Monday, February 23, 2009

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Art Brodsky: The Phone Company Threats To The Obama Stimulus Top
Now that the stimulus bill has been passed and signed, the news cycle has moved onto other things - bipartisanship, the economy, banks, car companies, Afghanistan, whatever failing the punditocracy lately perceives from President Obama. Not so fast. It would be a mistake to divert attention from the stimulus now. Buried in the massive stimulus law are some important new protections for the Internet. That's the good news. On the other hand, the possibility exists that a key part of the new law could be co-opted by the big telecom and cable companies. If they succeed, then the future of broadband deployment in the country, and particularly to rural areas, could be in jeopardy. First, the good news, on what is in the law and what isn't. For the first time, Congress passed a law that recognizes the essential neutral nature of the Internet - that it is an open platform that shouldn't be controlled by companies that provide the on-ramps. It took a nifty bit of legislative drafting, particularly from the dedicated Senate staffers to get it done, but some times that's how things have to happen. Under the section of the law dealing with the $4.7 billion in grants that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will give out, is this: "The Assistant Secretary shall, in coordination with the (Federal Communications) Commission, publish the non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations that shall be contractual conditions of grants awarded under this section, including, at a minimum, adherence to the principles contained in the Commission's broadband policy statement (FCC 05-15, adopted August 5, 2005)." In other words, in order to receive the grant money, companies will have to adhere to fundamental principles of an open network. They can't discriminate and they must allow connection with others. There will be a public process to determine what those non-discrimination conditions are, and it's a good bet that the telephone and cable companies will participate with their usual full force, and with the full force of their Congressional hand-maidens, to get them watered down to near nothing. The other alternative is that they boycott the process entirely, and not apply for grants. Even if they don't apply in the program, the fact that all their lobbying muscle wasn't enough to get that provision out of the bill must have been galling to an industry used for the past eight years or so to getting its way. But that's life in Washington. There is never only one opportunity to cause mischief or to bring pressure on an issue. There are multiple chances, not only through the legislative process, but then the follow-up administrative procedures that implement the law. Sophisticated lobbyists and companies know this, and know that most of the time, the press stops caring, if it cares at all, once a bill leaves Capitol Hill and enters the netherworld of the bureaucracy. So that when NTIA does whatever it will do, in terms of public comment or events, those concerned about the Internet ecology assume that the industry will try to work its will again. On the other hand, there is the Obama Administration's official tech agenda, carried over from the Obama campaign. Item No. 1 is fairly straightforward: "Protect the Openness of the Internet: Support the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet." The industry will have to weasel a way around the Administration's top priority. They can try, but it will be a big burden. That policy is one reason why the language got into the bill in the first place. The other part of the grant appropriation, about $2.5 billion, given to the Rural Utilities Service, also includes the provision that priority should be given to projects that "will deliver end users a choice of more than one service provider." For rural areas, that may not always be possible In addition to the grant funds in the stimulus law, there is also $350 million to compile a map of high-speed Internet deployment across the country. The NTIA has two years to develop this "comprehensive nationwide inventory map," which would then be put online. Now, guess who is behind much of the broadband mapping? It's a group called Connected Nation, and it is run by the country's telephone and cable companies. Connected Nation, which started life as Connect Kentucky , and has since been de-funded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, has so far insinuated itself into several states across the country that have already started broadband mapping programs on their own. There's no question, and the CN folks will readily concede, that they work on behalf of the industry. States have already ceded to Connected Nation the ability to collect what data it wants, on the terms it wants, to display on maps it wants, without any way to verify it by examining the information. They use restrictive non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to protect information they don't want disclosed, such as what speeds of service are available from what carriers in any particular area, and that Connect, not the state, owns the information. Several states, ranging from Ohio, Minnesota, Tennessee and others invited Connected Nation in and paid it lots of money to produce maps that disclose what the industry wants disclosed. In North Carolina, a Connect North Carolina operation was set up by AT&T purposely to conduct a mapping operation parallel to the e-NC Authority, one of the better home-grown state broadband agencies in the country. While Connected Nation can charge states anywhere from $1 million to $165,000 to do a mapping job, it did the North Carolina one at no cost to the state. It is possible for states to do their own broadband mapping, and to duplicate for very little cost much of the Connected Nation work. But J. Brent Legg, CN's vice president for state initiatives, takes a dim view of such public-run operations. At a recent panel discussion in Washington, Legg said: "The question would go to provider cooperation in this process. And unless there is legislation that passes in the individual states that mandates the collection of this information, there is a lot of things that can happen that the provider community might not want to participate. They may not want to provide [the information]. It is not just as easy as the states utilizing the resources they have; there is the other consideration to consider, and that is provider participation in the process." He added: "It may be, and I am not saying that this is good or bad, and providers definitely do not definitely want to provide their proprietary information to a state agency, that [carriers] could tie this up in the courts for a while, too. And that is something that would have to play itself out." Sounds like a threat, no? In order for any broadband mapping project to be credible, it has to be done by a government agency, on behalf of the public, with transparent and verifiable information. In other words, not by Connected Nation. That's just another way for the industry to hijack broadband policy. Add it to the list. More on Barack Obama
 
Dave Cooper: Letter From a Mountaineer to President Obama Top
The following is a letter from Bo Webb of West Virginia to President Obama: Dear President Obama, As I write this letter, I brace myself for another round of nerve-wracking explosives being detonated above my home in the mountains of West Virginia. Outside my door, pulverized rock dust, laden with diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate explosives hovers in the air, along with the residual of heavy metals that once lay dormant underground. The mountain above me, once a thriving forest, has been blasted into a pile of rock and mud rubble. Two years ago, it was covered with rich black topsoil and abounded with hardwood trees, rhododendrons, ferns and flowers. The understory thrived with herbs such as ginseng, black cohosh, yellow root and many other medicinal plants. Black bears, deer, wild turkey, hawks, owls and thousands of [other] birds lived here. The mountain contained sparkling streams teeming with aquatic life and fish. Now it is all gone. It is all dead. I live at the bottom of a mountain-top-removal coal-mining operation in the Peachtree community. Mr. President Obama, I am writing you because we have simply run out of options. Last week, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court in Richmond, Va., overturned a federal court ruling for greater environmental restrictions on mountaintop-removal permits. Dozens of permits now stand to be rushed through. As you know, in December, the EPA under George W. Bush allowed an 11th-hour change to the stream buffer zone rule, further unleashing the coal companies to do as they please. During your presidential campaign, you declared: "We have to find more environmentally sound ways of mining coal than simply blowing the tops off mountains." That time is now. Or never. Every day, more than 3 million pounds of explosives are detonated in our state to remove our mountains and expose the thin seams of coal. Over 470 mountains in Appalachia have been destroyed in this process, the coal scooped up and hauled away to be burned at coal-fired power plants across our country and abroad. This includes the Potomac River Plant, which generates the electricity for the White House. Mountaintop removal is the dirty secret in our nation's energy supply. If coal can't be mined clean, it can't be called clean. Here, at the point of extraction, coal passes through a preparation plant that manages to remove some, but not all, of the metals and toxins. Those separated impurities are stored in mammoth toxic sludge dams above our communities throughout Appalachia. There are three sludge dams within 10 miles of my home. Coal companies are now blasting directly above and next to a dam above my home that contains over 2 billion gallons of toxic waste. That is the same seeping dam that hovers just 400 yards above the Marsh Fork Elementary School. As you know, coal sludge dams have failed before, and lives have been lost. My family and I, like many American citizens in Appalachia, are living in a state of terror. Like sitting ducks waiting to be buried in an avalanche of mountain waste, or crushed by a falling boulder, we are trapped in a war zone within our own country. In 1968, I served my country in Vietnam as part of the 1st Battalion 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. As you know, Appalachians have never failed to serve our country; our mountain riflemen stood with George Washington at the surrender of the British in Yorktown. West Virginia provided more per capita soldiers for the Union during the Civil War than any other state; we have given our blood for every war since. We have also given our blood for the burden of coal in these mountains. My uncle died in the underground mines at the age of 17; another uncle was paralyzed from an accident. My dad worked in an underground mine. Many in my family have suffered from black-lung disease. These mountains are our home. My family roots are deep in these mountains. We homesteaded this area in the 1820s. This is where I was born. This is where I will die. On Jan. 15, 1972, U.S. Sen. John D. Rockefeller made a speech at Morris Harvey College. He declared: "The government has turned its back on the many West Virginians who have borne out of their property and out of their pocketbook the destructive impact of strip-mining. We hear that the governor once claimed to have wept as he flew over the strip mine devastation of our state. Now it's the people who weep." Our state government has turned its back on us in 2009. Peachtree is but one of hundreds of Appalachian communities that are being bombed. Our property has been devalued to worthlessness. Our neighbors put their kids to bed at night with the fear of being crushed or swept away in toxic sludge. And the outside coal industries continue their criminal activity through misleading and false ads. Mr. President, when I heard you talk during your campaign stops, it made me feel like there was hope for Peachtree and the Coal River Valley of West Virginia. Hope for me and my family. Abraham Lincoln wrote that we cannot escape history: "The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation." I beg you to re-light our flame of hope and honor and immediately stop the coal companies from blasting so near our homes and endangering our lives. As you have said, we must find another way than blowing off the tops of our mountains. We must end mountaintop removal. I also ask you to please put an end to these dangerous toxic-sludge dams. With utmost respect, yours truly, Bo Webb Naoma, W.V. More on President Obama
 
O'Hare Airport Investigation: Massive Probe Includes Ald. Patrick Levar's Brother Top
Ald. Patrick Levar's brother, who once oversaw construction contracts at O'Hare Airport for Mayor Daley, is a focus of a massive investigation of city aviation deals -- a probe that's also looking into possible women- and minority-owned business fraud, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. The airport investigation -- first disclosed by the Sun-Times on Feb. 12 -- is also looking into campaign contributions Ald. Levar (45th) got from airport contractors, sources said.
 
