Friday, March 27, 2009

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Phil Bronstein: Obama and Clinton on drugs: Just Say No. . . sometimes? Top
Drug wars in Mexico are serious business, but, north of the border, the left hand seems to have forgotten what the right hand is doing. All the way to here in hazy San Francisco. Hey government dudes! (male and female). Give the bong back to Michael Phelps and make up your mind. Hillary Clinton hit Mexico City yesterday and, in the new Obama confessional of personal responsibility, conceded that our "insatiable demand for illegal drugs" is the fuel that gases up the violent trade that's become a corrosive acid on both sides of the migra fence. And that's admitting a lot, given the recent body bag action . How often do you hear big governments and their armies described by the POTUS himself as "brave" for taking on drug cartels? Probably not since the bleached white heights of Colombian cocaine hyperactivity. Only this is much closer to (our) home. Mrs. Clinton, continuing an impressively but surprisingly low-profile promenade around the world's trouble spots, preferred to concentrate on weapons smuggling back and forth, even though it's a lot harder to get gun control through the US Congress than it is drug legislation. (A cranked shout out to Ohio, where the Columbus Dispatch reports that prosecutors are seeking to eliminate some mandatory sentencing for dope offenses, including possession of some related chemicals.) So how to cauterize this transnational wound? Unclear from the secretary of state, other than promising to ship down there some more choppers and night vision goggles, which are probably pretty cool when you're loaded. The demand side went completely unaddressed. Remember: Bill didn't inhale. Maybe she'll resurrect Nancy Reagan's popular and successful "Just Say No" campaign. A slightly easier form of abstinence to sell. Or, at a minimum, she might talk Forbes magazine out of putting Mexican drug emperor Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on its world's richest people list just as a painful reminder. How would we feel if they put Bernie Madoff on theirs? Then there was that inconvenient Congressional withholding of about $200 million in drug counter trafficking funds for Mexico. "There have been lots of different voices from the Obama Administration," the NYTimes quotes Andrew Selee , director of the Mexico institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, as understating. Kind of like all the voices on those old " Firesign Theater " records. Back in the US, things are equally contradictory. Not to confuse medicine with recreation, but the new Attorney General, Mr. Holder, just a week ago said the Administration wouldn't go after medicinal pot distributors (legal ones.) That caused a federal judge in LA to postpone sentencing of a medical marijuana dispensary. Then two days ago, federal drug agents raided Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic on Howard St., even though they had a license from the Public Health Department. The Chronicle's ace reporter, Rachel Gordon, had a government source tell her the bust was about "alleged financial improprieties related to the payment of sales taxes." But wait! The president himself, asked at his virtual town hall Thursday about legalizing pot as a way to help our current money crisis , said he didn't think that good citizens growing weed and giving the government a bud or two worth as a levy "is a good strategy to grow our economy." So they're busting pot clubs for not paying taxes, don't want to tax pot otherwise and meanwhile five-foot-tall El Chapo ("Shorty") is the 701st richest man in the world. The Seattle Weekly says , "Maybe Shorty Can Help with Our Budget Deficit." Exhale. For more, read Bronstein at Large . More on Mexico's Drug War
 
Susan Kaiser Greenland: I Confess! I Tweet! Top
Why would anyone who teaches mindful awareness to kids and families tweet? Isn't Twitter the height of mindlessness embodied in an endless stream of random and reactive virtual chatter known as tweets? By churning up mental noise, rather than quieting it down, isn't Twitter the opposite of mindfulness? Just in case there's anyone reading this post that still associates tweeting with tiny birds let me backtrack a bit. Twitter is an outrageously popular social networking website where users post short messages called tweets. Think of a tweet as a micro-mini blog limited to 140 characters. A Tweetor is someone who has a Twitter account and posts tweets. To automatically receive every last one of a particular Tweetor's tweets just follow her. The number of followers a Tweetor has is a sign of online popularity or validation, so often a Tweetor's real-life friends will follow her just to show support. Sound inane and sophomoric? You bet. So how did this seemingly dopey venture attract $55 million in funding and 9.8 million unique visitors in February alone? Looking past the quite modern aspects of online twittering there is something rather sweet and retro about the whole thing. Twitter is, in many respects, a call back to sewing circles, ice-cream socials, and mixers. These old-fashioned social events of yesteryear were primarily about making friends, having interesting conversations, and learning something new. Not so different from Twitter's mission to: "be a way for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected." At it's best Twitter is exactly what it sets out to be. For instance, I pick up odd bits of useful information on my Twitter feed. Tweets (or retweets) from colleagues that link to articles are usually worthwhile. I've gotten tweets from friends that have made me laugh out loud and others that read like poetry. A tweet about the uber-trendy presentation technique called Pecha Kucha (Japanesse for chatter) has changed the way I give public talks. Like mining for gold, there's a wealth of wisdom and untapped natural resources buried in the seeming chaos of Twitterdom, just waiting for you to tap into. How? The same way you tap into them in conversation -- by listening, reflecting and speaking with care. * Start by reading rather than tweeting. Spend some time reading other people's tweets to get a feeling for the Twitter landscape. To find other like-minded Tweetors, visit the Twitter tag gallery and type one of your interests into the search box. Voila! Up pops links to other users who tagged themselves as interested in the same thing. Read their tweets and you'll find that, just as in real-life, there are Tweetors you like and others that bug you. Figure out what inspires you to click on the link to follow someone else and you're ready to start tweeting yourself. * Be lean in your tweets. By design, Twitter keeps tweets lean by limiting their size. But being lean in your tweets goes beyond word count to the number of times you tweet each day and what you tweet about. It's safe to assume that no one (with the possible exception of your mom) is interested in every bit of minutiae that makes up your life. A couple of interesting observations, artfully rendered, once or twice a day, is plenty. More than that and you risk falling prey to the common Twitter custom of un-following anyone who tweets more than 5 times a day. * Tweet what you know. For Twitter to be anything other than a time-suck, the process needs to be meaningful for both you and your followers. Tweet about things that resonate with you and you'll attract like-minded followers. Follow those whose voices resonate with you and you'll learn something from what they have to tweet. My perspective might be slightly different from the conventional wisdom, but it works for me. Sure twittering can be a distraction and a time-suck but it doesn't have to be. If you're smart about who you follow, and attract smart followers, it can save time by expanding your knowledge base. Sure most of the tweets in Twitterdom are inane - but that can be true in conversation too. If you choose your friends wisely, both real and virtual, you probably won't be inundated with mindless chatter. But if you are, silencing the virtual chatter is just a mouse-click away - a significant advantage that Twitter has over real-life. More on Twitter
 
Fern Siegel: Stage Door: God of Carnage, West Side Story Top
There is a new fab four - Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden - and they light up the stage each night. Their collective performance in God of Carnage is spectacular. And it's a sobering reminder that beneath the veneer of civilization, we are all driven by baser, primal instincts. Now playing at the Bernard Jacobs Theater, God of Carnage , the latest play from Yasmina Reza, is a textured musing on the nature of marriage, family and self-preservation. Reza, author of the award-winning Art , beautifully assisted by director Matthew Warchus, posits a simple scenario with catastrophic results. Two affluent Brooklyn couples meet to discuss a fight between their kids. They hope to settle the problem as cordially as possible. Instead, the quad de-evolves into a pugnacious marathon, neatly balanced between comedy and tragedy. Reza is a master at creating and Warchus at staging the architecture of betrayal and the contradictions of human nature. We strive, we fail. We rise again - only to do damage to ourselves and others. Echoing these themes are Alan (Jeff Daniels), an arrogant lawyer defending a nasty pharmaceutical company; his wife Annette (Hope Davis), a wealth manager with a weak constitution; Michael, a seemingly genial wholesaler (James Gandolfini); and his wife Veronica (Marcia Gay Harden), an arty writer obsessed with Africa. Veronica, the fiery center that holds the drama together, appears the most well-intentioned of the four. Though her son was injured in the fight, she's eager to repair the damage. She wants the other boy to apologize. But the play's essence is that good intentions often give way to a visceral dog-eat-dog clash. Husbands turn on wives, wives on husbands, brief alliances are formed - and discarded. It's full-front attack time; in the end, the four come to realize they are on their own. But getting there means smashing furniture, pretensions and each other - and it's a joy to behold. Reza's script is sharp, witty and economical, and Warchus mines fantastic performances from his crew. Daniels, a slick enforcer wedded to his cell phone, begins as indifferent and ends in a heap. He hits his bulls-eye, a terrific counterweight to Harden's lofty aims. Davis plays wounded, apologetic and smug with élan, while Gandolfini injects his role with raw power. Watch him blow dry a cell phone to see what great stage work means. Finally, a dynamic Harden rides an emotional roller coaster; with every dip and turn, she reveals all the layers and ironies of urbane society. When she wrestles Gandolfini for a rum bottle, the wordless act speaks volumes. Set in one room with red walls, God of Carnage leaves its ensemble bowed and bloody - and its audience jumping to their feet. Another crowd-pleaser, a tried-and-true masterpiece, is West Side Story . A bulletproof score, it can be staged in summer camp or on Broadway - and it never fails. In the current revival, Arthur Laurents, who wrote the original book and directs, has scored a triumph. Adding Spanish to the dialogue smartly kicks up the realism of this stylized show. But what makes this production at the Palace Theater so compelling - it's stripped down to essentials. Lean sets and nuanced lighting underscore the musical's real thrust: a story of sexual obsession. Two teenagers Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) and Maria (Josefina Scaglione) meet at a dance and the erotic spark between them will ultimately inflame their world. That world, New York's Hell's Kitchen in the early Sixties is a gritty, dangerous one. Two rival street gangs - The Jets, led by Riff (Cody Green), and The Sharks, led by Bernardo (George Akram) - compete for a tiny piece of turf. Here, on the mean streets, the musical hits operatic heights as the characters battle assimilation, prejudice, desire and death. West Side Story is really two stories that dovetail - the transgressive love affair between Tony and Maria and the war between the gangs. What's immensely satisfying is that it's told via Jerome Robbins' stunning choreography, elegantly reproduced by Joey McKneely, and Bernstein's luscious music. The songs and lyrics not only propel the action, several - "America" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" - are brilliant pieces of social commentary. Best of all, the cast is roundly excellent. As Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita (an amazing Karen Olivo) has sass, attitude and pride. Scaglione's Maria is a study in contrasts - the sweet, virginal girl hides a steely heart. In this production, Maria's betrayal is potent; she embraces Tony even after he's killed Bernardo. Nothing has changed script-wise; Scaglione's multilayered performance, coupled with her gifted singing talents, gives Maria real depth. Cavenaugh's Tony is also a successful study in contrasts; desire will prove his undoing, but his performance rings true. Together, they make magic. In fact, the entire cast - from Action (a frighteningly effective Curtis Holbrook) to even the small comic role of Glad Hand (Michael Mastro) - hits the right note. Remounting West Side Story is an ambitious undertaking that is long overdue. Every song, every movement, explains why this is a uniquely American classic. Audiences could see this musical 100 years from now - and it would still be perfect.
 
