slowly withdrawing. In April, the last Army tanks were shipped home, marking the first time in almost 70 years there were no American tanks on German soil. While most Americans would consider this a political development, for some of us, it’s quite personal. Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allied powers on May 7, 1945, ending the World War II fighting in Europe. Japan followed suit on Sept. 2, ending the war. Following the surrenders, the United States stationed thousands of occupation troops across large portions of Germany and Japan. America managed the occupation of these countries extremely differently. The handling of Japan was relatively callous and strict in the beginning. This was prompted by animosity over the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and Japan’s harsh treatment of American prisoners of war. In contrast, the occupation of Germany was handled more generously and soon evolved into friendly relations. Before the war, people of Japanese heritage were distributed mainly along America’s Pacific coast. Those of German descent, however, were widely spread across the country and in much larger numbers than the Japanese, especially along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Midwest. Ethnic Germans had relatively few cultural and religious differences with other Americans, so they were easily assimilated. The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was founded in 1949. America’s occupation officially ended in 1955. The FRG was admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization the same year. However, U.S. forces remained in Germany to counter the Soviet threat. America’s presence in Germany has had profound effects on both cultures. Soon after the war’s end, American GIs began fraternizing with local German ladies. Romances blossomed and soon GIs were returning to America with German brides. Blended German-American families became common in the Army and Air Force, the services comprising the bulk of U.S. forces in Germany. From 1950-2000, more than 10 million U.S. troops served in Germany. This does not include family members who accompanied them. Most postwar Germans were impoverished while American GIs were, in comparison, rolling in money. Americans spent freely in German stores and restaurants. Even the enlisted ranks could afford to hire German domestic servants – maids, cooks and nannies. Americans wanted the comforts of home and brought many with them. This included cars. Service members’ cars were shipped to the port of Bremerhaven and then driven by the owner to his or her duty station. A shiny Cadillac or Oldsmobile parked on a busy German street could quickly draw a crowd of gawkers. It didn’t take the Germans long to embrace American hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, peanut butter, American-style ice cream and drinks like Coke and Pepsi. We also brought our music. During his stint in the Army, Elvis was stationed at Ray Barracks in the town of Friedberg, the same place I lived during my junior and senior years in high school. There were dozens of American schools in Germany. High school mascot names like the Augsburg Apaches, Heidelberg Lions and Munich Mustangs still resonate with the military brats who attended the schools. Facebook has many large alumni groups from these schools today. There was even an American university in Germany. The University of Maryland had a two-year campus in Munich, which my wife and I attended. Many GIs brought their families to Germany. Most American families enjoyed life in Germany and many came back for second and even third tours of duty, as did I. We built large American housing areas with banks, libraries, movie theaters, liquor stores, department stores called exchanges and commissaries stocked with everyone’s favorite foods from back home. We built American TV and radio stations. We had ration cards to purchase liquor and cigarettes and discount coupons to purchase gas for our cars. In Germany’s southernmost state of Bavaria, we even built recreation centers where Americans skied in the Alps, sailed on Lake Chiemsee and visited fairyland castles. It wasn’t all about bringing America to Germany, however. Many Americans em-braced German culture. German-American social clubs became popular and enduring friendships blossomed. Americans donned German folk attire and danced the waltz and polka as bands played at local festivals and Oktoberfest celebrations. We liked the convenience of riding on the strassenbahn (streetcar) and enjoyed paved bicycle trails next to many major highways.

We also loved the cuisine – schnitzels, sauerbraten and bratwursts, pommes frites (French fries) and condiments in squeeze tubes like toothpaste. If you see someone putting mayonnaise on their French fries, you can bet they used to live in Germany. Of course, there was the beer and wine. Many of my fondest memories of Germany center on food and drink. It was an especially grand lifestyle for military brats, we kids who had few responsibilities. For many, including me, discussion of returning to “the world” as we sometimes called America, was unwelcome. Life in Germany was simply too much fun. As America closes the chapter on U.S. military forces in Germany, it also closes a chapter in the lives of many Americans who once lived there. For us, it was a magical place. For a short time, Germany was our home.

