May 2011
77 posts
About the Author: Nicole Nucelli recently arrived at U.S. Embassy Kabul, where she works as a Press Officer. She served in Iraq with the Department of Defense from 2005-2006.
Yesterday in Kabul, it was business as usual: writing memos, reading emails, attending meetings, picking up…
’Eric Cantor says he won’t OK aid money for Missouri tornado victims unless Democrats agree to an equal amount of spending cuts…”I don’t expect much from House Republicans, but this has managed to actually surprise me,” says Steve Benen at Washington Monthly. When part of the country is devastated by a deadly natural disaster, federal lawmakers “are expected to put aside politics and ideology” and help, not hold the victims “ransom” to their pet causes.’”
Literally holding aid for tornado victims hostage, in order to advance your political agenda. Stay classy, Eric Cantor.
Speaking of class struggles: some high schoolers at Saint Ann’s (Pre-K through 12; tuition starts at $22K/year) decided to set fire to P.S. 29’s playground. From NYMag:
Max Layton, the son of film distributor Charles Layton, is one of the kids accused. His lawyer helped set up a $50,000 fund to fix the playground after the damage. The response to this gesture is almost more telling of the class situation than the fire itself:
“People here seek community service, some degree of standing up and taking the blame, rather than setting up some $50,000 fund,” said Gary Dovey, 50, of Cobble Hill, who was collecting his twins from prekindergarten at P.S. 29 on Monday. Mr. Dovey added: “I think it’s a good start, but this really isn’t an issue of money in the end. It’s about the process of law, and it not being brushed under the carpet and a plea deal.” …
[Layton’s lawyer] said that he did not think the $50,000 would have any influence on the criminal case, and that “it wasn’t done for that purpose.” It was done, he said, because parents took responsibility for their children’s actions. “People can scream and yell and they won’t have their playground,” he said. “This is the quickest way to get their playground back.”
It tells you something about the class makeup at PS 29 itself when parents just brush aside “some $50,000 fund” as though it’s a bunch of pennies on the sidewalk.
NYTimes coverage here: “After fire, a tension between two schools.”
2. Forgive your enemy but remember the bastard’s name.
3. Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
4. Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to shoot them.
5. Alcohol does not solve any problem, but then neither does milk.” —Five Pearls of Scottish Wisdom (via captainusmc)