Keith Blanchard: All Together Now: We're All Very, Very Sorry (The Remix) Top
Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. 1 I let my family down, and I let this country down. 2 I am actually grateful for this opportunity to publicly comment about my crimes, for which I am deeply sorry and ashamed. 3 I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better. 4 For most of my life, I've been a football player, not a public speaker, so, you know, I really don't know, you know, how to say what I really want to say. 5 I got heckled, and I took it badly, and I went into a rage. 6 I operated a Ponzi scheme through the investment advisory side of my business. 3 I did take a banned substance. 7 I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate--in fact, it was wrong. 2 I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. 8 It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. 9 Dogfighting is a terrible thing. 5 I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way. 10 I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. 11 For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. 6 Not for one second will I sit right here and point the finger and try to blame anybody else for my actions. 5 As I engaged in my fraud, I knew what I was doing was wrong, indeed criminal. 3 I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. 11 My cousin would administer it to me, but neither of us knew how to use it properly, proving just how ignorant we both were. 7 I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events. 2 I'm going to be honest with you, the last 15 months have been very, very tough. I've been through divorce, I've been through tabloids, you name it. I miss playing baseball. 7 I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person. 1 I need to grow up. 5 My family and my faith will guide me through my life's journey. 8 I am disappointed not to live up to the standard I set for myself. 4 And if I'm more disappointed with myself than anything it's because of all the young people, young kids that I've let down. 5 I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this! 6 In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! 8 Thoughtless and stupid. 9 I'm here to take my medicine. 7 And I'm determined never to let anything like that happen again. 2 I'm really busted up over this and I'm very very sorry. 6 While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say. 1 1 Chris Brown http://celebglitz.com/36408/Rihanna/chris-brown-apology-over-rihanna-assault.aspx 2 Bill Clinton http://www.perfectapology.com/clinton-apology-quotes.html 3 Bernie Madoff http://news.hereisthecity.com/news/business_news/8853.cntns 4 Eliot Spitzer http://gawker.com/5003644/spitzers-apology 5 Michael Vick http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2993103 6 Michael Richards http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,230727,00.html 7 Alex Rodriguez http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090217&content_id=3840704 8 Miley Cyrus http://www.celebuzz.com/miley-cyrus-reacts-photo-says-s83411/ and http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20195785,00.html 9 Don Imus http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/arts/television/07imus.html 10 Michael Phelps http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/02/phelps-says-he-is-sorry-for-his-marijuana-use/ 11 Mel Gibson http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14080210/
 
Fortune 's Stanley Bing: Too many shorts kill the dead cat Top
We're not going to recover as a economy if there are so many shorts in the market. The whole system is now basically being run by people who are betting against the rest of us. This means that every time hope begins to bubble up and good, solid, honest, positive investors start seeing a little bit of light at the end of the funnel of doom, the shorts run in and lay a tiny little turd in the punchbowl. They're bummers. I kind of reached my limit the other day when the market was feeling good about itself and Mr. Tim Geithner, who had suddenly mutated from Goat of the Month to My Hero status. Amazing how fast those things turn these days, isn't it? Anyway, the Dow was up, like, 400 points, and I called up our investor relations guy and said, hey, this is pretty great, huh? And he said, well, yes it is, for sure, but a lot of the analysts out there just think it's a dead cat bounce. And I said, "huh?" and he explained to me what a dead cat bounce was. Apparently, it's a phrase of some longevity, even though honestly I never heard it before. You can tell what it means. Like, you think the cat is alive and well and jumping around, but in actually the cat is dead and even a dead cat bounces, and that's what the market is doing when people invest in their belief that some companies might be worth more than 10% of their 2008 value. The thing is, there's no upside for the dead cat people if the cat is still alive. And they're the ones who are driving the Street around the bend right now. How are we supposed to do better if the only financial upside for so many people is if we do worse? There are plenty of other things that the shorts could be doing. They could be salting the fields of farmers trying to grow next year's wheat crop, or releasing toxic nuclear waste into the ocean. I suggest they get busy with these kinds of activities and get out of our collective economic face.
 
Real-Life Iranian Slumdog Millionaire Dies Top
Years of scrounging and vagrancy on the streets of Shahr-e Kord in western Iran meant that Talat Habibian was never anything more than a local beggar to his neighbours. More on Slumdog Millionaire
 
Derek Beres: The Long Tale of Publishing: One Sale at a Time Top
"I have to tell you," the clerk said, leaning over the counter like he was about to whisper a secret, "That's a print-on-demand title. That means it could take two weeks to arrive." He then asked me if I still wanted to place a special order for it; I replied affirmatively. True, I could have ordered it online. I didn't expect to find a book on the nautical history of Newark Bay on the shelves. Yet the way I support small bookstores is by special ordering through them, so that they can profit from the sale, too, which is why this entire exchange surprised me. Here I was, in one of New York's best independent booksellers, and their staff was effectively talking me out of a purchase because it was POD. Truth is, it didn't surprise me that much: the perception of POD clings to its "Vanity Press" roots, even though the technology and means of distribution -- not to mention the freedom it offers authors -- have evolved significantly. I deal with it all the time as co-founder of a small company called Outside the Box Publishing , which utilizes POD. While in the music industry being an "independent" artist -- producing, releasing, and distributing your own albums -- is now viewed as a sign of integrity and strength (and often supported simply because the artist is "indie"), in accordance with the antiquated publishing model it is treated as a weakness, of having given up or of never having had "it" to begin with. This, too, doesn't surprise. While at McNally Jackson that evening, I picked up the March issue of Harper's , due to the cover story: "The Last Book Party: Publishing Drinks to Life After Death," by critic Gideon Lewis-Kraus. There have been numerous articles of late regarding the shift in publishing, as well as the uncertain nature of e-books, Kindle, and print-on-demand technology. These meditations on the future of publishing are also pointing toward a similar long tail as is befalling the music industry: less million sellers, more ten thousand sellers. This, in my eyes, is a very good thing. Books are not like music, however, in that music can be listened to and consumed in many and varied manners: in iPod buds while commuting, as background noise at work or home, in clubs, as an object of study and devotion. There are innumerable means to enjoying sound. Books are an investment of another sort. You can listen to ten albums in a day, but most likely you cannot read ten (or even two) books in that time frame. For some, a book can mean a month. Thus, the purchasing power of books is much more limited, in some ways making it an even more cutthroat industry than that of music. And, it should be added: dated. That's the sense one gets reading Lewis-Kraus's partly enlightening, predominantly pedantic and self-involved story. Perhaps it was my expectations that were amiss. I was hoping to read something new or important about publishing; instead I was fed the expectable drivel we can only hope to evolve from: more self-involved men and women trying to maintain their grips on this industry by coveting the likes of Paulo Coelho and Lauren Weisberger. The article was written in the tone of a dirge, though by obsessing on every character's apparel choice and the author's mission of outdoing NY Times reporter Motoko Rich at every turn, it read like any plain gossip column. I suppose we should expect nothing less; I would only hope for more from the bookstore clerk who, instead of feeding the illusion, helped to correct it. I understand the pitfalls from both a business standpoint and on an emotional, artistic level. For one, the in-between companies that utilize this technology, like iUniverse and Outskirts Press, charge outlandish rates for services and handcuff writers with very limited options. This is why I learned book layout, graphic and print design, and web design, to cut out that in-between. This gives me the option of allowing "returns" on my orders, which POD companies do not offer. (Bookstores will not shelve books that cannot be returned, due to a tax law that prohibits them from using inventory as write-offs, once a common practice.) I print with the same company that these and many other POD companies use without the hassle of dealing with them -- and with much more freedom, creatively and economically, for my company. I've read many a frustrated report from authors who used such companies and felt shackled, with little or no money in the surplus column to show for it. Like any industry, however, self-empowerment is essential. A very common perspective I've come across is that authors should be compensated, and well, for their writings. At first reading, of course I'd want the same. Yet I have to face the paradigms shift in publishing. Involved in magazine freelancing and editing for fifteen years, I've had to adapt and evolve with the times. Most of the print magazines I've written for no longer exist; even a few of the paying online sites are gone (or their budgets are). I feel fortunate in that I do get paid on a weekly basis to blog, yet these rates pale in comparison to what I once brought in. My income is mainly derived from teaching yoga, as well as supported by my endeavors in music producing, DJing, lecturing, and event production. The completely self-supporting author is rare indeed, although that lifestyle is still possible. Even the writers I know who live from the fruits of that occupation have had to evolve, blogging for free to spread awareness of their work, and producing multi-media events where music, yoga, video, and other arts become living testaments to the words on their page. Publishing cannot remain an industry removed from the rest of the arts, as it has been treated at times in the past. While all things do change, some remain very familiar. The challenge today for writers continues to be in the marketing: creating a "buzz" about the book. Technology's ease of use doesn't make it infallible. In fact, it opens the door for more mediocrity than ever. But what it also does is widen the ability to engage in dialogues with an ever-broadening range of people. It empowers those who are unafraid to express their creativity, whether or not they are writing a "hit" book, however slowly a process that may be. What I've learned (and am constantly relearning) is that in this realm books are sold one at a time. I wouldn't expect Harper's critics to understand that quite yet. For now, I can only hope that independent booksellers come around, and support the efforts of the too often romanticized "indie" author who happens to use the latest technologies in their craft, one sale at a time.
 
