Uruguay News
September 11, 2009
About two weeks ago I saw a story that really made me proud to be a human being, while at the same time making me feel ashamed at being an American. The story surrounds some legal developments in the small country of Uruguay. For those not familiar with the country, heres the wiki:
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88-94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.
Uruguays only land border is with Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to the north. To the west lies the Uruguay River, to the southwest lies the estuary of Río de la Plata, with Argentina only a short commute across the banks of either of these bodies of water, while to the southeast lies the South Atlantic Ocean. Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America, larger only than Suriname.
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguays oldest European settlement, was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Uruguay won its independence in 1825-1828 following a three-way struggle between Spain, Argentina and Brazil. It is a constitutional democracy, where the president fulfills the roles of both head of state and head of government.
The economy is largely based on agriculture (making up 10% of GDP and the most substantial export) and the state sector. According to Transparency International, Uruguay is the least corrupt country in Latin America (along with Chile), with its political and labor conditions being among the freest on the continent.
Uruguay is one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America, with a high GDP per capita and the 47th highest quality of life in the world. It was the first Latin American country to legalize same and different sex civil unions at a national level in the year 2007.
The story surrounds an important development in rights of homosexuals around the world: setting into law the fact that same-sex couples can (and are protected by law) adopt children.
Uruguay, like the United States, is a secular country with a firm division between the church and state. As many in the US attempt to tear down that division and impose their own superior morals on others, its very refreshing to see a country with similar ideas making a public declaration about what is a family unit and that same-sex couples have the same parenting rights as hetero couples.
The United States needs to wake up and join the rest of the world in the twenty-first century. The antiquated Puritan values that many hold has done nothing but stifle the development of its population and created a lazy nation. If the United States is to return to its place as the Greatest Nation on Earth, it needs to pick itself up by the bootstraps and make the hard changes that will allow itself to do so.
These include:
* A declaration of Gay Rights.
* Universal Healthcare for all.
* An end to government bail-out programs.
* Higher standards of education.
* A flat tax across the board.
* An end to lobbying.
If these things can happen then America will be great.
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Web Extra: Kepi Plays ‘Supermodel’
September 11, 2009
Kepi: The Band, a Sacramento pop punk group, will appear on May 9 at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento. The band visited the KCRA 3 patio to offer a preview with a song called “Supermodel.”
Duration : 0:2:55
Sacramento Kings Agent Series Watch (PVC Band)
September 11, 2009
Officially Licensed Team logo. Stainless steel back, black textured PVC band, rotating Bezel .Quartz Accuracy. Shock Resistant/Water Resistant (3ATM). Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Sacramento Business Journal Subscription
September 11, 2009
Sacramento Business Journal reports local business news and industry emphases including commercial real estate, finance, health care, and service firms. Records report bankruptcies, tax liens, limited partnerships, real estate transactions and more.
Golden Gate Toyo Rocky
September 11, 2009
Golden Gate Toyo Rocky Click a thumbnail to enlarge it Golden Gate Toyo Rocky reviews Global Rating: 5.00 from 2 reviews See all reviews Add your review of this product play the blues Jan 9, 2008 Artie avon ct US I'm a semi retired Rock n Roll guitar player. Still play for real once or twice a month. Saw some video of my band doing an outdoor show this past summer… more… Firme stilo Jan 2, 2008 JOSE Sacramento Ca This is the type of hat that'll be..
Harvey Girls
September 11, 2009
For some, the settling of the West means dead-eye aim, a sturdy lasso and a red-hot branding iron. For others, it means a good ribeye, fresh coffee and above all, ginger-peachy service from The Harvey Girls. Vittles, songs and dance are amply ladled out when Judy Garland re-teams with Meet Me In St. Louis producer Arthur Freed for another joyous musical slice of Americana, celebrating the restaurants that brought extra helpings of civilization to Old West rail passengers. Highlights include Garland holding saloon patrons at jittery gunpoint to retrieve stolen beef stakes, Ray Bolger s loose-limbed comic hoofing, Virginia O Brien s sure-shot comic timing, Angela Lansbury s stylish wickedness as a saloon singer and On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe romp (nabbing the l946 Best Song Academy Award) that s deservedly famous, one of the most triumphant sequences in screen-musical history (Pauline Kael, The New Yorker).