Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Iraq denounces Syria raid, seeks U.S. pact changes

Iraq denounces Syria raid, seeks U.S. pact changes

By Mariam Karouny and Waleed Ibrahim Mariam Karouny And Waleed Ibrahim – 32 mins ago
Reuters – A U.S soldier walks out of a vehicle during a patrol in a village near Baquba, in Diyala province, northeast …
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq drew up amendments on Tuesday that it will demand of the United States in a bid to salvage an agreement allowing U.S. forces to remain beyond the end of this year.
Baghdad also issued a belated rebuke of Washington for a helicopter strike on Syria, a sign of the pressure Iraq's government is under to reassure its neighbors that it is not letting U.S. forces use its territory against them.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will now send U.S. negotiators the proposed amendments to the security deal, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.
Washington and Baghdad have been scrambling to get the bilateral pact in place to provide a legal basis for the U.S. presence after a U.N. mandate ends on December 31, but it was held up last week when Baghdad said it would demand changes.
Dabbagh did not provide details of the proposed amendments. Asked if they covered just the wording of the deal, he said: "the wording, yes, and some of the content."
But a cabinet member indicated that the proposed changes would not require the pact's main points to be renegotiated.
"The most important changes are in those articles which could be interpreted more than one way," Environment Minister Nermeen Othman, who attended the cabinet meeting, told Reuters. "We worked to avoid any ambiguity."
The pact already includes a number of key concessions to Baghdad, such as a 2011 withdrawal date and a mechanism for Iraq to try U.S. troops for major crimes committed while off duty. Othman said the proposed amendments would not alter the pact's wording on the issue of legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops.
U.S. officials said they had not yet seen the proposed changes, but they have made clear that they are reluctant to make substantial revisions to a text hammered out over months.
"We believe that the current draft agreement is a good agreement. Both countries have worked on this current draft for many months and we believe that the current draft addresses the concerns of both," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
POLITICAL DIVISIONS
The future of the foreign military presence remains sharply divisive for Iraq's political class more than five years after the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
Iraq's powerful Shi'ite political parties have historical ties to Iran, which has long claimed that the pact would allow Washington to use Iraq as a base for attacks on its neighbors.
The strike on Syria puts that argument in a starker light. The Iraqi government did not condemn it until nearly two days after it took place, and had earlier justified it as targeting an area used as a staging ground for militant attacks on Iraq.
"The Iraqi government rejects U.S. aircraft bombarding posts inside Syria. The constitution does not allow Iraq to be used as a staging ground to attack neighboring countries," Dabbagh said on Tuesday, finally condemning Sunday's U.S. strike.
Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem had angrily denounced Iraq's initial description of the strike as targeting insurgents. He said the attack killed eight civilians.
A senior Shi'ite member of parliament said the U.S. strike's timing makes it more difficult to gather support for the pact.
"The whole strike is confusing for us. Why now, why at this time when we are negotiating the pact?" he said. "One of the red lines which neither Maliki nor any of the other political powers would allow to be crossed is the use of Iraq as a staging ground to attack other countries."
The decision on the pact is widely seen as requiring Iraq's ruling Shi'ites to choose between supporting their new friends in Washington and their old friends in Tehran.
If no deal is in place by the end of the year, officials could seek an extension of the current U.N. mandate, but Iraqi officials have made clear they prefer a satisfactory pact.
The United States has threatened to halt virtually all its activities in Iraq -- from security patrols to logistical support for the Iraqi army to airport traffic control -- if no formal legal mandate is in place come January 1.
(Additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Washington; writing by Missy Ryan and Peter Graff; editing by Richard Balmforth)

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Behind Powell's choice: principle, not race

Behind Powell's choice: principle, not race
BY LAWRENCE WILKERSON
Wednesday, October 22nd 2008, 4:54 PM
After endorsing Barack Obama on Sunday, Colin Powell - my former boss and my friend - has already scorn from the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan, both of whom accused him of favoring Obama because of the color of his (and Powell's) skin.
"I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with," said Limbaugh - trying, with his typical class, to convert a difficult personal decision into a crass and opportunistic one about race.
Because Powell isn't one to mix it up with the right-wing media, which has long distrusted him, allow me to say a few words in his defense.
Colin Powell is a New Yorker. New Yorkers tend to be realists - that is, they take the world for what it is: they adapt, they maneuver, they succeed or fail. Then they move on. By endorsing Obama, Powell once again demonstrated this aspect of his character.
I know deep in my bones, this was a judgment he made as a pragmatist and a patriot who cares deeply about America's reputation in the world. Not, I insist, as a man who happens to be black.
In endorsing Obama, Powell said he was transformational. He said he was unflappable. He said he displayed sound judgment, was able to listen to advice, was able to unify, to heal, and to use the bully pulpit - one of the few effective instruments available to our President - with skill and with purpose.
Powell also addressed his belief that the challenges presented by the current financial and economic crisis can best be met by Obama. It is clear that Obama's careful, methodical approach to this crisis so far has instilled confidence in his ability to do just that.
All this demonstrates is a realist's appreciation of the potential that exists in this man who has managed one of the best campaigns in recent memory, brought out young people in unheard of numbers, and raised money in unprecedented amounts - and principally from $50 to $100 donations given month by month by citizens from Maine to Montana, from Michigan to Mississippi, leaving him few special interests to which he is beholden, unless the vast middle class of America can be called "a special interest."
That same no-nonsense, New York way of seeing things can be applied to the other man in this presidential race, Sen. John McCain.
McCain is anything but transformational. He marks the end of an era, not the beginning. He has exchanged what was his trademark value - his independence, his ability to say no, even to his own party - for a pandering to the so-called Republican base, a base that has been diminished markedly by the fiscally irresponsible Bush-Cheney administration
. See-http://harlemcommunityorganizers.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Six Must-Know HDTV Facts