Henry Blodget: Why Does this Man Still Have His Job Top
Yesterday, on The Business Insider , we noted the appalling fact that the head of AIG's risk management team still has his job . Today, the WSJ follows up by noting that the WHOLE AIG RISK MANAGEMENT TEAM still has their jobs. The apparently incompetent overseer of Citigroup's risk-management group got an $8 million retention bonus last year. And so on. So much for the myth of accountability. Firing, as Leona Helmsley might have said, is for the little people. In today's American capitalism, as long as you get high enough in the machine to dole out huge helpings of stock, cash, and favors to friends who might make trouble for you, you can survive just about anything. No one symbolizes this cancerous trend more than Ken Lewis, the CEO of Bank of America. Ken Lewis may be an excellent banker. He may be the pillar of his community. He may be a kind, considerate, and fair boss who is admired by his troops. He may, generally, be a real asset to his company. But Ken Lewis just screwed up. Massively. Ken Lewis screwed up so massively that he singlehandedly demolished at least half of the value his shareholders' spent decades accumulating -- through a knee-jerk decision last fall to buy the sinking super-tanker known as Merrill Lynch. Six months ago, in one tense weekend, Ken Lewis let himself get duped into thinking that if he didn't bid now and bid high for an imploding Merrill, he'd lose the prize he'd had his eyes on for years. Knowing full well what was on the line, he pulled the trigger. And he damn near sent his own firm spiraling with Merrill to the bottom of the sea. Six months later, even after a major bank stock rally, Bank of America's stock trades for $7.50, less than half of what it would likely have fetched if Ken Lewis hadn't made that disaster of a decision. If you made a mistake half as devastating as the one Ken Lewis made, you'd have packed your bags long ago. You wouldn't have subjected your boss to the guilt and awkwardness of having to fire you. You would have accepted responsibility and resigned. But Ken Lewis still has his job! We do need to make changes to our economic system. We need regulatory changes, we need attitude changes, and we need rule changes. But most importantly, we need accountability. We need the folks who make important decisions to take responsibility for those decisions -- and when they make monumentally destructive ones, to resign. Not because they will be forced out if they don't (which they must be), but because it's the right thing to do. Until we do that, the whole system will remain infected with the rot that destroyed AIG: An incentive structure that can be summarized as "Heads we win, and tails we win, too." A system like that is no way to run a vibrant economy. See Also: AIG Wife: We Were Betrayed! More on Bank Of America
 
'Pink Panther' Gang Jewel Thief Arrested: Interpol Top
PARIS — Police in Cyprus have arrested a man from Montenegro believed to belong to a gang of international jewel thieves dubbed the Pink Panthers that is suspected of carrying out high-profile thefts around the globe, the international police organization Interpol said Friday. Rifat Hadziahmetovic of Montenegro was arrested March 18 while traveling on a forged Bulgarian passport as he tried to enter Larnaca airport in Cyprus, Cypriot police said. The Pink Panthers are believed to be mainly from countries in the Balkans. They are the prime suspects in a series of brazen jewel thefts worth over $150 million over the past decade in Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf. Hadziahmetovic was arrested on charges of alleged involvement in a 2008 robbery on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Interpol said in a statement from its headquarters in Lyon, France. Hadziahmetovic appeared in a Cypriot court Friday, Cypriot police spokesman Christos Andreou said. His detention in jail was extended until March 31 when he will appear in court for the start of extradition proceedings to Spain. "This arrest is yet again an example of the results which can be achieved by law enforcement around the world sharing information through Interpol which can then be followed up by police on the ground," said Interpol's executive director of police services, Jean-Michel Louboutin, in a statement. Louboutin commended the work of Cypriot police and said that Hadziahmetovic has been identified from his fingerprints. His original detention was for traveling on fake documents. A follow up from Cypriot police with Interpol led to the formal arrest for robbery.
 
Robert Naiman: Obama Narrows Afghan Goals - And Leaves Them Wide Top
A progressive Congressional staffer once told me: "The first rule of Congress is - if you have the opportunity to vote both ways on the same issue, do it." In "narrowing" the goals for the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, President Obama appears to have obeyed the first rule of Congress. In his speech on Afghanistan, Obama had it both ways. He asserted that "we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future" and that "we are not in Afghanistan to control that country or to dictate its future." At the same time he struck out against an assumed threat of a "return to Taliban rule," and insisted that al Qaeda terrorists "would accompany the core Taliban leadership," which arguably implies that the set of U.S. goals may not have narrowed very much, and that the U.S. is indeed still trying to control Afghanistan and dictate its future. It's a shame. He could have made a different choice. He could still make a different choice. And, I suspect, he will, eventually, be compelled to make a different choice. The real question, I suspect, is how long it will be before he is compelled to make a different choice, and how many Americans and Afghans will die for no reason in the meantime. Just as the Obama Administration has finally been compelled to admit that there is no way out of the US financial crisis without the temporary nationalization of big financial institutions, so too the Obama Administration will eventually be compelled to admit that there is no way out of Afghanistan that does not pass through peace talks between the Afghan government and leaders of Afghanistan's insurgencies. How many will die in the meantime? By posing the alternatives as whatever the U.S. is doing versus a "return to Taliban rule," President Obama excluded other possibilities, such as political negotiations to include the political forces backing Afghanistan's insurgencies in a national unity government, just as Hizbullah joined a national unity government in Lebanon, just as the President of Somalia today was formerly a member of the Islamist opposition. Both of these developments were the result of negotiation; both have been accepted by the U.S.; both were reversals of previous U.S. policy. By insisting that al Qaeda is inseparable from the "core Taliban leadership," Obama excluded the possibility that in the right circumstances, the "core Taliban leadership" could be separated from al Qaeda. Reasonable, informed people can and do disagree on how likely the prospects of these alternatives would be if they were seriously pursued. But why should an assertion that they are impossible form the basis of U.S. policy? One logical argument for doing so would be that some people in the U.S. government have goals in Afghanistan that they don't want to state, for example, like establishing a permanent military presence in the country, and fear that real peace negotiations in Afghanistan might put these questions on the table. But if it's the goal of some people in the U.S. government to establish a permanent military presence in Afghanistan, Americans (not to mention Afghans) have a right to know this and debate it. So far the issue has barely been raised. In the case of Iraq, Members of Congress raised demands for "no permanent military bases" and "a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces," which helped force the Bush Administration to defend its long-term vision for the U.S. military presence in the country, a process that eventually resulted in a signed agreement establishing a timetable for U.S. withdrawal. Reps. Lee, Waters, and Woolsey have written to President Obama demanding a "timeline" for "redeployment." This is an important first step. Other Members of Congress should step up to the plate. More on Barack Obama
 
Madoff Liquidator Has $2.6 Billion, Enough To Pay Back "Legitimate Claims" Top
March 27 (Bloomberg) -- The agency liquidating Bernard Madoff's brokerage says the $2.6 billion it has on hand is enough to satisfy all legitimate claims by victims of the money manager's $65 billion Ponzi scheme. The Securities Investor Protection Corp. is using a formula that investors may challenge in court. The agency has the money in an industry-financed fund and from recovered assets to reimburse Madoff's 5,000 customers to the maximum allowed by its charter, Stephen Harbeck, SIPC president, said in an interview. More on Bernard Madoff
 
Michelle Obama To Deliver Two Commencement Addresses This Spring Top
The White House has just announced that Michelle Obama will be speaking at two graduations this spring. The first will be on May 16th at the University of California, Merced, and the second at the Washington Math and Science Technical High School on June 3rd. From the White House press release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Office of the First Lady announced today that First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as commencement speaker at two graduations this year. Mrs. Obama will give the commencement speech to high school graduates of Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter, in Washington D.C. She will also deliver the commencement speech to University of California, Merced's first full senior class - the University opened in 2005. UC Merced students actively sought out the First Lady as commencement speaker by writing letters to Mrs. Obama, her office, and her friends and family. Mrs. Obama will address graduates, family members, and faculty at Washington Math and Science Technical High School on June 3, 2009, and the University of California, Merced on May 16, 2009. More details will be announced at a later date. More on Michelle Obama
 
Bennet Kelley: The "S" Word and a Bankrupt GOP Top
One of the funnier moments of the 2008 campaign was the tongue lashing right wing talk show host Kevin James received from Chris Matthews for comparing then Senator Obama's willingness to negotiate with our rivals to pre-World War II appeasement of Hitler when it was evident that James had absolutely no clue about that era. If only Matthews could speak to the rest of the far right who are equally clueless about their new smear word of choice -- socialist. The word echoes amongst Republicans in Washington, while National Review , the leading magazine of "conservative thought," ran a cover story on "Our Socialist Future" warning that Obama would lead the nation to European-styled socialism without ever bothering to explain how Obama's policies were socialist. A simple visit to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary would reveal that Obama's policies have nothing to do with socialism , which is defined as a political theory advocating collective or governmental ownership of the means of production; a society in which there is no private property or the transition stage between capitalism and communism under Marxist theory. Michelle Bachmann, the enlightened Congresswoman who called for an investigation of Obama's and Democratic members of Congress' anti-American bias, recently shed light on what the flat earth society is talking about in their recitation of the "S" word. According to Bachman, "if you look at FDR, LBJ, and Barack Obama, this is really the final leap to socialism." So socialism to the right means New Deal and Great Society programs such as (i) Social Security which reduces poverty among seniors by 75 percent, (ii) Medicare which has increased seniors' access to health care and life expectancy; (iii) Medicaid which provides health care for half of the nation's low-income children and 60 percent of nursing home residents; and (iv) Head Start which increases the likelihood a low-income child will pursue college and not crime. This is the red menace that the right is fighting against in order to return us to the days of laissez faire capitalism that gave us the Great Depression and Hoovervilles. Bachmann's next statement explained the true reason for the mass invocations of the "S" word, which is that Republicans "need to do everything we can to thwart [Democrats] at every turn to make sure that they aren't able to . . . secure a power base that for all time can never be defeated." Bachman's statement demonstrates that Republicans are motivated by politics not policy and they are prepared to call the President every name in the book -- the "S" word just happens to be the smear word of the hour We saw the same thing in 1994 when Republicans, who had initially been inclined to work with the President Clinton in passing health care reform, instead followed the advice of William Kristol to reject the Clinton plan "sight unseen" and kill whatever plan was devised (including abandoning Republican alternatives) because it would revive the Democrats reputation as "the generous protector of middle-class interests" and thereby presented a "serious political threat to the Republican party; [while its defeat would be] a monumental setback for the President." One Republican Senator conceded to President Clinton that "we just don't believe in government very much, but we love power." Power and politics trump policy and progress regardless of the costs. It matters little that 18,000 people die prematurely each year due to lack of health insurance, as that is mere collateral damage. Kristol again is calling for Republicans to "obstruct and delay" because they cannot win politically. This time the stakes are much higher, but "Party First, Country Second," remains the creed of the GOP. So despite the fact that we stand on a financial precipice or that President Obama's stimulus plan included the largest tax cut in history, it was opposed by all but three Republicans. While Republicans may think the "S" word is their magic weapon in stopping President Obama's momentum, they fail to recognize that the 2008 election was a mandate for more government. Republicans already are paying a steep price for their hyperbolic distortions and obstructionism since it exposes the fact that they are ideologically bankrupt and have nothing else to offer. For example, a Google search of "Republicans" and "bankrupt" yields 4.8 million hits - substantially more than the results for "Obama" and "socialist." That may explain why Congressional Democrats have a 27 point favorability advantage over their GOP counterparts. If the Republicans continue in this course, they may be using another "S" word on election night 2010 when they discover that Chris Matthews was gentle when compared to an angry electorate tired of Republican obstructionism. (See the accompanying PowerPoint slides .) More on Michele Bachmann
 