AP: Did TV News Miss Point In Covering Stimulus Plan? Top
NEW YORK — There were plenty of familiar faces on-screen during TV coverage of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan, people like James Carville, Laura Ingraham, Karl Rove, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Joe Trippi and Dick Morris. What it lacked, some critics suggest, were people with real expertise in what the $787 billion plan will mean for the economy and for communities and individuals. In short, it was treated like just another political battle. Of the 681 people who appeared as guests on a dozen cable news and four network Sunday morning talk shows in the three weeks that ended last Sunday, only 41, or 6 percent, were economists, said the liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America. That count alone indicates a lack of effort in tracking down what was most important about the story, said Erikka Knuti, the organization's spokeswoman. "Hearing whether or not this package is going to work is more important than who has the snappiest quip," she said. Media Matters didn't keep track of interview subjects on the most-watched newscasts, the broadcast network evening programs, but the conservative Media Research Center did. About 13 percent of the people interviewed on economic recovery between Obama's election and final passage of the bill were economists, the group said. That's almost one per substantial story, but Dan Gainor, vice president of the MRC's Business & Media Institute, said that ratio was "appalling." Piling on the criticism, the Center for Economic and Policy Research said the media had "badly failed" to inform the public about what the stimulus plan means. The group said news organizations also didn't keep things in perspective, focusing on criticisms of the bill that were a very small part of the pricetag. To a certain extent, networks could be accused of unimaginative bookings, going to people they know very well. Media Matters counted 19 separate appearances by CNN financial correspondent Ali Velshi during the three weeks. The three people who opined most about the bill on Fox News Channel were regulars Morris, Rove and Juan Williams, the group said. Even some of the economists used were familiar to viewers, like Web site maven Arianna Huffington, former game show host Ben Stein and Paul Krugman, columnist for The New York Times. Two shows the group monitored, hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper and Campbell Brown, had no economists during the three-week period. By far, the most economists on any show (10) were on Fox's new Glenn Beck show. Ian Cameron, executive producer of ABC's Sunday morning "This Week," said the trend had less to do with unimaginative bookings than 24-hour cable's need to draw contrast and promote verbal battles. "On this debate, the sharpest contrast was in Washington," Cameron said. "To some degree, there was more debate on this plan inside Washington than there was outside of Washington." Krugman has recently become a regular panelist on "This Week," and New York University economist Nouriel Roubini was also booked for the Feb. 22 show. Cameron and Bob Schieffer, CBS News chief Washington correspondent, said that while the criticism of not having enough economists on screen to talk about this bill may have some validity, it was still necessary to report on the political battle surrounding it. If that battle hadn't been settled, there would be no stimulus bill to talk about. "Maybe we should be talking to more economists," Schieffer said. "I've been a reporter now for 52 years, covered everything from hubcap thieves to arms control negotiations, and I generally have an opinion on whether the government is doing the right or wrong thing. This thing is so complicated that I'm not sure what is the right or wrong thing." The Media Research Center, in its examination of the evening news programs, believes that the news organizations are paying far more attention to economists who support Obama's policies. The libertarian-leaning Cato Institute recently paid for a newspaper ad listing dozens of economist who opposed the bill. Media Matters, which would seemingly have the most hopes invested in seeing pro-stimulus economists scheduled, said its count shows them with a slighter advantage. Whoever is doing the talking, Schieffer just hopes they know what they're talking about. "We're all feeling our way in this thing," he said. "What scares me is that people in Washington are doing the same thing." ___ On the Net: http://mediamatters.org/ http://www.mediaresearch.org/ ___ EDITOR'S NOTE _ David Bauder can be reached at dbauder"at"ap.org More on Karl Rove
 
Krugman: The Case For Nationalization Top
Comrade Greenspan wants us to seize the economy's commanding heights. O.K., not exactly. What Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman -- and a staunch defender of free markets -- actually said was, "It may be necessary to temporarily nationalize some banks in order to facilitate a swift and orderly restructuring." I agree. More on Paul Krugman
 
GroundReport: Breaking Ceasefire, Taliban Kidnaps Pakistan Officials Top
Published by GroundReport.com , a global citizen news platform with over 4,000 international reporters. MINGORA-- Yesterday Taliban militants kidnapped Pakistani officials in Swat valley, where the government is seeking peace by re-establishing Islamic sharia law. Muslim Khan, a militant and spokesman for the Taliban, said that, "we have released the official and his six guards in exchange for our two colleagues." Syed Mohammad Jawed, commissioner for the Malakand division, which includes Swat, confirmed that the official and his guards had been freed but refused to comment on any swap. On Saturday Taliban fighters and Pakistani officials agreed to a " permanent ceasefire " in Swat, a senior Pakistani government official confirmed. But the same day in Peshawar, two Taliban fighters were arrested. On Sunday Taliban fighters kidnapped the official. The Taliban claimed the arrests had violated their conditions for ordering a 10-day ceasefire in Swat on February 15. The Pakistan government has backed a deal with radical cleric Maulana Sufi Mohammad to restore Islamic law to Swat and neighboring regions if the Taliban give up fighting. But Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah, who is Sufi Mohammad's son-in-law, said there would be a decision announced after the current temporary ceasefire expires in the middle of this week. Go to GroundReport.com for more insider news and opinion on Pakistan . GroundReport is a citizen journalism platform that allows anyone to publish global news and earn money . More on Pakistan
 
Geoghegan Endorsed By Abner Mikva In Emanuel Replacement Race Top
Tom Geoghegan unveiled a slew of endorsements Monday in the tight race to succeed Rahm Emanuel in Congress. Liberal Democratic lion Abner Mikva, a former Congressman, Clinton White House counsel and federal appellate court Judge, highlights the list, which also includes former Ald. Marty Oberman, single-payer health care crusader Dr. Quentin Young and Geoghegan's law partner, the venerable former Hyde Park Ald. Leon Despres. Oberman's son, Justin , withdrew from the Fifth District race last month. He has not yet publicly endorsed another candidate. The full release: MARTY OBERMAN, ABNER MIKVA, DR. QUENTIN YOUNG, LEON DESPRES ENDORSE TOM GEOGHEGAN FOR CONGRESS (CHICAGO) - Legendary progressive reformers Hon. Marty Oberman, Hon. Abner Mikva, Dr. Quentin Young, and Hon. Leon Despres have endorsed Tom Geoghegan for Congress. MARTY OBERMAN Tom earned the endorsement of Marty Oberman, former 43rd Ward Alderman and long time independent voice in the Chicago City Council. "We need to elect Tom Geoghegan to begin the repair of the recent damage to Illinois' political landscape," said Oberman. "Tom's candidacy is steeped in the great progressive tradition of Paul Simon and Adlai Stevenson. He is unmatched for both his serious thought and successful action in the interest of social and political reform." ABNER MIKVA Tom also earned the endorsement of former congressman, alderman and Clinton White House adviser Judge Abner Mikva. "Tom Geoghegan has stood for integrity his entire career," said Mikva. "He believes politics and government must be honest to meet people's needs. That's why he'll make a great congressman." DR. QUENTIN YOUNG Dr. Quentin Young is the head of Physicians for a National Health Program and a leading advocate of single payer health care. "Tom understands and is committed to single-payer national health insurance - 'Medicare for All'. He is a genuine progressive; he supports economic reform that meets the needs of the people, not the Wall Street predators who got America into this mess," said Dr. Young. LEON DESPRES Also endorsing Geogehgan was legendary progressive and former alderman Leon Despres. "Tom doesn't need a 'listening tour' to understand what working Americans face every day," said Despres. "He's represented nurses, steelworkers, truck drivers and railroad workers. He's not afraid to stand up against tough odds and makes change happen. "His work has focused on protecting workers affected by plant closings, securing health care for the uninsured, and stopping the abuses of payday lenders. He'll make an outstanding congressman." Mr. Despres and Mr. Geoghegan are partners in the law firm of Despres, Schwartz and Geoghean. Other endorsements include: American Nurses Association; Democracy for America; Blogpac; Progress Change Campaign Committee; Global Solutions PAC; Greater Chicago Caucus (GCC; )National Nurses Organizing Committee; Progressive Democrats of America (PDA); Progressive Democrats of America Chicago Chapter; Steelworkers Local 7243; Students for a New American Politics (SNAP); Teamsters Local 743; The Nation Magazine; James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly online; Thomas Frank, The Wall Street Journal; Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker online; Alex Kotlowitz, Author; Sara Paretsky, Author; Katha Pollitt, The Nation; Don Rose, The Chicago Sun-Times; David Sirota, The Huffington Post; Rob Warden, Author; Garry Wills, Author. ABOUT TOM GEOGHEGAN Thomas H. Geoghegan is a lawyer, author, and candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois' fifth district. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard University, and lives in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
 
Jimmy Kimmel Tom Cruise Oscar Weirdness (VIDEO) Top
Is it just me or was the most interesting part of last night the ad for "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that starred Tom Cruise as a homoerotic psycho killer? The conceit is that Kimmel set Cruise's house on fire in order to guilt him into appearing on his show. The two are holding each other for most of the set up. Then Cruise says, "I'll do your show, but please save my cat." Kimmel runs into the house which promptly explodes. Tom faces the camera and says, "I don't have a cat." If you weren't scared of Scientologists before, I would reconsider. WATCH: More on Advertising
 
Turkey, US Begin Talks On Iraq-Exit Strategy Top
Turkey and the U.S. have officially began preliminary talks on the use of Turkish soil for the transfer of American troops, arms and other logistic equipment in Iraq, diplomatic sources said. More on Iraq
 
Obama's Fiscal Summit Convenes At White House Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is bringing together dozens of advisers and adversaries to discuss how to curb a burgeoning federal deficit laden with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid obligations. Obama's summit at the White House on Monday is the first meeting toward a strategy to address the long-term fiscal health of the nation. The gathering also comes as Obama prepares ambitious plans to cut the federal deficit by half within four years. "It will require doing all we can to get exploding deficits under control as our economy begins to recover," Obama said in his weekend Internet and radio address. "That work begins on Monday, when I will convene a fiscal summit of independent experts and unions, advocacy groups and members of Congress to discuss how we can cut the trillion-dollar deficit that we've inherited." Even before it began, some of its 130 invited participants cautioned against overinflated expectations. "It can either be a nice press event. Or it can be a substantive event," said Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, whom Obama appointed as commerce secretary before the New Hampshire lawmaker balked. "History tells us it will be the first. We've had these meetings before. There's always a lot of people willing to point out the problem." Yet, he said, there is seldom anyone willing to make the difficult decisions to solve those problems. As the nation's economy continues its downward spiral, Obama's advisers are keeping their focus on the broader fiscal troubles that have sent millions to unemployment rolls. Taken in context, the summit is but one part of the White House's larger approach to the coming weeks focused on Obama's priorities for a first term, including a State of the Union-style address on Tuesday. That speech is not likely to include plans to deal with long-crumbling entitlement programs. The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said a solution already exists in legislation written by Gregg and his Democratic counterpart on the Budget Committee, Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota. Their measure would create a bipartisan commission to deal with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The entitlement programs face eventual bankruptcy, although experts differ on how urgently each is threatened. Many House Democrats, however, remain opposed to a commission, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Obama has indicated he's open to the idea _ and many others _ as a way to move toward a viable solution. McConnell said any movement would be a step toward getting a handle on the unfunded liabilities. "So I hope what the meeting at the White House is about tomorrow is about sobering up here and beginning to rethink the kind of debt that we're laying on future generations," McConnell told CNN's "State of the Union" program on Sunday. That comes hand-in-hand with the president's plans to deal with the deficit. Obama plans to cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term, mostly by scaling back Iraq war spending, raising taxes on the wealthiest and streamlining government. The goal is to halve the federal deficit to $533 billion by the time his first term ends in 2013. He inherited a deficit of about $1.3 trillion from his predecessor, President George W. Bush. Meanwhile, Peter Orszag, director of the federal Office of Management and Budget, said Monday he believes the new fiscal plan will lure some Republican support _ in contrast to the stimulus bill that got only three GOP votes in Congress. He said he thinks some Republicans will back the plan because of proposals to overhaul the expensive U.S. health care system. "Health care clearly is the key to our fiscal future," he said on CNN, "so we need to get health care costs u nder control and we want to do that this year." More on Barack Obama
 
Presented By: DAVACO Retail Services Announces 2009 Advertising Campaign; Leading Provider States "We're Big on Being the Best" Top
DAVACO announced today that the company has introduced a new marketing campaign. The campaign featuring the headline, "We're Big on Being the Best," is designed to highlight the company's focus on complete client satisfaction and its nationwide capabilities. (PRWeb Feb 23, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2145194.htm >> Read more Ads by Pheedo
 