Six Must-Know HDTV Facts
Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:27AM EDT
See Comments (100)
Disappointed by how fuzzy CNN looks on your new HDTV? Wondering why Jack Bauer looks so soft and plump on your new flat-screen? Maybe it's because you're not really watching HD on your high-def TV.
According to Audioholics almost half of the 24 million homes with HDTVs lack an HD cable or satellite feed, and about a quarter of those surveyed didn't even know they were still watching non-HD signals. Why such big numbers? Actually, it's not hard to understand; I can't tell you how many times I've watched salespeople at TV stores push HDTVs on hapless shoppers, going on and on about the razor-sharp picture and surround sound, but not bothering to tell them how to get HD signals into their living rooms. The Audioholics story ticks off six things you need toknow before you buy an HDTV, and it's a must-read if you're in the market for your first high-def set. Here's a brief summary of some of the pointers, along with some thoughts of my own:

Your new HDTV needs an HD feed: Just plugging your regular cable or satellite box into your new HD set won't get you a high-def picture. You'll need to contact your cable or satellite provider and ask for an HD set-top box (satellite subscribers may also have to upgrade their dishes), and you may want to sign up for an HD subscription plan, as well (which typically offer channels like Discovery HD Theater and HDNet). Still watching TV using an over-the-air antenna? A good, properly aligned rooftop antenna may still do a good job of pulling down HD signals, but unless your HDTV has a built-in HD tuner (many don't), you'll have to buy a separate high-def tuner box to go with your set.
Your HDTV/set-top box/cables must be configured properly: First, make sure you're using the right inputs when connecting your HD set-top box to your HDTV. You must use either the component-video inputs (a trio of RCA-type plugs, marked "Y," "Pb," and "Pr") the DVI input or the HDMI input. The composite and S-Video connectors on your TV can't receive HD signals, so if the cable guy starts hooking those inputs up, time to raise the red flag. Also, your cable or satellite HD box must be set to send an HD signal to your display; go to the set-top box menu and look for the display settings, and select either 720p or 1080i (depending on the native resolution of your HDTV). Finally, once you're ready to watch HD, make sure you're watching the right channel. If you're used to watching ABC on, say, cable channel 7, that's only the standard-def version of ABC; the HD version is probably much further down the dial, usually in the 700s. Check your programming guide.
Most TV programming is still in standard definition: I'm still amazed by how many people think that an HDTV will display all their shows in high definition. Now, if you're only watching scripted (i.e., non-reality) prime-time shows on the major broadcast networks, then yes, there's a good chance that most of those shows are in HD (save a few holdouts, like "Scrubs" on NBC). But the vast majority of programming that's out there, ranging from "Queer Eye" and "Regis and Kelly" to "Pardon the Interruption" and "Sesame Street", is produced in standard definition, and your HDTV won't magically convert SD shows to HD. Check out
TitanTV to see what's in HD in your area.
SD typically looks terrible on an HDTV: Standard-def shows can look remarkably bad on a 50-inch display. Imagine taking a grainy Polaroid picture and blowing it up to monster size. If you miss how CNN used to look on your old 27-inch direct-view set, keep in mind that you were watching it on a much smaller screen.
HDTV screens are wider than SD pictures: Because HDTV screens have a wide 16:9 aspect ratio, your new set will stretch the boxy 4:3 shape of a standard-definition show to fill the screen, which will make everything look short and squat. You have two choices: either live with the short-and-squat look on your SD channels, or dig into your HD set-top box settings and add sidebars to the SD channels. Yes, you'll have to deal with black bars on the left and right sides of the screen, but at least the picture won't look like a circus fun-house mirror.
An upconverting DVD player doesn't turn standard DVDs into HD: I'm a big fan of DVD players that upconvert standard-def DVDs to 1080i or even 1080p, but make no mistake; because the source DVD disc is standard definition, you're still watching an SD picture (albeit, one that's been extrapolated to HD proportions). If you want true HD images from your DVD player, you'll have to pony up $400 or more for a Blu-ray or HD DVD drive.
Still confused? Then check out the Audioholics story
.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Andrew Cuomo to court: Stop 'illegal' radio ratings