Consumer Advocates Decry Consumer Protection Bill Top
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, chairman of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit subcommittee, portrays himself in press releases as a staunch protector of the common man in the face of fierce lobbying by big business. The Illinois Democrat announced on May 11 that despite "industry pressure to reduce consumer protections," he'd "redoubled his efforts to enact legislation that would restrict unscrupulous payday lending practices." Gutierrez's Payday Loan Reform Act would toughen consumer protections in 23 states, "much to the frustration of the payday lending industry." A proposed interest and fee cap would improve those laws "despite bitter complaints from the payday industry that the proposed caps are too low." For good measure, appended to Gutierrez's May 6 pronouncement of consumer advocacy is a statement from Lynn DeVault, president of the Community Financial Services Association, an industry trade group, declining to support the legislation. So if the payday lending industry hates it so much, why do consumer advocates refer to Gutierrez's bill as the "Payday Lender Protection Act"? On March 25, no fewer than ten consumer advocacy groups sent a letter ( PDF ) to the full House decrying the bill. Their missive notes that while this legislation shares the title of a failed measure Gutierrez had championed in the previous Congress, the groups could not support the new version because "by contrast, [it] essentially condones the predatory payday loan business model and will stall or stop the significant progress that has been made at the state level to curb usurious lending." The bill, advocates say, "provides Congressional approval to payday loans at rates of 390 percent APR for two weeks or 780 percent APR for one week." The bill's cap of fifteen cents per dollar loaned authorizes lenders to charge $60 for a typical $400 loan, the letter says. "This means that, for the typical borrower with nine loans per year, [the bill] authorizes lenders to collect $540 in finance charges for a $400 loan taken out over an 18-week period." Jean Ann Fox, director of financial services for the Consumer Federal of America, tells the Huffington Post that advocates want a bill that provides three things: a 36 percent interest rate cap on payday lending, longer terms for repaying the loans, and a requirement that lenders perform credit checks on borrowers. Fox notes that President Obama has long advocated extending to all Americans a 36 percent rate cap on loans to military personnel borrowers. Via a spokeswoman, Gutierrez sent a statement to the Huffington Post expressing bafflement at the consumer groups' opposition to his bill. "I cannot imagine that any advocate of consumer protections is comfortable with the status quo," the congressman writes. "[I]n 23 states, borrowers have no protections from abusive payday lenders. That is simply unacceptable, and my bill is the only bill on the table that combats this crisis in a way that is, at the same time, realistic and prohibitive of unscrupulous lending practices." Ed Mierzwinksi, consumer program director at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), says Gutierrez seems to be trying to split the difference between an ideal bill and a passable bill. "I think he wanted to get a bill that he could pass," says Mierzwinski, who expects U.S. PIRG will have a positive relationship with Gutierrez down the road. But for now, "we want to make it clear to him that it does not have our support." Gutierrez says the 36 percent rate cap of an ideal bill is indeed out of reach. "[T]he fact is that we don't have the votes to pass a 36% rate cap now for all of the consumers who deserve it," the congressman writes. "As it stands, the payday lending industry will in fact lose substantial profits if my bill passes, but consumers in the 23 states with weak or no payday lending rules will be shielded from entering a spiral of debt, simply for seeking the money they need in an emergency." The subcommittee will hold a hearing on the bill on April 2.
 
Limbaugh: Hillary Is "Twice The Man" That Obama Is Top
It's Friday, so why not check out what's happening on talk radio? Oh, here's Rush Limbaugh, passing on the opportunity to offer any substantive critique of, say, the White House's Afghanistan policy or something, to instead offer up one of his patented dinner theatre routines: "Hillary Clinton is a Mannish Lesbian." Ridiculing Clinton for the work she's undertaken thus far at State, Limbaugh bleats: "The scary thing is that she is TWICE the man OBAMA is." This is all part of Michael Steele's secret hip-hop ninja inside-the-tent Pack Rat strategy, I'm sure, don't worry. Get HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on Barack Obama
 
Jill Brooke: Does Cindy Crawford's 9-Year-Old Son Think His Mom's Nude Pictures are as Fab as Everyone Else? Top
Let's just start by saying that I think Cindy Crawford is a beautiful woman whose nude shots in Allure magazine are more than alluring. Yes, they do affirm that a firm body is feasible for some of us forty-plus types and that is fabulous. But what I'm lathered up about -- obviously more than her -- is that I can't help thinking that maybe her 9-year-old son Presley won't think these shots are as fabulous. I only say this because I have a young son at home and this year he is of the age where even the slightest slip of a nightgown causes embarrassment and shrieks of "Mom, cover up." Unlike his father, who can walk around the house naked with impunity, I no longer can get dressed with our bedroom door open as I have for years or shower without giving my son advance warning before he wanders into our room. And lately he'll protest if I happen to walk into his room while he's changing, though as I remind him, I've seen him undressed from the time he came out of me. But his reactions are also very normal . A few years ago I asked my colleague, Dr. Ava Siegler, at what point can I no longer be naked in front of my son since coming from a European family, I'm pretty relaxed about it at home. Her wise advice after 30 years of practice was, "he'll let you know." And this year he has. Which brings me back to thinking about Presley Gerber, Crawford's son as well as her daughter Kaia. I asked my baseball loving, football throwing, tennis fanatic son what he thought of a Mom posing naked to show that beauty is possible at all ages. "If I was her son, it would embarrass me and make me feel my Mom doesn't care about anything," he said. "She's nude to people that she doesn't even know. Isn't that cheating on his Dad?" When I pointed out that the human body is nothing to be ashamed of, he reminded me of how I had told him that "private parts are supposed to be seen only privately." Oops, I did say that. I didn't bother saying that I'm sure that Crawford's husband Rande Gerber is getting countless high fives that his wife is hotter than a lava pouring volcano and that everyone else most likely sees nothing wrong with it. But who really matters? My son then added another point worth mentioning. "Didn't she think of how embarrassing it will be when her son's friends see his Mom nude on YouTube, because you know they will," he said. "People will make fun of him and say, "Ooh, I saw your Mom on my Facebook page and that's just not right." I'm having trouble with this one and hope you out there can help me. On one side, I did feel for Crawford's son when I saw the picture and then I thought of how totally appropriate Kate Winslet's nude scenes were in The Reader and how I didn't flinch or think of what her son -- Joe is five years old -- would think. Furthermore, does this make me a prude, something I don't think I am. I'm trying to figure this out. Trust me, this is not jealousy over Crawford's fab bod since I am part of the cougar contingent. At last, for the first time in history, thanks to exercise, nutrition and science, women look so good that it's hard to decipher whether they are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. And we still have the wisdom from experience unlike our younger counterparts, which makes us more alluring, smart, confident, fun and comfortable with our bodies. However, I'm sexy because it makes me feel good and as a result my husband benefits too. But call me old-fashioned, I still think there has to be boundaries since I am also the mother to three children. Maybe in fairness, since I am not an actress or model, I'm not looking at it as an expression of art; I'm just thinking of the expression on my son's face if I posed naked. And I'm not doubting that Crawford isn't a loving parent. Basically what I think I'm saying is that I don't want to be a MILF if it ever hurts or embarrasses my son. I'd rather be a MILK -- someone his friends say is a Mom I'd Like To Know.
 
Osama Bin Laden Resurfaces In Congressional Race (VIDEO) Top
The National Republican Congressional Committee is poised to release a new ad for their man in the race to fill a vacant House seat in New York. The ad, titled "National Tragedy," beats up on Democratic candidate Scott Murphy for refusing to say he'd advocate the death penalty for the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The spot begins with the words "September 11, 2001." As audio plays of Murphy giving a somewhat mealy-mouthed response to the death penalty prompt, the ad shows a series of terrorist mugshots culminating with a smiling Osama bin Laden. The ad comes on the same day a new poll showed that Republican Jim Tedisco's steadily-dwindling lead among likely voters had become a four-point deficit . Poll respondents said they viewed the Tedisco campaign as "more negative" than his opponent's.
 