Government Reform Panels Craft Post-Blagojevich Agendas Top
With Illinois government reeling from allegations of scandal, most notably the accusation that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a U.S. Senate seat, efforts at reform are gaining new life. [...] In recent weeks, officials have been taking great pains to demonstrate a commitment to reform. Two separate panels have been set up to craft recommendations on how to repair state government. More on Rod Blagojevich
 
Russell Bishop: Today's Economy: What Myth Are You Stuck In? Top
In my work over the years with individuals as well as corporate leadership teams, I often bump into the same phenomenon: many of us seem to prefer living in our myths to living in our lives. The preference for myth to reality seems to get us in all kinds of trouble. Two of the more common myths I encounter are the Myth of Control and Myth of Stability. These two are playing out in interesting ways as we struggle with one of today's big issues impacting many of us - the economy and what we can do about it. Interestingly, control and stability are simply different versions of the same myth. Today, I want to focus on the control side of the equation. The Economy with a big "E" is well beyond most of us to pretend like we know what to do, other than complain that it should be different. The small "e" economy, however is something you and I can do something about. You may not like the choices, but choices are all we have. How you exercise those choices is going to make a huge difference going forward, primarily on how you experience the next couple of years. If you are a control addict, then you may be spending a whole lot of energy worrying about the "loss of control" over what's going on around you. Control Is an Illusion Control is one of those seductive illusions most of us suffer in our daily lives. We like the illusion of control, because it makes us feel like we know what's going on and that we can direct its outcome. On the other hand, some people recognize that they no more control the economy than they do the weather or how others drive their cars. Unfortunately, many of those who recognize their lack of control on the larger scale of life, fail to recognize and so relinquish the one level of control they do have. That is perhaps best summed up by the Greek Stoic philosopher, Epictetus: it's not what happens to you but how you respond that matters. You can always control how you respond to what's going on. Sometimes, the level of response is limited as Viktor Frankl discovered as a concentration camp survivor in WWII. (If you don't know this story, read Man's Search for Meaning where he chronicles his life in the concentration camps. To paraphrase, we wrote that freedom is that point in time just after they do something to me and just before I choose my response to it .) The current economic mess is a prime example of people focusing on what's happening to them and their apparent loss of control, when control isn't the real issue. If you can't control what's going on around you, what can you do? As we find ourselves moving through this time of economic and social change, some will find the experience daunting and overwhelming. Those who do, may choose to contract inwardly, to pull back from the world, and abandon choices that might make a difference. Others will put on a cheerful face and talk about making lemonade out of life's lemons. Lemonade From Lemons If you can work with the notion of lemonade from lemons, then you may discover choices you can make, choices that will help you deal with the challenges of these times in a way that will be expansive. As the larger economy appears to be collapsing around us, it may be tempting to contract right along with it. However, others will find ways to expand in the face of that same apparent contraction. I am being challenged as many of us are - I wound up losing my two long time clients last autumn, found a new client in December with the promise of at least 100 days of consulting for 2009, and then lost that client on the day everything was to start in mid-January. What choices do I have? There are plenty of people to blame, tears to shed, etc. When all that is done, then what? Either I do something about my situation, or I do nothing. In either case, I will get to enjoy the fruits of my labor or suffer the lack thereof. So what can you do as you are going through these difficult times? You might enjoy reading a post that went up this weekend from Anne Naylor talking about job creation in the wake of the collapse of the British steel industry 30s years ago. The job creation story is a great one about displaced workers transforming empty industrial buildings into industrial villages of small businesses. Thousands of new businesses and jobs were created. Help was provided in many ways, some by the industries that were closing down, some by governmental bodies assisting with start up support. However, the primary lesson here is one of choice and expansion in the face of extremely difficult times. None of these impacted industrial workers could control the circumstances that lead to the collapse of their employers; however, each could do something about the impact of those changes. Each chose to find ways to improve their lot in life, to educate themselves in unfamiliar areas, and to take the initiative in shepherding themselves and their workmates into a new era. My family went bankrupt three times as I was growing up, the last when my father died of leukemia and the insurance company refused to pay claiming that leukemia was a pre-existing condition when he took out the life and health policy 19 years earlier. I wound up living in my car for a while, subsisting on a dollar a day. Turns out that was a blessing in disguise. I learned that I have what it takes to get through difficult times. I learned that I have to keep my focus on where I'm heading and make the choices necessary to get there. I also learned that no matter how bleak the circumstances, I was still OK inside myself. Most importantly, I learned my quality of life is not driven by what happens to me, but my response to it. Respond well! *** You can find out more about Russell Bishop at http://www.lessonsinthekeyoflife.com . Contact Russell at: russell@lessonsinthekeyoflife.com The author of Lessons in the Key of Life, Russell is an Educational Psychologist, professional life coach and management consultant, based in Santa Barbara California. More on Balanced Life
 
Therese Borchard: 10 Ways To Make Friends Top
They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village--at best a supportive community, and at the least a few very good friends--to keep a person sane and happy. All of us need companionship, which is exactly why teenagers are texting their friends in the middle of dinner (TMI, BFF, OMG...), and why people who didn't own a personal computer last year now have profiles on Facebook, My Space, and other social-networking sites. Maybe the first trick to finding friends is to befriend ourselves, and to become comfortable with silence, because no one has the power to make us feel okay with ourselves but us. But, lest we stay quiet for too long, here are 10 techniques to meet new friends, which I think everyone can benefit from, because, as I learned in Girl Scouts a few hundred years ago...some are silver and the others are old, I mean gold. 1. Join a book club. If your neighborhood doesn't have a book club, you can usually join one as part of the local library, the recreational or community center, the community college, or online, of course. 2. Volunteer. That one seems like a no-brainer, but, seriously, have you ever considered the many charities to which you could give your time? Your local civic association is always in need of volunteers for projects like "let's clean up the park before a hundred dogs crap on it again" and Toys-for-Tots, Christmas in April, and so on. Don't forget about all your local politicians who need help with their campaigns. 3. Find a support group. There's more to the support group universe than AA. Have you ever looked through all the local listings of meetings in your area? There's even ACOMP (Adult Cousins of Mean People) ... not really. 4. Take a night class. That's where you can supposedly meet men (or women) if you find yourself single in your late 30s or 40s or 50s. If you take a class in something that you are interested in, you're very likely to find potential friends with similar hobbies. 5. Get a dog. I'm not talking about using the dog as a companion, (because we know a dog is a man's best friend). I just mean that dogs are people magnets--and usually nice-people magnets. Here in Annapolis, we have dog cults. If you walk your mutt in certain neighborhoods, you will meet approximately five to ten friends per mile. Double that if you're walking a Golden Retriever. Triple it if you head to the "dog park," designed specifically for doggy play, or proper socialization for dogs. 6. Steal friends. I realize this technique was frowned upon in the fifth grade. You would surely earn a reputation as a friend-stealer if you tried this too many times. But many (NOT ALL) people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. have loosened up a bit. I have found this to be a very efficient method of making friends, because someone has already done your dirty work--the interview process--and weeded out the toxic folks. It's like Facebook in real life. 7. Knock on doors. Yep. That's what I did six years ago when I was stuck home with a fussy baby and going absolutely crazy. I walked around the neighborhood knocking on every porch that held a stroller. "You in there. I know you have kids. You want to be my friend?" I might have been a tad more subtle than that, but not much. 8. Carpool to work. Hey, it works for elementary school kids. Many six-year-olds meet their best buddies on the bus because 1) they live in their neighborhood (what could be more convenient?), 2) they are on the same schedule, and 3) they know the same people ("Susie has cooties.") 9. Connect with your alumni association. I used to be much better at this before kids came along, but even today, I still pay my dues. Alumni associations are gold mines for potential friends. You already have a major experience in common: you can rehash old times as a conversation starter if you need one. Plus many associations sponsor community service events, workshops, or trips abroad that you can take advantage of even if you aren't looking for friends. 10. Talk to strangers. I know this goes against what you were taught in elementary school. But, yes, the way to meet friends is to strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone. This means becoming the annoying lady everyone dodges on the plane: "So ... what are you reading? ... Oh, 'Left Behind.' ... Have you gotten to the part where everyone except a handful of people burn in hell?... No? ... I hope I didn't ruin it for you." If you put yourself out there, yes, you will get rejected many times, and that hurts a little (sometimes a lot). But you will also find your best friends. Every day life is full of potential friendship moments: waiting rooms, church, trains, planes, automobiles, office meetings, support groups, or coffee shops. *** Originally published on Beyond Blue at Beliefnet.com . To read more of Therese, visit her blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet.com , or subscribe here . You may also find her at www.thereseborchard.com . More on Happiness
 
Kimberly Brooks: B.A. Szerlip: Books As Sculpture Top
We've come a long way when books were treasured hand copied treasures mostly locked behind the libraries of the monestaries by the clergy before Guttenberg set them free with his printing press. Books, arguably the most revolutionary technology to hit the scene besides the internet, allowed our brains to short circuit evolution, enabling us to have arguments with mostly men who died thousands of years ago and to put forth further ideas that could be imbibed long after we die. The internet has been no less revolutionary for transferring ideas and the fate of books, however beloved, is uncertain in spite of the fact that it's marvelous technology that we never have to plug in. Yet Kindle sales are rising, the attention span for reading is falling and Cody's Books on Telegraph Avenue is closed like so many others independent booksellers. In her latest series, artist Barbara A. Szerlip uses the books to make sculptures causing us to see them as relics even further, a tiny nail in the coffin of their ubiquity or shrine to their superiority to depending on how you look at it. Over the past four years, Szerlip has hunted and collected bargain bin books to deconstruct, reconstitute, and reconstruct as her medium and subject. Her sculptures vary in size and scope--sometimes featuring the entire book still in one piece and other times featuring the book in shreds. Playing with the titles of the books, the associations the greater public has with those books (as in books to movies etc), and the very definition or essence of the book and knowledge itself, she takes something intended for one purpose and propels it into a different world of three-dimensionality, aesthetics, and materiality. By "destroying" she also resurrects and encourages us to ponder the ways in which books and art shape and influence our ideas in the process. Barbara Alexandra Szerlip, Knowledge/Power, 16" x 12" x 12", mixed media, 2006. Kimberly Brooks: When was the moment that you thought you'd use books as a your medium for sculpture. We're you at all afraid it was sacriligious? Barbara Alexandra Szerlip: The pieces began as a whim. In 2004, I bought a couple of 25 and 50-cent books at the flea market and began "screwing around," folding, cutting, stitching -- not without some guilt. (As a professional writer and editor, I've contributed to the creation of dozens of books.)  Barbara Alexandra Szerlip, Out of Africa, 16" x 22", mixed media, 2007. KB: How did you come to make "Out of Africa"? BAZ: I stumbled upon two different copies of the memoir. One spine credited Karen Blixen, the other Isak Dinisen (her pen name). Eventually, I came up with a way to use them together in "Out of Africa," 2007. It's one of my larger and more ambitious sculptures and it incorporates an intriguing mix of materials. It also rotates.  Barbara Alexandra Szerlip, La Marquise, 16" x 12" x 12", mixed media, 2006. KB: Where do you get your ideas from, how does it all begin for you? BAZ: Sometimes I have a concept and go out looking for materials that might allow me expand on it. Other times, I find materials (and/or a book) that lead me in a particular direction. I try hard to not repeat myself. The work is part design and part problem-solving; I find both gratifying.  Barbara Alexandra Szerlip, The Story Emerges from its Pages, 15.5" x 13" x 10", mixed media, 2006. Private Collection. B.A. Szerlip is based in San Francisco, CA. She has had two solo shows (2005 & 2007) at Goldwasser Rare Books, SF and is now represented by Warnock Fine Arts, SF. (www.warnockfinearts.com). She was a two-time National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellow and is currently working on a biography of maverick industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. -- First Person Artist is an column by artist Kimberly Brooks in which she provides commentary on the creative process and showcases artists' work from around the world.
 