^ I am a military brat and lived in West Germany and then again in Germany. While I agree with this article it wasn't written by a military brat living in Germany - it was written from the point of view of an American soldier stationed in Germany. No brat child  would care how the Germans took to our way of life or how the Japanese and German occupations differed. Brats, like most kids, only care about schools, clubs, entertainment, etc. With that said, I still thought this showed the US military life in Germany from 1945-2000s. ^

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/zacharyhubbard/x2112913619/Zachary-Hubbard-For-military-brats-Germany-was-a-magical-place?mobRedir=false

Proud Nation

From the BBC:

"Ukraine resistance proves problem for Russia"

On Friday the Russians took over, largely unopposed by their Ukrainian counterparts. Perhaps in the confused aftermath of events in Kiev, the Ukrainians were still wondering whose orders they were supposed to follow. But today there are large groups of Ukrainian soldiers who resist the new authority in Crimea, who refuse to surrender their bases and their ships, and who are slowly starting to create problems for the Russians.  Perhaps a decision has been taken to fight back? So far it has been done peacefully, but each time the troops are pushing the boundaries, hoping to show the world that Ukrainians are being bullied by their Russian masters. The international community may have given up on Crimea. It is clear the new government in Kiev has not. Which brings us to the events of today.

The Russian guard at the airfield in Sevastopol must have considered the prospect of a confrontation like this. Marching towards them was a column of 300 unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, with their flag proudly displayed. The Russians fired over their heads but on went the Ukrainians, marching in line, singing their anthem, in defiance.  One volley after the other went over their head and, as they neared the barriers, the rifles of the Russian soldiers were lowered.  This airfield at Sevastopol is home to the MiG fighters of the Ukrainian air force. For several days the troops loyal to Kiev had been confined to their barracks - but now the Russian and Ukrainian commanders were face to face.  The two sides shouted insults and obscenities as the officers tried to calm the situation. The Ukrainian officer was demanding joint patrol of his airfield. His Russian counterpart radioed the demand to his superiors. It ended in stalemate.

It is what the international community fears most: a confrontation that spills out of control and leads to war.  The deadline for Ukrainian forces to put down arms came and went this morning. Moscow said there was no such ultimatum. But President Putin giving his first press conference since the crisis began said using force to protect Russians in Ukraine remained a "last resort". There is no question the noose is now tightening around those who refuse to submit to the new authority in Crimea. And it is getting ever more hostile. Around the bases the pro-Russian supporters are threatening journalists and the families of the soldiers locked inside. Some wives are bravely sneaking in food parcels and supplies but how long will they be allowed such access? In the port there has been plenty of activity. The Ukrainian sailors, going nowhere, have now dressed the railings of their ships in mattresses, to stop the Russians fixing grappling hooks.  Last night in anticipation of a pre-emptive move, a crane ship was manoeuvred into the mouth of the harbour. It belongs to the Russian Black Sea fleet. It is not a complete blockade but the message it sends is abundantly clear - and this morning there were five Russian naval ships patrolling the bay, back and forth they went. As we filmed, a group of young Russian-speakers came to remonstrate. "This is normal," they said. "We want the Russians. You are telling the world lies. They are not occupiers."Russia says it is a legitimate cause to defend the rights of people like this who look east rather than west. And probably they are the majority in Crimea though no doubt there are significant minorities, such as the Tatar community, who do not want to be annexed, who do not want to be part of the Russian Federation.  At the same time the Kremlin, of course, aims to defend its strategic interests.

Would the Americans be any different? It is their access to the Black Sea, not to mention a land synonymous with Soviet history and glory. On the east coast of the peninsula, in Kerch, the Russians are now strengthening their forces. The ferry terminal has been taken. Perhaps more hardware will be moved across the straits. Yesterday the Russian Prime Minister, Dmitri Medvedev, said his government would build a bridge from Russia to Kerch. It reinforces the Kremlin's desire to be ever attached to Crimea.

^ This just reaffirms what I have already said about the Ukrainian military being small, but very patriotic and strong about their country and their independence. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26440668

Strong Ukraine

From USA Today:

"Retired U.S. general touts Ukrainian troops' toughness"