Hal Sparks: The Hoover Dems Are Breaking... Top
The new coalition of "conservadems" have decided that less than 3 months into Democratic control of the government that they have had enough. They have towed Obama's barge and carry his water far enough! I mean, What do you expect? It's been nearly seven weeks and aside from the stock market going up, first time home sales rising and a 68% approval rating... things are still horrible! Egads! (Clearly their leader Evan Bayh took the shock that he was not going to be VP a lot harder than we knew.) And this is a serious group of Democrats by the way! I mean Joe Lieberman is one. Y'know the guy who sided with Bush, spoke at the RNC and sh*t-talked Obama every chance he got until 3 days after election day. This is a seriously principled group! To make sure we new they were bubbling over with principles, they released a press release that they distributed as a WaPo Op-ed. It was meant to reassure Democratic voters and people in the blogosphere who would surely misconstrue their purpose, and view them as hostile, simply because they appear to want to jump up and down on any significant change until it stops moving or taps out. One of the funnier things about them, and by funny I mean aimless and depressing, was that the Op-ed they penned in the Washington Post is called...get this... Building Bridges On The Hill ...let's not even get into the idiotic metaphor. (...Okay.. let's...You build bridges between hills. Not on them. Right? That's like "Islands in the sand" or "holes in the ocean"... the kind of dumb metaphors that make for great Seventies Gold Hits but make for... er.. stupid Op-ed titles.) You'd think after 8 years of things called "The Patriot Act" and "No Child Left Behind" they would know that we have figured out the "Call it what it ain't" PR ploy by now, but..um..no. Here's the first memorable quote... after they spend 2 small paragraphs telling us not to worry, that they split with the rest of the Dems and Obama to... Help!... they say... These are titanic and complicated tasks, and we believe that many worthwhile policy solutions can be found in the practical center "Practical Center" aside..they actually have the gall to use the word " TITANIC " when describing the presidents plans. What?!? Titanic! That's cute. Guess what? That makes you the iceberg! They wrap it up with this little gem. In 1993, the three of us, as much younger politicians, stood with great expectations as the last Democratic president was sworn in with big plans, a head of steam and a Democratic Congress ready to begin a new progressive era. In less than two years, it all came crashing down, with disillusioned moderate voters handing the GOP broad congressional victories in 1994. First. Don't you mean "stood by"? And secondly this is not the 90s! That new Pearl Jam Album you see advertised everywhere is A DIGITALLY MASTERED RERELEASE! It's not a new record! You have not fallen through a time portal. You have not been given a do-over. The problems we face economically right now make the tech bubble look like the shock you get when you realize how much the Columbia 12 CDs for a penny plan actually costs. By now we know, thanks to the fine folks at Firedoglake that Evan Bayh's VP chances were more than likely sunk because of his propensity for crap like this and...um... one other thing... What was it?... oh yeah..Goldman Sachs gave him $123,750 from 03-08 along with heavy contributions from other industries that have "nothing" to do with the crisis we are in... Securities & Investment $1,005,186 Real Estate $432,200 Misc Finance $255,701 Insurance $241,748 oh...AND his wife works for E-trade and made $335,000 from a company called Wellpoint that opposes health care reform to the tune of $890,000 in lobbying under the Bush Admin. But I'm certain that over a quarter of a million dollars in potentially lost income would have no effect on Bayh and his "moderate" plans to move Obama to the "Practical center". Yeesh. It seems that the members of this group who aren't getting huge lobbyist funds to oppose Obama's plans either have a bad case of Helsinki syndrome or worse -- and possibly closer to the truth -- they never wanted to go along with these plans in the first place and, using the cloak of fiscal conservatism, now they can continue the soft obstruction they were trained to perform under Bush without constraint. No one expects lock step behavior. Honestly. But this kind of grandstanding is just cheap political theatrics paired with old school CYA.... and..to quote the redneck kid I used to be.. "It's ShickenChit" More on Evan Bayh
 
Russ Wellen: Avenging Aunt: When Political Bonds Fracture Families Top
A recent letter to Salon 's distinguished advice columnist Cary Tennis reads: Like many extended families, ours has people who live and breathe Republican doctrine, and people who are liberal. Since the early Bush years, we have given each other a wide berth. This week, someone sent out an e-mail talking about how Obama's policies weren't helping the economy and were probably killing it. Well, the floodgates on both sides opened. People felt personally attacked and were right to [feel that way]. ... What now? I do want the whole family to be able to be a family. ... I don't know how to walk it back, though. The rift that opened up. . . was shockingly deep and raw. As demonstrated by writers from Homer to Shakespeare, families have been torn asunder by political differences for millennia. It's only natural when you consider that, unlike social groupings, the family is not constructed of people of like minds who have gravitated towards each other. At its worst in the United States, brothers fought against each other in the Civil War. More recently, family passions reached a peak during the sixties, when Baby Boomers rose up against both the Vietnam war and the presidents who waged it. Adding insult to injury, they slathered sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll on top of their political convictions. In retrospect, TV character Archie Bunker might have seemed broadly drawn, but anyone who lived through that period knew people like him. As it's popularity reflected, All in the Family was a surprisingly accurate representation of what family life was like for many then. Today political alienation is no longer a matter of age, with children sometimes to the right of parents, especially with no draft to galvanize them. But you could make the case that it's worse now because it can no longer be explained away by the generation gap. A decade ago, President Clinton's extramarital dalliances provided those normally uninterested in politics with a chance to give full vent to the ferocity of their opinions in a political context. Then, of course, during the Bush years, those who fall under the headings of liberal, Democrat, or progressive went on the offensive. Now, with Obama president, the right has brought its vitriol to full boil again. Meanwhile, those without proper outlets for their political views air them with family and friends. Feelings are bruised; rifts open. How does Tennis recommend that families deal with their differences? "Would you like something to eat?" is a nice beginning. "Can I come over and help you mow the lawn?" is another. You also might ask your relatives questions such as these: . . . Are you worried about losing your job? . . . How do your own plans for retirement look? In other words, try to move from the conceptual to the concrete. Underneath "political" rhetoric are often real concerns. These are things you can talk about regardless of political beliefs. Families. . . are made up of individuals. Those individuals may have opinions we consider misguided, but they also have lives that we care about. Concentrate on the lives, not the rhetoric. That's fine as far as it goes. But first let's take a look at the content of the offending opinions. Try to recall your reaction the first time your otherwise warm and loving aunt said: "Abortion is murder. Doctors who perform them deserve what's coming to them." Or: "Muslims want to take over the world. We have to kill them before they kill us." We're shocked at what's really in a loved one's heart. Does she have any idea how cruel she sounds -- never mind liberals, Democrats, or progressives -- but to most people in polite society? What becomes of the relationship? We can make excuses for our avenging aunt. After all, is she any less informed than most citizens? It's just that we can't understand how her generosity of spirit can give way, in a split second, to viciousness. Either ignorance is the breeding ground of evil or her warm, giving nature was just a façade. In other words, we're unable to draw solace from Cary Tennis's words "but they also have lives that we care about." Because, well, we don't care any more. How can we "concentrate on the lives, not the rhetoric" when the life suddenly seems like a lie and the rhetoric the truth? You may be one of those people who thinks it's your responsibility to shine a light on the dark corners of their minds, but that's a fool's errand. For most, your future relationship will likely consist of exchanging small talk with your aunt or letting her bend your ear for a few moments about, say, the indignities of old age. If she goes off on a rant, you'll nod politely and look for the first opportunity to excuse yourself. Oh, did I mention the whole problem is compounded if, like most woman conservatives, she's a cultural conservative, too? Never underestimate the enduring power of Britney Spears to serve as a lightning rod for everything that's wrong with America. Of course, if the family member with whom you have political differences is closer to you, like a parent or sibling, he or she can't help but notice that you're pulling away. That's where it becomes sad. Not only she, but you, feel incapable of giving to her what you once might have because of the barrier between you that only you perceive. There are many to whom politics is tangential (though nothing like a financial crisis to concentrate the mind). A relationship based on small talk is usually enough for them. But to those of us immersed in current events -- anybody still use that term? -- one's political views are a window to the soul. In the end, political differences between family members only reinforce a rueful truth: Family is just a random grouping of beings who, if fate hadn't cast their lots together, would likely have never sought each other out. More on Bill Clinton
 
Ashton Kutcher Gets His Chest Waxed (VIDEO) Top
Happy Friday! Ashton Kutcher pulled his own "40-Year-Old Virgin" and filmed himself getting his chest waxed and exclaiming in pain. He then posted the video online sent it out on twitter . Kutcher, filming the movie "Five Killers" in the South of France, had to be hairless to match the chest of his stunt double, he claims. WATCH: Follow HuffPost Entertainment on Twitter More on Video
 
CNN Journalist Arrested In Fargo Top
FARGO, N.D. — A CNN journalist and seven other people have been arrested for standing on top of sandbag levees in the Fargo area. Fargo Police Sgt. Ross Renner didn't have many details of the journalist's arrest, but said the man appeared to be taking pictures at the time. He says officers made the arrests Wednesday and Thursday after seeing people climb on the dikes. Renner says police will arrest anyone they see on top of a dike out of concern for people's safety and the integrity of the levees. He says it's likely all those arrested have been released. A CNN spokesman says the cameraman had been shooting video and was unaware of any restrictions on climbing the dikes. The journalist was released on bail. More on CNN
 
GroundReport: Danes Use Twitter and YouTube to Attract a New Breed of Tourist Top
Published by GroundReport.com , a democratic global citizen news platform of 4,000 international reporters. By Lyssky Twitter and YouTube have hit the travel industry. The Danes have launched an entirely online campaign entitled 48hoursindenmark.com, in which they are promising a free trip to Denmark, for whoever shows the best command of social media. Applicants are invited to video themselves explaining why they are the best YouTubers and Twitterers around, and the reward is an all-expenses paid trip to Aarhus. The goal is to reach the so-called 'first-movers,' who already use social media when researching their travel and vacation plans. This way Denmark hopes to learn how to cater the the tourist of the future, since everyone might well be using blogs and review sites to find travel information in the future. "People have discovered that the internet differs greatly from TV and print, because it's not only dynamic, but also a two-way street. If a hotel guest thinks the room is rubbish and the price to high, they will let the world know online," says Anders Mogensen, partner in Seismonaut, the consultancy behind the initiative. "This poses both huge advantages and challenges for the travel industry, and we are trying to uncover what people want early on". When the winners arrive in Denmark, Anders Mogensen and his colleagues will be asking them to tweet, blogs and review about the stay online. There's more on the project at www.48hoursindenmark.com . Go to GroundReport.com for more insider news and opinion on Denmark . GroundReport is a citizen journalism platform that allows anyone to publish global news and earn money . More on Travel
 