Andrew Cuomo to court: Stop 'illegal' radio ratings
By DAVID HINCKLEY
Saturday, October 11th 2008, 4:00 AM
Rosier/News
Andrew Cuomo
State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Friday asked New York County Supreme Court to enjoin Arbitron, the radio ratings service, from proceeding with the new Portable People Meter (PPM) system, which Cuomo warns could drive black and Hispanic stations out of business.
The suit further escalates a tense battle between Arbitron, which says the radio business wants and needs the PPM system, and critics who say Arbitron has rolled it out before ensuring it can measure listenership in a fair manner.
RELATED: ARBITRON

Arbitron yesterday vowed to defend PPM, noting it has suits pending to prevent both Cuomo's office and the New Jersey attorney general from stopping PPM publication.
Arbitron released its first official PPM ratings for
New York this week, and most stations did about as well as they did under Arbitron's old "diary" system, in which listeners wrote down what they listened to. With PPMs, participants wear an electronic device that records all radio to which they are exposed.
Several black and Hispanic stations fell below their diary numbers in the PPM ratings, and since ratings determine advertising revenue, they have warned that such a drop could be devastating and possibly force them out of business.
Cuomo's suit seeks "restitution to minority broadcasters who have lost revenue because of PPM."
It also asks the court to enjoin Arbitron from "engaging in deceptive and illegal practices" by claiming the PPM is a fair system.
Critics say they don't object to the concept of PPMs, which will provide radio stations with faster and more detailed listener data.
Their complaint is with the distribution of the meters, claiming Arbitron's placement does not accurately reflect radio listenership.
Also yesterday,
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) joined black and Hispanic broadcasters on the steps of City Hall in a protest against using PPMs.
"Arbitron clearly doesn't understand our community," said Velazquez, "and their faulty data now jeopardizes the diversity of our airwaves."

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Bet on Israel bombing Iran

Bet on Israel bombing Iran
By Robert Baer
Monday, September 29th 2008, 8:44 AM
Are we going to have an October surprise, an attack on Iran by either the Bush administration or by Israel to stop the regime from becoming a nuclear power?
It could happen - and alter the dynamics of the presidential race in the blink of an eye - but only if Israel pulls the trigger. Don't expect the United States to drop bombs anytime soon. The reason: Iran has us over a barrel.
According to Britain's Guardian newspaper, Bush earlier this year nixed an Israeli plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Reportedly, the President said no because we couldn't afford Iranian retaliation against our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan or Iran closing down Persian Gulf shipping. Nonetheless, cynical speculation is now swirling in some quarters that with the financial collapse working against McCain - and Bush's legacy coming into focus - the President might reconsider. Could that tail really wag the dog? ------------nydailynews.com--Opinions 10-7-08



RELATED:
A WAKEUP CALL ON IRAN'S NUKES

What many Americans miss is that Iran is a threat to Israel's very existence, not an imagined danger used by politicians for political advantage. Every Israeli city is within range of Iranian/Hezbollah rockets. To make matters worse, since the July 2006 34-day war, Hezbollah may have as much as trebled the number of rockets it has targeted on Israel.
Meantime, Hezbollah has become the de facto state in Lebanon. And lest we forget, Israel lost that July 2006 war to Hezbollah, pulling its troops out of Lebanon without having obtained a single objective. In other words, Israel no longer has its deterrence credibility, the fear that it can decisively retaliate against its enemies

nydailynews.com Opinions 10-7-08

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Update now for coming DTV transition

by davidradiotv2000@yahoo.com

Now is the time to update for the coming DTV transition. I am happy to help install any components, as well as answer any questions you might have. Please just give me a call at (646)573-3633. If you are local, I am also available to come and install in your business or residence.The DTV transition refers to switch from analog to digital television. Digital technology will provide improved picture quality and sound quality like that experienced at the movies.Congress set the deadline of February 17, 2009 for the DTV transition. This means that on that date all U.S. television stations will stop broadcasting in analog format as they do now, and will transmit only in digital instead.
What Consumers who are Considering the Purchase of a TV Set Should KnowWhen buying television sets and other equipment such as DVD players, consumers should know whether or not the equipment includes a digital tuner.( TV equipment that includes a digital tuner is sometimes referred to as a "digital receiver." ) Digital tuners are needed to watch local broadcast stations that will be sent in digital format after February 17, 2009 must either purchase a TV set equipped with a digital tuner or purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that will convert those over-the-air digital signals into analog so that they can be displayed on an analog device. Analog -only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services


Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon ProgramBetween January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons,worth $ 40 each, to be used towards the purchase of digital -to-analog converter boxes. As described above these converter boxes are designed to make over-the-air digital television signals viewable on analog -only TVs, and thus are not intended analog-only TVs hooked up to cable or satellite service. The National Telecommunications and information Administration ( NTIA) is running the coupon program.For more information, visit the NTIA website at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/