Wednesday, March 4, 2009

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Mark Blankenship: Those Snuggie Ads Are Hilarious... But Why? Top
I know I'm not the first person to say this, but I love the Snuggie commercial more than chocolate. More than Law & Order marathons. More than dreams. You know Snuggie, right? The official "blanket with sleeves?" It's been getting lots of coverage in the last few days, appearing on the Today Show and in major newspapers. If you've seen it, then I know you'll join me in what follows. If not, then get ready. I'm about to celebrate the greatest commercial currently running on TV. Here it is: When I first asked myself why I like this commerical, I said, "Because it's ludicrous." But then I thought... what does that mean? How is it ludicrous? And then I realized: This ad is ludicrous---and therefore hilarious---because it's earnest about two completely ridiculous things. (1) The Snuggie commercial declares war on blankets Most commercials try convince us the products they're hawking are the solutions to problems. Proactiv solves your acne problem. Coke quenches your thirst attack. Lexus cures your luxury deficiency. Using that premise, the Snuggie commercial insists it's solving our blanket dilemma. To be swayed by its pitch, you have to accept that millions of people are sick and damn tired of the blanket, but they've been helpless to do anything about it... until now. But have you ever heard anyone cursing the blanket? Maybe a specific afghan, sure, but the blanket in general? Honestly, I don't think I've ever been sitting on the couch on a winter's night and felt betrayed by my quilt because it wouldn't cover my arms while I reached for the bowl of popcorn on my lap. To appreciate how ridiculous this ad's opening scenes are, imagine them taken to their extreme. Imagine that we hear ominous music, and a stern announcer's voice says, "Blankets. They're happening to you. They're happening to your children." And then we see a group of wholesome kids sitting in a living room watching TV. There's a phone on a nearby table, and it starts to ring. One by one, the children try to get up and answer it, but they are always thwarted by their evil blankets. They get tangled, they yelp, they fall, perhaps in slow-motion. By the end, the ringing phone has become deafeningly loud, and we see a writhing mass of blanket-covered young bodies, screaming in agony, pitifully reaching for the handset. It may be lighter in tone, but this commercial suggests this "blanket crisis" is perfectly real and that we should buy a Snuggie to stop it. (2) The Snuggie commercial suggests no one will mind looking that way. As it pushes the horror of blankets, the commercial also implies that no one will question the Snuggie as a fashion statement. Everyone we see is mega-super happy to be wearing it, and in one moment, a nuclear family even rocks a set of Snuggies at an outdoor sporting event. They're surrounded by people in ski coats and windbreakers, and they're fitting right in. The implication is that no one would think twice about this family shuffling onto the bleachers---that the Snuggie is such a natural choice for public fashion that it will go unnoticed. And yet... no. Snuggies look like the robes of a fleece-obsessed druidic cult. The giant hood and sleeves are perfect for hiding ancient tablets or a knife dipped in dragon's blood. Anyone wearing this thing in public is going to catch hell, and god forbid there's an oblivious ninth-grader who has believed this commercial and worn a Snuggie to a high school football game. (This New York Times writer got away with the public display , but Times Square might be the only place where you can get away the Snuggie as a fashion statement.) In this ad, though, the world operates by different rules. It's a world where blankets are the enemy and "cult chic" is the latest trend. I don't want to live there, but I'm grateful this commercial lets me visit. For more, please join me at The Critical Condition More on Today Show
 
Ted Goeglein: 13 Questions For Which I Expect No Answers Top
Question: Should we be done with it and elect Mayor Daley's DNA as Mayor-Designate-For-Eternity, thus saving the city millions of dollars in election fees over the coming centuries while dipping into the Petri Dish and seating Daley after Daley after Daley, each a variation on the original with its boxer's mug, its diction all its own, and its snide way of making you feel like the luckiest idiot in the world for having your property taxes raised again? Question: Has anyone ever purposely attended any display at any Chicago museum that used the word 'Textiles' in its title? Question: Does Gyro meat come from some rare tubular, boneless animal, and why is it so fucking good? Question: Should Roland Burris remain a Senator or should he heed the advice of Senator Dick Durbin and Governor Pat Quinn and not be a senator anymore, or should he listen to the tiny Roland angel on one shoulder whispering to repent and tell the whole truth, or little Animal House Roland devil on the other saying, 'Fuck 'em! You got yours! Fuck 'em!' and continue serving his creepy ego instead of the state of Illinois? Question: Is it just me, or after looking at the big metal reflective thing in Grant Park for about three minutes, you think, "It's a gigantic lawn ornament." Question: Rod Blagoyevich? Rod Bla-fucking-goyevich? Question: Is it a directive at Chicago Public Radio that only men with voices as slow, soft, and non-authoritative as puffy baby angels be hired? Question: Since Chicago has bike lanes on major thoroughfares, can it also get jag-off lanes for drivers on cell-phones in slow-moving SUVs? Question: Will it ever not be thrilling watching President Obama and, knowing he's a Chicago guy at heart, be certain we'll never have to see images of him in crisp Wranglers 'clearin' brush' on some contrived ranch, and knowing that he'll back among us in four to eight? Question: Seriously? Rod Bla-fucking-goyevich? Question: If the Cubs win the World Series this year, thus halting and reversing the space-time continuum so that universe tilts on its axis and lions lay down with lambs, do we have to pay Mayor DNA-aley's latest property tax increase? Question: Is this the first winter in recent memory to last sixteen-thousand years? Question: Is there anywhere sweeter in summertime than Chicago? More on Rod Blagojevich
 
Hugh McGuire: Publishers: Go to the Eyeballs Top
The real challenge for the book business is a simple, difficult fact: people are reading fewer print books, and this trend will continue. By most standards I am an relatively avid reader, and I always have been. I finish probably 25-35 books a year. But I can see in myself a marked decline in book-reading, which I definitely attribute to ubiquity of other entertainment/information options. After a day on the web, it's often hard to get my brain to switch back to the slowness needed to read a novel or deeper text. I know I am not alone, even among book lovers. The next generation is another matter altogether. This is why I think that ebooks & mobile devices are so important to the publishing business: ebooks allow me to read at times & in areas when I wouldn't otherwise be reading. So they provide, in a sense a whole new market for reading time. Which means, if you look at me as a "buyer of books" ... there is more margin you can get out of me, if you play this right. I've got an ipod touch, and on it I have recently: read a novel at 4:30 am while suffering from insomnia; previously i would not have been able to do so because I would not have wanted to wake up my wife with the light. read a novel in a dark bar waiting for someone (too dark to read a print book) read on a crowded bus (too crowded to manipulate a novel) All these are moments of reading that previously were not available to me. This is important because the reading time that is available to me is increasingly taken up with other things. On the one hand, I am a breathing example of a shrinking market for print books; while at the same time I am an example of an expanding market for ebooks. What's important here is that the time/space point where I am reading ebooks is *not the same* as the time/space points when I read hardbacks & paperbacks. And so this is a NEW market that isn't the same as the market for print books. One way to look at this is: rather than asking: How do we keep profit margins on ebooks high enough to maintain our business model? Ask instead: How can we use ebooks to get more margin out of individual readers? Or, how can we get more reading out of readers, and how do we manage our business models with that in mind? So ebooks become less units of sale, and more "added service provided to readers that we charge for" ... The worry I have with high prices/abusive DRM terms etc for ebooks is that the business will price itself out of a new market space while watching (in horror) as the traditional market shrinks in the face of the gazillions of other things people can do these days to pass their time. The reason digital and ebooks are going to become more important is that's where the eyeballs are going to be. And if you can't find more ways to get eyeballs on digital books, then I do fear for the future of (traditional) book publishing. The job of the publishing business is going to be to find more ways to make it easier for people like me to read. And it seems with ebook pricing & DRM, the publishing biz just want to make it harder for me to do so. And that can't be a winning strategy. More on iPhone
 
Scott Mendelson: Review: Watchmen (2009) Top
Watchmen 2009 161 minutes Rated R by Scott Mendelson Watchmen is a motion picture of uncommon ambition, technical perfectionism, and inspired artistry. It is also based on a beloved story that is not and was never terribly cinematic in nature. While I fully intended to discuss the film as a stand alone product, regardless of its success or failure as a literary adaptation, the finished product is so completely tied to its source that a viewer is almost required to have some understanding of the original book to at least appreciate, if not completely understand the movie. As I watched this epic unfold, I kept unconsciously referencing the original graphic novel for context, to fill in the blanks that the film itself did provide. As a faithful adaptation, it is a success. As an emotional tone poem, it is occasionally powerful. But as a stand alone feature film, intended to draw in and entertain the uninitiated, it's slightly problematic. Complete newbies will likely understand the broad strokes, but the subtleties of the material and the thematic ideologies may be lost under the surface, leaving non fans wondering what all the fuss was about. What you need to know going in - The film is set in an alternate time line, one where non super-powered crime fighters roamed the cities before and after World War II. In this world, an accident turned scientist Jon Osterman into the all-powerful, all-blue demi-god Dr. Manhattan during the height of the Vietnam war. It's now 1985. Dr. Manhattan almost single-handedly won for the US in 'Nam, Richard Nixon has been re-elected four times, and non-government-sanctioned crime fighters have been outlawed. However, the use of Dr. Manhattan as a weapon started a nuclear arms race with the USSR and the two super powers seem on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Meanwhile, the murderous, psychotic crime fighter known as Rorschach stumbles upon the homicide of former super hero turned government spy The Comedian, a crime which may involve his old costumed buddies from the 1960s. Ironically, for a story that is considered the pinnacle of super hero fiction, the book and film both succeed best at the smaller character moments. The first thirty minutes are sensational, as the murder of The Comedian gives way to a stunningly gorgeous title sequence (where the alternate time line is somewhat laid out in a montage set to Bob Dylan's 'Times They Are A Changing'). This then segues into introductory moments, where the heroes of old are introduced in one form or another. Focus shifts between the still operating Rorschach (a crazed homicidal imp of a man, completely unbending in his pessimistic ideology) and the long retired Owl Man (Patrick Wilson, in a phenomenally subtle performance), who spends his days drinking with the original 1940s Owl Man. For a good half hour, the film is a stunningly moving ode to regret, loneliness, and paths not taken, as our former heroes join together to bury one of their own, a man who cast a dark shadow over all of them. But then, the film loses something. The human interaction and poignancy give way to cumbersome exposition and flashbacks. For nearly the entire remaining two hours, the film becomes episodic and disjointed, and the excitement dies. The production is handsome, the acting is exceptional, and the special effects are mostly effective. But, at the end of the day, Watchmen is not an exciting story. So, what came across as curious on the page often feels boring on the screen. When the focus is on the friendship and eventual romance between Dan Dreiberg/The Night Owl and Malin Ackerman's Sally Spector/The Silk Spectre II (she was forced into super heroism by her mother, who is played in a few wonderful scenes by Carla Gugino), the film works as a sad story of lost opportunity and unfulfilled potential. They are, alas, the only two characters who really are just regular human beings. Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) frequently monologues allegedly deep thoughts about the inconsequence of existence, all too often in the same monotone voice he uses in his 'Priceless' Visa commercials, but in the end he is more of a plot device. Rorschach (Jackie Lee Hurley) only registers during the brief moments where he is unmasked, when we can see the hate and rage underneath the white rorschach blot mask (with the mask, he speaks in a growl that will remind viewers of Christian Bale's McGruff the Crime Bat). Matthew Goode, as the inexplicably optimistic Adrian Veidt (a former hero who quit and built a vast fortune selling his image) does what he can with a somewhat one-note role. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has too little time as The Comedian to register as anything other than a government-sanctioned mass murderer. Perhaps the problem is that so much of the original novel's appeal was its relative freshness. The depiction of heroes as dysfunctional and possibly crazed was a breath of fresh air 1987. Watchmen was a deconstruction of the super hero stories of the 1940s and 1950s, with a skewered satirical dart aimed at the 'more serious' work coming down the pike in the 1970s. Its real world setting and real world problems, the idea that masked vigilantes may be ill-equipped to handle the world's biggest problems, was somewhat of a fresh idea in 1986. Now, this specific 'what would happen if people really put on a costume and fought crime' mythology isn't any more realistic than the regular super hero stories. In fact, the broadly colorful costumes, heavily stylized action violence, and epic, world-balancing narrative actually renders it almost campy in comparison to more intimate, real-world comic book entertainments like The Dark Knight . It's themes of super heroism as a form of emotional and sexual release have been co-opted in films like Unbreakable , and the very idea of dark, gritty, ultra-violent super hero stories have become so commonplace in the last twenty years that it's actually the status quo. Watchmen was a story of its time, and it still works as an individual character study. But its themes and ideas are no longer ground breaking, and they may not be relevant anymore. Our current fears reside not in instant nuclear annihilation by a state power, but in slow death by environmental and economic collapse. Without going into details, the slightly altered ending makes the villain's ideology even less plausible, considering how we now know how mass populations react to um... certain events. In the end, Zack Snyder does deserve credit for not making the material more cinematic than it naturally is. Yes, there is a little more violence, a touch more action, and plenty of stylized slow motion (too much, as the film feels like the 161 minutes that it is), but the story is still basically retired super heroes talking about their old days while trying to solve a solitary mystery. He is more or less faithful in incident, and completely faithful in tone and spirit (my fear that he would make the dour, depressing story more 'cool' is unfounded). Snyder has made a suitable companion piece to a ground breaking piece of literature. He has obtained fine performances from his cast, especially Patrick Wilson. And the technical merits of this picture absolutely demand big screen viewing. But, as a stand alone motion picture, it is not quite a success. It is plodding, occasionally boring, and it struggles for relevancy in a time where its admittedly intelligent and thought provoking ideas and themes have been stolen by better big screen entertainments. For better or worse, we now have a faithful live action motion picture of Watchmen . Grade: 3/5
 