Val Brown: Psychi-nomics 101: Prophets Predict our Financial Future Top
A recent article in USA Today spoke of a sharp rise in business among clairvoyants. It's no wonder - people are desperate to know when they will find work again and no one on this earth can tell them. Those with a strong faith may trust that it's all in the hands of a Higher Power. But that's never really done it for me. I've always found faith seriously lacking in actual information. So, while I wouldn't bet my house on it, I've never been averse to a little psychic information gathering, a bit of extra hope, false or not. The faithful among you could just look at it as knowing God's will in advance. I'm not here to argue the merits of this type of research but I do think psychics can give you helpful cues on career directions you might not otherwise come up with. The trick is to not think something predicted will just come to you without you putting in the footwork. Personal responsibility is still key. And no, psychics are not always right, but quite often they are. (Note to the wary: Those with a psychic gift, almost always passed down in families, are not evil or mean-spirited, with the possible exception of a store-front prophet who once told me there was a spell on me that only six further visits could remove. If nothing else, I appreciated this novel marketing technique). In any case, as Timothy Geithner et al seem unable to offer us convincing or definitive information on outcomes or time frames, we might as well put a little money on psychics. So I thought I'd dip into my own personal address book to do a little temperature taking on the future of the economy - if not the entire universe. I made a few calls. Business is indeed good but concerns seem to vary from coast to coast and industry to industry. Stylish, savvy Mary T. Browne , well-known New York psychic, author and a perennial favorite among the Wall St. set, says she foresaw the housing crisis and as far back as three years ago intuited that clients should start investing in gold. If not exactly knowing why - yet - this was coming up, her warnings to a few clients to not make a job jump to Lehman or Bear Stearns were also prescient. Now her clients are seeking more prosaic information, like when they will work again. She tried to let a 25-year career banker down easily; within the next 5 years, she saw absolutely no opportunity in banking for this man. Much of her work now is as much about counseling as predicting. She advises the unemployed to "use their free time to put their thinking elsewhere" rather than hammering away to get back into finance. Where will there be opportunity? "Farming and agriculture. Energy, science. And you're going to see a difference in kids coming out of college. They're not going to all major in finance anymore. Science will be big." She also sees a great deal of creative force in the arts despite cutbacks. The eventual re-emergence of smaller, family-run businesses will see more personal relationships between consumer and merchant. "Think return of the country banker." Ok. Good information, though hopefully she did not mean subsistence farming. Is that what Michelle Obama is really up to in the back yard? Mary's bankers could continue their journey of self discovery with a call to Fleur Phillips , an intuitive guide who counsels people on aligning with their higher purpose in life, and really, what better moment to address this, what with all hell broken loose and lots of free time. Recently back in New York from California, her business on the West Coast comprises primarily actors, writers and other creative types. Unlike the Wall St. psychic, her business hasn't fluctuated much in recent months - after all, this group is used to being in and out of work and can roll with the punches a little better. Like Mary, she counsels that "now is the time to expand the idea of who you are. Move beyond the concept that you are what you do". Fleur warns that this can be soul-wrenching work and not for the faint of heart. As so many base their entire identify on their job title, letting go of that "person" can leave one floundering while waiting to re-discover parts of themselves abandoned long ago or simply never developed. What to do? Fleur says to start with "thinking how you can serve - the world. What work can you do that is not focused solely on personal enrichment?" This focus has practical application in the short term as well - in volunteerism. Not only does it give one a sense of purpose (and help with the boredom that can come with unemployment), it's also a great networking tool. Not bad for romance, either. But what we all want to know, of course, is when will this crisis end ? Mary says "you'd better take Dramamine", because it will still be a real roller coaster. She doesn't think we'll hit bottom till the end of the year, and won't be able to breathe a real sigh of relief until Q4 of 2010. In the interim? Personally, I see a lot of really bad first novels being flogged at publishers by out of work executives who "had one book in them". Though actually, I think this is a great time for us all to let our inner artist out. And who knows, maybe it will produce the next War and Peace. And my own future? I didn't ask for details. Right now, I really don't want to know. More on Economy
 
Brian Keeler: Gillibrand Hit Piece by the Times ~ A Classic Study Top
If you were creating a Wikipedia entry for the term, "Hit Piece," you couldn't do much better than using today's New York Times offering about Senator Gillibrand's early work as a lawyer as a perfect example. They employed classic tactics. Simply put, they used quotes that do nothing but praise her dedication, drive and work ethic, to support quite a different meaning; framing that work as an ominous piece about her past. As for their motives, one could conjecture that a bad case of sour grapes was the driving force behind it's front page placement. They were, after all, the paper of record for the pro-Carolyn Kennedy movement to replace Senator Clinton. As for the story's content, the Times decided to drag up some old news and recycle Sandy Treadwell's tobacco talking points about Senator Gillibrand's early work as a lawyer. Breaking News!!!!! Lawyer works hard for their unsavory client!!!! The article talks about how, as a young lawyer, Gillibrand worked hard and effectively for her firm's tobacco client. So, what we have is the portrait of a hard working lawyer who earned the respect of her colleagues and clients. In short, she did her job and seems to have done it well. Let's put aside, for a moment, that everyone, even the bad guys (I'm no fan of big tobacco), has a right to good representation (it's the backbone of our judicial system) and look at whether this history has influenced her work as a representative. The only way this might be an issue would be if there were no voting record to look at to see if there was some conflict between her early client's private interest and the public good....but in this case, there is a voting record. The short analysis is that Gillibrand has a 100% anti-tobacco voting record in Congress and the Senate , and as Bill Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said " What's important to us is how she votes. " [Albany Times Union, 10/16/08] Here's a more detailed account of that record: - Gillibrand Co-Sponsored and Voted For a Bill to Regulate Tobacco Through the Food and Drug Administration. In 2008, Gillibrand voted in favor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This bill seeks to remove the exemption that tobacco products have from basic health regulations that apply to other consumer products such as food and medicines. The bill would crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids, require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco products, require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco products, changes to their products and research about the health effects of the products, ban candy-flavored cigarettes and prohibit terms that mislead consumers into believing that certain cigarettes are safer. [HR 1108, Vote #542, 7/30/08] - Gillibrand Voted to Raise Taxes on Cigarettes. In 2007, Gillibrand voted for bill that would increase the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents to $1 per pack and raise taxes on other tobacco products to offset a $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill would reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program at nearly $60 billion over five years. The bill passed 265-142. [HR 3963, Vote #1009, 10/25/07] - Gillibrand Voted to Override President's Veto and Raise Taxes on Cigarettes and Tobacco Products. In 2007, Gillibrand voted for an attempt to override President Bush's veto of the bill that would reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program at nearly $60 billion over five years, expanding the program by $35 billion. The bill failed 273-156. A two-thirds majority was required to override the veto. [HR 976, Vote #982, 10/18/07] - In 2008, Gillibrand Voted to Override Bush SCHIP Veto. In January 2008, Gillibrand voted again to override the Bush veto of legislation to renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill would have overridden Bush's Dec. 12, 2007, veto, of the bill that would reauthorize the program at nearly $60 billion over five years, expanding the program by $35 billion. To offset the cost of the expansion, it would increase the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents, to $1 per pack, and raise taxes on other tobacco products. [Vote #22, 1/23/08] - In the U.S. Senate, Gillibrand Voted to Raise Taxes on Cigarettes to Expand Children's Health Care. In 2009, Gillibrand voted for bill that would increase the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents to $1 per pack and raise taxes on other tobacco products to offset an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. [Vote # 31, HR 2. Public Law 111-3] Classic Hit Piece. Case Closed.
 
Matt Littman: President Obama's Trip to Iraq Top
As you know, President Obama is probably headed to Iraq this weekend. There are three reasons for President Obama to make this trip. One, to boost troop morale. No doubt, President Obama will do that on his trip. Given the President's smarts, charisma, and youth, the President figures to make quite an impression on our military, and given the sacrifices our troops are making, they figure to make quite an impression on the new President. President Obama is also moving troops out of Iraq, so it is imperative that he convey his appreciation for the unbelievable job that our troops are doing, and for the sacrifices these men and women have made. Ask yourself: would you go to a war-torn country and spend years trying to turn that nation into a democracy? Of course most people would say no. And yet, we have hundreds of thousands of Americans in Iraq, willing to risk their very lives for a people who will probably forever resent them. It's truly amazing. Two, the President travels to Iraq to learn about the situation first-hand. It's hard to get objective information when you're a President, because human nature often requires that people give the Leader of the Free World good news (so they can keep their jobs). It's also hard to step outside of the Green Zone because of security requirements, and so the President meets with people who are hand-picked to talk to him. But step outside the walled-off American base President Obama must, for it is difficult to obtain an objective assessment of the situation if you only talk to people pre-selected to speak with you. Imagine President Obama walking down a street in Iraq, chatting with shopkeepers - that's quite a picture. It would be a snapshot of the progress we have made in Iraq, and a picture of the progress that Iraqis have made for their own country. Across the world, these photos would put a friendlier American face on the main cause of our decimated reputation. The third reason a President travels to a military zone is p.r. Let's be honest: the President meeting the soldiers is a no-brainer in the publicity department, and the more popular a President, the easier time he has getting his agenda through Congress. It's crude but true. Let's hope President Obama takes advantage of his time in Iraq, meets with people not pre-selected to meet with him, and tours parts of the country other than the Green Zone. More on Iraq
 
China, Burma Sign Oil Pipeline Agreement Top
China will start construction this year on oil and gas pipelines more than 1,200 miles long from Kyaukpyu Port on the Bay of Bengal through Burma to southwest China. More on China
 
Jack Dreyfus Dead: CNBC Top
John "Jack" Dreyfus , founder of the Dreyfus Funds, has passed away. More to come.
 
Jim Lichtman: "Taxpayers to DeSantis: Drop Dead" Top
Re-interpreting a New York Daily News headline from 1975, the following is in response to a resignation letter written by Jack DeSantis, former executive vice-president, A.I.G. financial products unit to Edward M. Liddy, chief executive of A.I.G., appearing in the New York Times on Wednesday, March 25th. Dear Mr. DeSantis, It's difficult to read that you feel "betrayed by A.I.G." after they "reassured [you] many times that [you] would be rewarded," when so many others have lost their jobs, and in some cases, homes under the current financial crisis. It's hard to grasp your frustration and anger at agreeing "to work for an annual salary of $1... out of a sense of duty" only to be asked by the chief executive to return the bonus you were promised, when so many thousands, including vice-presidents , at Lehmann Brothers literally lost their jobs overnight without much of a paycheck much less a bonus. It's interesting to note, Mr. DeSantis, that you use words like "ethical and financially astute," in describing Mr. Liddy's "initial decision to honor the [bonus] contracts," when in reality, A.I.G. has done little in the eyes of many to live up to the best examples of those words. If certain individuals at A.I.G. had acted in an ethical manner, the federal government would not now be involved. If many of those executives had been less reckless and more "financially astute," in spite of warnings from many including former Chairman and CEO Hank Greenberg, A.I.G. would not have to receive billions in taxpayer funds to insure the company's survival. While it is important to point out, as you do, "that most of the employees of [A.I.G's] financial products unit had nothing to do with the large losses," and undoubtedly worked long and hard doing the right things, the sad reality, Mr. DeSantis, is that individuals within A.I.G. acted in a reckless and unethical manner, and destroyed the good work done by many others. And it is unfair to paint these individuals with the same brush of greed and excess. However, they and you, Mr. DeSantis, have been able to work due to the direct assistance of taxpayers, while thousands in your business have not. In the real world of the working-class, individuals receive a bonus when they have done exemplary work and the company has the necessary additional funds to recognize such work. I agree that while massive, public anger has a tendency to create a knee-jerk reaction from politicians, some of their actions, such as a proposed 90% tax on all bonuses and the release of names by Attorneys General Cuomo and Blumenthal goes too far. However, most of your anger, Mr. DeSantis, should be directed at the A.I.G. leadership responsible for the current position the company finds itself in. To fall back on the legality of a contract in the midst of billions paid by taxpayers after admitting that "...members of my profession have been overpaid, and I wouldn't disagree." This after, you yourself have made millions over the last 11 years. To then tell those same taxpayers, by way of the New York Times, that "[you] have decided to donate 100 percent of the... after-tax proceeds... directly to organizations that are helping people who are suffering..." is dishonest. That is not your money, Mr. DeSantis, it is the taxpayers. You have no ethical right to use that money to give to any charity, no matter how well-intended. And if you cannot recognize this simple truth, then you are acting in the same disingenuous, self-aggrandizing manner as those you condemn at A.I.G. Jim Lichtman has been writing and speaking on ethics since 1995. His commentaries can be found at www.ethicsStupid.com
 
