Solarek Family Thanksgiving 2007

Brother Brian, Nephew Mickey, Paul, Cousin Kris, Aunt Regina, Cousin Tracy, Niece Suzanne, Cousin Tracy, Cousin Elizabeth, and Father Don

Thanksgiving, Saudi Arabia & the United States

According to the automotive organization AAA, more than 39 million people will drive 50 miles or more today and tomorrow for the holiday.
The large proportion of gasoline that powers our cars will come from a country in which it is illegal for a woman to meet with an unrelated male. Per the story below, this is the same country where a woman who is found with an unrelated male is sentenced to being whipped...at first 90 lashes.....now the woman's sentence is for 200 lashes.

Women are also not allowed to leave the country without their father or husband's permission. These are just a few of the rules that make women slaves in the country.

As we drive over Thanksgiving in our cars, and therefore consume the gas that powers them, I ask us to acknowledge that we are all in our own small part supporting these crimes in Saudi Arabia by the government of Saudi Arabia.

There is no way to sugar coat what we Americans are doing. We are promoting a country that commits terrorism on its citizens in the name of religion.

And, if you aren't sure how our current government feels about this, I offer you this:

Senator Clinton has asked President Bush to officially request that the King of Saudi Arabia cancel the ruling that the raped woman be whipped, but Bush has declined to get involved. (Story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/21/saudi.rape.victim/index.html)

As we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, let's use our wealth of good fortune to start asking some tough questions: how are we going to stop these crimes? Will we buy gas from a country that treats its woman like cattle?


CNN
November 20, 2007
Saudi: Why we punished rape victim
Story Highlights
- Woman sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail in Saudi Arabia
- Victim's lawyer: Judge doubled 19-year-old's sentence for speaking to media
- Justice Ministry: Increase as further evidence came to light during appeal
- Ministry: We welcome constructive criticism, parties' rights were preserved

Story:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/20/saudi.rape.victim/index.html

Brooklyn store posting

Car Culture

The following is the opinion piece from today's WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119482485706289507.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks). The leaders of the WSJ say that Governor Schwarzenegger is wrong to pursue helping the environment by limiting car pollution in his state. I think California has every right to decide this since the EPA has failed to significantly raise fuel standards since the 1970s. All the while oil is skyrocketing and pollution from cars around the world is burgeoning. Oddly, one of the WSJ's alternative suggestions is to add a massive tax to gasoline. (This coming from the very bastion of anti-taxes! ....Obviously they have little imagination in bluffing us.) Taxes in fact may be a great idea, but the WSJ knows that would never pass in the state–and a tax would have less impact on helping clean up the environment. (People in light of a tax would continue to drive and simply pay more.) In my perspective, Arnold has proposed the best solution. And, I think Bloomberg would agree, too.

Nuyorican Poetry Cafe

New NYC Subway Map

I like this proposal for an easier to read subway map. I found this map and the article here:

http://www.cartoblog.com/the-kick-map-of-the-new-york-city-subway-system/

Click on the maps to enlarge them; the new design is on the right.

Flying Pigeon Chinese Bike in New York

This cool bike is in the window of Times Up in Soho. It's from China, and its parts are neat: brakes on left and right handlebar are part of ONE long metal bar, the seat has a spring even in the front of the seat, and the tires have all this gibberish Engrish on them.