A retired U.S. general with deep knowledge of the geopolitical dynamics at play in Ukraine says the country's military will stand its ground if Russian forces launch an assault. "My experience was the Ukrainian infantry was very tough," retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, the former commander of U.S. Army Europe, told Military Times on Monday. "They are hard soldiers. They are used to hard conditions and their leadership was becoming more professional as we were working with them in Europe."​ Russian troops have occupied Ukraine's Crimea region since last week and appear poised to invade the eastern part of the country, which is heavily Russian. On Monday, the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet commander gave Ukrainian forces in the Crimea an ultimatum to surrender by Tuesday morning or face an assault, according to Russia's Interfax news agency, which cited a Ukrainian defense official. However, other reports indicate Russia has denied issuing such an ultimatum. The Russian army relies heavily on tanks, but Hertling said the Ukrainian military's ability to counter Russian armor is limited. Its forces have old T-72 tanks, BMP-1 fighting vehicles and third-generation anti-tank missiles. The Russians may have better equipment, Hertling said, but if the Ukrainians are attacked, "they are going to fight." It's unclear what, if any, assistance the U.S. or NATO may provide Ukraine. For now, world leaders are scrambling to find a diplomatic solution. There are no NATO troops in Ukraine, and the North Atlantic Council has not been tasked with any military planning or response, said Col. Martin Downie, a NATO spokesman. However, military relations between the U.S. and Ukraine go back several years. U.S. forces have trained extensively with the Ukrainian military, such as in the annual Rapid Trident exercise held in Ukraine; and Ukrainian noncommissioned officers have attended the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Hertling said. Hertling was head of U.S. Army Europe from March 2011 until November 2012 During that time, the Ukrainians focused primarily on improving their skills for peacekeeping operations, but they've kept a wary eye to the east, he said. Complicating matters, the Ukrainian military allows troops to be based close to their homes, so forces in eastern Ukraine are primarily Russian-speaking. That raises the possibility some could be sympathetic to Russia, Hertling said. Already, the newly appointed head of Ukraine's naval fleet defected to the Russians after assuming his position on Saturday, but his entreaties to fellow naval officers to join him have been rejected, according to media reports. In Crimea, where Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian bases, a Russian commander appealed to Ukrainian troops in Simferopol to surrender. The Ukrainians refused. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that he can use as much force as necessary to protect Russians in Ukraine, but U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Kiev that claims of mistreatment are baseless. Kerry condemned Russia's "acts of aggression" and said the Kremlin was "hiding its hand behind falsehoods, intimidation and provocation"

^ The saying: "Size doesn't matter" seems to fit here. It's true that Russia's military (which still has the Draft) is much larger and can easily invade, attack and conquer of the Ukraine. The Ukrainian military (which no longer has the Draft) is small, but it's people are more passionate especially considering they are fighting for their families and their homes. A comparison can be made between the mighty German military attacking the Polish military during World War 2. The Germans clearly won, but the Poles put up a huge fight and even after they surrendered the Poles had one of the most organized and effective resistance movements in all occupied-Europe. The Ukraine, I believe, would act in the same way. They would out up a strong fight, loose and then resist in other ways. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/04/general-ukraine-military-will-fight-back/6019605/

Delusional Threat

From Yahoo:

"Russia warns could 'reduce to zero' economic dependency on US"

Russia could reduce to zero its economic dependency on the United States if Washington agreed sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine, a Kremlin aide said on Tuesday, warning that the American financial system faced a "crash" if this happened. "We would find a way not just to reduce our dependency on the United States to zero but to emerge from those sanctions with great benefits for ourselves," said Kremlin economic aide Sergei Glazyev. He told the RIA Novosti news agency Russia could stop using dollars for international transactions and create its own payment system using its "wonderful trade and economic relations with our partners in the East and South." Russian firms and banks would also not return loans from American financial institutions, he said. "An attempt to announce sanctions would end in a crash for the financial system of the United States, which would cause the end of the domination of the United States in the global financial system," he added. He said that economic sanctions imposed by the European Union would be a "catastrophe" for Europe, saying that Russia could halt gas supplies "which would be beneficial for the Americans" and give the Russian economy a useful "impulse".

                                                                             

Glazyev has long been seen as among the most hawkish of the advisors to President Vladimir Putin but many observers have seen his hand in the apparent radicalisation of policy on Ukraine since the overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych. Economists have long mocked his apocalyptic and confrontational vision of global economics but also expressed concern that he appears to have grown in authority in recent months. A high ranking Kremlin source told RIA Novosti that Glazyev was speaking in the capacity of an "academic" and his personal opinion did not reflect the official Kremlin policy. Glazyev descrived the new Ukrainian authorities as "illegitimate and Russophobic", saying some members of the government were on lists of "terrorist organisations, they are criminals".

"If the authorities remain criminal then I think the people of Ukraine will get rid of them soon," he added.

^ Talk about delusional. Even the Soviet Union (which was supposedly self-sufficient) had to borrow money from the US from the 1960s-1990s.) Then in 1998 the Russian economy collapsed again and needed more American money. There's no realistic way that Russia could stop all trade/financial ties with the US and not go into complete default again (although the US could withstand stripping all such ties with Russia and survive.) These "threats" as stupid as the ones Khrushchev made at the UN in the '60s where he was hitting a show on the table and said the USSR would "bury" the US. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-warns-could-reduce-zero-economic-dependency-us-083926261.html?vp=1

Spoiled Brat

From Yahoo:

"Teen Sues Parents for Cash, College Tuition. Does She Have a Case?"