Amanda Copeland: Autism, Love, and Revolution Top
Welcome to the journey of autism: the journey of my life as a mother, as a filmmaker. I once had a daughter who was perfectly formed, with a smoothly functioning nervous and immune system, and then autism became my life's journey. Autism, love, and now, revolution. Lila was born in January of 2002, 11 pounds of beautiful bouncing baby. Somehow my doctors didn't realize how enormous she was while she was still in my belly, and I pushed for several futile hours before she was taken out by emergency c-section. She had a bubbly hematoma on her crown from the pushing, but her APGARS all rode high and she ate like a prize fighter despite what the nurses laughingly called my "white girl nipples". That first night in the hospital there was a full moon flooding our tiny room with brilliant sparkling light. I watched my baby sleeping peacefully on my chest and ignored the nurse's urgings to lay her down in the crib. I was in awe. When my daughter let out her first cry in that operating room I experienced a spontaneous healing from every perceived let-down I had known from each of my parents. I realized in the passing of a moment who they had both been, and what limited tools they had possessed to do this mind-bogglingly important job of raising a child. From the moment she was conceived my daughter held supernatural powers of this type. She made love and forgiveness happen spontaneously. The miraculous was all around us. When Lila was 4 months old and turning over on her belly, eyes alert, we moved into a darling little craftsman cottage in east Culver City. It had been built and painted in 1926. We and our two devoted dogs were pleased to settle in there and I set up my photography studio across the street at the Helms Bakery. As a single mother I worked 16 hours a day, but we made it, and I was simply besmirched with a love I had never known for this enchanting, gorgeous little girl who had blessed me with her coming. At a year, Lila walked. Within a month she started speaking in both English and Spanish, the latter being the primary language I spoke to her from birth. Her body moved smoothly through space and she looked at faces and new experiences with wide curious eyes of love. Near the same time, she started to exhibit signs of a digestive disorder. Explosive and acidic diarrhea began to dominate our daily lives and her stomach distended like a famine victim's. The visit to the pediatrician revealed nothing. The rice and oats I was told to feed her did nothing to end the scourge of hot liquid running through her gut and ruining all her clothes, car seat, toys, whatever happened to be in the way. At 18 months Lila began a strange jumping and flapping that was almost endearing, and as it came on subtly, I took it as a developmental thing. Then, her words started disappearing. Again, gazing at her with rose colored lenses I assumed her unfoldment was taking its own twists and turns and I was too busy fretting over the intestinal mystery to go much further into investigating these quirky developments. Over and over again the pediatrician told me she was fine. At two and a half Lila joined in a local preschool program. At this moment, I realized something was awfully wrong with my child. The other toddlers screamed in agony when their parents dropped them off. Lila waddled to a corner and sifted sand. I would try to say goodbye to her, and she completely ignored me. I shared with other parents that I was concerned I'd formed no bond with my child. On October 30, 2002 I had my first parent teacher conference at the preschool. I was wearing tiger-print dance pants and an oversized wool sweater, my hair up in a bun. I remember the dryness of my hands in the chill. The morning was cold and misty and the outline of the oak trees against the sunrise is still burned in my mind. Mine was the first meeting of the day. I walked into the school room and saw Lila's two teachers and the school's director arranged cross-legged on the floor with a box of tissue at the ready. I knew this could not bode well. The teachers looked at me gravely. I saw that one of them had a tear welling up her eye. Gently and shortly they told me they were not doctors but they had seen Lila's behaviors before in other toddlers who were soon diagnosed with autism. They likened my Lila to an older boy at the school who had pervasive autism, the son of a teacher I knew well. They advised me to see a developmental psychologist for a diagnosis. Autism. This was the moment my life became the journey of autism -the moment my heart irrevocably broke. The instant when every hand flap, every spin, every liquid bowel movement, every lost word, snapped into sharp focus and I felt fully what had happened to my girl. My mission now is to bring relief to the immense civil rights crisis at large in a world today beset with autism, in an epidemic that has steadily and sharply risen in numbers since its inception, and has never plateaued. As we journey on the road to prevention and liberal treatment of autism, in a battle to achieve unfettered access to treatment for every child born on the spectrum regardless of race, nationality or economic status, I journey with Lila. My daughter has undergone intensive bio-medical intervention over the past 5 years, and a battery of therapies that have monopolized thousands of hours of her young life. The work she has done has not been in vain. The toxic house that provided the catastrophic load of lead that triggered Lila's autism also took the life of one of our dogs and landed me in the hospital with a yet-undiagnosed neurological ailment that centers in disabling migraines. For the hundreds of parents and grandparents along the way who have mortgaged their homes and given away jobs to undertake the struggle for their children's lives, we begin the journey of a million steps in a documentary we are making, to make way for the tidal wave of children coming to us in autism. We will explore the tragedies and triumphs of the journey thousands of families world-wide undertake when they learn of this devastating disorder visited on their children. This is where we meet revolution. That morning in 2002 when the teachers set me on the road of autism and revolution, another miracle transpired. That word "autism", that irrevocable knowing that you are in possession of a child with untold difficulties ahead of them, brought my love for Lila to a place that transcends words and defies pedestrian knowing. This is the miracle of Lila, the biggest love that could ever be, the most gigantic love I can ever know. More on Autism
 
Lionel: God Bless Bill Maher Top
And now, the award for best critical thinking by a television news commentator. The nominees are (Drumroll): Bill Maher . . . and that's the only nominee. He wins. I watched Mr. Maher this weekend (March 20) on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." I was taken aback, pleasantly, by how thoroughly entertaining his questions were of his guests. Why? Because it wasn't merely a Barack Obama, progressive love-fest. It was more than reiterations of how we hate Bush, Cheney's evil and how waterboarding is wrong. There was not the incalculably insane refrain of trying Bush and Cheney as war criminals. It wasn't the usual "we're smart and conservative Republicans are stupid." O.K., in fairness there was some of that. Mostly because it's true. More on that later. No, Maher not only challenged the guests' statements when necessary, but dared to ask them to explain why they thought such and, what was even better, to at least consider a point advanced that was antipodal. I've all but abandoned the notion of watching anything even resembling a TV news commentary show. It's Barnum & Bailey narrow-casting. No, Bill Maher and Jon Stewart have earned my seal of approval for cogent commentary. Incidentally, as for plain old news shows, those are even harder to find mostly because we're watching the format's extinction before our very eyes. BBC's still hands-down the best for international news with The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer reigning supreme for national coverage. When you watch a bare-bones, true news show, it's a thing of beauty. It's the abecedary of news reportage. Fine. Maher's not that, nor do we want him to be. Let me be more specific. Bill Maher has a point of view shot through his own perspective barrel with its own rifling. You can see his comedic ballistic marks. We know his frame of reference. Personally, I love his take on religion and Religulous is brilliant. I'm biased. As is he. While on the subject, it's perhaps one of the best compendia of religious and Biblical lore. Lore, mind you, not fact. He learned a very serious lesson when he dared to make a crack about the bravery of the 9/11 hijackers. Let's hope that issue doesn't recrudesce; that's history. I will say that the event certainly gave Bill an obvious hypersensitivity to the issue. Maybe that's why he has bought the official version hook, line and stinker -- er, sinker -- thus earning him the ultimate label of disparagement among the 9/11 truth-seekers: Gatekeeper. But that's for another time. Bill has his perspective, his take, his riff, his biases. No doubt. (Did I mention I love "New Rules"?) All right, enough with the paeans. Bill Maher is not a lap dog for Barack Obama. He's not a fawning, obsequious toady whose eyes flutter when you dare mention B.O.'s name. He doesn't immediately jump on the DNC or progressive bandwagon. He's got gonadal elephantiasis. He agrees when he agrees. He's obviously a stoner and makes no bones about it. He agrees with me that the late Steve Irwin met his demise by unnecessarily annoying a stingray. It was self-defense for Chrissakes. That's very non-progressive. Remember, liberals and progressives are smart, not brilliant, and not necessarily funny. He asks questions about stimulus packages and the recession and doesn't assume a priori that whatever Obama and his trusted knights do is correct. Let me return for a sec to the funny/smart reference. The difference between the archetypal liberal and conservative is how they see themselves and each other. The former believes that she's smart, educated, sophisticated and worldly compared to her opposite, who is dim-witted, slow, old-fashioned, scientifically-nescient, churlish, mawkish, homophobic, sexually-cloistered and very uncool. The conservative sees himself as right, correct, resolute, patriotic, God-fearing, America first, traditional, family-oriented and rock-ribbed. He sees the liberal/progressive as LGBT-loving, un-American, silly, Birkenstock-shod, climate-crazy, tree-hugging, Commie-loving . . . You get the picture. Liberals are smart. Conservatives are Jed Clampett. But what separates Maher from the Obama-crazed parvenus is that he thinks about an issue and then decides. He doesn't ask: "What's Obama's position? Me, too." Doesn't anyone with a synapse have any questions inter alia as to the stimulus package(s), bank nationalization or whether ex post facto legislation clawing back A.I.G. bonuses is in effect a bill of attainder? Even SNL most aptly captured the feeling over Geithner's competence and mockingly referenced the halcyon days of the inaugural, lo those two months ago. Let me mention one point about the A.I.G. bonus structure issue. Without naming names, there were a few Obama TV operatives who were a tad quiescent at first when the Byzantine indictment of A.I.G.'s bonus payments was first announced. They had nary a clue as to what this mess was about. Something about credit default swaps or whatever. When Larry Summers said that it was improper for a government to abrogate private contracts that antedated the government's supervision and intervention (and I agree), the usual suspects were quiet, following Larry's lead. Or perhaps they were just confused. Then, when on high, President Obama called for the figurative heads of these latter day robber barons, the lickspittle choir all lip-synced en masse a collected "Whatever you say, Boss" and changed their tunes immediately. There's a network that repeatedly refers to the first 100 days of Obama's administration with background music of harps and triumphant fanfare. A little premature, don't you think? Maher wouldn't have fallen for that anachronism, i.e. assuming that the first 100 days would be celebratory and transcendent. We're in the midst of a global economic maelstrom, cataclysmic by all accounts. If I want to hear the administration's position I'll go on its website. I don't need a wide-eyed cheerleader echoing what the President's saying. I don't want the anti-Fox point of view. Bias is bias. And understand, I voted for this President, he's now my and our President and, as such, I want him to succeed. Maher believes in an issue or position himself. And that's the crux of the issue. I want his opinion and not rote repetition from an administration amanuensis. I want to be, oh, I don't know, surprised, maybe, when someone is enlisted to advance an opinion on a show. I know exactly where to go for that. More on Bill Maher
 
