Category: news

news, politics

Obama talks about Lily Ledbetter in debate

Becca

Sen. Obama mentioned Lily Ledbetter, a woman whose story I became pretty familiar with, in his debate tonight. Ledbetter accused her employer, Goodyear Tire, of decades of discrimination after she discovered that for nearly 20 years she had been paid less than her male counterparts at the company. The Supreme Court decided she had waited too long to file her claim.

I became familiar with this story while fact-checking an article for Ms. Magazine. Check it out here. The story will blow your mind.

Lily endorsed Obama/ Biden in September.

news, politics

Four Days Behind the Scenes in Denver

Becca

I often wonder what it’s like for the Obamas. Several cities (or states) visited in a day. Not a moment to stop. The pressure of the country upon you.

The Obama campaign released this behind the scenes video. Sure, they know there are cameras watching, but there are moments that seem so innocent here. About half-way through Obama does a dance and talks about the Jonas Brothers. It will melt your heart.

 

news

News about the news

Becca

It’s strange to be in the Times building, working at the Times, and see on LA Observed that they are planning to lay off another 75 editorial positions. While I will be moving on to something else in a week,  so the layoffs don’t really affect me, it’s so strange to be existing in this amazing, historical building… but be the last to hear the news about the news.

I feel bad for this place. The morale is low, needless to say.

It was only a couple of months ago that there were hundreds of layoffs. And now, again.

I’m young and new to the world of journalism, but after walking these halls (lined with historical papers from decades ago), I’m filled with a certain sadness at the Times. I barely new it. And I’ll never know it as it once was.

news, politics

The VP debate

Becca

Well, we all held our breath that Gov. Palin would mess up, like usual. We hoped–or expected– all sorts of blunders on her part. Maybe she’d shoot a wolf, or speak in tongues, or talk about seeing Russia from her house. But, she did OK. Not great. But OK.

Sure, she didn’t answer half the questions, and instead went into a commercial-like speech about Sen. McCain.

But she didn’t fall flat on her face.

Joe Biden did his part. He was controlled, well-spoken and knowledgable. Good.

I am, however, tired of hearing Palin be called a feminist. I think I will link to this Op-Ed by GLoria Steinem (the feminist of feminists) about Palin. Here are some main points:

“Palin’s value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women’s wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves “abstinence-only” programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers’ millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn’t spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation….”

Please check it out.

news

It’s the end of the world as we know it?

Becca

I’m usually an optimistic person….

But.

It can be tough to stay that way when you are attempting to enter the job market at a time when the world may in fact be ending. Or so it seems.

Stocks are plummeting (not that I have money for stocks.) Banks are closing. Hundreds of people are being laid off in the business (and building) I want to work in. The county is a financial mess. And did I mention that whole chunks of the world hate us?

I have been subconsciously ignoring the major financial upheaval until today when I was sitting in the Times’ lunch room, I couldn’t help but hear the TV. I hate to say we’re screwed– but with nothing getting done in Congress, screwed seems like a pretty tame description.

I know we’ll recover. We have to.

entertainment, news

Banned Book Week

Becca

From The Los Angeles Times:

So Cal Rediscovers Lost Books
Rebecca Ford, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “1984,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Hamlet”–all books that were once banned by various libraries and governments within the United States. Children’s books, in fact, have been banned more than any other genre, and one of the most commonly banned authors in American letters is beloved children’s author Judy Blume…..

See the rest Here

news

And you thought plastic was safe

Becca

When I was in college, Nalgene bottles were THE thing to keep your water in. I don’t know why. Maybe because it was fun to throw them from the 10th floor window to see if it was REALLY true that they were unbreakable. Maybe it was the cool colors. Who knows.

Now–six years later– we learn that not only do they suck, but they are bad for our health.

The LA Times (my new place of work on Mon and Tues) did a story about the danger of plastic. Here’s the main point:

“The first large-scale human study of a chemical widely used in plastic products, including baby bottles and tin can linings, found double the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver problems in people with the highest concentrations in their urine, British researchers reported Tuesday.

The findings confirm earlier results obtained in animals, increasing pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to limit use of the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly called BPA.”

AWESOME.

While it concerns me a little that it is in things like sunglasses, it is really worrisome that some stupid trend while I was in college could have cost me my health. These days, there is a replacement “cool water bottle” (it’s aluminum, I think) I think I’ll pass on the whole thing. Maybe I’ll just drink from rivers… or something.

news, politics

Liar, Liar pants on fire

Becca

I’ve been out of the country more times than vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And that was BEFORE the news discovered that she’s actually been exaggerating her ONE overseas trip.

According to news reports, she actually DID NOT go into Iraq. And her trip to Ireland? oh yea, that was just a refueling stop. If I counted all the places I’ve refueled or changed plans… well, I’d have been to a lot more places.

Knowing what the rest of the world is like is a VERY important point for the leaders of our country. We’re already filled with such American-centric people, we don’t need them running our country. I love the U.S. compeletly, but you must know how the rest of the world lives.

This woman just gets worse and worse….