Henry Blodget: Death To Zombies: Nationalize Banks Now Top
I suspect the whole "public fear of nationalization" is just something cooked up by Bank of America's PR department to save BOFA shareholders the pittance they have left. In case it isn't, however--in case there are still folks out there who think "nationalization" means state-owned banks in perpetuity--Paul Krugman explains today why this isn't the case . Nationalization does not mean "government-run banks." It means temporary seizure and restructuring. Customers are protected. Depositors are protected. Jobs are protected. The government puts the valuable parts of the bank back in private hands as soon as it can. The FDIC is already "nationalizing" two banks a week: It grabs them, chops them up, and sells off their parts, solving the problem once and for all. And it's what we should do to Citi, BOFA, et al, now instead of later, so we can get started on the road to recovery: Here's Krugman: The case for nationalization rests on three observations. First, some major banks are dangerously close to the edge -- in fact, they would have failed already if investors didn't expect the government to rescue them if necessary. Second, banks must be rescued. The collapse of Lehman Brothers almost destroyed the world financial system, and we can't risk letting much bigger institutions like Citigroup or Bank of America implode. Third, while banks must be rescued, the U.S. government can't afford, fiscally or politically, to bestow huge gifts on bank shareholders. Let's be concrete here. There's a reasonable chance -- not a certainty -- that Citi and BofA, together, will lose hundreds of billions over the next few years. And their capital, the excess of their assets over their liabilities, isn't remotely large enough to cover those potential losses. And then Krugman sums up the Obama administration's approach, which, sadly, is the same as the Bush administration's approach--most likely because the same general, Timothy Geithner, is hatching the plans. The real question is why the Obama administration keeps coming up with proposals that sound like possible alternatives to nationalization, but turn out to involve huge handouts to bank stockholders. For example, the administration initially floated the idea of offering banks guarantees against losses on troubled assets. This would have been a great deal for bank stockholders, not so much for the rest of us: heads they win, tails taxpayers lose. Now the administration is talking about a "public-private partnership" to buy troubled assets from the banks, with the government lending money to private investors for that purpose. This would offer investors a one-way bet: if the assets rise in price, investors win; if they fall substantially, investors walk away and leave the government holding the bag. Again, heads they win, tails we lose. Why not just go ahead and nationalize? Remember, the longer we live with zombie banks, the harder it will be to end the economic crisis. (Krugman's full piece is here ) And how could this be done? By being honest about the results of the coming "stress test." Today's latest plan--the conversion of taxpayer preferred stock to common stock in Citigroup--would help Citigroup, but not the taxpayers. It's time to stop formulating half-measures and just bite the bullet and take Citigroup over. See Also: The Hall of Shame (SLIDESHOW) More on The Bailouts
 
Emma Ruby-Sachs: New York Times' Gay Marriage Nothing New Top
In Toronto, Canada, my girlfriend worked as a teacher and community organizer in a Deaf center affiliated with an Evangelical church. She is out of the closet, has short hair that she spikes up most days and often invited me to work functions as her partner. Her job, while incredibly rewarding was more insecure than most: as a religious organization, her employer could legally fire her at any moment for being gay. So imagine my surprise when the New York Times published an op-ed yesterday describing a new "great compromise" on gay marriage that essentially provided for marriage rights with religious exemptions. That proposal sounds a lot like Canadian law. In fact, exceptions to the general recognition of same-sex unions for religious organizations is a part of almost every gay marriage law around the world. In the Netherlands, where same-sex marriages became legal in 2000, the Protestant Church's congregations are given complete discretion over whether they perform gay marriages. In South Africa, religious institutions and individual civil officers are given the right to refuse to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. In Norway, the same sex-marriage law passed this year allows the entire Lutheran Church (the largest religious organization in the country) to refuse to perform same-sex marriages. Equality provisions in the American Constitution are far less robust than those in Canada or in South Africa or many other countries. Yet, religious organizations in those countries don't have to hire gay people, don't need to have gay pastors and don't need to provide benefits to existing gay employees. In Canada, churches that discriminate against gay people are still exempt from paying property taxes . Now, I strongly oppose tax breaks for religious organizations that actively discriminate. I do not want my money used to support the campaign to undermine my own rights. Still, coming from a country like Canada where public Catholic education is constitutionally guaranteed, I understand that compromise with religious institutions is sometimes necessary. And the truth is, that the compromise between religious freedom and gay rights has worked well . It may be that any deviation from that compromise would illegally infringe constitutionally protected religious rights in the U.S. and would certainly cause unnecessary opposition to the equal rights movement. If this is the great compromise, then gay marriage should be on the short term agenda in Federal politics. The U.S. would just be following in the footsteps of many other developed countries in the world. Gay marriage advocates have never been interested in forcibly quashing the churches and organizations that feel compelled to oppose homosexuality. We are in support of the free exercise of religion and the freedom of speech. All we really want is the same legal status as the people who work so hard to condemn us. When my girlfriend left her job at the Deaf center to return to school they threw her a lovely good-bye party. Her co-workers, both religious and non-religious, are still good friends. This, despite the fact that many of the people in her office building believe fervently that homosexuality is a sin. What Canada has found is that, with a little time, religious organizations and equal rights can co-exist peacefully. That co-existence leads to tolerance from some quite unexpected places. More on Canada
 
C. Nicole Mason: Blame the Banks, Not Homeowners for Foreclosure Crisis: Obama's Plan is a Step in the Right Direction Top
In this sour economy, there's certainly enough blame to go around. We can blame unregulated markets and lack of oversight. We can blame Bush and Alan Greenspan for failing to heed the warning signs of an impending recession. We might also blame inflation, high unemployment, and rising fuel and food costs. However, when it comes to the foreclosure crisis, let's place the blame where it belongs--at the steps of banks and mortgage brokers who packaged risky mortgage products and pitched them to unsuspecting homebuyers eager to invest in the American Dream. The introduction of President Obama's $75 billion plan to aid homeowners at risk of foreclosures has sparked an outcry from financial analysts, pundits, "responsible" homeowners, and others who argue that assisting homeowners at risk of default is unfair and rewards bad behavior. This logic assumes, however, that many of the homeowners now at risk of default were speculators, lied on their mortgage application, or leveraged debt to buy McMansions they could not afford. This is only a small slice of the foreclosure pie. Many Americans bought their homes because they believed in the age old value of homeownership and thought it would make a sound investment. For many, the American Dream has turned into an American nightmare with over two million individuals falling victim to foreclosure, 10 million more having trouble making their payments, and depending on how long the recession lasts, an estimated 6 million homes are facing foreclosure by 2012. At the peak of the housing market in 2006, the national median price for a home was $230,000, a price out of reach for most two-income families. Ten years prior, in 1996, the median cost for a home was $144,000, nearly 40% less. In order to make homes affordable, Banks created mortgage products such as the option arm, which allowed homeowners to "pick" their payment or allowed smaller payments in the first two to five years with escalating payments over time. Women and racial and ethnic minority communities were also hit disproportionately hard by predatory lending practices and sub-prime loans. While consumers should shoulder some responsibility for failing to read the fine print, it is banks and the lending community that chose profit over regulation and oversight that caused the foreclosure crisis. Ironically, these institutions have received over $379 billion to help revive the economy and stave off bankruptcy. This amount represents less than 25% of what is being proposed to help owners avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. The support to homeowners proposed in the plan goes directly to banks and mortgage holders to modify loans and to help families struggling to survive these tough economic times. It is not a hand out, but a hand up. Barack Obama's housing plan is a step in the right direction. It will go a long way to bolster faith in the economy, stabilize housing markets in vulnerable communities, provide assistance to individuals who are now homeless as a result of foreclosure, and help close to nine million families stay in their homes. I hope it also opens the door for much needed discussions about affordable housing in our country. More on Stimulus Package
 
B. Jeffrey Madoff: I'm Not That Madoff Top
"Where should I send my money?" "I've heard great things about you!" "My friend says you are a magician with money." "May I speak with Bernard?" I used to get several of these calls a month; polite, inquiring, generously offering me their money. Not any more. Headlines make a huge difference in how you are treated. Now the calls are rude, accusatory and angry. That's because my name is Madoff. My name is associated with the largest financial fraud in history. $50 billion dollars - gone. Other financial wizards and wise-guys are amateurs compared to the magician that made this money disappear. The sheer magnitude of the smoke that finally puffed and revealed nothing has shaken already convulsing financial markets, not to mention investor confidence. My name has gone from being trusted and honored to one that is reviled. Some years ago, when I was visiting my pregnant wife in the hospital, the world got even smaller. I stopped at the nursery, as I always did, to look at all the new babies. To my surprise, there was a sign, "Madoff Baby". The nurse came up to me, "Are you Mr. Madoff?" "Yes." "Congratulations." "But my wife is expecting twins. This can't be my baby." "You're not Bernard Madoff's son?" "No, I'm not that Madoff." Inspired by the coincidence and filled with good will, I thought I would call Bernard to congratulate him on his new grandson and have a laugh about our names being the same and the number of calls I receive looking for him. I assume he was neither amused by the coincidence nor filled with good will. He didn't pick up the phone. His secretary pronounced the name, "Made-off", like "He made off with a lot of money." My name is pronounced "Mad-off", simple, like it's spelled. "I'm not that Madoff." I've said many times over the past several years when people would call my office in error, asking for Bernard. Since the scandal of Bernard Madoff hit the news, I have gotten many calls and emails from around the globe, not just at work, at home too, all days of the week, all hours of the day. I spoke to some of the callers: "Is this Bernard Madoff?" "No, I'm not Bernard." "You're B. Madoff- what's the B stand for?" "Ben." "Bernard?" "Ben." "Is this Bernie?" "Ben." "Are you related to Bernard?" "No." "Have you met him?" "No, I've never met him." "Do you know what's happening with the money?" "I don't know about the money." "Will anything be recovered?" "I have no idea." "I lost a lot of money." "I'm sorry for your loss." I feel for these people whose lives have been so harmed by this scheme, but my guess is Bernard doesn't have a listed phone number, wouldn't answer his own phone and would not be living in the same neighborhood I am. Not just random callers, people I've known for years ask me if I am related to him. If you go way, way back, I might be. Maybe our ancestors were chased from the same shtetl, but I don't know that. All I know is Bernard L. — I'm Ben J. — has really screwed up the association for the name "Madoff". If you Google my company, an ad for "Victim of Madoff Ponzi Scheme?" comes up - not a great opener for potential business. The calls got nastier: "Where is my money?" "You ruined my life." "You think you can hide?" "I want my money back you fucking thief." "Are you Bernard you scum?" Ironically, like my call to him years ago, I now had no interest in speaking to anyone who was looking for a Madoff. A few weeks ago a package arrived at my office addressed to "Bernard Madoff". There was no return address. The label looked like a kidnap note. I assumed whatever was in there, it wasn't going to be good. Concern for my safety and the safety of my employees had me return it to the post office. Even though it was the holidays, I doubt if it was a nice gift. Benard L. was quite philanthropic, giving many generous charitable gifts over the years. The Lenny Bruce maxim, "The only anonymous giver is the guy who knocks up your daughter", comes to mind. If you are out to bilk people, wrapping yourself in charitable and religious causes often creates a magical shield that protects you from criticism and scrutiny. If you couple that with an annual return of 10-12%, the glint of promised gold blinds common sense- until your true activities reveal both the hypocrisy and illegality. The magic is revealed as a con; the magician, a convict. "Too good to be true" — a cautionary phrase that is true, but people need to believe in the magic. Adults know there's no Santa Claus, yet the fantasy is maintained for the kids. People like Bernard Madoff maintain the fantasy for adults, until reality crashes in. More on Bernard Madoff
 
Amnesty Urges Israel Arms Embargo Top
Amnesty International, the human rights group, has called for a global arms embargo on Israel over its conduct during the war on Gaza. More on Hamas
 
As War Veterans Increase, Judge Seeks Separate Court For Ex-Military Offenders Top
As the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on the number of war vets increases, and some of them are ending up in the Cook County criminal justice system. Circuit Court Judge John Kirby is hoping to help by taking all the non-violent cases of veterans into his courtroom. He says many of them are struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.
 