Kudlow Attacks Obama By Defending Corporate Tax Havens Top
On Wednesday morning, the Republican National Committee sent reporters a segment of Larry Kudlow blasting the president's economic policies, in which the CNBC host chastised the administration for going after corporate tax havens. "[Treasury Secretary Tim] Geithner talked about taxing the rich, raising taxes on private investment funds and raising taxes on offshore corporate revenues," said Kudlow. "That is more war against investors and businesses in the worst bear market recession in memory. It's an extraordinary stupid performance, to be honest with you" To elevate Kudlow to attack-dog status is a curious choice by the RNC, not least because corporate tax havens -- in which companies open P.O. boxes in order to pay much lower tax rates -- are incredibly unpopular in this current climate. The CNBC host, known for his market-oriented and fiscally conservative commentary, is yet another in a line of Wall Street pundits to offer biting public criticism of the president's policies. It's a fight that the White House welcomes and, indeed, is actively pursuing. On Tuesday, spokesman Robert Gibbs called out CNBC's Jim Cramer for having too shaky a forecasting record to be allowed to critique the administration's approach. Earlier, it was Rick Santelli who took on the White House, only to find himself accused of launching faux-populist tirades against the Obama housing plan without actually having read the plan. Why is the White House responding to CNBC analysts? Because, to the extent that one can paint the network's hosts as creatures and allies of Wall Street, it is smart politics. In the recently released NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 35 percent of respondents said they were most upset by news that bank executives whose companies had received corporate funds were taking large bonuses; 28 percent were upset with mortgage lenders who were making loans to people who would have trouble paying them back; while only 16 percent were upset that Obama cabinet nominees had failed to pay their taxes. Obama, in short, is trusted far more than Wall Street. As such, observers say, the RNC is taking a risk by positioning Kudlow and others as the spokespeople against Obama's economic plans. "There is kind of a gamble they are taking," said Pollster.com 's Mark Blumenthal. "They want to be on the side of every day Americans worrying about their 401k and IRAs but they don't want to go too far and be on the side of the greed that Americans are reacting against... If the spokespeople for the RNC are seen to be spokespeople for the bank executives and the mortgage lenders, then they could be in trouble." More on Obama's Budget
 
Jeremy Newman: Fair Value Accounting Is Back -- Was It Here All Along? Top
In an interview with the FT earlier this week Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Social Democrat candidate to be the next German Chancellor, has a new take on Fair Value Accounting. He criticized it and said it had encouraged risk taking and "pumped up balance sheets in ways that did not reflect a change in the real value of companies." In other words balance sheets are overstated -- and presumably therefore he supports the current write downs. On the other hand a posting earlier this month on The Huffington Post suggested that Fair Value Accounting be suspended for two years so that "banks would not be writing all of these assets down to artificially low levels" -- in other words there is a danger that balance sheets will be understated and that the current write downs are not appropriate. I find the latter view particularly surprising as did many of the comments on that blog. I liked one in particular -- "So when I want to sell my house in Phoenix I should tell potential buyers that since in the future the price will again rise to some figure, that is how much I should get for it now? Somehow saying let's pretend on values is a good thing only makes sense if you're a lender with huge amounts of ill conceived loans in a down market." Fortunately the references to Fair Value Accounting in the de Larosiere report were both more considered and more sensible than both of the above. The report, which was generally well received in the Press and will hopefully be well received by the EU and others, calls for a "wider reflection on the mark-to-market principle." It also calls for "the oversight and governance structure of the IASB [to] be strengthened" and for "the IASB and other accounting standard setters..[to]... agree on a common, transparent methodology for the valuation of assets in illiquid markets...." Some may think we have that -- but maybe not a methodology agreed by all accounting standard setters. It is a well balanced report; inevitably there will be areas where there are different views but at least in so far as it comments on Fair Value Accounting it does so in a considered and measured way. If only others do likewise.
 
Andy Ostroy: The Rush to Kiss Rush's Ass Top
Something funny is happening in Washington. Within the Republican Party. Something that's music to Democrats' ears. It seems that desperate and disillusioned conservatives, not having learned their lessons from the November election--or worse, still reeling from it--are allowing the rabid right wing talking head Rush Limbaugh to hijack the party. And God help anyone who criticizes him and his sanctimonious, self-aggrandizing rants. They're skewered on-air and humiliatingly brought to their knees, forced into a quick and embarrassing apology. The latest mea culpa came from Michael Steele, the new chairman of the National Republican Committee who, over the weekend, had the balls to sharply criticize Limbaugh for wishing failure on President Barack Obama during his speech to equally rabid attendees of the Conservative Political action Conference, the annual right-wing lovefest that featured both party luminaries and rebel-rousers including Newt Gingrich, Ralph Reed, Ann Coulter and yes, even the ubiquitous Joe the Plumber. Limbaugh had whipped the staunchly conservative audience into a near-frenzy with his attack on the president: "So what is so strange about being honest to say that I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" In response to a CNN reporter's comment that Limbaugh is the de facto head of the Party, Steele tersely replied "No he's not. I'm the de facto head of the Republican Party. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, the whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it's incendiary. Yes, it's ugly." And yes, it royally pissed off Limbaugh so much that it sent him into another round of his standard derisive radio rage. "It's time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you're having a tough time pulling off. You are head of the RNC. You see not head of the Republican Party. Tens of millions of conservatives and Republicans have nothing to do with the RNC, and right now they want nothing to do with it." Oh no he di-int! Apparently, hell hath no fury like a bloviating partisan pundit scorned. Steele follows GOP Congressman Phil Gingrey of Georgia who in January was also publicly harangued into kissing Limbaugh's ring after intimating that the radio host was crossing the line with his critiques of House Republicans. What's going on here? Didn't voters overwhelmingly reject the brand of hard core conservatism that Limbaugh spews every day? Don't Limbaugh's views appeal to just a small, ever-shrinking, myopic and increasingly obsolete GOP base? Just what are Republicans so afraid of then? Why is it that they clearly reject him when speaking candidly and viscerally about the future direction of the party, only to later tuck tail between legs, retract, parse and apologize? The answer is simple: they fear the shitstorm Limbaugh will relentlessly and mercilessly unleash before his alleged 22-million punishing listeners at election time if they don't. Thanks to these spineless GOP leaders, and much to the delight of Obama, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Democrats everywhere, Limbaugh's become the Party's Tony Soprano. To be sure, he's clearly getting off on the power trip and, much like his TV counterpart, will bloody anyone who gets in his way. And that makes the left quite happy. With Limbaugh steering the ship, there's sure to be another Republican Titanic in 2010. More on Michael Steele
 
Ari Bendersky: Chicago Set to Rock this Weekend with CIMMFest Top
If you like movies and music and are looking to fill your weekend, look no further. The inaugural Chicago Movies and Music Festival -- CIMMFest -- kicks off this Thursday and looks like it's going to be a jam-packed weekend for anyone who loves movies and music. Why? Because as the name states, all the movies somehow center around music. And there are a lot of them to choose from. With more than 200 entries from around the world, CIMMFest will premiere films by underground artists and acclaimed directors,including Lech Kowalski, who will debut his latest film, Camera War , during the opening night party. He'll also screen East of Paradise , which won Best Documentary at the Venice Film Festival. With screenings, parties and live musical performances, CIMMFest will pack the weekend with movies from the U.S., France, Germany, Israel, Brazil, Australia, China, India, Canada and more. Some highlights include the Chicago premiere of Sonic Youth -- Sleeping Nights Awake , a documentary about seminal indie rock band Sonic Youth, and French film Je Suis une Videomachine , featuring writer/director Francois Begaudeau who wrote and starred in the Oscar-nominated The Class . Capping off the weekend, filmmaker and Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty will screen Ashes of American Flags , a tour documentary about Wilco, which will be followed by a Q&A with the director. That shows twice at the Music Box on Monday night. Tickets are $10. CIMMFest was conceived by local filmmaker Ilko Davidov and musician Josh Chicoine, lead singer of the M's. Tickets for the opening night party Thursday at the St. Paul Cultural Center in Bucktown and the closing night awards ceremony at the Chicago Cultural Center -- as well as weekend passes, for just $35 -- are available for purchase at Brown Paper Tickets . The full schedule of movies and panel discussions are found at the festival's website .
 