A New Jersey teenager claiming that her mother and father tossed her out of their home and cut her off financially is suing them for immediate support, current private-school fees and future college tuition. The parents, meanwhile, say that daughter Rachel Canning, 18, moved out voluntarily after refusing to abide by their rules.  “We love our child and miss her. This is terrible. It’s killing me and my wife,” Rachel's father, Sean Canning, a town administrator and retired police officer, tells the Daily Record. “We have a child we want home. We’re not Draconian and now we’re getting hauled into court. She’s demanding that we pay her bills but she doesn’t want to live at home, and she’s saying, ‘I don’t want to live under your rules.’” The rules, he notes, include reconsidering her relationship with a boyfriend who may be a bad influence, being respectful, and abiding by her curfew. He and his wife, Elizabeth, who live in suburban Lincoln Park, about 25 miles outside of New York City, have kept their daughter’s car because they paid for it, says Canning, and he admits that they did stop paying Rachel's tuition at the private Morris Catholic High School. A hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday in the Morris County Superior Court. For months, Rachel — an honor student, cheerleader, and lacrosse player — has been living with the family of her best friend and classmate, Jaime Inglesino, whose father, attorney John Inglesino, is bankrolling Rachel’s lawsuit. He’s also requesting in the lawsuit that the Cannings reimburse him for the legal fees, so far totaling $12,597, according to the paper.   Rachel’s attorney, Tanya Helfand, is not taking calls as she prepares for Tuesday's hearing, her office tells Yahoo Shine. Rachel did not return a call from Yahoo Shine, and the Morris County court was closed on Monday due to inclement weather. But the Daily Record reports that, in the suit, Rachel alleges that her parents decided to cut her off “from all support both financially and emotionally” as of her 18th birthday, which was November 1. Her suit also demands the following of the Cannings: that they take care of an outstanding $5,306 Morris Catholic tuition bill; pay their daughter’s current living and transportation expenses; and free up her existing college fund, as she’s already been accepted to several universities.  It’s not unheard of for youngsters to take legal action against their parents for various offenses — from a pregnant Texas teen who sued her parents for allegedly pressuring her to get an abortion, to a pair of Illinois siblings in their 20s who sued their mom (unsuccessfully) for bad mothering. Even so, the Canning case is an extremely unusual one, according to experts in family law. That’s because similar suits typically involve either a divorce situation, with parents disagreeing on a child’s financial support, or a fight for emancipation, in which a teen is declared financially independent from parents.  “This young woman is actually saying, ‘I want the court to compel my parents to continue to support me financially. That’s what’s unique in this case,” Mary Coogan, assistant director of the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New Jersey, tells Yahoo Shine. “So this young lady is in a unique situation because it does become very fact-sensitive. There’s really no law directly on point.” What families in similar situations have done, in Coogan’s experience, is to file for what’s called a “family crisis petition,” in which the court will try to mediate an agreeable outcome between the parents and their child. Talking the situation through would be a better route than a lawsuit, Kenneth Neumann, a New York divorce mediator and psychologist with the Center for Mediation & Training, tells Yahoo Shine. “We often use the legal system as a way to deal with disagreements when we should be using therapy or mediation,” he says, noting that Rachel’s case is “extremely rare,” and that he’s “not had a case like this in 30 years,” with the most unique angle being that the parents are not in disagreement. Unfortunately for Rachel, Neumann says, “I don’t think she has much of a case. This sounds like just another 18-year-old who got into a thing with her parents.”

^ This is just the case of a stupid, selfish, spoiled adult (and yes she is an adult as she is 18) who believes that everything should be handed to her from everyone - including her parents. It would be one thing if she was 17 or younger and her parents were legally required to care and support her, but she is 18 and if she doesn't want to live at her parents' house and live by their rules than she doesn't deserve anything. I'm not saying her parents aren't somewhat at fault because they clearly raised a spoiled brat. Parents today would rather be their children's friend rather than the parent they need. It is also the fault of those currently around her that are using her to make money for themselves. I hope she looses this case and is made to start doing things for herself. If she wins then it would only discredit the whole parental system that has been in place for centuries. ^

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/nj-teen-sues-parents-for-cash-and-college-tuition-201404488.html