German Cardinal Pushes Merkel To Apologize To Pope Top
A prominent German cardinal has urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to apologize to Pope Benedict XVI for her unusual public criticism over the Vatican's handling of the case of a Holocaust-denying bishop. Merkel's spokesman, however, made clear that the German leader has no intention of revisiting the issue. Cardinal Joachim Meisner, a prominent conservative cleric and archbishop of Cologne, told the Bild daily Friday that ``there were glitches at the Vatican (but) the chancellor also made a mistake.'' On February 3, Merkel called on the German-born pontiff to issue a ``very clear'' rejection of Holocaust denials after the Vatican lifted the excommunication of a bishop who had said he did not believe any Jews were gassed during the Nazi Holocaust. More on Germany
 
Paula Gordon: Authentic Hope Top
He had arrived early, John Hope Franklin, a jewel of humanity who'd lingered long on the grounds of the New Schools at Carver, deep in Atlanta's 'hood. No apology necessary, he assured me, flumoxed that he'd gotten there before us. The twinkling eyes that had captivated students for 70 years softened the somberness in his handsome, reflective face. He said he'd been wandering the grounds for over an hour, communing with the spirits of many long gone, retracing many of the American lurches toward equality which he'd described in his splendid autobiography published the year before when he was a mere 90 years old, Mirror to America. I'd read the book, so I should not have been surprised. But I was. Of course! The main building at New Schools had been restored as the centerpiece of what had once been among the sorriest excuses for a high school in the country. But before THAT, these grounds had housed pioneering institutions created to educate African-Americans. In fact, Dr. Franklin's parents had named him the legend of a man whom they admired deeply -- Dr. John Hope, the first African-American to serve as President of Morehouse College, then as President of the first graduate school for African-Americans, Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University.) That took place right where we were standing! Not only were we in the presence of a giant among men, we were gathered precisely where many who had contributed to HIS successes and that of the African-Americans for whom he still wanted full citizenship, just as he had when he helped win "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas" in 1954. This place was even more than personal, this was living history! The program that followed was vintage John Hope Franklin, Ph.D. A razor-sharp intellect. Relentless truthfulness about how America's troubled history must serve us and not we it. An unapologetic activist, equally engaged with America's past, present, and future tense, still shining a light ahead for hip-hop clad kids young enough to be his great-grands. His quiet power drew on his own middle name when combined with a passion for justice and the courage to strive for it. Here was the political savant, concerned that we, the sovereign people reclaim our promise of governing ourselves, outlining the unending work ahead if the potential for our own greatness as a nation is ever to be realized in these United States. And at every turn, Dr. John Hope Franklin offered us all his first-hand stories of the lifetime he'd spent bringing ideas to life. So why were we at New Schools in the first place, and not in our studio? Because we'd wanted to share with their students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in the presence of genuine hero, an authentically famous individual whose life represented real Greatness. As we concluded the one-hour recording of the Show itself, and before we took questions from the students, Dr. Franklin covered his mike with his hand and whispered to Bill and me, "Is there something wrong with these students?" Mystified, we assured him that as far as we knew all was well, why did he ask? "These are teenagers ... and they've been sitting here more than an hour ... in silence!" Mission, truly, accomplished. The "Paula Gordon Show" we recorded with Dr. Franklin at the New Schools at Carver is available to be heard, in full, at our website.
 
G-20 Protest In UK: Send Us Your Photos Top
The G-20 will convene a summit in London next week to discuss global economic reforms. Tens of thousands of people are expected to march through London tomorrow to call on the G-20 nations to help fight poverty, inequality and climate change. HuffPost is looking for those who will be attending to send in photos of the event. The location of the event can be found here . We are looking for reports from similar protests around the world as well. Send your pictures to submissions+protest@huffingtonpost.com with "photos" in the subject line. Make sure to include your full name (so we can credit your work), where you are from, and a caption describing the context and location of each photograph. Not protesting? Sign up here to receive HuffPost World updates and learn how you can participate in our coverage. Get the news first. Become a fan of HuffPost World on Facebook. More on G-20 Summit
 
DNC Ridicules GOP For Number-Free Budget (VIDEO) Top
The DNC just released a pretty brutal -- not to mention funny -- video mocking the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives for releasing a budget with no numbers in it. Titled, "The Number Zero, Brought To You By The Party Of N-O," the web ad, while not really advertising much, underscores just how bad the GOP's budget alternative rollout was on Thursday. The footage of conservatives like Ed Rollins and Joe Scarborough -- as well as a somewhat-befuddled looking Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) -- drive home the point: the House GOP did themselves no favors in their attempt to put policy to paper. And if reports from the Hill are to be believed, the GOP itself is internally at odds over the rushed and unsuccessful process.
 
Investment Banking, Lending Split: BofA Lewis Suggests Top
March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Lewis said today the U.S. should consider separating commercial lenders from investment banking activities. Lewis made the comment on his way to a meeting with President Barack Obama and U.S. banking chiefs. Asked what he would tell Obama if given the chance, Lewis said it would be that "commercial banks are the fabric of any community in which they operate and we probably need to separate the commercial banks from the investment banking activities."
 
Louisiana Beats Illinois For Most Corrupt State Honors Top
[F]or genuine, savory, infused-in-the-gumbo style public venality, Louisiana still has Illinois, and most of America, beat. Ranked according to corruption convictions per capita from 1998-2007, Louisiana is No. 3, well ahead of Illinois at No. 19. (Only Washington, D.C., and North Dakota ranked higher--and in North Dakota's case, the results were skewed because of its extremely small population.) More on Rod Blagojevich
 
Feinstein May Oppose EFCA Despite Past Support Top
Uh oh -- this could potentially represent another big setback for supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who co-sponsored the measure in 2007, is now saying she isn't sure whether she can back it this time around.
 
T.I. Sentenced To One Year For Machine Gun, Silencer Purchase Top
ATLANTA — A judge sentenced Rapper T.I. to one year and a day behind bars on federal weapons charges on Friday. The 28-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, entered court smiling as he greeted his lawyers and family members. He wore a dark gray suit and black dress shirt and tie for sentencing. "Today I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to all," the rapper told U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. at the 1 and 1/2 hour session. Harris pleaded guilty last March after he was arrested in 2007, attempting to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. The arrest on Oct. 13 of that year occurred blocks from where he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta hours later. He will have between 30 and 60 days to report to prison. Harris already has completed about 1,000 hours of community service and has warned youths about the pitfalls of guns, drugs, violence. He will need to complete 470 additional hours. "Everything I learned was through trial and error," Harris also told the judge. "I've learned lessons in my life to put in my music so people won't make the same mistakes as I." At Friday's hearing, former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young spoke on Harris' behalf. "He's been able to do the work I've been trying to accomplish for so long in stopping violence in this country," Young told the judge. Harris had faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count, until he cut a deal and pleaded guilty last March to the federal weapons charge and was sentenced to one year and a day in prison. Pannell said he was pleased with Harris' progress through his community service. "I think this has been a great experiment," the judge said. "I hope this experience can lead to other experiments so others won't make the same mistake at all. I congratulate you." Harris initially pleaded not guilty and was released on a $3 million bond before being placed under house arrest. Ed Garland, one of his attorneys, said they are not sure where he will serve his sentence. Upon his release, Harris is to be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be credited for 305 days of home detention he already has served and must serve an additional 60 days, authorities said. Harris agreed to community service to avoid a lengthy sentence. He already has made 262 public appearances as part of that deal. Much of that work has been done with children. Although he has taken part in a voting campaign and had an MTV reality show, "Road to Redemption" to scare teens straight, that was not part of the community service. Harris is one of the co-chief executives of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists. His sixth album, "Paper Trail," has sold nearly two million copies. It also charted two smash No. 1 songs, and a third with Justin Timberlake is near the top of the charts. T.I. said fear was the reason he tried to buy the guns. His best friend, Philant Johnson, was killed following a post-performance party in Cincinnati in 2006. A man was found guilty last year in the murder case.
 
Bleak Media Economy Now Affecting Cartoon Journalists Top
It's getting so hard out here for print journalism that now even our beloved intrepid fictional reporters are feeling the pinch. So says Editor and Publisher 's Greg Mitchell , who's got tomorrow's Brenda Starr strip, in which the comic's heroine is made to take a furlough. "What's next?" Mitchell asks, "Beetle Bailey revealing post-traumatic stress disorder?" Either that or Mark Trail will have to gun down a crazed, face-eating chimp , and then have to live with the pain of having inspired a racist Sean Delonas cartoon ! Starr scribe Mary Schmich tells E&P, "As far-fetched as some of the plots in Brenda are, I do like to keep it topical...But even fantasies need some grounding in reality, and right now, economic crisis is the reality that colors everything else at pretty much every newspaper." Her heroine leads a life of "fantasy with nuggets of reality," which I guess means that Starr will return to work on the micropayment model, or something. MORE: Preview: Brenda Starr Furloughed! [E&P Pub] [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .]
 

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