The Progress Report: Climate Change You Can Believe In Top
by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Ali Frick, Ryan Powers, and Brad Johnson To receive The Progress Report in your email inbox everyday, click here . This past weekend, 12,000 activists from across the nation and around the world came to Washington D.C. for the "largest youth summit on climate change in history." From mountain-top removal to toxic waste dumps, from green building to bike shares, the participants at Power Shift '09 taught each other about environmental injustice and the solutions they're finding. Progressive leaders including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Green For All's Van Jones rallied the students. On Monday, thousands of activists descended on the U.S. Capitol to demand Congress take action to fight climate change. While students from South Dakota to North Carolina lobbied their elected officials, others engaged in mass civil disobedience to protest the United States' continued use of coal. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and even long-time coal advocate Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) had agreed last week to stop using coal at the Capitol Power Plant. However, conservatives led by Sen. James Inhofe's (R-OK) environmental communications director Marc Morano mocked the students for protesting on the same day a snowstorm hit Washington, D.C. "Big DC Snowstorm to Greet 'Largest public protest of global warming ever in U.S.!'" wrote Morano. After his message was copied on the Drudge Report, Fox News anchors ran with the story. "Now, maybe it's just a coincidence that nearly every global warming protest occurs on the exact same day that we have a major snowstorm," claimed Fox News's Sean Hannity. Neil Cavuto asked, "As a massive snowstorm wreaks havoc up and down the East Coast, what better time to hold a global warming protest?" THE ANTHROPOCENE: Of course, extreme weather is no coincidence. "Like it or not," says scientist Daniel Richter, "we live in the Anthropocene age" -- a new era in which humanity has become "the preeminent force changing Earth's surface" through agriculture, development, and pollution. "In land, water, air, ice, and ecosystems, the human impact is clear, large, and growing," describes geologist Richard Alley. In particular, man's burning of fossil fuels has altered the climate, reshaping the weather and the seasons -- despite the protestations of Rush Limbaugh and George Will. The changes in regional weather fueled by global warming of the atmosphere are complex but understandable. Snow in the Great Lakes has increased as lake temperatures have risen. As predicted by models of climate change, the South and West are increasingly gripped by extreme storms and extreme drought. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program reported last year that "droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases." "The climate instability factor right now is a big issue," Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) told 538.com. "Weather's unpredictable in Montana anyway but it's really unpredictable now." WEATHER DISASTERS RISE: The winter storm that swept up the East Coast with rain, snow, and ice caused 350 car crashes in New Jersey, a 15-mile-long traffic jam in North Carolina, and four deaths from car accidents in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Long Island. Hundreds of thousands of households lost power from Georgia to Maine. This extreme storm is only part of the destructive weather gripping the nation. California is in a state of emergency due to a "third consecutive year of drought conditions." Drought conditions in Oklahoma are "terrible." "Despite hurricanes Dolly, Gustav and Ike soaking Texas in 2008," nearly 97 percent of Texas is in drought -- already this year, "about 3,400 wildfires have been reported across the state, scorching nearly 105,000 acres." Globally, "there have been more than four times as many weather-related disasters in the last 30 years than in the previous 75 years." Australia's drought -- which helped spark its inferno of wildfires -- is the worst in perhaps 1000 years. China's food supply is "seriously threatened" by extreme drought. Floods are wracking Indonesia to South Africa. MEDIA MISUNDERSTANDING: Unfortunately, it is not just right-wing conspiracy theorists who found the protesters ripe for mockery. Headlines in major newspapers followed the Fox News model over and over again. The Hill wrote: "Anti-coal protesters march through snow over global warming." USA Today: "Thousands gather in D.C. cold for rally about global warming." CBS: "Snowy backdrop for global warming protest." Time Magazine: "Despite snow -- and irony -- a climate protest persists." They are focusing on a false irony -- that a deadly snowstorm seems dissonant with the threat of global warming. Where does the blame lie? Scientists could do more to explain to the public how weather and climate work. Journalists, however, have a greater responsibility. Instead of explaining that the protest was part of a massive, diverse youth movement for clean energy, economic justice, and global prosperity, they fell in line with right-wing talking points. This failure is part of a continued inability of the press to responsibly cover climate change. Science Progress contributing editor Chris Mooney writes, "makes one wonder if we aren't seeing a kind of turning-point moment in the transition -- for better or worse -- away from newspapers as the dominant source of opinion, commentary, and thoughtful analysis in our society." More on Climate Change
 
Brian Dickie: Opera Theater's President Obama Bonus Offer Top
So we had our two hours of fame with our season preview on WFMT , Chicago's classical music station, Monday. Well in Chicago anyway, with however many thousands of listeners. WFMT's Carolyn Paulin, a distinguished producer as well as an occasional presenter, was our host and kept us pretty well in line. Andrew Patner, the station's "Critic at Large" was the link man extraordinaire, and other guests included Jane Glover on the line from Milwaukee (where she is conducting Handel's Semele with the Florentine Opera), and Alexander Platt who is conducting our Carmen but who spoke this morning almost exclusively about Owen Wingrave . These two appeared on the telephone while we had the director of Carmen , Andrew Eggert, in the studio. The object of the exercise, of course, was to sell tickets. And this was achieved. We had the great incentive to subscribers of a $25 gift voucher for President Obama's favorite restaurant in Hyde Park, the Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop . Click here to see the President's enthusiastic verdict on this great establishment. As a special deal for readers of this blog who want to subscribe and take advantage of this offer, go to the COT website and sign up now. Having chosen your subscription you will see a screen that asks you to put in a "Promo code". Enter WFMT and you will get your Dixie Kitchen bonus! This offer is only good to the end of this week only. Go for it!
 
Who's The White House's Hottest? (SLIDESHOW, POLL) Top
Nearly 10,000 of you put the question " Who's The Hottest Congressional Freshman? " to rest in January. Your answer was Rep. Aaron Schock , who has since gone on to talk about dating, his more than passing resemblance to Doogie Howser , and even introduce some legislation along the way. Now America must make another important decision: Who's the hottest person working in the White House? Take a look at our nominees, and cast your vote below. And, naturally, let us know who you think we've left out in the comments section below. SLIDESHOW: POLL: More on Photo Galleries
 
Esther J. Cepeda: Daley Cancels "Non-Essentials": What Will be Lost in Translation? Top
When times are tough, decisions need to be made, and frills understandably go out the window. But what do you consider "frills?" How about printed materials - detailing city services - in various languages for those Chicago residents who can't read English? Let's recap: A few months ago, the Daley camp took heat for having a wide array of hefty contracts for public relations services even as a $50.5 million budget gap caused doomsday predictions to fly out of Chicago's City Hall. According to the Chicago Sun-Times' Fran Spielman in her Tuesday morning story " City still has money for PR ," Da Mare's people signed yet another $5 million public relations contract bringing the citywide total to 11 firms and $55 million even though "press secretary Jacquelyn Heard insisted last fall that not a penny would be paid to outside spin doctors until Chicago's budget crisis is over." That eleventh contract, valued at $5 million, was signed on Feb. 17 with Cultural Communications LLC for translation services - to Jackie's surprise, according to Spielman's story, which quoted Heard thusly: "A lot of pamphlets and brochures we do are in English. Often, the information needs to be communicated [to neighborhoods] where English isn't the first language," she said. Spielman then reported that Heard said: "No funds have been expended, and it's highly unlikely any will in this economic climate. Every department is aware of our financial constraints, and these types of services are not considered essential." Then later in the day, Fran reported in her story " Daley administration cancels 11 PR contracts ," that City Hall abruptly canceled them in order to save money - and face - about spending so much money on "spin control." "We get it. We absolutely get it. We understand that it would seem absurd at a time like this to be using taxpayer funds for this kind of non-essential service," Spielman quoted mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard as saying. But are they really "non-essential?" Are we talking puff-piece brochures about the Bean and Millennium Park or are we talking about pamphlets telling people how to vote, or giving instructions on how to get electricity assistance from the city? I don't know because as of Tuesday evening, the City Hall spokespersons I talked to - and emailed - did not answer my questions. Questions like: What pamphlets and brochures will now not be translated? How many are there? Are they for a particular department, program or event? To what languages were these materials going to be translated and to what communities were they headed? If the lack of these materials in languages other than English carry the risk of creating a public safety or health issue will they be translated anyway? I completely understand budget shortfalls and the need to trim PR costs when budgets are bleeding red ink, but if guides to immunization clinics and materials on elder abuse help in Chinese and Polish are dumped, is that the best way to save money? Is the City of Chicago really saying that guides for finding affordable housing, emergency services hotline information, and getting legal help in Spanish and other languages are not necessary to service our internationally-populated town? While the 2016 Olympic Bid Committee is gleefully promoting Chicago's diverse, multicultural neighborhoods to the International Olympic Committee, is this really the message that the mayor of the "City of Immigrants" wants to send? I dunno, but I'll be sure to let you know if I ever get a call back - and some answers - from City Hall.
 
College Humor's Prank War Heats Up (VIDEO) Top
Streeter Seidell and Amir Blumenfeld from College Humor have a long-standing prank war now in it's 7th iteration. In the prank preceding the one below, Amir ambushed Streeter and his girlfriend at a Yankee's Game by having Streeter propose to her on JumboTron without his knowledge. Streeter wanted revenge. He decided to stick to sports-themed humiliation by getting Amir to a basketball game and convincing him that he was chosen to shoot a ball from center court at half time (while blindfolded) for $500,000. Here's what happened: See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor . Here are all of the pranks that led up to that moment. More on Funny Videos
 
Author Of Bush Torture Memos Regrets Style, Not Content Top
In an interview yesterday with the Orange County Register, picked up by Jason Leopold at The Public Record, John Yoo says he doesn't regret the substance of any of his memos written at the Office of Legal Counsel - you know, the ones that allowed the administration to conclude that waterboarding wasn't torture, that the Bill of Rights did not apply to military actions inside the United States, and that it's okay to suspend free speech in wartime. No, he just regrets that he wasn't a little more "polished".
 
