Good morning everyone!

I hope that when and if you have the time, MB will be the place for you to catch up with friends before you leave for work or start your new day. A place to relax and take a break from serious topics and discussions during your day.

You are free to talk about anything here. Introduce your favourite news stories, videos, photos, funny stories or recipes. Think of it as your space, whether you wake up with the birds or chose to have a lay in, MB is open 24/7, from 5 am EST-2 am PST.

Please feel free to drop in anytime, you are always welcome here.

705
Leave a Comment

Please Login to comment
128 Comment threads
577 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
18 Comment authors
alpha pupjavazChernynkayaAlphaBitchAdLib Recent comment authors
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
bito
Member

Tunisia

A BRIEF HISTORY

1956 Tunisia gains independence from France with Habib Bourguiba as prime minister. A year later the monarchy is abolished, Tunisia becomes a republic and Bourguiba its president.

1987 Prime Minister Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has Bourguiba declared mentally unfit to rule and takes control, winning further presidential elections in 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004.

2009 Ben Ali wins a fifth term. A prominent journalist critical of the president, Taoufik Ben Brik, is jailed.

17 December 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old graduate, sets fire to himself after officials prevent him from selling vegetables, prompting nationwide rioting over unemployment and political restrictions.

14 January 2011 Ben Ali concedes power, fleeing to Saudi Arabia.

15 January Fouad Mebazaa is sworn in as Tunisia’s new president; he orders creation of unity government.

bito
Member
kesmarn
Admin

The one of Janet Napolitano was particularly touching, b’ito.

Her job requires her to be cool and tough so much of the time.

This reveals a moment of real vulnerability.

Chernynkaya
Member

Kes, during the event (but not on any photo I’ve seen) I was particularly touched and actually surprised by Napolitano–she was sitting besides Giffords’ husband and as the President was speaking about “Gabby opened her eyes..” both Napolitano and the First Lady were holding each of his hands. He was clenching their hands so tightly. Incredibly moving. Napolitano seems so very warm!

kesmarn
Admin

Cher, what a moment.

I can hardly imagine the level of stress Giffords’ husband must be under right now. It’s tough being a patient, but sometimes people forget how tough it is to be the one who can only wait, worry and pray.

Chernynkaya
Member

Bito, those photos are great. It’s amazing what a professional photographer can do. I was struck by the photo of everyone standing, honoring Hernandez– And by the McCain photo bomb in the background.

boomer1949
Member

I saw that one too and have been trying to find it to post here…adding a bunch of yellow arrows to point out his less than (understatement) civil facial expression.

Pictures speak louder than words, especially when the subject is clueless he is being photographed.

I have come to the conclusion Mr. McCain is never going to change, is a poor loser, and is far more angry he lost to a person of color.

Someone here, sorry I can’t remember who, wrote the other day:

[…] can you imagine how Bush, McCain, or Palin would have sounded at the memorial service in Tucson? […]

Chernynkaya
Member

Yikes. This can’t be good news, can it? Maybe this is the proof positron we’ve been looking for on the effects of violent rhetoric:

“Antimatter caught streaming from thunderstorms on Earth”

A space telescope has accidentally spotted thunderstorms on Earth producing beams of antimatter.Such storms have long been known to give rise to fleeting sparks of light called terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.

But results from the Fermi telescope show they also give out streams of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons

bito
Member

Does it matter?

Chernynkaya
Member

Ooooh. I took me all this time to get that, Bito! 😉

Khirad
Member

Khirad
Member

Kalima, Hammamet:

The only warnings so far are to avoid demonstrations.

But, what’s happening in Tunisia – and by god does this deserve more attention as it’s making Arab autocracies all over the region nervous – is not Islamist or anti-Western in nature.

Sfax, singing of national anthem:

If you’ve seen the maps, this has spread all over the country.

It’s been dubbed the Jasmine Revolution.

Khirad
Member
Questinia
Member

Two Feet Of Snow! Yippee!!

More coming down!!

Didn’t put the cars in the barn… oops.

[img]http://planetpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/164011_485244215813_583505813_6008337_3073851_n.jpg[/img]

Khirad
Member
kesmarn
Admin

Seems like an odd area in which the government chooses to involve itself, doesn’t it, Khirad? You’d think that the one area in which a person should be able to have control might be his/her appellation, no? It doesn’t get much more personal than that.

Another member of the Night Owl contingent here on the Planet, I see…?

Khirad
Member

I keep very odd hours, as Kalima knows, and my sleep cycles have always been messed up. 🙂