Presented By: Neighborhood America Director & National CRM Association President to Share Expertise Relative to Strategic Alliances Top
Neighborhood America Director of CRM & Social Media Strategy will speak at the annual Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) Open House in Atlanta, Georgia on February 25th. Michael will address the future of CRM in the management of strategic alliances and how companies can best leverage social media to accomplish business goals. (PRWeb Feb 23, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2126464.htm >> Read more Ads by Pheedo
 
Shelly Palmer: 'Slumdog' Rules Boring Oscars : MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer February 23, 2009 Top
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at last nights Academy Awards . The Indian coming of age tale took home 8 Oscars last night, including Best Picture and Best Director. Other notable winners include Kate Winslett for Best Actress (The Reader), Sean Penn for Best Actor (Milk) and Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor (The Dark Knight). While Hulu has pulled its content from competitor TV.com, the new CBS venture is claiming that embedding the Hulu player on their site is "well within its rights." While CBS may have the right to embed the video player, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar noted that it was the wish of the content providers, not the distributor, who wanted the content removed. Content was also removed from the streaming TV site Boxee. After the AMPTP put its final, best and last offer on the table, the Guild rejected it. The vote came Saturday night with 73% of SAG members voting to turn down the offer . So far the new negotiating team on the side of the Guild has yet to yield a positive outcome. Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz announced she will begin company wide managerial reorganization at Yahoo . The CEO, who has been in office roughly six weeks, will consolidate departments in order to increase efficiency and cut costs. The search company, who is trying revamp itself, is also in need of a new CMO, as well as other senior officials. For the third time in 6 months, Nick Denton, editor of Gawker Media, will have to fold another site . This time the news affects Defamer, a Hollywood entertainment blog, which will cease to exist as a fully functioning site, rather a column on the Gawker homepage. Denton, who had been trying to shop the site, had trouble finding buyers, noting "Scale matters -- both for marketing to readers and advertisers. The dream of micropublishing is dead!" Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards ). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here . Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net More on Yahoo!
 
Civil Unions: Hawaii Becomes Latest Battleground Top
HONOLULU — Hawaii, the state that adopted the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment a decade ago, has now become the latest battleground in the fight for same-sex civil unions. It would become the fifth state to legalize the alternative to gay marriage if the Democrat-dominated Legislature and Republican governor approve a civil union law. The measure was passed by the state House this month but it now faces the Senate, where a divided committee is to vote Tuesday. Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has declined to comment on the issue and it's unclear whether she would veto the bill. Gay rights organizations argue that civil unions would promote basic equality in the nation's most ethnically diverse state, but opponents fear the erosion of an island culture that values conventional family ties. "Society in general is becoming more accepting," said Suzanne King, a real estate office manager who is raising her 9-year-old daughter, Shylar Young, with her partner of nearly 28 years, Tambry Young. "It's not unusual to come upon a gay family. There isn't this fear that by giving us rights, it's going to reduce the traditional family." King and Young said they want a civil union law so gay couples can more easily adopt children, share health benefits and gain hospital visitation rights. They plan to enter into a civil union if the measure becomes law. Religious groups have been taking out newspaper ads, setting up Web sites and holding rallies urging lawmakers to preserve traditional marriage. One anti-gay Web site includes photos of two men kissing each other and others apparently in gay pride parades. It warns of a bad influence on Hawaii "keiki," the Hawaiian word for children. The Mormon church, which campaigned in California last year for a gay marriage ban, has not openly rallied opposition to civil unions in Hawaii this year. But some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been sharing e-mails urging people to calls their legislators opposing the bill. "In Hawaii, people still believe in traditional marriage and the sanctity of marriage," said Dennis Arakaki, executive director of the Hawaii Family Forum, which also represents the Hawaii Catholic Conference. "There's no indication that values or perspectives have changed." Several thousand people gathered at the state Capitol on Sunday for a demonstration organized by Arakaki's group. Protesters held signs saying "We affirm traditional marriage" and "No to same sex marriage" while listening to speakers in the Capitol's open-air rotunda. Others signed petitions opposing the bill. "We're gathered here because we want our voices heard," Wayne Cordeiro, senior pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, said to loud cheers from the crowd. Rally volunteer Julia Sula said she came to the demonstration with 200 to 300 other members of her Waipahu church, the Lighthouse Outreach Center. "We believe in traditional marriage: a woman to a man. Not `man to a man' and `woman to a woman,'" said Sula, a 65-year-old retired social worker. Only Massachusetts and Connecticut allow gay marriage, while Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire allow civil unions. Californians voted in November to overturn a court ruling that allowed gay marriage, but the state still offers domestic partnerships that guarantee the same rights as marriage. That means Hawaii could become the only Western state to give governmental blessing to same-sex unions. "Our wedding industry would have a huge potential increase in business purely because there are people who would rather come to the islands rather than go to the East Coast to have a civil union performed," said the Rev. Mike John Hough of Kauai Island Weddings. "Some people say it's just marriage by another name, and that may be true. It's a perfect compromise." In 1998, nearly 70 percent of Hawaii voters approved a constitutional amendment granting the state Legislature the power to reserve marriage for opposite-sex couples. The "defense of marriage" amendment, now in more than half of state constitutions, resulted in a law banning gay marriage in Hawaii but left the door open for civil unions. The amendment negated a 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that found refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples was discriminatory. Since 1998, Hawaii's Legislature has considered civil unions several times, most recently in 2007, but the bills never made it out of their committees. This year, the House Judiciary Committee passed the measure by a 12-0 vote, and the full House approved it 33-17, one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a potential veto. Attitudes have changed, said state Rep. Blake Oshiro, who sponsored this year's bill. "People are more tolerant and accepting of diversity and recognizing the need for equality," said Oshiro, a Democrat. More on Gay Marriage
 
UBS: Revealing Identities Is Illegal Top
Switzerland's largest bank accused the US government of ignoring Swiss sovereignty and forcing its employees to break the law. "The IRS petition does not acknowledge these restrictions and instead simply ignores the existence of Swiss law and sovereignty," the firm's lawyers said in a response to the filing. The comments come after the US government filled lawsuit on Thursday to force the bank to reveal the identities of as many as 52,000 Americans who allegedly evaded taxes. Meanwhile, UBS stock swung to an all-time low on Monday due to its handling of the US tax fraud probe.
 
Obama Faces Democratic Opposition To Social Security Cuts Top
President Obama is eager to seek a bipartisan solution to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, people who have spoken with him say, but he is running into opposition from his party's left and from Democratic Congressional leaders who contend that his political capital would be better spent on health care and other priorities. More on Rahm Emanuel
 
Bush Goes To Hardware Store That Offered Him Job (VIDEO) Top
DALLAS — Former President George W. Bush has visited a Dallas hardware store that earlier this month made him a lighthearted offer to work as a greeter. Andrea Bond, a manager at Elliott's Hardware, says Bush walked into the store Saturday and quipped: "I'm looking for a job." The store had published an open letter to Bush, inviting him to apply for a store greeter position. The tongue-in-cheek appeal appeared in The Dallas Morning News and its commuter-oriented sister publication, Quick. Bond says Bush spent about an hour shopping and talking to customers during the surprise visit. He bought a few flashlights, batteries and a can of WD-40. He also bought night lights. Bush and his wife, Laura, moved into a home in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas on Friday. More on George Bush
 
August J. Pollak: The Universe Did Not Exist Until January 20, 2009 Top
If you think they said something different, you're just insane. To see more of August J. Pollak's cartoon "Some Guy With a Website," check out the archive . More on John McCain
 
Iraq National Musuem Restored And Dedicated Six Years After Looting Top
BAGHDAD — Iraq's restored National Museum was formally dedicated on Monday, nearly six years after looters carried away priceless antiquities and treasures in the chaos following the U.S.-led invasion. "It was a dark age that Iraq passed through," said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at a ceremony inside the museum. "This spot of civilization has had its share of destruction." The event came on the eve of the museum's full public opening Tuesday, which officials have touted as another milestone in Baghdad's slow return to stability after years of bloodshed. The museum has a hall devoted to antiquities that were looted but later returned or recovered, said Abdul-Zahrah al-Talqani, media director of Iraq's office of tourism and archaeology affairs. "We have ended the black wind (of violence) and have started the reconstruction process," al-Maliki told hundreds of officials and guardians of Iraq's rich cultural heritage. The museum _ once one of the world's leading collections of artifacts spanning the Stone Age, biblical era and the heights of Islamic culture _ was nearly gutted in the mayhem after the fall of Saddam Hussein. U.S. troops, the sole power in the city at the time, were intensely criticized for not protecting the museum's collection. Up to 7,000 pieces are still missing, including about 40 to 50 considered to be of great historical importance, according to the U.N. cultural body UNESCO. Elsewhere in Baghdad, a Sunni lawmaker accused of masterminding bombings and other brutalities claimed he is a victim of a government campaign to silence critics. In a news conference, Mohammed al-Dayni alleged the Shiite-led government tortured two of his former bodyguards _ one of them his nephew _ to make the accusations, including that he directed a 2007 bombing inside the parliament building that killed one person. He urged human rights groups to visit the guards in prison to investigate their treatment. Authorities on Sunday released videos of the bodyguards' interrogations, which included allegations that al-Dayni once ordered more than 100 people buried alive to avenge the slayings of some of his gunmen. But an arrest warrant for al-Dayni cannot be issued until parliament lifts his immunity from prosecution. Aliya Nsayef, a member of a secular bloc in parliament, called for a special commission to study the allegations before voting on the immunity _ suggesting that a quick decision is unlikely. Al-Dayni has frequently complained about alleged rights abuses against Sunnis and suspected Iranian influence over Shiite politicians. "The confessions of my bodyguards were forcefully taken and they lack evidence to support them," he said. "I am paying the price of revealing many cases of human rights violations and corruption." Violence has declined drastically in Baghdad, but attacks continue to strike Iraqis. Gunmen ambushed an Iraqi army checkpoint Monday in western Baghdad, killing three soldiers and wounding eight other people, according to police. The attackers then fled in two SUVs. A roadside bombing in central Baghdad also killed at least two civilians and wounded six, said police and hospital officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The attack apparently was aimed at a police patrol, but missed its target on a busy street in central Baghdad. Around the northern city of Mosul _ considered the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq _ more than 100 suspected insurgents and others have been arrested as part of an Iraq-led offensive launched last week, said Brig. Gen. Saeed Ahmed al-Jibouri. Al-Jibouri described the crackdowns as "more of an intelligence war than a military one" as commandos stage targeted raids seeking suspects on most-wanted lists. ___ Associated Press Writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report. More on Iraq
 