Sudan Arrest Warrant: Crisis Guide, Timeline, Profile, Video, Responses Top
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday, reports the AP. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. He is the first sitting head of state the court has ordered arrested. The three-judge panel said there was insufficient evidence to support charges of genocide in a war in which up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have fled their homes. "He is suspected of being criminally responsible ... for intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians, and pillaging their property," court spokeswoman Laurence Blairon said. Human Rights Watch released a statement saying this sends a clear warning to abusive leaders . Executive Director Kenneth Roth says an indictment is "delegitimizing." Watch here: Sudan rejected the court's decision and called it part of a "neo-colonialist" plan, reports Al Jazeera English. "They do not want Sudan ... to become stable," Mustafa Osman Ismail, an adviser to the Sudanese president, said. "The court is only one mechanism of neo-colonialist policy used by the West against free and independent countries." Thousands of Sudanese protested the court's decision on Wednesday, reports AFP. Embassies asked their citizens to stay inside, and some UN staff were told to leave work early, it reports. Security was beefed up around foreign embassies amid fear of reprisals by Beshir supporters, while diplomats urged expatriates to avoid public places and stock up on essential supplies. Ahead of the announcement by the ICC of the unprecedented warrant against a sitting head of state for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, the Sudanese army broadcast a stark warning on state radio against anyone trying to exploit the court's decision. "The armed forces will firmly deal with whoever cooperates with the so-called International Criminal Court, and uses it as a platform for political blackmail and for destabilising the security and stability of the country," spokesman Osman al-Aghbash said. Sudanese media predicted that Wednesday's demonstration in the capital would be followed by larger rallies in Beshir's northern power base later in the week. Hamas also condemned the arrest warrant. Spokesman Taher Nunu said that the decision was unjust. Speaking in Gaza, he called the court's move "political" and said the Islamic group voiced its "solidarity" with al-Bashir and the Sudanese people. Al Jazeera English also reports that the ICC has no power to enforce the arrest warrant and must rely on Sudan to comply. "The court doesn't have a police force and therefore relies on those countries who have signed up to the court ... to use their power and their police forces to make the arrest," Stuart Alford, of the war crimes committee at the International Bar Association, said. "As long as he is president and retains power within his borders ... it will be practically difficult to enforce his arrest," he told Al Jazeera. Moreno-Ocampo said Sudan was obliged under international law to carry out the arrest on its territory. "If it does not, the UN Security Council will need to ensure compliance," he said. Bashir reacted to the expected announcement yesterday by telling the court to "eat it," reports the Guardian. Bashir, who will become the first head of state sought by the permanent court, made a defiant speech in front of thousands of people who burnt an effigy of the ICC chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, yesterday. "They will issue their decision tomorrow ... this coming decision, they can prepare right now: they can eat it [the warrant]," said Bashir at the opening of the Merowe hydroelectric dam in northern Sudan. Check out the Guardian's profile of the Sudanese leader. The son of a farmer, Omar al-Bashir was born in 1944 in Hoshe Bannaga, which then formed part of the Kingdom of Egypt and Sudan. After completing secondary school, he studied at the national military academies in Cairo and then Khartoum, where he graduated in 1966. Rising swiftly through the ranks, he became a paratrooper and fought in the Egyptian army in the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973. He served at least one tour in the south in the early years of the civil war against the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army. Reuters has a timeline of the ICC's involvement in Darfur. And the Council on Foreign Relations has a multi-media crisis guide on the conflict in Darfur. More on Darfur
 
The Media Consortium: Weekly Pulse: Not In Kansas Anymore: Sebelius Tapped to Lead HHS Healthcare NewsLadder Top
By Lindsay Beyerstein, TMC Mediawire Blogger The Obama administration unveiled two major nominations on Monday: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Nancy-Ann DeParle for health czar . The czar is responsible for shepherding healthcare reform legislation through Congress and the Secretary will be responsible for implementing the plan. Correlation doesn't necessarily imply causation, but we'd like to remind everyone that In These Times floated Sebelius' name for HHS in September of 2008; Ramon Castellblanch wrote : Three major obstacles face the next secretary. One, tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance. Two, any attempt to deal with this crisis will result in the private insurance industry -- and its lobbyists -- swooping in to turn policy changes into a windfall for itself. And three, for eight years, the department has been crippled by low morale and staff departures caused by Bush administration mismanagement.The next secretary must have the ability to help undo this damage. Castellblanch argued at the time that Sebelius was the right person for the job because of her executive experience as governor, her knowledge of the insurance industry, and her strong progressive values. Julie Burkhart of RH Reality Check writes of Sebelius' record as governor, "[Gov. Sebelius] has been a tireless advocate for expanded health care for pregnant women, for comprehensive and medically accurate sexuality education and for more accommodating adoption statutes." Naturally, the right wing hates the Sebelius nomination because of the governor's strong pro-choice record, but there doesn't seem to be much they can do about it. Anti-abortion groups are insinuating that Sebelius is a close ally of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas physician who performs late-term abortions. Operation Rescue has tried unsuccessfully to shut down his clinic for years, making Dr. Tiller the White Whale of the Kansas anti-abortion movement. The alleged smoking gun is the revelation that Sebelius invited Tiller to the governor's mansion for dinner. As Ezra Klein points out in the American Prospect , Tiller and his staff did dine with Sebelius, but only because they placed the winning bid at fund raising auction . Burckhart reports in RH Reality that the Speaker of the Kansas House, Mike O'Neal, introduced two anti-choice bills on Tuesday in an attempt to embarrass the governor on abortion. Presumably, he hopes to force Sebelius to veto the bills before her confirmation hearing. Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts of Kansas, both conservative Republicans, have pledged to support Sebelius. Brownback says abortion is murder . So, it might seem odd that he's supporting the ardently pro-choice Sebelius. Once again, home state boosterism triumphs over the "rights of the unborn." Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly concludes that Sebelius' confirmation is all but assured : If Operation Rescue can't even pick up Sam Brownback, the religious right doesn't have the political muscle to sustain a serious senate fight. The liberal group Catholics United is also supporting Sebelius, Sarah Hepola reports in Salon . As governor, Sebelius proposed that the state provide health insurance for every uninsured child in Kansas from birth to age five. In 2008, Jonathan Stein of Mother Jones praised Gov. Sebelius for vetoing a voter-disenfranchising ID law and nixing unhealthy coal-fired power plants. Sebelius's record as a reform-minded insurance commissioner may provide a preview of coming attractions at HHS. Sebelius served as commissioner from 1995 to 2002. As a candidate, she signaled her independence by refusing campaign contributions from the insurance industry. As insurance commissioner , Sebelius backed a number of pro-consumer reforms for health insurance including a patient's bill of rights, mandated maternity coverage, and enhanced privacy protections. Sebelius also blocked a proposed merger of Kansas' non-profit health insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield , by a for-profit company because the deal would have increased insurance premiums and forced hospitals to turn away patients who couldn't pay. The insurance companies fought Sebelius all the way to the Supreme Court and lost. Obama's pick for health czar, Nancy-Ann DeParle , is a health policy veteran from the Clinton administration. Matt Cooper of Talking Points Memo notes that she is married to New York Times reporter Jason DeParle . Nancy-Ann DeParle currently works for a private venture capital firm and serves on the boards of various medical device companies. There was speculation that the Obama administration might scrap the health czar post all together after former Sen. Tom Daschle was forced to abandon his confirmation bid when his income tax irregularities came to light. Ezra Klein writes in the Prospect that DeParle seems like an odd choice given the health czar's portfolio as the president's top liaison to Congress on health care reform: The reason it's hard to evaluate DeParle is because it's not clear what she -- or the Office of Health Reform -- is meant to be doing. The OHR, remember, was built for Daschle: He wanted space in the West Wing where he could run the policy and politics of the health reform process. But few expect DeParle to assume a similar role. The OMB and the NEC have taken a central role in policy design and it's hard to imagine the Office of Health Reform muscling control of the process away from them. Daschle was a political heavyweight whose particular basket of congressional-liaison qualifications is not reproduced in DeParle. DeParle must, of course, resign from the boards of medical device companies before she takes the job. According to the Obama administration, DeParle's recent affiliations present no conflict of interest --time will tell whether that assertion bears up under scrutiny. On the whole, Sebelius and DeParle are two strong picks to advance Barack Obama's healthcare reform agenda. If confirmed, these two nominees will bring energy and experience to the fight. This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about health care. Visit Healthcare.NewsLadder.net for a complete list of articles on healthcare affordability, healthcare laws, and healthcare controversy or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on the ECONOMY, and IMMIGRATION, check out, Immigration.NewsLadder.net and Economy.NewsLadder.net . This is a project of The Media Consortium , a network of 50 leading independent media outlets, and created by NewsLadder . More on Kathleen Sebelius
 
Jeff Biggers: Black Waters No More: Clean Water Protection Act Reintroduced Today Top
It's official: The first shot has been fired in the legislative battle to end the devastating practice of mountaintop removal mining in central Appalachia. With the quickly growing and extraordinary nationwide support of over 115 co-sponsors, including 17 members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the United States House of Representatives, US Rep. John Yarmuth from Kentucky's embattled state of coal joined US Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Republican US Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) in reintroducing the Clean Water Protection Act today. The Clean Water Protection Act was introduced originally to challenge the outrageous executive rule change by the Bush administration to redefine "fill material" in the Clean Water Act, which has since allowed coal companies to blast hundreds of mountains to bits, dump millions of tons of "excess spoil" into nearby valleys, and bury hundreds of miles of streams. An estimated 1,200 miles of waterways have been destroyed by this extreme mining process. The end result: Toxic black waters and poisoned aquifers that have denied American citizens in the coalfields the basic right of a glass of clean water. Today's timing couldn't be more urgent: On the heels of a 4th US Circuit Court decision that overturned greater environmental review of mountaintop removal actions by coal companies, scores of mining permits are flooding through the gates of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this month. "Congress meant for the Clean Water Act to protect our nation's water resources; the Administrative rule change endangers those resources," said Rep. Pallone, who is the heroic author of the legislation. "The dangerous precedent set by the Bush Administration's rule change undermines the Clean Water Act." The breakthrough role of Yarmuth, a Democrat from Louisville, has Kentuckians on their feet with applause. "I am so thankful that one of Kentucky's politicians is stepping forward and showing true moral courage," said bestselling author Silas House, from the coalfields of eastern Kentucky. "It's just a shame that the Act isn't receiving support from Eastern Kentucky's politicians, where the water is most endangered. They should be ashamed that Yarmuth is having to do their job and his, too." George Brosi, a long-time Appalachian activist from Berea, Kentucky, also praised the co-sponsorship of US Rep. Ben Chandler from central Kentucky: "They are dramatically demonstrating that those who live downstream from the scourge of mountain top removal mining must protect their water supply even if it means standing up to the most rich and powerful private interest in their state - the coal industry." "Unlike some other members of this state, John Yarmuth isn't being cowed by the coal industry," noted Stephanie Pistello, an eastern Kentucky native and legislative associate for Appalachian Voices in Washington, DC. "He understands the devastation being wrought upon his state by this horrific method of mining. He is showing the courage to do what's right for the people of our great state and nation." Pistello added that Lexington's consumption of high-burning coal fuel was singled out recently by a Brookings Institution study that ranked it as one of the cities with the worst carbon footprints in the nation. As blasting continues to shatter peace and prosperity in the coalfields of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee today, anti-mountaintop removal advocates also continue to make their appeal to President Barack Obama, who told a campaign rally in Lexington, Kentucky, on August 27th, 2007, "We're tearing up the Appalachian Mountains because of our dependence on fossil fuels." To see if your member of Congress has signed on as a co-sponsor, or needs to be prompted, go to: http://www.theallianceforappalachia.org/cwpa-cosponsors/ For more information on today's events on the floor of Congress, go to www.TheAllianceForAppalachia.org. "Black waters, black waters, no more in my land," the beloved Kentucky folk singer Jean Ritchie sings in her classic ballad against strip-mining: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFVdp1KJiqM Jeff Biggers is the author of The United States of Appalachia, and the forthcoming, Reckoning on Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland (The Nation/Basic Books).
 
Keith Thomson: Poll: Are Radio Stations Right to Censor the Eagles? Top
If you're one of the 16 million people who bought the Eagles' album "Hotel California," or if you've spent any portion of your life somewhere other than the underside of a rock, you've heard the song, "Life In the Fast Lane." For 33 years it's been a staple on classic hits radio stations like WBPT 106.9 FM in Birmingham, Alabama. Recently, some radio stations have begun to censor the song. You probably know the line: We've been up and down this highway/ haven't seen a goddamn thing. WBPT program manager Mike Schoenherr, a.k.a. "Hurricane Shane," replaced "god" with a snippet of lyric-less music from elsewhere in the song. Another Alabama station, WGMZ in Glencoe, uses a "sanitized" version that replaces "goddamn" with silence. This is not per any FCC policy or any other regulation. "It's everybody's policy," said WBPT's station manger Ray Nelson, a veteran of nearly 40 years in radio, explaining his decision. "People find it offensive." In fact, the vast majority of classic rock radio stations in the United States continue to play the original version. "This is the first time this issue has come to my attention," said Don Felder, guitarist for the Eagles from 1974-1980 and 1994-2001. He's no stranger to the sentiment, however. In his book, Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001) , Felder describes growing up in a Gainesville, Florida, "populated by good, wholesome folks who bred kids with strong moral values, helped along by a little healthy Bible-thumping." He recalls being taken to Sunday School at the North Central Baptist Church from the time he could walk. "There are people who have extreme religious beliefs that would find [the lyric] offensive," Felder told me. "I can understand why they wouldn't like to hear it." Nevertheless he believes that the song should be broadcast as the Eagles recorded it. His long list of reasons includes his determination that classic rock fans prefer it that way. Legally the Eagles have no recourse. The heart of the issue is to what extent classic rock fans in fact find the original version offensive. "I'd be happy to conduct an online poll to gauge listener opinion," said Hurricane Shane. "If we find out that we're wrong about our listeners, we'll change back to the original," a WGMZ official told me. Accordingly, Birmingham Weekly is conducting a poll; you can participate here: Fill out my Wufoo form! Powered by Wufoo More on Press Freedom
 
Share Your Tale of Zombie Debt Top
There's a new frontier in the debt-collection industry: the dead. The New York Times reported yesterday that improved database technology has made it easier for collection agencies to discover when estates are opened in U.S. probate courts. Sometimes, when the deceased leaves no estate and no legal recourse for agencies to recover debt, the agencies just call the deceased's relatives and ask politely for the money. The Times reported that relatives of deceased debt-holders often pay off the debt of their dead loved-ones even though there is often no legal obligation to do so. After we linked to the article, HuffPost readers shared their own stories in the comments. Here's part of a post from reader MichaelDavid: When my father died after a debilitating and ultimately futile battle with cancer in 1991, we discovered that he had used his credit cards to pay for his obviously-ineffective chemotherapy treatments. Now, the creditors wanted their money and were calling, and calling...and calling...and though we understood ourselves to "not" be legally-responsible for his debt, they insisted every day (and several times a day) that we were. We didn't even have a chance to grieve because now, in addition to trying to bury our dead father, we had to continue telling creditors that he was no longer alive! But they wanted their money and insisted that we "were in fact responsible," contrary to what this article reports. Has this happened to you? Have you been asked by a collection agency to pay a relative's debt? If so, we want to hear your story. Please send a quick summary to submissions+debt@huffingtonpost.com
 
Stephen Elliott: An Interview with Watchmen Director Zack Snyder Top
Over at The Rumpus there's a long interview with Zack Snyder, the director of 300 and Watchmen the much hyped movie set to open this Friday. Zack is interviewed by Chris Read, one of his oldest friends. The two met at summer camp when they were eleven years old. Here are some highlights: Movies that inspired him: " Blade Runner, Road Warrior , Conan --those movies really stand out to me as movies that have shaped me. Return of the Jedi. Heavy Metal . All that stuff." On his mother and father being dorm parents at his boarding school: "In some weird way, I'm at this real strict boarding school with my parents there, and my mother, my mother more than my father of course, happened to let me break the rules and get away with stuff. In some way, I would bend that world to my will, in a really manipulative and horrible way because I was in high school. I mean I feel bad about it a little bit, but on the other hand, it gave me a way I'd approach life, the same thing, I bend the rules of society a little bit and have chosen a lifestyle that's outside of the normal approach to how to make a living." Shooting a movie in 11th grade: "I got the police to come. I don't know how that happened. They said they wouldn't take their guns out. I REALLY wanted them to take their guns out. But they wouldn't do that. Just to set it up, we filmed this movie in high school and the character, Jon's character, is being arrested because he's murdered the principal. I was doing this shot. I remember the camera was up super high. At first there was a shot down low and they were arresting him then I cut to the high shot. They were supposed to handcuff him and shove him in the car with their guns on him, but I guess they just put him in the car. They had the lights on and stuff so that was pretty cool." Directing the Watchmen : "as a fan of the graphic novel, it's just a weird experience to be able to actually make that. You're the one who's making those images for all time so you have to be careful and make sure you're doing it right. So it's half geek, half responsibility. It's weird." Read the whole interview.
 
Grassley Warns Reid: Don't Interfere With Health Care Top
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is vowing a rapid push on health reform this year, telling reporters yesterday that he would introduce a bipartisan health bill by June alongside Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA), the Finance panel's senior Republican.
 
Chinese Annual Meeting To Be Dominated By Economy, Preventing Social Unrest Top
BEIJING -- China's national Legislature begins its tightly scripted annual meeting on Thursday with an agenda dominated by the ruling Communist Party's two overriding concerns: riding out the global economic crisis and keeping citizens' unhappiness with their lot from boiling over into public unrest. More on China
 
Julia Goldberg: David Iglesias--the movie Top
It's never been entirely clear to me if Tom Cruise's character in A Few Good Men was really based on former US Attorney David Iglesias (a US naval reservist, recently appointed to serve on a special prosecution team for Guantanamo detainees), or if that's just urban legend. But a documentary currently in production, InJustice, is most certainly based on Iglesias' story of his wrongful termination by the Department of Justice and the huge scandal it caused (warning: that link links to a slightly screwy-looking page, due to some web problems on the website for The Santa Fe Reporter, where the story first appeared, but persevere and you'll find an excerpt from the book and a previous interview with Iglesias). No word on when the documentary will be finished and released (I've got an e-mail into the producer), but for now, here's the trailer:
 
Reese Witherspoon On "Fabulous" Jake, Divorce And Young Motherhood Top
Reese Witherspoon is ELLE's April cover girl , she breaks with tradition by speaking openly and honestly about her divorce from Ryan Phillippe, her Type A personality and being a young mom. Witherspoon is busy promoting On her divorce : "Very humiliating and very isolating...But, by the way, if it's not painful, maybe it wasn't the right decision to marry to begin with. Those are the appropriate emotions. When people get in your face and say, 'This will pass,' you think, Are they crazy? I'm never gonna feel any better than I feel right this minute and nothing's ever gonna make sense again. And I still have moments where I'm like, Nothings ever gonna make sense again." On boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal: "He's fabulous. He really is a fantastic guy." On being a young mother: "When I first had Ava, I couldn't afford [help]. And it was so hard. I was out in Los Angeles, living [away from my family]. I really didn't have any friends. And I had a baby. No one else who was 22 had a baby. I couldn't go out." On not being diet obsessed: "I'm made of cookies after the holidays. Everything inside me is made of sugar and flour and a little red wine-a lot of red wine." More interview snippets here
 
Frances Beinecke: Why We Need a Climate Bill Now, Not Another Energy Bill Top
The economic stimulus package Congress just passed will do a good job of launching America toward a cleaner, more secure energy future. But it is just a start. The stimulus package alone can't take us where we need to go. The question is: what step do we take next? Some lawmakers are working on energy bills, including a renewable energy standard and energy efficiency measures. Energy legislation could include excellent ways to jumpstart the economy and confront global warming. But we don't have the time to work our way through an a la carte menu of energy solutions. The planet's health is deteriorating too rapidly to digest multiple incremental courses. We need a comprehensive climate bill, and we need to start working on it now. I recently returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global warming was a central topic of conversation . Participants from around the world welcomed Obama's election as a signal that the United States would certainly join an international agreement to curb global warming. I agree that will happen, but it won't be as straightforward as it appears from the outside. When you look at American politics up close, you realize that even with Presidential leadership, you still have to work through Congress, and with regional differences and competing priorities, that will be a challenge. A bill to address global warming will be a very complex piece of environmental legislation. It won't just impact one industry (cars or coal plants) or one sector (energy or manufacturing). It will encompass all of them. It will generate $100 to $200 billion a year in dividends for consumers and investments in clean energy . It will create millions of green collar jobs, and spread the benefits of pollution-free power to more Americans. But sorting out the details of such a system will take time. That's why we need to start working on climate legislation now. If we wait until a renewable energy standard or a broader energy bill has passed, we won't get to a climate bill until May or even later. The international climate negotiations in Copenhagen begin at the end of November, and the American negotiating position will erode if we don't have a national climate commitment at home. I am confident that we can sort through the complexities of a global warming law. President Obama has pledged his support for climate solutions, and Americans increasingly see the connection between building a clean energy future and generating economic prosperity. But to translate that vision into a reality, we have to keep the pressure on our lawmakers. Tell your representatives not to wait on solving global warming. Tell them you want them to get to work on a comprehensive climate bill now. This post originally appeared on NRDC's Switchboard blog . More on Climate Change
 
Dispatches From The Displaced: Mortgage Company Instructions Put Couple In Foreclosure Top
Are you facing foreclosure, or have you already lost your home? Share a story of how the housing crisis has affected you by emailing . Last week, we heard about Bob , a retired man who said he lost $1 million in housing investments and his own home as his tenants faced unemployment. Bob is not alone, as each day 10,000 people have their house foreclosed. Today we hear from Peggy Kanowski of Wyandotte, MI. After being told she had been approved for a loan modification, Peggy says she was shocked to learn that her home had been put into foreclosure. Peggy and Gerard Kanowski with their two children on the steps of their home in Minnesota. We have our loan with Saxon Mortgage. My husband's hours were cut at work and we were beginning to have a problem with our cash flow. We were living check to check with no money for savings or a rainy day for car repair or home maintenance unexpected repair bills. We applied for a loan modification on November 12th with Saxon. After several phone calls we were told we were approved for the loan modification on December 26th. They said the lawyers are giving the final approval and will mail the papers. In the meantime they told us not to make a payment as this would mess the numbers up on the modification. After several more weeks we got nervous because we still did not have any paperwork. We sent in a payment on January 23rd. Saxon kept the payment in suspension, did not apply it to our mortgage payment and then threw us into FORECLOSURE. Saxon says we have been approved for another loan modification on February 12th and the paperwork will be mailed "soon". We are now trying to straighten this mess out with the help of Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services. We live in Michigan which is a non-judiciary state so our house goes up for Sheriff sale on March 11, 2009. The Kanowski family received a foreclosure notice on February 4th. The letter, sent by Orlans on behalf of Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., suggested that the family could apply for "a loan modification" or a "repayment plan." This whole process is totally wrong. All we did was ask for a loan modification and we have been in the runaround ever since. We could lose our home even though Saxon Mortgage says we are "approved" for a loan modification and the paperwork will be "coming soon". We have asked them to stop the foreclosure and they said they can't until seven days before the sale date-that is their so called company policy. This whole process has caused so much stress on our family and I pray that other people will learn from our mistake. Saxon Mortgage Services Inc. referred the Huffington Post to the Morgan Stanley communications office, which declined to comment. Are you facing foreclosure, or have you already lost your home? Share a story of how the housing crisis has affected you by emailing submissions+foreclosure@huffingtonpost.com . And sign up here to receive updates when we publish new stories. More on Housing Crisis
 