Inside Oscar After Parties: From Winslet To The "Slumdog Kids" Top
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The glitzy, global spirit of Hollywood raged into the wee hours after the Oscars, with parties around town feting everyone from British best actress winner Kate Winslet down to the youngest "Slumdog Millionaire" star, drinking caffeine to keep up his strength. Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, only 8, slurped on a can of Coca-Cola at Fox Searchlight's packed after-party Sunday night at ONE Sunset in West Hollywood honoring "The Wrestler" and "Slumdog Millionaire." Filmed in the slums of Mumbai, "Slumdog" snagged eight Oscars, including best picture and director. Ayush, who lives in India and plays the youngest version of the movie's protagonist Jamal, sat on a sofa at the club, nursing his soda after midnight. "Very excited," said Ayush, when asked about the wins. "It's unbelievable. I never thought I would get an Oscar. Daniel (director Danny Boyle) told us, 'If you work hard, the Oscar will come to you.' And it came." As for being tired? "No, that's why I'm drinking this," he added. Madhur Mittal, who plays the character Salim in the film, held a drink as throngs of women passed him by offering their congratulations. Guests, including Serena Williams, nibbled on red velvet cupcakes and sipped on cocktails including "The Slumdog," a mix of vodka, raspberries and lime garnished with a lollipop _ far from the modest fare depicted in the film. "It feels unreal. This is the best day of my life, man," said Mittal. "I come from India and I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be at the Oscars, much less be part of the movie that sweeps the Oscars." Despite economic woes, myriad parties had all the glam and celebrity fraternizing of past soirees, though guest lists were substantially slashed and simple comfort food reigned. Jennifer Love Hewitt hosted AIDS Project Los Angeles' annual bash at The Abbey, and Chevy Chase, Laura Dern and other famous faces flocked to the Night of 100 Stars gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Lindsay Lohan joined her DJ girlfriend Samantha Ronson, who spun at the Mercedes-Benz after-party at the Montage Beverly Hills. Best actor winner Sean Penn and nominees Taraji P. Henson, Marisa Tomei, Amy Adams and Anne Hathaway were just a few of the stars who made the Governors Ball at the Kodak Theater their first post-Oscars stop. Guests nibbled on lobster and shrimp and three-level dessert boxes topped with chocolate Oscars. Penn, his co-star Emile Hirsch and "Twilight" hottie Robert Pattinson were among those who enjoyed the outdoor smoking lounge, a recessed area topped with a dozen overturned parasols. The Asian-themed affair featured bonsai trees inlaid in the tables and images of bamboo leaves projected on the walls. There was also a chocolate-and-Champagne fountain to entertain guests on the back patio. Blocks away from Fox Searchlight, Vanity Fair's revived Oscar party was all about A-list camaraderie. The annual celebrity-stuffed bash, canceled last year before the end of the Hollywood writers' strike, roared back into style, with Oscar winners literally rubbing shoulders at the hilltop Sunset Tower Hotel, a new venue for the party after years at the restaurant Morton's. A tented area outside had a stunning view of Los Angeles. At 11:30 p.m., Winslet swept in. Clutching her Oscar trophy for "The Reader" in one hand, and a glass of Champagne in the other, she grinned and hugged admirers left and right. "Great Britannia," said Anthony Hopkins, bear hugging the actress. "Oh my God!" yelled Winslet back to the Oscar-winning actor, later adding, "I was actually very calm ... I got so many text messages." The party's exclusive, pared down guest list meant that only the cream of Hollywood showed up, from Jennifer Aniston snuggling next to her boyfriend John Mayer, to Halle Berry drinking Champagne on a couch and shaking hands with Russell Simmons. Best supporting actress winner Penelope Cruz happily munched on a brownie, later hugging Tilda Swinton. Amy Adams laughed in a tight cluster with Uma Thurman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon. Other guests included Robert De Niro, Tina Fey and Josh Brolin. Attendees feasted on more working-class offerings like bagel, egg and bacon sandwiches and In-N-Out burgers. Nearby, Elton John's annual viewing dinner and after-party at the Pacific Design Center's tented courtyard was another glamorous affair, complete with a five course menu, including risotto, black sea bass, pear compote and puffed chocolate tartlet. Dressed in black, wearing strands of Chopard diamonds, John greeted tables of guests, including Simon Cowell and Sharon Stone. Chace Crawford was seated across the room from his amiable ex, Carrie Underwood, who glittered in a silvery dress. "People are going through tremendous hardship," John told his guests before the night's big auction for his Elton John AIDS Foundation. "In this time of hardship, we are going to raise as much money as we possibly can." That he did, with $4 million dollars, according to the party's publicist. A stay in Normandy, France was auctioned off for $80,000. John later joined musical guest Raphael Saadiq onstage, garnering cheers for a version of John's "Benny and the Jets." Across town, in Hollywood, Prince ended the night on his own rock 'n' roll, musical note, taking the stage at his last minute Oscar after-party at the Avalon club at 1:45 a.m. Wearing black sunglasses, and waltzing onto the stage twirling a gleaming silver cane, Prince noodled on his guitar to whoops and hollers from the audience, which included nominee Henson. "This is what we do at house parties. I'm the DJ tonight," he said. ___ Associated Press Business Writer Ryan Nakashima and Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen contributed to this report. More on The Oscars
 
US Reverses Policy, Signs International Mercury Pact Top
In the wake of several scary mercury stories -- reminders that the toxic metal is all around us like the revelation that it's in high fructose corn syrup -- the United Nations has negotiated a legally-binding pact to cut toxic mercury emissions. The agreement includes 140 nations including, perhaps surprisingly, the United States. The Washington Post reports that the US decision to join the pact marked yet another major policy shift from the Bush administration : The agreement, announced at a high-level United Nations meeting of environmental ministers in Nairobi yesterday came after Obama administration officials reversed U.S. policy and embraced the idea of joining in a binding pact. Once the administration said it was reversing the course set by President George W. Bush, China, India and other nations also agreed to endorse the goal of a mandatory treaty. The Bush administration had said it preferred to push for voluntary reductions in mercury emissions because the process of negotiating a treaty would be long and cumbersome. In what could be a sign of things to come at the Copenhagen climate meeting later this year, the New York Times reports that the US policy shift changed the tone of the conference, putting pressure on other large polluters : Susan Keane, a policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that Washington's about-face changed the dynamics of the conference, helping bring around other resistant states, notably China, whose mercury emissions dwarf those of any other country. The US about-face on international mercury regulation follows a recent shift in domestic mercury regulation .
 
Holder Guantanamo Inspection Begins Top
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder has taken off on a trip to the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as the Obama administration weighs what is needed to shut the facility down. The role of the prison in the war against terrorism and the treatment of suspects held there was a continuing controversy during the Bush administration. During his campaign, Barack Obama repeatedly pledged to close it if elected president. Now, Obama has set a goal of shuttering the facility in Cuba within a year. And a large part of Holder's visit there on Monday will involve discussions with officials about detention and interrogation practices. No news reporters accompanied Holder on the flight, and it wasn't clear whether any of his visit there would be open to press coverage. More on Guantánamo Bay
 
Presented By: San Diego Doctor Does Chiropractic for Fun -- "I make more money with my Internet Business!" Top
Rob Walcher, D.C., Internet Marketing Guru has, over the past year or more, been downsizing his local chiropractic practice. Not because of a lack of patients, nor because of his own lack of interest. But because he no longer needs to remain in "new-patient mode" to build his practice. (PRWeb Feb 23, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb1970764.htm >> Read more Ads by Pheedo
 
Marshall Fine: Five Worst Oscar Telecast Moments Top
The saddest moment during the Oscars in my household Sunday night came when the cache of saved footage ran out on the Tivo and we were no longer able to fast-forward through the commercials - and the boring parts. (We tuned in a half-hour late after watching "The Amazing Race.") There was an abundance of both commercials AND boring parts. And this in a year when, for the first time in personal memory, I really didn't care who won. Slumdog ? OK. The Reader ? Sure. Milk ? Why not? Just get on with it and get it over. One innovation that did work: Having the acting awards presented by a council of elders, as it were, past winners of the same award, each of whom directly addressed a single nominee. When they did it for supporting actress, I had an "uh-oh" moment, thinking, "If they do this for every award, we're in for a long evening." Thankfully, they trotted it out for only the acting awards - and it had a nice emotional weight to it. Otherwise, this reconfigured Oscars telecast failed for a much simpler reason: It was the most ineptly directed Oscar show ever. Over and over again, producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon made sure the cameras were focused in the wrong place, draining several key moments of their dramatic impact. They repeatedly had the cameras trained on their ever-changing series of stage sets, which dwarfed the video screens showing the footage that the at-home audience really wanted to see. Here are the five worst moments from the telecast: 5. Weak writing and nobody presenters: I'm sorry - Zac Efron as an Oscar presenter? Sure, the guy is box office - at least in the High School Musical series - but what else has he done? By that logic, the show should have been hosted by Tyler Perry (each of whose movies has done more business than Australia ). With the exception of Steve Martin and Tina Fey (who, I would imagine, wrote their own dialogue), the banter between presenters was incredibly thin; Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston gave me chills of embarrassment. While Hugh Jackman's opening number was clever and energetic, nothing he said afterward was worth repeating - or remembering. 4. Distracting graphics: When the nominees for each category were announced, the images of them were squeezed into a rectangle even smaller than a letter-box image, in the center of the screen - and then given a split-screen treatment within that tiny rectangle. Even worse, that rectangle was framed by a monochromatic collage of moving images from some of the year's other films. The one that inevitably drew the eye was a shot from Kung Fu Panda , just southeast of main image. 3. Distracting sets: One of the Marks' and Condon's "innovations" was to present the awards in an order that would tell the story of how a movie is made. But for several of the most visual of these awards, you couldn't see anything BUT the set. For the set and costume design awards, for example, presenters Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker stood in front of a set within which were hung several video screens, which showed the designs the presenters were talking about. But the viewing audience never got the direct feed of those video images - and was forced to try to discern what was on screens that were seen in miniature in the background. Were Condon and Marks afraid that showing the actual images would distract from their genius production design (which, of course, is what we all tune in for, right)? For the rest of this post, click here to reach my website, www.hollywoodandfine.com. More on Jennifer Aniston
 
"Dear President Obama": The President Reads 10 Letters a Day from the Public Top
The letter to President Obama came from a woman in Arizona whose husband lost his job. He was able to find work, but the new gig came with one-third the pay; the family is struggling to make their mortgage payments. More on David Axelrod
 