Paleantologists Discover Mammoth Snake Species In Colombia Top
Last month, an international group of scientists revealed in the journal Nature that Jaramillo's team had made a startling discovery -- a species of snake larger than a school bus that ruled northern South America 60 million years ago. Evolving after the extinction of the dinosaurs, Titanoboa cerrejonensis -- or titanic boa from Cerrejon -- might have been the largest vertebrate living on land at that time, the Paleocene era. More on Colombia
 
Gordon Brown Addresses Congress Top
WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday an "economic hurricane" has swept the world and U.S. leaders shouldn't view the crisis as limited to America's borders. In a formal address to a Joint Meeting of Congress, Brown said that protectionism ultimately makes every nation vulnerable because "a bad bank anywhere is a threat to good banks everywhere." "No matter where it starts, an economic crisis does not stop at the water's edge," he said told members of the House and Senate gathered in the cavernous House chamber. "It ripples across the world," declared Brown, whose speech was applauded on several occasions. His remarks came as Brown looks for a boost to his own political fortunes. In hard political times at home, he hopes to benefit from Britons' high regard for President Barack Obama and to demonstrate British leadership at a time of economic uncertainty. He was facing a U.S. Congress deeply divided on how to solve America's economic crisis, with Republicans sparring with Obama on whether government intervention and money can salvage financial markets. Brown called on the House and Senate leaders to "seize the moment" because international leaders were willing more than ever to work together. "Just think how each of our actions, if combined, could mean a whole, much greater than the sum of the parts," he said. Brown was laying the groundwork for a G-20 economic summit of advanced and developing nations meeting in London next month. The summit, which Brown is chairing, is critical for improving global economic confidence as well as Brown's political prospects.
 
FBI Investigating Fraud In Steele's 2006 Campaign Top
The WBAL TV 11 News I-Team is raising new questions about the campaign spending of former Maryland lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Steele, as well as former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. More on Michael Steele
 
Tom Cappello: Help Us Make a Powerful Noise on International Women's Day Top
Of the 1.3 billion people living in absolute poverty around the globe, 70 percent are women and girls. Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, yet earn only 10 percent of the income. Women produce half the world's food, yet own only 1 percent of its land. Women make up two-thirds of the estimated 876 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write; and girls make up two-thirds of 77 million children not attending school. Behind these statistics are real women who are making strides against adversity. I got to spend time with three such women, Hanh, Nada, and Jacqueline, and have the privilege of sharing their stories in the documentary A Powerful Noise . Filming with these women for three months truly changed my life and taught me the real meaning of courage, strength, and perseverance. A Powerful Noise takes a provocative look at three women from different countries who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to bring great change to their society. Filmmakers lives are almost always touched by their subjects. Documentaries do a great service in putting a human face on issues that are often overlooked. It is even more rewarding when you can empower others to make a difference with the story you bring to the screen. What if for one night you could make a difference by going to the movie theater? Now you can by seeing A Powerful Noise this Thursday, March 5. Just by purchasing a ticke t, you can help galvanize a movement to eradicate global poverty and begin to reverse centuries of injustice for women everywhere. In 450 movie theaters nationwide, advocates for empowering women will participate in a live town hall simulcast following the screening of the film. Join Madeleine Albright, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington-Burns, and Dr. Helene Gayle of CARE this Thursday, March 5th, for A Powerful Noise Live, an unprecedented one-night only event. A Powerful Noise Live begins at 7:30pmET/6:30pmCT/5:30pmMT/8:00pmPT (tape delayed). Click here to find a theater near you and buy tickets now. If our sold-out festival screenings are any indication, you will leave the theater inspired and determined to join forces with these women to make a lasting difference.
 
Carolyn Hopkins Is The CTA's New Voice Top
You may have noticed a new voice speaking from the public-address system on some CTA rail platforms recently, assuring you in a soothing and confident tone that an inbound train to the Loop will be arriving shortly. Meet Carolyn Hopkins, a 60-year-old commercial voice-over professional living in Maine.
 
Dr. Cara Barker: Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid To Dance Alone Top
I am listening. While Rush Limbaugh is busy spewing negativity, others, are partnering hope that's practical. A heart felt thanks goes out to each of you who tuned into last week's article "What If Help Were Closer than You Think?" Double hugs for you who joined in the dance by your response. We are so busy these days, I know. It is tempting to go solo. But when the dance comes to life, it is because our Spirits have joined as one, and what comes forth is magical. Shall We Dance? I'm reminded of an amazing film I saw recently, produced by Peter Buffett, son of Warren, and entitled "Spirit Dance." This dance production tells the story of a young man caught in the soul-numbing existence of a meaningless existence, alongside others trudging along in that that suffocating noise that stifles the Spirit. Suddenly, his robotic, desperate plight is interrupted. He hears the Call of something in his heart he does not understand, but cannot deny. It is the Call of his ancestors, directing him to live an authentic, natural life. As archetypal Modern Man meets his ancient people's Wisdom, the effect is spell-binding. Returning to his everyday life an integrated whole, we witness its powerful message: we are designed to be spectacular beings. The Limbaughs of the world are not our biggest problem. Fear is our biggest problem. Fear takes us off the playing field, and out of a beautiful dance. It's our choice. Harmony has been on my mind since last week's column, thanks to Freddie Ravel. If you haven't heard of him, do yourself a favor and check out www.freddieravel.com and his TuneUpToSuccess. Who better than a musician, like Freddie, to note that partnering hope in community gets down to attuning our hearing and sound-making, developing harmony. If we assume that we are identical, we will miss something special! We each carry our own form of 'music.' Yours and mine might well be different. But if we are to meet with greater intimacy and aliveness, it behooves us to harmonize our uniqueness, and create a new, heart-based, revivifying composition. Imagine what we could pull off if we lived out our inspiration! Dancing moves us down into Wisdom body. Here, the worries over whether we are in a Recession or Depression vanish. What seemed problematic, stuck, begins to move in new and interesting ways. We feel better for our invention. We find solution. The Spirit of Invention We live in a state of constant reinvention. At our cellular level, our GI tract reinvents itself every 3-5 days; our skin, around every 30. None of which is orchestrated by our control, or affirmations. Change like this comes under the radar. We'd be nuts to fight this dance of life. Better to accept this reality as part of the Mystery, and harmonize with it. One thing is for certain: we are more than we think, more amazing than we can fathom. If we can reinvent cells, we can certainly reinvent the way we live in, and steward what we've been given. It's a heck of a lot healthier than focusing on what we might lose tomorrow. How Dare We Dance in Times Like These? The very idea of talking about putting more of our focus on dancing together might sound far-fetched, impractical. I am reminded of readers who've written about struggles with teenagers, bosses, losses. If ever there were a time for joining together, this would be that time. The Minianka people, from Mali, according to Yaya Diako ( The Healing Drum ) tells us that the community dances as a means of regeneration, and healing. They believe the way we dance is a Way-shower: revealing our places of health, and disturbance. For them, dance is diagnostic and renewing, reminding me of something Elisabeth Kubler Ross told me long ago in an internship: "If only the world would dance and sing as One, our world would be a different place!" When we dance together, either literally, or metaphorically, we are not caught up in criticism's fire. I mean, really, do we have the luxury of spending time in debate over whether Michelle Obama should wear sleeveless dresses? Likewise, why waste our energy on those who wish her husband fail? Hurting people hurt people. A Diagnostic Dream How can we maximize our possibilities in times like these? How can we participate in a more joyful creation? A repeating dream came to me on the eve of Desert Storm, and 9/11: I was shown the world on the brink of destruction. The Divine spoke: "The only way mankind can save itself, is to learn to dance together. Tell them this." Creative harmony, born from chaos, is what restores our wonder, heals distress, and allows love to flow again through our lives and world. We are here to make beautiful music. Together! Rumi, in the mid 13th Century, puts it this way: "We have no idea who we are..." Today, like every other day, we wake up empty, and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." When dark clouds occlude our hope, let's dance! In the shower, on the street, in front of God and everyone, let's play, let's harmonize. It is responsible, not irresponsible, to step out of the collective, contagious groan these days. Let's challenge ourselves to make a fresh start today, risk spreading a few smiles, sprinkled with a tad of joy. Who knows? It might catch on! As always, I welcome your sharing, inspirations, contribution, links, and dance. I'll do my best to respond personally. More on The Recession
 
Ken Levine: American Idol -- The Most Fertile Show on Television Top
To win on American Idol you have to have a good voice, personality, and poor birth control. It seems like every contestant has at least one child. Flamboyant Nathanial Marshall's only chance would have been if he stuffed a pillow inside the front of his shirt. If you're going to do Bette Midler don't pick a Meatloaf song. Tonight on the results show he'll finally have something to really cry about. Lil Rounds has three kids. So she's the frontrunner. She's also an excellent singer but not the second coming like the judges all said. Either they heard something I didn't or they mistakenly think she has five kids. Ju'not Joyner (I bet he has a tough time finding souvenir coffee mugs with his name on it) has one kid. I worry though. He also appeared to have handcuffs hanging from his black leather jacket. I hope they're not used for "time outs." He too is a nice singer. Or maybe it's just such a relief to not hear someone belt. Arianna Afsar could be one of the other contestant's child. She's 16 going on 13 trying to pose as 30. She attempted Abba's classic "Winner Takes All." She didn't get one note of the melody right and I'm horrified that I know that. Just because Felicia Barton looks like Marlo Thomas does not make her "that girl." Felicia originally did not make the top 36 but the producers found out she's a stay-at-home-mom so they called her back. She won't need a baby sitter after tonight. Scott MacIntyre doesn't have a kid but he's talented, cute, and blind. That's easily good enough for the top 5. But if he really wants to win he should call Octomom and she if she'd spare one or two. Taylor Valfanua could be Octomom and still wouldn't win. Boring belter. Next! Kendall Beard is the cute peroxide blond who sings country. So even if she doesn't have a kid everyone assumes that she does. The judges compared Von Smith to Clay Aiken and Simon had to remind him it was compliment. Poor Clay. It's bad enough his record company dumped him this week. Maybe Von Smith and Nathanial Marshall can adopt. Kristen McNamara was the cute blond. I forgot what she sang while she was singing it. Goldie Hawn took pictures of her to her plastic surgeon and said, "make me look like this." In two years Ryan Seacrest will do the same thing. Jorge Nunez has a nice voice but lacks just a bit in the macho department. He cried more than Nathanial. And finally, there was Alex Wagner-Trugman who set dorks back a hundred years in the cool category. Never dance, Alex. Never! If by some miracle Alex makes it, he'll be the first rock star ever who can't get laid. Who will go on to the next round? I think Lil, Ju'not, and in a big surprise, Carol Brady. More on American Idol
 