Iraq Faces A New War That Threatens To Complicate Obama's Withdrawal Plans Top
A new war is threatening Iraq just as the world believes the country is returning to peace. While violence is dropping in Baghdad and in the south of the country, Arabs and Kurds in the north are beginning to battle over territories in an arc of land stretching from Syria to Iranian border. A renewal of the historic conflict between Arabs and Kurds in Iraq, which raged through most of the second half of the 20th century, would seriously destabilise the country as it begins to recover from the US occupation and the Sunni-Shia civil war of 2005-07. The crisis between the government of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and the Kurds, who make up 20 per cent of the population, is coming to a head now because a resurgent Iraqi army is beginning to contest control of areas which Kurds captured when Saddam Hussein fell in 2003. There has been a mounting number of clashes between predominantly Arab Iraqi army units and the Kurdish peshmerga forces along a 260-mile line that stretches diagonally across the northern third of Iraq, from Sinjar to Khanaqin in the south. The tensions underpinning the conflict have always attracted less international attention than the US-Iraqi war or the Shia-Sunni conflict. Yet if the conflict develops into a full-scale war it will complicate President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw 142,000 US soldiers from Iraq over 16 months and redeploy many of them to the US military effort in Afghanistan. In some respects, the Arab-Kurdish war has already started. Kurdish leaders say that in Nineveh province, Sunni Arab gunmen have killed 2,000 Kurds and 127,000 Kurds have turned into refugees over the past six years. Baghdad and Basra have become safer in the past year but Mosul, the capital of Nineveh and Iraq's third largest city, remains one of the country's most violent places. Khasro Goran, the Kurdish deputy governor of Nineveh province, who operates from heavily-fortified headquarters in Mosul, said it was "not acceptable" for non-Kurdish military units to move into disputed areas. "If they try to do so we will stop them." On the streets outside Mr Goran's office, once a Baath party office and now the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, an array of competing military forces holds power. His immediate guards are tough-looking Kurdish peshmerga in uniform. As we left their compound, they fired a shot to deter a driver who got too close. The driver promptly slewed his car across the road. Two hundred yards further on, we passed a small Iraqi Arab unit covering a crossroads with a light machine gun mounted on a cream-coloured Chevrolet pick-up truck. Close by, a policeman in a blue uniform held an AK-47 assault rifle. He was part of a mostly Sunni Arab force recruited in Nineveh which changed sides during an insurgent offensive in 2004 and joined the anti-government guerrillas. The rebels captured 31 police stations. Mosul is majority Sunni Arab but on the east bank of the Tigris river which flows through the city, there are large Kurdish districts that are overlooked by a mosque on a small hill, where the Prophet Jonah is reputedly buried. Most of the Kurds living west of the Tigris have fled or have been killed. The Christian community was driven out by attacks last year, although some Christians are now returning. There have been so many bomb attacks in Mosul that in many places damage is no longer repaired. Pieces of smashed concrete lie where they landed after blasts several years ago. The city is al-Qa'ida's last stronghold in Iraq. Earlier this month, a bomb killed four US soldiers and an interpreter while gunmen killed two prominent local politicians. The police also come under frequent attack. Shortly before we arrived in Mosul, one officer was killed by a roadside bomb, the sound of which echoed across the city. Yesterday, US and Iraqi government forces said they had launched a new military campaign to eradicate al-Qa'ida in the province, although US troops were being used only for back-up. The Kurds in the oil province of Kirkuk and in Diyala province have also often been targeted by suicide bombers. For their part, Arabs in these areas accuse the Kurds of launching a campaign of ethnic cleansing against them. The Kurdish regional prime minister, Nechervan Barzani, says that if the disputes are not settled by the time the Americans withdraw, "it will be war between both sides." Another Kurd, who did not want his name published said: "This is the day the Kurds were always afraid of. As the Americans leave, once again we are left isolated and face to face with Baghdad." What makes the situation so explosive in Nineveh and across the north is that over the past year the balance of power has been changing in favour of the Arabs and against the Kurds. Minority Kurds had dominated the provincial government in Nineveh and Mosul after Sunni Arabs, despite being the majority of the population, boycotted the local elections four years ago. But new polls last month reversed the balance, sweeping an Arab Iraqi party, Al Habda, to dominance in the provincial council. The Iraqi army is also becoming stronger. It contains both Kurdish and Arab units but it is the non-Kurdish units that are being sent north. "The 12th division was sent to near Kirkuk without any consultation with us," said Safeen Dizayee, a senior official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. "There is an effort to move away Kurdish officers above a certain rank. Eighty per cent of the army in the north is Arab, including senior staff." Iraqi Kurds: Unwilling citizens *Iraqi Kurds, who speak their own language and have their own identity, did not want to be part of Iraq when its borders were drawn after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. They often rebelled in pursuit of independence or autonomy and suffered terribly under Saddam Hussein. During the Kuwait war they rose up but were defeated. They created an autonomous zone outside Baghdad's control and since the US invasion have had autonomy through the Kurdistan Regional Government, but they control a much larger area where Kurds are the majority - this is the area now disputed. The Kurds are also an essential part of Iraq's coalition government. Related Article: Leading article: Renewed bloodshed shows peace remains elusive in Iraq Read more from the Independent. More on War Wire
 
Forget Change: GOP Dusts Off 20-Year-Old Strategy Top
Republicans are hatching a political comeback by dusting off a strategic playbook written nearly two decades ago. Its themes: Unite against Democrats' economic policy, block and counter health care reform and tar them with spending scandals.
 
John Mayer's Farewell Song For Conan (VIDEO) Top
For Conan's last show as "Late Night" host, John Mayer premiered an exclusive song called "LA's Gonna Eat You Alive" for the soon-to-be Los Angelino. Conan is moving his operation out West to take over the "Tonight Show" from Jay Leno, who will be moving to 10p on NBC. Conan has been welcoming special guests for weeks including Stephen Colbert , Will Ferrell , Mayor Bloomberg, and Will Arnett . But Mayer is the first to write Conan a farewell song with the lyric, "Look at me I used to live in NYC now I'm as douchey as a man can be." WATCH: More on Conan O'Brien
 
Sean Penn's Win: A Standing Ovation And A Prop 8 Call Out Top
LOS ANGELES — His name is Sean Penn, and he is here to recruit you. Penn won his second Academy Award for best actor Sunday night for his moving portrayal of slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk in "Milk." The win follows his first best-actor award for 2003's "Mystic River." He earned a standing ovation from the starry crowd as his wife, Robin Wright Penn, tearfully looked on. (Penn, however, didn't thank his wife; the two filed for divorce in late 2007 before reconciling last spring.) "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns," Penn began in accepting the prize. "I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often." In this highly competitive category, Penn was up against Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler," Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon," Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor." Penn had already won the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards as well as numerous honors from film critics groups across the country. The 48-year-old actor deeply immersed himself for the part, which brought out a warmth and sweetness rarely seen throughout a career often marked by intense, complex characters. "How did he do it?" fellow Oscar winner Robert De Niro wondered in introducing Penn. "How for so many years did he get all those jobs playing straight men?" Milk was the first openly gay man elected to major public office in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. The following year, he was shot to death along with Mayor George Moscone by board colleague Dan White. But during his life, he inspired gays and lesbians to stand up and come out, helped turn the Castro neighborhood into the gay mecca it would become, and roused crowds with impassioned speeches that often began with the words, "My name is Harvey Milk and I am here to recruit you." In wrapping up his own speech, Penn mentioned the protesters who lined the streets of Hollywood near the Oscar festivities, holding anti-gay signs: "We've got to have equal rights for everyone," he said. Backstage, when asked what he would tell those protesters if he could speak to them, Penn responded: "I'd tell them to turn in their hate card and find their better self." (This version CORRECTS to mecca from Mecca.) More on The Oscars
 
Soros: Free Markets Model Finished Top
Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor George Soros said the current economic upheaval has its roots in the financial deregulation of the 1980s and signals the end of a free-market model that has since dominated capitalist countries. Liberalization of the financial industry begun by the Reagan administration has led to a series of crises forcing government intervention, Soros told economists and bankers at a Feb. 20 private dinner at Columbia University in New York. The global recession, triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing market, has "damaged the financial system itself," he said.
 
Salman Rushdie: "Slumdog" Full Of Impossibilities Top
ATLANTA — Famed novelist Salman Rushdie apparently wasn't too impressed with the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire," telling an Atlanta audience it "piles impossibility on impossibility." Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for the author's death in 1989, made the remarks Sunday during a speech to more than 1,000 people at Atlanta's Emory University. The author criticized other Oscar winners adapted from books, including "The Reader" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the 61-year-old author of "The Satanic Verses" complained about several scenes, including one in which characters wind up at the Taj Mahal _ 1,000 miles from the previous scene. "Slumdog Millionaire" won eight Oscars on Sunday, including best picture. More on The Oscars
 
North Korea Deploys New Ballistic Missile: South Korea Top
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea recently deployed a new type of medium-range ballistic missile capable of reaching northern Australia and the U.S. territory of Guam, South Korea's Defense Ministry said Monday. The report comes amid speculation that the isolated regime also is preparing to test-fire another, longer-range missile capable of hitting Alaska. The new medium-range ballistic missile can travel at least 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers), which would put the Pacific island of Guam, the northern tip of Australia and much of Russia and India within striking distance, the ministry said in a defense assessment of North Korea issued every two years. It did not offer any other details on the new missile, including exactly when or how many missiles have been deployed and where their launching grounds are located. The new missile is believed to be the same type displayed at a military parade in North Korea in 2007. The communist nation has been developing the missile since the late 1990s, the report said. North Korea is also believed to be preparing to test-fire a version of its longest-range ballistic missile, the Taepodong-2, amid heightened tension with Seoul. Relations have been tense since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office a year ago, calling on the impoverished North to honor its commitment to disable its nuclear program and refusing to give it unconditional aid. North Korea's state media have been churning out near-daily criticism of Lee, calling him a "traitor" and "human scum." On Monday, the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper accused Lee of driving the Koreas "to the brink of a war." Media reports say the missile being readied for launch could be an advanced version of the Taepodong-2 that could reach even farther than Alaska to the U.S. west coast. North Korea's missile program is a major security concern for the region, along with its nuclear weapons development. The country test-launched a Taepodong-2 missile in 2006, but it plunged into the ocean shortly after liftoff. That test alarmed the world and gave new energy to the stop-and-go diplomacy over North Korea's nuclear program, though the North is not yet believed to have mastered the miniaturization technology required to put a nuclear warhead on a missile. North Korea also has shorter-range Scud and Nodong missiles capable of hitting neighboring South Korea or Japan. South Korea would be the most likely target of the Scuds, which have a range of up to 310 miles (500 kilometers), while Japan would be the likely focus for Nodongs. The North is believed to have more than 1,000 Nodong and Scud missiles in its arsenal. The defense report called North Korea a "direct and serious threat" and noted an increase in its troops. About 180,000 of the North's 1.19 million troops are special warfare forces trained for nighttime, mountain and street fighting _ up from 120,000 reported two years ago, it said. The move shows the North is prepared for various types of attacks on the South in case of war, the report said. It also said North Korea has been beefing up its navy, bolstering submarines and developing new ground-to-ship and ship-to-ship missiles and torpedoes amid concerns it may provoke an armed clash in waters near its disputed sea border with South Korea. The report said North Korea is believed to have secured about 88 pounds (40 kilograms) of plutonium _ thought to be enough to make six or seven nuclear bombs _ and conducted an atomic test in 2006. It did not give an estimate of the number of atomic bombs North Korea has, dropping a reference in a previous report that said the North is believed to have built one or two nuclear weapons. Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry told a forum in Seoul on Monday that he supported a dialogue to reduce tension on the Korean peninsula but was opposed to giving in to the North's saber rattling. "I believe that we should continue to talk, but under no conditions should we show any signs of weakness under North Korean provocations," said Perry, who headed the Pentagon during a 1994 nuclear standoff with North Korea. ___ Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report. More on South Korea
 