Bernie Madoff Victims Speak Out (VIDEO) Top
Vanity Fair is featuring video by Stephen Witkin of a handful of Bernard Madoff's many victims telling their stories. There is the "penniless" Maureen Ebel of Palm Beach, who said, "I remember the day he called me and said Maureen, all of your investment worries are over." Others complain of "the Madoff illness" they've suffered since the $50 billion ponzi scheme was revealed, and even a rabbi who says that "what he did to the Jewish community is the worst damage." Rose and Jack Less of New York says the worst thing of all is "we have nothing for charities." Another victim, Donna McBride of Boca Raton, said: "I want to make a point that the government let us down. And if they let me down they can let other people down." WATCH: More on Bernard Madoff
 
Jane Guskin: Amnesty NOW: How and Why Top
Most analysts agree that the chances of immigration reform in the first year or two of Obama's administration are extremely slim. We can't expect politicians and policymakers to take action. The change we want to see has to come from below. We can make it happen if we unite around a common goal: swift, practical, inclusive legalization NOW, as a first step, and eliminate the backlog for people whose immigration cases are in process. Bring people out of the shadows, resolve their status, reunite their families. (And don't worry about what to call it -- amnesty, legalization, regularization, path to citizenship, etc. We know what we're talking about, and we're not fooling our opponents by coming up with new names for it.) A simple bill we could get behind might look something like this: 1) Change the "registry date" in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), currently set at January 1, 1972, to January 1, 2006. That will allow anyone here since that date to apply for residency through the relatively straightforward registry process. 2) Restore Section 245(i) of the INA, which lets people who entered the U.S. without permission adjust their immigration status here without having to first return home and face the punitive 10-year bar. Section 245(i) has been lapsed since 2000, leaving millions of people without options to legalize. 3) Get rid of the national origin quotas on family-based petitions and expand the total number of family-based visas available, so people don't have to wait 20 years to reunite with their relatives. 4) Pass the Child Citizen Protection Act, which restores the power of judges to weigh the impact on children when considering the deportation of a parent. Those four steps will provide options for a huge number of people, including those who would benefit from measures like the DREAM Act (undocumented youth) or AgJobs (farmworkers.) If we're strong enough, we can also win the Uniting American Families Act (equal immigration rights for same-sex couples), a repeal of the harsh 1996 laws, an end to employer sanctions and other badly-needed measures. We can win these changes now if we: - Mobilize, organize, march, petition. We need mobilizations twice as big as the ones we saw between Valentine's Day and May Day in 2006, in the months after the House passed anti-immigrant bill HR4437. Those mobilizations changed the whole climate in Washington, leading the Senate to approve a package that included AgJobs and the Dream Act. Unfortunately, the mobilizations didn't continue past May 1, 2006, and the measures approved by the Senate never made it through the House. - Don't wait. The sooner we act, the sooner we'll see results. By the time Obama's administration passes the 100-day mark on May 1, millions of people should be marching in the streets and calling or visiting their members of Congress. - Dialogue. Slogans and soundbites won't convince people who aren't already on our side. We need to get people talking to each other about immigration, sharing thoughts and experiences, working through fears and doubts and taking a deeper look at the root causes. Let's not forget that Congress, not the president, has power over immigration. We don't need to convince Obama, we just need to make sure that the Democrats in Congress understand that they will benefit from swiftly passing a measure to legalize the undocumented -- and they will pay a price if they don't. Latino voters were key in this latest election, and even though many Latinos are not immigrants and many immigrants are not Latino, a large number of US-born Latinos have immigrant relatives, have experienced anti-immigrant racism and are sympathetic to immigrants. Most naturalized immigrant voters are also sympathetic, having struggled through the system themselves. Inclusive legalization can consolidate the demographic shift of rural America and permanently change the electoral map. Many of the rural areas which overwhelmingly voted for McCain include substantial immigrant populations -- often working in agriculture, meatpacking or other industries -- which have been clamoring for legalization. In Finney County, southwestern Kansas, fewer than 10,000 people voted in this year's presidential election, and McCain beat Obama by 35 percentage points (67%-32%). Yet on April 10, 2006, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people rallied for legalization in Garden City, the county seat, out of a total population of around 30,000. McCain won with similar numbers in nearby Ford County, where several thousand people rallied for immigration reform in the county seat, Dodge City, in April 2006. Over in Madison County, Nebraska, with just over 13,500 voters, McCain won 69%-30%; on April 10, 2006, the Tyson Fresh Meats pork plant in the county seat, Madison, had to shut down because so many of its employees walked out to demand legalization. McCain won with 62% of just over 20,000 votes in Hall County, Nebraska, where on May 1, 2006, hundreds marched in the county seat, Grand Island, for immigrant rights. It's clear in the minds of most immigrants and their friends and families that during eight years in power, the Republicans did nothing good on immigration. Most people don't remember the anti-immigrant bills approved under the Clinton administration, or that the last amnesty came under a Republican presidency. So right now, while the Republican Party is busy trying to develop a strategy for winning Latino support without alienating its white racist base, the Democrats have a chance to move. The Democratic Party needs to see that if it approves legalization now, it will win the continuing loyalty of a large bloc of existing voters, and at the same time create a large bloc of future voters, spread over rural and urban areas, whose gratitude could boost the party's standing over the next decades. Will there be a backlash if Congress approves legalization? The 52% of voters who elected Obama mostly don't hate immigrants, so they won't get too riled up about legalization, and many will support it, especially if we work to win over those still unconvinced. Among the other 48% of voters, many probably resent immigrants and oppose legalization, but three years from now, most will have forgotten about it or will have gotten used to it. We will likely see a rise in hate crimes and racist attacks over the next four years, with or without legalization for immigrants, but a focus on dialogue will help to ensure that hateful acts don't gain wide support. And if everyone has legal status, at least immigrants will be able to report threats to police and protest publicly when they are victimized. There's no time to waste. Any delays in pushing through legalization will hurt its chances. We need to mobilize behind a united demand, and make our voices heard every single day until we get what is needed. Jane Guskin is co-author of The Politics of Immigration: Questions and Answers, published by Monthly Review Press in July 2007. She lives in New York City, where she is interim co-director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute, a grassroots foundation supporting nonviolent action for social justice. More on Immigration
 
Daleys Got Rides On Luxury Jet Of Non-Profit Under IRS Investigation Top
Educap, a non-profit student loan charity under investigation by the IRS, used its $31 million jet to shuttle Mayor Daley and other prominent politicians, CBS News reports . Daley was accompanied by his wife, Maggie, on 58 Educap flights, including trips to Turkey, Asia and Sweden, CBS reports. CIA Director Leon Panetta, former FBI Director William Sessions and former Senators Tom Daschle and Ted Stevens also flew on Educap's jet, according to CBS : Investigators say for five years, [CEO Catherine] Reynolds jetted friends, family and luminaries to faraway and exotic destinations that sometimes had little to do with the charity's mission. The charity is under investigation for abuse of its tax-exempt status because of the it high interest it charges on charitable student loans and the perks lavished on CEO Reynolds.
 
Madoff's Universe Exposed: A Peek Into Bernie's World Top
Among Bernard Madoff's many dupes were his closest friends, including two tycoons he loved as surrogate fathers: the late Norman F. Levy--whose girlfriend, supermodel Carmen Dell'Orefice, would lose her life savings--and the prominent philanthropist Carl J. Shapiro. Amid the sobs, screams, and curses in Aspen, Palm Beach, and New York, with victims sharing their stories, the author gets behind Madoff's affable façade, to reveal his most intimate betrayals. More on Bernard Madoff
 
Nadya Suleman Has Been Visited By Police Several Times For Lost, Trapped Children Top
WHITTIER, Calif. — Police say they've visited the homes of octuplet mom Nadya Suleman several times in the last 14 months to respond to complaints about lost, trapped or poorly cared for children. Suleman gave birth to octuplets Jan. 26, and has six other children, ages 2 to 7. Whittier Police Officer Jason Zulke (ZOL-kee) says in July 2008, police and the Department of Child and Family Services visited Suleman's home after a complaint that the children appeared poorly cared for. Zulke says both agencies determined the complaint was unfounded. Police also visited the home to free a child from a locked bedroom, and when Suleman called to report her 5-year-old daughter missing. The child had wandered off and was found safe. Suleman tells RadarOnline.com a neighbor who alerted police was unhappy because her family was loud and she allowed her children to play in the mud. More on Nadya Suleman
 