Binyam Mohamed Freed After 4 Years In Guantanamo Top
LONDON — A former British resident who claims he was brutally tortured at a covert CIA site in Morocco has been freed from Guantanamo after nearly seven years in U.S. captivity _ an ordeal that could come back to haunt the U.S. and British governments. Binyam Mohamed landed at Northolt military base Monday _ the first Guantanamo prisoner released since President Barack Obama took office. British authorities said Mohamed would be briefly interviewed by police and immigration officials before being released. He has to apply for temporary residency since his status expired during his detention. "I hope you will understand that after everything I've been through, I am neither physically nor mentally capable of facing the media on the moment on my arrival back to Britain," Mohamed said in a statement released through his attorneys before his plane landed. Mohamed's case is raising uncomfortable questions for Obama _ who has promised a new era of government accountability _ and for Britain, America's closest partner during its war on terror. Lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic are suing for secret documents they say prove the United States sent Mohamed to Morocco where he was tortured and prove that Britain knew of the mistreatment _ a violation under the 1994 U.N. Convention Against Torture. Britain's Attorney General has opened an investigation into whether there was criminal wrongdoing on the part of Britain or a British security agent from MI5 who interrogated Mohamed in Pakistan, where he was arrested in 2002. Two senior British judges, meanwhile, have reopened a case into whether 42 secret U.S. intelligence documents shared with Britain should be made public. The judges say they ruled to keep documents _ which detail Mohamed's treatment _ secret last month because of a British claim it could hamper U.S. intelligence sharing. Several other lawsuits are underway in the United States against a Boeing subsidiary that allegedly supplied planes for rendition flights to Morocco and for the disclosure of Bush-era legal memos on renditions and interrogation tactics. "I am so glad and so happy, more than words can express," said Mohamed's sister, Zuhra Mohamed. The 30-year-old Ethiopian refugee has few remaining links to Britain. His brother and sister live in the United States. His parents are said to be back in Ethiopia. And his British residency that he obtained when he was teenager has since expired. Any revelations from the lawsuits could be particularly damaging for the British government, which unlike the Obama administration, doesn't have its predecessors to blame. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party has been in power for more than a decade. "I assure you that we have done everything by the law," Brown told reporters last week when faced with questions over Mohamed's case. Mohamed's family came to London from Ethiopia in 1994. They applied for asylum following the ouster of Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam's ouster but they were only given temporary residency. Mohamed's residency was to be renewed in 2004, the year he arrived in Guantanamo. Schooled in West London, Mohamed worked as a janitor and later became a student of electrical engineering before converting to Islam in 2001. Shortly afterward, he said he went to Pakistan and Afghanistan to escape a bad circle of London friends and experience an Islamic society. But he was detained in the Pakistani port city of Karachi in 2002 for using a false passport to return to Britain. For three months, he says he was tortured by Pakistani agents, who hung him for a week by a leather strap around his wrists. He says at least one MI5 officer questioned him there. He claims he was handed over to U.S. authorities in July 2002, and then sent to Morocco where he was tortured for 18 months. According to his account, one of his foreign interrogators slashed his penis with a scalpel. Many of the estimated 750 detainees who have passed through Guantanamo prison camp since it opened in January 2002 have reported mental and physical abuse, but few have detailed such sustained physical and mental abuse at an alleged CIA covert site. Mohamed claims he eventually confessed to an array of charges to stop his abuse _ a confession that laid the groundwork for his transfer to another CIA site in Afghanistan, where he said he was starved and beaten before being sent to Guantanamo in 2004. The United States refuses to account for Mohamed's whereabouts for 18 months but has previously denied sending terror suspects to countries with track records of torture. British authorities, such as former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, have said they depended on those U.S. assurances. Mohamed will be met by a doctor and his lawyers, Clive Stafford Smith and Gareth Pierce. "He is a victim who has suffered more than any human being should ever suffer," Stafford-Smith said. In May of 2008, Mohamed was charged with conspiring with al-Qaida members to murder and commit terrorism. He was also accused in a "dirty bomb" plot to fill U.S. apartments with natural gas and blow them up. But then in October all charges were dropped _ only months after his lawyers filed a lawsuit in Britain for the disclosure of the 42 secret documents. Two other former British residents remain in Guantanamo: Saudi-born Shaker Aamer, 37, and Algerian Ahmed Belbacha, 39.
 
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"You Can't Eat Enough French Fries" To Fuel The West On Cooking Oil Top
Used cooking oil has attracted growing attention in recent years as a cleaner, less expensive alternative to fossil fuels for vehicles. In many countries, including the United States, the oil is collected by companies and refined into a form of diesel. Some cities use it in specially modified municipal buses or vans. And the occasional environmentalist has experimented with individually filtering the oil and using it as fuel. Here, however, the direct-to-the-tank approach is gaining a bit of mainstream popularity, attracting people like Mr. Roost, on his way to work, dressed in a suit. The oil, he said, is "good for the environment and it's cheaper than diesel, even now that prices have dropped." It costs $4.88 per gallon, which is about 10 percent less than diesel costs now -- and about one-third less than diesel cost at its peak last year. Used cooking oil will never erase the need for filling stations, nor will it, by itself, reverse climate change, transportation experts say. "You can't eat enough French fries" to serve all the cars driven in the West, said Peder Jensen, a transport specialist at the European Environment Agency. At most, he said, cooking oil might supplant a few percent of diesel fuel consumption. But he said that it was one of many small adjustments that, added together, could have an important effect on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
 
Deep Web: Google Can't Grasp It, Other Technologies Arriving Top
One day last summer, Google's search engine trundled quietly past a milestone. It added the one trillionth address to the list of Web pages it knows about. But as impossibly big as that number may seem, it represents only a fraction of the entire Web. Beyond those trillion pages lies an even vaster Web of hidden data: financial information, shopping catalogs, flight schedules, medical research and all kinds of other material stored in databases that remain largely invisible to search engines. More on Technology
 
Methane: The Really Scary Greenhouse Gas Top
International experts are alarmed. "Methane release due to thawing permafrost in the Arctic is a global warming wild card," warned a report by the United Nations Environment Program last year. Large amounts entering the atmosphere, it concluded, could lead to "abrupt changes in the climate that would likely be irreversible." Methane (CH4) has at least 20 times the heat-trapping effect of an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). As warmer air thaws Arctic soils, as much as 55 billion tons of methane could be released from beneath Siberian lakes alone, according to Walter's research. That would amount to 10 times the amount currently in the atmosphere. More on Global Warming
 
Bollywood Triumph: "Slumdog" Sweeps Oscars With 8 Prizes, Best Picture Top
LOS ANGELES — "Slumdog Millionaire" took the best-picture Academy Award and seven other Oscars on Sunday, including director for Danny Boyle, whose ghetto-to-glory story paralleled the film's unlikely rise to Hollywood's summit. The other top winners: Kate Winslet, best actress for the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader"; Sean Penn, best actor for the title role of "Milk"; Heath Ledger, supporting actor for "The Dark Knight"; and Penelope Cruz, supporting actress for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, "Slumdog Millionaire" came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song). "Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy," Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar. The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children Boyle cast from the slums of Mumbai. The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother's violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood. Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." As he took the stage to accept his prize for playing slain gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, Penn gleefully told the crowd: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns." He followed with condemnation of anti-gay protesters who demonstrated near the Oscar site and comments about California's recent vote to ban gay marriage. "For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think it's a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that support," Penn said. "We've got to have equal rights for everyone." For his demented reinvention of Batman villain the Joker, Ledger became only the second actor ever to win posthumously, his triumph coming exactly 13 months after his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. His Oscar for the Warner Bros. blockbuster was accepted by Ledger's parents and sister on behalf of the actor's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda. "I have to say this is ever so humbling, just being amongst such wonderful people in such a wonderful industry," said his father, Kim Ledger. "We'd like to thank the academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character." Since his death, the 28-year-old Ledger has gained a mythic aura akin to James Dean, another rising star who died well before his time. The Joker was his final completed role, a casting choice that initially drew scorn from fans who thought Ledger would not be up to the task given Jack Nicholson's gleefully campy rendition of the character in 1989's "Batman." In the months before Ledger's death, buzz on his wickedly chaotic performance swelled as marketing for the movie centered on the Joker and the perverted clown makeup he hid behind. Ledger's death fanned a frenzy of anticipation for "The Dark Knight," which had a record $158.4 million opening weekend last summer. The previous posthumous Oscar recipient was Peter Finch, who won best actor for 1976's "Network" two months after his death. Cruz triumphed as a woman in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman in Woody Allen's romance. "Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one," Cruz said, who went on with warm thanks to Allen. "Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written all these years some of the greatest characters for women." "OK, that fainting thing, Penelope," Winslet joked later as she accepted her best-actress prize for "The Reader," in which she plays a former concentration camp guard in an affair with a teen. "I'd be lying if I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror, and this would be a shampoo bottle. But it's not a shampoo bottle now." It was Winslet's first win after five previous losses. "Slumdog" writer Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the script from Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A," said there are places he never could imagine being. "For me, it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium, and here," Beaufoy said. The epic love story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which led with 13 nominations, had three wins, for visual effects, art direction and makeup. "The Dark Knight" had a second win, for sound editing. "Milk" writer Dustin Lance Black offered an impassioned tribute to Milk. "If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by the churches, by the government, by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours," Black said. "Man on Wire," James Marsh's examination of tight-rope walker Philippe Petit's dazzling stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, was chosen as best documentary. The acting categories were presented by five past winners of the same awards, among them last year's actress winners, Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton, plus Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Kevin Kline, Sophia Loren, Anthony Hopkins, Shirley MacLaine and Robert De Niro. It was a much different style for the Oscars as each past recipient offered personal tributes to one of the nominees, without clips of the nominated performances. Awards usually are done in chit-chat style between a couple of celebrity presenters. After last year's Oscars delivered their worst TV ratings ever, producers this time aimed to liven up the show with some surprises and new ways of presenting awards. Rather than hiring a comedian such as past hosts Jon Stewart or Chris Rock, the producers went with actor and song-and-dance man Hugh Jackman, who has been host of Broadway's Tony Awards. Instead of the usual standup routine, Jackman did an engaging musical number to open the show, saluting nominated films with a clever tribute. Jackman later did a medley staged by his "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann with such performers as Beyonce Knowles and "High School Musical" stars Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. "Slumdog Millionaire" went into the evening after a run of prizes from earlier film honors. The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film. "Slumdog" composer A.R. Rahman, a dual Oscar winner for the score and song, said the movie was about "optimism and the power of hope." "All my life, I've had a choice of hate and love," Rahman said. "I chose love, and I'm here. ___ On the Net: Academy Awards: http://www.oscars.org More on India
 

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