Dr. Judith Rich: Living The Impossible: Dream Big! (And 5 Tips To Keep You Going) Top
Part Two Last week, we began an adventure together. Our intention in the coming weeks is to explore what it takes to manifest those dreams that are so big, so far out there, you can't get your mind around them. I'm talking about the dreams that seem so impossible, you don't even DARE to dream them. So you probably gave up on them a long time ago, didn't you? And then you told yourself: It really didn't matter, I didn't really want this, why bother, it's too late, I've already missed it, nobody would believe in me, who do I think I am, it's just an illusion, a pipedream, a fantasy, nobody in their right mind would ever do this, I'm deluding myself, this is stupid, I'm wasting my time, I don't have what it takes, I'm too old, too young, don't know what I'm doing, don't have the money, the time, the education and if all that weren't enough... the latest, greatest reason of all? NOT IN THIS ECONOMY! ! So there you have it: 99 reasons why you haven't gone for your dreams. Yet. I know, calm down. Who, in their right mind would go out on a limb in this economy and do something foolish and jeopardize what dwindling resources you have left? Make that 100 reasons why you haven't gone for it. Yet . But really! I don't know what your resources look like, but I see the numbers getting smaller and smaller each month. I get the "Zestimates" from Zillow.com and start eating my stomach when I see how far the value of my home has dropped. Yikes!..... and........ So what? All the more reason to go for it. There's not a whole lot left to lose, folks! Didn't Kris Kristofferson write a song about that? "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose". So welcome to freedom! Are you ready to continue? OK, let's review: We began last week with the story of Phillippe Petit, the French wire walker, whose story was the subject of the movie Man On Wire! , which just won the Academy Award for best documentary film of 2008. If you missed the 10-minute video montage of Petit's story, you can view it here . It's required viewing for this adventure. Trust me, it'll make a believer out of you. Even you grand skeptics. OK, maybe not you. Maybe the guy next to you. This man's impossible dream took him all the way from his original vision in 1968, when he was 17, to pulling off his dream in 1974 when he became the man who danced between the Twin Towers, to winning the Academy Award in 2009! 41 years in the making! "Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams." I was inspired to write this series because, I find it much more empowering to have a goal that calls me forth, something to move towards rather than away from. From where I look, it seems these times are calling us to dare to dream big dreams. We're facing big challenges, with big consequences at stake. I know, the tendency is to contract, pull in, stay safe, become a tortoise in times like these. Or not! You could go the other way! Dream Big . Why not? Here's the thing: if what you're currently doing is working for you, keep doing it. If you're happy with the way things are, if your life is just humming along, your bank accounts are swelling and the coffers are overflowing, rock on! And let the rest of us know how you do that. But if you're like many people right now, chances are you're looking at a different reality than the one I just described. Chances are the future's not looking so bright about now, so " Why not dream big ?" Most of all now! Last week, we looked at 5 tips to help you get started . Here are 5 more. Next week, we'll circle back and start to go deeper to put some meat on these bones. 1) Take one small step every day that moves you in the direction of your dream. Lao Tzu said, " The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The first step is usually the hardest, so start now. What single step will you take today? You don't need to leap tall buildings in a single bound. 2) Eat a banana. I know, it sounds crazy. That's the point! Acknowledge your fear, then give it a job to keep it busy and out of your way. Like eating a banana. No kidding! Concert pianists swear by them as a way to manage stage fright. The potassium serves as a beta blocker which soothes jangled nerves. Try it! 3) Hold on to your dream, be patient, and keep going. OK there's actually 3 here, but who's counting? You have no idea what the time line is for the unfolding of your dream. You may think it's supposed to happen yesterday. The dream may have other ideas. Keep going for it anyway. Phillippe Petit spent years planning his dream before the towers were even built. 4) Victory is sweet! Celebrate and share the glory . We usually don't get to our dreams alone. This may turn out to be a relay race, a team effort. Share the glory with those who empower you along the way. Petit had an entire team who supported him. Without them, he couldn't have done it. Everyone wins when one of us wins. Who's on your "dream team"? If you're really smart, you'll enroll some key people to support you. And, there's our Impossible Dreamers group on Facebook. See link below. 5) Cultivate a grateful heart - Imagine your dream already fulfilled and give thanks ahead of time for its completion. Gratitude is the key to picking the locks that stand between you and your dreams. It focuses your energy like a laser beam. The universe rewards a grateful heart with even more abundance. Get Started Now So it's your turn now. Time to get started. This isn't about just talking about your dreams. This is about taking action to manifest them. I'm serious about mine, and I hope you are about yours, too. After all, in this economy, there is no place to hang out and stay safe. The lifeboats have sunk, we're all in the water together and the sharks are circling. Have you got a better idea? In fact, I'd love to hear your ideas, thoughts and comments so check in and let us know what's going on for you. What step will you take today to move in the direction of your dreams? We're listening. And if you haven't joined The Impossible Dreamers group on Facebook yet, go on over and get on board! This could be a little teeny life raft in these shark-infested waters. In this economy... One Last Thing And just to keep things in perspective, less we forget how far we've come and lose our sense of humor, I offer this wonderfully poignant, funny video of Louis CK, talking with Conan O'Brian, called Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy . Click here to watch it - and enjoy! It's OK to have fun and laugh at ourselves and our circumstances along the way. When we've lost our ability to laugh, we're really in trouble. Let's not go there! Thanks for being here. How about leaving us a note in the comments section below so we'll know you were here? And feel free to forward this link to your buddies out there and subscribe to the RSS feed, so no matter what day this blog appears, you'll get a reminder. Til next time, keep your powder dry and dream big! I can be reached at judith@theraisinyears.com. More on The Inner Life
 
Potbelly Puts Brakes On Chicago-Area Expansion Top
Potbelly Sandwich Works is curtailing its rapid expansion in the Chicago area as the economy has more people turning to brown-bag lunches. In recent months the sandwich chain has walked away from at least two prospective deals in the suburbs, in Hillside and Romeoville, and local real estate sources say company executives have told them Potbelly is pulling back its growth plans here.
 
Anger At Media Over Palin Permeates CPAC Top
The crowd of about 100 people sits in the dark, hushed, mouths agape, as Gov. Sarah Palin watches clip after clip of 2008 presidential campaign coverage. She peers at a laptop and watches Saturday Night Live star Tina Fey, as "Sarah Palin," answer a question about moral values. "I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers," says Fey. Briefly, we see the hosts of The View, laughing along with the skit. More on Sarah Palin
 
Pakistan Cricket Attack: VIDEO, SLIDESHOW Top
Little progress has been made in tracking down up to 14 gunmen accused of waging an assault against the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan on March 3, reports the AP. The attack in the eastern city of Lahore came at a time of mounting political turmoil in the nuclear-armed country and added to fears it was losing the battle against Islamist extremists blamed for a series of high-profile attacks. There are also concerns over whether Pakistani police will be able to bring the perpetrators to justice _ underscored by conflicting accounts of the investigation offered Wednesday. One police official said several suspects had been taken into custody, though none of the gunmen was tracked down. Hours later, however, another official denied anyone had been arrested. See a video and slideshow of the assault here. More on Pakistan
 
Spencer Green: How to Rescue Local Newspapers Top
- Print stories on chocolate - Add trenchant political commentaries by the long-haired blond guy from TMZ , you know the one I'm talking about - Hide obituaries inside "Magic Eye" images - Leak rumor that attractive, young, white female local newspaper has been kidnapped under mysterious circumstances; 24-hour cable TV coverage will drive circulation up while all other local newspapers secretly cover the coverage - Supplement financial section with numerous photographs of adorable kitties in socks - Fire all film critics, install beloved cartoon character Snuffy Smith's "zero-to-four Moonshine Xs" rating system - New section: "What to do around town when you're finished getting real news off the Internet" - More stories on foxy boxing - Any time an error is found in an article, newspaper owner must go to each subscriber's house dressed in a diaper, apologize, then stick five billiard balls in his/her mouth - Hire Tina Fey to punch up the horoscopes - Instruct reporters to use more soothing words like "clouds" and "butterscotch" - Make reading paper exciting again by installing microchips in each edition; when reader turns page, he either gets electric shock or hears sound of duck yelling "Aflac!" - Replace editorial boards nationwide with current and/or former casts of America's Top Model - All headlines must now contain words "explosion," "serial killer," or "Octo-Mom" - Concentrate on promoting sections that Jesus would read
 
McCain Back At White House For Obama's Contracting Overhaul Announcement Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has approved an order to overhaul the way the U.S. government awards contracts for work to be done by the private sector. Obama joined Republican Sen. John McCain, his presidential campaign rival, and other congressional figures Wednesday to announce an executive memorandum that commits his administration to a new set of marching orders for awarding contracts. Obama said "the days of giving government contractors a blank check are over" and said changes could save up to $40 billion a year. One area in particular that is targeted is no-bid contracts, which the administration is seeking to change so that there will be more competition for government-paid work. Obama said that "even if these were the best of times, budget reform would be overdue in Washington." More on Barack Obama
 
Stocks move higher after 5 days of heavy selling Top
NEW YORK — Investors cautiously returned to the stock market Wednesday, sifting for bargains after five straight days of heavy selling. A slightly better-than-expected report on the services sector helped push stocks higher. The major indexes were up about 1 percent. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said that its services index fell to 41.6 last month from 42.9 in January. The number was slightly above Wall Street's estimate of 41. Any reading above 50 signals growth, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. Wall Street's advance also came as the Obama administration announced details of a program designed to help as many as 9 million borrowers stay in their homes through refinanced mortgages or loans that are modified to lower monthly payments. Still, the rebound in stocks is likely based more on bargain hunting than enthusiasm, analysts said, amid lingering pessimism about the economy. "Everybody's been beaten up so much in the last couple weeks, you've got to believe that people are gun-shy," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management. "There's going to be a little bit of a lack of conviction this week particularly ahead of the Friday employment numbers." The Labor Department will release its unemployment figures for February on Friday. The monthly report has become one of the most watched indicators of the economy's health, as rising unemployment means consumers spend less. In a possible sign of what to expect, the ADP National Employment Report said Wednesday its gauge of the labor market showed private sector employment fell by 697,000 in February, a bigger drop than expected. Investors also are awaiting the Federal Reserve's beige book, an assessment of the economy by region, to be released later Wednesday. In early morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 56.95, or 0.85 percent, to 6,782. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 6.41, or 0.92 percent, to 702.74, while the Nasdaq composite index gained 15.92, or 1.21 percent, to 1,336.93.
 
Vanilla Ice Apologizes To World For His Career (VIDEO) Top
Yes, yes, it's a publicity stunt, but I've been waiting a long time for this so don't ruin it for me. Rob Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) apologized for his career and especially for the song "Ice Ice Baby," as part of a marketing campaign for Virgin Mobile Australia's "Right Music Wrongs." "I'm sorry for the hairdos, baggy pants, the scandals, the lies, the gangs. I was young, manipulated and I was a puppet." As Gabe at Videogum points out , his life has been pretty crappy since 1991, so letting him have this moment of "fame" shouldn't make you feel dirty. WATCH: More on Funny Videos
 
Home Foreclosure Rescue Plan Detailed By Treasury, 1 In 5 Homeowners Owe More Than Home Is Worth Top
The guidelines come as a report shows that at least one in five U.S. homeowners who have mortgages-- or about 8.3 million people -- owed more on their homes by the end of 2008 than their homes were worth, according to data released today by First American CoreLogic. More on Housing Crisis
 
Spain's Zapatero Internet Star After Verbal Slip (VIDEO) Top
Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero became a quick internet star yesterday when he accidentally uttered the F word while giving a news conference with Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, Reuters reports. Watch the video below, where Zapatero says "follar," meaning "to f---." Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was outlining a Spanish-Russian plan to promote tourism between the two countries during Medvedev's state visit when the verbal faux pas slipped out. "Tourism is an area of special economic importance in relations between Spain and Russia," said Zapatero, speaking in Spanish. "Therefore we have reached an agreement to stimulate, to favour, to f---." Watch the video here: More on Russia
 
Uglist Cat Ever? Ugly Bat Boy May Take The Prize Top
His chest sports some gnarly locks, but the rest of his skin is bald and rubbery -- with a rat-like tail and a wrinkly face. So no one should be surprised that the dominant query from visitors to the Exeter Animal Hospital in Stratham is "What the heck is that thing?" More on Animals
 
Michael Steele Gets Repeatedly Dissed On Morning Joe (VIDEO) Top
RNC Chair Michael Steele, who's made all of the wrong kinds of news this week after he offered Rush Limbaugh a stooping apology for comments he made on CNN's D.L. Hughley Breaks the News , was the subject of a series of acid-tipped disses on this morning's Morning Joe , after canceling his planned appearance. Led by an unabashedly sharp-tongued Joe Scarborough, Steele was viciously mocked at seemingly every lull in the conversation, as the hosts speculated over whether or not Rush Limbaugh had given Steele a "permission slip" to come on the air. Everyone got in on the act: MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Our thanks to Lawrence O'Donnell, for being on the show this morning. LAWRENCE O'DONNELL: Joe, I just want to apologize to Rush Limbaugh before I leave your show. JOE SCARBOROUGH: Hold on, hold on. You're actually a Democrat, so you don't have to cower in the corner. BRZEZINSKI: You may snicker. O'DONNELL: You know, I once criticized Rush for attacking Michael J. Fox, but the more I think about it, I think Michael deserved it. Scarborough's japes finally culminated in a "Morning Joe Exclusive" interview, which was actually just Scarborough and company yelling over top of Steele's interview with Today 's Matt Lauer. Watch: More on Morning Joe
 

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